Chapter 11: Arrival, Staying Warm by Shivering!

After experiencing regional discrimination, Ming Dai was unilaterally kicked out of the group chat.

She leaned against the window, staring blankly at the passing scenery outside.

Meanwhile, the other three were chatting enthusiastically.

Ming Dai listened in for a bit and found it quite amusing.

Fang Rou was trying to shake off Qi Zhijun, her childhood friend, while also keeping him around as a devoted admirer.

In their conversation, Fang Rou deliberately mentioned Qi Zhijun’s background—his prestigious military-political family—to pique Liu Yan’s interest. At the same time, she subtly emphasized their childhood connection, portraying themselves as a good brother and sister duo.

Her main agenda was clear: she had no intention of marrying him, but she still wanted him to keep chasing after her.

Truly, like an old lady climbing Mount Tai—aiming high!

After chatting for a while, the three of them felt parched. Qi Zhijun took the initiative to fetch hot water for them. Noticing that Ming Dai was staring blankly, he didn’t want to leave her out, so he asked, “Comrade Ming Dai, do you need me to bring you some hot water?”

Ming Dai snapped out of her daze and shook her head stiffly. “I’m not thirsty. I didn’t talk as much as you all did.”

Qi Zhijun’s expression stiffened for a moment. Awkwardly nodding, he turned and left.

What did she mean by that? Was she implying that he talked too much?

At first, he had thought she was young and looked pleasant, so he wanted to take care of her a little. But he didn’t expect her to be so unappreciative!

Oh well, not every girl could be as sweet as Xiao Rou.

He realized that since he had sneaked out today, his family must have already discovered that he had followed Xiao Rou to the countryside. He could only imagine how his mother was making a fuss at home right now.

He truly couldn’t understand why his parents—who had always strictly followed government policies—were so against him going to the countryside.

Even someone as delicate as Xiao Rou had voluntarily applied to go. As a man standing tall at seven feet, why couldn’t he do the same?

Fine, in the end, his parents had always thought he was less capable than his older brothers. But once he built a successful career in the countryside, they would finally see who their most outstanding son truly was.

Since Ming Dai seemed dull and her words were unpleasant, the three of them didn’t speak to her for the next five days and four nights.

Along the way, two more educated youths boarded the train, but since their destination was different, they got off midway.

In the end, the four of them were the only ones who arrived at the train station in Song City, Hei Province.

Five days and four nights of sitting in hard seats had completely extinguished their enthusiasm for the countryside support mission.

Fang Rou looked at the desolate scenery outside, but instead of disappointment, she was filled with excitement. Tears shimmered in her eyes.

“Cheng Ge! I’m here!”

Now that the train had stopped, everyone was in a much better mood. They stood up to stretch, grabbed their luggage from the racks, and carried their bags as they followed the crowd out.

Ming Dai wasn’t in a hurry. She planned to wait until the crowd thinned before getting off. Fang Rou had the same idea and remained seated.

Qi Zhijun always followed Fang Rou’s lead, so he didn’t get up either.

Liu Yan, eager to please, helped carry the suitcases for Qi Zhijun and Fang Rou, along with her own, struggling under the weight.

Only then did Fang Rou finally stand up, casually saying, “Thanks,” before walking straight out.

In the next moment, Qi Zhijun picked up two suitcases and followed after her without even glancing back at Liu Yan’s large sack.

Liu Yan gritted her teeth, hoisted her heavy sack onto her back, and quickly chased after them.

Ming Dai finally took her time stepping onto the metal frame beneath the seat, dragging down her large bundle before hoisting it onto her back and heading out.

The moment they got off the train, the biting wind of Hei Province gave everyone a harsh welcome.

Even with her bundle on her back, Ming Dai couldn’t help but shiver. Fortunately, she had dressed warmly; otherwise, she would have ended up like the others—huddled up like a group of frozen quails.

A flock of “quails” stood waiting at the train station while people nearby called out names from different communes.

Ming Dai listened carefully and quickly found the representatives from Hongqi Commune.

By the time she walked over, Fang Rou and the others were already there, talking to the commune officials.

The ones sent from Hongqi Commune included the deputy director and a tractor driver. Behind them was the tractor they would be riding back.

The deputy director, dressed in an official’s uniform, was so cold that his voice had changed pitch as he read out the names of the educated youths from the list.

Before long, Ming Dai heard her name. She carried her bundle forward, only to be met with the unmistakable look of disdain in both the deputy director’s and the tractor driver’s eyes.

It was understandable. To them, she looked like nothing more than a little girl who hadn’t fully grown, clearly not someone suited for hard labor. In the countryside, people jokingly called such arrivals “idle eaters,” so their disdain was expected.

Ming Dai didn’t care. She remained as expressionless as ever and casually positioned herself next to the tractor driver to shield herself from the wind. At the same time, she caught the faint trace of mockery in the original female lead’s eyes.

Heh, acting all high and mighty? Then don’t shiver!

Once all 23 educated youths assigned to Hongqi Commune were accounted for, they were herded onto the tractor in one go. They had to hurry back while it was still daylight.

Ming Dai quickly climbed onto the vehicle, settling into a corner behind the driver’s seat. She stuffed her bundle under her seat, pulled out a thick blanket, and wrapped herself up tightly. Curling into a ball, she remained completely still.

She moved quickly, and by the time the others climbed aboard, they were too busy finding seats to notice her actions.

Like her, Fang Rou was also well-prepared.

She didn’t need to scramble for a seat—Qi Zhijun had already secured one for her and was eagerly calling her over.

Some of the others who had lost their spots were unhappy, but after taking a look at Fang Rou and Qi Zhijun’s attire, they didn’t dare to say anything.

Fang Rou walked over and instructed Qi Zhijun to take a cloak out of her suitcase. Once he retrieved it, she carefully draped it over herself.

The others simply watched, thinking she was being overly delicate.

But soon, they changed their minds.

The tractor wasn’t moving fast, but the wind was fierce!

Even the deputy director, who had just been wearing his official uniform, had now put on a thick cotton-padded coat.

The rest of the passengers scrambled to find ways to keep warm, spreading their blankets over themselves for insulation. Only then did they feel a little better.

Those who didn’t have blankets or whose blankets were buried in their luggage—like Liu Yan—had no choice but to rely on their body heat and constant shivering to stay warm.

She looked at Qi Zhijun pitifully, hoping he would lend her his military coat.

Unfortunately, Qi Zhijun had eyes only for Fang Rou and didn’t spare Liu Yan a single glance.

Left with no other option, Liu Yan emptied out the contents of her sack and draped it over herself for warmth. Only then did she feel somewhat better.

Finally, before nightfall, they arrived at the commune.

Since it was already too late to travel further, the commune arranged for them to stay at the guesthouse for the night. Early the next morning, the individual brigades would come to pick them up.

Ignoring the fact that everyone was frozen stiff and their legs were too numb to stand, the tractor driver herded them off the vehicle like ducks.

He needed to return the tractor and get home—there was no time to waste.

Most people managed to get off quickly, but Liu Yan had too many belongings. Her sack was still draped over her shoulders, and her hands and feet were numb from the cold, making her movements sluggish.

The tractor driver grumbled impatiently, cursing under his breath. His words made Liu Yan’s eyes turn red with frustration. In the end, it took a few of the last people to get off the tractor to help her reload her belongings.

Qi Zhijun, meanwhile, had already followed Fang Rou off the vehicle without so much as a glance in Liu Yan’s direction.

Ming Dai had been one of the first to disembark, quietly standing with the rest of the group.

For someone like Liu Yan, offering help would only make her feel belittled.

Sure enough, she stepped down with red-rimmed eyes, staring at the ground, and didn’t bother thanking the two female educated youths who had helped her.

The deputy director, shivering violently from the cold, quickly led them to the guesthouse. He hastily assigned their rooms and then hurriedly left, leaving behind a group of bewildered, shivering “quails.”

Inside, the plump auntie at the front desk impatiently handed out room keys, urging them to hurry inside instead of blocking the entrance.

Fortunately, at this hour, no officials were staying at the guesthouse, so each of them was able to have a bed to themselves.

Men and women were separated into two lines, and according to the order, four people were assigned to each room. They lined up to receive their keys.

Ming Dai was near the front of the line and soon moved in with three other female educated youths into the first room.

Since there were so many of them, hot water was limited—each room was given only one thermos.

In Ming Dai’s room, the other three girls came from different places. They evenly divided the hot water, each taking a little to warm up, and used the remaining water for washing up.

Things weren’t as harmonious in Fang Rou’s room. She was placed with Liu Yan, while the other two girls were from the same area. The moment they received the hot water, a dispute over its distribution arose.

Fang Rou sat on her bed without saying a word, leaving Liu Yan to fight the battle alone. In the end, Liu Yan managed to win more than half the thermos, leaving the other two girls seething with anger.

Yet after all that effort, Liu Yan didn’t even use the water—she gave it all to Fang Rou.

As a result, Fang Rou became the only one who got to wash her feet that night.

Of course, that didn’t include Ming Dai.

Not only did she wash her feet, but she also soaked them for ten full minutes. If she weren’t worried that people might suspect her of having hemorrhoids, she would have taken a full bath.

Damn, it was freezing!