Chapter 32

The next morning, Wu Xiaoxiao and the others gathered at the second team’s headquarters early in the morning. Then, they were led by Captain Huang to join the first team for departure.

There were six small teams under the second team, each with three people, making up more than a dozen individuals. With the addition of the first and third teams, over fifty young men and women gathered in the large conference room, which was crowded with people.

Wu Xiaoxiao looked around. It was clear that the people were divided into two types: those with a proud demeanor, appearing fair-skinned and many wearing glasses, were mostly educated youth (sent to rural areas). The others, though neatly dressed and sitting properly, had a subtle difference in temperament, and it was easy to tell they were children from the village.

Perhaps because they were going to repair agricultural machines, the female proportion among the fifty-odd people was notably low, with only about ten or so girls, and the majority were boys.

In addition to the educated youth and village kids, Wu Xiaoxiao was not surprised to see a few team leaders accompanying Old Mr. Lu.

This time, they were to repair agricultural machines. It seemed that, as Captain Huang had said, Old Mr. Lu would be guiding and training everyone, directing them all to work together.

What surprised her slightly was that Doctor Chen was also accompanying Old Mr. Lu. However, after thinking about it, she realized that since Old Mr. Lu was elderly and had experienced a recent incident, it made sense that Doctor Chen, who was knowledgeable in medicine and also considered his junior, was here to take care of him. This was likely an arrangement from the village.

“Gu Zhenghong, I knew Wujia Village would call you! Great, this time we have company in the county! Ah, I’ve been stuck in this rural area for too long; once we get to the county, I’ll make sure to explore!”

As they entered the first team’s large conference room, a girl came forward to greet Gu Zhenghong.

—-

This girl, tall and with a high ponytail, looked even taller and full of energy. She wore a white shirt, which was slightly different, with a waist-cut design that made her waist look slimmer and legs longer. She paired it with a floral blue skirt just above her knees, showing off her slender calves.

She had a big smile on her face, filled with the joy of meeting a good friend.

Gu Zhenghong was equally pleased to see her: “Ah, Xiao Yan, you came too!”

“Of course,” Zhao Xiaoyan said proudly, “This time the requirements were particularly high. You have to understand the blueprints and read the manuals, so our village team leader didn’t dare send anyone casually. That’s why I’m here!”

“True.” Gu Zhenghong nodded. Zhao Xiaoyan had been a top student in school. But since arriving here, though they were classmates, the first and second teams were far apart, so they rarely met.

Zhao Xiaoyan wasn’t familiar with Tian Zhuang, but they probably knew each other, so she greeted him first before turning to Wu Xiaoxiao with a big smile and said, “Hello, I’m Zhao Xiaoyan, Gu Zhenghong’s classmate. You can just call me Xiao Yan.” She extended her hand.

Before Wu Xiaoxiao could respond, Gu Zhenghong introduced, “Right, Xiao Yan, this is Wu Xiaoxiao from our village. You can call her Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao, this is Xiao Yan.”

Wu Xiaoxiao smiled and shook Zhao Xiaoyan’s hand, saying hello.

Zhao Xiaoyan blinked when she heard Wu Xiaoxiao’s name and said, “How nice! You’re called Xiaoxiao, and I’m called Xiao Yan. Our names really match. Let’s sit together on the bus later.”

Wu Xiaoxiao nodded. After chatting for a while, mainly about Gu Zhenghong and Zhao Xiaoyan’s past, everyone finally gathered, and after attendance was taken, they were ready to depart.

—-

This time, they were headed to Beixian County, which was more than 100 miles from the first team. They were among the teams farthest from the county, so a vehicle was specially arranged to transport them. However, the vehicle was rather basic—an open-top truck with two long benches, and with everyone squeezed together, the two trucks were fully packed.

As soon as Zhao Xiaoyan saw the truck, she frowned. Back home, she would travel in a car. Now, she had to ride in the back of a truck for over 100 miles, and it was bound to be bumpy and dizzying!

But in fact, these educated youths were luckier than the village kids, who had never ridden in such vehicles. After only traveling about 20-30 miles, a few of them started to feel nauseous. One girl couldn’t hold it anymore and threw up. Fortunately, she turned to the side and vomited outside, but some splashed onto the truck, emitting a sour smell.

The people sitting near her couldn’t help but make faces. Some even pinched their noses: “Oh my god, after only 30 miles, and she threw up like this. We still have three or four hours to go. This smell is unbearable.”

Wu Xiaoxiao thought the smell wasn’t too bad, considering how foul the manure smell in the village could be. Didn’t these educated youths encounter manure days? Besides, it was an open truck, and once the wind blew, the smell would dissipate.

She noticed the girl was extremely pale, clearly suffering from motion sickness. It made her feel uncomfortable too. Since the people nearby were keeping their distance, Wu Xiaoxiao steadied herself and moved closer to the girl, letting her lean on her: “You can rest on me. The truck ride is really uncomfortable, isn’t it?”

The girl shyly thanked her and leaned on her shoulder.

Wu Xiaoxiao gently pressed her hand and applied some pressure to the meridian points to relieve her discomfort, while subtly using her abilities to make the girl feel a little more comfortable.

Motion sickness was mainly due to the fact that these people were unaccustomed to vehicles, and their balance organs couldn’t adapt. However, young people generally adapted quickly. As long as they weren’t too sensitive to balance, they’d be fine after a few rides.

Gu Zhenghong watched Wu Xiaoxiao’s actions. He knew she wouldn’t mind helping the girl; she was always the kindest, most enthusiastic, and the best person to be around.