Chapter 22

Li Yumei covered her mouth and let out a laugh. She jeered, “That must be because their family has too many siblings. The parents had no choice but to send the older ones to the countryside so they could afford to feed the younger ones.”

In other words, it was because the family was poor.

Li Yumei’s real target was actually Chi Yiyi. On the train, she had assumed Chi Yiyi came from a wealthy family. Now that she knew Chi Yiyi’s situation was even worse than hers, she was overjoyed.

Li Yumei’s words didn’t hurt Chi Yiyi, but they hit a sore spot for Chi Junshu. He had been the most neglected and useless in the family, which was why Chi Daqiang had cast him aside. The most ridiculous part was that Chi Daqiang even took the hundred yuan compensation for his “selling himself” into the countryside.

Zhao Xiu, one of the other educated youths, gave a quick glance at Chi Junshu and then stepped in to defend him. “Li Yumei, can you not speak so sarcastically? We’re all the same here—none of us are better than anyone else.”

Cheng Yuan also looked at Chi Yiyi and stepped forward, adding, “Li Yumei, your words really are too harsh. Just like Zhao Xiu said—we’re all equal now.”

In contrast, Chi Junjie, who’d grown up pampered by his mother, reacted very differently when insulted. He walked over and suddenly kicked Bai Jiaojiao’s pink suitcase.

“Ah! What are you doing?!”
Bai Jiaojiao shrieked in shock, her face going pale.

Chi Junjie smiled wickedly and said, “Sister, you look so delicate and clueless. Tell me, did I just open your eyes to the real world?”

“Yumei, help me!” Bai Jiaojiao turned helplessly to Li Yumei.

Li Yumei was about to speak when she caught Chi Junjie making a silly face at her. It startled her.

Then Chi Junjie unexpectedly gave Li Yumei’s nylon bag a swift kick.

Rip! The makeshift nylon bag tore open, exposing layers of patched-up bedding. A chipped and yellowing enamel cup clattered to the ground.

Li Yumei was mortified. Her pride felt as torn as the bag. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have fought her younger sister to bring these worn-out things.

Chi Junjie pointed at the cup on the ground and burst out laughing. “Sister, is that really yours? I’ve seen better cups in the scrap yard than this!”

Bai Jiaojiao glanced over and wrinkled her nose. She’d always thought Li Yumei looked a bit unclean. Now, seeing that enamel mug—who knew if it was for brushing teeth or drinking water—she was thoroughly disgusted.

Chi Yiyi was the first to laugh out loud. Li Yumei really had it coming, and Chi Yiyi didn’t bother to hide her amusement.

Seeing her laugh, Chi Junshu clapped and said, “Nice job, little bro!”

Li Yumei’s whole demeanor wilted. She even bent over slightly, completely defeated. Her situation back home was far worse than anyone could imagine.

No one could truly understand what it was like to be the fourth daughter in a family with eight girls, raised in a household that valued sons and ignored daughters.

Just then, Deputy Party Secretary of the Red Flag Brigade, Zheng Dayong, shouted at them from behind:
“Hey! I told you to get on the tractor. What’s taking so long? If the female educated youths can’t lift their luggage, then the male comrades should help!”

Chi Yiyi, who now had the strength of a trained soldier, effortlessly hoisted her luggage and climbed onto the tractor with ease.

Cheng Yuan wanted to help, but he never even got the chance.

Chi Junshu and Chi Junjie also climbed aboard empty-handed.

Zhao Xiu struggled a bit with her luggage. Chi Junjie nudged his brother, “Bro, this sister helped us earlier. Give her a hand.”

Chi Junshu mumbled, “You saw it too. Why don’t you help?”

Zhao Xiu’s face fell at his response, disappointment flashing in her eyes.

But Chi Junshu still picked up her luggage and helped her load it onto the tractor.

Zhao Xiu’s face lit up again.

Meanwhile, Bai Jiaojiao and Li Yumei were still standing below. Bai Jiaojiao’s pink suitcase looked heavy and unwieldy. Li Yumei’s nylon bag had a huge gaping hole in it, looking ready to fall apart.

Chi Yiyi turned away after a quick glance. She suddenly had the odd feeling that someone was watching her.

When she looked around, she saw Gu Xuan in the distance.

Bai Jiaojiao tried several times but still couldn’t lift her suitcase onto the tractor. She cried out, “Can’t any of you help us?”

Everyone on the tractor stayed silent in unspoken agreement.

Li Yumei gritted her teeth and used all her strength to haul her torn nylon bag onto the tractor.

Bai Jiaojiao saw a glimmer of hope. “Yumei, help me out, please!”

Li Yumei knew how heavy that suitcase was—but she also knew it must be filled with valuable stuff. She figured she’d have to rely on this dumb girl to get by in the countryside, so she reluctantly went over to help.

Even with the two of them working together, they still couldn’t lift the suitcase.

Zheng Dayong came over and, seeing Bai Jiaojiao’s petite frame wobbling, rushed forward and grabbed her in his arms.

“Ah!”
Bai Jiaojiao screamed, dropping the suitcase in panic as she struggled to break free from the older man’s grasp.

Zheng Dayong gave her slender waist a light squeeze before finally letting go.

Bai Jiaojiao trembled all over, her face pale, unable to speak.

Li Yumei had been hit on the foot by the suitcase, but seeing Bai Jiaojiao get groped by that old man, she didn’t even dare to cry out.

Zheng Dayong then pointed at Cheng Yuan and barked,
“You city kids are so useless! If you don’t come down and help the female comrades right now, I’ll report you all for being lazy and not doing your part!”

At this time, even a small-time village official could hold real power. If a record like that went into a youth’s file, it could ruin their chances of returning to the city—or getting a job—permanently.

The rural authorities held that threat over the heads of all the educated youths.

Cheng Yuan didn’t dare hesitate anymore. He jumped down to help.

Chi Junshu leaned over to Chi Yiyi and whispered,
“Sis, be careful. That old deputy secretary is bad news. He clearly just took advantage of Bai Jiaojiao.”

Chi Yiyi didn’t care. She wasn’t interested in earning return-to-city quotas or any of that. In two years, she would take the university entrance exam and leave this place behind.

As the tractor drove away, Chi Yiyi looked back and saw Gu Xuan turning to leave as well.

For some reason, she suddenly thought this handsome man was oddly creepy—even a bit perverted. She figured it was best to stay far away from him from now on.