Chapter 6

Originally, Ma Zhiming hadn’t even needed to go down to the countryside a year ago. His family had seven children in total, so their conditions were extremely poor. He was also the least favored one at home. If not for his three older sisters getting married, the chance to be sent down would never have fallen on him.

At home, he was often hungry. With no job and no prospects, going to the countryside was his only option.

But having never done farm work in his life, how could he endure such hardship? His family never sent him money either, so he had to find ways to feed himself in the village. Fortunately, he had a decent face and a sweet tongue, so coaxing women into giving him food wasn’t hard—that was how he managed to avoid starving.

Among all the women, Su Wanwan was the easiest to fool. Not only did she give him food, but she also gave him money and ration tickets.

For now, she could still be useful to him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even want “secondhand goods.” If he wanted to return to the city as soon as possible, it had to be through her.

The quotas for returning to the city were about to be handed down this year—he had to seize the chance. If he could get back before the busy double-harvest season, that would be best. That kind of work wasn’t something he could handle; it would kill him.

Yesterday’s plan had been completely ruined. He needed to come up with another way.

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Meanwhile, Su Heng, who was pulling corn, had already noticed Ma Zhiming’s strange looks today. The man kept glancing at his father and mother while they worked, and their eyes had met several times before he pretended to look away casually.

His father had told him not to cause trouble openly. But when night came and the lights were out, Ma Zhiming would pay for it.

At noon, when Su’s mother went home to cook, she brought food directly to Su Wanwan’s room to help her avoid revealing her injury.

In the evenings, Su’s father always waited at the work-point registry after the day’s work, checking everyone’s performance and assigning tasks for the next day.

As Accountant Zuo recorded the points, Su’s father would announce the following day’s assignments—saving time in the morning and preparing for the double-harvest rush.

When Ma Zhiming came to register, his eyes stayed glued to the brigade leader. But the brigade leader didn’t even glance his way, only looked down at the ledger.

So he had been overthinking—if his daughter had told him anything, the man definitely wouldn’t be this calm.

Sure enough, timid Su Wanwan wouldn’t have said a word, no matter what had happened. Ma Zhiming relaxed a little.

He stopped at the desk and reported, “Ma Zhiming, four work points.”

As Accountant Zuo wrote, he said, “Comrade Ma, you’re only earning four points a day. When it comes time to distribute grain, that won’t even be enough to feed yourself.”

Su’s father spoke calmly: “Tomorrow, Comrade Ma, you don’t need to pull corn. Go to the east side and open wasteland.”

Ma Zhiming had been here a year. He’d never reclaimed land before, but he had heard—it was backbreaking work, far harder than pulling corn.

He forced a laugh. “I think pulling corn is good. I won’t go to the wasteland, I’ll keep pulling corn.”

Su’s father raised his eyes and barked, “What, you think you’re the brigade leader now, picking and choosing?!”

He slapped the ledger shut. “You’re refusing re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants! Ideologically backward, no revolutionary willpower, afraid of hardship, poisoned with bourgeois thinking!”

“I looked at the records—you’re a grown man earning fewer points than the children in the village. Four points a day isn’t even enough to survive. That’s called passive idling!”

The villagers chimed in immediately.
“Exactly, he slacks off! I saw him hiding in the cornfield resting—destroying the revolution!”
Another auntie added, “My second boy is only nine and he earns six points a day!”

Flustered, Ma Zhiming stammered, “I wasn’t slacking—I’ve been a student all my life, never worked before, so I can only manage less…”

The village loafer, Wang Biao, snorted, “That’s bourgeois frailty. Needs a proper remolding!”

Ma Zhiming’s face flushed crimson. “Fine! I’ll go open wasteland tomorrow.”

Su’s father said coldly, “Look at Comrades Xie and Lin behind you. They’re both city students too, yet they’ve been reclaiming land for a month without a single complaint—and every day they earn full points.”

“Everyone is equal. Work is the same for all. You city dandies won’t be reformed if you don’t suffer. If you slack off again, you’ll be punished with a month of manure hauling!”

Then he looked at Wang Biao. “Biaozi, you’ve improved a lot these days. Tomorrow I’ll put you in the east cornfield. Keep an eye out. If anyone slacks, tell me, and I’ll have them hauling manure.”

The east cornfield was right next to the wasteland—easy to see everything.

Wang Biao puffed out his chest and grinned. “No problem. I’ll work hard. I’ll make sure to keep watch!”

Ma Zhiming cast him a resentful glance before turning, only to meet Xie Beishen’s eyes. One look was enough—Xie’s tall, strong build wasn’t something his weak frame could compete with.

He still couldn’t tell if the brigade leader knew what he’d done to his daughter. After all, others really had been reclaiming land for a month, while he had been here a year without lifting a finger. Sending him now was perfectly reasonable.

Su’s father looked back at the ledger. “Comrades Xie and Lin, tomorrow you two will go pull corn on the west side.”

Since new people were going to open wasteland, others needed to be reassigned. The two had already done it for a month.

“Alright,” said Xie Beishen.
“Alright,” said Lin Yu. Then he added to the accountant, “Please record—today both of us earned ten work points as well.”

Accountant Zuo nodded. “Got it. Recorded.”

On the way back, Lin Yu laughed. “Tomorrow will finally be easier. What do you feel like eating tonight? I’ll cook.”

Xie Beishen glanced at him. “What, you think you can make something fancy? If I say it, can you actually cook it?”

Lin Yu grinned. “At least I cook better than the big pot meals for the other educated youth, don’t I? Tonight I’ll make egg noodles—how about I crack four eggs into your bowl?”

“You just want eggs yourself,” Xie Beishen said flatly.

Lin Yu chuckled. It was true—following Brother Shen was the only reason he ever got to eat so well.

When the two returned to their house, Lin Yu lit the fire at the outdoor stove. Just then, Liu Caixia walked by and immediately spotted the eggs he was cracking into the pot—one after another, until he had put in ten. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard.

She had always known the two of them ate well. Their families must be well-off—when they first arrived, they had asked the brigade leader for a private plot of land and built a small house with a courtyard. They even cooked separately from the others.

She herself hadn’t eaten an egg in ages. Watching Lin Yu crack so many at once made her heart ache—he really didn’t know how to live frugally. If it were her, those eggs would last her half a month or more, not be wasted like this.

Lin Yu finally noticed someone behind him. This girl always snuck up without a sound. “What do you want?”

Liu Caixia quickly pulled her gaze from the pot and smiled. “I came to see Comrade Xie. Is he here?” She had been watching earlier and knew Xie Beishen had to be inside.

“He’s in his room,” Lin Yu said flatly. “Best not to bother him—he’s busy.”

Last time she’d come, Brother Shen hadn’t even acknowledged her. He had even told Lin Yu directly that if any female educated youths came by again, he was to turn them away.

Liu Caixia just smiled. “I went to the county today and bought some pastries. I brought a few over for you.”

Lin Yu glanced at the pastries in her hands and asked bluntly, “You’re trying to chase after Brother Shen, aren’t you?”