Chapter 4

The train drove for nearly seventeen hours. If it weren’t for the nutrient solution to keep Xiang Nuan alive, he would have collapsed long ago. This was evident from the complaints of others around him along the way.

There were about sixty people who came with her in the same car, and thirteen of them were assigned to Hongshan Commune together with her.

At 6am, they left the city’s train station. Before they had time to catch their breath, they were rushed onto a Jiefang truck. Everyone was a little hungry, so they took out their own dry food and water bottles from their bags and ate breakfast. Xiang Nuan followed suit, but she added nutrient solution to her water bottle. Whether in her previous life or this life, she was not a person who would wrong herself.

After sitting in the car for such a long time, everyone’s enthusiasm for going to the countryside to build the motherland was mostly extinguished. After eating, they all closed their eyes to rest. Xiang Nuan was a little worried whether she would be assigned to the Xiling Brigade as written in the book. If there was a change, she would have to make more plans.

The car swayed for more than two hours before finally stopping, and the thirteen of them got off in a large courtyard.

Xiang Nuan looked at the four big characters “Hongshan Commune” on the wall and breathed a long sigh of relief. They had finally arrived. She felt like she never wanted to ride in a car again in her life. Although she didn’t feel tired physically, she was really tortured mentally.

The other twelve listless young men also began to smile.

Everyone was whispering when a thin, bespectacled middle-aged man came over with a smile, followed by five middle-aged men who were roughly his age and dressed simply.

“Hello everyone, I am Li Guangming, the director of our Hongshan Commune. I welcome all the enthusiastic young intellectuals to come to our Northeast to support national construction. On behalf of our Hongshan Commune, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and warm welcome to everyone who has come!”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone applauded.

Li Guangming smiled and pressed his hand and continued, “The five people behind me are the leaders of the production teams under our Hongshan Commune. The thirteen of you will be assigned to their five production teams. Whoever’s name is called will follow their leader back to the village.”

After he finished speaking, he turned around and gave a wink to the five captains, and they began to call for help.

“Jiang Shang, who is Jiang Shang, come to me!”

“Liu Hai, Liu Hai come here!”

“Cui Hongmei, Cui Hongmei! Liu Qianqian!”

“Yang Bin!”

“…”

“Xiang Nuan, Xiang Nuan!”

“this!”

When Xiang Nuan heard her name, she raised her hand and responded, then hurriedly walked towards the captain with her luggage.

Yan Mancang looked at the man and woman in front of him and stretched out his hand with a smile, “I am the production team leader of Xiling Brigade. Welcome two young comrades to our brigade!”

Yang Bin smiled and extended his hand to shake it back, “Hello, Captain. My name is Yang Bin. Please take care of me!”

Xiang Nuan at the side also smiled and shook hands with him, “Hello, Captain. My name is Xiang Nuan. I’m very happy to be in our Xiling Brigade.”

Standing next to her was the male protagonist of the book, Yang Bin, and the two of them were assigned to the Xiling Brigade together. The captain of this brigade should be the husband of the maid Wu Ma, and everything returned to the trajectory of the book.

Yan Mancang retracted his finger and pointed at the carriage parked in the yard, “Get in.”

The two looked at the simplified version of the carriage, sighed in their hearts, and got in the carriage again.

“Let me help you.”

Yang Bin put away his things and came back to help her.

“Thanks.”

Xiang Nuan didn’t refuse either. They were college classmates. The original owner had always had a crush on him, but he didn’t seem to be that interested. However, they were still quite familiar with each other.

“Hold on tight, the road is not easy to walk on.”

Yan Mancang gave some instructions and then left the commune, whipping his horse.

When the carriage got on the country road, Xiang Nuan felt like her lungs were about to be shaken out, and Yang Bin felt equally uncomfortable.

Just when the two were about to give up, the carriage finally stopped in front of an adobe house.

Yan Mancang jumped out of the car and introduced the two people, “We are here. This is our brigade headquarters. You two are the first group of educated youth to work in our brigade. The conditions in the brigade are limited, and there is no place for you to live in for the time being. More people will come in the next few days. When the number of people is almost enough, the team will find a way to get a few houses for you to use as dormitories.

Xiang Zhiqing, please live in my house for the time being. Besides my wife and I, there is only my five-year-old daughter in my house, and there is an empty room.

Yang Zhiqing, you can live at Accountant Zhang’s house. There are not many people in their family, only two sons, so it will be convenient for you to live there.”

Yan Mancang made careful arrangements, trying to make their stay as comfortable as possible, so the two naturally had no objections.

Just as he finished speaking, a short bald middle-aged man walked in from outside. He had a serious face and did not look as kind as Yan Mancang.

Yan Mancang saw him and shouted, “Old Zhang, these two are the new educated youth, Xiang Nuan and Yang Bin. I have told them that educated youth Yang will live in your house first.”

Zhang Qingshan nodded, and a smile appeared on his serious face as he approached. “Welcome, both of you. I am the accountant of our team, Zhang Qingshan.”

“Hello, Accountant Zhang.”

The two greeted each other politely.

“You just arrived. According to the requirements of the higher-ups, we will first allocate some rations to you. We will deduct them after the grain is distributed next year…”

Yan Mancang explained some more things and took Xiang Nuan home first.

The journey from the brigade headquarters to Yan’s house took more than ten minutes, and Xiang Nuan found it very painful because she was surrounded by people and watched like a monkey in a zoo.

“Is this the educated youth from the city? She is indeed a city girl. Look at her little face, so white and tender, like a peeled egg.”

“You’re talking nonsense. People in the city don’t have to work in the fields. How can they be like us?”

“Tsk, you said this girl has skinny arms and legs, she looks so boring, can she do the work? I don’t know why the higher-ups sent them here, they are just causing trouble!”

“Shut up! If you could understand what the higher-ups mean, you could be an official!”

…

The villagers’ chattering could be heard all along the way. When they were almost home, Yan Mancang smiled and explained, “Don’t bother with them. They don’t have any bad intentions. They are just curious.”

Xiang Nuan smiled and nodded, indicating that she didn’t care.

“My home is ahead. You must be tired after all the hard work. My wife should have prepared dinner. Let’s eat and rest when we get home.”

“Okay, thank you, Captain.”

Yan Mancang pushed open the gate and shouted into the yard, “Xita’s mother, there are guests!”

“Why!”

Soon the door was opened from the inside by a middle-aged woman with short hair.