◎ Teacher ◎

In the first two days of the autumn harvest, even for the experienced local farmers, let alone the educated youth who had barely done any farm work, it was backbreaking. By the time the harvest ended, it was already late November.

After the autumn harvest, everyone in the team rested for two days.

During those two days, Qi Yulian was lying in bed almost the entire time. She was only in sixth grade, still young, and the work she did was relatively light, yet she was completely exhausted—let alone the adults.

“Sister, did you buy the vegetable seeds?” Lying in bed, Qi Yulian saw her sister return to the room and asked her a question.

Now that the autumn harvest was over and the rice had been harvested and shelled, the fields couldn’t be left idle. As the weather got colder, they still needed to plant vegetables. In spring next year, the fields would go back to growing grain crops.

Today Qi Yuzhen had gone with their mother to buy vegetable seeds: “Yes, we bought them.”

“Since they’re bought, lie down and rest. We have to continue working tomorrow.” Qi Yulian felt like she needed to lie down for a whole week to recover.

Unfortunately, after the two days of rest, she would have to go back to school.

“I’ve rested enough at night, no need to lie down during the day.” She didn’t want to lie down now and started cleaning the house.

During the autumn harvest, the house hadn’t been cleaned properly. These two days were a good time for a thorough cleaning.

After a few minutes of silence, Qi Yulian heard the sound of the front door closing: “Did Mom go out?”

“Yes, Mom still had other things to do, so she left first.”

“I think not only is my sister made of iron, but Mom and Dad are too. My brothers are all lying in the house like me.” She felt that even when she became an adult, she would still be so exhausted by the summer and autumn harvests that she’d collapse in bed and not want to get up.

Her parents were always busy. Cooking, washing dishes, and doing laundry were originally chores the kids took turns doing. But during the autumn harvest and the two-day rest afterward, her sister took on all of it.

The younger siblings only helped out when their sister was washing clothes. They really didn’t want to cook or wash dishes.

“Doing housework is much easier than doing farm work.” During the autumn harvest period, even Qi Yuzhen herself did not have extra energy to do more housework, only cooking, washing dishes, and doing laundry.

Qi Yulian said, “Too bad I’m your biological younger sister.”

“You say that like you don’t want to be my sister. Do you want to be my older sister instead?”

Qi Yulian said, “No, I want to marry you and make you my wife.”

Her younger sister’s words did not stir much reaction in Qi Yuzhen. From childhood until now, never mind her biological sister, even some of her girlfriends had said similar things, that if they were men, they would definitely marry her.

She teased her younger sister, “Even if you were a man unrelated to me, with decent family conditions, I still wouldn’t want to marry a lazy bum like you.”

“I’m not lazy. I’m very diligent! Just not as hardworking as you, sister.”

“Alright, alright, our Yulian is very diligent.” Qi Yuzhen took the rag that had just wiped the cabinet and went outside to wash it. After washing, she would come back to wipe again.

Her older sister went to wash the rag. Qi Yulian stayed quiet for a while, and when her sister returned to the room, she continued chatting with her, “Sister, from now on, you must look for a partner according to Educated Youth Song’s standards. Based on my observation, Educated Youth Xue is not lazy, but he doesn’t like cleanliness. You like cleanliness, so you wouldn’t be able to live with him.

Educated Youth Cen is gloomy, stingy, and drags out his work. If no one is watching, he slacks off. Even Educated Youth An is not as good at dragging out work as he is. Choosing him would be worse than choosing Educated Youth Xue, who is not clean and snores loudly.

Only Educated Youth Song has no flaws. During the autumn harvest, he never complained once, and he never spoke badly about anyone behind their back. His tone of speech is always very gentle, like a male version of you, though his temper still isn’t as good as yours.”

“If you were the one in that dormitory, the cleaning and cooking would have all been taken over by you.”

“You think your sister is made of clay? When would I ever take the initiative to cook for everyone? At most, I’d just clean the shared areas and my own room. You’d better not go around spreading these words. If it spreads, the story will only get more twisted.

“You’re saying your sister should find someone like Educated Youth Song. But by the time it gets passed on, it’ll become ‘Sister likes Educated Youth Song and wants to marry him, but Educated Youth Song refuses, so Dad uses his status as team leader to force Educated Youth Song to agree.’”

“At most, it’ll spread that sister likes Educated Youth Song. How could it become a forced marriage story? Who would believe that? Sister, you can really consider Educated Youth Song. Although he doesn’t have family in our brigade, it’s clear his family conditions are good. His clothes don’t even have patches.”

Clothes without patches were a sign of wealth.

Although being rich was not a good thing at the moment, who didn’t want to live more comfortably? With money, you could eat the food you wanted and wear new clothes without patches.

Qi Yuzhen said, “It’s already hard enough for me to avoid suspicion. Don’t go around trying to matchmake.”

“A man like Educated Youth Song is worthy of you. But if educated youths are destined to leave our brigade in the end, then you still shouldn’t be with Educated Youth Song. I don’t want you to marry far away… It’s so conflicting. It feels like no matter which choice is made, as long as you get married, I won’t be able to stay with you. You’re still young, there’s no need to rush to find a partner.”

“You’re just a child. Even I’m not in a hurry. Why are you?”

“In the future, when matchmakers come to introduce suitors to you, I’ll definitely help Mom refuse them. Sister is still young and not in a hurry to get married.” Qi Yulian did not want her sister to get married.

“Acting like a little grown-up. Just focus on your studies. You’ll start middle school next year. Gather your thoughts and learn more characters. Maybe in ten years, you’ll get the chance to become a scorekeeper.” Qi Yuzhen had no intention of becoming a scorekeeper, but her younger sister did.

Her sister greatly admired Sister Jiali’s job.

The children only saw the scorekeeper’s job as easy and prestigious. They did not know how mentally exhausted Sister Jiali became from dealing with all kinds of members every day. If she didn’t have a tough heart, she’d be driven to illness in no time.

Not every member was normal. Deep down, she did not want her sister to become a scorekeeper. She only said it to motivate her sister to study hard.

Qi Yulian said, “Ten years later, huh. That’s such a long time. If my sister weren’t so kind and easy to bully, I’d still rather she be a scorekeeper.”

She knew very well why her sister refused to become a scorekeeper. From any angle, she did not want her sister getting entangled with some rogue members. Her sister couldn’t argue back and might even suffer losses.

As for herself, she believed she could argue back.

Qi Yuzhen didn’t respond, letting her sister ramble on. Her sister had a false sense of self-awareness, thinking she was very capable. But in reality, she got timid whenever something actually happened.

It seemed like everyone thought she was easy to bully. Even her sister worried about her.

Was she really that easy to bully?

…

By December, Qi Yuzhen received news related to the educated youth.

This time, she didn’t need her sister to inform her. She had already heard the news before her sister mentioned it.

Seeing that her sister was eager to share, Qi Yuzhen pretended she hadn’t heard and showed a curious expression.

Her sister was talking about Educated Youth Cen going to teach at the commune’s middle school.

Educated Youth Cen had gone to the commune’s middle school to recommend himself, hoping to become a teacher. The principal gave him a few questions from various ninth-grade subjects to solve, and he was indeed able to answer them.

He was familiar with Chinese, mathematics, and basic knowledge of industry and agriculture. He could also speak Mandarin. The principal was impressed by Educated Youth Cen’s “knowledge” and agreed to let him teach at the middle school.

He could be a teacher, but during the busy farming seasons, he still had to return to his team for labor.

It wasn’t like the entire year was all farm work. Teaching at a middle school was definitely easier than doing farm work in the team every day.

Qi Yulian said, “I heard about it from Educated Youth An. At first, Educated Youth An scolded Educated Youth Cen for being calculating. Later, she called him half-baked. His Mandarin isn’t even as good as hers, yet he had the nerve to go teach at the middle school. If it were Educated Youth Song, she’d totally accept it.”

“So Educated Youth An also went to the middle school to recommend herself, but the school principal did not agree. Educated youths were sent to the countryside to do labor. Educated Youth Cen set the precedent, but there cannot be a second or third Educated Youth Cen. If every educated youth started doing the same, it would only create chaos.” Qi Yuzhen felt that for Educated Youth An to be so angry, it could only mean she had been rejected by the school.

Qi Yulian said, “Educated Youth An didn’t say anything, but I think that’s exactly what happened. Educated Youth Cen’s Mandarin really isn’t as good as Educated Youth An’s, but I don’t think Educated Youth An seems like someone who’s good at studying. She could only drag Educated Youth Song down with her. Educated Youth Song is still the same as before. I wonder if deep down he regrets being beaten to it by Educated Youth Cen.”

“Educated Youth An will calm down after a round of scolding.”

“To tell the truth, it would be better if Educated Youth An went to be a teacher. Educated Youth An is just loud and careless, her temper is good and bad at times, she’s full of bad intentions, and likes to speak ill of people. But at least she doesn’t look down on Sister Erya or on the commune members who wear patched clothes. Educated Youth Cen always gives off the feeling of being arrogant and proud, like he looks down on us.”

Qi Yuzhen said, “…When you go to middle school, you must behave, listen to your teachers, don’t get into conflict with Educated Youth Cen. If Educated Youth Cen targets or bullies you, just come home and tell Dad. Dad is now the team leader, so some things are relatively convenient.”

So, Educated Youth An had so many flaws in her younger sister’s eyes. If Educated Youth An heard this, she would definitely lose her temper at her.

“Educated Youth Cen knows I’m the daughter of the team leader, he wouldn’t dare offend me. He might even try to curry favor with me. After all, he’s only teaching at the commune middle school. His dorm is still in our brigade, his grain registration is with our brigade, and during the busy farming season, he still has to come back to our brigade to do labor.”

Qi Yuzhen reminded her sister, “You mustn’t use the fact that you’re the daughter of the team leader to stand up for others.”

“I know, I’m not some Bodhisattva who saves the suffering and the needy.”

“I trust you, I’m just afraid you’re too warm-hearted.”

“I’m not as warm-hearted as you. You even acted as a go-between for Educated Youth Tang and Sister Feifei. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to do such things.”

Qi Yuzhen said, “Sister Jiali asked me to look after Educated Youth Tang. If I don’t help Educated Youth Tang, Dad and Mom would have to step in. So I might as well find a way to help Educated Youth Tang solve the problem. That way, Mom and Dad will have fewer things to deal with.”