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After putting down their luggage, the two girls sat down, panting for breath. Then, for some reason, they both burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! You’re hilarious. You actually did the exact same thing as me!” Tang Tiantian laughed so hard that tears came out of her eyes.
Song Jinxi tapped her on the head, pulling off something unidentifiable stuck in Tang Tiantian’s hair. “I think it’s you copying me!” she joked. Then she stood up and turned to the approaching man.
“I’m Song Jinxi, and this is Tang Tiantian. We were running like crazy carrying all this stuff, so we were a bit too tired to say hello earlier. We’re both from the Red Star Brigade of County H.”
The man replied, “I’m the brigade leader, my name’s Song Kai. I’m here to pick you up. I saw you two carrying, dragging, and hauling all those bags while sprinting—impressive physical stamina! But this little girl,” he said, eyeing Song Jinxi, “you look awfully young!”
Tang Tiantian immediately stood up and said proudly, “We wanted to make a good first impression! Actually, we’re not that tough. But weren’t we fast just now? Pretty impressive, right? But I’m not even the youngest—Jinxi here is only eight years old! I’m already ten!”
Song Jinxi: “…Thanks so much for outing me.”
The brigade leader looked at the two girls with a hint of softness—Still just kids. Why are they even being sent to the countryside? But he didn’t ask out loud.
After a while, more people arrived in groups. It had been over fifteen minutes.
The brigade leader addressed everyone:
“I’m here to pick you up. You can call me Leader Song. This here is Grandpa Niu—he’s in charge of the oxen and the oxcarts in the village.
It’s 9:30 now. I’ll give you some time to make your purchases. We leave at exactly noon. If you’re not back by then, we won’t wait. You’ll have to find your own way.
Right now, things are pretty quiet in the village. Most people are resting—there isn’t much work. But you’ll need to adjust quickly. Come August, the busy season starts, followed by the autumn harvest. But we’ll talk more when we get back. That’s all for now—go ahead!”
Everyone dispersed immediately—except for Tang Tiantian and Song Jinxi.
Tang Tiantian’s voice was as sweet as her name.
“Uncle Song, can I call you Uncle Song?”
The brigade leader: “If you’ve got something to say, just say it. No need for the pleasantries. I used to be in the army—you can’t hide anything from me!”
“Hehe, I just wanted to ask—how many people are living in the educated youth dorms? Is there still room?”
The brigade leader: “Speak plainly!”
Song Jinxi got the message—This man doesn’t like small talk.
“Uncle Song, here’s the thing. I’m guessing Tiantian’s thinking the same, but I’ll speak for myself. I’d prefer to live separately—not in the main dorm with the others. Too much drama. Plus, I can’t sleep in a room with a bunch of people. I know a bit of self-defense, and if someone messes with me, I might accidentally injure them. Then I’d have to pay for medical expenses, right?”
Song Jinxi said all this with a perfectly serious face, totally bluffing.
Tang Tiantian immediately chimed in:
“Same here! I want to live on my own too. My grandpa says I’m still pretty young and could easily get fooled if I live with too many others. I haven’t met the others in the youth dorm yet, but judging by the people we’ve encountered during the train ride, it’s probably going to be chaotic. I’m too straightforward—not good at dealing with sneaky or manipulative people!”
The brigade leader replied,
“No harm in telling you. The youth dorm has only two rooms, both with kang beds. Each room holds five people, and that’s with squeezing. Anymore, and we can’t fit them.
Right now, each room already has three people. Some of you will definitely have to live elsewhere. You can stay with local villagers and pay a bit of rent. Or you can build your own house. But if you do, the house will belong to the village once you leave.”