The book doesn't provide much detail about the educated youth. But it seems Xue Zhenzhen didn't marry Zhang Aimin; it looks like her efforts were in vain.

Xue Zhenzhen is probably in her twenties, and everyone who came with her has a boyfriend, so she's probably getting anxious too.

The three men ate fruit and chatted. As they talked, they came up with the topic of guarding the ears of grain. In previous years, there would be a month of guarding the ears of grain at this time. In previous years, due to drought, the harvests of various communes were not good, but their area was near mountains and a river, so the grain yield was still acceptable. This made several surrounding villages take advantage of the situation, and they lost many ears of corn in those two years.

So from then on, whenever this time of year came around, the village would organize the able-bodied young men to guard the area.

Su Ranran said, "The year before last, a few of us girls were guarding the cornfields, and when we had nothing to do, we would catch fish in the river."

Zhang Cuicao said nostalgically, "Yes, it's a pity Wang Fang went back to the city. She has a lot of skills in catching fish." As she spoke, her eyes suddenly dimmed. "I've been here for three years. I heard that the rural-to-urban movement is in full swing now. I don't know if we still have any hope of going back to the city."

Su Ranran's expression changed upon hearing this.

He Wan hurriedly advised, "You can definitely go back. The country can't just watch promising young people spend their whole lives in the countryside. The country also needs new talents and new reserves, right?"

Zhang Cuicao said, "We went to the countryside precisely to contribute to the development of our country."

Su Ranran said, "Yes, they say they're building the country, but we don't know how to farm."

He Wan said, "If we don't know how to farm, we can learn. We can go to the agricultural bureau to ask. We educated youth have knowledge and come to build the countryside of our motherland. Naturally, we have to deal with crops. Otherwise, how do we deal with crop pests, how do we increase the nutrients in the soil, and what kind of fertilizer is suitable? How do we know how the fruit trees in the village bear big and plentiful fruit, and how do we know how to raise pigs to get fatter and fatter? How many can we raise in a year? Can we set up a breeding farm or a food processing plant in the village? This can increase the village's income. With the knowledge and strength of us educated youth, we can make Dali Village better and better."

Zhang Cuicao said, "How can we set up a breeding farm? Private buying and selling is not allowed now. There is a pig farm and a chicken farm in the farm ahead, but that is a farm."

“We can sell the food from the supply and marketing cooperative and the vegetables and fruits from the vegetable supply station in the name of the village. These are not only brought from the farm, but also collected from the village and the commune.”

If our village has a lot of cabbages, we can talk to the vegetable station about cooperation on behalf of the village. Wouldn't that generate revenue for the village?

If we've contributed to the village, why would the villagers ostracize us?

Su Ranran said, "He Zhiqing, how can someone as young as you possess such great wisdom? Yes, we are here to work on rural development, not to be like farmers, working in the fields every day. That's not our forte."

We can use our strengths to do other things for the village. Look at the previous educated youth; some went to teach, and some worked in the commune.

As you know, I have some basic medical knowledge; my mom is a nurse.

He Wan said, "That's great. Our village is short of a doctor. Usually, if someone has a headache or fever, they have to go to the town commune or the county. Sister Ranran, do you have any medical books? If you know anything about headaches and fevers, we can talk to the brigade leader and see if the village will allow us to open a clinic."

Su Ranran chuckled: "I really haven't asked. The village only knows that we educated youth are no good at working and that we have to come to the village to take their grain, so they don't like us very much. We didn't think about it when we came here. If the brigade leader agrees, will I not have to work in the fields anymore?"