As darkness fell, the mountain path was shrouded in gloom, but a full moon hung high in the sky, bringing a glimmer of light to the travelers on the path.

A slender, dark figure walked slowly along the path, the cloth bag in his right hand stuffed full and seemingly quite heavy.

Just as he reached the front door, before Wuyou could even knock, the door opened automatically, revealing Anjian's face, which was filled with surprise and worry. "Brother Yan, you're back! I was so worried about you not coming home so late. Come in quickly!"

As she spoke, An Jin took the bag from Wu You's hand, nearly falling over from its heavy weight.

"Brother Yan, how did you manage to bring so many books again? They're almost a small mountain!" An Jin said, beckoning Wuyou into the house and asking curiously.

They both love reading, but even if they love reading, they can't turn their home into a bookstore!

"You'll find out when the time comes." Wuyou stopped washing with water, the heat from washing her face had dissipated, and she spoke meaningfully.

“Alright, since Brother Yan doesn’t want to say, I won’t ask any further.” An Jin shrugged, picked up the book in his hand, and went to the courtyard next door, where the books they had collected over the years were displayed.

Dim candlelight flickered in the room, and through the window, one could see An Jin's busy figure. Wu You ate the food in her bowl, feeling a sense of warmth in her heart.

He was originally a patient with emotional deficiency disorder, with almost no perception of emotions. However, most of the reincarnations allowed him to experience some emotions, giving her a sense of being truly alive.

After a night, An Jin got up early and went to help out at Dr. Liu's clinic. She was now basically a junior doctor at the clinic and had helped Dr. Liu a lot.

Wuyou rarely had a moment of leisure, so she went to the educated youth compound. Although she had left the compound for several years, Wuyou still kept in touch with the educated youth and they had a very good relationship.

Over the years, people came and went in the educated youth compound. Some couldn't bear the life in the village and settled down and got married there; some held on to their beliefs and waited for the opportunity to return home; and some responded to the country's call and came to this unfamiliar land with expectations.

Of the educated youth from the same batch as Wuyou, only Xu He remained at the educated youth compound. He was already the elder brother among the group of educated youth, helping many of them survive in Guangming Brigade.

Xu He was originally a slender man, but years of hard work have made him much more robust, and his bronze skin gives him a rather masculine look.

When Wuyou arrived, Xu He was sweeping the courtyard of the educated youth compound, his head and face covered in dust, looking rather disheveled.

"What can I do for you, Yan Zhiqing?" Xu He greeted Wuyou with a big smile as she stopped what she was doing, wiped her hands, and walked over.

"I came to see you because it's important, otherwise I wouldn't have wasted your time. Let's find a secluded place to talk properly." Wuyou smiled slightly. He didn't know about others, but Xu He's character was beyond reproach.

Compared to the other educated youth's disdain and avoidance, Xu He's attitude was much more positive. He never complained about the hard work he did every day, and his character was definitely commendable. The resumption of the college entrance examination meant that the country needed a large number of talented people, and most of the educated youth were educated people, so they naturally had their own strengths.

Of the more than twenty educated youth from Guangming Brigade, only two or three passed the university entrance exam, and Xu He was also disappointed and failed. Their area was simply too remote, and they received the news too late; by the time they confirmed it, all the books about the college entrance exam had already been sold out.

No matter how smart you are, how could you possibly get into university after so many years without any information?

In both lifetimes, Xu He and his group of educated youth failed to get into university. In the first lifetime, they couldn't get the study materials, and although they eventually obtained Yan Wuyou's materials, it was too late. In the second lifetime, Sun Xiaoying collected all the college entrance exam materials and sold them at a high price, so these poor educated youth naturally had no chance of competing.

Although curious about what Wuyou was talking about, Xu He still had to follow basic hospitality, so he simply invited Wuyou into the male educated youth's large room.

"A year or two has passed, and it seems that nothing has changed here!" Wuyou looked around, his eyes filled with a hint of nostalgia. It was exactly the same as when he first came to this world.

"These conditions are already very good, how can we change too much? I guess it will be like this for the next few years." Xu He chuckled and poured Wuyou a glass of water.

Holding the enamel bowl in her hand, Wuyou took a sip of water before looking up at Xu He with an unprecedentedly serious expression. "Xu Zhiqing, do you still want to go back to the city?"

Upon hearing this, Xu He was slightly stunned, a bitter look appearing on his face. How could he not want to go back to the city? Although he had been in the Guangming Brigade for four or five years and had adapted to life here, he was ultimately not a person of this place, and his home was not here.

Sometimes, seeing the educated youth settle down and start families here, getting married and taking wives, he couldn't help but feel tempted. But he held firm. He didn't belong here, nor would he settle down here. If he went against his conscience for the sake of temporary comfort, he would only hurt others.

“We were all sent-down youth, and I won’t lie to you. Of course I want to go back to the city and be with my family. How can someone who grew up in a small town and received an education be willing to settle down in the countryside? Of course, I don’t mean anything by it, I just feel unwilling.”

As he spoke, Xu He quickly explained that he didn't want Wu You to misunderstand that he was mocking the educated youth who had settled down in the village; he was simply expressing his feelings.

He didn't know about the other educated youth, but he had seen everything about Yan. Her relationship with An Jin was genuine, and they lived a vibrant and fulfilling life, relying entirely on themselves without depending on anything else, which was admirable.

“I’ve heard some rumors in the city recently, and the source of the information is quite reliable, which is why I came here specifically to find you.” Wuyou patted Xu He on the shoulder, knowing, of course, that wasn’t what the other person meant.

"What news?" Xu He wasn't stupid. Thinking of Wu You's mention of returning to the city, he couldn't help but feel a chill.

These days, it's not easy for educated youth to return to the city. Even when they do get the chance, it might be snatched away by people from the village, leaving them only to endure hardship here. Could it be that the list of educated youth allowed to return has been expanded?

Thinking of this, Xu He felt a surge of fighting spirit and passion. No matter what, he would give it his all if given the chance.

"The college entrance examination will resume next year." Wuyou put down the enamel bowl in her hand, her tone calm as if she were talking about what to eat tonight, her eyes fixed on Xu He's expression.

"What did you say?" Xu He couldn't believe his ears. His lips moved unconsciously, his voice weak and wavering, without him even realizing it.