After finishing her meal, An Moxue found an oxcart that could take her to Peach Blossom Village not far from the station.

The oxcart moved slowly along, with An Moxue sitting inside, seemingly chatting casually with the uncle.

She noticed that people in the North seemed to be very talkative, regardless of gender or age, like the middle-aged man in front of her.

"Girl, you're not from around here, are you?"

"Uncle, no."

“They don’t look like us locals at all; they’re just like those educated youth.”

"What are educated youth like? This uncle is no ordinary person! He has a knack for judging people!"

"That's right, my eyes are sharp! When the educated youth first arrived, they were all fair-skinned and delicate, each one of them stylish and arrogant. Look at you."

An Moxue felt wronged and said to the uncle, "Uncle, you've wronged me! I'm not arrogant at all!"

"You're not arrogant, but you're so stylish! We couldn't raise someone as outstanding as you in our rural area."

An Moxue was both amused and exasperated, and said, "Uncle, I'll take that as a compliment."

"You little girl, you're interesting, easy to get along with, and generous."

An Moxue took out a few pieces of candy from her bag, handed them to the uncle, and said, "Uncle, I also find it interesting to talk to you. Would you say we hit it off immediately?"

The uncle took the candy, put it in his pocket, and said, "Uncle won't stand on ceremony with you. I have a few little kids at home! They'll be so happy to share your candy with them. Are you going to Peach Blossom Village for a rural visit or to visit relatives?"

"Uncle, you really have a good eye! I'm going to visit relatives. Uncle, where is this car from? Can I look for you when I go back?"

"I don't think you're going to the countryside, you don't have any big bags of luggage! I'm from Peach Blossom Village, if you're leaving, just go to the village and find Uncle Niu who drives the cart."

"Uncle, you must know about what's been happening in the village lately?"

"I know, of course I know. Which one do you want to ask?"

"It's about the recent issue concerning educated youth."

"You're not here to see the educated youth, are you?"

"Yes, so I wanted to ask what exactly happened."

Which educated youth are you looking at?

"Chu Dongmei".

"Oh dear, this educated youth is having a bit of bad luck!"

"What happened? Uncle, can you tell me in detail?"

"Well, it's actually quite simple. It's the start of the winter, and the village slaughtered a pig and distributed the meat. The educated youth wanted to get together and have some fun, so a few young men and women from the village, who were interested in one of the educated youth, took some food and joined the gathering. That meal went wrong, and several people with ulterior motives did something, and the next morning, trouble broke out. Several couples ended up having sex. As for the specifics, everyone has their own version of events. But one person had his leg broken by Chu, an educated youth. He has an unreasonable mother, and because his uncle is the village accountant, he's blaming Chu. Actually, Chu was one of the few good educated youths among them." Uncle Niu shook his head after finishing his story.

An Moxue thought to herself, "I never expected that Chu Dongmei, who is usually so quiet and gentle, could be so violent."

But she felt things might not be that simple. However, she wasn't good at dealing with the shrewish women in the village, and she might end up overwhelmed. What a quiet girl she was!

I've never seen her raise her voice to anyone in the compound before. What did she do to provoke Chu Dongmei into taking action?

Every kid in the compound knows a few tricks!

"Uncle, so Chu Dongmei seems to have done a good job during her time in the countryside! She hasn't caused any trouble for the village, has she?"

"This young comrade is really good. He's not afraid of hardship or fatigue, and he's very amiable. No wonder he comes from a military family; he's different from other educated youth."

At this point, An Moxue realized that because of Chu Dongmei's status as a military family member, this uncle must have given her a better impression. Otherwise, the fact that he broke a local's leg would have been enough to make them all-out indignation. It seems that she has managed her image well, and that she has taken to heart what An Moxue mentioned in her previous letter!

"Yes, of course. Our parents taught us from a young age not to be afraid of hardship or fatigue, especially when it came to going to the countryside, which we all did voluntarily."

"So you're a military dependent too! You youngsters are still too young. All you have is enthusiasm, but you don't know how to do anything."

"Yes, Uncle, you're absolutely right!"

The oxcart moved very slowly, but the town was very close to the village, and they arrived in no time.

"Alright, girl, we're here. Look, this is the house in front of us."

"Uncle, our village is really close to the town. Thank you so much for today!"

"You're welcome. Shall I escort you inside?"

An Moxue jumped out of the car and said, "No need, Uncle, I can go by myself."

As they walked towards the educated youth settlement in Peach Blossom Village, An Moxue wondered if a heavy snowfall might collapse the dilapidated houses, and she was truly worried for her friends.

The courtyard was simply made of small wooden sticks, and the gate was also made of woven wooden strips. An Moxue pushed open the gate and walked in, calling softly in the courtyard, "Chu Dongmei! Chu Dongmei!"

Inside the room, Chu Dongmei sat on the kang (heated brick bed) where the female educated youth had been. Thinking she had misheard, she listened carefully again and, sensing that someone was still calling her, asked, "Who is it?"

Hearing that she was there, An Moxue raised her voice slightly, feigning anger, and said, "Who do you think I am? Come down and get me!"

Chu Dongmei heard it clearly this time, jumped to the ground, and ran out while dragging her shoes.

As soon as she came out, she saw An Moxue smiling at her. For some reason, she just stood there, tears streaming down her face, her face still smiling, unable to take a step.

An Moxue looked at her and thought to herself, "This is what a seventeen or eighteen-year-old should look like, unlike me, an old cucumber trying to look young!"

So she walked over to her and hugged her.

At this moment, a group of people rushed out of the house, all looking at the two people, puzzled.

An Moxue whispered in her ear, "All the educated youth here have come out. Quickly wipe away your tears, don't let them see."

Chu Dongmei burst into laughter through her tears, haphazardly dabbed at the corners of her eyes, and whispered in An Moxue's ear, "Why are you wearing such ugly glasses? I almost didn't recognize you."

An Moxue thought to herself, "They didn't recognize me, but they cried as soon as they saw me."

But he said, "Are you done wiping? There are so many people here! We can't keep holding you like this! Sweetie! I'll let you hold me when no one's around!"

The two let go of each other and smiled at each other.

Chu Dongmei said, "Is this still the An Moxue I've known since I was a child? How did she become like this! She has no manners at all."

An Moxue chuckled and replied, "No, haha!"