"Sigh~"

"Many things are long stories, and perhaps that's just fate."

"Alright, Su Zhiqing, let's not talk about these unhappy things anymore. Let's move on."

"It just rained, it's the perfect time to harvest bamboo shoots. Don't take the ones that are too old, and don't pull the thin ones either."

Shen Chuntao pulled a few thin, long strands from Su Qingci's hand and threw them on the ground.

"This is too old, I can't chew it."

"Look at what's in my basket. You need these short and sturdy ones, they're the tenderest. If you can't finish them, you can dry them and soak a small handful when the season is lean, and they'll make another delicious dish."

Shen Chuntao has a gentle appearance and speaks slowly and softly, which makes people feel good about her at first sight.

Looking at her large belly, Su Qingci asked, "You're about seven or eight months along, aren't you?"

"Hmm, almost nine months along." Shen Chuntao subconsciously touched her belly.

"You're so far along in your pregnancy, and you're still going up the mountain alone. Aren't you worried at all?"

Shen Chuntao gave a complicated smile. "That's how it is in the countryside. Many people are about to give birth and are still in the fields."

“My pregnancy isn’t going well. They haven’t let me get out of bed since spring. I can’t stay idle at home all by myself.”

Su Qingci couldn't help but secretly complain, "I don't let you work in the fields, but I make you go up the mountain alone to pick wild vegetables?"

No wonder you cried and sang "Wasteful Wimp" in the mountains.

However, since she didn't know the other person's situation, she couldn't speak carelessly.

Shen Chuntao was very happy; she hadn't had such a pleasant conversation with someone in a long time.

After picking the bamboo shoots, there was no rush to go back. Thinking that his family wouldn't be finished working so soon, he sat down next to Su Qingci and chatted while peeling bamboo shoots.

During her conversation with Shen Chuntao, Su Qingci learned that she, Zhou Huijuan, and another educated youth named Li Ping were all from G City.

Of the three people who came at the beginning, only Zhou Huijuan is still persevering. She was the first to give up and married a local man after more than two years.

In order to escape her current predicament, Li Ping also joined the army last year with a soldier from her village.

According to her description, the soldier was much older than Li Ping. He had been married once before, but his wife died in childbirth, leaving behind a child.

However, the other party's rank is already high enough to apply for family members to accompany them.

Seeing the envy on Shen Chuntao's face, Su Qingci felt a mix of emotions.

A delicate 21-year-old educated youth, and a 30-year-old widow with a child after her husband's death.

If even this makes her envious, it's clear that Shen Chuntao's current situation isn't much better.

As the sun gradually moved westward, Shen Chuntao stood up, pulling herself up by the tea tree branch beside her.

"I should go back now. The workers will be back soon, and I need to go back and cook."

"Qingci, if you have time, you can come and visit me. I live in the third house in the row of houses by the well."

Seeing that she was supporting her lower back with one hand and struggling to lift the basket full of bamboo shoots with the other, Su Qingci quickly said.

"It's getting late, and the cattle have been mostly herded."

"Let me go back with you."

“Here, give me the basket, I’ll hang it on the cow’s back. You’re heavily pregnant, and the road is difficult to walk on.”

"Thank you then."

When Su Qingci returned to the educated youth settlement, everyone had already returned one after another.

Because there is only one shower room, everyone takes turns showering.

Those who had free time took turns doing tasks such as fetching water, chopping wood, and cooking.

Chen Xiuxiang was carrying a bamboo basket containing water celery and houttuynia cordata.

Seeing this, Su Qingci went over and helped her fetch water to wash the vegetables.

While washing the water celery, Su Qingci watched as Chen Xiuxiang skillfully scraped a leech off with a stick and threw it into the ditch, and she instantly felt a chill run down her spine.

She would rather see a ghost than bang on this thing.

That's terrifying.

She's definitely not going to touch this dish tonight.

Seeing her exaggerated expression, Chen Xiuxiang explained softly:

"This water celery is quite delicious. If you have some cured meat, it would be absolutely amazing when stir-fried with it."

"Because they grow in water, they can carry some parasites."

Su Qingci threw down the water celery in her hand in alarm and started washing the houttuynia cordata next to her.

"That's terrifying. This thing is incredibly resilient. I've heard it can survive even if you cut it into several pieces."

"If you don't see it clearly and eat it, you'll end up with a belly full of leeches."

The thought of that scene sent a chill down her spine.

"No, it's not that exaggerated."

"With high-temperature heating, even if there are things you can't see, they're already cooked."

Chen Xiuxiang joked, "Even when it's cooked, it's still a piece of meat, haha."

"Anyway, I wouldn't dare to eat it."

"It's alright, we still have houttuynia cordata."

"I'll add some vinegar, garlic, and chili later and make a cold salad. It'll be sour, spicy, and refreshing, perfect with rice."

Su Qingci held up a white, root-like plant. "Is this delicious?"

"You'll see when you try it, but you'd better start eating quickly."

"I don't know about you newcomers, but we old educated youth all like you a lot. If you're too polite, you might not even be able to snag one, haha."

“Especially Zhou Huijuan and Liu Qunfu, they love this the most.”

Su Qingci looked at the white root in her hand with disdain and smelled the strange odor. She began to have some doubts about Chen Xiuxiang's explanation.

"Qingci, the bathing girls are out. Go take a bath first."

Su Qingci followed Chen Xiuxiang's gaze and, sure enough, Chen Haiying came out with her change of clothes.

At that time, there was no electricity, and lighting was mostly provided by kerosene lamps.

There were no kerosene lamps in the educated youth settlements.

Basically, everyone had a candle hidden in their suitcase, and they usually did things in the dark when there was nothing to do.

They would only light their own little candle when there was something really important to do, and would quickly blow it out after finishing.

Su Qingci didn't refuse and quickly went into the dormitory to find clothes.

Chen Haiying squinted and watched intently as Su Qingci pulled her suitcase out from under the bed to look for something.

She hated this woman so much that she desperately wanted to find some forbidden books or items in her trunk.

That way she can report it.

Su Qingci turned around with the clothes in her hand and met Chen Haiying's gaze.

Seeing Chen Haiying's ambiguous eyes, he immediately became wary.

After taking a couple of steps, he felt uneasy and turned back, looking at Chen Haiying with a wary expression.

Then, in front of her, he opened the box and took out his small bag containing valuables.

Then he took the clothes and went to the shower room.

This action, though not particularly harmful, was extremely insulting, and it made Chen Haiying tremble with anger.

Her pearly white teeth bit her reddish-brown lips until they turned white. "This bitch, how dare she humiliate me like this!"

"You suspect me of stealing!!!"

"They actually suspected me of stealing her junk."

"That's too much! That's too much! I'm so angry! I won't let her get away with this!!"