Chapter one is here, chapters two and three to come. You're all waiting for my updates, and I'm waiting for your votes!

"Sister Er Ya, school is about to start. Have you prepared everything for your registration since it's a day early?"

"Everything's done, how about yours?"

"I won't go to school, I'll just take the exam."

"Oh right, my dad said he'd take the three of us there on the day of the report."

"That's great, but it means I'll have to get up really early."

Where did you stay the night the report came from? Want to squeeze in with me?

"Yeah, it's not worth taking your luggage."

"Well then, I should go back now. You should soak your feet and go to sleep too."

Looking at the two large piles of corn that were gone from the warehouse, Zhang Hongmei felt much better. There were still plenty of soybeans, so she decided to plant less of those in the future.

The next morning at breakfast, she found that almost all the able-bodied men were listless, and it was Er Ya who helped her figure things out.

"Hongmei, Third Master brought back two large cartloads of grain last night."

"Really?" That's pretty fast.

"That's right, every household sent people to unload the trucks."

"Now I feel more at ease." Zhang Hongmei was indeed at ease; she no longer needed to worry when she arrived in the village.

This morning's breakfast was sweet potato noodle soup, which tasted alright.

Zhang Hongmei officially took office as a shepherd today. The sheep were fed this morning and the sheepfold was cleaned. I wonder who helped with that?

Shepherds have it pretty easy these days. Their job is to feed and water the sheep, clean the sheepfold, and they also get paid in centimeters.

With nothing else to do, Zhang Hongmei returned to the cafeteria and taught the children to recite the Hundred Family Surnames.

After feeding the sheep at noon, I went home. I filled the water tank at home. In my previous life, I would never have used water that had been sitting for so long, but now that there is a drought, it's already very good that this old well can produce water. I have no complaints.

The air was dry and cold; the wind felt like needles pricking my face. I went back to my spatial dimension to find a mask, but I couldn't wear it outside—it was too unusual. Having no other choice, I found a piece of cotton cloth and went to Li Cuihua's house.

"Sister Er Ya, do you know how to make face masks?"

"No, you want to make face masks?"

"Hmm, my face hurts from the wind. If I draw it, can you make it?"

"I need to see. I've seen others do it, and it doesn't seem difficult."

The two started figuring it out, trying it out with rags first. The first time they didn't succeed because there was no pocket. The second time was much better, but it still didn't look quite right. It wasn't until the third time that they finally got it right.

Er Ya stuck out her tongue at the pile of rags. "If my mom saw this, she'd definitely scold me."

Once the two of them started wearing the masks they made themselves, they weren't afraid of being scolded anymore.

In the afternoon, I went to feed the sheep again. I swept the sheep pen and vowed to bring my rubber boots tomorrow; I just couldn't take it anymore.

On the last day of the first lunar month, three junior high school students boarded an oxcart to go to the county early in the morning. Er Lengzi went with them. He was going to the armed forces department to register for the army.

Liu Maocai's trip to the county was partly for this matter.

A gust of wind whistled along the way, and Zhang Hongmei was so cold that she got off the bus to walk, then got back on when she got tired. She got annoyed with going back and forth like that.

They finally arrived at school at nine o'clock in the morning, by which time many students had already registered. The three of them were considered late.

Er Ya, you guys go to the first year of junior high to register, I'll go to the second year.

"Do you get it yourself?"

"Don't worry, it's just a report. I see there aren't many people on the second-year students' side, so I'll come find you guys in a bit. Wait for me at the dorm, we'll go together."

Arriving at the registration desk for the second year of junior high, I took out my admission notice and handed it over. "Why do I need to register for the second year of junior high?"

"Because too many people dropped out of school, the number of students was counted and the classes were reorganized."

Zhang Hongmei looked at the statistics table and there really weren't many people; it was probably just one class.

The procedures were completed quickly here. I paid five yuan for books and was assigned to Class 1. I didn't ask for a dormitory room.

"Zhang Hongmei, why don't you want a dormitory?"

“I’m here to take the exam, not to attend classes. I need to earn work points to support myself.”

"But sometimes the exams in the second year of junior high last for two days. Where will you stay then?"

"Just squeeze in with the people from our village, preparing dormitories is a waste of resources."

"Oh, so you're going to learn it on your own? Can you learn it? Do you have time to read books?"

"Yes, we can use the off-season for farming and the evenings."

"Won't that be too tiring?"

"You'll get used to it. I don't think it's a big deal."

“We had exams once a month in junior high school.”

"It's the same at our elementary school. I come here every month."

Zhang Hongmei returned to the back of the line for junior high school registration.

Er Ya has completed the formalities and received her dormitory assignment; she's just waiting for Zhu Zi.

After all three of them had finished getting ready, Zhu Zi carried his luggage and a snakeskin bag to the boys' dormitory, while Zhang Hongmei helped Er Ya carry the bag and they went to the girls' dormitory together.

It wasn't a corner room; inside were four wooden beds. Er Ya arrived late, and only the last bed near the window was left. Actually, Zhang Hongmei preferred this bed; it got good sunlight, and if there was a breeze, she could draw the curtains, or even draw two layers.

Zhang Hongmei helped make the bed, Er Ya arranged the supplies she brought, fetched a basin of water, and wiped the cabinet clean.

The three people in the dormitory didn't say a word; it seemed they were all difficult to get along with.

"Sister Er Ya, let's go eat at the school cafeteria later. I've never eaten at the school cafeteria before."

Er Ya whispered, "I don't think it will be good. Zhu Zi and I handed in dried pumpkin, sweet potato flour, and sorghum rice. I saw that some classmates handed in dried radish and dried pumpkin, and very little of them. Those who didn't have enough paid to make up the difference."

"You'll see when you get there! There's nothing we can do if it's not good. Once you get into high school, you can come live at my house. It's better than the dorm."

"Hmph! A home in the city, look at her tattered clothes."

"If you still don't like it, then go home."

The other girl didn't say anything, but her expression was disdainful.

"It's better to be dressed in rags than to have nothing to eat. People are always so self-righteous, thinking that it's a sin for others to have them. Do schools really accept people like that? Are they here for reformation?"

Zhang Hongmei's sarcastic remarks made the three men's faces change in anger. They were all government-subsidized farmers and looked down on the peasants from the countryside.

They thought there were only the three of them in the dorm, but then another country bumpkin showed up, so of course they were unhappy.

But this country bumpkin actually dared to challenge them; this was simply intolerable.

“Hey country bumpkin, show some respect. The smart ones will move out of here.”

Zhang Hongmei ignored them, saying, "Second Sister, wait a moment, I'll be right back." Then she left.

The three were secretly pleased. How dare they offend them? Look, they've been scared away!

A little while later, Zhang Hongmei brought over a dormitory teacher. "Teacher, I want to report them for disrespecting farmers and insulting us."

The three were dumbfounded. Had they gone to tell the teacher? To tattle?

The teacher hadn't expected a child to be so troublesome; she only needed a few words to summon her.

But seeing her relentless attitude gave me a headache.

The three girls stood up. "Teacher, we did not insult her."

"Hehe. What do you mean by insult? Teacher, I demand that this be dealt with seriously."