"Fangfang, actually, this state-run ranch is quite close to our regiment. The third and sixth teams under the ranch raise military horses for our regiment. They have cleared a large area of wasteland there, and there are many educated youths from other places."
Lu Fangfang pushed the cart, listening curiously.
She found Sun Manling early in the morning and told her that she was going to the ranch to haul clay.
Sun Manling was on her way to work, so she readily agreed.
"Fangfang, you don't need to farm in the troupe anymore. Why don't you come work at the farm headquarters with me? My monthly salary is 27.5 yuan, which is much more profitable than farming."
"Sister-in-law Manling, what kind of work do you do on the farm?"
"I work as an accountant in the field department."
Lu Fangfang smiled but didn't say anything.
Even if she wanted to go, the farm might not accept her.
The two crossed the stream and headed east.
Sun Manling, carrying a cloth bag on her shoulder, led the way.
Lu Fangfang pushed a cart with a hoe and a shovel on it, following behind.
At this time of year, it's already hot in Lu Fangfang's hometown, but on the grassland, it's still quite cold in the morning. The grass on both sides of the dirt road is just sprouting, with a faint hint of green.
Besides the two people, there were several seven or eight-year-old children ahead of them, all carrying cloth bags. They were children from the family compound, going to school together at the farm headquarters.
After walking for nearly twenty minutes, the path gradually turned northeast.
Sun Manling turned and glanced at her. "Fangfang, are you tired? How about I push for you for a while?"
"No need, pushing an empty cart isn't tiring. Sister-in-law, how much longer until we get there?"
Lu Fangfang was somewhat worried.
She wasn't tired pushing the empty cart, but when she shoveled in clay, it became very heavy.
She didn't know if she could push the whole way back in one go, given how long the road was.
"Almost there, just another ten minutes or so."
"Huh?"
As soon as Sun Manling finished speaking, she noticed a carriage approaching from a distance along the path.
After carefully examining the people in the carriage, she smiled and said, "Fangfang, you're really lucky. Uncle Guo in front is a kind-hearted person. I'll talk to him and ask him to help us out."
"ah?"
Lu Fangfang was taken aback.
Sun Manling had already shouted loudly, "Uncle Guo? Uncle Guo?"
"Whoa~"
Uncle Guo was a man in his forties or fifties. He sat in the carriage, wearing a dirty sheepskin coat, a yellow rolled-up hat, and holding a whip in his hand.
He was quite pleased to see Sun Manling. "Oh, Comrade Sun, going to work at the farm headquarters?"
Sun Manling nodded and pointed to Lu Fangfang, introducing her: "Uncle Guo, this is Lu Fangfang, the wife of the battalion commander in our regiment. She just came to join the army."
"Fangfang, this is Uncle Guo. Their sixth team is responsible for raising military horses for our regiment."
Lu Fangfang looked the man up and down and felt that he looked familiar. "Uncle Guo, hello."
"Alright, alright, Comrade Lu, what are you going to do with that cart?"
Before Lu Fangfang could speak, Sun Manling quickly said, "Uncle Guo, Lu Fangfang just arrived at the family compound. She wants to build a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove). She heard that the farm headquarters has clay, so she wants to take some back with her."
"Clay? Our sixth team has that."
Uncle Guo put down his whip and jumped off the carriage.
He looked at Comrade Xiao Lu; he was thin and frail.
"Comrade Lu, you don't need to go to the farm headquarters. Just come directly to our Sixth Team. I'll use a horse-drawn cart to give you a few extra loads."
Lu Fangfang's eyes lit up, "Then... then I'll trouble Uncle Guo."
Without much hesitation, she agreed immediately.
If she were to pull it all by herself, it would probably take her a day or two to do so. Having a horse-drawn carriage would be much more convenient.
Together with Uncle Guo, she lifted the cart onto the horse-drawn carriage.
After saying goodbye to Sun Manling, Lu Fangfang sat in the carriage and prepared to depart.
"Giddy up!"
"Uncle Guo, where is your sixth team?"
The carriage slowly started moving. Uncle Guo held the whip and pointed to the fork in the road to the south, saying, "Go south for about three miles, and you'll reach our sixth team."
Taking a horse-drawn carriage is much faster than walking.
Before long, Lu Fangfang saw a village, not very big, probably only a few dozen households.
The village is full of low brick and tile houses, and there are many wooden sheds built around them, which are full of horses.
"Comrade Lu, these are the horses that our sixth team has raised. Aren't they strong and healthy? Of all the horses on the pasture, the ones raised by our sixth team are the fattest and strongest."
Uncle Guo pointed to the stable, somewhat proudly.
Lu Fangfang nodded; the horses in the stable did indeed look very healthy.
As they were about to enter the village, Uncle Guo pulled on the reins and turned right, leading the carriage towards a dilapidated mud house in the stable at the village entrance.
Lu Fangfang sat in the car, curiously looking around at her surroundings.
The mud house is really dilapidated. There are cracks all over the mud walls, and it looks like it's letting in the wind. If there's a heavy rain, it might collapse.
The key point is that there are still big-character posters pasted on the outside walls.
Lu Fangfang squinted at the poster and saw that it read: "Rightist, faction member xxx, you are hereby ordered to report to the headquarters within 24 hours to receive education. If you fail to do so, we'll smash your dog's head."
Lu Fangfang: "..."
For some reason, she thought of Zhu Haiming; this guy really should be taught a lesson.
Lu Fangfang shook her head, wondering why Uncle Guo had brought her here, when she saw Uncle Guo stop the carriage and jump down.
"Whoa~"
"Comrade Lu, wait for me a moment, I'll go find someone to help me."
After Uncle Guo finished speaking, he quickly walked into the courtyard made of piled stones.
"Old Xu? Old Xu?"
Inside the carriage, Lu Fangfang paused for a moment, almost blurting out a rhyming phrase, "Old Xu, do you want a wife?"
She jumped off the carriage and looked around.
She discovered that the environment here was similar to a scene from a movie she had seen in her previous life.
More importantly, they both share the surname Xu.
Lu Fangfang was stunned for a moment, then looked at the mud house with anticipation.
"Old Xu? Old Xu? Come out quickly, something good has happened."
Uncle Guo shouted again, and only then did a sound come from inside the dilapidated house.
The dilapidated wooden door was pushed open, and a tall man walked out of the house. He was 1.8 meters tall, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a stubble beard, and he exuded a melancholy aura.
"Brother Guo, did you call me?"
Uncle Guo grabbed him and then whispered something to him.
In the distance, Lu Fangfang was slightly disappointed. This Old Xu was not the same as the Old Xu in the previous life. Although they looked somewhat alike, he was still different from the one she had seen in her later life.
"What a coincidence."
Lu Fangfang muttered to herself.
After waiting for a while, Uncle Guo pulled Old Xu along and strode over.
"Comrade Lu, this is Old Xu. He's here for labor reform in our Sixth Team. How about we ask him to help us out?"
Lu Fangfang had no objection to this, but she couldn't help asking, "Comrade Xu, what's your name?"
"Xu Huayun".
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