"Sailing the seas depends on the helmsman, all things grow by the sun, rain and dew nourish seedlings, and revolution depends on..."
"Educated youth should go to the countryside to receive re-education from poor and lower-middle peasants, take root in the countryside to carry out the revolution, and make great contributions in the vast countryside."
Two days later, at Beijing Railway Station.
The loudspeaker was broadcasting impassioned words.
The train station was bustling with activity as groups of young people, not yet twenty years old, wearing red flowers, boarded the train to be sent to the countryside.
The platform was filled with people seeing him off.
Mrs. Zhuang, carrying her luggage, looked at the young people around her, then at herself, and felt like crying.
While other educated youths went to the countryside, she was an elderly educated woman sent to the countryside.
Looking back at the platform, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Jianxun!"
Zhuang Jianxun, dressed in a green military uniform, looked at his mother expressionlessly.
One of his sleeves was still empty.
"Jianxun!"
Zhou Huairu wiped away her tears and called out again through her blurry eyes.
After a while, seeing that Zhuang Jianxun remained motionless like a stone, she finally gave up.
With her luggage in hand, she walked to the train door, looked back one last time, and then boarded the train in despair.
"Besides...besides..."
As the train slowly started moving, Zhou Huairu leaned against the train window, looking unwillingly at Zhuang Jianxun on the platform.
Everything she did was for the family, so that her son could be transferred back sooner. What did she do wrong? Why would they so heartlessly send her to the countryside?
"Lu Fangfang, you little tattletale, you've really caused me a lot of trouble."
Zhou Huairu held a handkerchief, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Now she is disliked by Jianxun and resented by Mingcheng, all because of this villain's accusations.
"Auntie, are you alright? This train is full of educated youth going to the countryside. Did you get on the wrong train?"
Across from them sat two women and one man.
They looked at Zhuang's mother and felt very strange; in the entire carriage, Zhuang's mother seemed to be the only one who stood out.
"I was also sent to the countryside; I was forced to go."
Zhou Huairu wiped away her tears, trying her best to suppress her emotions.
"Oh? You're also a sent-down youth? How old are you? Don't you have a job in Beijing? Auntie, you must be joking."
"Are older educated youth not good enough? Who's joking with you?!"
Zhou Huairu felt like crying but had no tears left. She glanced at the group with disdain.
Previously, she always slept in a soft sleeper when traveling by train.
Now, she can only sit in the hard-seat carriage, humiliated. "Zhuang Jianxun, Zhuang Jianxun, I've taken care of you for half my life, and this is what I get in return? You're so heartless."
...
The train slowly headed northeast.
Three days later, the train stopped in a small county town.
Zhou Huairu was stunned when she got off the bus with the crowd.
This county town is not even comparable to the outskirts of Beijing, let alone the capital city; it's too dilapidated.
The thought of living here in the future made her feel like she was going to die.
"Comrade Zhou Huairu? Which one of you is Comrade Zhou Huairu?"
"I am, I am."
"Comrade Zhou, Lao Zhuang told me that our farm is indeed a bit remote, but there's absolutely nothing like that going on. Comrade Zhou, how about you come to our farm and teach at the primary school first? You can work in your spare time..."
Zhou Huairu was confused and only remembered the word "remote".
Small county towns are remote enough; how remote can farms within them be?
...
Riding in a GAZ truck, Zhuang's mother and a group of newly arrived educated youth were on their way to the reclamation farm.
After leaving the county town, the truck had been driving for an hour and still hadn't arrived at its destination, and her heart sank.
"Comrade Fang, when can you arrive at the farm?"
"It'll be here soon, it'll be here soon."
Two hours later, Comrade Fang repeated the same thing: "We'll be there soon."
Three hours later...
"Our farm is just ahead, comrades. Our farm was only built two years ago, so the conditions are a bit basic. Please bear with us. There are large tracts of wasteland around our farm that haven't been cultivated yet. This is the time for us to work hard and make great strides. There's so much to be done in this vast land, and the farm needs our comrades right now..."
On the GAZ truck, the educated youth listened with great enthusiasm.
Looking at the vast expanse of waterlogged land and wooden houses around her, Zhuang's mother was already in despair.
This place is in the middle of nowhere, and it takes three or four hours by car to get to the county. That's it, there's no way she can sneak back to Beijing now.
The conditions here are worse than where that complaining girl from Qilian Mountain lived; she was so upset she had no tears left to cry.
"Zhuang Jianxun, Zhuang Jianxun, how much do you hate me for bringing me to such a remote place? Do you want me dead?!"
...
Qilian Mountains, family compound.
Lu Fangfang didn't know that Zhuang's mother had gone to the countryside, otherwise she would have been overjoyed.
A few days after she finished her phone call with Beijing, she and Zhuang Mingcheng got busy with the household registration matter.
By the time he finished all that, Zhuang Mingcheng's wedding leave was over.
Like other couples in the residential compound, the two began to live a quiet life.
These past few days, it seems like the rainy season has arrived early on the grasslands, with light rain falling all day. She spends her time eating and sleeping, and then cuddling with her husband at night, living a leisurely life.
"Splash..."
Lu Fangfang sat at the doorway, holding a small Tibetan fox in her arms.
She was getting a little bored as the rain outside grew heavier.
Zhuang Mingcheng went to the troupe, and Little Stubborn Donkey was taken with him. Little Flower took advantage of the rain to climb over the wall and went outside, and hasn't come back yet. Now, only she and Little Tibetan Fox are left at home.
"Awoo~"
"Don't shout!"
Lu Fangfang patted the little Tibetan fox on the head.
This little guy has been cared for for several days and is now able to walk, but his hind leg is still lame, which is very inconvenient.
She looked at the little Tibetan fox in her arms, still feeling a bit worried.
She had agreed with the Tibetan fox mother that she would return the little one once it recovered from its injuries. But given the little Tibetan fox's current condition, it's questionable whether it will be able to hunt on the grasslands in the future.
"Awoo~"
The little Tibetan fox snuggled closer to Lu Fangfang, then looked at her pitifully.
Are you hungry again?
"Awoo~"
Lu Fangfang stroked the dog's head, then threw the little Tibetan fox down.
I got up and rummaged through the cupboard; all that was left in the house were some dried fish.
It's been raining outside for several days, and the dried pikas I made earlier have long been eaten by the two little guys.
Having no other choice, she went to the corner, took a cow bone, and threw it to the little Tibetan fox so it could gnaw on it.
Just as she was worrying, she heard a commotion in the yard.
Lu Fangfang was overjoyed and quickly went to the door.
The little Tibetan fox, no longer bothering to gnaw on the bone, dragged its hind legs and ran over.
In the yard, Xiaohua dragged a rabbit, soaking wet, towards the house.
When it reached the door, it released its mouth and shook off the rain.
"Awoo~"
"Awoo~"
The little Tibetan fox nestled close to Little Flower, nuzzling its head and licking Little Flower's fur affectionately.
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