"Yuyao, wait for me!"
Xie Yuyao turned around and saw Yang Shumei chasing after her.
“I never imagined He Wenyao was that kind of person, he’s so wicked.” Yang Shumei approached, raised her hand to pat her chest, still feeling lingering fear. “I’ve been here for over two years, and I never discovered his true colors.”
"Actually, I might have misunderstood. But if I don't hit him hard, he'll stick to me like a leech and I can't shake him off."
You can't judge a book by its cover, and she couldn't be 100% sure He Wenyao had ulterior motives. But her attitude had already said it all, yet he still pretended to be oblivious and acted intimately, which was utterly disgusting.
“After this experience, he won’t dare to do it again.” Yang Shumei nodded in agreement. She didn’t think Xie Yuyao was making a mountain out of a molehill or ungrateful for a kind heart.
These young women, coming to the countryside, are already a vulnerable group. If they don't act tough, they're easily bullied.
Yang Shumei thought of something, her expression becoming very serious. "Some men are despicable. They use methods that ruin a woman's chastity to force her to marry them, and then beat or scold her whenever they want after marriage. Yuyao, you should be more careful in the future, and it's best not to travel alone."
"Yes, I will be careful." If that day ever comes, she would rather die than compromise.
*
He Wenyao, who had already returned to the west room, broke out in a cold sweat.
He never imagined that Xie Yuyao would be so formidable. She usually didn't hold grudges when bickering with Bei Xiao, so how could she suddenly say something so forceful?
The fellow educated youth from the neighboring brigade who came with him often showed concern for the village secretary's daughter, winning her heart. After they got married, they secured places at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University and returned to the city. From then on, they not only no longer had to toil in the fields for a living, but they also had urban residency.
He wanted to do the same thing, but felt that the girls in the village were not good enough for him. However, for the sake of his future, he still humbled himself and set his sights on the daughter of the brigade accountant.
But as soon as he got close to his target, the girl scolded him, saying he was a toad trying to eat swan meat, which made him grit his teeth and regret his decision.
Now that there's no hope of returning to the city, and he's getting old, his family can't help him either, so he has no choice but to choose a partner from among the educated youth.
Looking at all the unmarried female educated youth, Wu Lihong was older than him, and her demeanor was no different from the other villagers; he didn't like her. Yang Shumei was protected by Zhao Jianbin, and like a snow lotus on a high mountain, she was unattainable. Bei Xiao was arrogant, and he didn't want to be subservient like Xiang Wenshan. Finally, there was Jiang Yan, who was Bei Xiao's shadow, seemingly oblivious to the shame.
Two new female educated youths arrived a few days ago, and he immediately took a liking to the more beautiful Xie Yuyao.
She had intended to observe her for a while, figure out her family background and character before catering to her preferences, but she saw Chen Kai and Li Weidong getting closer and closer to her.
Chen Kai is one thing, but Li Weidong's family background and appearance are both superior to his. If he doesn't act soon, someone else will beat him to it.
As long as he makes the first move and takes meticulous care of Xie Yuyao, she will naturally come to like him over time.
Even if she doesn't like it, it doesn't matter. With all the gossip, she'll have to marry him whether she wants to or not.
I never imagined things would turn out this way. The ideal was beautiful, but reality is harsh.
*
That afternoon, Xie Yuyao walked to the pear orchard, found a grassy spot to sit down and began to "daydream." Her consciousness entered the space, found information about herbs and prescriptions, and absorbed knowledge like a sponge.
Business and finance are things that will only be useful after several years or even more than a decade. Right now, the nearby mountains are rich in resources. If she really loses her spatial advantage, she can organize a few skilled people to go and mine the mountains.
In the following days, apart from cutting grass and arranging dried fruit, she spent all her remaining time reading pharmacy books, oblivious to everything else.
After that lunch, Bei Xiao stopped causing trouble from time to time, and Ren Fei, who was in the same batch, also became distant from her.
Xie Yuyao assumed that Ren Fei felt she had disrupted the unity of the educated youth team, so she didn't take it to heart.
Later, I heard from Yang Shumei that there was a rumor circulating in the production team that Zhao Honghui was determined to marry a female educated youth despite his mother's objections.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuyao was completely stunned.
She didn't know what words to use to describe her current feelings; it was as if there was a black hole in her heart, with a cold wind swirling around it, and no bottom in sight.
Yang Shumei was also bewildered by her reaction, "It's you?"
"No!" Xie Yuyao denied it outright. Her relationship with Zhao Honghui was delicate, even adversarial; how could it be her?
But the thought of him marrying another girl made me feel incredibly cold inside.
"I haven't seen any female educated youth dating Zhao Honghui, so it's probably because they haven't decided who it is yet."
After Yang Shumei finished speaking, she counted the other female educated youths on her fingers. "Could it be Ren Fei? She has taken a liking to Zhao Honghui and has never hidden her feelings."
Xie Yuyao pointed her trembling finger at her.
Shumei is beautiful, virtuous and unassuming, and has a mysterious high-class background, making her a perfect candidate for a wife.
Upon receiving her signal, Yang Shumei exclaimed, "How could that be! Zhao Jianbin is his cousin!"
"Oh? You accepted Zhao Jianbin?" Xie Yuyao was a little surprised and winked at her.
Yang Shumei's mood immediately turned heavy, and she muttered with her head down, "There's no possibility between us."
Xie Yuyao didn't ask any further questions; anyone with eyes could see the difference between the two.
“My dad said that this chaos will eventually end, and told me to patiently wait for the dawn to come.” Yang Shumei said these taboo words, her tone gentle yet unusually firm. “I also firmly believe that one day I will be able to return to the city openly and honestly and reunite with my parents and family.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuyao suddenly didn't know what to say.
She knew that the college entrance examination would be reinstated in two years, which allowed her to live here with such composure. But Yang Shumei, completely unaware of this, was able to hold onto that glimmer of hope in her heart, which truly moved her.
Looking at Yang Shumei, who appeared delicate but was incredibly strong inside, Xie Yuyao's heart softened: "It'll be soon. Maybe in another two or three years, we'll be able to go back to the city."
"Really? Did you hear something?"
Given Xie Yuyao's behavior, her family must be quite extraordinary, and they likely know some inside information.
Xie Yuyao denied it: "It's just my own guess. Our country won't stay stagnant forever. If we want to develop, we can't do without talent. Relying solely on worker-peasant-soldier universities is far from enough, so it's very likely that we will reinstate the college entrance examination and cultivate talent through universities."
"How could I not have thought of that?" Yang Shumei excitedly grabbed Xie Yuyao's arm, her eyes filled with joy and longing. "If the college entrance examination is really reinstated, let's take the exam together!"
Xie Yuyao smiled and nodded, "Okay! I'll have my mom mail the high school textbooks to me before I leave, they should arrive soon. We can review them together then."
"Yes, when we have time, we'll go to the bookstore and buy some exercise books and the like."
"There are also scrap metal recycling stations, you can try looking there too."
The two exchanged a knowing smile, and from that moment on, their friendship set sail, braving the winds and waves with unbreakable strength.
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