Chapter 32 New Educated Youth
Meng Aiguo and Liu Chenggen drove their ox carts to town early in the morning to pick up the newly arrived educated youth. The night before, Meng's mother and Aunt Liu had even made coarse flour buns overnight, intending to fill the stomachs of these new city kids.
There were four educated youth assigned to Qinghe Village, three women and one man. Meng Aiguo had already obtained their information in advance.
The train station was bustling with people. Liu Chenggen was holding a sign for the Qinghe Production Team of Hongshan Commune. He shouted until his voice was hoarse, but no one came to see him. He was so anxious that he almost went to find someone from the Youth League Office, worried that the educated youth had gotten off at the wrong station.
In the end, Meng Aiguo kept his composure and decided to wait until the crowd dispersed before seeing if anyone had arrived, just in case something suddenly happened to these educated youth.
Liu Chenggen thought about it and took out his pipe and started smoking again. "By the way, why are you here to pick up the educated youth this time? Where's Jiang He?"
Meng Aiguo picked up a handful of wild grass by the roadside and fed it to the village's hero, the 'big water buffalo'. The autumn harvest was about to come, and the big water buffalo had to start getting busy, pulling food back and forth, and couldn't stop for a moment.
"I'm not sure. I just heard that he was busy with other things, so he asked me to come over."
The Jiang family has been keeping a low profile recently, and Jiang He has been acting mysterious. Meng Aiguo is not interested in his family's affairs.
Liu Chenggen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Ahem, hey, has something happened to his family recently?"
With a daughter-in-law who loves to ask questions, Liu Chenggen knows much more than the villagers.
Meng Aiguo turned his head to look at him: "What's the matter?"
Liu Chenggen held his pipe in his mouth and looked up at the sky. "Did you know that Jiang He has a daughter?"
Meng Aiguo nodded.
"Recently, Jiang He's wife asked my wife to introduce a date to his daughter, Xiu Xiu. My wife introduced several people, but none of them wanted to meet. My wife wasn't happy about this, so she went to their house to ask. Guess what happened?"
Liu Chenggen smiled mysteriously.
Meng Aiguo rolled his eyes. This bastard, he always complained about his wife's big mouth, and he himself was no better. You should put a lid on the pot that matches your taste. You can't have two different people sleeping in the same bed. They all love to be mysterious.
"What happened? Tell me quickly."
"Oh, don't be anxious. Hey, Jiang He gave his daughter to his eldest brother Jiang Hai for adoption. I heard that the household registration has been transferred there, and now Jiang Xiuxiu is a city dweller. I heard from my wife that he wants to find a well-off in-law for Jiang Xiuxiu and doesn't like rural people."
At the end of his speech, Liu Chenggen sneered, "He looks down on rural people. His Jiang family has been farmers digging for food in the fields for nine generations. They all came from mud legs. Who is more noble than who?"
Meng Aiguo wondered why Jiang He didn't want to give his daughter a better future, as he would rather lose face and adopt his children to another family.
He shook his head and stopped thinking about the Jiang family. He turned around and looked around. Most people had left and the train had left long ago. Why didn't the educated youth assigned to their village come out yet?
Meng Aiguo frowned and looked at the sky. It looked like it was going to rain. If these educated youth didn't come out, they didn't know if they could reach the village before dark. They might even get caught in the rain.
Liu Chenggen also noticed the weather and frowned, "I hope these educated youth are not troublemakers."
Time passed little by little, and just when Meng Aiguo was about to get impatient, he finally saw four young people, one man and three women, rushing towards this side with bags. One of them was a girl wearing a white dress with blue floral patterns, lagging behind the three in front.
"Hey, uncle, are you from the Qinghe Production Team of Hongshan Commune?"
The boy among the four was the first to talk to the two. He was carrying several quilts on his back, a kettle in his hand, and several enamel basins with big red flowers. The two girls behind him only had a bag hanging on them. It seemed that their luggage was on the boy.
Two girls were walking together. One was thin, with bangs covering her forehead, light eyebrows, and narrow eyes that moved around, making her look very smart. She was wearing a dark red Dacron shirt and reflective leather shoes. I wonder how she managed to keep her shoes so clean after all the travel.
The other one was not so delicate. He was holding hands with the one in red clothes in front of him. The fabric was a white shirt that had been washed yellow, and the cuffs were very worn. His forehead was slightly raised, his skin was dark yellow, and there were closed comedones on his face. His hair was very long, almost reaching his buttocks, giving people the impression that he was not very smart.
They were neither ugly nor beautiful, but the girl in red was clean-cut and had fair skin, which made her look quite pretty compared to the girl in white.
Meng Aiguo didn't want to bother with these latecomers. He turned around to untie the ox rope and turned the ox cart around.
Liu Chenggen shook his pipe, put out the spark, and put it on his belt. He cleared his throat and said, "Finally, you found me. If you hadn't come earlier, we would have gone to the Youth League Office to ask for help."
"Zhao Dongsheng, isn't there something written next to it? Look, it's Qinghe Production Team, Hongshan Commune. Why are you doing this? Are you stupid?"
The girl in red clothes with bangs glanced at Zhao Dongsheng and said angrily.
The girl in white echoed, "Bai Ting is right. We are educated intellectuals who were called to come to the countryside. In addition to receiving re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants, we also have the task of helping our fellow peasants understand revolutionary knowledge. Zhao Dongsheng, don't make a fool of yourself by coming here."
Meng Aiguo: ...
Liu Chenggen silently put his hand on the pipe again, wanting another cigarette.
Their intuition told them that these people were not easy to deal with.
Zhao Dongsheng clasped his hands together and said, "Alright, ladies, I know I was wrong."
Bai Ting snorted softly and turned her head away, "Who is your aunt? Zhou Min, let's go."
The girl in white clothes is called Zhou Min. She is from the same place as Bai Ting. She met Zhao Dongsheng on the train. They had known each other in advance.
"Put the luggage on the ox cart." Liu Chenggen helped Zhao Dongsheng unload the luggage and put it on the ox cart.
"Hey, why is that girl at the back so slow? Go up and help her." Liu Chenggen pointed at the lone girl and said to the three of them.
Hearing this, Zhao Dongsheng seemed to be hesitant to speak, while Bai Ting and Zhou Min were completely silent, fixing their hair as if they hadn't heard anything at all.
Meng Aiguo frowned, his voice cold, "Didn't you hear what I said? Hurry up and help."
Zhao Dongsheng scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed, but still walked towards the girl who was lagging behind.
"Zhao Dongsheng, stop!"
Bai Ting suddenly spoke up, stopping Zhao Dongsheng who was about to help. She turned to look at Meng Aiguo, smiled and explained, "You are the village Party Secretary, right? It's not that we don't want to help, but we can't. That person's family is capitalist, and we are all members of the "Five Red Categories". How can we get involved with such people? Secretary, don't you agree?"
Meng Aiguo's brows knitted together. He had never been one to make distinctions. Family background wasn't a choice; what mattered was the person. However, he didn't like what the girl said. Being assigned to the same place in the countryside was fate. He didn't expect them to love each other, but he didn't want to be so cold either.
It’s just arrived and it’s already like this. What will happen in the future?
"I don't care where you come from. From now on, you're all educated youth from Qinghe Village, so you must obey my orders. If anyone disobeys and causes trouble, I'll report you to the Educated Youth Office and tell you to go back to where you came from. We in Qinghe Village won't serve you."
Meng Aiguo had been a soldier, and he was particularly intimidating when he spoke with a cold face. After hearing this, Zhao Dongsheng consciously went to help the remaining girls.
Bai Ting and Zhou Min were angry but dared not say anything. Bai Ting was unhappy but she did not dare to offend the village party secretary right away, because she knew that this would be the person who would directly manage them in the future.
Zhou Min has always been good at reading people's expressions. When he met Bai Ting on his way here, he knew that she came from a wealthy family, so he established a good relationship with her and together they isolated Sun Yating.
Seeing that Meng Aiguo was unhappy, he didn't dare to say anything.
Sun Yating limped over, and Zhao Dongsheng put her luggage on the ox cart. "I'm sorry, I've delayed everyone's time."
In reality, Bai Ting, the person who had delayed them, had scratched her hand on the edge of the train when she was getting off. She started bleeding and rushed to the train station's infirmary for treatment. Sun Yating, however, stayed behind to help with their luggage. When Bai Ting and the others emerged from the infirmary, they found the entire station deserted. In her haste to leave, Sun Yating accidentally stepped on a rock and twisted her ankle.
Meng Aiguo nodded and noticed Sun Yating's feet. "Come sit on it."
After everyone sat down, Meng Aiguo asked Liu Chenggen to give them the coarse flour buns he had made last night.
"Wow, there are still steamed buns to eat. Thank you, Secretary, and thank you, Uncle Liu." Zhao Dongsheng said sobbingly, biting a steamed bun in his mouth and holding it in his hand.
The ox cart was not big, and there was no room left for four people and their luggage, so Meng Aiguo and Liu Aiguo had to walk back.
After riding the train for a few days, even the delicate Bai Ting stopped talking and started eating with big mouthfuls.
Seeing that there were still many steamed buns in the basket, Sun Yating took out two and handed them to Liu Chenggen and Meng Aiguo. "Uncle, you guys should have some too. It seems you've been waiting for a long time, too."
Bai Ting rolled her eyes and said in a voice that only a few people heard, "Flatterer."
Sun Yating pursed her lips and didn't care.
Liu Chenggen was not polite either. He had gone out early in the morning and had not had a drop of water yet. He was already hungry.
"Here, Lao Meng, have one. We still have twenty miles of mountain road to go."
"What, twenty miles!!!"
Bai Ting cried out in surprise, "Secretary, is your Qinghe Production Team so far away?"
Zhou Min made a bitter face and sighed, complaining, "Yes, Secretary, why is it so far?"
Zhao Dongsheng had learned his lesson. He realized Meng Aiguo was not someone to be trifled with, so he didn't dare say anything. He also felt that being picked up by an oxcart and given steamed buns to eat was quite a good deal. He had seen many people walking there before.
Meng Aiguo ignored them. Liu Chenggen said, "Okay, stop complaining. You guys are sitting in the car, but we are walking. We didn't say anything."
Liu Chenggen couldn't help but complain in his heart, wondering why the girls assigned to Qinghe Village were so spoiled. The autumn harvest was just a few days away, and looking at their condition, he wondered how much suffering they would have to endure.
Scratching his head, Liu Chenggen couldn't help but glance at Meng Aiguo. He could already imagine that Meng Aiguo's ears would be restless in the next few days.
They walked and stopped along the way, and Meng Aiguo didn't say anything. It was Liu Chenggen who answered Zhao Dongsheng's questions.
Until they passed a steep slope, the road was steep and bad, Meng Aiguo asked a few people to get off and push the cart. Because Sun Yating had a leg injury, he let her continue to sit on it.
As a result, Bai Ting was unhappy.
"Why? We were pushing the cart and she was sitting on it. She's from a capitalist background and all she knows is exploiting us ordinary people."
Sun Yating blushed and struggled to get down, "Secretary, I'd better come down and help."
Liu Chenggen stopped her and noticed Sun Yating's swollen ankle. "Oh, you little girl, why didn't you say anything when your ankle was so swollen? Hurry up and sit down. Don't let it get worse and cause more trouble."
Bai Ting stopped Liu Chenggen from the side. "That won't do. Chairman M said that women hold up half the sky. We must promote the spirit of hard work and perseverance. Sun Yating is the capitalist's spoiled daughter. She needs to be reformed. Uncle Liu, please don't harm her."
Bai Ting was sharp-tongued, and Liu Chenggen didn't know what to say for a moment. He talked for a long time but couldn't come up with anything.
Meng Aiguo snorted, "That's a twisted logic. That's not how Chairman M's words should be understood."
Bai Ting gritted her teeth and said, "Anyway, I won't push her."
Seeing this, Sun Yating felt even more uncomfortable staying up there. "I'm fine, thank you, Uncle Liu."
Meng Aiguo: "Go up, whatever I say is what you will get." After saying that, he gave Bai Ting a cold look.
Bai Ting stiffened her neck and looked back. Zhou Min gently pulled her sleeve and said, "Bai Ting, forget it. It's just a short distance."
Veins bulged on Meng Aiguo's forehead. It had been a long time since he had met such a stubborn young man. If it was a young man in their village who dared to do this, he would have dealt with him long ago.
"Dad, why are you here?"
Just when Meng Aiguo was trying to suppress his anger, his daughter's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
Everyone's eyes fell on Meng Wanqiu, a beautiful girl wearing a white shirt with pink flowers. She was riding a bicycle, her long legs supporting the ground, and her big, bright black eyes staring at them without blinking.
"Hey, girl, why are you here?"
The four educated youths saw Secretary Meng, who had a cold face all the way, suddenly smiled like a flower and walked towards the beautiful girl.
"Oh, it's Xiaowan." Liu Chenggen took the cow rope.
Zhao Dongsheng clicked his tongue. He thought Secretary Meng's cold face was natural, but he didn't expect that it was only directed at them.
However, looking at the girl who suddenly appeared, Zhao Dongsheng gave a silly smile. Secretary Meng's daughter was so beautiful. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and didn't look like a rural girl at all.
Bai Ting crossed her arms over her chest and noticed Zhao Dongsheng's look. She snorted coldly, her eyes full of jealousy. She was just a village girl and an ignorant fool.
However, when Bai Ting saw Xiao Wan's beautiful, white and glowing face, and touched her own delicate face that was coated with lotion every day, she felt jealous.
Bai Ting couldn't help but feel scared when she thought about having to spend every day in the countryside basking in the sun and doing farm work.
At the same time, Meng Aiguo also explained the current situation to Meng Wanqiu.
"How about this, Dad, you let that female educated youth sit on my bike and I'll take her back to the village." Meng Wanqiu patted the back seat of the bicycle, not wanting Meng Aiguo to worry about this.
"Can you carry it?"
Meng Aiguo looked at his daughter's thin arms and legs. An adult's weight was not light, so he was worried that Meng Wanqiu would show off.
Meng Wanqiu touched her nose. It seemed like she had never told her father about her great strength. "It's okay, don't worry."
Meng Aiguo patted his daughter's head and said, "Okay, if you can't carry it anymore, just stop and Dad will take her back then."
Meng Wanqiu nodded and rode over on her bicycle. She saw a young woman sitting on an oxcart. "Hello, I'm Meng Wanqiu. Your leg is injured. I'll take you back to the village to get medicine."
Sun Yating looked at the bright girl in front of her and asked tentatively, "Will you give me a ride?"
Meng Wanqiu nodded; "That's right, don't worry, you won't fall."
Meng Aiguo came over and said, "This is my daughter, and she is also the scorekeeper of the village. We will deal with you in the future."
Bai Ting rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "Secretary, can we go now? It's going to rain."
Upon hearing this, Meng Wanqiu looked at Bai Ting steadily, with a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
We heard before that it was this woman who delayed the time, but now she is blaming her father.
"Come up quickly, let's go back quickly." Meng Wanqiu didn't want her father to be scolded by this woman, so she urged Sun Yating to come up quickly.
Because of Bai Ting's urging, Sun Yating had to sit on it. Meng Wanqiu stepped on the pedal and actually took her away even on the uphill road.
Seeing the others' eyes widened, Liu Chenggen said to Meng Aiguo, "Okay, Old Meng, your daughter is up to you."
Zhao Dongsheng opened his mouth wide, and the thoughts that were about to stir in his mind were instantly suppressed. She was beautiful, but she was too strong and he couldn't resist her.
Bai Ting sneered and whispered to Zhou Min, "Oh, this is a tomboy. Remember to stay away from her."
Zhou Min glanced at Meng Aiguo, who had regained his sullen expression, and didn't dare to agree. Instead, she felt somewhat envious of Meng Wanqiu, who was so beautiful and strong enough not to be bullied. Looking down at her own dark and yellow skin, she felt a little inferior.
"Okay, hurry up and push the cart. If you delay any longer, we won't get there before dark."
Liu Chenggen looked at the sky and urged Bai Ting and others to come down quickly.
However, seeing Meng Wanqiu's disappearing figure, I couldn't help but sigh at her amazing ability again. She could carry people and climb up the road so easily despite the bad situation.
On the other side, Sun Yating hugged Meng Wanqiu's waist tightly, with the sound of rushing wind in her ears. They were now going downhill, and Sun Yating felt like she was about to fly.
"Where did you come from, educated youth?" Meng Wanqiu asked.
"From the capital." Sun Yating hid behind Meng Wanqiu, and the cool wind blew into her stomach.
"Capital, my husband and I are the same, he is from the capital." Meng Wanqiu said in surprise.
However, Sun Yating was obviously more surprised. "You're married? Your husband is an educated youth from the capital?"
"Yes, we've been married for almost half a year."
Sun Yating was shocked. Her family background was not good, but she had never thought of staying in the countryside. Whether she was from the capital or an educated youth from the capital, she had a natural pride in her bones because of the geographical advantage.
Sun Yating hadn't expected that an educated youth from the capital would actually be willing to marry a rural woman. However, thinking about Meng Wanqiu's beautiful appearance and the fact that her father was a village party secretary, she couldn't help but have a conspiracy theory: Meng Wanqiu's husband might have married her to take advantage of her family's local influence.
However, it is a taboo to talk about deep things with someone you just met. Sun Yating did not dare to tell Meng Wanqiu her guess, in case the other party misunderstood her.
Her family background is not good and she is new here, so it is better for her to keep a low profile.
Meanwhile, at the farm where Jiang Wen worked, Jiang He smiled and shook hands with Secretary Xu. "Thank you so much! Don't worry, the harvester will come back the same way it went. I guarantee it won't leave any marks."
Secretary Xu smiled and replied, "Captain Jiang, you're welcome. Supporting subordinate organizations is what we should do. Xiaowen is also my subordinate, so helping Qinghe Village is only natural."
Jiang He looked at his handsome eldest son beside him, his eyes filled with pride. His greatest pride in this life was giving birth to this son. He couldn't compare to his eldest brother Jiang Hai, but he believed that if he gave Jiang Wen time, he would definitely surpass Jiang Hai's son Jiang Bo.
Jiang Wen smiled politely, "Thank you, Secretary. It's my honor to work under you."
Hearing this, Secretary Xu laughed heartily and patted Jiang Wen on the shoulder. "I trust you to do the job. Just take care of the harvester. Remember to come home for dinner when you're done. Xiaoying keeps missing you, and your aunt hasn't seen you in a long time."
Jiang Wen smiled shyly. When he heard the name Xiaoying, a hint of fondness flashed in his eyes. "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. I'll go see her in person in a few days. I just happened to have learned a few dishes recently, so I'll cook them for you to try."
Secretary Xu noticed the changes in Jiang Wen and was very satisfied with his future son-in-law. He and his wife only had one daughter, Xu Ying, so naturally he wanted to find a son-in-law who loved his daughter in his eyes and heart.
Yao Jin had a good family background before, but he had a very erratic personality, and his daughter Xu Ying didn't like him either. So when Jiang Wen appeared, Secretary Xu quickly canceled the marriage with the Yao family.
Jiang Wen was a man of exceptional ability and gentle manners. Although his family background wasn't particularly impressive, this was precisely what pleased Secretary Xu. They only had one daughter, and they had considered recruiting a live-in son-in-law to ensure she wasn't left without care in her old age.
It was just that the Yao family, with whom the marriage had been arranged before, obviously would not agree to Yao marrying into the family. However, the two families lived close to each other, so Secretary Xu felt that it was okay to accept it.
Jiang Wen's family is from the countryside, and he has a younger brother who lives with his parents on the farm. Secretary Xu had previously tested Jiang He's attitude, and the other party did not object to Jiang Wen coming to his house, so now, Secretary Xu almost trains Jiang Wen as his future successor.
"Then Xiaowen, you should send your father away first. It will be dark and we won't be able to see the road."
"Okay, Secretary, I'll be leaving first."
"Captain Jiang, see you next time." Secretary Xu walked him to the door.
"Secretary Xu, please stay. See you next time." Jiang He left with Jiang Wen with a smile in his eyes.
When no one was around, Jiang Wencai said to Jiang He, "Dad, don't go back. Stay in my dormitory for one night."
Jiang Wen's eyes were filled with resentment. Even though it was already dark and there was a clear sign of rain, Secretary Xu still told his father to go home. Jiang Wen understood what Secretary Xu meant. He was afraid that his father Jiang He would become dependent on him, so he urged him to leave.
Jiang He shook his head and placed his hand on Jiang Wen's shoulder. "No, I'd better go back. Xiao Wen, remember this: a little impatience can ruin a big plan."
Jiang He is a seasoned man, how could he not understand Secretary Xu's subtext? The more he understands, the more he should endure it and not cause trouble for Jiang Wen.
Unable to outsmart his father, Jiang Wen could only watch Jiang He disappear from his sight in a simple transparent oil-paper outfit.
Jiang Wen gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, his eyes full of ambition and unwillingness. One day he would climb up and no longer have to look at anyone's face.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, only his usual gentleness remained in them.
In Qinghe Village, the arrival of the new educated youth caused more than one farce, and even implicated Pei Xingzhi, who had already moved out of the educated youth site.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
