As the sun set, villagers from the six brigades gathered at the threshing ground of the third brigade. Lianghu had sent a team to escort the educated youth, who had picked up their luggage, to the county town. All the food supplies for these people had also been transferred, and the people from the third brigade had no leverage over them.
Liang Hu stood on the platform, with a dozen villagers tied up with hemp ropes beside him. They were accomplices in the murder of those female educated youth and thought that since the female educated youth were gone, this matter would never be brought up again.
"The educated youth were teachers sent to you by the state. What did you do?" Liang Hu shouted at the top of his voice. "You should all be aware of what happened in the Third Battalion. From today on, there will be no more educated youth in the Third Battalion. Director Peng has already reported the situation. Everyone in the Third Battalion awaits punishment from above."
The members of the Pigeon Committee began to talk about the complaints made by the educated youth. The educated youth from other brigades stared at the people from the third brigade with wide eyes, and the villagers from other brigades spontaneously separated the educated youth from the villagers of the third brigade.
The members of the nearby brigades looked at the members of the third brigades with gossip. Several brigades heard some rumors. Tong Zhuang denied it openly, but when he mentioned you, he said that he could get along well with the educated youth.
The scandal broke out, and the other team leaders were frightened. They pressured the villagers to be nice to the educated youth and not to touch them at all.
"Liang Hu, you are absolutely right." Several team leaders said one after another.
The villagers were grateful to their respective team leaders from the bottom of their hearts. If the team leaders had not repeatedly ordered the team members not to make things difficult for or harm the female educated youth, and to treat the educated youth with courtesy.
The educated youths each had their own little thoughts, and the female educated youths fought fiercely among themselves. Most of the villagers just watched as a show, and the gossipy village women made things even more lively.
"We've brought up those from the Third Squad who committed crimes today in the hope that you won't make any more mistakes." Liang Hu pointed at the stage. "These people will be sent to the county seat after today. The Third Squadron will begin their self-criticism tonight."
Su Jin looked at the people on the stage and felt particularly relieved. She had read similar news in old newspapers in modern times and did not think that those people on the stage were innocent at all. They had also hurt many innocent people.
"The villagers in other brigades must also receive education together. If similar things happen again, the Pigeon Committee will not let them off easily." Liang Hu did not want Songjiang Commune to be set as an example.
Some of the villagers present went back early to prepare dinner because the weather was getting colder and they couldn't eat outside like they did in the summer.
Lu Shiyi rode his bike and took Su Jin home. She went into the kitchen and looked at the meat she bought in the afternoon, then turned to look at Lu Shiyi who was lighting the stove.
"There's no time to cook meat. Let's make some porridge and pancakes, and heat up the meat and vegetables we bought from the state-owned restaurant this afternoon?" Su Jin asked Lu Shiyi.
They had two meals together. Su Jin probably knew how much he ate, so he took an aluminum lunch box from the side and filled the entire box with a portion of braised pork.
"State-owned restaurants are so affordable, and the food smells so good." Su Jin was kneading dough, preparing to make cornmeal flatbreads. "Wait, make half a portion of braised pork and have the remaining half for tomorrow. Chop up the cabbage and add some sweet potato flour?"
Following Su Jin's instructions, Lu Shiyi put half a lunch box of braised pork in the pot, and then took a thermos from the side and poured warm water into it.
Not far away, Su Jin washed the vegetables with warm water, cut half a cabbage into strips one finger wide, and took a handful of sweet potato flour from a white cloth bag.
"There's still bean curd in the cupboard." Lu Shiyi patted his forehead and said, "The cafeteria made a lot of bean curd and asked everyone to take some home to eat."
The canteen of the armed forces department often makes more soy products and distributes them to officers to take home as welfare. For some families who are not accompanying them in the army, the canteen prepares bacon and mails it back to them.
Su Jin opened the cabinet door, grabbed a handful of soaked beans from the porcelain bowl in the cabinet and put them into a bowl filled with water. After soaking for a few minutes, she threw them into the pot.
"Let's eat this tonight. There's probably no such good food in the village." Su Jin chuckled.
Before coming to the village, Su Jin specifically asked Director Jin from the street office for some information. He heard that many people only ate two meals a day during the winter, and both were porridge.
"If someone asks you when you go out, tell them that besides your food, you also gave me the military rations I collected." Lu Shiyi instructed Su Jin.
Su Jin grew up in the city and didn't know the women in the village. These people were most likely to do bad things when they started gossiping.
"I remember." Su Jin nodded. When you are out and about, you should listen to people's advice more often, and your life will be easier. "I will be home late tonight, so please put on more clothes and come with me."
Later, Lu Shiyi put the stew in an enamel basin, and Su Jin came with a plate of flatbreads. The two of them sat at the table in the dining room to eat.
Lu Shiyi specially lit a fire wall outside to warm up the whole house.
"The food cooked by Xiaojin is delicious. You cook and I wash the dishes." Lu Shiyi wondered whether he should build a smaller stove for her or transport a coal stove from the imperial capital to cook?
"I want a coal stove that can be used to heat the room, boil water, and cook." Su Jin looked at Lu Shiyi and said.
Lu Shiyi heard from his comrades in the family compound about coal stoves, saying that holes should be dug in the wall or glass to install pipes for ventilation inside and outside the house, otherwise, carbon monoxide poisoning would occur.
"I'll install a greenhouse for you at the corner of my mouth, so you can get through it from the house, okay?" Lu Shiyi was thinking about the structure of the house, and he had already begun planning their future life after marriage.
Su Jin was like an ignorant rabbit, being carried back to the den by the big bad wolf without even noticing.
"Okay." Su Jin has been living in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the current weather is unbearable for her.
The weather will get colder, so Su Jin can only think about how to avoid going out. Lu Shiyi is probably going to work, so Dao can help clean up outside.
Inside the educated youth camp, the educated youth gathered in the kitchen to eat porridge. Lin Teng looked at the newly arrived educated youth and once again urged them to quickly choose villagers to share the winter with, to avoid insufficient winter supplies and getting frozen in the educated youth camp.
"Lin Teng, can't we just stay at the educated youth camp and spend the winter by ourselves?" Wang Dahong felt resistant to the villagers after hearing Tao Jing's complaint.
Su Jin was taken back by Lu Shiyi. Many female educated youth were jealous of her. Lu Shiyi was the best marriage candidate in the village. When Su Jin came, she was protected by Lu Shiyi. The old educated youth gossiped behind her back, wondering whether Lu Shiyi and Su Jin knew each other before.
The situation outside was so bad that many capable people would arrange for their children to go to villages where they had acquaintances to work. The interaction between Lu Shiyi and Su Jin seemed to have been approved by the adults.
After Lu Shiyi returned to the village, many people recommended their daughters to him, but he directly refused. The female educated youth in the village tried to approach him and show their courtesy, but he rejected and avoided them. Su Jin was the only girl who could get close to Lu Shiyi.
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