Yu Yin was unaware of Chu Jianguo and his group's plans, nor did she care; she was busy with other things right now.
Although Yunnan Province has mushrooms available year-round, mushroom picking is concentrated in July and August, the season with the most varieties. Yu Yin has always been open to the bounty of the mountains, but influenced by A Xiang and the others, her fear of the mountains has grown day by day.
I learned to cover the mushroom pits with a handful of compost after picking the mushrooms. I also learned to pick the larger ones and leave the smaller ones, avoiding picking them all at once and minimizing environmental damage, leaving the mushrooms with a wild habitat to survive.
Ethnic minorities, in particular, who live in the mountains, hold a deep reverence for them. Even as some feudal superstitious activities are opposed today, some people still quietly go to worship the mountains, giving them the proper rituals.
Yu Yin adapted to local customs and gradually learned all of this, and strictly followed them.
After careful consideration, Wang Wen also figured out the path he wanted to take.
Qian Weiguo was Wang Wenye's staunch supporter; they were inseparable, always advancing and retreating together. Jia Mengchen, Yu Haiyang, Li He, and Zhou Yuanchao, however, were different from Wang Wenye and had a more distant relationship with Uncle Chu, so they didn't participate, waiting for their families to influence their plans so they could join the army.
"Uncle, I have a friend here, who is Sister-in-law Lu's brother-in-law. We came down in the same batch and even shared a room. She got to know Sister-in-law through his connections and has taken good care of us. He's a good student and quite clever. How about we bring him in?"
"Lu Shurui's younger brother?"
“My cousin, we get along alright. He has an older cousin here, but we don’t get along very well, especially his wife. She doesn’t treat him well, though I don’t know the specific reasons. But I trust her character; she wouldn’t have done that if there wasn’t a reason. Actually, she’s more like an older sister to us; we just call her that because we follow Lu Shuqi’s lead.”
Wang Wenye and his group were not so much close to Lu Shurui and his group, but mainly to Yu Yin. They learned a lot from Yu Yin and were taken care of in great ways, especially in terms of food and drink. They were not unaware that many of the educated youth who did not eat well suffered health problems.
"Okay, go ask him. If he's interested, I'll transfer the three of you over. Let's not waste our prime years and leave something behind for our youth."
"Uncle, you've squandered our youth, and your youth too, haha..."
"You little brat, you've got some nerve, daring to make fun of your uncle."
"I was wrong, Uncle, I was wrong. I'll go recruit soldiers for our youth right now."
Wang Wen also left laughing and joking, and Chu Jianguo felt much more relaxed. Leaving the fiercely competitive capital city wasn't without its advantages; he felt more at peace.
Wang Wen also returned to the educated youth settlement, found Lu Shuqi, told him about Uncle Chu's plan, and asked him if he was interested in joining.
Lu Shuqi was eighteen years old and had never made any major decisions before, so he was undecided about this matter. Personally, he would be very happy to be free from heavy physical labor; who wouldn't want that? However, the Revolutionary Committee was a special entity, and he couldn't make up his mind for the time being.
"This is all so sudden, I'm at a loss. Could you give me a moment while I go ask my brother and sister-in-law?"
"Of course you can. Go and ask around. Having a clear understanding will make your work easier."
Lu Shuqi thanked Wang Wenye and hurried to Lu Shurui's house. He knew in his heart that the reason Wang Wenye told him wasn't because of him, but mostly because of his sister-in-law; even his brother didn't have that much influence.
I arrived in just a few minutes. I pushed open the door and called out. In the yard, Yu Yin and the children were playing games.
"Why are you here at this hour? Is something the matter?"
It's no wonder Yu Yin asked that question. The group of them usually come and go together. Besides, they just came yesterday and are here again today, so they must have something to do.
"I have something I'd like to discuss with you and my brother. Where's my brother?"
"Let's talk about cooking after we eat."
"Okay, sister-in-law, I'll watch the baby. You go ahead and do your work."
Yu Yin left the two younger children with Lu Shuqi, then rubbed her lower back with her hands. The children's energy was too much for her to handle.
"Dinner's ready. Go wash your hands, hurry up."
An'an was the first to rush to the dining table, but was ruthlessly driven away by her father, and walked dejectedly to the washbasin.
Pingping had already washed her hands and came over holding her uncle's hand. Looking at An'an, she smiled silently. This one was also a little devil, full of tricks.
“Brother, sister-in-law, today Wang Wen also asked me if I was interested in joining the county revolutionary committee and working with Uncle Chu. I’m a little undecided, so I came to ask you.”
"Uncle Chu, the Revolutionary Committee?"
Lu Shurui asked in confusion, "What's the connection?"
"I forgot to tell you, the new director of the county's Revolutionary Committee is Comrade Chu Jianguo, our new neighbor."
"Oh, you can forget this too? You're something else."
Lu Shurui was speechless. In his wife's heart, besides the children and going up the mountain, he was only third.
"What do you think? Do you want to go?"
"Of course I want to go. The work on the Corps farm is really tough, and I'm just barely hanging on. Now that I have a chance to escape this misery, I certainly don't want to miss it. But, the Revolutionary Committee... I don't know whether I should get involved."
"The Revolutionary Committee isn't all bad. Comrade Chu Jianguo comes from a military compound, so his character is still reliable."
“Your brother is right. They came all the way from Kyoto with a well-thought-out plan. The reason they approached you is to have their own team, so they can get things done more easily and also keep the local bullies at bay.”
Yu Yin didn't know much about Chu Jianguo, but Su Yixian was on good terms with her and had some understanding of him from their conversations; their character seemed to be quite good. As long as people have a bottom line, they won't be too extreme or do anything excessive.
With her brother and sister-in-law's analysis, Lu Shuqi understood that she could join in and do something meaningful to the best of her ability.
After dinner, Lu Shuqi said goodbye to her brother and sister-in-law and returned to the educated youth dormitory, where she also told Wang Wenye about her decision.
Chu Jianguo took a firm stance and, in a short time, transferred the files of Wang Wenye, Qian Weiguo, and Lu Shuqi to the Revolutionary Committee, making them members and formal employees. Their salaries didn't increase much, but the benefits were better, and most importantly, the workload was lighter. They would no longer have to transplant rice seedlings, harvest rice, tap rubber trees, or carry sugarcane…
After leaving the production and construction corps farm, the three of them were assigned to a dormitory together, which was much better than the previous dormitory with twenty people. All three of them were very happy.
From then on, Director Chu from Kyoto had his own three henchmen, making things much easier. The three had different personalities but were quite capable, especially Lu Shuqi, who was their cultural expert, handling all work related to writing. Qian Weiguo was in charge of external communication, using his silver tongue to simplify complicated matters. Wang Wen also offered suggestions, and the group worked together seamlessly, helping Uncle Chu quickly establish himself and gain a foothold.
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