Over the next two days, in addition to memorizing their own identity information, the two would also ask each other questions to reinforce their memory and get to know each other better.
The night before departure.
The moonlight was exceptionally bright, shining on the stone path in the courtyard.
Xu Xinghe organized all the paper documents, put them in an old iron basin, and then took a match from the kitchen to light it.
The flames licked at the paper, burning Li Juan's information bit by bit.
She squatted by the iron basin, watching the flames gradually diminish until only a pile of black ashes remained. Then she used a wooden stick to break up the ashes, making sure there were no writings left behind.
This is a requirement of the mission, to prevent leaks.
Xu Xinghe was inexplicably nervous as this was the first time she had done something like this.
Jiang Linchuan stood beside her, holding their ID cards and rural work permits in his hands. These documents were made using a special process, and the paper and seals were exactly the same as the official documents at the time.
"Did you burn it all?" he asked softly.
Xu Xinghe nodded, stood up, and dusted off her hands. "Yeah, nothing's left. We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Is everything packed?"
"It's all packed. Except for the essentials, try not to bring anything else. It should be appropriate for the person's family background." Jiang Linchuan said, handing her the documents. "Keep these safe and close to your body. Don't lose them."
Xu Xinghe took the documents, carefully put them into his pocket, pressed them down to make sure they were secure before he felt at ease.
The two didn't say anything more and went back to rest.
I need to catch an early train tomorrow, so I need to be well-rested for the rest of the trip.
The next morning, before dawn, Xu Xinghe and Jiang Linchuan quietly left the military headquarters with small bundles on their backs.
Political Commissar Wang had already arranged for a military jeep to be waiting at the door to take them to the train station.
Xu Xinghe and Jiang Linchuan mingled in the crowd on the early morning train, looking like an ordinary pair of educated youth sent to the countryside.
She deliberately darkened her skin and added freckles, but she still attracted a lot of attention.
No matter how much she tries to conceal it, her striking features are still there.
Even her skin tone and freckles made her look even cuter and more playful, adding a touch of naivety.
Jiang Linchuan silently shielded her face with his body and gently pulled her wrist onto the train.
The train rattled along for a day and a night.
The view outside the window gradually changed from farmland to sparse grassland.
The air also carried a touch of the dryness and grassy scent unique to Dongmeng.
Xu Xinghe leaned against the car window, looking at the high-hanging sun outside, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the documents in her pocket.
She barely slept a wink on the journey, constantly replaying Li Juan's experiences in her mind, fearing something might go wrong when they arrived at their destination.
"We're almost there." Jiang Linchuan's voice rang in my ears. He pointed to the platform not far away outside the window. "Look, that's the Dongmeng train station."
Xu Xinghe looked up and saw that the platform was simple and low, with a few people standing sparsely on it, mostly farmers carrying bundles. There were also a few horse-drawn carts hauling goods parked nearby, making it look particularly simple.
The train slowly came to a stop, the doors opened, and the two of them stepped off the train with the flow of people. As their feet touched the rough cement platform, a chill ran up their shoes.
The weather in eastern Mongolia is also not warm.
"Let's go, let's get out of here. The people from the forest farm should come to pick us up. Be careful, don't give anything away. From now on, I'm your brother Li Guowei, and you're my sister Li Juan."
Xu Xinghe nodded, deliberately lowering her posture and bowing her head slightly, looking as if she had just arrived in an unfamiliar place and was feeling reserved.
This was the expression she had deduced from Li Juan's experience—the kind of reaction a slightly timid young girl should have at an unfamiliar train station.
The two stood in the corner of the platform for about fifteen minutes, when they heard the clattering of wheels.
A bullock cart covered with a blue tarpaulin slowly came to a stop at the platform exit. The driver was a dark-skinned middle-aged man wearing a faded blue cloth jacket and holding a whip. His gaze swept around the platform before finally settling on Xu Xinghe and Jiang Linchuan.
The man drove the oxcart over, reined in it, and asked, "Are you two going to the Ulijisu Forest Farm?"
Xu Xinghe subconsciously looked at Jiang Linchuan, and seeing him nod slightly, she raised her head and said in a slightly timid tone, "Yes, Uncle, my name is Li Juan, and I'm here to work in the forest farm."
"That's right, I was sent by the forest farm to pick you up." The man smiled, revealing two rows of yellowed teeth. "Wait a moment, there are other people. We'll go back to the forest farm after everyone arrives."
Soon another train stopped, and several young people of similar age got off, carrying bulging luggage and looking both excited and apprehensive. They were clearly newly arrived educated youth.
Xu Xinghe quietly counted; including herself and Jiang Linchuan, there were seven people in total.
The other two girls were dressed in simple, clean clothes, with their hair in braids, and carrying net bags containing washbasins and towels.
The three young men were wearing old blue or gray work clothes.
They quickly found the oxcart.
"Hey, you're also educated youth going to the forest farm, right?" A girl with pigtails noticed Xu Xinghe and Jiang Linchuan first, walked over quickly, and asked enthusiastically, "My name is Zhao Xiaoyan, I'm from Nanhe, what about you?"
Before Xu Xinghe could speak, Jiang Linchuan took over, "My name is Li Guowei, and this is my sister Li Juan. We are from Hebei."
“Northern Hebei! That’s not far from our Nanhe!” Zhao Xiaoyan’s eyes lit up, and she pointed to the group of people behind her. “We’re together. The tall one is Zhang Guoming, the one with glasses is Chen Yifan, the one in the black jacket is Liu Jianguo, and this one is Wang Lili.”
Several people gathered around and greeted each other.
Zhang Guoming, a cheerful man, patted Jiang Linchuan on the shoulder and said, "We'll be working in the same forest farm from now on, so we can look out for each other. I've heard that the work in the forest farm is quite demanding."
Chen Ming pushed up his glasses, said little, and simply smiled and nodded.
Wang Lili held Zhao Xiaoyan's hand and showed no intention of speaking to Xu Xinghe.
After they finished speaking, the man waved to them, "Get in the car, let's go back to the forest farm!"
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