After nearly three hours of bumpy travel, the oxcart finally passed through a sparse poplar grove and could see a few clusters of dim yellow lights in the distance.
We've arrived at the forest farm.
The wheels rolled over the last stretch of dirt road and stopped in front of a yard.
The middle-aged man rushing to catch the carriage called out, "We've arrived!"
The educated youth on the bus immediately came to their senses, rubbed their numb legs, picked up their luggage, and got off the bus.
As soon as Xu Xinghe stood up, a man dressed in dark blue clothes with a belt around his waist came up to her.
He was about forty years old, with a capable look on his face. He glanced at everyone and said, "Fellow educated youth, you've worked hard. I am the deputy captain of the forest farm, and my surname is Zhou. Our brigade captain had an urgent matter to attend to at another forest farm and asked me to come and meet you. I will be responsible for the follow-up arrangements."
Jiang Linchuan calmly memorized this information.
Not being able to meet the target person right after arriving is not a good start.
Others in the know chimed in, "Then we'll have to trouble Vice Captain Zhou."
Seeing that the people who came this time were quite capable, Deputy Captain Zhou smiled and led them into the courtyard. "The educated youth settlement is inside. A group of educated youth came last year and they all live here. Seven of you have arrived this year, and there are two empty rooms available. One room for the women and one room for the men. Please squeeze in for now, and we'll wait for the forest farm to apply for an expansion for you."
The courtyard was small, with a row of adobe houses on each side and a path paved with gravel in the middle. Several bundles of firewood were piled up by the path.
As soon as the group reached the door, more than a dozen young men and women poured out of the room on the left. They were all former educated youth who had come last year.
They surrounded the new educated youth, asking questions all at once, and their eyes quickly fell on Xu Xinghe.
Even though she deliberately darkened her skin tone and added a few light brown freckles to her cheeks, her eyes still shone as if they were filled with starlight. Her small face, no bigger than a palm, had delicate contours, and when she smiled, there was a shallow dimple at the corner of her mouth, exuding a charming and sweet demeanor that made her stand out among the weary educated youth.
"Where are you from?" A male educated youth with a buzz cut spoke first, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement. He seemed to be asking the newcomers, but in reality, he wanted to know more about Xu Xinghe.
Several male educated youths nearby echoed this sentiment, their gazes also fixed intently on Xu Xinghe.
Xu Xinghe felt a little uncomfortable being stared at, so she hid behind Jiang Linchuan as she was supposed to, and introduced herself softly, "I... I'm Li Juan, and I'm from Hebei."
"Li Juan? What a lovely name!" The short-haired educated youth smiled and took two steps forward, wanting to ask something more, but Jiang Linchuan calmly blocked his way.
His face darkened, and a coldness crept into his eyes.
He glanced at the male educated youths who had gathered around him, and said in a low voice, "My name is Li Guowei, and I am Li Juan's brother. She is young and timid, so please bear with her."
Although he didn't say anything, his eyes swept over the people who had been staring at Xu Xinghe, and the warning in his eyes was all too clear.
But the older educated youth didn't take the warning seriously at all.
In the educated youth settlement, it was common for newly arrived female educated youth to receive attention, so Jiang Linchuan's protective attitude only made them laugh.
He's just an older brother; in a strange place, far from home, he's nothing at all.
The young man with the buzz cut raised an eyebrow and teased, "Comrade Guowei is being too protective! We just wanted to chat with you all. After all, we're the veteran educated youth, so we should take care of you newcomers."
Another male educated youth wearing a hat next to her laughed, "That's right, Comrade Li Juan, don't be afraid. Everyone in our educated youth settlement is easy to get along with. Have you ever farmed before? The work in the forest farm isn't easy. If you get tired, just tell me, and I'll help you!"
Xu Xinghe frowned inwardly. What was going on with these people who knew about this? They'd only been here a year, why did they seem to have developed a bit of a roguish air about them?
Or is it that the forest farm does not restrain their behavior at all?
Or perhaps it's due to the local customs and culture of eastern Mongolia?
She inwardly grumbled, but outwardly maintained a shy and timid demeanor, clutching the hem of her clothes and lowering her head. "I haven't packed my luggage yet. I want to go check out the room first, and then I'll chat with everyone later..."
After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the female educated youth's room without waiting for anyone's reaction. She even stumbled a little when she pushed the door open, making her look even more flustered.
Watching her hurried departure, the male educated youth couldn't help but smile.
However, they didn't make it too obvious, so they started chatting with other new educated youth.
Jiang Linchuan kept every word they said in mind; among these former educated youth, there might very well be someone like Zhang Qiang.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said to Deputy Captain Zhou and the veteran educated youth, "This is my sister's first time going out. She is usually quite timid, so I will take good care of her."
After saying that, he walked towards the male educated youth's room.
Deputy Captain Zhou seemed oblivious to what had just happened, maintaining his previous attitude, "Alright, you all know each other now. You've traveled for so long, go back and rest. If you need anything, like hot water or blankets, feel free to come to me."
In the room of the female educated youth.
Xu Xinghe closed the door and let out a long breath.
She leaned against the door, listening to the discussions outside, and became secretly wary.
Having just arrived at the educated youth settlement and being watched by so many people, she feared that life ahead wouldn't be so easy. She would have to be more careful and adapt to Li Juan's identity as soon as possible.
Soon, Zhao Xiaoyan and Wang Lili also arrived.
The room was small and simply furnished.
Near the window was a kang (a heated brick bed), covered with a thin layer of straw. In the corner were a few old wooden boxes, which were the only pieces of furniture.
“You two are both a bit introverted, so why don’t I sleep in the middle? That way you’ll be more comfortable.” Zhao Xiaoyan put down her luggage first, patted the middle of the kang (heated brick bed) casually, and turned to talk to Xu Xinghe, but was interrupted by Wang Lili before she could finish speaking.
"Xiaoyan, do you think this kang is a bit damp? Let's put on some thicker straw later, otherwise it will be cold to sleep at night. I brought a new piece of coarse cloth, I'll share half with you to put on the kang later." As she spoke, Wang Lili carried her floral cloth bundle and went straight to the innermost edge of the kang, putting the bundle on the kang.
Zhao Xiaoyan paused for a moment, then nodded, but her eyes couldn't help but dart towards Xu Xinghe, as if she wanted to strike up a conversation with her again.
After all, she had known Wang Lili for a long time, while she had only met Xu Xinghe recently, and she wanted to learn more about her character.
But just as she was about to speak, Wang Lili pulled her aside and started tidying up her bundle. "Look at this bundle of mine, my mother sewed two new cotton-padded jackets for me, and also packed several pairs of handmade cloth shoes, afraid I'd get cold here. By the way, what did your mother pack for you?"
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