The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the forest farm's courtyard came alive with activity.
Except for two villagers who stayed behind to guard the gate, everyone else packed up and prepared to leave for the Naadam Festival.
There weren't enough tractors there, so the people from the forest farm had to set off on their own.
Apart from the carts specifically for carrying luggage and some dry rations, the others crowded onto several oxcarts, horse-drawn carriages, and handcarts, chatting and laughing, full of anticipation.
Xu Xinghe, Zhao Xiaoyan, Wang Lili, and several other female educated youths squeezed onto a handcart. The handcart was covered with a layer of dry grass, which was uncomfortable, but it did not dampen everyone's spirits at all.
"I heard that the yurts on the grasslands are really big, and can accommodate many people!"
"I'd also like to try mare's milk wine; I wonder what it tastes like!"
The female educated youths chatted excitedly, their voices filled with curiosity about the grasslands.
Xu Xinghe sat in the corner of the cart, clutching a straw hat in his hand, but his gaze kept drifting to an oxcart not far away.
Jiang Linchuan was sitting there, talking to a few male educated youths. Occasionally, he would look up and his eyes would meet hers, then he would quickly look away.
At that moment, she felt as if she had secretly hidden a sweet date in her heart.
"What are you looking at?" Zhao Xiaoyan suddenly leaned over, nudged her with her elbow, and chuckled in a low voice, "Are you looking at your cousin? I think your cousin is so good at fighting, if he participated in a wrestling competition, he would definitely win first place! Then all the girls on the grassland would probably be swarming around him!"
Xu Xinghe's face flushed, and she nodded.
Jiang Linchuan probably won't participate in the wrestling competition.
Because they never really came to the countryside; their only purpose was to fulfill their mission.
Wang Lili, who was on the cart, had become much thinner than before, and her face was pale. She sat silently to the side the whole way, not saying much.
Zhao Xiaoyan saw this, sighed, and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with her, "Lili, I heard that there's a bonfire party and dancing at the Naadam Festival on the night!"
Wang Lili was taken aback, looked up at Zhao Xiaoyan, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes, and whispered, "Really? That sounds very interesting..."
“Then let’s play together this time!” Zhao Xiaoyan said with a smile, holding her hand. “We’ll watch the horse races together and eat milk tofu together. It’ll definitely be a lot of fun!”
Perhaps it was Zhao Xiaoyan's enthusiasm that infected her, and Wang Lili's tense lips slowly relaxed. Occasionally, she would chime in with a word or two, discussing interesting things on the grassland with the female educated youth, and a smile gradually appeared on her face.
At the very front of the group, Zhang Qiang rode a brown horse, holding a whip in his hand, and occasionally looked back at the group, afraid that someone might fall behind.
Zhang Qianqian was sitting in a small carriage behind him.
She pestered Zhang Qiang all night yesterday, insisting on going to the Naadam festival with him. Zhang Qiang couldn't refuse her, so he had to agree. He even made sure she sat in the front carriage so she wouldn't be squeezed.
Zhang Qianqian sat in the carriage, occasionally peeking out at the oxcart where Jiang Linchuan was, her eyes full of anticipation, hoping to spend more time with him this time.
The convoy drove slowly along the dirt road.
As the sun rose higher, fewer and fewer trees appeared along the roadside.
In the distance, patches of green grass began to appear.
After walking for about three hours, the sky suddenly darkened, and a gust of wind blew up without warning, whipping up the sand and dust on the ground and rushing towards the group.
"Oh no, a sandstorm is starting!" Zhang Qiang immediately reined in his horse and shouted back, "Everyone, quickly find somewhere to hide!"
Everyone quickly stopped the vehicles, and the villagers got out and found several large canvases, which they draped over the carts and oxcarts so that the educated youth could hide inside.
The sandstorm was getting stronger and stronger, so strong that people couldn't open their eyes, and all they could hear was the howling wind. They had to shout to even speak.
Xu Xinghe hid under the canvas, tightly gripping Zhao Xiaoyan's hand, feeling a little flustered.
This was the first time she had experienced something like this.
She subconsciously looked in Jiang Linchuan's direction and vaguely saw him with several male educated youths, using stones to weigh down the edges of the canvas to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.
Only when she saw his figure standing there steadily did her heart calm down a little.
The sandstorm lasted for about an hour before gradually subsiding.
The group emerged from under the canvas, all covered in dust and dirt, their hair and clothes soaked in sand.
Zhang Qiang dusted himself off and said to the group, "Let's rest for a while, clean ourselves up, eat something, and wait for the wind to completely stop before we leave."
Everyone tidied themselves up, took out the dry food and water they had brought, and gathered together to eat.
Xu Xinghe moved closer to Jiang Linchuan, took out two steamed buns, handed him one, and asked softly, "Are you alright? The wind was so strong just now."
Jiang Linchuan took the steamed bun, smiled and shook his head, "It's okay, this little bit of sandstorm is nothing. Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Xu Xinghe nodded and began to focus on eating.
When the wind finally stopped, the sun gradually began to set in the west.
After packing their things, everyone continued their journey.
The sky in the distance gradually turned orange-red, and the wind on the grassland carried the scent of grass, feeling especially comfortable on my face.
They walked like this for a whole day until it was completely dark and a patch of lights finally appeared in the distance.
That's where the Naadam Festival is held. Yurts are arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, and bonfires have been lit. You can see the dancing flames from afar and hear faint singing and laughter.
"We're here! We've finally arrived!" everyone shouted excitedly, their fatigue instantly vanishing.
Zhang Qiang rode his horse and led his team toward the yurt, feeling a sense of relief.
Although the journey was bumpy, we finally arrived safely.
Zhang Qiang quickly found the herdsman in charge of receiving them.
Because there were too many people attending the conference and the number of yurts was limited, the people from their forest farm were put into two adjacent yurts.
The men lived in one room, and the women lived in another.
When Xu Xinghe followed the female educated youth into the women's yurt, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
The yurt was quite spacious, but there were no beds. Instead, a thick layer of wool felt was laid on the floor, clearly indicating that everyone was to sleep directly on the ground.
"Everyone, spread the blankets you brought on the felt to keep out the cold." Zhang Qiang followed behind and walked in, pointing to the ground. "These are the conditions. There are not enough yurts. Let's make do for a few days and go back to the forest farm after the conference."
The female educated youth responded one after another, took out the blankets they had brought, and found a place to lay them out on the wool felt.
Xu Xinghe was lucky; he found an empty space in the corner of the yurt, right next to Zhao Xiaoyan.
The two laid out their blankets side by side and had just sat down when they smelled a mixture of wool, sweat, and cheap soap wafting through the yurt.
Because there are now not only female educated youths here, but also many female villagers, the diverse mix of people and their customs makes it a little difficult to adjust at first...
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