Wang Lili nodded in agreement, "Yes, we've heard from the older generation of educated youth that there are parks in the city, but we don't know where they are or whether there are entrance fees. Besides, there aren't many movies showing at this time, and it seems like there's nowhere else to go."
Zhang Guoming pondered for a moment, then tentatively suggested, "How about we go for a walk in the city? We could see what it's like here."
But as soon as he finished speaking, a fellow educated youth next to him retorted, "Walking around is so boring, and it would be troublesome if we got separated."
Seeing them chattering away without reaching a conclusion, Xu Xinghe couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, there's no need to worry about where to go. How about we go to the supply and marketing cooperative first? They have a lot of things there. If you want to buy any daily necessities or bring back some local specialties for your families, you can buy them there. Besides, the supply and marketing cooperative is not far from the front of this street. It's only a ten-minute walk away, so you don't have to worry about getting separated."
“Supply and marketing cooperative? Great!” Zhao Xiaoyan’s eyes lit up and she immediately nodded in agreement. “I’ve been wanting to see what the supply and marketing cooperative in the city has to offer. I’ve only been to the one in the town before, and there’s really nothing good there.”
Other educated youth also expressed their agreement.
Although I didn't find any particularly interesting places to have fun, buying some things at the supply and marketing cooperative made the trip to the city worthwhile.
Seeing that everyone agreed, Xu Xinghe called the waiter to settle the bill, picked up her cloth bag and stood up, saying, "Let's go then. Let's go while it's still dark so we can do more shopping."
The group followed Xu Xinghe out of the restaurant. The afternoon sun shone warmly on the street.
The educated youth followed Xu Xinghe, curiously looking at the shops along the roadside.
Xu Xinghe walked at the front, looking back every now and then to make sure no one fell behind.
Although this short time together is coming to an end, being able to spend more time with them and see more of the world has created a beautiful memory.
Not long after walking, a two-story red building appeared ahead, with a sign for the supply and marketing cooperative hanging on the roof.
There were many people coming and going at the entrance, making it quite lively.
The supply and marketing cooperative was bustling with people, and the shelves were filled with all kinds of goods, a dazzling array that made the educated youth dazzled.
Everyone dispersed and picked out what they wanted to buy.
Xu Xinghe followed behind the crowd, simply watching without making any selections.
When I bought local specialties for Aunt Mei and the others before, I had already bought everything that needed to be bought, and she herself didn't lack anything.
Her gaze swept across the shelves and finally landed on Zhao Xiaoyan, who was standing in the fabric section, staring intently at a pink fabric with a floral pattern.
The fabric was soft and had a fresh pattern; it was indeed beautiful.
Zhao Xiaoyan gently stroked the fabric with her hand, her eyes full of love, and muttered to herself, "My mom will definitely like this pattern, it'll be perfect for making a shirt."
She took out the money and cloth coupons from her pocket and counted them over and over again. Her brows gradually furrowed. She was still three yuan short, which was not enough to buy the item.
She hesitated for a long time, her fingers tracing the fabric, reluctant to put it down, but she really couldn't raise the money. In the end, she could only grit her teeth, fold the fabric and put it back on the shelf, turn around and leave, her face full of disappointment.
"Buy it if you like it." Xu Xinghe's voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Zhao Xiaoyan turned around and saw Xu Xinghe holding three yuan in her hand, smiling at her. "Comrade Xu, I..."
She was a little embarrassed, "I don't have enough money, so let's forget about it. I'll buy it another time when I have the chance."
“It’s okay, I’ll pay for it for you.” Xu Xinghe handed the money to the sales clerk, then picked up the floral fabric and stuffed it into Zhao Xiaoyan’s hand. “Since your mother will definitely be happy to receive it, then buy it. Don’t let yourself have any regrets.”
"Thank you so much!" Zhao Xiaoyan exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears as she accepted the fabric. "I'll definitely pay you back next month when I have the money! Could you please give me your contact address?"
Xu Xinghe knew that if he didn't leave it, Zhao Xiaoyan would keep thinking about it, so he nodded, took out paper and pen from his pocket, and wrote down the mailing address of the Heilongjiang Provincial Military Headquarters. "You can send it here, I can receive it."
Zhao Xiaoyan carefully put away the address and the fabric, her heart filled with gratitude.
The other educated youth had also chosen their items; some bought candy, others bought soap and needles and thread, and everyone had a good haul.
After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, the car sent by Li Wei was already waiting at the door.
The educated youth said goodbye to Xu Xinghe, reluctantly got into the car, and headed towards the forest farm.
Xu Xinghe stood by the roadside, watching the car gradually disappear into the distance, before turning back to the guesthouse.
When everyone returned to the forest farm, it was already getting dark.
The educated youth, carrying the things they bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, excitedly discussed their experiences of the day, and the entire educated youth settlement was bustling with activity.
Chen Yifan was the only one who wasn't invited to the commendation meeting or to the city. He could only sit alone in the corner of the dormitory, watching everyone laughing and chatting, feeling embarrassed and disappointed.
He couldn't stand the atmosphere any longer, so he quietly got up and left the dormitory, wanting to find a quiet place where no one was around.
He wandered aimlessly into the depths of the forest, and before he knew it, he had entered the woods.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the depths of the darkness, accompanied by the grunts of a wild boar.
Before Chen Yifan could react, a huge wild boar charged out of the woods and slammed into him.
He screamed in agony as he was sent flying by the impact, crashing heavily to the ground. The wild boar's tusks tore a long gash in his stomach, and blood gushed out instantly.
After ramming the person, the wild boar grunted a few more times before turning and running into the depths of the woods.
Chen Yifan lay on the ground, his whole body aching terribly. The wound on his stomach burned with pain. He wanted to scream, but he didn't even have the strength to speak. He could only watch helplessly as the sky grew darker and darker, and his consciousness gradually faded.
"This is my retribution..."
The events of threatening Xu Xinghe and his usual selfishness flashed before his eyes. He closed his eyes and waited for death to come.
Just then, a faint light appeared not far away.
It turned out to be an older educated youth who had come out for a smoke. He saw Chen Yifan lying on the ground and asked, "Chen Yifan? What happened to you?"
The educated youth rushed over and, seeing the wound on his stomach and the blood all over the ground, turned pale with fright and shouted, "Help! Someone's injured!"
The shouts alerted nearby villagers and educated youth, who rushed over with torches.
Seeing Chen Yifan's condition, everyone was startled. They quickly found planks and ropes, carefully lifted him up, and rushed to the town's hospital that very night.
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yifan slowly opened his eyes.
He was lying in a hospital bed. The wound on his abdomen had been bandaged and stitched up. Although it was still painful, he was no longer in danger of dying.
In the ward, Zhang Guoming was chatting with several male educated youths. Their voices were not loud, but they reached his ears clearly.
"Is today the day Comrade Xu and Comrade Jiang are leaving? It's such a pity we can't go to see them off." Zhang Guoming's voice was full of regret.
"Yes, I don't know if I'll ever see them again."
Chen Yifan stared at the ceiling, tears welling up in his eyes.
His survival was perhaps a chance given to him by God to turn over a new leaf.
He decided that he would never do anything bad again and that he would be an upright person!
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