Chapter 73: Brother is Here
Lu Dongping took the empty bag off and placed it next to Wen Wan: "Wait for me, I'm going to return the car and will be back soon."
Wen Wan nodded, glanced around, and then asked Lu Minghai: "Uncle, there are seven of us on the team this time?"
Lu Minghai nodded, a worried look on his face. "Seven of them at once, how should I teach them and serve them?" He felt overwhelmed just thinking about it.
"Which seven?"
Lu Minghai shouted over there, "Those going to Lujiazui, come over here!"
Seven educated youths carrying bedding rolls came over with their belongings like trained lambs, stood beside him obediently, and looked around quietly.
Wen Wan looked at the person approaching with her almond-shaped eyes wide open. Oh, she actually saw an acquaintance!
Before she could shout, the other party had obviously seen her, and was waving his hands so fast that they were almost breaking like saplings in the wind: "Anbao, Anbao!"
"Seventh Brother!"
Wen Wan’s acquaintance is Xu Qingming, the younger brother of Xu San’s uncle’s family. The three brothers of the Xu family each have their own careers and rarely gather at home, so they are not separated. The younger generation also ranks like one, two, and three. Xu Qingming ranks seventh among the brothers, more than one year older than Wen Wan, and is nineteen this year. Because the two are about the same age, they have liked to play together since they were young. Of course, this may be Wen Wan's one-sided liking. Because every time they do something wrong together, Xu Qingming must be the one who gets beaten and scolded.
Lu Minghai raised an eyebrow. Oh, he's an acquaintance? He was saying, "How come there's such a handsome guy? He must be from the same family as Wen Wan. How do all the other people in this family look like? They're all so good-looking."
Wen Wan dragged her bag over and stopped in front of Xu Qingming: "Comrade, please call me Wen Wan!" The name An Bao was fine to call among family members, but it was so embarrassing to call him that in public!
She was born prematurely, Xu Ruyin having a difficult labor. After countless hardships, she was born, and she was incredibly frail. Old Wen nicknamed her Ping An, meaning "safe and sound for both mother and child." They kept calling her "Ping An Ping An," and somehow it became An An, then An Bao, and the whole family started calling her that in informal settings.
Xu Qingming smiled, revealing his big white teeth: "An Bao, I finally found you!"
Wen Wan: -Didn’t she say anything just now?
Lu Minghai smiled his first smile since meeting the educated youth. He looked at Xu Qingming with such affability that Xu Qingming couldn't help but shiver: "You are Wen Wan's brother? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Xu Qingming smiled and said, "I haven't met Wanwan yet, and I'm not sure whether she is in your team, so it's hard to say." After that, he raised his eyebrows and glanced at the little girl. The attitude of this production team leader changed a lot, and the reason was obvious, because he knew An Bao.
The little girl is doing well here. The whole family’s worry seems unnecessary.
Lu Minghai said, "Wen Wan, since you know someone there, I'll leave them to you. The supply and marketing cooperative is right over here. Ask them what they want to buy. We can buy it all while it's still early, then go to the educated youth camp to settle down and start work tomorrow morning."
Wen Wan:!!! This is different from what you said last time!
There were seven educated youth, four men and three women. In addition to Xu Qingming, there was a male educated youth named Zhou Guoping, as well as Li Hongtao, Huang Wancheng, and female educated youths Xu Wenfang, Zhang Yun, and Deng Hongjuan.
Having just arrived at a new place, their first meeting was quite harmonious. After everyone introduced themselves, Wen Wan also introduced her name, and then asked them: "Do you want to buy something? Otherwise, it will be inconvenient to run here after you go to the team."
A young educated youth named Zhang Yun asked her, "How long does it take to get to the production team from here?"
Wen Wan thought for a moment and said, "Let's walk faster for half an hour!"
Young people in the city have no idea about walking on mountain roads, so they think half an hour is not too far.
Xu Qingming asked her, "So, what are the things available at the educated youth camp? Tell us about it so we can have a better idea of what to buy."
Wen Wan glanced at him and said, "There is a room at the educated youth camp, and a large bunk bed supported by a door panel."
"That's it?" No one could believe it.
Wen Wan nodded seriously: "That's it!"
Xu Qingming placed the bedding roll and bag he was carrying in front of her and said, "Watch them for me. I'm going to go shopping."
The others followed suit, putting down their luggage and calling her, "Comrade Wenwan, please help keep an eye on your things. We'll be there soon."
When Lu Dongping came, Wen Wan was still holding the snakeskin bag and laughing foolishly. There were large and small bundles of bedding piled around her, and Lu Minghai was nowhere to be seen.
Little old man, you are such a thief!
"My uncle is gone?"
Wen Wan nodded, with a gleam in her eyes: "Lu Dongping, my seventh brother is here, I will have a companion from now on!" So happy!
What the hell?
"Seventh brother? You have seven brothers?"
Wen Wan nodded, then quickly shook her head: "No, no, my uncle has seven brothers. I am the only one in our family."
"How many uncles do you have?"
Wen Wan shook her fingers: "Three."
Lu Dongping nodded and said, "Yes, three, the little girl had said that before."
As she was talking, Xu Qingming came out carrying some things. In his hands were two basins filled with some small things. He called out to her, "Wanwan, I've bought them."
After saying that, he looked up at Lu Dongping, frowned slightly, and his face returned to its original warmth: "Who is this?" He saw her just now, with their Anbao.
Wen Wan introduced him: "This is someone from the team, working as an officer in the commune's armed forces department, Lu Dongping. He's the nephew of the production team leader just now, and his family."
Xu Qingming nodded, and Wen Wan introduced him to Lu Dongping: "My seventh brother, Xu Qingming."
Lu Dongping greeted him with a slight smile.
Several other people came over one after another, and without exception, they were holding basins and other utensils in their hands. Wen Wan looked back and saw that the educated youth from other production teams had also entered the supply and marketing cooperative. She estimated that the things in the supply and marketing cooperative would be sold out today.
Lu Dongping looked at the city dwellers of varying heights, reached out and took the things from Wen Wan's hand and said, "Have you bought everything? Once you've bought it, we'll leave."
“Alright, alright!”
Zhou Guoping responded, picked up the bedding roll, put the backpack on his back, and carried it in front of him, holding some miscellaneous things in his hands. He was basically the same as when Wen Wan came.
Lu Dongping carried the bag and led them across the road for a while, then took a fork in the road and started walking into the mountains.
This group of educated youth, well, they seem to be in good spirits. No matter how slow they are, they won’t be slower than that little girl Wen Wan.
As soon as Xu Qingming arrived, Lu Dongping was left alone, leading the way with a sullen face and holding a bag.
Wen Wan fell behind and chattered with Xu Qingming as they walked.
"Seventh Brother, why are you going to the countryside too?"
Xu Qingming snorted twice: "What do you think?"
"How should I know?" Xu Qingming asked curiously.
"You came here so far away quietly without saying a word. When the old man at home found out, he called your dad over and got very angry. Grandma was even more so. She kept talking about you and crying whenever she had free time. She scolded uncle and my dad, saying that she was worried that you were cold or hot, and that you didn't eat or sleep well. My dad was so annoyed that he just threw me over. He said that since the person had already gone down, he couldn't be brought back halfway, so he brought me here to share the joys and sorrows with you, and to take care of you and protect you." Of course, this was not entirely true, but the family repeatedly reminded Wen Wan that this was necessary.
A tall tree attracts the wind. The Xu family had long been in turmoil, having discussed the division of the family before the New Year. With the elders present, Xu Qingming had no say in such a major matter, nor was it his turn to worry about it. He only knew that with so many brothers and sisters in the family, he wasn't the only one sent down; those of the right age had all gone down one after another. On his side, they had put in a lot of effort to send him here, because Wen Wan was here.
It is hard to say whether he should be asked to take care of Wen Wan or because Wen Wan will be there for them to keep each other company.
Wen Wan snorted: "I'm here to study, I don't need you to take care of me! It's not certain who will take care of whom!" Everyone earns work points by working to make a living, so who can take care of whom!
"Hey, you didn't go to work today? Where were you?" While saying this, Xu Qingming glanced at Lu Dongping who was walking in front.
"I got a letter of introduction and went to the county town to send some things home. My father sent me a package before the New Year, and my uncle also sent one. There was nothing else to send here. I bought some bacon from a member of the cooperative and sent it back. Grandpa is always thinking about that, and my father often mentions it too."
Xu Qingming frowned. "Sending things is expensive, isn't it? We have enough food and drink at home. Just keep the money you have and take care of yourself."
"I know, I couldn't be home during the New Year, so this is just a token of my appreciation."
"Are grandpa and grandma in good health?"
Xu Qingming said: "Good, how can it be bad? He scolds people without taking a breath." At this time, both the good and the bad have to hold on. The entire Xu family is supported by the two old people. If they fall, there will be chaos.
"You said grandpa called my dad to give him a good scolding. Was the scolding severe?"
Xu Qingming blinked: "Amazing, just hit him with the crutch."
"You're lying, I don't believe it." She remembered that her grandfather admired Old Wen the most, so how could she possibly fight with him?
"Humph, why would I lie to you? Don't you know who the old man loves the most? If you don't keep an eye on his precious child, it would be strange if he didn't take action."
Wen Wan sighed, as if she had implicated Old Wen. "It has nothing to do with Dad. I wanted to be sent down. The list was already out when he found out, so he can't go back on his word! Besides, you saw how many educated youth responded to the call to be sent down. If they can come, why can't I?"
Xu Qingming sighed. This was just a foolish little idiot who didn't know much about the world. He had never lived in the mountains, but he had heard that life there was hard. He could imagine how hard it was, and yet he still came here.
Yes, large numbers of educated youth responded to the call to be sent down to the countryside, but many of them had no choice but to come!
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