The control group in Chapter 188, chronological text (4)
"Uncle Su, let's take a rest, we really can't walk anymore."
Zhao Jianguo was panting heavily, his back was soaked with sweat, and he could no longer walk.
Grandpa Su looked at the other educated youth and nodded.
“You young people just haven’t done enough physical labor. Xiao Wan carried just as much as you, but he wasn’t as tired as you are.”
After finding a rock to sit on, Grandpa Su said with a smile.
Xiao Wan refers to Chang Qing. He did not look that tired, and he was not out of breath at all, only slightly sweaty on his forehead.
Upon hearing this...
Zhao Jianguo took a big gulp of water. "Ren Changqing, since you're not tired, why don't you help Caiwei carry this box for a bit?"
Zhao Jianguo had no idea what was in the box. He carried it for a while along the mountain path, and his hand felt like it was going to break. Even holding a water bottle to drink water made his hand shake. If he got to the educated youth settlement, he suspected that his hand would be ruined.
Changqing: "Do you think I have any hands free?"
He paused for a moment and then said, "If you can't lift it, ask Caiwei for help. It will be easier if two people carry it together."
Zhao Jianguo's face was grim.
He didn't say anything more.
It's so unsightly that two people have to carry one box; it's just making us a laughingstock.
After resting for only a few minutes, Grandpa Su stood up to leave. If he rested any longer, it would be dark by the time he got home, and he wouldn't be able to make it home in time for dinner.
Zhao Jianguo had no choice but to struggle to his feet.
Li Caiwei was a little embarrassed. "Brother Jianguo, why don't we lift it together?"
Zhao Jianguo's expression froze.
If you had said you would have carried it yourself, I would have gladly agreed. But you said two people carried it. Isn't that intentional?
"It's okay, I'll do it." That was all he replied.
Li Caiwei: "Brother Jianguo, you're so kind."
If Zhao Jianguo had heard these words on a train, he would have felt an inexhaustible energy, but now, hearing them only made him feel dizzy.
The group walked and rested along the way, and by the time they arrived at Datian Village, it was almost dark.
Seeing the faint outlines of brick and tile houses in the distance, Zhao Jianguo almost burst into tears.
This journey has been incredibly difficult.
Switching from left hand to right hand, while pretending to be relaxed.
Seeing Changqing chatting and laughing so easily made him even angrier.
This person clearly has the ability, but simply refuses to help!
They have absolutely no sense of teamwork!
We're just not on the same wavelength!
Grandpa Su led the people to the educated youth settlement, where several older educated youths immediately came out to greet them. There were three men and two women, all in their twenties, but they had been in the countryside for several years and looked weathered.
"Welcome, new educated youth! The meal is ready, let's eat and chat."
The speaker was a square-faced educated youth named Yang Wei. He looked mature and steady, and the others seemed to regard him as their leader.
Changqing and the others were already starving, and Zhao Jianguo didn't even have the strength to speak.
The youth settlement was newly built, a long row of mud-brick houses, more than a dozen in total, like school dormitories. The kitchen was built separately, on the far west side, and meals were eaten at a table set up in a shed next to the kitchen.
The food was certainly not good; the rice was cornmeal, and the vegetables were all grown in the garden, with no meat at all.
only--
Zhao Jianguo was a little embarrassed. He picked up the bowl and chopsticks, but his hands started to tremble, and he had no strength at all.
"Jianguo, you must be exhausted. Why don't you go and rest? We'll save your food for you."
Seeing this, the others had no other options, so Yang Wei said this.
So Zhao Jianguo lay down on his empty stomach.
He was anxious because he had lost another opportunity to get to know everyone, and he couldn't sleep well all night.
Unfortunately, I had very bad luck.
The temperature was low in the mountains in autumn. He was anxious all night, and the next day he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and caught a cold.
Autumn harvest season.
The village didn't adjust the schedule for everyone, so everyone got up at 5 a.m. the next day to go to the fields to pick corn.
As a result, he fainted shortly after arriving at the field.
"The newly arrived educated youth fainted on his first day in the fields!"
The news spread quickly throughout Datian Village.
When Zhao Jianguo woke up, he was already in the village clinic. The village doctor prescribed some medicine and told him to go home and rest.
"I can't rest! There's still work to be done in the fields!"
He was anxious.
He just arrived and something happened, then he went to rest. What will people think of him? Won't his image be ruined?
The village doctor didn't offer any advice.
In the village, it's not common to lie down and rest when you have a cold; it's normal to stay on the front lines even with minor injuries.
However, Zhao Jianguo clearly overestimated his physical condition.
He trudged into the field, sometimes sinking deep into the mud, and received many admiring glances. But before noon, when the sun became a little too strong, he couldn't take it anymore and sat on the ground, panting and feeling dizzy.
The other educated youths all advised him to go back and rest.
The captain also walked over with a frown.
"I'm giving you a day off. Go home and rest."
He could tell that Zhao Jianguo wasn't faking it. However, he thought that the young people these days were in such poor health that they worked like pampered young masters and ladies.
Zhao Jianguo shook his head, and before he could say anything more, the captain's expression turned serious.
"Comrade Zhao Jianguo! Your health is your most important asset. Can you work in your current condition? Staying here will only undermine morale!"
Zhao Jianguo choked, got up dejectedly, and left.
The captain behind him shook his head.
Every time a new educated youth arrives, it's such a hassle; they simply can't adapt to the intensity of work in the village.
However, there are exceptions.
He glanced at the young man who was chatting with the villagers while working efficiently, and showed a hint of approval. What was his name again? He remembered that his father had mentioned this person last night, I think it was Wan Changqing.
The young man was really nice; he even helped the old man carry his things.
They are also quick and efficient at their work.
The captain likes this kind of capable young man.
Changqing was indeed energetic, not because he was physically stronger than the other educated youth, but because he was well prepared. He had a large gourd hanging from his waist, filled with water, and two pieces of rock sugar in the water to keep replenishing his sugar levels.
Even so, his work efficiency was still much lower than that of the villagers, but much higher than that of other educated youth.
Each person was assigned a task, and after most of the day, his task was almost finished, while the others had only completed half of it.
The newly arrived educated youth were all feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
But no one complained.
Young people are all concerned about their image; they'll put on a brave face even if they can't.
Fortunately, they were young and physically strong, so they managed to pull through.
It was noon.
The sun was scorching, so everyone took shelter under the trees to rest. Li Caiwei and the others kept drinking water, but the water they had brought in the morning was still hot after being exposed to the sun, making it very uncomfortable to drink.
"Sigh, I never imagined that working in the countryside would be so tiring!"
Xing Yan couldn't help but sigh. She had been exhausted all day, and she had only completed less than half of the task.
Wang Yue then said, "Wait until I'm done with mine, then I'll come and help you."
Upon hearing this, Li Caiwei's expression darkened.
She hadn't even completed as many tasks as Xing Yan, what was she going to do? Looking towards Chang Qing, she saw him leaning against a large tree not far away, chatting with a girl from the village who had come to bring her family some cool water.
The girl had two thick braids and a refined appearance. The two of them didn't know what to say, but then the girl took out a small bowl from the basket she was carrying, poured out some bright green red bean paste from a large pot, and handed it to him.
"Hmph, this man really has no intellectual demeanor at all. He's actually trying to curry favor with a village girl for a little food!"
Li Caiwei snorted in dissatisfaction.
Then he saw the unfinished work in his field and frowned again.
Changqing finished the chilled red bean paste in one gulp, her smile bright. "Thank you, Huihui. This red bean paste must have sugar in it, it's so delicious."
Upon hearing this, Su Hui blushed slightly. She was in poor health and rarely worked in the fields, instead doing housework at home. As a result, her skin was very fair, making her look gentle and refined. With her face flushed, she resembled a female student, unlike the village girls whose faces were naturally dark and whose blushing was not noticeable.
Although she didn't work in the fields, she wasn't idle either. After finishing her housework in the morning, she made some red bean paste and brought it over to her grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins who were working. She had originally kept some for herself, but this new educated youth was very bold and actually went up to ask for some.
The young man was tall and handsome, with a scholarly air about him compared to the other men in the village. Moreover, he spoke politely, using the word "please." She stopped as if possessed and even gave him the red bean paste she had saved.
After giving it away, she realized she had been a bit foolish. There were so many people there, including her grandparents. She was sure she would be scolded when she got back. She couldn't just give away things from home, since everyone was short of food.
However, the young man seemed to see through her thoughts. He smiled kindly, took out a small bag of candy from his pocket, and stuffed it into her hand. "I won't eat yours for free. These candies are from home. Consider it an exchange with you."
Su Hui's delicate eyes widened.
"No, no, this is far too expensive."
In the village, people don't buy these kinds of fruit candies for the New Year. A small bag contains at least dozens of pieces, which is far superior to homemade red bean paste.
The other person smiled and said, "No matter how valuable it is, it can't quench my thirst. Right now, a bowl of red bean paste is much more important to me than a small bag of fruit candy."
The young man's smile was so open and honest, and he even had two dimples at the corners of his mouth. Su Hui was stunned for a moment, and without realizing it, she put the fruit candy into her pocket.
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