This year, several more educated youths were assigned to the village. Looking at Zhao Yu, Su Yao, Liu Cui, and Lin Qian, the brigade leader felt a deep sense of helplessness and anxiety. He truly didn't know how to settle these young people, nor what changes they could bring to the village. He couldn't help but ask the director of the educated youth office, "Could we send a few back? Our village simply can't accommodate so many educated youths, and they won't be able to do anything substantial. Our village's resources are already limited; supporting so many idle people is really difficult."
The director of the educated youth office shook his head and said seriously, "This is an arrangement from above, and there's no way to change it. These educated youths have already been assigned, and your village must accept them. This is a national policy, intended to send educated youths to the countryside to receive re-education from poor and lower-middle peasants, and also to promote rural development. As a grassroots organization, you must actively cooperate and do a good job in the resettlement and management of the educated youths."
The brigade leader sighed helplessly, knowing he couldn't change the decision. He could only leave the educated youth office with Zhao Yu, Su Yao, Liu Cui, and Lin Qian, preparing to return to the village. The brigade leader's mood was heavy throughout the journey; he silently drove the oxcart, not uttering a single word.
After the assignments were completed, the brigade leader and the old cart driver led the educated youth out of the educated youth office. The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling, and Lin Qian squinted to adjust her eyes. She looked up and saw a clear blue sky with a few white clouds drifting lazily by, giving her a sense of tranquility and peace.
"Keep up, don't fall behind!" the captain shouted. His voice echoed loudly in the empty street.
He stood before the educated youth and said loudly, "Let me introduce myself first. I am Wang Dashan, the team leader in charge of taking you to the village. Let's set off now, everyone follow!" His voice was as loud as a bell, full of power.
The educated youth loaded their heavy luggage onto the oxcart and prepared to begin their journey on foot. It was midday, the sun was blazing, and the intense heat relentlessly beat down on the earth, making the air seem distorted by the heat.
Not long after they started walking, Liu Cui began to complain, panting heavily: "This weather is so hot! It's like we're being roasted alive! And the road is so far, can't we take an oxcart?" Her face was covered in sweat, and her clothes were soaked through.
Several other educated youths chimed in, "Yes, Captain, we're so tired from walking, our feet are almost blistered. Let us ride in the car!" Their eyes were filled with exhaustion and longing.
Su Yao wiped the sweat from her forehead and said seemingly casually, "Captain, the weather is really too hot. Everyone is a bit exhausted. If we could get in the car and rest for a while to recover our strength, we could walk faster on the road ahead. Don't you think so?"
By this time, they had been walking for two hours, and everyone looked exhausted. The educated youth's steps grew heavier, and their breathing became rapid. Some were limping, clearly their feet were aching from the friction.
The captain looked at everyone's condition and said, "Hang in there! It's still over an hour before we reach the village. We must get there before dark, or it will be dangerous. Everyone, quicken your pace!"
The old cart driver looked at the educated youth, shook his head, and said to the brigade leader, "These city kids probably can't endure this hardship."
The captain sighed and replied, "There's nothing we can do; this is something they have to go through. Hopefully, they can adapt quickly."
Lin Qian had already consumed an energy potion during her previous travels to the future, so walking this distance wasn't difficult for her. She walked easily while chatting with 003 in her mind.
"003, look at these people, they can't even walk this far," Lin Qian thought to herself.
"That's right, host, you're amazing. This energy fluid is really effective," 003 replied.
Lin Qian smiled slightly and continued walking steadily forward.
Upon hearing this, the old driver immediately shook his head and said, "That won't do, children! The oxcart is already struggling to carry so much luggage. If we add more people, the ox won't be able to pull it, and it will damage the cart." The old man's face showed a pained expression; he regarded the oxcart as a treasure.
Wang Dashan looked at the educated youth, then at the oxcart.
He said seriously, "Everyone, hang in there a little longer. This oxcart really can't carry that many people. We need to get to the village as soon as possible, or we'll be in trouble if we don't get there before dark."
Although the educated youth were somewhat unwilling, they knew that the brigade leader made sense, so they could only helplessly continue to drag their tired bodies forward.
The group trudged on in the sweltering heat, each step feeling as heavy as lead. They walked for a long time, until the sun began to set, and a magnificent sunset painted the sky. Finally, they could see the outline of Heihe Village in the distance.
As they entered the village, they found a group of middle-aged women gathered under a large tree, enjoying the shade while curiously peering around. Upon seeing the educated youth arrive, the women began to whisper among themselves.
"This year's educated youth don't look very good; they all seem to have no energy," an older woman said, pursing her lips.
“That’s right, I don’t even know if they can do any work,” another older woman chimed in.
"Sigh, I hope it won't cause any trouble for our village," another older woman said.
"Look at their delicate skin, how can they endure the hardships of our rural life?" a plump woman said, shaking her head.
"That's right, I think they're just here to kill time," a tall, thin woman said dismissively.
"They might not last more than a few days before they start clamoring to go back," an older woman wearing a headscarf added.
"Sigh, I don't know if sending educated youth to the countryside is a good thing or a bad thing," sighed an elderly woman with gray hair.
"Who cares about them? We'll just do what we're supposed to do. If they don't do their jobs well, the team leader will take care of them," said a feisty middle-aged woman.
"That's right, let's not worry about this. Just watch the show," a middle-aged woman holding a child said with a smile.
The middle-aged women chatted amongst themselves, expressing their doubts and concerns about the educated youth who had arrived this year.
Hearing these comments, the educated youth felt a little uncomfortable, but they were powerless to refute them and could only silently follow the brigade leader to continue walking forward.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
