Lin Qian carried two large packages to the old man who was driving the cart, and found that the old woman, her sister-in-law, Su Yao, Zhao Yu, and Liu Cui who had come that morning were already waiting there. She quietly walked to the side, put down the packages, and waited for departure.
The group chatted idly for about ten minutes before a vegetable vendor hurried over. Seeing everyone had arrived, the cart driver called out, "Everyone sit down, we're off!"
The oxcart slowly started moving, and on the way back, the older women began to talk about what they had seen and heard during their trip to town.
"Let me tell you, the town was so lively today! I saw a monkey trainer, and that monkey was so clever!" an old lady said excitedly.
"Really? That's interesting! I went to the fabric store today and saw they had so many patterns and colors, but the prices weren't cheap," another older woman added.
The women's wives were discussing what they had bought.
"I bought a piece of floral fabric to make a new dress for my child," a woman said with a smile.
“I bought some needles and thread. We’ve run out of them at home, so I need to have some on hand,” another woman said.
The people on the oxcart chatted amongst themselves, creating a lively and harmonious atmosphere. Lin Qian sat quietly to the side, listening to their conversation, and felt a warmth in her heart. In this unfamiliar place, the everyday life and laughter of these ordinary people gave her a unique sense of warmth and life.
After finishing his work, Zhao Fugui loaded the things Lin Qian had bought onto the cart, preparing to deliver them to the educated youth settlement for her. Wang Cuilan reminded him from the side, "Old man, be careful on the road, don't bump or knock the things over."
Zhao Fugui nodded: "I understand, don't worry."
Zhao Fugui pulled the cart towards the educated youth settlement. When he arrived, he ran into Lin Qian and the other educated youth returning. Seeing that Zhao Fugui had brought the goods, Lin Qian quickly went to help unload them.
"Master Zhao, thank you for your hard work, you brought it to me so quickly," Lin Qian said.
Zhao Fugui wiped his sweat: "It's nothing. I have to keep my promise. I've put everything here for you. Please check if there are any problems."
Lin Qian carefully inspected the items and found them all intact. She thanked Zhao Fugui again, saying, "Master Zhao, thank you so much. Your craftsmanship is truly superb; I'm very satisfied with all of these things."
Zhao Fugui smiled憨厚ly: "I'm glad you're satisfied. If you need anything in the future, just come and find me."
After saying that, Zhao Fugui was about to leave when he saw Zhao the carpenter and his son pushing a cart full of furniture toward the educated youth settlement.
Lin Qian hurriedly went to greet him, smiling and saying, "Master Zhao, thank you for your trouble, you even went out of your way to bring this over."
Carpenter Zhao smiled憨厚ly: "What's the trouble? I have to do what I promised. Lin Zhiqing, take a look and see if there are any problems with this furniture."
Lin Qian carefully inspected the furniture; it was all intact and finely crafted. She nodded in satisfaction: "Master Zhao, this furniture is really well made; I'm very satisfied."
Zhao the carpenter's son also smiled and said, "I'm glad you're satisfied. These pieces of furniture took us a lot of effort."
Lin Qian said gratefully, "Thank you so much. I really don't know what I would have done without you."
Carpenter Zhao waved his hand: "You're too kind, Lin. Just let me know if you need anything in the future."
After Lin Qian thanked them again, Zhao Fugui and his son, the carpenter Zhao, left the educated youth settlement one after the other.
After Lin Qian moved her things into the room, Liu Cui said sarcastically, "With you bringing all your stuff in, there's no room left to walk."
Lin Qian glanced at Liu Cui and said indifferently, "I only bought daily necessities, and besides, this room isn't just for you."
Liu Cui snorted: "Oh, you're quite the talker. The rooms in this educated youth settlement are already small, and if you keep making things like this, it will be inconvenient for everyone."
Lin Qian didn't want to get entangled with her any longer, so she said while tidying up her things, "I'll try my best to tidy up so as not to affect anyone."
Liu Cui persisted, saying, "You make it sound so easy. Look at this pile of stuff, how much space does it take up?"
Lin Qian stopped what she was doing, looked directly at Liu Cui and said, "Liu Cui, if you feel uncomfortable, you can find a spacious place to stay. Nobody's stopping you."
Liu Cui was speechless at Lin Qian's words, muttering, "Hmph, I was just saying, and you're getting all worked up."
After saying that, Liu Cui turned and walked out. Lin Qian shook her head helplessly and continued tidying up her things.
Early in the morning, Lin Qian was startled awake by a piercing horn blare. She groggily opened her eyes and saw the dilapidated roof above her, with patches of crumbling earth, and the surrounding walls were also in a state of disrepair. Only then did she fully awaken and realize that she was already at the rural settlement where educated youth had been sent down to the countryside.
Lin Qian sat up, stretched, and quickly got dressed and got out of bed. She went to the water vat in the yard, scooped up a ladle of water, and washed herself quickly. Afterward, she went into the kitchen, heated up the leftover food from yesterday, and ate a quick breakfast with the leftover dry rations from last night.
After finishing her meal, Lin Qian tidied up her belongings and prepared to go to the brigade headquarters. She left the educated youth settlement and walked along the country path towards the headquarters. Along the way, she saw many villagers working early in the morning; some were busy in the fields, while others were herding livestock to graze. Lin Qian couldn't help but feel moved; although life here was hard, it was also full of simple, honest charm.
When Lin Qian entered the brigade headquarters, the brigade leader was sitting at the table looking at some documents. Seeing Lin Qian come in, the brigade leader put down the documents in his hand, looked up and said, "Girl, you're here. Are you here to collect the 200 jin of ration grain for educated youth?" Lin Qian nodded.
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