Xu He had considered many possibilities, but none of them were the most unlikely. As everyone knows, the college entrance examination had been abolished for many years, and all the intellectuals who had gone to school were assigned to the countryside to do farm work, and even their books had become the most worthless junk.
In such a challenging environment, the situation suddenly took an unexpected turn, which is truly unbelievable.
“I know this is a bit hard to believe, and I couldn’t believe it when I first heard about it.” Wuyou gave Xu He an “I understand” look and continued, “But while I can’t say for sure that this news is 100% accurate, I’m about 70 or 80 percent sure. I have a relative who works in the government, and he specifically told me about it.”
Anyway, no one knows Yan Wuyou's background, and no one will investigate this fictitious relative personally. They just let him make things up.
Having government relatives in the family does indeed make them more reliable, and half of the doubt on Xu He's face disappeared. However, his thoughts and beliefs over the years were still deeply rooted and difficult to eradicate in a short time.
“Once the college entrance examination is reinstated, a large number of people will participate. Once they are admitted to university, they can leave the countryside and get rid of their status as educated youth. The competition should be quite fierce, so we should prepare early.”
Wuyou rested her right hand on the table, her index finger tapping the surface rhythmically, her face serious as she analyzed the situation intently.
"I...I need to calm down." Xu He weakly shook one hand, his expression increasingly conflicted, his mind in turmoil.
“Xu Zhiqing, time waits for no one! I advise you to think it over carefully. I have collected some books for the college entrance examination. If you need them, you can come and find me.”
Wuyou's expression remained unchanged. He casually uttered those words and left the educated youth compound. He believed the other person was a smart man who knew how to choose.
Wuyou's words unsettled Xu He, making her unable to concentrate on work all day. The others, thinking she was ill, quickly took over her duties and told her to go home and rest. Xu He was both amused and exasperated; the news calmed her chaotic mind somewhat.
Walking back to the village, Xu He was lost in thought when he bumped into someone. After a moment's thought, Xu He took the initiative to greet the person.
"Sister Zhou, did you just come back from town? You're carrying a big bag of things and you're all sweaty. Let me help you carry it."
The person who arrived was Sun Xiaoying, dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, her slender figure on full display. Under the scorching sun, her forehead was covered in sweat. She carried a large burlap sack on her shoulder, which looked quite heavy.
Although Sun Xiaoying had a bad reputation in Guangming Brigade and had some disagreements with Yan Zhiqing, they were still from the same village, and it wasn't good for her to stay there. She remained indifferent to the fact that the other party was exhausted.
Xu He was a gentleman, and a gentleman naturally couldn't bear to see a lady suffer, even if she was of questionable character.
Sun Xiaoying was panting heavily, one hand holding a sack and the other resting on her knee. She was sweating profusely and her breathing was labored. When she heard Xu He's words, she wanted to wave her hand to refuse, but her physical condition did not allow her to care about saving face.
"Thank you, Xu Zhiqing. Come over to our house for some tea later." Sun Xiaoying smiled, her face damp with sweat, looking somewhat disheveled, which only added to her delicate appearance.
“Okay.” Xu He wasn’t just being polite; seeing how disheveled she was, it was only right to lend a hand. He agreed without hesitation, took the sack from Sun Xiaoying’s hands, and was startled by its heavy weight.
The interest rate difference between men and women is significant. What was an exceptionally heavy sack for Sun Xiaoying was still manageable for Xu He. He hoisted the sack onto his shoulder, the hard material pressing against his back, and his mind was already made up.
"Sister-in-law Zhou, this sack of yours is quite heavy. What exactly did you put in it?" The two walked in silence, and Xu He casually asked under a pretext, his expression full of pure curiosity.
"It's nothing, just some junk I got from a recycling center, not worth much." Sun Xiaoying's expression stiffened for a moment, then she put on a nonchalant look, casually waving her hand, her tone deliberately feigning indifference.
"Oh..." Xu He agreed and didn't ask any more questions, changing the subject, which relieved Sun Xiaoying.
During this period, he went to the town's recycling station every few days to look for books. Today, he was lucky enough to find quite a few, all of them related to the college entrance examination. That's why he went through all the trouble of carrying them home. Meeting Xu He was purely accidental.
After leaving the Zhou family, Xu He's expression lost its former honesty and simplicity, revealing a scholar's shrewdness. Having studied for so many years, how could he not know the style and weight of books? The sack clearly contained a stack of books.
These days, books are considered trash by everyone, so who would bother collecting so many books? Are they meant to be used as fuel? That would be a bit extravagant!
Could it be that Sun Xiaoying knows something and is taking precautions? With all the signs in front of him, Xu He became more and more certain.
Early the next morning, Xu He specifically asked the team leader Sun Shengli for leave and went to the town's scrap metal recycling station alone, where he found Grandpa Wang.
"Sir, do you have any books here?" Xu He asked cautiously with a gentle smile on his face.
"Why do you young people always come to this old man's place to buy books? They're not even anything valuable. You guys are always doing this, it's making me think the books are going to go up in price."
Grandpa Wang is a straightforward person who speaks his mind without any reservations, and he says everything at once.
"Alright, alright, all my books are over there, take your pick!" Grandpa Wang was too lazy to argue, and waved his hand to point out the direction.
"Excuse me, sir, among the people you mentioned who come here often, is there a beautiful, slender woman, around 20 years old?" Xu He gestured to Grandpa Wang, describing Sun Xiaoying's features with expectant eyes.
"Yes, he just came to the old man's place yesterday. He took almost a pound of books. I don't know what he needs so much stuff for?" Grandpa Wang shook his head, sounding rather disapproving of the spendthrift.
"Thank you, sir." Xu He said and walked towards the pile of books. After searching through them, he found that all the books related to the college entrance examination had been cleared out, which meant that Sun Xiaoying had probably swept them all up.
It's understandable that people would be suspicious if only Yan Wuyou spoke about it, especially given her frank attitude. But now, a peasant girl living in a remote mountain village has also taken action, acting secretly and discreetly, not wanting anyone to know. This only confirms Xu He's suspicions.
It seems that Yan Zhiqing did not lie to him.
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