When Qin Hanshu returned to Haowan Village, it was during the corn harvest. The fields were bustling with activity, and golden corn was hanging outside the cave dwellings of each household. When the sun shone on them, it looked like a vibrant oil painting.
Qin Hanshu first went to Zhou Chang'an to report, then handed him Zhou Weiguang's letter. Without saying anything, she went to the threshing ground to husk corn with everyone else.
Qin Hanshu searched the threshing ground for a moment and found the place where the educated youth were gathered, and walked over.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm the one who rubbed those corn cobs out! How did you end up over there? Give them back to me!"
Before Qin Hanshu even got close, he heard Liao Yujie's loud and boisterous voice.
Ma Chaoyang looked closely and found that he had indeed taken two of Liao Yujie's corn cobs, so he threw them back to her, saying, "They're not gold, why are you so excited?"
"It's not gold, but it's real work points! You can exchange them for money!"
I don't know who came up with the idea, but to prevent anyone from slacking off, they stipulated that work points would be awarded based on the number of corn cobs they produced. Everyone kept a close eye on the corn cobs they produced, and once they had collected a certain number, they would go over there to hand them in.
Liao Yujie glanced at Ma Chaoyang and, taking advantage of his inattention, retrieved a few more.
"Cough cough."
Liao Yujie felt guilty and jumped in fright when she heard the coughing behind her.
When I turned around, it was Qin Hanshu.
"Hey! You're back?!" Liao Yujie immediately put on a bright smile.
"Why did you steal someone else's corn cobs?" Qin Hanshu said, gesturing towards Ma Chaoyang.
Ma Chaoyang was also pleased to see Qin Hanshu and waved in greeting. Upon hearing Qin Hanshu's words, he turned to Liao Yujie and said angrily, "Thief! Give it back!"
Liao Yujie glanced at Qin Hanshu resentfully, "You're helping him but not me."
Qin Hanshu said calmly, "You think you can justify stealing?"
Liao Yujie: "It's just a few corn cobs!"
Ma Chaoyang chimed in, "You said it yourself, these are real work points!"
Liao Yujie shut her mouth, feeling guilty.
The other educated youth greeted Qin Hanshu.
Qin Hanshu asked Zhang Yao, "Did Kangmei go to the fields again?"
Zhang Yao laughed and said, "Don't you know her? She never picks the easy tasks when she's working."
Qin Hanshu looked again, "Lin Zhiheng isn't here either?"
Ma Chaoyang said, "By the way, you don't know yet, Lin Zhiheng has joined the county agricultural machinery station! The Party Secretary sent him there, saying that he is not suitable for farming, but suitable for learning technology, and that he might become a tractor repair expert in the future."
Repairing tractors? In his past life, Lin Zhiheng was interviewed on TV and was indeed an expert in mechanical manufacturing, but not in the field of ground-based machinery, but in the field of flying machinery.
"Sigh, it's true that smart people get to eat!" Liao Yujie clicked her tongue in dismay. "Lin Zhiheng, a 'gangster's son,' is actually doing better than the other educated youth."
Ma Chaoyang's face darkened. "Watch your words!"
Liao Yujie retorted, "What's wrong with my wording? He's just a 'gangster'!"
Qin Hanshu tugged at Liao Yujie, "The educated youth in our Haowan Village never talk about their background."
"Exactly!" Ma Chaoyang said disdainfully, shooing Liao Yujie away. "You're a woman who married into this area, so why are you hanging out with us educated youth? Just leave."
"I'm not leaving!" Liao Yujie paused, then softened her tone, "Can't I just watch my mouth?"
Qi Danao didn't like her and even rallied other women in the village to isolate her. Liao Yujie felt that it was simpler and more comfortable to be with the educated youth.
No one else paid any attention to her.
Ma Chaoyang asked Qin Hanshu some questions about Jiangcheng, and finally clicked his tongue and said, "I went to Jiangcheng once when I was a child. My aunt took me there. I just remember that the buildings were very tall."
Qin Hanshu smiled and said, "That's how it is."
Several educated youths pestered Qin Hanshu with many questions about Jiangcheng. Liao Yujie listened intently, and finally said quietly, "In my life, I will never see the prosperity of a big city."
Zhang Yao glanced at her and said, "Who told you to get married? You can only settle down and grow here."
Liao Yujie, for the first time ever, showed a melancholy expression.
“Although I’m from the capital and both my parents work, life isn’t necessarily easy. There are eight of us siblings, and we’ve all slept on the same kang (heated brick bed) since we were little. I suspect that my slim figure is the result of being squeezed together since I was a child.”
Qin Hanshu glanced at her speechlessly.
"There were many children and few resources. I was also clumsy with words when I was a child, so whatever was given to me was gone."
"Later, when I couldn't hold back any longer, I learned to make a scene, to rob, and to steal."
Ma Chaoyang said disdainfully, "Are you just making excuses for your bad behavior? Don't try to play the victim; your reputation is beyond repair!"
Liao Yujie blushed slightly. "I wasn't trying to gain sympathy; I was just stating my experience. Besides, I know my situation isn't that bad; there are many people who have had it much worse..."
Qin Hanshu glanced at Zhao Ru not far away and interrupted Liao Yujie, saying, "Why is Zhao Ru's stomach so flat?"
Zhang Yao looked over and replied, "She gave birth a long time ago, prematurely, to a daughter."
Liao Yujie suddenly said mysteriously, "I know why she was born prematurely. Do you want to hear it?"
Zhang Yao said, "Don't the villagers all say it's because he tripped over a pumpkin vine in the vegetable garden?"
"No!" Liao Yujie waved her hand dramatically, excitedly saying, "I fell in the vegetable garden, but it had nothing to do with the pumpkin vines. Someone pushed me!"
Zhang Yao was shocked. "Who pushed you?"
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