As soon as Zhang Lei finished speaking, Jin Aiguo angrily said, "With this kind of training, how will they defend their country in the future? They're all a bunch of useless trash."
This left Ye Beiping speechless.
The jeep drove back into the county town, and Jin Aiguo, perhaps possessing the ability to change faces like in Sichuan opera, immediately said with a smile, "Ye Beiping, it's time to go see the girl you like."
"Grandpa Jin, how do you know her name is Xinyi?" Ye Beiping changed the subject.
"Is her name Xinyi?" Jin Aiguo frowned, then quickly realized what he meant and scolded, "You brat, don't you want to take me? Don't try to change the subject, take me now."
"All right."
Ye Beiping could only tell Zhang Lei, "Pingba Village educated youth settlement."
"good."
Zhang Lei looked at Ye Beiping with a pang of pity, sensing that his brother might not have an easy time in the next three days.
As it turns out, this is just the beginning.
The car quickly drove back to Pingba Village, but unlike in the afternoon, there was no one in the fields anymore; the villagers had all gone home for dinner.
When the car stopped at the educated youth settlement, Ye Beiping frowned.
Looking towards the cafeteria but seeing no movement, he frowned and asked, "Why is no one here?"
Jin Aiguo, leaning out of the car, asked, "Ye Beiping, where are the people you mentioned? There's no one here. You're not lying to me, are you?"
"No way." Ye Beiping scratched his head and turned around, saying, "This is our village's educated youth settlement, but there's not a single person here now. Did they all go back to the city?"
However, he quickly dismissed this idea: the policy had just been issued, and it would take time for the educated youth to return to the city; it was impossible to transfer all the educated youth back at once.
Jin Aiguo also sensed something was wrong and immediately said to Zhang Lei, "Go to the village and ask where all the educated youth at the educated youth settlement have gone."
"Yes." Upon receiving the order, Zhang Lei didn't dare to delay and immediately got out of the car and ran towards the village.
A few minutes later, Zhang Lei ran back and reported: "Commander, the villagers said that all the educated youth have been invited away by the brigade, apparently for some kind of banquet to celebrate their return to the city."
"A homecoming banquet?" Jin Aiguo frowned and said angrily, "Didn't the policy just come down? Why are we celebrating now? What kind of work is this brigade secretary doing? Go to the brigade, quick."
"yes."
Upon hearing Jin Aiguo's outburst, Ye Beiping immediately got into the car.
My mind keeps replaying memories of my past life.
I couldn't find anything about what kind of banquet was held by educated youth.
Moreover, the last educated youth to leave Pingba Village was two years later, in 1980, but he forgot exactly who it was.
He was still in prison at that time, and I heard all this from others after he was released.
At this moment, the air pressure inside the car was somewhat high, and Ye Beiping dared not joke around.
The brigade is not far from the militia company camp. It would normally take half an hour to walk there, but only ten minutes by car.
By the time we arrived, it was already dark.
Without saying a word, Zhang Lei got out of the car and went to the brigade office to inquire. When he came back, his brows were furrowed.
"Sir, they are not here."
"What a joke? So many educated youth have vanished into thin air?" Jin Aiguo's fiery temper flared up immediately. Pointing at Zhang Lei, he said, "Find out where they went right now. What are the brigade secretary and commune director doing? So many educated youth have disappeared, and they don't even know? And the militia company commander, where is he? Isn't the brigade's security the responsibility of the militia company commander? Call him over here right now."
"Yes." Seeing that Jin Aiguo was really angry, Zhang Lei didn't dare to delay and immediately went to ask.
A dozen minutes later, Hou Yongping, the militia company commander, scurried over to the jeep.
When he saw Ye Beiping in the passenger seat, he was taken aback: "Beiping?"
"Uncle Yongping." Ye Beiping's lips twitched, and after circling around for a while, he finally came to an acquaintance.
Seeing this, Jin Aiguo asked, "Ye Beiping, do you know him?"
"Yes." Ye Beiping introduced, "Hou Yongping is the militia company commander. He's also from Pingba Village. I usually call him Uncle Yongping."
"It's easier to get things done if you know someone."
Jin Aiguo pointed at Hou Yongping and asked, "Where have all the educated youth from Pingba Village gone? When I went to the educated youth settlement just now, they said they were coming to the brigade for some kind of return-to-the-city dinner, but now there's no sign of them in the brigade. You're the militia company commander, aren't you going to take care of this?"
"This..." Hou Yongping looked at Ye Beiping with some difficulty.
There are some things I know but dare not say. Just because the old man in front of me has a Jeep doesn't mean I can say whatever I want.
Unspoken rules are still common in this era.
Seeing Hou Yongping's hesitant manner, Ye Beiping knew that things were not simple, so he pursed his lips and said, "Uncle Yongping, just say it directly. Just say whatever the leader asks."
Commander?
Upon hearing those two words, Hou Yongping immediately gave a military salute and respectfully replied, "Reporting to the commander, the educated youth from Pingba Village and several nearby villages have been invited to the commune for a return-to-the-city dinner. That concludes my report."
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