Escape is shameful but useful
In the next few days, Lin Xueyin really did not go to work.
At first, she was apprehensive, but when she realized that, aside from having her work points and rations cut, there were no other substantial punishments, her uneasiness gradually dissipated. The ration cuts had little impact on her; the national food coupons and money her mother had given her were enough to keep her fed for a while.
"Escape is shameful, but it works," she muttered quietly, lying on her bed in the dormitory, flipping through the only novel she had brought from home—"Song of Youth." She had stumbled across it from the corner of her father's bookcase and secretly brought it with her. The pages were yellowed, but the stories within became her only spiritual comfort in this dull countryside.
She did have a slight tinge of shyness and affection for Song Zhiyuan; after all, he was handsome and had helped her repeatedly. But her affection wasn't so strong that she needed to force herself to live for his opinion. Her biggest concern right now was making herself comfortable in this remote village.
So, while other educated youths rose before dawn to earn work points, Lin Xueyin could sleep until noon; while others ate steamed bread with pickles, she could leisurely eat the biscuits and egg cakes she brought with her, or secretly cook some malted milk and lotus root powder on a kerosene stove.
While others would come home covered in sweat and mud and fall asleep immediately, she could wash herself cleanly, sit under the old locust tree at the door and read a book, or fiddle with the light pink silk scarf she brought from home - it was brought back from Shanghai by her father on her sixteenth birthday.
Her eccentricity caused quite a stir in Hongqi Commune.
Jealousy and gossip grow wildly like weeds on the edge of a field.
"Look at her behavior like a bourgeois lady! She doesn't even get up even though the sun is shining on her butt!" Li Hongmei got furious every day when she came home from work and saw Lin Xueyin's leisurely look, and she deliberately yelled loudly in the yard.
"He's lucky, he has parents who are officials and support him. Unlike us, we will starve if we don't work." Someone echoed sourly.
"Is Song Zhiyuan blind? Why would he fall for such a useless vase?" This is the common voice of more female educated youth and village girls who are interested in Song Zhiyuan, especially Zhao Xiaofeng.
Zhao Xiaofeng found excuses to visit the educated youth camp almost every day. Every time she saw Lin Xueyin's "I don't have to work, but I'm living better than you" look, she was furious. She tried to make things difficult for her during work points, tried to persuade her brother Zhao Jianguo to assign her dirtier and more tiring work, and even tried to spread rumors that Lin Xueyin was having an improper relationship with another male educated youth, but unfortunately, nothing worked.
Lin Xueyin is like a ball of cotton. No matter how hard you punch and kick her, she remains motionless and continues to live her comfortable life.
To a certain extent, this attitude of "sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai regardless of wind and waves" has aroused some people's secret envy.
Liu Xiaoling, who shared the same room, would sometimes look at the small kerosene lamp by Lin Xueyin's bed at night, and at her face, which was exquisite even without makeup, and sigh softly, "Xueyin, sometimes I really admire you. It seems like nothing can affect you."
Lin Xueyin looked up from her book, smiled, and said nothing. It wasn't that she didn't care, but she knew clearly that her own comfort was more important than other people's opinions.
Moreover, she also had a vague thought in her mind: she couldn't stay here forever, her parents would definitely find a way to get her back to the city, she just needed to "endure" it.
Of course, living off one's savings wouldn't work; the snacks they brought would eventually run out. Lin Xueyin began looking into buying things from the county supply and marketing cooperative. She'd learned from Liu Xiaoling that every ten days, a tractor from the cooperative would go to the county town to collect supplies, and the educated youth could take a ride.
"It's not easy to get to the county town. You have to get up early, the road is bumpy, and it takes most of the day to get there and back," Liu Xiaoling reminded her. "Besides, the county supply and marketing cooperative doesn't have much, and you need a ticket."
"That's okay, I'll go check it out." Lin Xueyin had a plan in mind. Her mother was the director of the supply and marketing cooperative. In addition to national food coupons, she also had some rare industrial and cloth coupons. Maybe she could exchange them for something good in the county.
——
While Lin Xueyin was planning her "county procurement plan", Song Zhiyuan was also secretly thinking of a solution.
He could see that Lin Xueyin couldn't adapt to the heavy physical labor in the fields. Forcing her to do it would only make her more miserable, or even make her sick. He had to help her find a relatively easy and acceptable job.
This opportunity soon arose. The commune's primary school's sole teacher, an elderly educated youth named Zhang, had requested leave to return to the city due to a family emergency, with an uncertain return date. The primary school was suddenly suspended. The children, left unattended, ran wildly around the village, causing significant headaches for the brigade officials.
Song Zhiyuan found Zhao Jianguo.
"Captain Zhao, elementary schools can't be closed forever. The children's education cannot be delayed."
Zhao Jianguo was worried about this. He smoked his pipe, frowning, "I know that too, but in this remote area, there aren't many people who can read or write. Who's willing to teach those naughty kids?"
"I recommend someone," Song Zhiyuan said calmly, "Comrade Lin Xueyin."
"Her?" Zhao Jianguo nearly choked on the smoke and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no! She's a delicate young lady who can't even take care of herself, how can she teach a child? Don't let her lead the child astray!"
"Comrade Lin Xueyin graduated from high school and has a sufficient education," Song Zhiyuan analyzed clearly. "She's just weak and not suited to high-intensity physical labor, but teaching doesn't require working in the fields. Letting her try is better than letting the children waste their time. If she doesn't teach well, it won't be too late to replace her."
Zhao Jianguo pondered. Although he was dissatisfied with Lin Xueyin's behavior, he had to admit that Song Zhiyuan had a point. Furthermore, his beloved daughter, Zhao Xiaofeng, kept complaining about Lin Xueyin in his ear. If he could find a reason to stop her "idleness" and irritate Xiaofeng, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
"...Okay then," Zhao Jianguo finally agreed. "Let her teach for a few days and see how it goes. If the kids object, or if she doesn't teach well, replace her immediately!"
"Okay." Song Zhiyuan nodded, and when he turned to leave, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, almost imperceptibly.
——
When the news reached the female educated youth dormitory, Lin Xueyin had just finished breakfast and was hesitating whether to read for a while or go for a walk by the river - she heard that there was a kind of small wild flower by the river that bloomed perfectly in autumn.
"What? Let me teach?" Lin Xueyin looked at Liu Xiaoling who came to deliver the message in surprise, and the novel in her hand almost fell to the ground.
"Yes! It was Song Zhiyuan who recommended you to Captain Zhao!" Liu Xiaoling said excitedly, "That's great, Xueyin! No need to work in the fields! Teaching is so great! You can be out of the wind and rain!"
Lin Xueyin's first reaction was a sigh of relief. She no longer had to clear silt or dry grain. But then she hesitated. Teaching? She had never taught children before. Would she be able to do it? Would those country kids be naughty? Could she control them?
Wang Lina and Zhang Zhaodi, who lived in the same room, came over and expressed their envy.
"Xue Yin, you're so lucky! Song Zhiyuan really helped you!"
"That's right, now Zhao Xiaofeng will be even more jealous!"
As he was speaking, Zhao Xiaofeng rushed in like a cat smelling blood, his face livid as he pointed at Lin Xueyin: "Lin Xueyin! What qualifications do you have to teach? You can't even farm properly, how can you teach children well? You must have used some tricks to confuse Brother Song!"
Lin Xueyin's initially apprehensive heart calmed down after Zhao Xiaofeng's commotion. She slowly closed the book, raised her clear almond-shaped eyes, and spoke calmly, yet with a subtle edge: "Comrade Zhao, this is the brigade's arrangement. If you have any objections, you can talk to your father. As for whether I can teach you well, you'll know after you give it a try. It's better than some people not even getting a chance to try."
"You!" Zhao Xiaofeng was choked and speechless. Her eyes turned red with anger. She stomped her feet, turned around and ran out.
Liu Xiaoling and the others were stunned. They didn't expect that Lin Xueyin, who usually looked delicate and weak, could be so powerful when confronting others.
Lin Xueyin watched Zhao Xiaofeng disappear. Instead of feeling a sense of triumph, she felt a sense of bewilderment. Teaching... could she really do it? Why did Song Zhiyuan keep helping her? She pinched the pages of "Song of Youth," applying a slight pressure with her fingertips. While escaping was useful, it seemed... she couldn't keep running away forever. Perhaps, this was an opportunity?
She looked out the window, seeing rolling hills in the distance and busy villagers nearby. This place she had so desperately wanted to escape from seemed to be slowly opening up another path for her in a way she had never expected.
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