Back at the educated youth settlement, everyone started fetching water to wash their faces and prepare for dinner. Lin Yue and several other female educated youths busied themselves with the task; tonight's dinner was wild vegetable soup and coarse grain pancakes. Lin Yue skillfully helped wash and chop the vegetables; her movements were clean and efficient, drawing admiration from the other female educated youths.
"Lin Yue, you're so skillful! It feels like you can do everything," Su Yao said with a smile.
"Not at all, I'm just learning as I go," Lin Yue replied with a smile. She was in a particularly good mood, perhaps because her time with Chen Yu today had given her more to look forward to living here.
At dinner, everyone sat together, chatting and laughing. Chen Yu sat next to Lin Yue, and quietly scooped some wild vegetables from his coarse grain pancake into Lin Yue's bowl, saying, "You must be tired from working today, eat more." Lin Yue looked at him with some surprise, a warm feeling welling up inside her. She knew that in this era of scarcity, food was extremely precious, and Chen Yu's gesture touched her deeply.
"Thank you," Lin Yue said softly, her gaze meeting Chen Yu's, both of their eyes filled with warmth.
After dinner, everyone sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool evening air. Someone took out an old erhu and began to play. The melodious erhu music drifted through the night sky, plaintive and sorrowful, as if telling the story of the educated youth's homesickness and their hopes for the future. Everyone quieted down, immersed in the music. Lin Yue leaned against the wall, her eyes slightly closed, savoring the peaceful and beautiful atmosphere. Chen Yu sat not far away, his gaze fixed on Lin Yue. He felt that she possessed a unique beauty at that moment, like the brightest star in the night sky.
Suddenly, a firefly flew over and hovered around Lin Yue. Lin Yue opened her eyes in surprise and reached out to catch it. Seeing this, Chen Yu also came over and chased the firefly with Lin Yue. The two ran around the courtyard, their laughter echoing throughout the educated youth settlement. The other educated youth, seeing them, all smiled with satisfaction.
"Haha, Chen Yu and Lin Yue are really interesting, just like a young couple deeply in love," Wang Gang joked with a laugh.
“Yes, I feel like they’re getting more and more in sync,” Su Yao chimed in with a smile.
After chasing for a while, Lin Yue finally caught the firefly. She carefully placed it in her palm and showed it to Chen Yu: "Look, it's so beautiful." Chen Yu looked at the firefly shimmering in Lin Yue's hand, then at her bright eyes, and said softly, "Yes, it's very beautiful." He wasn't just referring to the firefly, but also to the vibrant and charming woman in front of him.
As night deepened, everyone gradually returned to their rooms to rest. Lin Yue and Chen Yu went back to their room, sat on the edge of the bed, and remained silent for a moment.
"Today... went by so fast." Lin Yue broke the silence, her voice low and tinged with reluctance.
"Yeah, I am," Chen Yu replied. "You must be tired today."
"A little bit, but it was very fulfilling," Lin Yue said with a smile. "I've never had an experience like this before. Although it was tough, it felt very warm to be with everyone."
The two fell into a brief silence, then spoke almost simultaneously: "You..."
"You go first," Chen Yu said.
"I want to say that I'm very happy to work with you today and chase fireflies together later," Lin Yue said shyly, her heart beating faster than usual. She didn't know why she wanted to tell Chen Yu these heartfelt words; she just felt that at this moment, she wanted to share her feelings with him.
“Me too. I think today is the happiest day since I came to the educated youth settlement.” Chen Yu looked at Lin Yue, his eyes full of tenderness. “I’ve found that there are always many interesting things to do when I’m with you.”
A blush crept onto Lin Yue's face. She could sense a subtle shift in her relationship with Chen Yu. This shift filled her with both unease and anticipation. She didn't know where this feeling would lead, but in this unique era, in this unfamiliar place, Chen Yu was like a ray of light illuminating her life.
"Well... goodnight," Lin Yue said, somewhat afraid to look Chen Yu in the eye.
"Good night," Chen Yu replied.
After they lay down, Lin Yue lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. Scenes of her time with Chen Yu that day kept replaying in her mind—from him teaching her how to weed, to bandaging her wounds, to chasing fireflies together; every detail played back in her mind like a movie. She could feel her feelings for Chen Yu deepening, feelings so pure, without any impurities.
Chen Yu was also awake. He stared at the dark rooftop, thinking about Lin Yue's smile, her kindness, and her strength. He realized that he had fallen deeply in love with this woman who had suddenly appeared in his life. He didn't know her past, nor why she had so many unconventional ideas, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that he wanted to spend every day of the future with her, protect her, and make her happy.
On this peaceful night, the two, filled with newfound understanding and subtle emotions for each other, drifted off to sleep. Perhaps they both dreamt of each other, and their story continued to unfold amidst these subtle changes, like wheat seedlings in a field, slowly growing and full of hope under the nourishment of time.
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