Chen Shuning's addition made the already crowded tractor even more crowded.
The male educated youth were all fine, but some of the more fussy female educated youth were unhappy. One of them, a girl in a dress with fair skin, watched Chen Shuning get on the bus.
He spoke up with a displeased look: "Isn't this bus specifically for picking up us educated youth? Why are you taking other people who don't want to join us? It's already crowded enough, and in this hot weather, it's almost unbearable to breathe."
Before Chen Shuning could even speak, the brigade leader, whose mood had been sour these past two days, frowned as he glanced at the female educated youth who was speaking.
"Why are you making such a fuss, young lady? Who told you that the tractor was specially for picking up educated youth? So, according to what you're saying, I, an old man, have to get off the tractor to make room for you?"
After finishing speaking, Shen Baogen glared fiercely at the female educated youth who had spoken, his heart filled with worry, even though the houses in the educated youth compound had already been built.
But there were just too many people this time, twelve of them came at once. There were more male educated youth this time, eight men and four women, but the house could accommodate them all.
However, because there are more educated youth going to the countryside this year, the government's subsidies have been reduced significantly. Last year, each educated youth received a subsidy of 80 yuan, and each production brigade also received a housing subsidy of 50 yuan.
But this year, the educated youth received none of the eighty yuan they were entitled to, and the housing subsidy for each brigade was reduced from fifty yuan to thirty yuan.
The cotton and cloth coupons that the educated youth received last year are all gone.
Looking at the educated youth, most of whom hadn't carried much luggage, Shen Baogen was genuinely worried. How could he possibly settle such a group of young people?
Despite his worries, he was not in a good mood towards the troublemaking new educated youth Shen Baogen, but he couldn't show his displeasure to Chen Shuning.
If his wife found out that he had vented his anger on Chen Shuning, he would never have a good life again.
So when he faced Chen Shuning, Shen Baogen forced a smile and said, "Ning girl, have you been waiting impatiently? There are a lot of educated youths coming this year, which has taken up a lot of time."
When you get back to the village, don't cook for yourself. Go to your uncle's house and have your aunt make you some flatbread."
Because Shen Baogen stood up for him, Chen Shuning didn't hold a grudge against a new educated youth.
She smiled sweetly at Shen Baogen and said, "Actually, it didn't take long, but I'm really craving the flatbread that Auntie made, so I won't be polite with you, Uncle."
Seeing the familiar attitude between Chen Shuning and the captain, the girl in the dress showed a regretful expression and awkwardly remained silent.
The atmosphere in the tractor's back compartment became somewhat awkward for a moment.
After walking for a while, a pretty girl sitting next to the girl in the dress spoke up. However, the person she was talking to was not Shen Baogen, whose face was still gloomy, but Wang Wenzheng, the tractor driver in the team.
"Hello comrade, my name is Zhou Jihong, and I am an educated youth from Yangcheng."
Wang Wenzheng was a handsome young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. In those days, being able to drive a tractor in the brigade meant either that he was exceptionally outstanding, or that his family was capable, or both.
So as soon as she got on the bus, Zhou Jihong, who was quite cunning, set her sights on Wang Wenzheng, who was driving the tractor.
Unlike most other educated youth who were forced to go to the countryside, Zhou Jihong volunteered to go.
Her family was poor, her father died early, and after her mother remarried, her family not only had a younger sister brought by her stepfather, but they also had younger brothers and sisters with her stepfather later.
So, as the eldest daughter and not her stepfather's biological daughter, she was naturally not favored.
Although she was good at reading people from a young age and worked hard at home without complaint, she was still not well-liked.
Because her biological father had no relatives, after her father died, her mother married her stepfather, bringing with her father's house.
Her stepfather was a minor official in the textile factory, so he always maintained a good public image, which allowed her to finish high school smoothly.
But just a few days before she was to go to the countryside, she overheard her mother talking to her stepfather about marrying her off to the son of the factory manager of the textile factory where her stepfather worked, in order to help her stepfather get the position of workshop director.
If the factory manager's son were someone decent, she would accept it even if he were a bit ugly.
After all, the factory director's family is well-off. If she could marry into their family, not only would her stepfather be able to become a workshop director, but her future life and work would also be secured.
The problem is that the factory manager's son is not only ugly, but also has violent tendencies.
Zhou Jihong and he happened to be classmates in the same grade but different classes, so she knew that person's background very well. They used to fight each other frequently when they were in school.
However, he managed to evade punishment time and time again by relying on his family's influence.
Zhou Jihong is beautiful and a good student. She would never be interested in someone like that, and being smart, she would never put herself in danger.
However, the factory manager's family was in a hurry because his elderly father was seriously ill and wanted to see his only grandson get married.
The son had met Zhou Jihong at school and was determined to marry her.
Unable to think of a better way to escape, she directly signed up to go to the countryside.
Zhou Jihong knew that once she took this step, she would lose her home and there would be no turning back. So, as soon as she arrived in the countryside, she began to plan for the future and immediately took a liking to Wang Wenzheng.
When the honest and simple-minded Wang Wenzheng was introduced by the pretty female educated youth, he seemed a little flustered and stammered, "Hello, my name is Wang Wenzheng, and I am a tractor driver in Qingshan Brigade."
Wang Wenzheng was driving the tractor while replying, but due to his nervousness, he almost drove the tractor into the drainage ditch by the roadside.
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