Xu Qinghe set out on his journey at first light of dawn, and only returned to the village dragging his exhausted body when the sunset sank behind the distant mountains.
This journey is not only physically tiring, but also a test of the soul.
She first made proper arrangements for the educated youth who were traveling with her, ensuring that everyone had found a temporary place to stay. Then, she went to the village director's house to briefly report the situation. Without staying for too long, she hurried back to her own nest.
Zhu Yunxiu at home had already had dinner, but there was still some warmth from the food on the stove, which was specially prepared for her granddaughter who came home late.
Xu Qinghe took the bowl full of rice and swallowed it in big mouthfuls, which brought great comfort to her heart.
After finishing the meal, she sighed contentedly: "Home is still the best. No matter how chaotic the outside world is, this is always the warmest harbor."
Zhu Yunxiu looked at her granddaughter's exhausted face, and a wave of sadness welled up in her heart. Her love for her was evident in her words: "She was just going to greet a few new arrivals. Why did it take so long and make her so tired?"
Xu Qinghe chewed the rice in his mouth and began to slowly recount his experiences of the day, from encountering unreasonable people to how he responded tactfully. Every detail made Zhu Yunxiu sometimes indignant and sometimes distressed.
"Those people are totally unreasonable. Is it my fault that we don't have transportation? My cows work hard all day, so how could they have any extra energy to serve as their 'special car'? Besides, even if other villages have cars to pick up educated youth, they can't point fingers at our village and deliberately pick on us. This is really too much!"
Speaking of this, Xu Qinghe's tone was full of injustice.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunxiu tapped her cane angrily. If she were not old and frail, she would have gone to the house in person to ask for an explanation and would never allow anyone to bully her precious granddaughter.
"Don't worry, grandma. I'm not a soft persimmon that can be bullied by anyone. I taught them a lesson at that time to let them know that I am not someone to be trifled with." Xu Qinghe's lips curled up into a smug smile.
On the other hand, turmoil broke out again in the Youth League Institute.
The village director came to arrange accommodation, but he didn't expect that this group of young people from the city were very picky. They either complained that the Youth League Home was too crowded and they couldn't sleep, or they disliked the dilapidated house, which was incompatible with their living habits, and even asked to find another place to live.
Faced with this series of criticisms and dissatisfaction, the village director's face showed obvious displeasure: "This is the only condition our village can provide. If you are not satisfied, you can choose to live in the villagers' homes, but you must pay the corresponding rent and negotiate with the villagers on your own."
As soon as he finished speaking, the village chief turned away. He felt extremely troubled by how to deal with the various requests of the educated youth.
These young people from the city, when they first arrived in the countryside, seemed so uncomfortable with everything. Some even spoke rudely and insulted the land that had nurtured countless generations.
As the village chief, how could he tolerate others treating his home with such contempt?
Whenever this happened, he would be filled with rage and would want to argue with him.
The next morning, the sun shone through the sparse clouds and gently shone on the quiet village.
The village chief's wife was holding a blue and white porcelain bowl filled with temptingly colored, perfectly pickled dried radishes. She walked towards Xu Qinghe's residence with light steps.
"Oh, those educated youths are such a headache. They made a fuss until late last night, and in the end only two of them were willing to accept the village's arrangement to live in the dormitory, while the others were clamoring to live in the villagers' homes. But which family is willing to cause such trouble for no reason?" The village head's wife couldn't help but pour out her worries when she saw Xu Qinghe.
Her eyes showed both admiration for Xu Qinghe's understanding and steadiness, and helplessness towards the ignorance of those young educated youth.
Although they were both young, Xu Qinghe's maturity formed a sharp contrast with the restlessness of those educated youth.
Xu Qinghe smiled softly upon hearing this and said gently, "Perhaps some families are willing to accept educated youth. After all, they can use this opportunity to increase their income."
The village head's wife nodded thoughtfully after hearing this. "That's right. Life is difficult for every household these days, so it's naturally good to have some extra income."
But she then sighed and added, "However, families willing to do so are a minority after all. Most families have large families and are unable to take care of themselves. Even if they want to earn rent, they are unable to do so."
After some greetings, the village chief's wife left.
Xu Qinghe looked at her receding figure without much emotion in his heart.
However, just as she stepped over the threshold, the crisp doorbell rang at an inopportune time, interrupting her thoughts.
Xu Qinghe originally thought that the village head's wife had forgotten something, but when he opened the door, he saw Xiang Qin and Wang Song standing side by side. He couldn't help but feel a little confused. How could these two people appear here together?
Xiang Qin was a straightforward person. As soon as the door opened, she smiled and broke the silence. "Comrade Xu, I'm here today for no other reason than to personally thank you for coming to greet us yesterday. This little bit of homemade sausage may be insignificant, but please accept it. I live in the educated youth compound. Feel free to come and chat with me when you're free!"
Having said that, she did not allow Qinghe to refuse, and directly stuffed the sausage into her arms, turned around and left.
Xu Qinghe has a good impression of a girl like Xiang Qin who is full of enthusiasm and sincerity.
Xu Qinghe admired her from the bottom of his heart for her firm belief in taking root for the sake of rural development.
It's always good to have one more friend if it doesn't cause you any trouble.
At this time, Wang Song was the only one left at the door. Although Xu Qinghe was reluctant, out of politeness, he still patiently asked: "Is there anything else?"
She originally thought that Wang Song was only here to accompany Xiang Qin, but she didn't expect that Xiang Qin had already left, but he was still standing there. This made Xu Qinghe feel a little alert.
Wang Song didn't seem to mind yesterday's unpleasantness. He said frankly, "Comrade Xu, I know it's not appropriate to disturb you at this time, but I really am at my wit's end. I just arrived here and know nothing about the village. I'm also worried about being scammed, so I wanted to ask you if you could introduce me to a villager who is willing to rent out a vacant house."
He had nothing in his hands and obviously did not consider the proper etiquette when asking for help. Perhaps in his eyes, getting close to Xu Qinghe itself was the ultimate goal. He was confident that sooner or later Xu Qinghe would be in his pocket, so there was no need for excessive courtesy.
"I'm so sorry, I don't know." Xu Qinghe raised the corners of his mouth slightly and rolled his eyes deliberately.
She thought to herself that she was not such a foolish person, so how could she easily get involved in such a quagmire that might cause trouble.
The heart is hidden, and outward kindness often conceals the turbulent waves within.
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