After tidying up their belongings and keeping their money and tickets close to their bodies, Li Xiyue and Huang Xinrui set off for the commune.
The walk was quite far, and my feet would definitely swell up after a round trip. Fortunately, when we got out of the village, we saw a driver with a donkey cart going to town. We each paid a penny and got on the cart.
The uncle driving the donkey cart was a hunter, also from Xujia Village, named Xu Dashan, a kind and honest middle-aged man.
“This donkey is a young one that I hunted. I think it’s quite intelligent, so I’m keeping it at home. I usually drive it to the commune to buy things and haul goods. I hand over a portion of the profits to the production team, and no one objects,” Xu Dashan said as he drove the cart.
Li Xiyue and Huang Xinrui nodded. That would make it easier to enter and leave the village from now on, at least they wouldn't have to walk anymore.
Thinking of the injured ox, Li Xiyue asked, "Can this donkey plow the fields?"
“It’s stubborn as a mule, only willing to haul people and goods, never willing to till the land,” Xu Dashan shook his head, quite helplessly. “If there are more people or heavier goods, it will throw up.”
Seeing that the donkey was small and thin, Li Xiyue thought it was already quite good that it was willing to carry people and goods.
"By the way, Uncle Dashan, do you know why the villagers don't like educated youth?" Huang Xinrui couldn't help but ask.
Xu Dashan fell silent for a long time before finally saying, "It's fine with other people, but Xiangyang, you should stay away from him."
Xu Xiangyang?
Li Xiyue did indeed feel that he disliked the educated youth more than the other villagers.
"Why?" Huang Xinrui continued to ask.
Xu Dashan said, "The brigade leader forbids everyone from mentioning Xiangyang's family, so you'd better not ask too many questions."
After saying this, he stopped talking and focused on driving.
Li Xiyue and Huang Xinrui exchanged a glance and didn't ask any further questions.
When they arrived at the commune, Xu Dashan left, saying he wouldn't wait for them. He had bought some things and needed to rush home because his wife was heavily pregnant, and he didn't want to leave her alone at home.
Li Xiyue decided to buy a bicycle, as it was too inconvenient to get around without one.
Phoenix brand, women's style, 175 yuan and a bicycle ticket.
Li Xiyue paid the fare and took the car.
"Yueyue, you own a car now, can I cling to your coattails?" Huang Xinrui said enviously.
Li Xiyue smiled and said, "No problem."
Huang Xinrui jumped up excitedly, "Yueyue, you're so great!"
I went and bought a lock and a straw hat.
Huang Xinrui was going to visit her aunt and had bought some gifts.
After putting everything into her basket, Li Xiyue rode her bicycle to the police station.
I got the license plate, the official stamp, and even my bicycle registration certificate.
Li Xiyue was very happy to have her own car. She rode back to the village with Huang Xinrui on the back, chatting and laughing all the way.
"Yueyue, I'm going to my aunt's house." Huang Xinrui handed the things she bought to Li Xiyue, asking her to bring them back to the educated youth settlement.
Li Xiyue asked, "Aren't you having dinner at your aunt's house tonight?"
"I'll be right back. My mom said my aunt's situation isn't too good either, and she told me not to bother her too much. I'll just bring her some things and then come back." Huang Xinrui patted the basket on her back.
Li Xiyue was going to give her the bicycle, saying, "You should ride it; walking is too tiring." She was carrying so much stuff.
Huang Xinrui refused, saying, "The next village is less than two miles away; I can walk there."
Even if she and Yueyue are close, they still need to be mindful of boundaries. This is a new car that Yueyue bought; how can she just ride it away like that?
Huang Xinrui was adamant, and Li Xiyue didn't press the matter, so she rode her bicycle back to the educated youth settlement.
They hadn't gone far when they saw Xu Dawei sitting on an oxcart, with Xu Dashan leading him out.
"Uncle Dashan, Vice Captain, why are you going out so late?" Li Xiyue asked curiously.
Xu Dawei glanced at her bicycle, which was brand new, and envy appeared in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. He just said, "Another new educated youth is coming to our area. I have to go pick them up."
Are more educated youth arriving?
Li Xiyue was somewhat surprised.
Wasn't it said that there were very few educated youth sent to the countryside in the south? How come there are wave after wave?
Xu Dashan sighed, "What's the point of sending so many educated youth? Are they just going to hold us back?"
"Stop complaining, hurry up and go, or we won't be back before dark." It was getting late, and Xu Dawei couldn't care less about anything else, urging them on.
Xu Dashan also wanted to go and come back as soon as possible. If it weren't for the injured cattle in the team, he would never have agreed to go pick them up. He was worried about his pregnant wife being home alone.
Li Xiyue rode her bicycle all the way back to the educated youth settlement, and the villagers she encountered all cast envious glances at her.
"Li, the educated youth, bought a new bicycle. It's really beautiful."
"This car must be very expensive."
"About one hundred and seventy or eighty."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
