After Sun Derwa finished carrying over the remaining two bags of luggage, Ji Wenrou offered him a grateful smile, which left him completely smitten.
Ji Wenrou stepped back to stand beside Wen Ruocheng, waiting for the brigade leader to speak. Meanwhile, Sun Derwa felt as though he were walking on clouds as he returned to Sun Dawei’s side.
"Derwa, you’re something else, kid. You’ve already got an educated youth hooked?"
"Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on this educated youth?"
Someone scoffed, "Sun Derwa, if I were you, I’d take a leak and look at my own reflection. You’re punching way above your weight. A pretty educated youth like her? You think she’d ever look at you?"
Sun Derwa spat on the ground. "I think you’ve had too much salt and are sticking your nose where it doesn't belong! If she doesn't like me, what, is she supposed to fall for a weakling like you?"
"That’s enough. Quiet." Sun Dawei intervened to stop the villagers' bickering and walked slowly toward the Educated Youth Point. "There are already five educated youths here before you arrived."
A lean, sturdy man stepped out from among the veteran educated youths. His skin was rough and sallow, and his eyes held a look of weariness and confusion. He nodded at the new arrivals as a form of greeting.
"This is Wang Zhiping, the person in charge of the educated youths. You can ask him if you have any questions in the future—or you can come to me, of course."
After giving his instructions, Sun Dawei prepared to head home with Sun Linglong and Sun Wanwan. It was nearly time to knock off for the day, and he needed to go back and prepare dinner. In their household, there was no custom of making the women do all the chores.
Watching the elegant silhouette of Sun Linglong as she walked away, Wen Ruocheng frowned, his expression darkening. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong; it felt as if things shouldn't have unfolded this way.
"Brother Ruocheng, what are you looking at?"
Ji Wenrou spoke in the gentle, soft-spoken manner her name suggested. She followed Wen Ruocheng’s gaze and saw the same figure. Behind his back, she nearly ground her teeth to dust! Where did this little slut come from? With that seductive, brazen look on her face, she was clearly trying to flirt with her Brother Ruocheng, wasn't she? Sooner or later, she would make this bitch understand what she could covet and what she shouldn't!
Ji Wenrou wiped the malice from her eyes. Wen Ruocheng snapped back to reality, shook his head, and said, "It’s nothing. Let’s go."
The group followed the veteran educated youth into the room.
"Ugh, what is that smell?"
Ji Wenrou was the first to reach her limit. As soon as she entered the room, she was hit with the stench of damp, mildewed clothes left out in the rain, and she nearly vomited.
"How is anyone supposed to live here?" she complained.
"We’ve lived here for years, so how do you think we manage? Since you’ve come down to the countryside, don't be so delicate."
The speaker was Wu Meimei, who had arrived at the same time as Wang Zhiping. She had been here for two years, and she had been in love with Wang Zhiping for two years as well. Usually, when she showed him affection, she was met with nothing but cold indifference. But today, when Wang Zhiping saw Ji Wenrou, he had actually looked mesmerized! She would never allow it! This woman, with her "green tea" act, was clearly bad news.
Ji Wenrou looked aggrieved. She lowered her eyes, her lids reddening, and let Wu Meimei berate her.
"Enough, Wu Meimei, don’t go too far. It’s perfectly normal for a new comrade to have trouble adjusting. You’ve gone too far; apologize." Wang Zhiping said, his face cold.
"Apologize?" Wu Meimei’s eyes widened. She was filled with a mixture of jealousy and rage, wanting nothing more than to scratch up Ji Wenrou’s alluring face. "What am I apologizing for? We veteran educated youths didn’t complain when we first arrived. We answered the call to build the country—it’s an honor! Why does she get to complain? Is she dissatisfied with the Great Leader’s policy?"
Wu Meimei wasn’t stupid; she knew she was in the wrong, but she was the type of person who would insist on being right even when she wasn't.
Ji Wenrou clutched her sleeves tightly, seething with hatred, but when she looked up, her eyes were filled with tears. "Wuwuwu, I didn't mean that." She turned to Wang Zhiping. "This sister shouldn't spread such rumors. Everyone knows I came to the countryside voluntarily to answer the country's call. If you smear me like this, how am I supposed to go on living?"
"Talk is cheap. Who knows if your family is actually made up of landlords, forcing you to come down here..."
Ji Wenrou felt a pang of panic.
"Comrade Wu Meimei!"
Seeing that Wang Zhiping was genuinely angry, Wu Meimei quickly cut her words short.
"Fine, fine. Everyone take a step back and let’s just pretend nothing happened, alright?" Wu Meimei waved her hand impatiently and went back into her room first.
Ji Wenrou felt helpless and worried, so she didn't say anything more. She slowly retreated to Wen Ruocheng’s side, her eyes even more watery after crying, making her look utterly pitiful.
"Brother Ruocheng, you believe me, don't you? I’m not that kind of person." She sniffled, her eyes turning slightly red again, though she tried her best to restrain her tears. "I just feel so unfair for you. You clearly had such a good life in the city, but now you have to come to this poor, backward village and squeeze into a dilapidated room with so many people. Brother Ruocheng, you are a dragon meant to soar in the heavens; you shouldn't be here."
Wen Ruocheng was deeply moved. "Yourou, I knew you understood me. But 'never look down on a young man for being poor.' I came here to temper myself, and I will persist."
"I believe in you!"
Ji Wenrou locked eyes with Wen Ruocheng. It was as if pink bubbles were floating all around them, and a romantic atmosphere began to form.
"Ugh, are we there yet?"
Wen Yan struggled in Ji Wenrou’s arms and opened his sleepy eyes. "Sister Wenrou." He gave her a sweet smile, then looked at Wen Ruocheng, his eyes full of admiration. "Brother."
"If you're awake, get down. Your Sister Wenrou has been carrying you the whole way; it’s been very tiring for her."
Wen Yan obediently climbed down and took Wen Ruocheng’s large hand. However, when he saw the room at the Educated Youth Point, the smile on his face froze. Was this the room he was supposed to live in? It was worse than the storage room back at their original home! Wen Yan pouted, feeling deeply aggrieved.
"Why haven't you all come over yet?" Wang Zhiping turned and urged them.
Wen Ruocheng, who had intended to comfort Wen Yan, had no choice but to pat the boy on the shoulder and lead him into the room.
"This building used to be an elementary school. It’s been abandoned for over a decade since the school closed, so it’s a bit run-down."
Wu Meimei muttered, "You lot are lucky. When we arrived, we had to clear the land and clean the house ourselves." Under Wang Zhiping’s stern gaze, her voice trailed off.
"This used to be a classroom, so it’s spacious enough. The brigade leader had a wall built in the middle as a partition. The left side is the women’s dormitory, and the right side is the men’s."
"Each room can sleep eight people. Before you arrived, there were only Comrade Wu Meimei and Comrade Fang Ping, so there is plenty of space."
After providing a brief introduction, Wang Zhiping glanced between Wu Meimei and Fang Ping, ultimately choosing the latter. "Comrade Fang Ping, could you please take them in to get settled?"
Fang Ping was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with an honest and sturdy appearance. She nodded shyly when she heard Wang Zhiping’s request.
"Follow me."