They set off from the train station at noon. With the educated youths complaining and the group stopping frequently, the ten-kilometer journey meant it was already approaching dusk by the time they reached the village.
When they saw the stone monument at the entrance of the village reading "Kaoshantun," one of the female educated youths finally couldn't hold back her tears.
"W-we're finally here."
Uncle Li didn't stop her; after all, it was better for them to vent their emotions now than to bottle them up.
A few minutes later, after everyone had taken their luggage off the ox cart, Zhang Kai and Wang Li led the educated youths to their living quarters.
"Male educated youths, follow me!"
"Female educated youths, come over here with me."
"Once you've been assigned your rooms, I'll take you to the canteen to eat, then you can all get some rest. We'll need to wake up early tomorrow morning to assign your tasks."
There were twelve educated youths in this group: eight men and four women. Jiang Rou followed the group, and after walking for a long time, they arrived at a large compound behind the village.
"This is the Educated Youths Courtyard, where we live."
Wang Li brought the women to a room on the right. It was empty at the moment, as everyone else had gone to the canteen for dinner.
"Our women's dormitory sleeps eight people. With you four arriving, it's now full."
The room was clean and featured two heated brick beds, or *kang*, one on the left and one on the right. It was clear that the *kang* on the left was already occupied, while the one on the right had obviously just been cleared off—it had likely been used for storing luggage previously.
"You all should sleep on the bed on the right," Wang Li said.
Jiang Rou knew this would be her home for the next few years. She chose a spot by the window; although it would be drafty in the winter, the space felt a little more open.
Wang Li began to introduce the benefits of the *kang* to the group. "This bed is a heated brick bed, something unique to this area. Take a look—it's large and flat, and incredibly comfortable to sleep on. In the winter, when it's freezing outside and the biting wind howls, this bed stays nice and toasty, warm as spring. Even without a thick quilt, you’d never feel cold. And it helps relieve the fatigue from the day, too. After a long day of work, you just lie down on the warm surface at night and every muscle in your body relaxes. It’s even better than those spring mattresses in the city." Wang Li had never actually slept on a spring mattress, but she knew for a fact that in winter, this heated bed was much more comfortable than the wooden beds they had used in the city.
Listening to Wang Li’s description, the group looked on with curiosity and anticipation.
Wang Li continued, "However, there is one thing you all should know. As great as this bed is, when winter comes, we have to collect our own firewood for heating. There’s brush and wood in the forests and on the hills near the village; when you have free time, you’ll need to go gather some to ensure the bed stays heated. If you run out of firewood and the bed goes cold, it’s going to be miserable at night. So, be prepared—you’ll have to be diligent once winter arrives."
Jiang Rou nodded and asked, "Sister Wang, how often do we usually need to go gather firewood?"
Wang Li smiled and replied, "There’s no set rule; it depends on how often we heat the bed and how much wood we use. If you’re generous with the fire, you might need to go every few days. If you’re a bit more frugal, it might last ten days or half a month. Regardless, just remind each other and go together when the time comes."
The other female educated youths began to discuss this among themselves.
"Oh, gathering firewood actually sounds quite fun, like going on a wilderness adventure when we were little," one of them said with a smile.
"True, but I wonder if there’s any danger around here?" another asked with a note of concern.Wang Li comforted them, saying, "It’s going to be alright. At the beginning, we’ll go with you to help you get familiar with the ropes. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can head out on your own. As long as everyone stays careful, doesn’t wander too far, and keeps to the area around the village, you’ll be fine."
After explaining how the heated brick beds worked, everyone started unpacking their luggage and making their beds.
Once they were mostly settled, Wang Li took them to the canteen for a meal.
Along the way, the female educated youths were still excitedly discussing their upcoming communal life, full of curiosity and anticipation for this strange, novel environment.
"You are the second wave to arrive here," Wang Li said with a touch of envy. "You’re actually quite lucky compared to us. You’ve arrived just in time for the harvest rush, so you don’t have to worry about earning work points or getting your share of grain."
When the first group of educated youths arrived, they hit the middle of winter. The Educated Youths Courtyard hadn't been built yet, so they were forced to scatter and live in the homes of local villagers.
The living conditions back then were incredibly primitive. The rooms were sparsely furnished and cramped, barely leaving enough space to set down their daily necessities, and moving around was a constant struggle.
Living in the villagers' homes, there was no such thing as privacy. The layout of the houses offered no semblance of personal space, leaving the educated youths under the constant watch of the villagers.
Daily tasks, like the women changing clothes or organizing their personal belongings, were always at risk of being seen by others, which made everyone feel deeply uncomfortable.
Beyond the lack of privacy, they faced a multitude of daily inconveniences.
Using any of the household facilities required following the arrangements and habits of the local families, and they were sometimes subject to unreasonable restrictions.
Furthermore, staying in someone else's home left the educated youths with a persistent feeling of living under someone else's roof. They could never do exactly as they pleased, and the psychological pressure was immense.A major incident then occurred, drawing the attention of the commune and forcing them to improve the living conditions of the educated youths.
The incident began when the female educated youths were taking a bath in the public bathroom near their living quarters, as they usually did. Given the limited resources at the time, the bathroom facilities were very primitive—merely an enclosed space constructed from makeshift materials.
While bathing, one of the female educated youths suddenly noticed something suspicious outside. She froze, listening intently, and realized that someone seemed to be peeping. She quickly put on her clothes and bravely stepped out of the bathroom to investigate. Sure enough, she spotted a figure lurking in a nearby corner. She shouted for help, and the other female educated youths rushed over upon hearing her cries. Together, they managed to corner the pervert and confronted him on the spot.
The incident caused a massive stir at the time. The female educated youths were filled with outrage and fear. Having traveled far from home to this unfamiliar place, they had hoped for a relatively safe and comfortable living environment, only to have something like this happen. This event not only severely impacted their physical and mental well-being but also made the entire community of educated youths realize that they needed their own independent living space to guarantee their safety and privacy.
Following this, the educated youths strongly demanded improvements to their housing, leading to the establishment of the Educated Youths Courtyard. Through the efforts of all parties involved, the Educated Youths Courtyard was eventually built, providing subsequent arrivals with a living environment that offered a measure of safety, independence, and privacy.
...
There were many similar incidents, but there is no need to list them all one by one. Along the way, Wang Li told the four of them quite a bit about the unwritten rules of the area. Jiang Rou carefully parsed this information, extracting the key details so she would know what to look out for in the future.