Chapter 43: Six-Zero Farm System (9)

Before Xie Yang had finished her meal, two girls walked over from the front of the carriage and stood in the aisle near her row to ask, "We heard there's someone here going to the Yuewan Brigade to settle down? Which one of you is it?"

Zhou Yinghong pointed at Xie Yang enthusiastically: "It's her! She's from the Yuewan Brigade. Are you two also? That's great! Xie Yang, you've found your organization!"

Xie Yang: "..."

Not really in need of that, thanks!

The two girls looked to be about the same age as Xie Yang.

The girl with long braids and a fairer complexion was named Lu Jieqiong.

The other, with a sallow complexion and a Liu Hulan-style haircut, was named Wang Pandi.

Wang Pandi looked rather shy and introverted; Lu Jieqiong had been the one doing all the talking:

"... There are two other male comrades from Haicheng who boarded the train and are also going to the Yuewan Brigade. Xie Yang, would you like to change seats and sit with us?"

Xie Yang shook her head: "No thanks, I'm sitting here just fine."

The front of the carriage was so close to the restroom; she didn't want to spend the whole trip to Chuan Nan smelling that.

Besides, her current seat was by the window, so she could enjoy the scenery along the way when she wasn't sleeping.

If she moved, she might not get such a good seat; she might even end up squeezed between two people.

Xie Yang firmly refused to change seats, and the two Educated Youth girls couldn't do anything about it, so they just gave a sheepish smile and went back.

Zhou Yinghong and the other two across from her didn't say a word now either, feeling that Xie Yang was a bit... how should one put it! She didn't seem to be the same kind of person as them.

They were eager to stick together for warmth, but Xie Yang seemed to prefer being alone.

Since they weren't talking, Xie Yang was happy to have some peace and quiet.

After eating, she went to the washbasin to clean her lunchbox, fetched a thermos of hot water, and then took her Toothbrush, Toothpaste, and Towel to wash up, taking a few extra trips back and forth to help digest her food.

This scene made Zhou Yinghong and the others feel even more that they were not the same kind of person as Xie Yang.

"Her Towel is so new!"

"She actually brought a whole new tube of Toothpaste to the countryside!"

"Her family must be very well-off! Maybe she's wearing such old clothes on purpose!"

Xie Yang heard them but acted as if she hadn't, just going about her business.

On a four-and-a-half-day train ride, one could endure not bathing, but not brushing one's teeth or washing one's face.

"Dear passengers, this train is about to arrive at Chuannan Station. Passengers getting off at Chuannan Station, please have your luggage and belongings ready and disembark safely..."

The train broadcast played the arrival announcement three times.

Xie Yang stretched and stood up from her seat.

Finally arrived!

The surrounding passengers couldn't help but cast their gazes at her, their expressions indescribably complex.

During these past few days, this seemingly frail female comrade had eaten eggs, White Flour, and Rice at every single meal. What kind of family raised such a spendthrift? She could really eat!

While there were certainly those among them with decent family backgrounds who had prepared some fine Rice and White Flour food, it was limited to one or two meals and eaten mixed with coarse grains; otherwise, who could afford it!

Unlike this female comrade, who had truly been eating fine grains the whole time—

A full lunchbox of white Rice with Chinese sausage and salted meat!

A thick stack of golden-fried scallion egg pancakes!

White, plump cabbage and fresh meat dumplings!

Fragrant tea eggs and roasted bird eggs!

Crispy-skinned chive pockets and shredded vegetable spring rolls...

Every time it was mealtime, the surrounding passengers suffered.

Especially Zhou Yinghong and the other two across from her; they could not only smell it but also see it, so their suffering was several times worse than everyone else's.

Fortunately, they had finally arrived!

If they had to stay in the same carriage any longer, they were truly afraid they wouldn't be able to resist begging Xie Yang for food.

They thought with a bitter heart: Xie Yang should be glad this carriage was full of Educated Youth who cared about their pride even when hungry; if it were a carriage with old people and children, she should try that.

They had seen the skills of the old ladies in the alleyways who were used to making scenes and being unreasonable; even if you were in the right, they could leave you unable to cope.

If Xie Yang's food encountered that kind of old lady, it would be very hard to keep it all intact.

Xie Yang also let out a long sigh of relief: the dry rations she brought for the road were finally finished!

If she didn't finish them, they would have gone bad!

She had prepared enough rations for four or five days, but she hadn't expected her aunt's family to prepare some for her too.

Although it wasn't as much as she had prepared herself, the two portions combined were enough for six or seven days, let alone four or five.

But the closer she got to Chuan Nan, the higher the temperature, and if she didn't finish them in time, they would spoil and go to waste.

In this day and age, food was very precious! One could waste anything but food!

So she ate three meals a day, never missing one, to clear out the dry rations in her bag.

She finally finished them before arriving at the station! It wasn't easy!

"Ouch! What's wrong with you, little girl? Don't you look where you're going when you walk?"

While disembarking, Xie Yang was shoved by a spry old lady who had darted out from somewhere.

This old lady was in her early fifties, short, plump, and very sturdy.

As the woman bumped into her, she shouted to shift the blame onto Xie Yang.

Xie Yang vigilantly grabbed the old lady's hand and narrowed her eyes at her:

"I'm the one who wants to ask what's wrong with you? There's a perfectly good flat path, why did you insist on bumping into me? What? Trying to steal my money?"

"Let go of me..."

"Comrade train police! There's a pickpocket here!"

Xie Yang twisted her hand back, pinning the old woman to the ground so she could not move.

While calling for the train police, she took a few moments to find several thick little cloth bundles on the other person: some wrapped in handkerchiefs, some sewn from old cloth, all filled with money and coupons inside.

"Ah! This is the money I lost! My own embroidered name is on the handkerchief!"

"I didn't expect this old woman to be a thief!"

"Comrade train police! Comrade train police! This female comrade caught a thief!"

The old woman regretted her actions bitterly.

She had not originally intended to get off at this station.

When searching for targets carriage by carriage, she noticed this girl eating fine grains at every meal and guessed she must be carrying a lot of money.

It was just that this girl was too alert, and she was sitting in a window seat, so there was simply no opportunity to make a move.

She had no choice but to adjust her plan temporarily—follow behind the girl and get off the train when she reached her stop, then return to the train after stealing the money.

She never imagined she would be thwarted by this girl.

With the person and the stolen goods caught together, the pickpocket old woman was quickly taken away by the train police who had arrived upon hearing the news.

Those victims who had lost money also followed along to give their statements.

The train police even wanted Xie Yang to go with them.

For such a righteous act, shouldn't they award her a "Courageous Act Award"?

However, when they turned around, where was there still any sign of her?

The other Educated Youth in the same carriage as Xie Yang had all witnessed the scene of Xie Yang forcefully capturing the pickpocket old woman, and they were collectively silent: "..."

So her martial skills were this remarkable!

No wonder she dared to eat fine grains at every meal on the train; she was not worried at all about being extorted.

It was they who had worried too much! Farewell!

Carrying a small parcel and shouldering a large one, Xie Yang followed the flow of people out of the train station and saw several ox carts and a tractor by the side of the road.

The people on the ox carts and the tractor were all holding up wooden signs with the names of the various brigades written on them; they were presumably there to pick up the Educated Youth.

She found the ox cart for the Yuewan Brigade and walked over with her luggage on her shoulder.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! That fe-fe-female hero is here! She's walking toward us! Eh eh eh? Is she an Educated Youth for our brigade?"

Nine-year-old Gouwa saw Xie Yang walking over with her large bags, his round eyes widening even further.

He had needed to pee just a moment ago, but he didn't dare to pee randomly at the train station entrance, so he ran inside the station to find a restroom; he didn't find the restroom, but he did see the scene of Xie Yang subduing the pickpocket old woman in a minute, and he was just excitedly telling his grandpa about it when he looked up and saw Xie Yang walking toward them with long, swift strides.