Chapter 7: Quanshui Village

Whether there were grudges or not, at a time like this, no one had the energy to look for trouble.

The tractor, carrying over twenty people, rumbled all the way to the commune, where the leader in charge once again divided the people into their respective villages according to their names.

An Xiangbei's name was not on the list of Educated Youth, mainly because he was not old enough, but Chen Jianhua had pulled some strings, and there was also the fact that An Qingguo was a martyr; everything had been arranged in all aspects, and the commune was clearly aware of the situation and did not say anything more.

"There are five Educated Youth for Quanshui Village this time. The paperwork is finished, the Captain can just take them away directly." The commune staff member who had just received them finished registering the information and immediately arranged for the village to pick them up.

The Captain was a man in his fifties who had worked in the fields for years; his sun-tanned face had some wrinkles, and he waved a rough hand, "People for Quanshui Village, come with me."

There were five Educated Youth, and An Xiangbei was not among the quota; besides An Yinan, Xie Yuanyuan, Zhang Qian, and Qian Zhao, the last person was no surprise at all: Sun Xiaoqin.

Xie Yuanyuan wanted to say something, but An Yinan tugged on her sleeve.

The ox cart moved along slowly for over an hour before finally arriving at Quanshui Village.

Quanshui Village was surrounded by mountains on all four sides, and the only road also wound around a mountain.

The Captain tapped his Tobacco Pouch, then looked at the group and said, "Our Quanshui Village can be considered isolated from the world. Although the road in and out is not easy to travel, in our Quanshui Village, as long as you put in the hard labor, you won't go hungry."

The mountains were high and the emperor was far away; the road was difficult, which meant there was less trouble.

An Yinan was very satisfied with this place.

When the ox went up the slope, everyone got off the cart and walked behind it; in this era, the status of an ox was higher than that of a person.

"Educated Youth Zhang." Walking outside a residence, the Captain called out.

A male Educated Youth ran out quickly from inside, "Captain."

The Captain nodded and pointed at the group, "These are the new Educated Youth. You arrange them; follow the old rules."

Just as he finished speaking, he remembered something, pointed at An Xiangbei, and whispered a few words.

That Educated Youth Zhang nodded.

"You've been on the road for a long time and need to buy things now that you've arrived. Rest for three days; after three days, you'll have to join the villagers for the rush harvest." The Captain held his Tobacco Pouch in one hand, patted Educated Youth Zhang on the shoulder with the other, and left.

"My name is Zhang Zhihe, and I am the Captain of the Educated Youth Station. If you have any issues, you can come to me. Now, come inside and take a look." Zhang Zhihe stepped aside, letting the people carrying their luggage walk inside.

"This was originally a landlord's residence. Later, something happened, and the residence fell into disrepair. It was only after the Educated Youth came to the countryside that the old Educated Youth repaired it bit by bit." Zhang Zhihe introduced the Educated Youth Station as they walked.

"This is the First Courtyard. The left side has been opened up; it's the Educated Youth Dormitory for the men. Those who want to save trouble can live in the big dormitory. On the right are five small dormitories; you can choose any that aren't locked. If there's a heated brick bed, you can move right in; if there isn't, you'll have to get the villagers to build one. Two yuan will get it all sorted out."

He pointed as he spoke; most people lived in the big dormitory, and although it lacked privacy, it saved them from having to set things up themselves.

The young man who had shifted his seat on the train was named Qian Zhao; he didn't hesitate and chose the big dormitory directly. He had left that home, and from now on, there would be no more connection; he would have to rely on himself in the future.

"I'll live in the big dormitory." Qian Zhao picked up his luggage and walked out of the group.

"Then go ahead and settle your luggage. You'll need to find a carpenter to build a cabinet yourself." Zhang Zhihe nodded.

Living in the big dormitory was actually easier to manage.

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Qian.

"Can I take a look at the small dormitories?" Zhang Qian asked.

Zhang Zhihe nodded and led the group toward the small dormitories, "These two rooms are occupied; those three are empty."

Zhang Qian looked around and chose the one at the very end, but this room didn't have a heated brick bed and would need to be rebuilt.

Zhang Zhihe didn't say anything.

"The left side of the Second Courtyard is the female Educated Youth dormitory, and the room opposite the female dormitory is the communal woodshed."

"On the right are ten dormitories, but they are all empty. You all see how you want to live." Zhang Zhihe stood in the corridor, letting them choose for themselves.

An Yinan chose a corner room; this house was very independent, not even touching other rooms. There were corridors on both sides, but the back was blocked off.

"I choose this one." An Yinan decided.

Xie Yuanyuan looked left and right; every room was about the same, so she pointed directly to the one relatively close to An Yinan.

There was only a corridor between their two rooms.

Seeing that both had decided, Zhang Zhihe looked at Sun Xiaoqin, who was the only one left who hadn't chosen.

Sun Xiaoqin actually wanted to choose an independent room, but she had no money.

"Yuanyuan, look, you'll have no one to take care of you if you live alone. Why don't we share a room?" Sun Xiaoqin calculated secretly, so she wouldn't have to spend any money and wouldn't have to live in the big dormitory.

Xie Yuanyuan rolled her eyes, "Am I your mother?"

Qian Zhao, who had hurried over, burst out laughing; he really couldn't hold it in.

The people who had been on the train all knew what this meant. Zhang Zhihe just looked at their expressions but didn't say anything; it was clear he didn't want to get involved.

"If you won't, you won't. Who wants to live with you anyway?"

Sun Xiaoqin huffed, then pointed at An Xiangbei.

"He can't live in the Second Courtyard. He should live here. It's inconvenient for us female Educated Youth, and besides, he's not an Educated Youth. Why should he live in the Educated Youth Station?"

Xie Yuanyuan was just about to speak, but was blocked behind An Yinan.

"Why? Because you're ugly? Because you have wishful thinking? Because you have a mouth that can flap? You say he can't, so he can't?"

There was coldness in An Yinan's eyes. Xie Yuanyuan felt it and rubbed her own arm, feeling that the air itself had turned cold.

"Because Educated Youth Zhang didn't say anything, because the Captain didn't say anything, because the commune didn't say anything."

"Who do you think you are?"

With every sentence, An Yinan took a step forward. After finishing, she walked directly in front of Sun Xiaoqin, then grabbed her collar and lifted her straight off the ground.

"What, do you still have an opinion?"

Sun Xiaoqin turned her head with difficulty to look at Zhang Zhihe, but Zhang Zhihe turned his head to look elsewhere.

Her face flushed red, "No, no."

An Yinan smiled, put her down on the ground, patted the wrinkles on her clothes with both hands, lowered her head slightly, and whispered in her ear, "Be good. I don't like killing."

Sun Xiaoqin shivered, her whole face turning red, and a chill went from her heels straight to the top of her head.

"Since you've all chosen, settle in yourselves." Zhang Zhihe didn't care about these people; after they were settled, he returned to the front courtyard.

Every time new Educated Youth arrived, they would cause quite a bit of trouble. He found them a headache; after so many years, he couldn't be bothered to manage them. As long as they didn't cause any major trouble, he would turn a blind eye.

An Yinan looked at the three people's rooms; it seemed they all needed to have heated brick beds built.