Courtyard House: After disbanding the Elderly Care Gang, I went to the countryside to cultivate immo

The atmosphere was somewhat somber for the first part of the journey.

The only sounds were the creaking of oxcarts, footsteps, and the whistling of the cold wind through the bare branches.

The newly arrived educated youth were clearly still immersed in their maladjustment to the unfamiliar environment, the melancholy of leaving home, and the anxiety about their uncertain future.

Lin Shengli broke the silence by introducing himself: "My name is Lin Shengli. I arrived more than half a year earlier than you. I am also an educated youth. This is Hu Dongliang, a member of our production team. Welcome to Heisonggou Village." His tone was calm and reassuring.

Perhaps it was their shared identity as "educated youth" that brought them closer, and the newcomers began to respond one after another.

Ke Haoqian smiled gently and said in a slightly formal tone, "Comrade Lin Shengli, hello, I am Ke Haoqian, from Beijing." His introduction was concise and conveyed a sense of distance.

Pan Qingzhi replied succinctly, "Pan Qingzhi, Beijing." His voice was steady, and his gaze lingered on Lin Shengli's face for a second, as if assessing the situation.

"My name is Lin Mantong, and I'm from Shanghai." Lin Mantong's voice was soft, with a distinct southern accent. After speaking, she pursed her lips and looked towards the snow-covered mountains in the distance.

Wang Xueling was a little shy: "I... I'm Wang Xueling, from Anhui." Her accent had a soft, gentle quality typical of the Jianghuai region.

Zhang Xiuying's voice was much louder, with a Jiaodong accent: "My name is Zhang Xiuying, from Shandong! Comrade Lin Shengli, is our village really still twenty li away from here? How long will it take to get there?" She didn't stand on ceremony and asked the most practical question directly.

Lin Shengli smiled and said, "Pretty much, but we're not in a rush. Let's walk slowly, and rest when we get tired. Enjoying the snow scenery and chatting will make the time fly by." He noticed that Zhuang Hui hadn't spoken, so he asked gently, "And you, comrade?"

Zhuang Hui seemed startled, slowly raised her head, glanced at Lin Shengli, her eyes still vacant, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum: "Zhuang Hui, Suzhou." After saying that, she quickly lowered her head again.

Lin Shengli sighed inwardly, but didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he began to introduce the general situation of Heisonggou Village: how many households there were, what crops they mainly grew, how the harvest was, what kind of person the team leader Hu Guangming was, how the villagers were generally simple and warm-hearted, how there were currently four former educated youth at the settlement, how the living conditions were simple but still provided shelter from the wind and rain, and how the heated kang (a traditional heated bed) was very warm in winter, etc. He tried to say the good things and reassured people, but he also subtly mentioned that the work might be quite hard and that people needed to be mentally prepared.

Ke Haoqian and Pan Qingzhi listened attentively, nodding occasionally, but rarely interrupting, clearly using their own standards to measure and judge.

Lin Mantong occasionally frowned, seemingly trying to imagine just how "simple" the conditions were.

Wang Xueling listened nervously, her hands unconsciously twisting together. Zhang Xiuying kept asking questions: "Comrade Lin Shengli, when we get there, will we live with the villagers or at the educated youth settlement?"

"Is it really that cold in winter? Much colder than in Shandong, right?"

"What kind of work... what kind of work? I've done chores at home too." Her frankness and strong thirst for knowledge livened up the somewhat dull atmosphere.

As for Zhuang Hui, she seemed to be distracted the whole time, showing little reaction to Lin Shengli's introduction, and mechanically following the group, her steps somewhat unsteady.

We walked and talked, and the twenty-mile mountain road seemed exceptionally long amidst our heavy footsteps and complicated emotions.

Lin Mantong's leather shoes were clearly unsuitable for walking on such snowy roads, and they were soon covered in mud and snow. Her steps began to falter, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent, her face growing paler and paler.

Wang Xueling was also a little out of breath, but she could still keep going. Zhang Xiuying had the best stamina and could occasionally help Lin Mantong or remind Zhuang Hui to watch her step.

Although Ke Haoqian and Pan Qingzhi were also tired, they were in good physical condition and could barely keep up.

Lin Shengli noticed this and took the initiative to stop the journey twice, allowing everyone to rest in a sheltered spot and have some water.

When the low rooftops and wisps of smoke from the chimneys of Heisonggou Village finally came into view, everyone breathed a long sigh of relief, as if they had completed a difficult march.

It was past noon, and the sun was shining brightly, casting a faint golden hue over the snow and the village.

The oxcart creaked as it drove into the village, attracting some attention. But since it was only the end of the year, people didn't seem as curious about the new educated youth as they had been six months ago. They would just glance at him from afar, or if they knew him well, they would greet Hu Dongliang.

The educated youth settlement was right in front of us.

Hearing the commotion, Li Kuiyong, Jiang Yuanchao, and Wei Jun all came out of the house to greet them.

Seeing six newcomers arrive at once, including four female educated youths, the three of them were visibly stunned for a moment, and then quickly helped unload the luggage.

The small courtyard of the educated youth settlement suddenly appeared crowded and chaotic.

Hu Guangming also rushed over upon hearing the news. He first gave a brief welcome to the new educated youth, and then frowned as he looked at the large number of people and luggage. The room, which was originally spacious enough for four male educated youth, now had to accommodate eight people, including four women, making accommodation a major problem.

He made a quick decision and said to Li Kuiyong, "Kuiyong, there used to be four of you living in this room. Now there are six new comrades. Have two of the men move their luggage to your men's dormitory and then help the girls move their luggage to the women's dormitory. You also heated the kang (heated brick bed) in the women's dormitory this morning, so it should still be warm. Let the girls tidy up themselves."

Although the newly arrived educated youth may have their own thoughts, they dared not say much since they were new to the area.

Ke Haoqian and Pan Qingzhi exchanged a glance but did not express any objection.

Lin Mantong looked at the girls' dormitory at the educated youth settlement without saying a word. Wang Xueling and Zhang Xiuying quickly accepted reality and began helping to move luggage, while Zhuang Hui remained silent, as if it didn't matter to her where she lived.

Hu Guangming then said to Li Kuiyong, "Kuiyong, you're a veteran educated youth, and you're reliable and hardworking. I've discussed it with Shengli and the others, and you'll be the head of the educated youth settlement from now on. If the new comrades have any questions or difficulties in their lives, please help them solve them first. If you can't solve them, then come to me."

Li Kuiyong was clearly taken aback by the appointment, paused for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Lin Shengli.

Lin Shengli nodded slightly to him. Li Kuiyong took a breath and puffed out his chest: "Okay! Captain, don't worry, I'll do my best!"

The six newly arrived educated youths didn't react much to the appointment; being newcomers, they didn't care who was the head of the village.

Hu Guangming then gave some instructions on trivial matters, such as having Li Kuiyong take the new educated youth to the team headquarters to collect their rations, arrange their meals, and help them familiarize themselves with the environment. He then left in a hurry, as he still had to arrange rations for the educated youth.

With Hu Guangming gone, the atmosphere in the courtyard relaxed a little.

The veteran and new educated youth began to formally introduce themselves to each other.

As the newly appointed head of the settlement, Li Kuiyong tried his best to adopt a "leader's" demeanor, clearing his throat: "Um... welcome, new comrade! I'm Li Kuiyong, from Beijing, and I'll be the head of our educated youth settlement from now on. This is Jiang Yuanchao, from Shanghai, very educated. This is Wei Jun, from Sichuan, a great cook! That's Lin Shengli, you've met him on the way, our village's barefoot doctor, he doesn't live here, he has his own yard." He introduced them simply and directly.

The new educated youth also gave their names again.

After the introductions, an awkward silence remained. After all, the sudden influx of six people had disrupted the relatively stable balance of the original four-person group, and everyone needed time to observe and adapt.

Jiang Yuanchao, being mild-mannered, took the initiative to break the deadlock, saying to the newly arrived female educated youth, "You must be tired from your journey. The kang (heated brick bed) in the room is heated. Come in and warm up first. The men's luggage can be brought in first."

Wei Jun enthusiastically replied, "Yes, yes, take a rest first! We'll have dinner together tonight as a welcome-back dinner! The conditions may be limited, but I promise it'll be hot!"

Only then did the new educated youth get moving and begin to move and settle in.

The male educated youth moved their luggage into their original dormitory, and Li Kuiyong and the others helped the female educated youth move their luggage to the female dormitory. Seeing the large kang (heated brick bed) at the educated youth settlement, the newcomers were quite satisfied.

Lin Shengli helped organize the female educated youth's luggage. Seeing Zhang Xiuying looking at him curiously, he asked, "Comrade Shengli, aren't you living with us? Do you have your own yard?"

Li Kuiyong eagerly answered, his tone tinged with pride: "Shengli is different from us! He's our village's official barefoot doctor, certified! Everyone in the township recognizes him! He lives in his own little courtyard, making it convenient for him to treat the villagers, and he doesn't have to work in the fields with us every day to earn work points. Isn't that amazing?"

He intentionally or unintentionally emphasized Lin Shengli's "specialness," perhaps in an attempt to establish a certain "role model" or "distinction" in front of newcomers.

Sure enough, the six newly arrived educated youths reacted differently upon hearing this.

Ke Haoqian and Pan Qingzhi scrutinized Lin Shengli again, their eyes filled with inquiry, perhaps reassessing this "old educated youth" who looked to be the same age as themselves.

Lin Mantong also glanced at Lin Shengli, a complex look flashing in her eyes. Perhaps there was envy, perhaps curiosity, perhaps even a hint of resentment—why was he the special one?

Wang Xueling simply showed an expression of admiration. Zhang Xiuying gave her a thumbs up: "Comrade Shengli, you're really something!" Zhuang Hui... still didn't react much.

Lin Shengli was somewhat helpless at Li Kuiyong's slightly boastful introduction, but he didn't explain anything. He just smiled and said, "It's all for the production team. You should settle in first, and then follow Kuiyong and the others to collect the grain."

Not wanting to get too involved in the initial chaos of the newcomers, he made an excuse, said goodbye to Li Kuiyong and the others, left the educated youth settlement, and headed towards his own courtyard.