With three superpowers at his fingertips, he could dominate the 1970s.

Kaoshantun, which had been bustling all morning, was now approaching noon.

The sun was high overhead, its scorching heat baking the black earth, causing the leaves of the crops in the fields to curl slightly at the edges. The aroma of cooking wafted through the village.

But people today don't seem to feel hungry.

The ridges between the fields were crowded with people, none of them wanting to leave. The men squatted at the edge of the field, smoking their pipes, their eyes constantly following the green tractor. The women held their children and watched from afar, chatting with those around them, occasionally bursting into laughter. Even the laziest young men were unusually diligent today, carrying hoes and walking back and forth on the ridges, though they didn't actually step into the fields.

The tractor was churning along in the field. Liu's second son sat in the driver's seat, his back ramrod straight, his chin slightly raised, looking more smug than a newlywed.

Jiang Zhiyu stood quietly on the edge of the field, watching.

She particularly loves this kind of scene—lively, fulfilling, hopeful, and most importantly, full of life.

She felt she could watch such a scene all day long.

Especially for those who have lived in the apocalypse for so long, they can never get enough of this sense of life and warmth. In the apocalypse, there is no smoke from cooking fires, no laughter, no noisy children running around, only endless silence and the occasional scream.

And at this moment—

The sun shone brightly, the roar of tractors mingled with the laughter of villagers, and the wind rustled through the fields. In the distance, a child was chasing a chicken; the chicken flapped its wings and flew about, while the child giggled incessantly.

Jiang Zhiyu watched all this, a slight smile curving her lips.

"Little Jiang, the educated youth! Little Jiang, the educated youth!"

A crisp female voice came from behind. Jiang Zhiyu turned around and saw Aunt Wang, the wife of Captain Chen, hurrying towards them. She hadn't taken off her apron yet, and her forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

Aunt Wang walked closer and sized up Jiang Zhiyu—this girl was dressed in the most ordinary clothes, standing on the edge of the field, completely out of place in their rural landscape. But a faint smile played on her lips as she looked at the lively scene before her, without a trace of disdain.

Aunt Wang felt even more pleased with the girl.

There are plenty of capable people, but she's hardly ever met anyone who's so down-to-earth.

"Little Jiang, come on! Let's go to Auntie's for dinner!" She grabbed Jiang Zhiyu's arm. "I've already prepared everything! We've invited your parents and godparents, now we're just waiting for you!"

As she pulled him along, she kept chattering, "Today, your sister-in-law Qiuyue, along with a few other aunties from the village, cooked some of our signature dishes! You absolutely must try them!"

Jiang Zhiyu patted the dirt off her hands, didn't refuse, and followed Aunt Wang to the brigade leader's house.

-

When Jiang Zhiyu arrived at the brigade leader's house, she realized that the scene was much bigger than she had imagined.

There were already four tables of people scattered around in the courtyard.

The respected elders of the village sat at one table, accountant Liu Quan led several village cadres at another, her parents and godparents sat at another, and the rest sat scattered at yet another. The tables were set with rough porcelain bowls and plates, fresh vegetables from the fields, and locally brewed liquor, all steaming hot and plentiful.

They looked at Jiang Zhiyu with gratitude and awe on their faces.

It wasn't the kind of awe and fear one feels towards superiors, but rather a heartfelt respect for someone who had brought tangible benefits to their village.

As soon as Jiang Zhiyu entered, many people stood up.

"Young Jiang, the educated youth, has arrived!"

"Please sit down, please sit down!"

This made Jiang Zhiyu a little embarrassed. What she couldn't handle the most was interpersonal relationships—in the apocalypse, it was either you die or I live, there was no room for these complicated human relationships.

She simply nodded and walked straight to the table where her parents and godparents were sitting.

When Su Wanqing saw her daughter arrive, she quickly moved a stool for her. Jiang Boxun glanced at his daughter, a hint of helplessness in his eyes—this girl had gone out to teach tractor driving early in the morning without even having a sip of water.

Godmother Liu Hong held Jiang Zhiyu's hand and said with concern, "Yuyu, you've been out in the sun all morning, aren't you afraid of getting a tan?"

Godfather Qi Zhengli smiled and took a sip of his wine, saying nothing.

-

Then Captain Chen put on his usual airs, stood in the middle of the yard, and cleared his throat.

"Today's meal is mainly to invite the Jiang family, the educated youth, over for a meal." He looked around, his voice full of energy, "Our village really benefits from the Jiang family this time! Enough said—come on! Drink!"

As he spoke, he raised his glass first.

Everyone in the courtyard raised their glasses, bowls clinking and cups clinking together in a clattering sound.

Jiang Zhiyu didn't drink alcohol; she picked up a glass of water and clinked glasses with the people around her.

Aunt Wang quietly brought over a bowl, leaned close to Jiang Zhiyu, and whispered, "This is a chicken leg that I specially saved for you! It was made by your sister-in-law Qiuyue, and it's delicious!"

Jinbao, standing nearby, nodded repeatedly, his little head pecking like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, yes! My mom's chicken legs are so delicious!"

Jiang Zhiyu glanced at the bowl—two glistening chicken legs, stewed until tender, with a bright reddish-brown color, and sprinkled with chopped scallions.

She did not refuse the kindness, took the bowl, and put the chicken leg into her own bowl.

Aunt Wang was satisfied, and then pointed to a bowl of rice on the table. The rice was not ordinary white rice; each grain was coated with a thin layer of flour, and its color was slightly greenish, with a sweet aroma.

"Little Jiang, you've never had this before, have you? This is called locust flower wheat rice. Try it—it's made with locust flowers that just bloomed these past few days. Only our family in this village makes it this way. Your sister-in-law Qiuyue's family is from the Northwest, and they often make it this way. You can also dip it in this garlic sauce."

Jiang Zhiyu picked up a bite with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

Sweet and refreshing.

The aroma of locust blossoms bursts on the tongue, while the outer layer of flour is soft, chewy, and has a wheaty fragrance, becoming more and more flavorful with each chew.

Her eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded to Aunt Wang: "It's delicious."

Aunt Wang's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile: "It's delicious, isn't it? I'll make you more this afternoon!"

Jiang Zhiyu nodded.

Jinbao stared longingly at the chicken leg in her bowl, his mouth practically watering. Jiang Zhiyu noticed and placed one of the chicken legs into Jinbao's bowl.

Jinbao's eyes narrowed into slits instantly.

-

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

As the sun began to set, everyone had almost finished eating, and their voices gradually grew louder. The men blushed and boasted, while the women huddled together to chat about everyday matters.

Jiang Zhiyu put down her chopsticks, picked up a glass of water, and walked to the captain's table.

Captain Chen was clinking glasses with accountant Liu Quan when he saw her coming over, so he quickly put down his bowl.

"Little Jiang, have you finished eating?"

Jiang Zhiyu nodded, then raised her water glass and looked at Captain Chen, saying:

"Captain Chen, thank you for taking care of us. You and many others in the village were injured when my parents were arrested last time; I've always remembered that."

Captain Chen quickly waved his hand: "What are you saying—"

"Today, I have something else to tell you."

Jiang Zhiyu's tone was calm, but her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for people at the surrounding tables to hear:

"My parents, and my godparents, are leaving in a few days."

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent for a moment.

The expressions on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, who were unaware of the inside story, and Mr. and Mrs. Qi Zhengli, were more interesting than anyone else's.

All four of them turned to look at Jiang Zhiyu, their eyes wide with surprise.

Su Wanqing's chopsticks, still holding a piece of tofu, froze in mid-air. Jiang Boxun's hand holding the bowl paused slightly, while Qi Zhengli and his wife were trembling—trembling with excitement.

They dare not think.

They were actually allowed to leave?

Can't this girl at least tell me before she does anything?!

Su Wanqing's lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but then she swallowed it back. Liu Hong gripped her husband's hand tightly, her eyes already reddening.

From being sent down to this remote and impoverished area, from intellectuals becoming targets of criticism and struggle, from being pointed at and gossiped about to living cautiously—when did they ever dare to think about the word "leave"?

Now this girl casually says—she'll be leaving in a few days.

It's as bland as saying, "The weather will clear up in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Captain Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He knew it.

The fact that Xiao Jiang, a former educated youth, made such a big fuss, sending a tractor away so readily, clearly indicates that he intends to leave.

To be honest, he has really benefited a lot from spending these two months with these intellectuals.

He sighed, picked up his wine bowl, and said with some emotion:

"I knew it; our poor, remote mountain village couldn't keep intellectuals like you."

Then he laughed again, a genuine laugh:

"Good! You've found a good home, we're happy for you! Come on—let's have a toast!"

He tilted his head back and drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp.

People in the courtyard raised their glasses, and although some had slightly red eyes, they were all genuinely happy for the four people who were about to leave.

After the sadness, comes heartfelt blessings.

After a hearty meal and drinks, as the sun began to set, everyone went home.

In Jiang Zhiyu's small courtyard.

The four people sat down around Jiang Zhiyu.

Jiang Boxun, Su Wanqing, Qi Zhengli, and Liu Hong—all four of them stared at her, their gazes filled with excitement, doubt, unease, and a hint of indescribable heartache.