Crossing 70: Fish in the Pond Have Good News

While the weather was still warm, the new educated youth sowed densely packed cabbage seeds on their own private plots.

After the temperature started to drop, Jiang Yu and Xue Li took out all their long-sleeved thick clothes and washed those that needed to be washed and dried those that needed to be dried in the sun.

Seeing this, the male educated youth also followed suit and became busy.

Seeing that they even went out to wash clothes together, the aunties in the village laughed and said with emotion, "Young people are so close. They usually go to work together, and now they even wash clothes together."

"It's better when you're young. When you get older and have a family, you spend all day and night with your family. How can you be like them? They even feel happy when they wash clothes together."

A few people found a relatively flat spot by the stream, squatted down and started washing clothes.

From a distance, Fang Qianqian and Chen Xiaohua were walking over with a large basin full of clothes.

The aunties who were chatting and laughing just now showed disgust when they saw them and started to signal to each other with their eyes.

After the two came over, a young woman in a floral long-sleeved shirt smacked her lips and said, "Washing clothes for the male educated youth in your educated youth camp again? Fang Zhiqing, if it were me, you should have a good talk with Guan Zhiqing. You can get married. Anyway, you wash clothes and cook, and he fetches water and firewood. You're a perfect match, right?"

Fang Qianqian blushed and lowered her head without saying a word.

Chen Xiaohua even shrank his head and pretended to be invisible, even breathing slowly, for fear of being seen and attacked by the aunties.

"That's right. We've been washing clothes for others for several years, so why hasn't this good thing happened yet? Don't tell me you're so stingy that you don't even want to treat us to wedding candies. You must have secretly registered for marriage!" Another young woman covered her mouth and giggled, as if she had said something funny.

Zhuang Shouren's wife Cui Xiaofen glared at them, then looked at Fang Qianqian and Chen Xiaohua, frowned, and finally said, "Not good enough."

Xue Li also looked at them with an angry expression, but since it was none of her business, what right did she have to persuade others? It would be better for everyone to clean up the snow in front of their own door. She soaked her clothes vigorously, poured water twice, put soap on them and rubbed them.

"Go slowly, don't rub your clothes." Some soapy water splashed on Jiang Yu's arms. He didn't understand why she was suddenly angry.

Xue Li stuck out his tongue and then slowed down his movements.

Some bad practices among the old educated youth have been around for a long time, and Xue Li has been displeased with them for a long time. Many people in the village think that those female educated youth are useless, but they are quite happy to do their jobs. It's a matter of two people willing to fight and be beaten, so it's up to others to interfere.

"She might as well marry a villager like Lin Zhiqing! After all, she only has to wash her husband's clothes, and the boy from the Zheng family knows how to care for people... Oh, speak of the devil and he will appear!" The woman who first brought up the topic burst into laughter when she saw someone in the distance.

A man and a woman came together, the man holding a wooden basin and the woman holding old soap and a mallet, talking and laughing.

The new educated youth had never heard of this educated youth Lin, and they all looked up at him.

Lin Zhiqing had an oval face, bright eyebrows, and diamond-shaped lips that were curled up because of a smile. She had fair skin and there was not even a patch on her clothes. It was obvious that what the woman said about her husband loving her was true.

"Zhiqiu." Fang Qianqian called her softly.

Lin Zhiqiu looked over, nodded, then walked to the nearby stone with her husband, chatting and laughing while washing clothes.

Fang Qianqian pinched the clothes in her hands, unconsciously exerting force, feeling mixed emotions for a moment.

Chen Xiaohua glanced at the clothes in her hands, calmly took out Guan Wenbin's shirt and started washing it.

Jiang Yu saw this and raised his eyebrows. So Chen Xiaohua is also interested in Guan Wenbin?

After washing the clothes, several people got up and left.

The aunties raised their heads and greeted them with a smile.

Xue Li told Cui Xiaofen that he would come to see her later, and Cui Xiaofen nodded in understanding.

Back in the backyard of the educated youth center, the male educated youth set up clotheslines in rows. After the clothes were hung out to dry, the yard was filled with the faint, refreshing scent of soap.

Wu Aiqing brought out the drying rack made of ginger fish and started drying the medicinal herbs.

Jiang Yu and Xue Li also moved out the half-dried mushrooms and placed them outside the male educated youth's house, where the sun was shining brightly.

On a rare leisurely afternoon, a few people sat together in the yard to bask in the sun on this slightly cool day.

"Usually I hide when I see the sun, but when this cold air comes, I feel the sun is warmer." Fu Biao was playing chess with Chen Jinghan.

Chen Jinghan plays chess slowly and has to go over each move in his mind several times, while Fu Biao is the opposite. His chess playing is like his life, he is extremely efficient and completely disregards retreat and just rushes forward.

Jiang Yu was polishing his tools, cleaning them, and oiling them...

Xue Li was reading a picture book. She loved the delicate pictures and looked at each one carefully over and over again.

They have a different style from later comics. Although the colors are not as rich and the printing is not as good, I never get tired of reading them.

Hearing Fu Biao's sigh, Xue Li replied cheerfully, "When it gets hot tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we still have to avoid the sun."

"It will be fine after the corn is harvested next month." Wu Aiqing was picking herbs, throwing away some bad branches and leaves from time to time.

Chen Jinghan finished making a move and said, "I heard that some new educated youth are coming."

"Come again?" Xue Li closed the book and looked around the yard. Since they moved in, this backyard has almost become their private territory. If there were not two old educated youths' houses in the backyard, they would have locked the alley and had their own world.

But now new educated youth are coming, and I wonder what changes they will bring.

Xiong Lijin lowered his eyelids, not knowing what he was thinking.

Jiang Yu noticed everyone's expressions and decided to share the gossip he had heard, "The son of Uncle Six in the village is serving in the army in Province F. His house has been vacant and can be rented. If you have any ideas, you can go and ask."

She heard a lot of news every day, so she knew a little more than them. Not only was Sixth Uncle's son's house empty, but after the Chinese New Year, Sixth Uncle's house would also be empty. His son was going to take him there to live in his old age. It was said that the climate in F Province was warm, and Sixth Uncle had injured his legs when he was young, so he would be more comfortable there.

"Let's wait and see after the new educated youth arrive. If we can't get along, we can move out." Xue Li thought it was a good idea. It was annoying to be glared at by the old educated youth every day.

You have to be very careful when eating every bite of meat, as if it was stolen.

Chen Jinghan nodded. It was his turn to play chess again. His mind was immediately focused on it and he had no time to respond.

Wu Aiqing also thought it was a good idea. After selling these herbs to the purchasing station, he would have some extra money in his pocket. It would also be nice for them to rent a house from a fellow villager together.

Chen Jinghan was not the only one who heard that there were new educated youth. After all, Guan Wenbin had been in the brigade for a few years. Hong Xiuxiu, the eldest daughter of the village accountant's second son, liked him and always eavesdropped on various news for him. So, when he heard that there were new educated youth, Guan Wenbin's mind became active again.

Some people may really be addicted to power. Even if they are just being the person in charge at a youth educated camp, they will be so excited that their hands and feet will tremble, thinking about how to establish their authority among the new youth educated in the camp and how to assign tasks to them. Before they even know where they are, he has already listed several options as alternatives.