Time Travel: Volume 1! Starting from a Small Mountain Village

"Don't worry too much. Didn't Er Ya say in her previous letters that she was doing well?" Although Long Wenhai was also worried about his daughter, he didn't want to see his wife constantly depressed. Ever since Er Ya went to the countryside, his wife's mood had been low. So he tried to comfort her.

"How can I not worry? A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles. Er Ya is a woman with many worries and doesn't like to talk to people. Who knows if she only tells good news and not bad news?" Dragon Mom glared at her husband and continued, "I think you just don't care about Er Ya, that's why you say that. I'm not like you. You know, I risked my life to give birth to her."

"you…"

Hearing his wife scold him for not worrying about their daughter, Long Wenhai felt a pang of anxiety, his anger mixed with helplessness. How could he not worry about his daughter who was far away? But seeing his wife's constant worry only made his heart ache.

After a few seconds of pause, Long Wenhai took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension: "Then let's send our daughter a little more money this time, so she can have a slightly more comfortable life over there."

Hearing this, Daenerys's eyes reddened slightly, and she nodded gently. She knew that her husband loved their daughter more than anyone else, but he was not good at expressing it and always silently bore the burden.

As night deepened and the lights outside the window gradually thinned, the Long Wenhai family's hearts remained heavy. This was the first time they couldn't celebrate their daughter's birthday with her, but they believed that no matter how far apart they were, the family's hearts would always be closely connected.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, at six o'clock, the familiar and comforting sound of gongs rang out once again in the village. This sound, like the daily morning and evening bells, roused the sleeping villagers. They knew that although the continuous heavy rains had allowed them to enjoy three precious days of rest, today would again be a day of working in the fields.

For these simple and honest commune members, rest was welcome, but it couldn't compare to the peace and satisfaction of working in the fields. They knew that only by toiling away could they earn precious work points; only by carefully tending the crops could they usher in a bountiful harvest and receive enough food to sustain their livelihoods. Therefore, although they felt a pang of reluctance to rest, they longed to work diligently in the fields.

Yesterday, Lin Weihong's song "On the Fields of Hope" was like a refreshing breeze, blowing into their hearts. Its stirring melody and uplifting lyrics gave them a glimpse of hope and light for the future. Today, as they set off for work with smiles on their faces, that hope and anticipation seemed to transform into boundless motivation, making their steps even more resolute.

The Dongwan Brigade returned to its usual work rhythm, but unlike before, the members' faces were filled with unprecedented fighting spirit and anticipation on their way to and from work. This change stemmed from a new hope in their hearts—every evening, the educated youth organized a unique literacy campaign and singing performance.

In an era of scarce entertainment, the literacy campaign organized by Long Zhiqing was like a clear spring, nourishing the parched hearts of the commune members. The literacy campaign not only taught everyone more cultural knowledge but also ignited their thirst for knowledge and boundless imagination for the future.

The song performances enriched their leisure time, so much so that many members came out early to find a good spot before the evening activities even started. Now, everyone in the Dongwan Brigade is attracted by this activity; if you don't come early to find a good spot, you can only watch from a distance.

Every evening as the sun sets and the sky turns a golden-red hue, Long Lifan hurried along the paths of Dongwan Brigade. Her daily life, shaped by the literacy campaign she leads every evening, has quietly expanded from a simple two-point line to a three-point line.

That noon, the brigade welcomed an unexpected guest—Xia Aiguo. The man who had shared a train carriage with Long Lifan and the others was later assigned by the commune cadres to work in the neighboring Qingmiao brigade.

Although the two villages are not far apart, their circumstances are worlds apart. Months of labor in the countryside have left him exhausted, and his once proud complexion has gradually turned yellow from the long hours of work.

He had assumed that Hu Lili and the other female educated youths wouldn't be able to endure the hard labor in the countryside. He thought he could use this opportunity to get closer to Hu Lili and the other female educated youths who had also been sent to the countryside, and even fantasized about gaining some benefits from it. But to his surprise, Hu Lili and the others never came to see him. Instead, it was he who had his edges worn down by the harsh environment.

The familiar figure he saw the day before yesterday stirred up ripples in Xia Aiguo's heart. It must be Jiang Nian'an! Why would she be here? Could it be... that she came to find him? This thought, like a seed, quickly took root and sprouted in his heart, driving him to make a special trip today, regardless of the journey, to come to the Dongwan Brigade to find out the truth.

Walking on the dirt road in Dongwan Brigade, Xia Aiguo's feelings were complex and hard to describe. On the one hand, he longed to see Hu Lili and the others; on the other hand, he worried that his current appearance might disappoint them. The scenery along the way flashed by in his eyes, but his mind was already filled with all sorts of thoughts about their upcoming meeting.

Finally, after asking around, he arrived at the educated youth settlement and saw several figures in the distance. However, when he looked closely, he did not see a single familiar face.

Chen Hongjie and others at the educated youth settlement were eating. Several female educated youths had cooked first, so they were only eating at this time.

After being separated from the female educated youth to cook, Chen Hongjie and several male educated youths lived a miserable life. Today, they were forced to eat half-cooked corn porridge again, and a sense of anger inexplicably rose in the hearts of the others. Chen Wei, as the cook for today, avoided eye contact, not daring to meet his companions' dissatisfied gazes. He knew in his heart that the female educated youths' separation was inextricably linked to him, which made him even more timid and regretful.

Just then, Chen Wei's gaze inadvertently swept across the wall of the educated youth compound and spotted a figure. He quickly stood up and asked, "Comrade, who are you?" Chen Wei's question broke the silence and temporarily diverted the attention of the male educated youth.

Seeing this, the other male educated youths also stood up, their eyes fixed on Xia Aiguo's figure.

When asked by Chen Wei, Xia Aiguo answered frankly: "I am Xia Aiguo, from the Qingmiao Brigade next door. I am also a sent-down youth."

"Qingmiao Brigade?"

Chen Hongjie muttered to himself. It wasn't that they hadn't seen other educated youth come to Dongwan Brigade, but most of them were friends who knew each other and had some interaction. But judging from Xia Aiguo's unfamiliar appearance and everyone's reaction, it was obvious that no one knew him.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "So, what brings you here?"

"Am I looking for someone? Is this a youth settlement?" Xia Aiguo asked, noticing the slightly questioning tone in the men's voices.