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

"Who are you looking for?" Chen Hongjie frowned, glanced at Xia Aiguo, and asked in a low voice.

"I'm looking for Hu and Jiang, the educated youth. We were sent to the countryside together and are considered friends. Do they live here?" Actually, Hu Lili and the others weren't very familiar with Xia Aiguo; they had only traveled on the same train and hadn't exchanged many words. Hearing Chen Hongjie's somewhat indifferent question, Xia Aiguo answered with a serious expression.

However, when he inquired about the female educated youth from Chen Hongjie and the others, a hint of displeasure flashed across their faces. This displeasure stemmed from the growing popularity of the female educated youth in the village, as well as their superior conditions and abilities, all of which made Chen Hongjie and the other male educated youth feel unprecedented pressure and jealousy. Therefore, they didn't give a friendly look when they saw male comrades looking for those female educated youth.

"They don't live here?"

Chen Hongjie answered indifferently, but Xia Aiguo was stunned as soon as he finished speaking. Shouldn't a sent-down youth settlement be the residence of the sent-down youth? He was filled with doubt and was about to ask again when a gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.

Xiang Fang slowly walked out of the girls' dormitory. She and the other two had finished lunch early and returned to their dorm to rest. They had come out out of curiosity after hearing voices outside. Hearing Xia Aiguo's words, she said gently, "Comrade, are you friends with Long Zhiqing and the others?"

Xia Aiguo looked up at Xiang Fang, already having a guess about her identity. For some reason, he sensed a unique warmth and kindness in her tone and expression. Little did he know that Xiang Fang was only being so polite to him because she had heard he was friends with Long Zhiqing and the others.

Although he didn't understand why the other party was being so polite, Xia Aiguo smiled and nodded, replying, "Yes, we are friends. May I ask where they are staying now?"

Xiang Fang chuckled, seemingly unsurprised by Xia Aiguo's request. She pointed to a row of small courtyards not far away and said, "They live there now. Come with me, I'll take you there."

So, Xia Aiguo followed Xiang Fang's footsteps and walked slowly in that direction. Chen Hongjie and the others stood still, watching their departing figures with complicated expressions.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, to thank Sister Fan for her generous gift of chicken the night before, Hu Lili and the others decided to invite Long Lifan to lunch at their place today. Although Hu Lili was sometimes a bit slow-witted and careless, she knew that friendships were about reciprocity; only in this way could relationships be strengthened—a principle her father had taught her.

After dinner, the group was chatting leisurely in the courtyard when a knock on the door broke the silence. Xiang Fang called out loudly from outside, "Long Zhiqing, Hu Zhiqing, someone is looking for you." Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but wonder who would be visiting at this time.

?

Liu Pandi got up and opened the door, only to see a man following behind Xiang Fang. She looked him over for a long time before exclaiming in surprise, "Are you Comrade Xia?" It's no wonder Liu Pandi looked him over so carefully; Xia Aiguo's appearance had changed so much from working in the fields for the past few months that he was almost unrecognizable. Long Lifan and the others walked to the door and looked at Xia Aiguo's appearance, feeling a pang of sadness.

?

Long Lifan recalled the first time she saw Xia Aiguo on the train; her first impression of him was that of a "pretty boy." However, in just a few months, Xia Aiguo had become completely different from before; his complexion had begun to turn yellow, and it seemed that he could no longer even keep the "pretty boy" label.

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, Xia Aiguo felt a little uneasy facing the slightly surprised and wistful expressions on the faces of Hu Lili, Jiang Zhiqing, and the others. Despite this, Xia Aiguo tried to remain calm and greeted them with a smile: "Hello, Hu Zhiqing, Jiang Zhiqing, I'm Xia Aiguo. Long time no see, how are you all?" His voice was full of sincerity, attempting to ease the awkwardness.

Long Lifan: "..."

Good heavens, Xia Aiguo really does only have eyes for Jiang Nian'an and Hu Lili, as always! Judging from his question, it's as if everyone else is just an afterthought.

No one spoke to Xia Aiguo's words, their expressions indifferent. Only Liu Pandi replied with a joyful expression, "We are all fine, Comrade Xia. How come you look like this after just a few months?" As she spoke, Liu Pandi looked at Xia Aiguo's current appearance and felt a pang of pity.

"Ahem," Xia Aiguo coughed lightly, feeling a warmth in his heart from Liu Pandi's concerned words. However, his focus remained solely on Hu and Jiang, the educated youths; he had absolutely no interest in Liu Pandi. He knew his drastic change in appearance was the result of long hours spent working in the fields, exposed to the elements. Despite never having done manual labor before, his daily work points were pitifully low, even less than some of the female educated youths, and he was often ridiculed by the other educated youth.

But facing the women before him, Xia Aiguo didn't want to lose face in front of them. So he said earnestly, "Our initial intention in coming to the countryside was to help the commune members seek development. I see myself as a brick in society, ready to be moved wherever needed. Therefore, I always take the initiative to undertake the most difficult tasks, striving to do my best for the commune members. This is not only a responsibility, but also a deep affection for this land and its people. Although my appearance has changed, my original intention to serve the people remains as strong as ever."

The women rolled their eyes at his boastful words; if it weren't for his behavior on the train, they would have actually believed him. Even Long Lifan, a time traveler, was humbled and admitted defeat. In her later life, she had seen many people who boasted, but she had never seen anyone spout nonsense with such a straight face as Xia Aiguo.

The girls exchanged glances, struggling to suppress their laughter. Xiang Fang and Liu Pandi, however, seemed genuinely convinced by Xia Aiguo's words and were also deeply moved. But Xiang Fang was puzzled by the reactions of Long Zhiqing and the others. Wouldn't friends be so indifferent to such words? Were they not friends? Or was there something wrong with what Comrade Xia had just said?

"Xia, you're truly amazing. By the way, what brings you here to see us?" Liu Pandi, now somewhat love-struck, completely believed Xia Aiguo's words and asked with concern.

"this…"

Faced with Liu Pandi's question, Xia Aiguo was a little stunned. He couldn't very well say that he had come here specifically to see Jiang Nian'an and Hu Lili!

“Young Hu, I just came from Qingmiao Brigade and haven’t had a chance to rest yet. Why don’t we go inside and talk?” Xia Aiguo suggested that they go into the courtyard to rest for a while. However, Hu Lili looked hesitant and said softly but firmly, “Comrade Xia, I’m afraid that’s not appropriate. We are all female educated youth here. If you, a male comrade, come in, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Let’s talk here at the door.”