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

"So fast."

Old Chen was shocked. He remembered that the chicks had only been bought for less than two months, and they were already almost grown up?

"Hey, you have to admit that Long Zhiqing is really capable! You know what? All the chicks he brought back last time are still alive and well, not a single one has died."

"this…"

Old Chen was momentarily speechless. Many people in the village raised chickens, and he himself had done so before. But chicks dying was common, especially with hundreds of them.

He had previously thought that Long Zhiqing was generous and polite, but considering that she came from a big city, it made sense. But he never expected that Long Zhiqing was so knowledgeable about raising chickens, especially since she was from the city.

"gone!"

Seeing that no one else was coming, he shouted and raised the whip, urging the oxcart to speed towards the commune. The road was now flat and wide, so the oxcart moved very fast.

"Old Chen, there's no need to rush, I'm not in a hurry."

Old Chen completely ignored Lin Guodong's voice; all he wanted to do was get to the commune as quickly as possible. He hoped he could lend a hand if anything happened to the girls.

The route Long Lifan and her two companions took to reach the commune remained unchanged: first, they ate at a restaurant, then went to the post office, and finally to the supply and marketing cooperative. Long Lifan wrote a letter home as usual to let her family know she was safe and sound, and to inquire about their situation and health.

At least her family sends her money every month on time, so of course she has to fulfill her duties as a daughter. She also plans to go to the mountains in the fall to collect some mountain produce and mail it to her parents.

Because they were riding bicycles, they were much faster than usual. And thanks to Old Chen's reminder, they didn't stay long at the commune; after buying things at the supply and marketing cooperative, they returned to the village.

At the intersection, they ran into Grandpa Chen again and exchanged a few pleasantries. Long Lifan gave him a few candies she had bought, then waved and rode away, not giving Grandpa Chen any time to react.

Having obtained the exam papers from the commune, Lin Guodong announced the exam time to everyone upon returning to Dongwan, but to give everyone some time to prepare, it was set for five days later. Instantly, a tense atmosphere enveloped all the registered commune members and educated youth.

The enrolled members quickened their pace of study, either gathering together to discuss difficult problems or burying themselves in their studies, striving to achieve good results in the exam.

At the educated youth settlement, the young people felt the pressure of the upcoming exam in a few days, as there were only two spots available. So, as soon as they finished work, they picked up their books and started studying. Some frowned, engrossed in their reading; others encouraged each other, facing the upcoming challenge together. A tense yet determined atmosphere permeated the educated youth settlement.

In short, whether they were registered commune members or educated youth, everyone was keenly aware of the importance of this exam. It was their only chance to change their current situation, so none of them wanted to give up. Everyone wanted to go all out and perform at their best in the exam.

For a moment, the entire Dongwan Brigade was plunged into an eerie and tense atmosphere. Of course, none of this mattered to Long Lifan, who continued her routine between the chicken farm and her residence. Long Lifan arrived at the chicken farm early that day after lunch.

In the afternoon at the chicken farm, the sunlight lazily shone on the chicken coop, while Lin Xiuxiu absentmindedly fed the chickens outside. Her eyes were somewhat vacant, and she haphazardly scattered wheat bran among the flock. Some chickens snatched the food, while others could only watch longingly.

Long Lifan picked up the notebook from the side, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at the numerous corrections and erasures on it. The notebook should have meticulously recorded the time and amount of each feeding, but even the dates were wrong. Such negligence is undoubtedly a major taboo in chicken farm management.

Long Lifan walked over to Lin Yue and touched her arm. She asked softly, "Do you know what's going on?" As she spoke, she pointed to the figure outside.

"Look at her, she's so distracted even when feeding the chickens. How can this be allowed? And the registration records are all wrong. If something goes wrong, how will we find the cause?"

Judging from Duan Linxiuxiu's past behavior, she is definitely a very meticulous and attentive person. There must be a reason why this situation has occurred.

"I don't know either," Lin Yue shook her head. Although she and Lin Xiuxiu both worked at the chicken farm, their conversations were mostly about feeding the chickens, and they didn't talk much at other times.

The two women spoke in hushed tones, but Lin Xiuxiu seemed oblivious to their conversation, continuing to feed the chickens nonchalantly. The flock became somewhat chaotic under her haphazard feeding, with some chickens even fighting over food.

This scene made Long Lifan worry about the future of the chicken farm. How could a distracted farmer ensure the health and growth of the flock?

She decided to have a serious talk with Lin Xiuxiu, hoping she could adjust her mindset and take her work more seriously. If Lin Xiuxiu continued like this, she would have to consider replacing her.

"Comrade Lin, come here for a moment!"

"Ah, oh!" Lin Xiuxiu only snapped out of her daze when she heard Long Lifan's shout. Thinking about her earlier actions, she instantly lowered her head timidly, like a child who had done something wrong, not daring to look at Long Zhiqing. She muttered softly:

"Long Zhiqing, I'm sorry!"

"I've noticed you've been quite absent-minded lately, as if something's bothering you. Should you go back and rest for a few days?" Long Lifan said softly, her words carrying no blame, but rather a hint of concern.

Lin Xiuxiu was someone she carefully selected. It seemed that there was really no one like her in the Dongwan Brigade. Long Lifan really didn't want to replace her unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Ah, no, no need!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuxiu assumed that Long Zhiqing was going to expel her, and immediately shook her head, her words slurred with emotion. She dared not imagine what she would face if she couldn't stay at the chicken farm and returned home; perhaps her situation would be even worse than her sister's.

"Comrade Lin, you are a few years older than me, so I should call you 'sister.' There are some things I shouldn't say. But you also know that the chickens at the chicken farm are of great importance, concerning the hopes of the entire village, and cannot be allowed to go wrong in the slightest."

"Can you understand what I say?"

"I understand." Lin Xiuxiu nodded, and then said, "Don't worry, I promise I won't do it again."

"Could you tell me what happened? Of course, if it's inconvenient, then forget it."

After receiving Lin Xiuxiu's assurance, Long Lifan's expression softened slightly, but she also knew that the one who tied the knot must untie it; what use would the assurance be if she didn't find out the reason for Lin Xiuxiu's absent-mindedness?

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuxiu thought to herself, "That's right. Long Zhiqing is so capable; he might be able to help me." So she immediately told him about her worries without hiding anything.

It turns out that her younger brother had somehow fallen for a girl from the next village. This should have been a happy occasion, but the girl had one condition: that Lin Feifei marry one of her cousins ​​who shared the same surname.