Year: I planted trees in Saihanba

(This is a combined chapter, so it's difficult to separate; I'm posting it all at once.)

An afternoon at Northeast Forestry University.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the lush foliage.

Like fine gold leaf, it was scattered on the winding paths of the campus.

It creates patches of dynamic light and shadow.

A gentle breeze swept by, carrying the refreshing scent unique to autumn.

The breeze quietly drifted into the girls' dormitory, gently stirring the pale blue curtains.

The curtains, like delicate wings, trembled slightly in the wind.

"Xuemei, is Minister Qin really your father?"

Li Yue'er's eyes widened, and she excitedly rushed to Qin Xuemei's side.

His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, as if he had discovered some incredible secret.

Qin Xuemei's lips curled up slightly, revealing a playful smile.

He blinked gently and said with a mysterious expression.

"Yes, but you guys have to keep it a secret for me!"

Wow, the big shot is right next to me!

Li Yue'er exaggeratedly covered her mouth, her eyes widening like copper bells, and exclaimed in surprise.

"I've finally managed to latch onto a powerful figure!"

Qin Xuemei smiled helplessly, reached out and gently patted Li Yue'er's shoulder, and said.

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense."

"But speaking of which forest farm you plan to go to after graduation?"

She changed the subject, a serious look in her eyes.

Li Yue'er's eyes lit up instantly, and she jumped up excitedly.

Her hands waved in the air like a joyful little bird.

"I plan to go to the Suzhou State-owned Forest Farm!"

"I've never been to a water town in Jiangnan before!"

Of course, what was the purpose of going to the Suzhou State-owned Forest Farm?

Perhaps only Li Yue'er herself knows the truth.

"Xuemei, what about you?"

Li Yue'er turned her head and asked with a face full of curiosity.

Qin Xuemei straightened her back, her eyes shining with determination, and spoke in a firm and powerful tone.

"I plan to go to a tough place."

"Follow Chairman Mao's call to go to the grassroots and to the most difficult places!"

"Wow, Xuemei, what an awareness you've come up with!"

Li Yue'er looked at Qin Xuemei with envy.

"I don't have your high level of awareness. I just want to go to a place with beautiful scenery."

Qin Xuemei looked around the empty dormitory, a hint of doubt in her eyes, and asked.

"By the way, where are Meng Yue and Xiao Xuan'er? Why are you the only one in the dorm?"

"Meng Yue went to mail a letter to her boyfriend."

"Xiao Xuan'er went to mail a letter to her family."

Li Yue'er answered casually.

"Meng Yue sent another letter to her boyfriend. They have such a good relationship!"

A hint of envy flashed in Qin Xuemei's eyes, a look that held a longing for beautiful love.

"Hey, by the way, Xuemei, what's the current situation between you and Wu Yansheng?"

Li Yue'er suddenly leaned closer to Qin Xuemei, her eyes full of curiosity, as if she wanted to see through Qin Xuemei's thoughts.

"Nothing's wrong, just leave it as is!"

Qin Xuemei shrugged, appearing indifferent, trying to conceal her true feelings.

"Tell me about it!"

Li Yue'er persisted, staring intently at Qin Xuemei like a curious child.

He didn't miss a single change in her expression.

"Did you two hold hands or kiss?"

Qin Xuemei listened to Li Yue'er's bold statement.

Her face flushed red instantly, like a ripe apple.

She waved her hands quickly and spoke anxiously.

"how is this possible?"

"I haven't even agreed to be his girlfriend yet, how could I hold his hand, let alone kiss him?"

Li Yue'er's eyes widened in disbelief.

His mouth was agape as if he could fit an egg in it, and he exclaimed in surprise.

"what?!"

"It's been so long, and you still haven't said yes?"

"I saw him hanging around you every day, so I thought you two had been together for a while!"

"Wu Yansheng is so good-looking, his family is well-off, and he's still devoted to you!"

"So many girls dream of having a boyfriend like him, what are you hesitating about?"

Qin Xuemei sighed helplessly, shook her head gently, and said.

"Yue'er, you can't just look at conditions when it comes to feelings."

“I admit that Wu Yansheng does have many good qualities, but I just don’t have that feeling of being attracted to him.”

"I don't want to agree to be with him without thinking, just because he's a good catch."

“This is not only irresponsible to him, but also to myself.”

"Oh dear, the feeling of being moved can't just appear out of nowhere!"

"Maybe after spending more time together, feelings will develop."

Li Yue'er persisted in trying to persuade her.

"And he's so good to you."

"You always show me concern and surprise me with all sorts of gifts, aren't you even a little bit touched?"

"I was touched, but being touched is not the same as being in love."

Qin Xuemei said earnestly, a hint of determination in her eyes.

It was as if they were upholding their own bottom line.

"I hope that I can share the same ideas as my future partner!"

"Instead of forcing yourself to be with someone just because they are a good match or treat you well."

Li Yue'er nodded as if she understood, and said.

Now that you mention it, it does make sense.

"But speaking of which, what specific standards do you have for your future partner?"

Qin Xuemei tilted her head slightly, looking out the window into the distance.

The trees on campus swayed gently in the breeze, as if listening to her secrets.

She fell into deep thought, and after a long while, she slowly spoke.

"I hope he is a responsible and accountable person."

"He understands my thoughts, supports my choices, and faces life's difficulties and challenges with me."

"Of course, most importantly, we must love each other, respect each other, and be tolerant of each other."

Listening to Qin Xuemei's words, Li Yue'er couldn't help but sigh.

"Xuemei, you have really high standards!"

"According to you, there are probably very few people in this world who meet your standards."

"I wonder if Wu Yansheng can do it."

"It's not that I have high standards, but rather that I take relationships seriously."

Qin Xuemei said with a smile, her eyes sparkling with confidence, like bright stars in the night sky.

"I believe that one day I will meet the right person."

"Before he comes along, I will work hard to improve myself and become a better person."

"Alright, it seems you already have a plan in mind."

Li Yue'er shrugged helplessly.

"I won't try to persuade you anymore, but it's tough on Wu Yansheng."

"I know Wu Yansheng is good to me, and I don't want to hurt him."

A hint of guilt flashed in Qin Xuemei's eyes.

That guilt flashed across her eyes like a dark cloud.

“I’ve told him this many times.”

"I told him not to waste his time and energy on me, but he just wouldn't listen."

"I don't know what to do."

"Why don't you give him another chance and spend some time with him?"

"Maybe after spending time with him, you'll find that he's the one you've been waiting for."

Li Yue'er suggested.

"If he supports my idea this time, then I'll give him a chance!"

Hearing Li Yue'er's words, Qin Xuemei said softly.

Qin Xuemei's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Just then, the dormitory door creaked open.

Meng Yue and Zhao Xiaoxuan walked in together, chatting and laughing.

Sunlight streamed in from behind them, bathing them in a golden glow, making them look like two joyful sprites.

"What are you two talking about? It sounds so lively."

Meng Yue asked with a smile, her face radiating youthful energy.

That smile was as radiant as a flower blooming in spring.

"We were talking about Xuemei and Wu Yansheng."

Li Yue'er spoke first.

"Xuemei hasn't agreed to Wu Yansheng's proposal yet, and I'm trying to persuade her to give him another chance."

"oh?!"

Meng Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at Qin Xuemei with interest.

"Xuemei, what are you thinking? Wu Yansheng is so outstanding, aren't you tempted?"

Qin Xuemei repeated what she had just said to Li Yue'er.

Meng Yue and Zhao Xiaoxuan both nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.

"Xuemei is right, matters of the heart cannot be forced."

Zhao Xiaoxuan blinked her bright eyes and said.

"If there's no feeling, being together won't bring happiness."

"But Wu Yansheng is also quite pitiful. He likes Xuemei so much, but Xuemei keeps rejecting him."

"I didn't want to either, but you can't force feelings, can you?"

A hint of helplessness flashed across Qin Xuemei's face.

"Alright, let's not talk about Wu Yansheng anymore, let's talk about the two of you!"

Qin Xuemei turned her gaze to Li Yue'er and Zhao Xiaoxuan.

"You two have been together for two and a half years!"

"Do you have someone you like?"

Upon hearing Qin Xuemei's question, Li Yue'er, who was usually very outgoing, began to stammer.

Her cheeks turned rosy, like a ripe apple.

The leaves on the campus rustled, as if they too were whispering secrets about her shyness.

Qin Xuemei's eyes lit up when she saw Li Yue'er's reaction.

He understood perfectly, and a sly smile appeared on his face.

"Yue'er, tell me, who do you like?"

Meng Yue also curiously came over, her face full of gossip.

"That's right, that's right! Tell us already, stop keeping us in suspense!"

Zhao Xiaoxuan was also a little curious, but her curiosity was mixed with a hint of guilt.

She lowered her head slightly, her eyes darting around, as if she were avoiding something.

Li Yue'er pursed her lips, her eyes flickering, and stammered as she spoke.

"Oh dear, I don't have anyone I like, stop making wild guesses."

"Stop pretending, your reaction tells me something's up!"

Qin Xuemei persisted, gently pushing Li Yue'er's shoulder.

"Come on, tell me! We're best friends, what can't we talk about?"

"We promise we won't tell anyone."

"Really, there isn't any, so please stop asking."

As Li Yue'er spoke, she turned her face to the side.

She tried to hide her shyness, looking just like a frightened fawn.

"Hmph, there's definitely something fishy going on!"

Meng Yue crossed her arms and pretended to be angry.

"Yue'er, if you don't tell us, don't expect us to share any more secrets with you in the future."

Unable to resist their persistent pestering, Li Yue'er could only sigh and say...

"Even if you have someone you like, it's impossible. What's the point of saying it?"

"Why is it impossible?"

Qin Xuemei asked in confusion,

"How do you know it's impossible if you haven't even tried?"

"It's just impossible."

Li Yue'er shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

The sky over the campus seemed to darken as well as she looked downcast.

"Some things can't be achieved just by trying hard."

Although Qin Xuemei didn't quite understand what Li Yue'er meant, she wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

Although they are good friends, they still need to maintain proper boundaries.

When Li Yue'er has figured it out, she will naturally share it with them.

The days went by like this day by day.

The National Day of 1959 is drawing ever closer.

The campus was decorated with lanterns and colorful flags, creating a festive atmosphere.

After class that day, Qin Xuemei and her roommates returned to their dormitory together as usual.

The afternoon sun lazily spilled into every corner of the campus.

The flowers along the roadside swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a faint fragrance.

"Ouch!"

Li Yue'er suddenly tripped and cried out in pain.

"Are you alright, Yue'er?"

Qin Xuemei felt a pang of anxiety as she looked at Li Yue'er, who had fallen to the ground.

He rushed forward to help her up.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by, causing a few leaves to fall.

Zhao Xiaoxuan also ran over and squatted down to check Li Yue'er's injuries.

"Yue'er, how are you? Does it hurt?"

"I can't breathe," Qin Xuemei asked anxiously, her eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine, I just twisted my ankle by accident."

Li Yue'er forced a smile despite the pain, but fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"No, I'll help you to the infirmary."

As Zhao Xiaoxuan spoke, she reached out to help Li Yue'er up.

"No need, Xiaoxuan, I'll be fine after a rest."

Li Yue'er said somewhat embarrassedly that she didn't want to trouble everyone with her minor injury.

"Don't be stubborn, it's better to go and check it out to put your mind at ease."

Zhao Xiaoxuan insisted, her eyes filled with determination.

"Yes, Yue'er, let's go take a look!"

Qin Xuemei and Meng Yue also offered their advice.

Supported by Zhao Xiaoxuan and Qin Xuemei, Li Yue'er limped toward the infirmary.

Meng Yue followed behind, her heart filled with worry.

Her eyes were fixed on Li Yue'er, as if afraid that something might happen to her again.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, the doctor examined Li Yue'er's injuries.

They said it was just a minor sprain, and that applying some medicine and resting for a few days would be enough.

Hearing the doctor say that, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

After leaving the infirmary, Zhao Xiaoxuan supported Li Yue'er as they walked carefully.

A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling Zhao Xiaoxuan's hair.

Her earnest expression warmed Li Yue'er's heart.

"Xiaoxuan, thank you."

Li Yue'er said softly.

"Xuemei, Yue'er, thank you too!"

"No need to thank me, we're best friends."

Zhao Xiaoxuan, Qin Xuemei, and Meng Yue all laughed and said in unison.

"You'd better be more careful in the future, and don't be so careless again."

Zhao Xiaoxuan, still feeling uneasy, gave another word of advice.

Li Yue'er nodded, looking at Zhao Xiaoxuan's smile.

The gloom in my heart seemed to have dissipated somewhat.

At that moment, the birds in the schoolyard were singing merrily.

Li Yue'er suddenly realized.

Perhaps some feelings don't necessarily have to exist in the form of love.

Being able to become good friends with someone you like and keep each other company is perhaps a kind of happiness.

……

The author wrote and deleted this chapter several times, going back and forth.

The author is not very good at depicting delicate emotions, especially those related to lesbian relationships.

If everyone can accept it, then the author will give this subplot more attention.

If you can't accept this, then this side quest ends here.