Chapter 2: The Many Faces at the Educated Youth Settlement

Noises erupted outside the house. Zhong Yuxiu quickly gathered her belongings, stashed them back under the bed, and strode out the door. At the entrance to the courtyard, a woman and four men entered in succession. The four male educated youths varied in height, all with slender frames and weary spirits; upon seeing Zhong Yuxiu, they paused in surprise, none of them speaking. Only when Sun Ruhong emerged carrying a wooden bucket did the silence break.

“You’re all back,” she said cheerfully. “Lunch is ready—wash your faces and come eat. There’s hot water in the pot, so you can choose hot or cold, as you like.”

“I’ll wash with cold water,” said the tallest of the group, turning and heading straight for the well in the courtyard.

Zhong Yuxiu’s ears perked up. That man’s voice was rather pleasant—deep and resonant, magnetic, reminiscent of an interstellar admiral she’d once known. It was a voice not easily forgotten.

“I need hot water,” the woman, Jiang Mei, said with a laugh, already heading into the kitchen.

The others followed her in; very few were eager for cold water. The heat was oppressive, the air heavy—cold water could be a shock to the system and make one ill.

“Comrade Zhong, come on, let’s carry the dishes to the main room. It’s much cooler there, so it’s more comfortable to eat.” Sun Ruhong left the bucket by the door and took Zhong Yuxiu by the hand into the kitchen.

Inside, the kitchen was crowded and stifling, the air thick with the smell of sweat—a most unpleasant mix. Zhong Yuxiu helped carry out bowls and chopsticks to the main room, then went back to help Sun Ruhong with the dishes and the lump soup. When the four male youths and Jiang Mei returned, faces washed, they took their seats at the table. Sun Ruhong pulled Zhong Yuxiu down beside her.

The tallest man glanced at Zhong Yuxiu and asked, “Comrade Zhong Yuxiu, are you feeling better?”

“She just woke up when I got back, and she even helped with the cooking,” Sun Ruhong replied with a smile. “Comrade Zhong, you already know Jiang Mei, so there’s no need for introductions.”

She gestured to the tallest man. “This is Yan Rushan, whom we usually call Comrade Yan. Next to him are Luo Jianmin, then Wang Yishan, and finally Feng Jianjun. They’re all experienced educated youths who arrived before me.”

“We all got here before you,” Jiang Mei said, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.

Sun Ruhong laughed lightly. “So you did! We’re all from different places, but it’s fate that brings us together. Comrade Zhong is still young; she was ill for two days after arriving and doesn’t know everyone yet. Let’s look after each other.”

“I will, Sister Ruhong.” Zhong Yuxiu stood to introduce herself. “I’m the youngest here, so I’ll shamelessly call you all big brothers and sisters. Brother Yan, Brother Luo, Brother Wang, Brother Feng, Sister Ruhong, Sister Jiang Mei—I’m Zhong Yuxiu. I’ve just arrived and already caused trouble. I apologize for that and hope you’ll forgive me.”

“No problem at all,” said Luo Jianmin, whose face was slightly boyish. He laughed heartily. “Comrade Zhong, you’re about the same age as my little sister. We’ll look after each other.”

Wang Yishan nodded in greeting, his manner reserved.

Feng Jianjun smiled shyly, scratched his head, and echoed, “Look after each other.”

“Just work hard while you’re here. There’s not much more to say. You don’t know what life as an educated youth is like yet, but you’ll understand soon enough. Since you’re so young, Ruhong and I will keep an eye on you. But we hope you’ll stand on your own two feet and not rely on us for everything,” Jiang Mei said, blending both warning and encouragement in her words.

Zhong Yuxiu had no objection to this. Jiang Mei was clearly a straightforward person, not one to take advantage of others.

Yan Rushan was tall, with striking features and bright, spirited eyes shadowed by a hint of gloom. “Now that you’re here, make the best of it. We’re a decent group—easy enough to get along with.”

“What do you mean, ‘easy enough’? We’re very easy to get along with,” Luo Jianmin interjected with a grin. “Don’t mind Yan Rushan, Comrade Zhong; we’re all friendly.”

Yan Rushan gave him a cool glance and said to Zhong Yuxiu, “Stay away from him. He’s always grinning like that—can’t be up to any good.”

Luo Jianmin clicked his tongue in mock indignation, but Yan Rushan ignored him, so he gave up. “Let’s eat, shall we? I’m starving.”

“Yes, let’s eat,” said Feng Jianjun, smiling as he filled a bowl for Yan Rushan first, then for the women, and finally for himself and the other men.

Luo Jianmin took a sip of the lump soup and sighed in contentment. “It’s wonderful to have lump soup. I wish we could have it every day.”

“The sun’s not set yet,” said Wang Yishan, a man of few words and little humor.

“Even if it was, dreams wouldn’t bring us lump soup,” Luo Jianmin shot back, earning a glare from Wang Yishan.

With lump soup and a plate of wild greens, everyone ate heartily and left the table satisfied. After the meal, Luo Jianmin and Yan Rushan gathered up the dishes to wash, which Zhong Yuxiu found rather novel.

“At our educated youth station, the men don’t cook—we women do the cooking. The men handle the dishes, clean up the kitchen, and sweep the yard,” Sun Ruhong explained.

“Division of labor, everyone with their own tasks—very sensible,” Zhong Yuxiu nodded approvingly. In her predecessor’s memories, men who volunteered to cook or wash dishes were rare; even in the interstellar era, men rarely did such chores.

Jiang Mei had been observing Zhong Yuxiu throughout the meal. After just a short time together, she found herself liking the newcomer—the girl had good manners, a pleasant appearance, and knew how to conduct herself. The only question was whether she could endure hardship.

“Come on, let’s get some rest. When the gong sounds, we’ll have to get up and rush to the fields again,” Jiang Mei said.

Sun Ruhong nodded and, calling Zhong Yuxiu, headed back to the room. The men, with nothing else to do, also went to rest.

When the gong sounded, Zhong Yuxiu finally understood Jiang Mei’s earlier warning. The clanging was so loud and piercing that it was impossible to ignore.

“Jiang Mei, Comrade Zhong, hurry up and get up—we have to gather, or the team leader will have words with us,” Sun Ruhong called, hastily pulling on shoes as she got out of bed.

Jiang Mei, used to it, rolled over and sat up. Zhong Yuxiu was still groggy; her body, just recovering from illness, craved sleep. But no matter how sleepy she was, she had to get up, dress, and follow the others out.

Heat pressed down like a heavy blanket, the sun blazing fiercely overhead, scorching both skin and spirit. The seven of them hurried to the drying field—a wide, open space where rows of harvested rice were spread out. The commune members crowded around the brigade leader, those nearest him enjoying a patch of shade.

“Dong, dong, dong…”

With a few strikes of the gong, the brigade leader quieted the crowd. “Is everyone here?”

“We’re here,” the commune members replied languidly.

He struck the gong again. “Good. I have a few words—then we’ll get back to work.”

“Everyone, stay strong. We must fear neither hardship nor fatigue. We need the iron will to never give up. Are you tired?”

No matter how listless, the group was compelled to muster up some spirit. The atmosphere shifted, and suddenly everyone was full of energy, shouting as one.

“Tired? Think of the revolutionary forebears!”

“Are you afraid of hardship?”

“Hardship? Think of the Long March—twenty-five thousand li!”

“Alright, off you go. Finish the land assigned to you today, or you’ll lose work points.” With a wave of his hand, the brigade leader dismissed them, and the crowd dispersed.

Jiang Mei instructed the male educated youths to start working, then turned with Sun Ruhong to lead Zhong Yuxiu up to the brigade leader.