Chapter Six: The Squad Leader and the Educated Youth Station

Thanks to the halo effect surrounding the male and female protagonists, Yun Shu’s group was assigned to Fengsheng Brigade, a well-known affluent brigade in the entire county.

The initial visible difference was that the tractor sent to pick up the educated youth stood out conspicuously among the many ox carts.

Since the busy farming season hadn’t officially started yet, the tractor wasn’t urgently needed for work. In a rural environment where locals were somewhat resistant to educated youth, Fengsheng Brigade’s willingness to dispatch a tractor to fetch them was already a clear sign of goodwill and favorable treatment.

At the very least, they didn’t have to walk dozens of miles on foot, exhausted while carrying heavy bags, during their relocation to the countryside.

Yang Yue also refrained from causing trouble at an inappropriate time. After the brigade leader, Xie Jingquan, verified their identities and names, the six of them climbed onto the tractor amidst the admiring gazes of the other educated youth nearby.

The tractor’s cargo bed was very large but had no seats whatsoever. The only two raised areas were positioned above the wheels, and the bumps on the rural dirt roads made riding it feel like being on a catapult for those with lighter weights, making it easy to be thrown off.

Therefore, even though the male educated youth were courteous and offered seats, Yun Shu and Lin Jingshu chose not to sit. Instead, they stood at the front, gripping the railing tightly to prevent themselves from being flung out.

The male youth imitated this stance and stood steadily. Only Yang Yue, thinking herself clever by taking one of the side seats, was tossed around violently by the uneven rural roads, bruising several parts of her body.

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The brigade leader driving silently up front observed the situation behind him. A quick glance gave him a rough understanding of the relationships among these new educated youth and, more importantly, who was the cleverest.

Whether these youth got along or not was not something Xie Jingquan cared about. His only concern was ensuring that these individuals would not hinder the progress of Fengsheng Brigade.

Having served as brigade leader here for many years and earning unanimous respect and trust, Xie Jingquan was well-equipped with vision and skill. He had himself received an education, and his three sons had been raised well—one became a soldier, another an urban worker, and the eldest served as the militia captain of the brigade. His authority in Fengsheng Brigade was unmatched.

He demanded that villagers and team members not ostracize or bully the educated youth. He treated them equally, distributing work and labor points fairly. Even for the brigade’s elementary school teaching positions—which were respectable and relatively easy—he allowed educated youth to apply and compete for them. Whoever was competent would get the job; there was no mentality of reserving benefits solely for local villagers.

Correspondingly, he exercised strict management over the educated youth in other aspects.

Issues of character were inevitable; minor laziness or shirking were dealt with impartially by the brigade leader—he had no patience for arguing.

You reap what you sow: if you didn’t work enough, you’d go hungry—no one was allowed to take advantage.

When the educated youth collected wild herbs or hunted small game like pheasants or rabbits in the mountains, they were not required to share with villagers, although larger game like wild boars were an exception.

Male and female educated youth were allowed to marry locals and form families without issue. But if a male educated youth deceived a local girl’s affections or behaved irresponsibly, or if a female educated youth dangled a young man to gain benefits while refusing to take responsibility, Xie Jingquan would not tolerate such behavior. Cases were reported to the youth affairs office for disciplinary action, and serious offenders were sent to labor reform farms.

This strict and impartial character earned him immense respect and prevented anyone from causing trouble under his watch.

In the original story, the local troublemaker was caught and ended up marrying Yang Yue. For the sake of reputation and future prospects, the two of them firmly denied any scheming against the female lead Lin Jingshu and the male lead Jiang Xiucheng. Their mutual affection was what saved both the troublemaker and Yang Yue’s lives.

Otherwise, the brigade leader was truly capable of sending both troublemaker and Yang Yue to the police station to “eat peanuts”—a euphemism for detention—since issues of conduct were taken very seriously at that time, especially involving educated youth.

Of course, the educated youth generally appreciated such a brigade leader because fairness and justice were precisely what they most needed.

Not all brigades were so welcoming; some had leaders who openly suppressed the educated youth.

Ultimately, in that era, the prevailing mindset was “don’t let fertile water flow to outsiders’ fields.” No matter how much effort the educated youth put in, villagers and collective members saw them as competitors taking their share. It was not uncommon for female educated youth to be bullied by local ruffians with no recourse, or for male educated youth to be forced into marriages with local girls through deception.

But within Fengsheng Brigade, under Xie Jingquan’s command, Yun Shu felt reassured about the past two years of life here. Beyond what was described in the book, her brief interactions had given her a clear sense of the conduct and interpersonal attitudes she would need to adopt in the coming years.

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The brigade leader’s surname was Xie. The village was predominantly composed of people with the surname Xie, making it the main family clan of Fengsheng Brigade—a society with strong ancestral ties.

The second largest family name was Lin, headed by the deputy brigade leader. However, there was no intrigue or rivalry between the two families; instead, they maintained harmonious relations. This was largely because the deputy leader’s daughter was married to the brigade leader’s son.

Yun Shu found the brigade leader very likable and looked forward to residing in this place for the next two years. Her original home in her past life was also in the Northeast, but she had left with her parents at a very young age. In a way, detached from worldly concerns, she harbored a certain longing for the hardships her parents endured in their youth and for her hometown.

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Before the tractor could jostle them to pieces, after roughly an hour of travel, the group finally arrived at Fengsheng Brigade.

The youth relocation site was somewhat remote, located on the outskirts of the brigade. Therefore, the brigade leader drove through the whole village to directly bring them to the spot.

Along the way, villagers frequently greeted the brigade leader. The tractor’s rumbling drowned out their voices, so Yun Shu and the others could barely hear, only noticing the leader’s laughter and teasing in response.

Upon arrival, Yun Shu saw the youth site she had only read about in the book. Unexpectedly, it was much better than she had imagined.

The site was spacious. The large courtyard, enclosed by a fence, was surrounded by small private plots where cabbage and radish were planted, along with a well and two outhouses at opposite corners. Inside the courtyard were three buildings arranged in the shape of a traditional three-sided compound. However, the tall main house in the center looked quite old, unlike the two shorter houses on either side, which appeared newer and had been converted into small individual rooms.

After parking the tractor, and seeing the group unload their luggage, the brigade leader, smoking a traditional pipe, stepped forward to introduce the place.

“The main house and the two side rooms are all large dormitories, each room housing about ten people. The male youth’s room still has three beds available, and the female youth’s room has four beds left. Two female youth married local young men and moved out.”

“The advantage of this main house is that it’s free of charge because it’s designated by the youth affairs office and the brigade for the placement of educated youth. Both rooms on either side have stoves against the walls, and the central hall can accommodate a table, so in winter, it saves firewood for cooking and heating.”

“The downside is that it’s a bit cramped, with no... oh, private space, and everyone eats communal meals. But having many people around is lively.”

Although the brigade leader could tell that Yun Shu’s group came from relatively well-off families, he still went through the routine introductions.