CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39 CHANGES

The next day, Xia Xiao visited the Black Bear family again and got two more pheasants. After advising them to be careful, Xia Xiao left.

Every day, apart from delivering Space Spring Water to Gao Jiaxing at the Gao family, Xia Xiao began to work in the fields to earn work points and no longer went to Nanhua Mountain.

The educated youth who had gone home for the New Year had returned, but none of them were very cheerful. They had come to the countryside eager to undergo re-education by the poor and lower-middle peasants, yet after several years, they still longed to return to their hometowns.

But now there was no way to transfer back, and their household registrations were all here, so everyone was in a bad mood, especially a few of the older female youth whose faces were sullen.

The atmosphere at Youth Point was poor; people in Xia Xiao’s dormitory stopped talking. Usually, there would be laughter and chatter, but now everyone was in a foul mood.

All being city people, accustomed to urban life, the possibility of having to stay here for life—faces towards the loess and backs to the sky—was not just for the short term, nor just for three, five, ten years. A lifetime apart from loved ones, how could everyone’s hearts accept this?

"Xia Xiao, didn’t you eat, or what? You’ve been digging this hole forever. Look, Group One finished long ago, but you’re holding the whole team back, making everyone busy all morning for nothing," a woman educated youth in her early twenties vented at Xia Xiao.

That was Yang Hua from the next dorm. I heard she had a fiancé back home, but during the New Year’s visit, the man called off the engagement, and she couldn’t return to the city. Now at twenty-one, she was unwilling to settle for someone from the countryside here; her mood had been sour over the past years, making everything seem disagreeable. Xia Xiao just happened to catch the brunt of her frustration.

"Yang Hua, why take your anger out on Xia Xiao? Our group isn’t last, and the work isn’t even done. Xia Xiao may be young, but that doesn’t mean you can pick on her. She’s been making efforts and showing improvement. We should be encouraging her," Wang Aihua immediately defended Xia Xiao, expressing her displeasure to Yang Hua.

"Just keep defending her. When has she not been the one to slow us down?" Yang Hua grumbled resentfully and walked away.

Xia Xiao didn’t make a sound; she truly didn’t have much strength, and she wasn’t as quick or adept at working as the others.

"Xia Xiao, don’t take it to heart," Yang Xuehua said to Xia Xiao.

Xia Xiao nodded, "Sister Yang Hua is just in a bad mood."

Wang Aihua sighed, "Everyone is in a bad mood, not just her."

Sun Yuhua stayed silent. The inability to return to the city was indeed a severe blow for her. Sun Yuhua was also very agitated, tossing her hoe aside in frustration and sitting down.

It was now noon, and everyone broke off work to eat. Feng Ying said to Sun Yuhua, "Let’s go, we still need to eat."

Xia Xiao also went to pull Sun Yuhua up, "Sister Yuhua, don’t think too much. Life goes on."

"If we can’t return to the city, then we’ll have to find partners here," Dong Meihua said.

Wang Aihua pressed her lips together; Yang Xuehua and the others kept silent. Xia Xiao didn’t say much either. Everyone was sensitive right now, and any careless remark could ignite the powder keg in their hearts.

"I will absolutely not marry a country person," Sun Yuhua declared.

"If you can choose now, better hurry. Otherwise, the good ones will be taken, and then there’ll be no one left to choose from. By the time you’re older, how will you find someone?" Feng Ying advised.

Sun Yuhua still refused. She looked down on the local people; coming from a big city, she couldn’t find anyone appealing in this remote countryside.

Soon, Xia Xiao noticed that some of the marriage-aged female educated youth started paying attention to the male educated youth, and the males observed the females as well.

Unmarried men and women spending time together were bound to attract each other, but everyone was from all over the country, from far and wide. Even if they developed tender feelings, regional differences held them back.

Everyone thought they would eventually return to their hometowns and it would be unlikely for them to stay together, or even if they became a couple, they would eventually part ways. They also weren’t keen on leaving their own hometowns to marry into the unknown lands—mainly because it was too far from home.

But now, everyone was stuck here, unable to go back. What did that mean? It meant they would all live here, with their household registrations fallen in the production brigade—perhaps never to return.

Under these circumstances, some of the marriage-aged men and women began to softly take note of one another. Even if they were reluctant, they had to compromise with reality.

Xia Xiao realized that male educated youth were mostly looking among the female educated youth, and vice versa. The number wanting to pair with someone like He Xuexiang or He Xuebing was small, and even fewer were interested in the Gao brothers. Yet, there were still some.

After the restless period passed, the male and female educated youth started to form relationships. It seemed like spring had finally arrived at Youth Point.

But Xia Xiao knew that the desire to return home still resided in everyone’s heart. Now, the unmarried men and women were drawn together by attraction, but once the opportunity to return to the city arose, many would part ways like a flock of birds scattering.

This was a brutally realistic issue. However, it was only 1961, and there were still many years before they could return to the city. So, for now, everyone had to stay put. When the time came to go back, they would be older, and no one knew how many couples would stay together.

By the time Wang Aihua, Yang Xuehua, and Sun Yuhua received letters from their families, everyone’s faces grew dim, like flowers on the verge of wilting, losing their luster.

During this time, Xia Xiao became noticeably more diligent and efficient at work. After adapting, she caught up with the pace. With Yang Hua constantly watching, noticing that Xia Xiao wasn’t slowing down anymore and unable to find faults or reasons to criticize, she eventually stopped pestering her.

After all, Xia Xiao was not really a thirteen-year-old girl, and she was also more cautious and careful with her actions. Not only Yang Hua, but even Li Shengmei couldn’t find a reason to bother Xia Xiao now.

It was precisely because of such ’Supervisors’ like Li Shengmei and Yang Hua that Xia Xiao improved greatly; others noticed this, so the dissatisfaction with her lessened.

Moreover, now that Xia Xiao was nourished by the Space Spring Water and had meat from the Black Bear, there was a noticeable change in her.

Yang Xuehua and others, who often spent time with Xia Xiao, didn’t perceive the change as much, but others who saw Xia Xiao’s transformation were greatly impressed.

"Xia Xiao has grown taller, filled out, and become prettier too," said a woman from the production brigade.

Everyone looked and, indeed, Xia Xiao had grown taller and put on a bit of weight, as if blossoming, more graceful and lovely than before.

Zheng Xianghong said with a smile, "Wow, after a year, Xia Xiao has really changed! The young girl has bloomed and become beautiful."

"Yes, Educated Youth Xia’s skin has become fairer and more radiant."

"What did Educated Youth Xia use?"

"The same as everyone else—washing her face with water," Xia Xiao replied.

"It’s the water from the mountains that nurtures people. Educated Youth Xia is well suited for this place."

"Yes, when many educated youth first came here, they couldn’t adapt to the local conditions. But look at Educated Youth Xia; in just half a year, she’s become radiant and her looks have grown more fetching."