Chapter 31: Unexpected Guests

Chapter 31: Unexpected Guests

It must be said, Uncle Gu’s skill in building the heated brick bed was truly exceptional. He finished it in less than an hour, and the bed was neatly constructed, both fast and of high quality.

“The new bed can’t be slept on just yet. You need to slowly heat it by burning firewood until all the dampness in the mud dries out completely,” Gu Zhenxing explained.

Fearing that Ye Qing, being from the south, might not know how to use the brick bed, Gu Zhenxing carefully taught her how to stoke the bed, meticulously reminding her over and over again.

Ye Qing attentively noted all these precautions. Before the Gu family left, she handed the prescriptions for the prenatal medicine she had promised to Gu Weixi to Yang Dazhi.

“I’ve prescribed relatively common herbs. You can go to the commune health station tomorrow to see if you can gather all the medicines on the list. If not, come find me again, and I’ll go into the mountains to collect the missing herbs,” Ye Qing said.

The three of them were immensely grateful upon hearing this. Yang Dazhi even patted his chest and declared, “Sister, whenever you want to go into the mountains, just call me. I’ll be your guide anytime!”

Ye Qing did indeed plan to go into the mountains. Ever since she arrived at Changbai Mountain, the strange energy within her had been in a state of insatiable hunger, constantly urging her to go into the mountains for a hearty feast.

However, if Yang Dazhi were to escort her, her movements might not be so convenient.

Being new to the area, she did need someone to lead the way; otherwise, she might not be able to find her way out. After all, Changbai Mountain was not only densely forested with vast vegetation, but it was also filled with various dangers, including countless types of wild beasts. If one were to encounter them, it wouldn’t be a joke.

Ye Qing didn’t refuse Yang Dazhi’s kindness. The matter of absorbing wood energy couldn’t be rushed. She needed to get familiar with the area with the help of the locals first.

After seeing off the Gu family, it was already past 9 PM. Ye Qing quickly boiled hot water for Murong Ah Po to wash up. Once lying on the heated bed, she began to perform acupuncture on the old lady.

Glaucoma and cataracts were mainly treated with surgery in later generations, supplemented by medication. But that was based on the increasingly precise and advanced medical instruments of later times. In this era, such methods were certainly impossible to achieve.

Fortunately, Ye Qing had her strange energy and powerful flying needle skills. The combination of these two, through constant stimulation of acupoints and meridians, could also achieve good therapeutic effects.

The first acupuncture session lasted a bit longer, about an hour. Perhaps it was because the feeling of the healing energy entering her body was too comfortable. By the time Ye Qing removed the dense array of flying needles around the old lady’s eyes, Murong Ah Po had already dozed off.

Ye Qing had anticipated this situation, so she had the old lady prepare for bed before the treatment. Now that the person was asleep, Ye Qing covered her with a blanket and left the room.

She hadn’t forgotten that those scattered rice grains she picked from the field during the day still needed to be planted. It was convenient to do this late at night when no one would come to the village’s end.

After evenly spreading the rice grains on the small private plot in the yard, it was time for energy catalysis.

Although her energy had reached level two, it didn’t mean the wood energy in her body could be used at will. In fact, the amount of catalysis at level two was still limited. For annual herbaceous plants like rice, she could catalyze two to three acres a day.

For perennial trees, the energy consumed for a single plant was dozens of times that of herbaceous plants. To make a tree grow to the point of flowering and fruiting, catalyzing fifty plants in a day would be her energy limit.

Of course, with just a few handfuls of rice seeds, weighing only about 100 grams, Ye Qing could handle it.

After covering it with energy, in just three to five minutes, the small private plot in the yard was filled with golden rice ears.

After finishing her work in the field, Ye Qing had greeted the aunt in charge of the tool storage room to borrow a sickle for weeding the yard. The aunt didn’t suspect anything and simply registered it before letting her take the tool back.

Now, Ye Qing once again put her rice-cutting skills to use, quickly harvesting the rice.

A small bag of rice seeds, covering less than 100 square meters, but because Ye Qing used her energy to stimulate the excellent genes of the rice seeds, the rice produced full and plump grains, with long and heavy rice ears almost bending the stalks.

As a result, after harvesting, these rice ears filled four large burlap sacks, estimated to weigh nearly 200 jin after threshing.

Ye Qing was very satisfied with this. She wasn’t greedy and stopped after catalyzing this batch, planning to wait until these grains were eaten before doing more. After all, nearly 200 jin of high-quality rice would yield 130 to 140 jin of white rice, enough for her and the old lady to eat for several months.

After moving all the rice to the cellar for storage and returning to the ground, Ye Qing extracted the remaining energy from the stalks and rice stubble left in the yard, bundled up the straw, and put it in the woodshed. The straw, having lost its vitality, was completely dried out and perfect for kindling.

It was only when she was about to leave the woodshed that Ye Qing noticed the old hen trapped under a wicker basket.

Being locked in the house for almost ten hours without food or water, if the hen could speak, it would probably have cursed by now.

Feeling embarrassed, Ye Qing quickly apologized to the hen that was about to get angry:

“I’m sorry. I’ve never raised any living creatures other than humans and completely forgot to prepare food for you. You should remind me next time, maybe by laying an egg and clucking or something. For being a meritorious servant, I’ll happily feed you!”

Saying that, Ye Qing grabbed a handful of corn and sorghum flour and pinched some old vegetable leaves from the old lady’s private plot in the yard, chopped them up, and brought them in.

The old hen, seeing that there was finally food, flapped her wings excitedly. As Ye Qing was about to put down the food bowl, she noticed the hen looked a bit thin, so she kindly added a bit of wood energy to the meal to give the hen a little boost.

The special meal, of course, tasted extraordinary. The old hen ate so eagerly that she didn’t even cluck.

Ye Qing didn’t stay in the woodshed. Being reminded by the hen, she remembered that the fence in the yard had already aged, with several holes. If she were to raise chickens in the yard, she would need to fix the fence first.

However, this wasn’t difficult for her. With her vines, she could easily cover the entire fence and patch up all the holes by just throwing them on.

To avoid being detected, Ye Qing didn’t let the vines spread outward. They only grew within the fence and were only two-thirds the height of the original fence. Unless someone frequently walked around the yard and paid special attention to the condition of Murong Ah Po’s fence, they wouldn’t notice much change in one night.

Murong Ah Po was blind, and the only person who often visited was Aunt Gu. But recently, Gu Weixi had signs of a miscarriage, and Aunt Gu would definitely be busy taking care of her daughter and wouldn’t have time to come over. Therefore, Ye Qing wasn’t worried about her little adjustments being discovered.

After finally patching up the yard, Ye Qing conveniently wove a chicken coop in a corner of the yard by the wall and lined it with dry straw, preparing to move the old hen outside.

To her great surprise, in just the short time she had been out, the old hen had not only finished all the food in the bowl but had also quietly laid an egg!

Seeing Ye Qing come in, the old hen puffed out her chest and clucked twice proudly as if inviting praise.

Curiously, Ye Qing picked up the warm egg, still hot to the touch.

She couldn’t help but give the hen a thumbs-up.

Given how proactive this hen was in contributing, Ye Qing decided to give her extra meals and nourishment in the future to fatten her up and get more eggs!

Just as Ye Qing was about to squat down to catch the hen, the old hen suddenly fluffed up her feathers, fanned her wings, and backed away with a frightened expression, assuming a fighting stance.

Ye Qing was startled and also felt that something was off, so she immediately turned her head back.

In doing so, she met the greenish-yellow eyes of a pair of eyes in the darkness.

Oh my god!

Ye Qing was frightened by those eyes, and the vine in her hand almost transformed into a whip to lash out.

After taking a deep breath to calm down, she finally got a clear look at the uninvited guest.

The half-closed eyes emitted an eerie light, but under the dim moonlight of the night, she could still vaguely make out its figure. It was about a foot tall, with a long tail, and its sneaky, wild behavior—this thing was a weasel, wasn't it?

The key point was that this weasel was quite bold. Even after being discovered by Ye Qing, it didn’t run away. Instead, it tentatively took a small step forward with its tiny paws.

Ye Qing’s internal alarm bells went off. She thought the weasel was there to steal her chicken and immediately turned around to protect her precious hen.

No joke, whether her household would be able to eat eggs in the days to come depended on this hen. If the weasel bit it, all her future steamed egg custards, poached eggs, fried eggs, and omelets would be ruined.

Ye Qing assumed a defensive stance, ready to whip the weasel with the vine in her hand at any moment.

But the weasel didn’t seem to care about her at all. The little guy dashed straight into the woodshed, completely ignoring Ye Qing’s defensive setup. It went straight for the feed bowl next to the hen.

It then licked clean the leftover grain that the hen hadn’t finished.

Ye Qing thought to herself, "Hmm, this is hard to comment on."

She was dumbfounded by the scene of the weasel noisily eating the chicken feed. It took her a few seconds to realize that the weasel must have smelled the wood-type ability she had mixed into the feed. It had come into the woodshed to compete with the hen for food! Was this thing turning into a spirit? Its nose was incredibly sharp!

Ye Qing was left both amused and exasperated by the weasel’s antics.

Seeing the little yellow creature hunched over the empty feed bowl, licking it clean, Ye Qing found the sight both comical and pitiful. After some thought, she got up and went to the cellar, pulling out two sweet potatoes. After infusing them with a bit of wood-type ability, she offered them to the weasel, who looked like it was starving.

The weasel was startled by Ye Qing’s approach, its eyes flashing a fierce look, baring its teeth as if ready to pounce at any moment. But at the instant Ye Qing offered the two sweet potatoes, it paused, its nose twitching slightly. Its bristled fur became docile again, and its high-held tail dropped down.

Ye Qing placed the sweet potatoes on the ground and took a couple of steps back to a safe distance.

The weasel hesitated for less than two seconds before grabbing a sweet potato and starting to gnaw on it.

Then, with a gleam in its eyes, it stuffed the sweet potato into its mouth, grabbed the other one, and ran off.

As it reached the doorway, it turned its head back to look at Ye Qing with those greenish-yellow eyes once more before disappearing into the night.

Only then did Ye Qing notice that the weasel had climbed over the fence surrounding the yard. It was agile, scaling the two-meter-high fence with ease, much to Ye Qing’s secret surprise.

So, the fence she had put up was essentially for nothing, wasn’t it?

Ye Qing turned her head back and stroked her chin thoughtfully as she looked at the old hen trembling in the corner.

The more she looked, the more she doubted whether it was safe to keep the hen in the yard. Would it get stolen by the weasel while she was out working?

She had originally planned to let the hen roam free in the yard, but now Ye Qing abandoned that idea.

She decided it was better to keep it in the woodshed for now. Maybe later, when she had time, she would build a more secure coop with a higher level of protection. Otherwise, she was afraid that all her efforts in raising the hen would end up benefiting the weasel, and that would be such a loss!

For the next two days, Ye Qing’s life in the village continued as usual, gradually falling into a routine, and she adapted well, feeling increasingly relaxed and at ease in this new environment.

However, human joys and sorrows are often not shared.

The other educated youths who had come to the countryside with her were all complaining bitterly, some getting injured, others falling ill, living in what seemed like a hellish ordeal, constantly on the verge of breaking down.

With Aunt Gu around, Ye Qing quickly integrated into the group of middle-aged women in the village. While working, she happily watched the educated youths put on their little dramas, and from time to time, she even got to eat the freshest gossip. It’s fair to say that she was living a pretty fulfilling life every day.

The female educated youth she rescued from the river that day, Meng Jia, had developed a high fever on the night of the incident and it took two days for her to recover.

Once she recovered, this female educated youth resumed work.

And then, this comrade Meng Jia began her revenge mission, with a speed and combat effectiveness that was off the charts.

On the very day she resumed work, she pinned another female educated youth, Liu Mei, into the rice field and beat her up, pressing a sickle against the girl's face, warning her to watch out. The female educated youth was so scared that she peed her pants on the spot.

After that, Meng Jia claimed that she had accidentally lost her watch while gathering wild vegetables and deliberately led a group of villagers to help search for it. When they reached a deserted thatched hut at the foot of the mountain, they startled a pair of wild mandarin ducks inside.

Zhao Ma Zi and Widow Zhang were caught in the act in the hut by the entire village, which made the Captain and Zhao Ma Zi’s father so furious that they were just about ready to throw the shameless pair into the pond.

At that time, the city took a hard line on such lewd behavior, but in this remote mountain village, it was mostly the Captain's word that counted, and it wouldn’t escalate to the point of sending them to the authorities.

If it had been anyone else in the village, people might just spit and curse a bit, and at worst, Zhao Ma Zi and the widow would get a marriage certificate and become a real couple to quiet everyone down.

But Zhao Ma Zi had made enemies of everyone by stealing from one household after another.

Now, with everyone in the village watching, no one was willing to let it slide. They all clamored to parade the adulterous pair around the village so everyone could throw rotten vegetables and bad eggs at them.

The Captain felt exhausted. He wasn’t stupid, and after reviewing the entire incident, he understood what had happened.

Zhao Ma Zi’s infidelity was a fact, but it was the female educated youth Meng Jia who had stirred up the villagers’ pent-up resentment.

It was truly a case of even a rabbit biting when cornered. These city-educated youths seemed quiet and unassuming, but when it came to scheming, they were ruthless and not to be underestimated.

But now that things had come to this, what could be done?

Zhao Ma Zi had angered the crowd, and even if Wu Yongbing wanted to go easy on him, he would still have to ask the villagers if they agreed.

Moreover, this female educated youth had clearly planned ahead.

If he didn’t deal with Zhao Ma Zi seriously, this female educated youth would dare to make a fuss all the way to the commune or even the county. Once the authorities got involved, things would really spiral out of control.

If it reached that point, the final outcome of the entire incident would be beyond the control of a small production team leader like him.

So, after much thought, Wu Yongbing decided not to be soft-hearted.

In the end, both Zhao Ma Zi and the widow were punished by Wu Yongbing to clean out latrines. Additionally, when winter comes, the two of them will be forcibly sent for river work to reclaim wasteland, with punishment lasting three years and no work points counted!

What is river work and reclaiming wasteland?

It refers to the dredging and opening of river channels, the construction of reservoirs and dams, as well as the cultivation of new farmland.

At this time, Beidahuang, known as Beidahuang, gets its name because of its unique terrain.

Many river basins, valleys, and plains are part of vast wastelands. To turn these into fertile farmland or to build irrigation channels for farmland, the amount of work required is enormous.

At that time, there weren’t many construction machines available. Unlike later generations where excavators could easily level the land, back then, the reclamation of wasteland and the construction of river embankments could only be done manually, requiring a large number of able-bodied laborers to participate in these major projects.

Moreover, these projects were usually carried out in late autumn and the coldest winter months because spring, summer, and early autumn were dedicated to farming within each production team, leaving no time for such work.

By convention, when labor was conscripted for these projects, each family was generally required to send a young adult. In the freezing winter, where temperatures dropped to minus tens of degrees, these people had to go out with shovels and hoes to reclaim land. They had to bring their own clothes and food, and even dig simple underground shelters where they would live for several months.

In short, whether it was river work or reclaiming wasteland, the hardships were unimaginable, and ordinary people without resilience really couldn’t endure it.

Now that Captain Wu said he would punish this disgraced couple by making them do this work for three years, everyone had nothing to say about the punishment decision.

The older educated youths were especially shocked, secretly gasping at how harsh it was, thinking it was too ruthless.

Only Meng Jia stood silently among the crowd, locking eyes with Captain Wu for a while before turning to leave.

But Captain Wu knew that she had gotten the outcome she wanted and wouldn’t pursue the matter any further.

Ye Qing had to be informed by Aunt Gu about what river work and reclaiming wasteland meant. Seeing Zhao Ma Zi getting his due punishment, Ye Qing really didn’t feel any sympathy.

She knew that Meng Jia had been schemed against when she fell into the water. At least on the surface, among those involved in that incident were Liu Mei, who was beaten, and Zhao Ma Zi. As for whether there were other masterminds behind it, Ye Qing didn’t know.

Originally, she thought Meng Jia was a naive girl who could be easily bullied, but now she saw that when this girl struck back, she did so with blood and resolve, and she did it cleanly and decisively, making Ye Qing want to praise her: “Well done!”

This girl’s temperament matched Ye Qing’s, making her somewhat want to befriend this older sister.

Ye Qing was a little eager to make a move, but before she could send out any friendly signals, that older sister came to her doorstep.

After watching the spectacle with Zhao Ma Zi and the widow, after work, Ye Qing went home and grabbed a bag of rice, preparing to go to the water-powered mill to pound rice. But just as she was about to leave, she ran into Meng Jia, who had come to thank her.

Seeing that Ye Qing was heading to the mill, the girl didn’t waste any time and directly took a silk scarf out from her bosom, handing it to Ye Qing:

“Ye Qing, I nearly drowned, and it was thanks to your help that I survived. I’ve wanted to come and thank you in person for days, but I’ve been running a fever and couldn’t make it.”

“This is a silk scarf I brought from my hometown. It’s been sitting in my chest for a long time without being worn. I’m giving it to you as a small gift. I hope you won’t dislike it.”

Ye Qing hurriedly tried to decline, but seeing that Meng Jia was sincere and not just being polite, she accepted it with a smile.

Noticing that Ye Qing was going to the mill, Meng Jia immediately stepped forward to help. The two of them carried the bag and walked towards the river while chatting casually.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but praise her for what she had done that day:

“Today, the way you dealt with that scoundrel Zhao was really satisfying!”

Meng Jia was taken aback for a moment, then bitterly smiled: “Satisfying? But many of the educated youth think I went too far, especially since I hit Liu Mei. They think I’m ruthless. Now, those people keep their distance from me, afraid of getting involved.”

“And I’ve offended Captain Wu this time. He knows that I schemed this whole thing, and he was forced to deal with Zhao Ma Zi and Widow Zhang. He must have taken note of this and will probably find a way to make things difficult for me later.”

Hearing this, Ye Qing frowned:

“Captain Wu shouldn’t hold a grudge, right? It’s not your fault. They provoked you first, and you were just retaliating. If you suffer a grievance, aren’t you allowed to fight back? There’s no such rule anywhere!”

Ye Qing’s words made Meng Jia’s expression even more bitter and conflicted.

Obviously, this educated youth had just arrived and didn’t fully understand the complex relationships in this village, which was why her thoughts were still so naive.

“Do you know the three major family names in this village?” Meng Jia suddenly asked an unexpected question.

Ye Qing shook her head, confused: “What do you mean?”

Meng Jia explained: “In Kanshan Tun, the Wu, Zhao, and Gu families make up the majority, with the Wu family being the largest, followed by the Zhao and Gu families.”

“Among them, a girl from the Zhao family married Wu Min, the second son of Captain Wu, so the Wu and Zhao families are connected by marriage.”

“That’s why, despite Zhao Ma Zi’s misdeeds over the years, no one has actively tried to remove this tumor.”

“Because half of the village is related by blood or marriage, even though Zhao Ma Zi is despicable, people in the village are hesitant to act, fearing that if they punish Zhao Ma Zi, they might secretly offend a large number of people.”

“Today, I pushed for this to happen, giving everyone a chance to unite against a common enemy and act with justified cause. Now that everyone’s guns are aimed at Zhao Ma Zi, no one has to be the first to take action. It was inevitable that he would be punished.”

“But as a relative by marriage of the Zhao family, Captain Wu knows that I, an outsider, schemed this, and he’s probably not happy about it.”

“And the other members of the Zhao family aren’t fools. They’ll probably figure it out after some thought.”

“Even to pacify the Zhao Laozhu family, Captain Wu will have to make things difficult for me, or else how can he explain it to them? Where will the Zhao family vent their frustrations?”

Ye Qing was shocked and speechless, never having imagined that there would be so many intricacies in such a small village at the foot of a mountain.

She couldn’t help but feel anxious for this educated youth’s situation and asked with furrowed brows:

“Then what are you going to do?”

Meng Jia shrugged, indicating she had no solution:

“I’ll deal with things as they come. I’ll try to maneuver as much as possible, and if not, I’ll just take the hit. Life’s journey isn’t always smooth sailing. As long as it doesn’t harm lives or my dignity, and as long as my marriage isn’t schemed against, suffering a bit and learning a lesson isn’t a big deal.”

Ye Qing thought her words made a lot of sense and found herself not knowing what to say.

But if this had happened to her, she probably wouldn’t handle it the same way because she was the type who would rather break than bend, absolutely unwilling to take a loss.

If he was going to teach them a lesson, he had to take them down and make an example out of them, even if it meant hurting himself in the process. She would go all out to scare others into knowing she wasn’t someone to mess with.

But people have different personalities and ways of thinking, and Meng Jia’s ability to be both flexible and resilient was admirable. At least Ye Qing appreciated this girl, as she was the first peer she had met in this era that she thought was worth getting to know better.

“Where are you from? How long have you been sent down to Kaoshan Village?” Ye Qing asked curiously.

Meng Jia smiled and said, “I’m from Yan City, which is quite close to Ji City. The mandatory ‘Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside’ policy was implemented early there. I’ve been here for two years. Last year, I almost got into the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University, but unfortunately, I was unlucky. I got my period on the day of the commune exam and had terrible stomach pains. By the last exam, I couldn’t concentrate at all, and I missed first place by just one point.”

As she spoke, Meng Jia looked a little disappointed.

This was another blind spot for Ye Qing:

“Wait, you can get into the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University just by taking a commune exam?”

Seeing Ye Qing’s confused expression, Meng Jia quickly explained, “Last year, two colleges in Ji City resumed enrollment on a trial basis. Worker-Peasant-Soldier units across various provinces and cities were allowed to recommend talented individuals to attend university. Our Red Flag Commune was also allocated one spot.”

“So, to ensure fairness, the Red Flag Commune organized a public exam last year. Anyone who met the requirements could sign up, and the person with the highest score would get the spot at the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University.”

Ye Qing was somewhat curious. "Do you mean it hasn't started this year yet? But it's almost October now. When does this university actually start?"

"It's quite normal. Last year, the public exams began after the busy farming season ended, around late November. By December, the results were out, and the nominations were submitted. By the time of the Lunar New Year, admission letters would arrive, and we could start school in spring."

Meng Jia smiled and asked Ye Qing,

"Do you want to participate this year? If so, you'll need to find some time to review your studies. The public exam covers four subjects: Chinese, mathematics, political ideology, and general knowledge. It includes content from elementary, middle, and high school. If you need, I can lend you the notes I've compiled."

Ye Qing immediately shook her head vigorously.

"No, no, I won't participate."

She wasn't interested in this worker-peasant-soldier university at all. After finally coming to the Changbai Mountains, she hadn't even gone into the mountains to absorb the spiritual energy. It would be crazy to trouble herself by going back to the city!

Life in the countryside was great. She could farm, grow vegetables, and raise chickens. When she had free time, she could go into the mountains to hunt or fish by the river. Life was so comfortable and fulfilling, a thousand times better than in the city!

However, Ye Qing could tell that Meng Jia seemed very eager to attend this university. She was probably around twenty years old. If she continued to waste her time in the village, she might soon face pressure to marry a local farmer.

But this girl clearly had ambitions and dreams. If she were to marry and settle down in this small mountain village, she might feel regret and dissatisfaction for the rest of her life.

Thinking of the large wave of educated youth returning to the city after the resumption of the college entrance examinations, many young men and women abandoned their marriages and children to return to the city. Ye Qing couldn't help but feel concerned that Meng Jia might also end up being part of this wave.

She felt compelled to remind her:

"Since you were only a little short last year, you should have a good chance this year. But even if it doesn't work out this time, don't be discouraged. If it doesn't work in one year, then three, five, eight, or even ten years, what's the difference? As you said, life isn't always smooth sailing. I believe that with enough determination and perseverance, you'll eventually achieve your goals and dreams. After all, opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared. Don't you agree?"

This kind of "toxic chicken soup for the soul" would likely be scoffed at by young people of later generations, but for Meng Jia, who lacked spiritual understanding and support, these words resonated deeply.

The people around her, including her parents, had advised her to give up on the idea of attending university. They believed it wasn't necessary for a girl to study so much and constantly reminded her that she was already twenty-one. She needed to find a suitable partner and start a family soon, or she would become an old maid with fewer choices.

But Meng Jia was unwilling to accept her fate. She didn't want to be stuck in this impoverished village forever. She believed that if she could pass the exams and leave, she would one day soar like an eagle in the blue sky.

Meng Jia felt an instant surge of powerful energy from Ye Qing's words, and her resolve became unshakable, no matter how big the storms ahead might be.

"Ye Qing, thank you so much. The saying that opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared is truly philosophical. I've decided to adopt it as my motto!"

Seeing the bright, hopeful look in Meng Jia's eyes, Ye Qing couldn't help but smile too.

When they arrived at the water mill, Ye Qing poured the rice from the sack into the water mortar.

The mill, built by the Duck River, used the water current to power the mortar, allowing for automatic rice pounding. However, the speed of pounding was affected by the water flow. If the water level in the river dropped and the current slowed, the mortar's speed would decrease, and it might even stop working altogether.

While waiting for the rice to be pounded, Ye Qing chatted casually with Meng Jia. For some reason, a scene from Captain Wu's house suddenly flashed in her mind, where Wu Yueying had questioned her about why she saved someone from the river.

She had been very puzzled about one question: what kind of deep hatred would make one female educated youth push another into the river and even try to entangle her with a local ruffian, attempting to ruin her life?

But after talking with Meng Jia for a while, Ye Qing suddenly realized a terrifying point, and the more she thought about it, the more chilling it became.

She immediately looked up and asked Meng Jia urgently,

"Last year, in the commune exams, you were only one point behind the top scorer. Is this result known to everyone?"

Meng Jia nodded, not understanding why.

"Yes, the commune needs to publicly post the scores of the top ten and the exam papers so everyone knows who received the nomination. If there's no public display, there might be suspicions of foul play."

Clearly, Meng Jia didn't see anything wrong with this practice.

Ye Qing, however, was greatly shocked in her heart, realizing where the problem lay.

It was true that the first-place candidate had fairly and justly received the admission letter from the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University and had happily returned to the city for school.

But those who hadn’t passed the exam might not be so willing to give up.

Naturally, these people would have to try again the next year.

But deep down, did they really have no idea whether they could succeed?

If they knew their scores were too low to have any chance, their desire to win might not be so strong.

But what if they were just a tiptoe away from success? What about those who were just a little short last year, the ones who ranked third, fourth, fifth, or sixth on the results list?

Would they be willing to accept their fate? The answer was certainly no.

Since they were unwilling to accept their fate, what would they do?

There were only two options: one was to bury themselves in intense study, striving to win first place the next year;

Another thing is to simply take down anyone who might become a stumbling block in his way, destroying them so they no longer qualify as competitors.

Therefore, Meng Jia, who is in second place, has essentially become the thorn in the side of all the educated youth who wish to attend the worker-peasant-soldier university!

No wonder she was pushed into the river and almost had her reputation ruined by a hoodlum.

This girl probably still doesn’t understand the severity of the situation. If she doesn’t become more vigilant, dangerous situations like the one before could very likely happen again, a second time, a third time!

As long as the nomination for the worker-peasant-soldier university in the commune this year hasn’t been finalized, these kinds of set-ups won’t stop!

Especially regarding the incident of being pushed into the river, Ye Qing suspects that the mastermind behind it might be Wu Yueying, the daughter of Captain Wu.

Wu Yueying is a reincarnator! Having reset to this era, she immediately set her sights on Meng Jia. It’s pretty obvious why!

According to the typical plot of stories set in this era, those who travel back or are reincarnated into this time wouldn’t normally be interested in the worker-peasant-soldier university. After all, compared to the universities that will be accessible through the college entrance exams in a few years, the value of the worker-peasant-soldier university is quite low.

But from the incident where Wu Yueying tried to trick Ye Qing only to end up exposing herself, it’s clear that this comrade’s intelligence is somewhat lacking. She’s probably a poor student when it comes to academics.

As a poor student, knowing she can’t get into university through legitimate means, it’s not hard to understand why she would target the spot at the worker-peasant-soldier university. After all, being the daughter of Captain Wu gives her the advantage of proximity.

As a career-oriented woman, Ye Qing feels that her analysis is logically sound, but what she doesn’t know is that she has overestimated Wu Yueying’s intelligence and awareness. This reincarnator did indeed set her sights on the spot at the worker-peasant-soldier university upon returning, but not for herself.

Of course, regardless of Wu Yueying’s true intentions, the final result is that Meng Jia has been viewed as a rival by this reincarnator. This girl is now like a live target, always at risk of being attacked by people around her, completely unable to guard against it.

Thinking of this, Ye Qing couldn’t help but look at Meng Jia with sympathy in her eyes.

She asked curiously, “Who was the third place last year? Was it someone from our village? Or from another production team?”

Meng Jia thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, “The third place was probably Jian Ming, also an educated youth from our village.”

A look of understanding flashed across Ye Qing’s eyes. “And what’s his relationship with Liu Mei?”

Meng Jia was smart and caught on almost immediately. When Ye Qing asked this question, after a moment of surprise, she quickly realized and looked at Ye Qing in disbelief.

Ye Qing didn’t say anything more, but the deeper meaning in her eyes was almost self-evident. Meng Jia’s expression suddenly darkened.

No longer in the mood for casual conversation, the girl sincerely thanked Ye Qing again before hurriedly leaving the mill.

Watching Meng Jia’s hasty and disheveled figure, Ye Qing couldn’t help but feel a chill down her spine for the girl.

The main issue is that this situation is unsolvable. Unless Meng Jia manages to secure the top spot in the commune exam and quickly extricate herself from this environment, there will only be endless trouble waiting for her.

Similarly, after this incident, Ye Qing became even more determined in her own mind that she must distance herself from the educated youth group, because who knows when she might get dragged into some inexplicable drama.