Translated by Serena Love

Teacher Gu and He Songbai sat on the cold concrete floor, smoked, and chatted until the sky in the east gradually became white.

Teacher Gu said with emotion, "If there is an opportunity, I will definitely accept you as an apprentice. Although you, young man, is a little stupid, but you can endure hardships. You will definitely have a good job in learning civil engineering with me."

He shook his head with a wry smile, "Forget it, it is not good to be known as my apprentice. I will not accept another disciple in this life."

'In fact, no relationship is reliable these years...'

He Songbai put the last sip of cigarette in his nose, he sniffed and sneered, "You should take care of yourself. You are so miserable, and still thinking about taking an apprentice?"

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On the first day of Teacher Gu's arrival in Hezi village, he wore a dark black tunic and was very meticulous. A delicate fountain pen was attached to the pocket on his chest, revealing the dignity of a senior intellectual from head to toe. He commanded the workers of the engineering team, and he was also quite instructive and enthusiasm.

For He Songbai, the lowest-rank person who is only expecting to make a livelihood by earning work points, a worker is already a supremely glorious profession. Teacher Gu is the leader of the worker, which is even more remarkable. In the eyes of the peasants who grow food in these fields, Teacher Gu is glowing all over. He was admirable and frightening.

And the result......

Within a few days after the autumn harvest, Teacher Gu, a senior intellectual who was "high and mighty," was punished with labor reform. The light from his whole body was suddenly gone. The speed of him falling from grace was jaw-dropping, which was a fresh experience for everyone.

He Songbai can only express sympathy for his experience. What he can do is to give a little help when he is free, and that is it.

He himself is a poor boy who has a hard time and could not help himself. How could he manage other people's matters so much?

But Grandma warned He Songbai from an early age that he must respect intellectuals. No matter in what era, intellectuals are the pillars of building the motherland. The country's prosperity is inseparable from their contributions. Therefore, after sending his dear girlfriend back to bed, He Songbai returned. He was afraid that Teacher Gu, who had fallen into the quagmire, would not be able to cope.

After He Songbai finished speaking, Teacher Gu was silent.

He said in a state of embarrassment, "Maybe it is the thought that I will not be able to pass on my mantle in my old age, and I'm a little unwilling."

He Songbai didn't care, he blew his nose and said in a hoarse voice, "You intellectuals have a higher heart but your face is thinner than paper. You still have time to be restless even though you are like this. My grandma had stayed abroad before. Now all she can do now is eat and sleep every day." He Songbai said lightly. "There is no hurdle that can't be overcome, life is the most important thing."

When Teacher Gu heard it, the complicated emotions on his face suddenly became more bitter. As if it is wrinkled into a ball of bitterness and he could squeeze out tears at any time.

He Songbai lifted his hoe and rushed into the field without a word.

...

Zhao Lanxiang got up early to make breakfast. She is making some snow-white steamed buns. She kneaded the dough over and over again, making it sweet and soft when it is hot. When it is cold, it will become more delicious as it is chewed. After breakfast, she secretly glanced at the man's room and found that there was no one there.

Even the bedding on the bed is neat and tidy. The clean clothes are still folded on the head of the bed without being moved, it looked like he didn't come back to sleep all night.

She immediately reminisced about the "Teacher Gu" she met in the drying valley last night. He Songbai's expression was a little weird last night. How dare he did not return home?

Zhao Lanxiang's eyes sank.

At breakfast, Sister He ate two steamed buns with hot water and took two more into a cloth bag for lunch at noon.

Although Grandma told her that she had "paid" educated youth Zhao's meals, Sister He is still a little uneasy. She has planned to take all of Zhao Lanxiang's work herself, but Zhao Lanxiang was assigned to do vigil. In regards to this, elder sister He was unable to take care of it.

She is also responsible for carrying her grandmother up at night, waiting for her to drink water and go to the latrine. The old woman often has a headache and brain fever that needed her to help.

Sister He finished the breakfast with gratitude and she thanked Zhao Lanxiang.

He Sanya took out all the wild fruits picked in the mountains in the evening and gave them to sister Zhao. Her grapes-like-eyes showed a sweet and lovely look.

Zhao Lanxiang rubbed He Sanya's yellowish hair and said, "I'll go with you to cut pigweed later."

Sister He have to harvest food and take care of the cattle and pigs in the brigade. So these heavy tasks were put on Sanya's weak shoulders. In fact, Zhao Lanxiang has to guard the valley at night, but she also wanted to help Sanya. Seeing her carrying a bamboo basket taller than herself and going around the mountain, Zhao Lanxiang is worried.

After breakfast, Zhao Lanxiang carried a bamboo basket and went up the mountain with Sanya to gather pigweed. The so-called hogweed is alfalfa, also called golden cauliflower.

Sanya follows her elder sister to gather grass together every day, she knows where the grass grows plump and flourish.

Before the little girl picked pigweed, she took Zhao Lanxiang to pick the wild fruit. A cluster of blood-red berries grew beside the grass. You can pick it if you lowered your head down.

Sanya's little fingers quickly picked a few and threw it into her mouth.

This berry is called wild strawberry, the size of the little finger. Unlike strawberry which is thick and juicy, this fruit is sour and sweet, but it tastes unique. Zhao Lanxiang followed to taste the freshness, and wild strawberry around there was soon finished by the two.

Sanya jumped up and down again to take Zhao Lanxiang to pick mountain's Nianzi, and sang the mountain song happily all the way. The purple fruits are hidden among the green leaves. The little girl jumped and hooked the branch. His eyes quickly picked up a bunch and let go of the branch which bounced back with a "swish" sound.

She is covered with messy leaves and thorns like needles and grains. She smiled and shyly grabbed some fruits and handed them to Zhao Lanxiang.

Zhao Lanxiang and her sat on the mountain stone and finished half of the mountain Nianzi. Sanya said, "It's a pleasure to come to the mountain with Sister Zhao."

Zhao Lanxiang touched her head.

Two people, one big and one small, went to the mountain to gather two baskets of pigweed. It was almost lunchtime. Zhao Lanxiang carefully went down the mountain with Sanya along the mountain road. On the road, several young people led a small group of workers up the mountain.

They wore yellow uniforms of engineering team workers, their eyebrows glowing with pride and secret.

Zhao Lanxiang and Sanya stopped and gave way to these people first.

Three or four young people said, "Comrades, hello!"

Zhao Lanxiang replied, "Hello, why are you carrying so many things?"

A worker said, "Preparing to survey the landforms. These are explosives. Once the water source is dredged, the trench can pass water to the fields in the lower ground."

Zhao Lanxiang said, "Then you continue to be busy, I will go first."

Zhao Lanxiang took the little girl's hand and carefully went down the mountain.

Sanya squeezed the warm hands of Sister Zhao and said in a small voice, "These people used to be fierce."

Zhao Lanxiang did not speak, and pulled Sanya to continue walking down the mountain.

The four young men turned their heads back and spoke fluent Mandarin, "I didn't expect to see such a beautiful woman in this ditch, it is not easy."

Another said, "She should be the educated youth who came to the countryside. They are very fashionable in talking and dressing, not like the locals!"

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A few people yelled and turned to other topics.

"Without the stubborn thought of Gu Huaijin, the project won't be delayed for so long. We could have already returned to Beijing a few years ago."

...

At noon, the hot sun shines.

Zhao Lanxiang went home and hurriedly fried an egg fried rice, stewed a soup with cool detoxifying cauliflower, and hurried to the valley.

She gave Sister He a lunchbox, and she pushed another to her as well.

"Second Brother He didn't eat either. Elder sister, go and give him a copy."

Sister He smiled and wiped her sweat, then shook her head. "Work, not finished."

"You, send it."

Zhao Lanxiang carried the lunch box, feeling a little excited and embarrassed.

"How is this embarrassing?"

Sister He frowned strangely, as if asking: 'What's the embarrassment?'

Zhao Lanxiang has a secret in her heart, so naturally, everything she does brings a trace of tension. But it is Eldest Sister who asked her to send the lunch over, and He Songbai can't blame her!

Zhao Lanxiang walked to the grain field and saw the slick man taking off his shirt and digging the valley with a shovel while shirtless. She blushed and quickly retreated after showing her face.

He Songbai noticed the dark blue shadow on the side of the court, his temple jumped. He took off his hat and sneaked out while people was not paying attention.

He walked into the lush woods, his dear girlfriend holding the lunch box, waving at him with a smile.

Zhao Lanxiang said, "Come and eat."

He Songbai hesitated.

Zhao Lanxiang also said, "Hurry up, after eating you go back to work. Do you want to attract others to come here?"

He Songbai then hesitantly followed her.

The girlfriend is giving him food for the first time under the "public eye", which made He Songbai have a hidden sense of pride. When he came over, he felt hot. But in the woods, a gust of cool wind blew over, and He Songbai felt cold all over. Then he was shocked to find that he was not wearing a shirt.

He stopped like a shy young girl.

Zhao Lanxiang looked at He Songbai with a smile.

The skin beneath his neck is really white, and the dark wheat-colored neck went down all the way until distinctive black and white lines appeared on his collarbone. Although his figure is thin, he is still muscular when he took off his clothes. The six-pack abdominal muscles under the abdomen are clearly defined, and they are neatly stacked one by one. Hard and white, very cute.

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Zhao Lanxiang, a woman who is "mature" on the inside, feels hot all over.

'Hey, this is her lovely man.'

Zhao Lanxiang saw He Songbai's slightly embarrassed face, coughed slightly, covered her eyes with her hands, and said fiercely, "Okay, even girls are not as shy as you are."

He Songbai took off his hat, and felt choked firmly. What embarrassed him was not that he was wearing no clothes, but that her hot eyes stuck to him like burning ember, making him feel uncomfortable. This woman is really not ashamed!

However, the hunger in his stomach overcame everything. He Songbai quickly walked over to pick up the lunch box and ate the meal.

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