Chapter 73: Are There Any Easy Jobs in the Squad?

After collecting her farming tools, Xu Lin was just about to follow the group away when her gaze landed on the unfamiliar man she had seen earlier that morning.

Xu Lin tugged at Qian Li’s sleeve and quietly asked, “Who’s that man talking to the brigade leader? He doesn’t look like someone from the village.”

“Oh, him?” Qian Li glanced over before continuing, “His name is Wang Qiang, the brigade leader’s nephew. He works as a propagandist at the commune’s food factory. I heard the brigade leader helped him get that job.”

Xu Lin blinked, then pointed at Wei Dahua and asked, “Do you know that woman? I overheard her speaking ill of me.”

“That one,” Qian Li glanced disdainfully at Wei Dahua and replied irritably, “She’s Aunt Chrysanthemum’s daughter-in-law. Aunt Chrysanthemum’s husband died young, and she raised two little boys on her own. It wasn’t easy for her. Life only got better after her eldest son joined the army, but ever since Wei Dahua married in, the household has been a mess. Her younger son is already twenty-one and still hasn’t found a wife—folks say it’s all because of Wei Dahua’s meddling. That woman has a vicious tongue. She talks about everyone behind their backs, not just us educated youth but even the villagers of Wangzhuang. If you hear her gossip, just pretend you didn’t. There’s no point stooping to her level and lowering your own standards.”

“Is her husband unaware of her behavior?” Xu Lin asked curiously.

“He probably doesn’t know. I heard that Wei Dahua used tricks to marry into the Wang family. After the wedding, her husband only stayed home for two days before leaving. He’s only come back twice, each time for just a few days. The family must only tell him the good things—they wouldn’t bother him with all that filth.”

Qian Li obviously looked down on Wei Dahua and didn’t want to sully her mouth by talking about her further, so she quickly changed the subject.

“I called home yesterday. My mother said it’s really hard to get a job in the city now and hopes I’ll stay out here a while longer.”

Xu Lin tilted her head to study Qian Li’s expression. She didn’t look well. Clearly, her mother had said more than that. It seemed the Qian family didn’t care about Qian Li as much as she’d thought; when it came time to make choices, Qian Li was the one being sacrificed.

Xu Lin wondered if the Qian family realized the dangers Qian Li might face if she got involved—dangers that could threaten the whole family. With that in mind, Xu Lin spoke meaningfully, “Then you should stay here a bit longer. At least you still have family. I’ve severed all ties with both my biological and adoptive fathers. My adoptive father was even a spy and got life in prison.

I never enjoyed any comfort in that household, but I certainly inherited my share of infamy. It was lucky I cut ties quickly, or else I might have been dragged down with him.”

Hearing that her adoptive father had been sentenced to life as a spy, Qian Li shuddered. Good heavens, that would be worse than eating a bullet and ending it all. The thought of being locked away on a farm for a lifetime made her feel faint. Remembering her mother’s veiled warnings, Qian Li’s eyes reddened.

Her mind was in turmoil. She truly didn’t know what to do. She wanted to confide more in Xu Lin, but seeing people all around, she didn’t dare—if word leaked out, she would be in danger.

Damn Qin Fang, why did she have to come to the Wangzhuang Brigade? And if she had to come, why couldn’t she behave herself? She’d only been here a few days before trouble came knocking at the Qian family’s door. How infuriating.

Qian Li wanted to protect herself and her family. Even if she knew she was being abandoned, they were still her family.

Very soon, Qian Li lost all desire to chat, and Xu Lin fell silent as well. It was Wu Siyu who finally broke the quiet. Thus, the group continued their lively chatter as they made their way to the wasteland, ready for another day of reclaiming land.

Xu Lin was once again partnered with Han Hong and Zhang Qiang. Both were as clumsy as ever; their hands were a mess of blisters—new ones forming, old ones breaking. Their hands ached so badly they could hardly grip anything. They truly looked pitiable.

And that was with the help of Xu Lin’s healing ointment; Su Liang was even worse off, as he had no such remedy.

Moreover, Su Liang couldn’t endure hardship or pain. No sooner had they arrived in the fields than he leaned his shovel against the ground, pulled Qin Fang aside, and began chatting with her at the edge of the field.

Du Yong, who was supposed to supervise them, was fuming, but he dared not say anything. After all, he was counting on Su Liang to help him get a spot to return to the city. This is why, one must never let oneself be manipulated—once you are, your backbone bends and you keep retreating, paying ever greater prices before any benefits are in sight.

Many people who saw this scene in the area assigned to the educated youth shook their heads, feeling sorry for Du Yong. That poor fellow was likely to be driven mad by his longing to return to the city, believing the words of just about anyone.

At the edge of the field, Qin Fang held Su Liang’s hand, her voice full of concern, sweet words spilling forth, with frequent mention of worries about the future. Life was long, and they had only just begun their rural days—what would become of them? How could they possibly endure this kind of life?

“Liang, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to suffer in the countryside.”

“If only you could be a teacher, Liang, then you wouldn’t have to toil like this.”

“Liang, don’t worry about me. I believe I can adapt to rural life.”

Her repeated, affectionate “Liang” made Su Liang feel elated; his blisters seemed to ache less at once.

But Qin Fang’s words also reminded Su Liang that he should find her an easier job. Glancing over at Xu Lin swinging a sickle at the weeds, he thought, No way should his Fang’er work like that woman.

Unfortunately, the Wangzhuang Brigade was small, only about fifty households, with no elementary school. Becoming a teacher would require some maneuvering. Besides teaching, the job of scorekeeper was also easy, but it involved running around the fields—a tolerable task now, but come summer...

Just imagining Qin Fang running around in the scorching sun to record work points, Su Liang’s heart ached. No, scorekeeping wouldn’t do.

Right—the job of tool manager was good too: just handing out and collecting tools each day. But then again, some of the tools were too heavy. It would be too hard on Fang’er. That wouldn’t do either.

Within moments, Su Liang thought of several coveted jobs, only to dismiss each one as unsuitable for Fang’er. In the end, he decided she was most suited to an office job.

Yes, Fang’er had good handwriting; she could be a propagandist. He would inquire at the commune to see if there were any positions open. If need be, he could call home and pull some strings.

Su Liang shared his idea with Qin Fang, wearing an eager “praise me” expression.

Sure enough, Qin Fang’s praise came right on cue.

“Liang, you’re amazing—even here you have connections! But we’ve only just arrived in the countryside; would it look bad if we immediately tried to change jobs? I don’t want others to think poorly of you because of me.”

Qin Fang shook Su Liang’s arm. “I think it’s better to switch to an easier job within the village.”

Su Liang thought she had a point. They’d just arrived and already wanted a transfer to the commune; it would indeed reflect poorly. But what easy jobs were there within the brigade?