"Xiao Hao, Chao Shu has never traveled far or lived alone. Please take good care of him. If he causes trouble, help me teach him a lesson," Aunt Wang instructed.
Today was the day Ye Hao and Sun Chaoshu were heading to the Northeast. Besides the two of them, eight other people were going: three women and five men.
In this era without mandatory assignments to the countryside, these young people genuinely volunteered to contribute to the nation's construction by going to the countryside.
Among the farewell crowd, Ye Hao saw an extremely familiar back, but he was certain he had never met this person. The moment the woman turned around, a scene from the depths of his memory was awakened.
It was her, the girl who had given the original owner a can of beef. Two years ago, she was just a little girl, but now she was a graceful and beautiful young woman.
She had a perfectly standard classical oval face, which looked absolutely flawless, with facial features proportioned neither too much nor too little. Although she wore the most common blue cloth clothes of this era, it couldn't hide her alluring figure...
Just as Ye Hao was staring at the beautiful woman, she seemed to know someone was watching her. She turned her head, their eyes met, and Ye Hao felt a little embarrassed.
"Hello, Comrade, have we met before? I feel like you look familiar." The woman walked up to Ye Hao, her red lips parted slightly, and her voice was so pleasant.
"Ah~ Oh, we have indeed met. Do you remember two years ago, you gave a small beggar a can of beef? I was that beggar," Ye Hao replied, snapping out of his daze.
"I remember now, it's you! I didn't expect you to be quite handsome once you cleaned up. Speaking of that can, I secretly took it from home to give to you that day. My father found out that night, and he was very angry. If my grandfather hadn't stopped him, he would have hit me." The woman stuck out her tongue, looking especially playful.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know you took it out secretly. I apologize for almost getting you beaten. I'm truly sorry," Ye Hao said, feeling guilty that the girl almost got beaten because of the can, especially since it was due to the original owner. He sincerely apologized to the girl.
"By the way, what's your name? I'm Li Wan'er. I'm here to see off my good friend today. From your appearance, are you also going to the countryside for construction?" Li Wan'er was quite friendly.
"My name is Ye Hao. I used to live by begging, but now I've grown up and realized I can't keep begging. I wanted to find something to do, but in the current situation, it's 'one radish, one pit' – it's hard to find work in the City. So, I thought about going to the countryside for construction; I can earn work points and support myself," Ye Hao explained.
"Wan'er, who is this Comrade? I haven't seen him before. You actually know such a handsome guy," Li Wan'er's friend walked over and teased.
"Hello, Comrade, my name is Tang Zilan, Wan'er's good friend," Tang Zilan extended her hand and introduced herself.
This woman was completely different from Li Wan'er. While Li Wan'er exuded the gentleness of a Jiangnan water town, this woman's first impression was one of boldness. Her hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, swinging with each step, giving people the feeling of an ancient female general.
"Hello, my name is Ye Hao. This is only my second time meeting Comrade Li Wan'er," Ye Hao also extended his hand, and the two shook hands.
"Comrade Tang Zilan, why are you also thinking of going to the countryside? Such a harsh place. A girl like you should stay in the capital. Why go to the countryside to suffer? By the way, my name is Sun Chaoshu, Brother Hao's buddy," Sun Chaoshu said, walking up to Tang Zilan with a fawning expression and introducing himself.
Ye Hao looked at Sun Chaoshu's expression and could tell that this kid was up to no good.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying only men can go to the countryside, but women can't? Instructor even said women hold up half the sky! How dare you say that about me? Let me tell you, Sun Chaoshu, I'm going to the countryside for construction today to prove that we girls are no worse than boys. What boys can do, we girls can do just as well..." It was clear that Tang Zilan had a fiery temper; Sun Chaoshu said one thing, and she retorted with countless arguments.
"Comrade Tang Zilan, that's not what I meant. My point is that girls like you should stay in the capital and shouldn't go to such harsh places. Leave the difficult places to us boys," Sun Chaoshu quickly explained.
"Aren't you just looking down on us girls, thinking we can't do heavy labor?"
"Oh, I didn't mean that, I..." Tang Zilan directly left Sun Chaoshu speechless.
Li Wan'er gave Ye Hao a wink, signaling him to talk aside.
"Comrade Ye Hao, as you can see, Tang Zilan has a very fiery temper. Her family doesn't agree with her going to the countryside, but she insists on going. In the end, they had no choice but to let her. She's never lived independently and doesn't even know how to cook the most basic meals. We're very worried about her, but she won't allow anyone else to go to the countryside with her. She's my best friend, and I ask you to help her if you can. Please take these two hundred yuan and these tickets; when you reach the destination, help me give them to her." As she spoke, she pulled out a stack of banknotes and tickets from her pocket.
"Why don't you give them to her yourself?" Ye Hao asked, a little confused.
"She has a strong personality. She said she's going to the countryside for construction to train herself and won't take a single cent from home. If I give her money, she absolutely refuses. I was planning to secretly put it in her luggage, but I never had the chance. Now that you're here, I can only ask for your help. Please give it to her once you reach the destination."
"Okay, I'll give them to her then. You really are a good friend to her." With that, Ye Hao took the money and tickets.
"What are you two whispering about over there, secretly, behind people's backs?" Tang Zilan noticed their unusual behavior at this moment.
"Brother Hao, you're quick!" Sun Chaoshu gave Ye Hao a smile that all men understood.
"Nothing, just chatting casually. Wasn't Comrade Sun Chaoshu talking to you just now? We didn't want to disturb you," Li Wan'er quickly explained.
"Get lost! What are you thinking about all day? You're so improper," Ye Hao said, looking at Sun Chaoshu with disdain.
"Comrades going to the Northeast for countryside construction, please prepare to board. Your train has arrived at the station." At this moment, the train station's broadcast sounded, reminding Ye Hao and the others to board.