Chapter 2: Deceit

Being openly despised, the faces of those queasy young intellectuals turned pale and green with embarrassment.

The leader strode up to the group, cleared his throat, and spoke in a booming voice, “Ahem! Everyone quiet down, please. Welcome, comrades, to our Xiangyang Brigade!”

His gaze swept over the crowd, pausing especially on Zhou Yichen. Zhou’s height and handsome features made him stand out, like a crane among chickens.

“I am Gao Jianjun, the Party Secretary and Brigade Leader of Xiangyang. You can call me Captain Gao, or Secretary Gao—it’s all the same.”

“Our brigade may be a bit rough around the edges, but it’s a good place to hone one’s character.” His tone grew serious. “Now that you’re here, you must abide by the rules.”

“First: follow instructions and accept your assignments. Production tasks arranged by the team must be completed with quality and quantity assured!”

“Second: there’s to be no shirking duties, no forming cliques, and certainly no sneaky, illegal behavior!”

“If I catch anyone acting dishonestly—hmph—the brigade has plenty of ways to deal with that!” Gao Jianjun’s stern gaze swept across the group.

“Is that clear?”

The young intellectuals, intimidated by his look, dared not protest. They nodded hurriedly.

“Yes!”

“We understand!”

Gao Jianjun nodded with satisfaction, then gestured to the men behind him. “Alright, as usual—six production teams. You decide how to split these kids up.”

No sooner had he finished than the team leaders surged forward, sizing up the newcomers.

In these days, urban youth sent to the countryside were both a boost to labor and a burden for the production teams. When dividing people, physique came first; strong young men were always more popular.

Zhou Yichen, calm and tall at nearly six feet, stood out from the others—he didn’t look weak or frail. Soon, a dark-faced man pointed at him.

“This lad—and the girl next to him—they look spirited. They’ll join Team Five!” The man grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and indicated Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman.

Jiang Xiaoman instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Being assigned with Zhou Yichen gave her a sense of security.

The other team leaders had wanted Zhou Yichen too, but Wang, the dark-faced man, got in first. After all, Zhou looked much stronger than the rest.

Next, the other captains began making their picks—some chose sturdy young men, others preferred nimble young women for more delicate tasks.

Soon, twenty young intellectuals were divided among the six teams, each getting three or four.

After the assignments, Gao Jianjun gave a few closing remarks and sent the team leaders off with their new members.

Team Five’s leader was Wang Zhenshan—the same dark-faced man who had chosen Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman.

Apart from them, Team Five also gained a bespectacled young man, the one who had vomited most earlier, named Zhao Weiguo; and a shy, quiet young woman named Lin Xiaoyue.

Wang Zhenshan led the four of them deeper into the village.

Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman carried large canvas backpacks, holding mesh bags filled with basins, thermos bottles, and other belongings. They were not lightly packed.

Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue had similar loads, trailing behind, their steps uncertain.

“Captain, where are we headed?” Zhou Yichen spoke up, trying to learn more.

Wang Zhenshan glanced back, grinning with rustic friendliness. “Taking you to the youth quarters to settle in.”

“Of course, if you want to live with a villager, that’s fine—but you’d have to pay, about one yuan a month for rent, plus some for firewood. As for meals, you can join their household, but you provide your own grain.”

“If you stay at the youth quarters, you’ll have to cook for yourselves.” Wang Zhenshan explained.

Zhou Yichen quickly weighed his options. Living with villagers would be easier, but costlier, and sometimes unpredictable depending on the host. He didn’t know what the youth quarters were like, so it was best to see for himself first.

Jiang Xiaoman glanced at Zhou Yichen, waiting to see his choice.

Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue were clearly undecided as well, looking at Wang Zhenshan in confusion.

New to the place, they knew nothing of how things worked.

Wang Zhenshan was not surprised by their bewilderment. He waved his hand, saying cheerfully, “Alright, don’t overthink it.”

“I’ll take you to see the youth quarters first. Set your luggage down and get familiar with the place.”

“There’s no rush about living arrangements—do you think the team would mistreat you?” he added as he led them along the muddy, uneven path into the heart of the village, his own steps steady.

The group trudged through the mire, Wang Zhenshan leading confidently.

Zhou Yichen swung his numb arm and casually asked, “Captain, does our team have a doctor?”

“Our brigade doesn’t have such precious folks,” Wang Zhenshan replied without turning, his voice gruff. “The neighboring brigade has a barefoot doctor, surnamed Sun, in his fifties. He can handle minor ailments.”

“Why? Are you feeling unwell?” Wang Zhenshan glanced back at him.

“No, not at all,” Zhou Yichen smiled, his tone earnest. “Actually, Captain, I know a bit of medicine myself—studied under an old Chinese doctor.”

“You?” Wang Zhenshan looked Zhou Yichen up and down as if examining a curiosity. “Just a youngster like you, and you say you know medicine?”

It wasn’t disbelief so much as Zhou Yichen’s youth. A boy with no facial hair—how could he be reliable?

Zhou Yichen replied solemnly, “Captain, I’m not boasting.”

“I’ve studied medicine since I was a child. My master was a doctor at Union Hospital—a genuine practitioner from a family of Chinese medicine. If not for my sister, I’d probably be a doctor at Union Hospital in the capital by now.” He sighed, as if it were all true.

Jiang Xiaoman, hearing this, was dumbfounded—she could hardly believe her ears.

This fellow was spinning tales without a script!

She knew Zhou Yichen’s background—he’d never had a master, let alone be an heir to traditional medicine! Only recently, he’d been obsessed with a “Barefoot Doctor’s Handbook,” reading it over and over with great enthusiasm. She’d joked that he was desperate to become a barefoot doctor.

Now he was claiming Union Hospital credentials!

If this got exposed, how would he survive in the team?