Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 401 - 400 Sun Yafei’s Package

Chapter 401: Chapter 400 Sun Yafei’s Package

Facing the difficult problem at hand, Lin Nianhe did not come up with an absolutely foolproof solution.

She herself was not afraid, but she had to consider others.

For the safety of everyone, the teaching reform plan had to be temporarily halted.

However, it was not the case that things could not move forward.

According to Li Dahe’s estimation, the battalion educated youth would need to be accommodated in their village for three to four months; the village teachers planned to use this time to organize the teaching materials, allowing Yu Xiangqin to start the printing work first.

"Putting the stencil machine at the village school is not good, if it’s seen, explanations would have to be made."

"It’s not appropriate to place it at the Educated Youth Corps either, everyone there is an educated youth, could we really not let them in when they come to visit?"

"Sister Xiangqin, Aunt Zhao’s house seems to have an empty room..."

"Hiss, don’t stir up any trouble! It’s creepy!"

Ultimately, with unanimous agreement from everyone except Yu Xiangqin, the stencil machine was moved into a small room in Widow Zhao’s house.

That room was previously occupied by the two elderly members of the Zhao Family; after their passing, the room had been left empty, typically storing some sundries, but Widow Zhao was efficient and tidy despite the absence of inhabitants, and the room was kept very clean. Upon hearing that the stencil machine was for Yu Xiangqin to use for teaching-related work, she immediately got rat poison and sprinkled it along the bottom of the walls, fearing that mice might sneak in and damage the machine or gnaw the paper.

Regarding Yu Xiangqin becoming a privately-hired teacher, aside from herself, the one who was happiest was certainly Widow Zhao. Upon hearing the good news, she immediately slaughtered a chicken and stewed it with potatoes and mushrooms. She scooped out all the chicken for Yu Xiangqin, insisting that she must invite Lin Nianhe to share it, while the potatoes and mushrooms...

That day, Zhao Zhuangshi was quite puzzled; the potato and mushroom stew his mother made tasted strangely like chicken.

...

The day the battalion educated youth arrived was an exceptionally sunny one; the sunlight turned the snow golden. Carrying their bags and scythes at their waists, in two neat rows, they marched into the village.

Lin Nianhe blended in with the villagers, waiting at the entrance of the village.

She looked at each face, fearing to see Guan Manling’s visage.

From the first one to the last, she did not see her and Lin Nianhe felt very relieved.

The others were also looking, occasionally muttering, "Does that one look like Miss Sun?"

From the first one to the last, when they did not see her, the villagers were very disappointed.

"Ah..."

They sighed and left, heading home to paste matchboxes.

Lin Nianhe, along with Niuwa, returned to the Educated Youth Corps because the village school had suspended classes for the day to receive the educated youth.

"I’m really sorry, the village has too many people and can’t accommodate all these older folks; I’ve made room for the female comrades to squeeze in together, and the male comrades will have to sleep on the cobbled together desks in the school," as Li Dahe was leading people into the village school, he explained, "There are stoves in the classrooms, a well and firewood in the backyard; everybody make do."

The team leader guiding the group was a short, dark-skinned man named Zhu Weiqiang. He saluted Li Dahe with a smile and a straightforward demeanor: "Thank you, big team leader! We’re not afraid of hardships, apologies for inconveniencing the villagers!"

After a pause, he asked, "Team leader, if we’re staying at the school, does that mean the students won’t be attending classes?"

Li Dahe cleared his throat and replied: "Today is special since you need to settle in, so we’ve let the students have a day off. I reckon if you have work during the day, you work as usual, and if you’re resting, just head to the Team Leader’s quarters to relax. In a bit over a month, when the students have holidays, this place will be all yours, does that sound okay?"

Zhu Weiqiang nodded repeatedly: "Fine, fine, I just fear disrupting your normal life. I won’t lie to you; our task is to finish building the houses before the end of the year – we need to work quickly and can’t be idle during the day."

Li Dahe let out an "aiyo" and added: "That work is not easy, the ground is already frozen solid, it’s hard to deal with."

"No problem, we’ve dug through harder ground than this, this isn’t anything," Zhu Weiqiang said with firm eyes and a hint of embarrassment, "We also need to borrow a kitchen."

"There is one at the village school," said Li Dahe, "I see you’ve brought pots; if it’s inconvenient, I could arrange for someone to build a clay stove for you as well."

"Thank you kindly, fellow villagers!"

Zhu Weiqiang repeatedly expressed his gratitude, and after being polite for a while, he took a package out of his bag and said, "This is from Comrade Sun Yafei of the Ninth Company for an Educated Youth named Lin Nianhe. Would it be possible for the team leader to take me to find her?"

Li Dahe’s eyes lit up when he heard Sun Yafei’s name: "Sure, she should be at the Educated Youth Corps site. Come with me."

On the way, Li Dahe made small talk and then seemed to ask casually, "How is Sun Yafei performing in the battalion? She hasn’t made any mistakes, has she?"

Zhu Weiqiang wasn’t in the same company as Sun Yafei, had never met her nor had any contact, so how could he know whether she performed well or not.

He touched his nose and said, "She should be doing quite well, as the package was handed to me by the company commander of the Ninth Company to pass on."

Li Dahe mulled it over and felt reassured.

If she was performing poorly, why would the leadership help her send things?

He stopped making idle talk and took Zhu Weiqiang to the Educated Youth Corps. Seeing Mu Tou and his seven brothers splitting wood in the courtyard, he asked directly, "Where’s Miss Lin?"

"She’s in the backyard," Sie Yufei, who was sitting nearby on a small stool eating a roasted sweet potato, replied upon hearing him, "She just came to change my dressing."

"How’s your leg?" Li Dahe asked.

"It’s scabbing over," Sie Yufei said, "It’s nothing serious."

"That’s good, take good care of it." Li Dahe patted his shoulder and, seeing him enjoying the roasted sweet potato, said, "There are plenty of sweet potatoes at my home, feel free to take some if you like."

"Ah, sure." Sie Yufei didn’t stand on ceremony at all and responded faster than anyone.

Li Dahe didn’t say anything more and took Zhu Weiqiang to find Lin Nianhe.

Standing at the door, he called out, "Miss Lin, there’s someone from the battalion bringing you a message."

"Ah, I’m coming."

The crisp voice of Lin Nianhe came from inside, and soon the door opened.

She took the package from Zhu Weiqiang’s hand and smiled in thanks, "Thank you, you’ve troubled yourself."

"It’s nothing, just a matter of convenience." Zhu Weiqiang smiled and said to Li Dahe, "Team leader, I’ll head back now."

"Alright, alright, go on, come to me if you need anything." Li Dahe didn’t even offer to see him off.

Zhu Weiqiang didn’t mind and walked back the way he had come.

Li Dahe watched Lin Nianhe holding the package but didn’t leave.

Lin Nianhe, trying to hold back a laugh, asked, "Uncle Team Leader, is there something else you wanted to see me for?"

Li Dahe wiped his face, "Ah, right, there is something."

Lin Nianhe, holding the package, didn’t invite him in, but said with a serious face, "Then please tell me."

Li Dahe: "..."

What could it be? He just wanted to know how the kids from his own village were doing now.

But this usually spirited bunny wasn’t giving him any leads, so he couldn’t just shamelessly ask to see her package, could he?

Li Dahe frowned and looked up to see Lin Nianhe’s eyes filled with teasing laughter.

"Are you asking for a spanking, you little rascal?"