Chapter 72 A Kind Reminder (1/2)

That's hard to say.

Ruan Tang spoke these words lightly.

But it weighed heavily on the hearts of the educated youth present.

The cicadas chirping in the yard seemed even more annoying.

The first to lose her composure was Shen Yishan. She abruptly stood up, her voice trembling and tinged with barely suppressed sobs, staring intently at Ruan Tang: "What...what do you mean by that?"

Her eyes were wide open, as if she was afraid of missing any change in Ruan Tang's face.

"Have you heard something?"

Before she went to the countryside, her mother patted her chest and guaranteed that she would bring her and Gu Jinzhou back to the city within a year at most.

If new educated youth arrive, it means the policy has changed, and it won't be so easy to bring her and Jinzhou back to the city. Will I still have a chance to return to the city?

Lin Xiangnan couldn't help but frown, her expression turning serious.

Her family background gave her a much keener sense of smell than others.

The way she looked at Ruan Tang was filled with undisguised scrutiny.

Even Gu Jinzhou, who had been silent all along, lifted his eyelids.

Those eyes, which always carried a hint of aloofness, were now fixed intently on Ruan Tang, with a touch of inquiry.

The courtyard fell silent instantly, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas.

Ruan Tang, however, acted as if nothing had happened, still maintaining her lazy and charming demeanor.

She swirled the bamboo cup in her hand, and the warm brown sugar water rippled gently inside.

Instead of answering, she asked a question in a nonchalant tone: "I was just guessing."

“Think about it, the educated youth going to the countryside didn’t start here. There have been so many years before that, we certainly won’t be the last wave.”

"Besides, Jixiang Brigade is not far from the commune, the land is fertile, and the brigade leader is capable. Life here is much better than in many other places. It's only natural that when more educated youth come, they'll be assigned here."

This statement is so well-founded that it leaves no room for error.

But Lin Xiangnan and the others always felt that something was off.

Yan Yu sat next to Ruan Tang, his mountain-like body completely enveloping the little girl in his shadow.

He didn't say anything.

He simply raised his hand and slowly and deliberately tucked a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind Ruan Tang's ear.

His rough fingertips brushed lightly against her warm, delicate earlobe, the gesture as intimate as if they had done it a thousand times.

His gaze didn't look at anyone else present, yet he clearly saw everyone's reactions.

Zhao Weiguo was an honest man. After hearing Ruan Tang's words, he scratched the back of his head with a simple and honest expression.

“What Ruan Zhiqing said makes sense; the conditions here are really not bad.”

His interruption immediately eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

Chen Siming nodded in agreement: "Yes, it seems like more people will definitely come in the future, and probably more than one wave."

Only Shen Yishan's small face was still wrinkled.

The fear of being unable to return to the city, coupled with the resistance to the prospect of sleeping in a dormitory-style dormitory, made her restless and uneasy.

Seeing her expression, Lin Xiangnan patted the back of her hand and turned to Yan Yu and Ruan Tang, saying, "Alright, we'll discuss the house-building matter ourselves later. Are you two really not going to the commune tomorrow?"

Ruan Tang shook her head. She didn't need to buy anything, nor did she need to send a letter. She had no intention of riding that bumpy donkey cart.

Yan Yu was even more concise and to the point.

"I'm not going."

He only wants to spend every single second of his time with his little girl.

With their own thoughts on their minds, the group chatted for a few more minutes, then, seeing that it was getting late, got up to say goodbye and head back.

Yan Yu escorted the person to the courtyard gate, and as soon as he returned, he locked the gate from the inside.

“Clatter.”

A soft sound.

The entire courtyard instantly returned to being their own private world.

Only the tireless chirping of insects and the rustling of camphor tree leaves remained in the courtyard.