20demayo Chapter 98 The young couple has a really good relationship.
Chapter 98 The young couple has a really good relationship.
The vehicle bumped and jolted as it drove out of the camp, kicking up a trail of yellow dust.
Su Wanwan sat by the partition of the carriage, clutching her cloth bag.
The truck had no roof, and the wind from the Gobi Desert howled, carrying sand and dust that made it impossible to open one's eyes.
She squinted and shrank her face further into her collar.
The carriage wasn't quiet.
Four people from the division's cultural troupe came, two men and two women, plus Zhou Min, Wang Xiuying, Gu Lin and her, making a total of eight.
After exchanging names and workplace information, we were considered acquainted.
Since they were all involved in the arts, they quickly started talking and soon began discussing the performances and the scenery along the way.
Gu Lin sat opposite her, her back ramrod straight, her posture remarkably composed even in the swaying carriage.
Her voice was clear and crisp, with just the right amount of enthusiasm, as she spoke to a staff officer surnamed Zhang from the division headquarters.
"Officer Zhang, I interned at a provincial newspaper for a while before and also went to the grassroots level with veteran reporters. This time, the leaders asked me to come down here, saying that just writing articles in the office is not enough, I need to get down to earth and see the real lives of our border guards and ordinary people. I thought, isn't going to the countryside with the comrades from the cultural troupe the best opportunity? I can watch the show, do interviews, and lay the foundation for my entry into the propaganda department. It's a win-win-win situation."
When she spoke, she looked at the other person with a sincere expression and controlled her tone well, neither showing off nor revealing her "knowledge" and "background".
Officer Zhang nodded with a smile: "It's good that Comrade Gu Lin has ideas. The conditions are tough during our trip to Hongxing Commune, so it'll be a good opportunity for us to get some training. Your cultural troupe's performance is the highlight, and the villagers are eagerly anticipating it. If you write a good report, it will be a great contribution to our division's propaganda work."
"Don't worry, I will definitely write it carefully and record all the hard work and charm of our comrades in the art troupe." Gu Lin said, her gaze sweeping over the other people in the carriage, finally pausing on Su Wanwan's face and smiling.
Su Wanwan smiled at her but didn't say anything.
Her stomach churned violently with the car's jolting; she was feeling a bit carsick.
Wang Xiuying sat right next to Gu Lin and chimed in, her tone warm: "Comrade Gu Lin is truly an educated person, with broad knowledge. We country bumpkins can only dance and sing, unlike you, who can both write and speak. With you here, our trip to the countryside will definitely be even more brilliant."
As she spoke, she turned to Officer Zhang and the other division staff, her face beaming with smiles as she greeted and chatted with them one by one.
Thanks to Gu Lin, she quickly became familiar with those officers, and her words revealed the intimacy of "one of their own".
Su Wanwan was very confused and turned her face away from the carriage.
My stomach churned again.
She closed her eyes, trying to suppress the nausea.
"Are you carsick?" someone asked from the side.
Su Wanwan opened her eyes; it was Zhou Min.
She sat down at some point, holding a military water bottle in her hand.
"A little," Su Wanwan said honestly.
"Take a sip of water and suck on one of these." Zhou Min handed her the water bottle and then took out a small paper packet from her pocket containing a few pale yellow ginger slices. "I always keep these on hand when I take long bus trips; they're useful."
"Thank you, Captain Zhou." Su Wanwan took it, put a piece in her mouth, and the spicy taste did suppress some of the nausea.
She took two more sips of water; the cool water slid down her throat, making her feel a little better.
"It's always like this the first time performing in the countryside—nervous and unaccustomed." Zhou Min's voice was soft as she looked at her. "Don't be afraid, just follow me. When we get there, talk less, observe more, and focus your energy on the performance. I'll take care of everything else."
These words, spoken calmly, reassured Su Wanwan considerably. She nodded, "Yes, I've got it."
Zhou Min didn't say anything more, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes to rest.
The car continued to sway forward.
The laughter and chatter between Gu Lin and Wang Xiuying gradually subsided, probably because they were tired.
Su Wanwan leaned against the cold partition of the carriage, looking at the unchanging desolate scenery outside, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
After an unknown amount of time, the car suddenly stopped.
"We've arrived! We've arrived at Red Star Commune! Everyone, grab your luggage and get off the bus!" Officer Zhang stood up and shouted.
Su Wanwan jolted awake, fully waking up.
She picked up her cloth bag and followed the others down from the train carriage.
My feet felt a little weak on the ground.
Before me was a typical frontier village, even poorer than Shazao Village, with low mud-brick houses and few people on the road, except for a few skinny dogs wandering in the distance.
The air was filled with the smell of livestock and dust.
The commune cadre was already waiting at the intersection. He was a dark-skinned, thin middle-aged man wearing a faded blue cotton jacket. He warmly greeted Zhang, shook hands with him, and repeatedly said "Thank you for your hard work" to the members of the cultural troupe.
Accommodation was arranged in empty rooms of the production team, with men and women separated, and in large communal sleeping areas.
The conditions were basic, but it was kept fairly clean.
The bedding was a makeshift arrangement by the commune, made of coarse cloth, and had a faint musty smell.
Su Wanwan put down her luggage and looked at the dimly lit mud house.
Besides Zhou Min and Wang Xiuying, the other women in the room were two female comrades from the division's cultural troupe.
No one said much; they each found a bed and started organizing their things.
Wang Xiuying sat next to Gu Lin in her bunk, whispering something to Gu Lin as she made the bed. Gu Lin smiled and responded, and the two seemed to have a very good relationship.
Su Wanwan silently made her bed and put away her toiletries.
It was already dark outside the window, and a few barks could be heard in the distance.
"Everyone hurry up and pack up. The cafeteria will open in half an hour. After eating, get some rest. We'll familiarize ourselves with the venue tomorrow morning, rehearse in the afternoon, and have the official performance in the evening," Zhou Min announced from inside the room.
The crowd responded.
Su Wanwan walked to the water vat by the door and scooped some water to wash her face.
The cool well water splashed on my face, dispelling the fatigue and dizziness of the journey.
She looked at her somewhat pale reflection in the water and took a soft breath.
Motion sickness is so annoying! Su Wanwan felt like she almost lost half her life just from one car ride.
She dried her face and went back inside.
After tidying up briefly, Su Wanwan went to eat with the rest of the group.
In the family compound, Lin Weiwei strolled around the yard twice and kicked a pebble with her foot.
It had only been half a day since Su Wanwan left, but she already felt the courtyard was empty.
At this time of day, Wanwan would usually be back from the performing arts troupe. The two of them would either cook together or huddle together and chat.
Now she's all alone, with no one to talk to.
She tossed the pulled weeds aside, dusted off her hands, and stood up.
The sun was beginning to set in the west, and the wind from the Gobi Desert carried the coolness of the evening.
Never mind, let's go pick up Bai Si'an from get off work.
The thought popped into her head and she found it a little funny.
She never used to pick people up from get off work; everyone was busy with their own things.
But I'm feeling really bored today, so it's good to find something to do.
She went back to her room, washed her hands, changed into a clean shirt, and combed her slightly messy hair in front of the small mirror on the wall, tying it into a neat ponytail.
The person in the mirror had bright eyes and a rosier complexion than a few days ago.
I went out, locked the gate, and walked along the dirt road towards the camp.
On the way, I met a few women from the family compound who were heading home after work, and we greeted each other.
"Weiwei, picking up Technician Bai from get off work?" the plump auntie asked with a smile, carrying a shopping basket.
"Yeah, I'm just idling at home anyway," Lin Weiwei replied generously.
"The young couple has such a good relationship," another auntie joked.
Lin smiled slightly but didn't reply, though she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
Are you on good terms?
She had never thought of this word before, but now that she thinks about it, it seems... not bad at all.
[My chapter count is dropping every day~ *crying* T﹏T. I'll post one chapter now, and another one tonight. Please send me some gifts to cheer me up.]