While Su Qinran was half-asleep, she felt a great deal of noise all around her. Her brows furrowed slightly, then she felt the air was murky, mixed with the smell of sweat and stinky feet.
Su Qinran struggled to open her eyes, but the sight before her made her unable to believe her own eyes. Where was this? People were everywhere, all wearing clothes made of rough black, white, and gray fabric, heavily patched. The entire scene had an extremely dated feel.
She heard the chugging sound of a train coming from outside.
Su Qinran was slightly stunned. She closed her eyes, trying to compose herself, and secretly pinched her thigh to see if she was dreaming.
When she opened her eyes wide once more, looking at this strange yet somewhat familiar environment, the corners of Su Qinran’s eyes grew a little moist.
She had returned, returned to those radiant years, returned to the era that filled her with guilt and that she had tried to avoid.
“Comrade, where have we arrived?” Su Qinran took a few deep breaths, then looked at the seemingly innocent girl beside her.
Just now, she had looked at her arm—fair, slender, and smooth, without a single crack in the skin, and no calluses. This hand, coupled with the current circumstances, told her one thing: she was currently on a train heading to Daqingshan.
It was now 1973, and she was 18 years old. This was an opportunity that had required the combined efforts of both families to secure, an opportunity to go to the countryside, an opportunity that might allow her to survive honorably.
“We’ve just arrived at Jinnan County, Comrade. Are you also going to the countryside?” The girl was surprised by Su Qinran’s question. Then her bright eyes lit up as she looked at Su Qinran, the corners of her eyes full of smiles, as if afraid that if she answered too slowly, the other person would be displeased.
Because the comrade in front of her was truly too beautiful. Li Dongmei, in all her life, had never seen such a beautiful girl. She wore no makeup, and her clothes were even shabbier than Li Dongmei’s—a patched gray outfit—yet she still exuded a noble aura that made Li Dongmei feel a little inferior.
“Thank you!” Su Qinran couldn’t bear the girl’s gaze.
They had arrived at Jinnan County, which meant it would be another two hours before the train reached the station.
“No need to be so polite, Comrade. My name is Li Dongmei, and I’m going to Jinnan County to support rural construction.”
Li Dongmei spoke enthusiastically. They had been traveling together for almost two days, yet this comrade seemed to be from a different world than her.
“My name is Su Qinran, and I’m also going to Jinnan County!” Su Qinran replied.
Su Qinran hadn’t expected the girl to be so enthusiastic, so she could only smile and reply politely.
“You look so beautiful when you smile!” Li Dongmei was mesmerized. “Oh my, how can someone be so beautiful?”
“Uh, thank you.”
Su Qinran couldn’t help but be startled, then she politely thanked her.
She had always been beautiful. It must be said that neither the Su family nor the Tang family had any unattractive members, and she had inherited all the best features of both her father and mother. She could be said to be the most beautiful person from both families.
But in troubled times, such beauty was not a good thing.
“I’m telling the truth! You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, everyone on the train is secretly looking at you!” Seeing that Su Qinran seemed not to believe her, Li Dongmei quickly explained, whispering the last sentence into Su Qinran’s ear.
“Thank you!” Su Qinran thanked her faintly. It had been a long time since she had spoken so intimately with anyone, so she was truly a little unaccustomed to it.
Li Dongmei saw that Su Qinran didn't want to talk, so she wisely kept quiet. A moment later, she tried opening her mouth to ask again: "Could you keep an eye on my stuff for me? I need to pop to the restroom!"