Chapter 371: Chapter 367: Mr. Bai Mu’s Manuscript

Xu Wenwan helped Yun Hao to the outside of the educated youth quarters’ courtyard before letting go. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

She was in a hurry to go to the County Town to buy the materials she needed for her facial soap.

"Yun Hao, I’ll leave you here!"

The cold wind on the way had cleared his head, and his dizziness had subsided significantly.

He thanked Xu Wenwan.

"Wen Wan, thank you so much for today. I think I might be coming down with a bad cold. My head feels so foggy... If you hadn’t walked me back, I don’t know how I would’ve made it."

Yun Hao’s head was throbbing and he felt dizzy, just like he did when he was sick.

He instinctively assumed he was getting sick.

To hide her unease, Xu Wenwan lowered her head, a coy smile on her face.

"Yun Hao, don’t you understand my feelings for you yet? There’s no need for such formalities between us."

Normally, Yun Hao would have been delighted to hear Xu Wenwan say something like that. But now, he could only manage to twitch his lips, unable to force even a hint of a smile.

In her rush to go shopping, Xu Wenwan didn’t notice his expression. The two parted ways at the gate of the educated youth quarters.

When Yun Hao got back to the men’s dormitory, Hu Ziqiang came over.

"Yun Hao, the newspaper you subscribe to was delivered."

Yun Hao had an idol he deeply admired, an author with the pen name Mr. Bai Mu. Every month, he would publish an article in the nation’s largest newspaper, and it was always featured in the most prominent spot on the front page.

This senior’s writing was incredibly sharp. His articles were published in a Beijing City newspaper that wasn’t available in their area, so Yun Hao had a special subscription just to read Mr. Bai Mu’s work.

Other cities would only begin to reprint the articles after their initial publication in the capital, but they would never make their way to a remote place like this.

At the educated youth quarters, many had read Mr. Bai Mu’s articles and revered them as a source of hope for the future.

Hearing Hu Ziqiang’s words, Yun Hao instantly forgot his dizziness and discomfort. He rushed to his desk and saw several brand-new newspapers lying there.

Even so, the most recent issue was from a week ago.

Yun Hao didn’t mind.

’It takes quite a while for them to get here from Beijing City anyway!’

He reverently picked up the newspaper and began to read.

As he read the article, the uncertainty in his heart vanished, replaced by a surge of hope for the future.

As young people from the city, who among them didn’t want to serve their country? Unfortunately, with no other opportunities available, they could only come to this rural village to help build up the countryside.

They had originally thought they would be able to return home after a few years, but the earliest arrivals had now been here for eight years. How many eight-year periods does a person get in a lifetime?

How could they not feel lost?

But Mr. Bai Mu’s articles pointed out that these difficult times were merely the darkness before the dawn. Once the nation had sorted itself out and had the capacity, it would not forget the young people who had gone to the countryside to aid in its development.

The articles even concluded by saying that the future of the motherland still depended on them to build it.

After reading his articles, everyone was filled with a soaring, heroic spirit, as if they had taken a powerful tonic.

Yun Hao’s eyes shone with emotion as he finished reading.

"This Mr. Bai Mu is truly a visionary. I started reading his articles several years ago, and some of the constructive suggestions he wrote about have been implemented one by one. The motherland is getting better and better. In the future, maybe we’ll be able to..."

Yun Hao didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone instantly understood what he meant.

Be able to what?

Return to the city.

Every young person sent to the countryside dreamed of returning to the city.

Even Li Fenggu, an old-timer who always maintained a calm expression, was a little excited now.

"Did Mr. Bai Mu really say that?"

Yun Hao nodded.

"He didn’t state it explicitly, but that was the implication. Maybe in a few more years, we really will be able to go back to the city."

Hearing this, Hu Ziqiang gave a faint smile.

"Yun Hao, when other people can’t go back, it’s because of policy. When you don’t go back, it’s because you don’t want to. It makes sense for us to get excited, but what are you so excited about?"

The other educated youths chuckled at his words.

Yun Hao gave a strained laugh and explained, "I’m not excited about going back to the city. I’m excited that the policies might be relaxed. When that happens, maybe none of us will have to go hungry anymore."

No one seemed to doubt him.

Everyone knew that Yun Hao’s father was a factory director and his mother was a department head. His family could have easily arranged a job for him, and he never would have had to come to the countryside in the first place.