Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 253: The Road Ahead Is Uncertain

Later on...

There was no "later on," she focused mainly on painting and embroidery. Her calligraphy was decent, but her skills in music, chess, and dance could not be described as anything more than rudimentary.

"In short, when it comes to dancing, this is as good as I get."

Liu Lan sucked on a mango pit, the sweet and sour flavor effectively suppressing the queasiness rising in her stomach. With a long sigh and a leisurely tone, she said, "Don’t count on Chichi, you guys should sign up yourselves."

"Indeed, she can’t be relied on."

If she actually participated, Kao Shan Village wouldn’t even think of winning a place; it would be a mercy from the Baoshan Commune teams if they weren’t turned into a laughingstock.

Thus, Yi Chichi was relieved, but it didn’t mean she didn’t want to join in the fun.

She didn’t participate in the competition, but she could watch those selected training and join the festivities on the day of the event.

However, when she reached the main group the next day, she realized what she thought was just a simple yangko dance competition was actually full of various tricks.

There were people playing colorful dragon boats, wearing big-headed dolls, even impersonating characters like Monkey King and Pigsy.

She was completely bewildered and turned to ask Aunt Ma, who was beside her eating sunflower seeds and watching the excitement, "The year I first came, we didn’t have so many activities."

Aunt Ma spat out the seed shell from her mouth and explained, "The year you came, it was just a few production teams wanting to create some excitement, so the scale was small and naturally didn’t have so many styles. This time it’s different, the commune issued the task, and each production team had to send out a team, so there were more styles."

Yi Chichi suddenly realized why there was such a big difference.

"Who’s going to be selected?"

Many people signed up, from seventy-year-old elders to five or six-year-old kids who all came to join the fun.

At this moment, the main group was abuzz with people both inside and on the snowy ground outside.

Liu Lan, like her, didn’t sign up and was just there to join in the fun.

Wen Sheng, not very confident, said, "They should select those who look good."

After all, it was a big event that would represent the commune, so they had to decorate the façade.

Nobody wants to see old men and women; if it were her choosing, she would definitely choose young and good-looking ones.

Aunt Ma’s mouth twitched a little. "What are you thinking? Yangko dancing is hard work. Just wait and see, the selected ones will surely surprise you."

And indeed, in line with Yi Chichi and Liu Lan’s expectations, Bai Chen and his group seemed likely candidates, yet unexpectedly, everyone from the Youth Corps Courtyard was not selected.

The team leader’s reasons were very legitimate; the corps members lacked strength, and moreover, their yangko dancing was subpar.

Once they had those big-headed dolls on, they couldn’t even walk without holding them with both hands.

If they went on stage like that, as the team leader put it, he couldn’t afford to lose face like that.

As a result, Bai Chen and his group returned in defeat, reluctantly becoming Yi Chichi’s companions in watching the spectacle.

Regarding this, Ge Sujuan expressed her great regret and softly complained to them, "I was hoping to win a prize at the event and see if I could find a way to connect with the Art Troupe of the commune."

This idea was quite good, but its feasibility was very low.

Yi Chichi softly said, "Wouldn’t it be better for you to settle down in Kao Shan Village? Why are you thinking about going to the Art Troupe? Did you forget about Lin Zhiqing from the neighboring Red Flag Brigade as a cautionary example?"

Though life in Kao Shan Village was tough, it was only hard for most of the year; the rest of the time they could hibernate and things would be much easier.

However, that’s not the point. The key is that Kao Shan Village is safe.

Even if there were eccentricities in the village, they were local eccentricities that rarely bothered the corps members.

Overall, the natives of Kao Shan Village have a sense of shame, which is the aspect Yi Chichi is most satisfied with.

Yet Ge Sujuan wanted to leave, thinking that the Art Troupe of the commune was a great place, but relationships alone could bring her so much frustration that she’d end up crying.

Zhou Qiuyu was even more blunt, saying, "Get a grip, Juanzi, whether it’s the County Art Troupe or the Commune’s, if the day really comes when they lack people, it still wouldn’t be the Young Corps members’ turn."

Many people are eyeing those positions; the moment there’s a sign, those well-connected and capable folks would have already divided up the spots amongst themselves.

Qi Yang chimed in encouragingly, "It’s undeniable that some Corps members found a way into the counties and communes, leaving the rural areas, but you know the cost of it."

Either they used money and resources to build connections, or they used themselves as pawns.

Is taking shortcuts shameful?

Not at all. Using limited resources to seek a better future is human nature.

Provided you have a solid plan.

Without a stable plan, flailing around like a headless fly will eventually lead to a major disaster.

Losing both money and effort is a minor issue; losing your life would be truly the end game.

Seeing their expressions grow increasingly serious and their eyes full of disapproval and admonition,

Ge Sujuan, who was being lectured, started to feel uneasy herself. She shrank her neck and defended herself, saying, "I was just thinking."

"Don’t even think about it."

Wang Nan responded irritably, "Instead of thinking about joining the Art Troupe, you might as well have Aunt Ma find you a partner to marry; that idea is more practical."

Ge Sujuan, ... Wang Nan’s words pierced her heart. It turned out that besides settling down to farm in the countryside, the only path left for her was marriage.

However—

"If Aunt Ma could introduce me to someone like Xiao Cao’s man, I think I could consider it."

"You can’t."

Yi Chichi dumped cold water over her head, shattering her fantasy.

"Using marriage to escape is the lowest tier of options. You have to know that you can only tell a person’s face, not their heart! Xiao Cao was lucky with Mr. Qian; most men don’t have his abilities and couldn’t treat Xiao Cao the same way he does."

Ge Sujuan just sighed, "The future is uncertain, the present days are hard, the key is that I’m getting older, and if I don’t start considering my future, I’m afraid to think about what it will be like."

Bai Chen heard this and sighed as well, "Who’s not in the same boat?"

As he spoke, his eyes kept darting towards Wang Nan, and noticing his gaze, Wang Nan’s face flushed as she gave him a fierce glare.

Bai Chen was secretly delighted at this, grinning silently.

Yi Chichi, catching this out of the corner of her eye, suddenly felt an urge to vent, just as a group of kids burst through the door.

"Teacher, it’s time for class."

Dun Dun, carrying a leather water bag, shouted at the top of his lungs, his little body bundled up like a bear and charging forward like a little cannonball, making a beeline for Wu Yongfei.

The impact was quite strong, and Wu Yongfei barely managed to steady himself, keeping from falling off the bench. He patted Dun Dun on the back of the head angrily, "Dun Dun, can you tone it down a bit?"

"Yes, Teacher, I’ll be more careful next time."

Dun Dun chuckled as he wriggled out of his embrace, his apology smooth and sincere, even as his hands eagerly lifted the leather water bag, "My mom brought you soup, have it while it’s hot."

"My mom brought steamed buns."

Er Dan pulled two big steamed buns from his coat, followed by Gou Dan and the other kids, each bringing some food or drink from home.

There wasn’t much in quantity, but pooled together, it could supplement Bai Chen and his group’s food supply.