Chapter 123: Arrival in Xinjiang
The pickpocket’s wrist was turning white under Mu Lantu’s grip, trembling with fear. The man’s strength was overwhelming—he was worried his wrist would really be crushed.
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Someone and his companion said they saw a really rich guy put more than a thousand yuan into his bag. I overheard it. That man described the rich guy’s appearance, clothing, and carriage number in detail, so I just followed the clues and came—turns out that rich guy was you! And they didn’t just say it in my carriage, they went to other carriages too!”
More than a thousand yuan!
The other passengers’ eyes changed. Curious gazes swept secretly over Mu Lantu’s pockets, backpack, and luggage.
Mu Lantu calmly said, “We’re just educated youths heading to Xinjiang to help local villagers with cotton picking. Who would carry that much money on them?”
Uncle Yalikun nodded. “Exactly! It’s not like you’re here to buy sheep. And even if you were, you wouldn’t need that much!”
Laughter rippled through the carriage, loosening the tense atmosphere.
The elderly man with his grandson pushed up his glasses. “Clearly, this young man has been set up. That person deliberately spread this story around in several carriages. Young man, do you know who he is? Do you have some grudge with him?”
Mu Lantu sighed with regret.
“It should be two fellow educated youths from the same commune but a different brigade. Earlier this year, they tried to ambush and rob me. I subdued them and handed them to the police.
The officers, considering they had come from afar to support rural development, and since it was only an attempted robbery, plus with their brigade leader pleading for them, they were only detained for a few days before being released. I didn’t expect to run into them again on the way to Xinjiang.
It’s not a big deal if they hate me—after all, neither of their attempts ever hurt me. But they should never have betrayed their brigade leader’s kindness, the police’s leniency, or worse, their parents’ twenty years of raising them. What a pity!”
Everyone grew indignant.
“This can’t just be let go! We must write to their brigade leader!”
“Young comrade, give me the name and address of their brigade leader. I’ll write him a letter explaining everything. We can’t allow such unrepentant troublemakers to remain outside.”
When Mu Lantu saw the old man actually pull out a fountain pen and letter paper, he was a bit surprised. People of this era truly were warm-hearted!
“Alright, I’ll trouble you then.”
Both Xu Huazhang and the train police officer accompanying him had heard Mu Lantu’s words.
The officer frowned, then saluted Mu Lantu before restraining the pickpocket.
“Comrade, thank you for helping rid the people of this menace. Are you sure what you said is true?”
Mu Lantu gave a bitter smile. “It’s all true. This pickpocket has a good memory, I believe he can point those two out. And if you contact the local police station in my hometown, you should find the record as well.”
The officer sighed sympathetically. “Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to convict those two. After all, they only spread rumors—nothing more.”
Mu Lantu nodded helplessly. “I understand. I’ll just have to be more careful in the future.”
The officer said, “We’ll still need you to come make a statement with us.”
“No problem.”
After finishing his statement, Mu Lantu returned and shared sticky rice sticks and fried dough twists with those who had spoken up for him.
“Thank you, fellow villagers, for standing up for me!”
Everyone was both surprised and delighted. Some accepted immediately, while others tried to decline.
“This kid is really generous!”
“Young man, you don’t need to go to such trouble.”
Mu Lantu said solemnly, “This is what I should do. We can’t let good people grow cold-hearted.”
The crowd cheered and applauded loudly.
“Well said!”
We can’t let good people grow cold-hearted?
The old man who had taken down the address mulled over those words again and again, the more he thought about it, the more meaningful they felt. He nodded to himself.
Mu Lantu gave him the largest share of fried dough twists, plus two apples.
“Grandpa, these apples aren’t sour at all. Please enjoy them with peace of mind.”
The old man chuckled. “Alright then, I’ll accept.”
Several others also declared that they too would write to the brigade leader.
Xu Huazhang quickly pulled Mu Lantu aside for a chat, glossing things over.
By the next afternoon, the two of them transferred to a sleeper carriage. Before leaving, they made sure to bid farewell to Uncle Yalikun and the old man.
The rest of the journey went smoothly. By day, Mu Lantu chatted with Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen; at night, he shared a bunk with Xu Huazhang. Time flew quickly.
On the morning of the fourth day, the educated youths reached the train’s final stop—Qixian railway station.
As soon as they stepped off, they were greeted by the thunderous sound of gongs and drums.
County leaders, officials from the Educated Youth Office, and cadres from the brigades receiving support had arranged a simple but warm welcome ceremony.
Behind the honor guard, two large military-green trucks had bright red flowers tied to their side mirrors, swaying in the wind.
“Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome! Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome…”
The educated youths were both stunned and stirred with excitement and pride as they were ushered onto the trucks.
The trucks carried over a hundred people straight to their final destination.
Two hours later, they arrived at the Mu’erta Brigade. Before their eyes stood rows of mudbrick houses, scattered haphazardly without order.
Farther beyond stretched vast cotton fields, endless to the horizon. The speckled white blossoms were denser than summer stars. There were also other fields—vegetables, melons, and more.
At the sound of the trucks, adults and children emerged from their houses, standing at a distance to watch curiously, yet timidly.
The trucks stopped before a row of freshly built mudbrick houses.
Brigade leader Azati jumped down first and, together with the male educated youths, helped the young women alight.
“Comrades, welcome to the Mu’erta Brigade! These are houses we specially built for you, eight people to a room. Discuss among yourselves who you’d like to room with.
After choosing, rest for a bit. At noon, someone will call you to the canteen for lunch. I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first. If you need anything, ask the nearby neighbors—they’re all very hospitable.
We also have our own educated youths here—their quarters are just ahead, in the widest house. You can ask them for help too.”
Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen ran over with their luggage to Mu Lantu.
“Brother Mu, Brother Xu, let’s live together?”
Zhang Guodong, Wang Guofu, Yan Xuan, and Zhao Chengxin also came over—making exactly eight people.
Xie Xiaojun was left out. His face instantly drooped like someone owed him a fortune.
Except for Cai Xiufen, no one paid his sulking any attention.
They casually picked a room.
Inside was extremely simple. The beds were made of piled mudbrick, eight in total, each two meters long and 1.2 meters wide. Beneath each bed were open compartments dug out, for basins, shoes, or clothes. Above the headboards, there were also cubbyholes carved into the wall, serving as shelves—without any cabinet doors.
And that was all. Not a single proper piece of furniture.
Wang Guofu exclaimed, “How can you keep things in these? You wouldn’t dare leave anything valuable here!”
As the saying goes, the poor keep their homes, the rich keep their money on the road. Since this was a long journey, everyone had brought some money, ration tickets, or small snacks for themselves. But with no locks, no one dared leave them out.
After such a long train ride, they were already exhausted. Now, facing this frustrating situation, they all grew irritable, throwing their bags to the ground and sitting in silence, their anger bottled up.
Wang Guofu looked to Zhang Guodong.
“Brother Zhang, what do we do?”
What to do? Nothing!
Zhang Guodong was tired of being the team leader—it was exhausting, mentally draining.
Mu Lantu stepped in. “Didn’t everyone bring locks? We can borrow chests from the locals, or have a carpenter make new ones.”
Everyone perked up a bit.
“Good idea!”
Miao Jiaze gave Mu Lantu a thumbs-up. “Knew we could count on you, Brother Mu.”
He himself was too tired, hungry, and sluggish to think.
Du Xuewen said, “Let’s hurry, before other educated youths borrow them all.”
“Someone should stay and guard the luggage, though. We can’t just haul everything with us.”
Xu Huazhang said, “Lantu, you stay.”
Mu Lantu lazily replied, “If everyone’s fine with it, I’ll stay.”
No one minded—their valuables were in their carry-ons anyway. The bundles left behind were mostly clothes, bedding, lunch boxes, and such.
Once the others left, Mu Lantu organized his and Xu Huazhang’s belongings. He spread the straw mats, placed pillows, folded blankets, and arranged their basins, tubs, lunch boxes, thermos, shoes, etc.
At the end of each bed, a drying rod was fixed into the wall. Since no one else was around, Mu Lantu wiped his and Xu Huazhang’s rods twice with alcohol wipes before hanging their towels.
Xu Huazhang returned first, having borrowed a medium-sized red lacquer chest.
“Baby, you sort things—I’ll fetch water so we can wash up.”
“There’s a bathhouse?”
Xu Huazhang said, “Yes, a communal one. I’ll take you later.”
The so-called bathhouse was just an enclosed empty room to provide some cover.
They had to borrow hot water. After much effort, nearly an hour passed before Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang were clean, in fresh clothes and shoes.
They quickly washed their dirty clothes and shoes too, hanging them to dry behind the dormitory.
The dorms were in the last row of the village, with no houses behind, so drying laundry there was no problem.
Back in the room, Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang relaxed on their beds, resting with their eyes closed.
The others were still bustling about, in and out.
By the time everyone had finished settling, it was almost noon. Soon after, a spirited young man with a tanned face came to call them to the canteen.
Everyone was already starving.
“Finally, food!”
They locked their door and hurried after the young man, walking briskly. Those who had brought thermoses carried them along.
Since they couldn’t boil water themselves, they had to fetch it from the canteen.
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang carried two thermoses—one wasn’t enough.