Chapter 125: A Rare Date
The cotton fields, once picked clean, showed no trace of white, which was oddly soothing to look at. But cotton wasn’t a one-and-done harvest. Just like vegetables and fruits, after one round of picking, new blossoms would soon appear. By the next day, more fluffy white cotton popped up again. It felt endless—enough to drive one mad.
At first, Mu Lantu hadn’t planned to let Xu Huazhang take over for him, so he worked the fields for three days straight, growing mentally exhausted.
From the fourth day onward, Mu Lantu went picking in the mornings, while Xu Huazhang went in the afternoons. This arrangement also gave Mu Lantu time to cook lunch and dinner.
This was something others envied but couldn’t copy. Everyone else was so worn out that they barely spoke after meals, just showered and collapsed into bed. Dirty clothes were left unwashed until the next morning.
With exhaustion came short tempers, and several fights broke out.
Xie Xiaojun got his lip split open and bleeding after a dormmate punched him—because he had made a lewd joke at a female educated youth.
That female was the object of affection for the one who hit him.
“Didn’t knock out his teeth too?” Mu Lantu lay on his bed, legs crossed, during the noon break.
Miao Jiaze burst out laughing. “Nope.”
Bang!
The half-closed door was kicked open. The panel slammed against the wall, raising a cloud of choking dust.
It was Xie Xiaojun. Speak of the devil.
He stood at the doorway, dragging his luggage, fury radiating from him. His upper lip was wrapped in medicated gauze, forcing his mouth into an awkward half-open state. It made him look ridiculous.
“Youth Xie, what do you think you’re doing?” Zhang Guodong barked.
“None of your business!” Xie Xiaojun ignored him and strode straight to Xu Huazhang’s bed.
Xu Huazhang opened his eyes. His gaze, calm yet dangerous, gleamed with cold indifference.
“What’s the problem? Care to enlighten me?” Mu Lantu sat up slowly, cross-legged. His eyes were clear yet sharp, his right hand reaching to the headboard. Without even looking, he grabbed the toothbrush from the rinsing cup and twirled it idly.
If Xie Xiaojun so much as touched a hair on Xu Huazhang, that toothbrush would pin him to the wall.
Miao Jiaze and Du Xuewen rolled up their sleeves. Fight? They were ready.
Yan Xuan sat up, and so did Wang Guofu.
Even Zhao Chengxin, who had been lying down uncomfortably, pushed himself upright.
“Xu Huazhang, you’re not an official educated youth on assignment here. Why are you staying in the dormitory? That bed is supposed to be mine!” Xie Xiaojun blustered. “You’ve already taken it for days, and I’ve said nothing. But enough is enough—get out, or I’ll report you to the brigade leader!”
Miao Jiaze snorted. “Idiot.”
Zhang Guodong also had no respect for Xie Xiaojun, but bound by his role as squad leader, he explained evenly, “The very first day Youth Xu came, he cleared it with the brigade leader. The leader agreed he could stay in the dorm.”
Xie Xiaojun had never known this. Living alone in another dorm, he wasn’t close with the other male youths of Dongfanghong Brigade, and no one bothered to tell him. Hence, this ugly misunderstanding.
“Damn!”
Mu Lantu swiftly added, “Damn your uncle.”
“Ha!”
Xu Huazhang couldn’t help but chuckle.
The others broke out laughing too. Mu Lantu’s retort had been so quick and smooth that it was pure comedy gold.
“Hahahahahaha…”
Humiliated, Xie Xiaojun stormed off.
“He was definitely kicked out of somewhere,” Miao Jiaze muttered.
Wang Guofu added, “Serves him right for being so crude to the girls.”
“Enough talk. Get some rest. We work again this afternoon,” Zhang Guodong ordered.
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang lay facing each other.
Xu Huazhang’s lips curved upward in a smile.
Mu Lantu knew exactly what he was laughing at, and his own mouth quirked in response. He rarely cursed, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t.
“Sleep, baby,” Xu Huazhang mouthed silently.
Mu Lantu nodded and closed his eyes.
“Brother Mu, still awake? Can you steam a bowl of veggies for me tonight?” Yan Xuan asked softly.
“Sure.”
After the first day, meals had been simple and meatless. While filling, they lacked flavor.
At first, some educated youths traded eggs or meat with locals, asking the canteen cooks to steam it for them. Steaming didn’t require extra seasonings—just cover the dish with canteen food for flavor.
But the cooked portions always came back short—clearly nibbled by the canteen staff. They were clever enough to only skim a little, so the youths couldn’t make a fuss.
Soon, people started asking the dorm monitors or team members to steam food for them. But as more requests piled up, their willingness cooled from eager to reluctant.
Asking villagers wasn’t easy either. Every family had kids, and if you cooked good food in their home, you’d be expected to share. But with several children per household, it was impossible to divide fairly.
Within days, most educated youths were visibly thinner.
By contrast, the Dongfanghong Brigade’s youths were the luckiest.
They had Mu Lantu. He never stole food. Instead, he even prepared sauces with scallions, ginger, garlic, salt, soy sauce, and oil to drizzle over the steamed dishes. Though the flavor was hit or miss, nobody dared complain.
He helped everyone—except Xie Xiaojun.
Xie Xiaojun knew Mu Lantu disliked him and never asked, but Mu Lantu noticed that twice Cai Xiufen had delivered meat that clearly belonged to Xie Xiaojun. He just turned a blind eye. Farming season was coming soon anyway.
On the seventh day in Xinjiang, after the morning shift, the brigade leader announced: an afternoon off!
The cheers from the educated youths boomed like drums and gongs, echoing endlessly.
Xu Huazhang headed straight for the kitchen.
Mu Lantu handed him a bowl of mung bean soup.
“Holiday this afternoon. How do you want to spend it?” Xu Huazhang asked.
“How do you want to? I’ll go with you.” Mu Lantu brushed a hand over his face. He had tanned a little, but it only gave him a rugged, wild sort of charm.
“Let’s find somewhere to be alone,” Xu Huazhang said simply.
He didn’t need to do anything—just being alone with Mu Lantu without interruptions was enough.
Mu Lantu thought of the perfect place.
“Alright. Let’s eat first.”
After a short nap, the two quietly slipped out without alerting the others.
“Jiang Qiaozhu, your clothes fell!”
“Pick them up for me, I’ll be right there!”
The voices came from the youth dorm.
Mu Lantu raised a brow. “Jiang Qiaozhu… remember? I wonder if it’s the one we heard about.”
Xu Huazhang’s eyes cooled. “If it is, do you think our being sent here has anything to do with her?”
Mu Lantu frowned briefly, then let it go. “Then she’s got some pull, dragging all of us out here for her. For what, though?”
“There’s always a reason. Forget her.” Xu Huazhang wasn’t about to waste precious time on irrelevant people. “Which way?”
“Just follow me.” Mu Lantu stuffed his hands into his pockets, walking with a bounce.
An hour later, they stood atop the mountain, overlooking the vast land, the entire brigade visible below.
Mu Lantu slipped an arm around Xu Huazhang’s waist. “There’s a herder’s hut up ahead. Let’s go there.”
He sprayed insect repellent around, laid down a picnic mat, and unpacked fruits and snacks.
[Little five, keep watch. If anyone comes near, let me know.]
[Got it, host.]
The two lay relaxed on the mat, heads pillowed on their arms, eating, drinking, and chatting about nothing in particular.
In the distance, a flock of sheep drifted across the green pasture like a moving white cloud. The summer breeze carried a trace of warmth, their breaths mingling—inseparable, intoxicating.
They stayed until after five, then descended the mountain, glowing with contentment, full of energy. On the way, they even helped an old shepherd catch a straggling sheep.
“Brother Xu, Brother Mu, where’d you two disappear to? We wanted to discuss roasting a whole lamb tonight but couldn’t find you!” Miao Jiaze complained.
“Got bored of the village, so we went up the mountain,” Mu Lantu said. “Roast lamb tonight? Aren’t you afraid of the heat? Don’t we still have work tomorrow?”
“Then when do you want to eat it? I’m fine anytime,” Yan Xuan asked.
“How about the day before we leave?” Mu Lantu suggested.
“Alright. But what about tonight? A potluck maybe? Everyone contributes something.” Du Xuewen proposed.
Miao Jiaze cheered.
“Fine,” Mu Lantu agreed. “Old rule: Huazhang and I’ll bring extra food, you guys cook.”
“No problem!” said Miao Jiaze.
“I’ll help with prep,” Yan Xuan added.
Mu Lantu traded with villagers for a chicken and a watermelon; Miao Jiaze brought back a hare; Du Xuewen got five jin of grapes; Yan Xuan surprisingly scored two jin of smoked wolf meat—well-preserved and tasty enough stir-fried dry.
As they ate, Miao Jiaze shared fresh gossip.
“Turns out Xiao Zhang’s letter of introduction wasn’t lost! That day in the canteen, when she pulled Brother Zhang aside, it was about this.”
“So she just misplaced it?” Du Xuewen asked.
Miao Jiaze shook his head. “That’s the strange part. She later found it in her bundle while packing, but she swears she originally put it in her shoulder bag. Which means someone must have taken it out and slipped it into her bundle. Otherwise, what—ghosts?” He whispered the last word for effect.
Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang exchanged a glance.
“Where’d you hear this?” Mu Lantu asked.
“From Brother Zhang himself. He said I could tell you guys. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare spread it.”
Mu Lantu thought of the phrase “startling the snake in the grass.” Zhang Guodong clearly suspected someone from the youth dorm. If it were only a prank, the truth would’ve been revealed when tickets were being checked. But no one said a word, nearly causing Zhang Jingxian and Zhang Guodong serious trouble. The malice behind it seemed far more deliberate.
