Chapter 26: The Welcome Party
“Alright, got it. Thanks,” Chen Yechu nodded in response.
“Wow, what’s this you two made? A mosquito net? It’s amazing!”
Liu Yao ran her hands over the net in envy, reluctant to let go. She really wanted one too — but she knew such fabric was hard to come by. Without connections, there was no way she could get any.
Seeing how much Liu Yao liked it, Chen Yechu offered a suggestion.
“If you really want to make one, try checking the rural market for homespun cloth, or ask around in the team to see if any of the villagers weave their own. Homespun cloth doesn’t require ration tickets, it’s cheap, and once you get some, you can sew a mosquito net quite easily. The only downside is that it’s not breathable in the summer — it’ll be really hot inside.”
“Oh? Then I’ll go ask. If it’s not too expensive, I’ll buy some and make a net too. There are so many mosquitoes in the summer — being a bit hot is no big deal.”
Liu Yao touched Chen Yechu’s homespun mosquito net again but ultimately decided she liked Ning Xiyue’s better — the scraps inside looked like they were made of good-quality material. But that seemed harder to make. She’d better look for homespun cloth instead, and maybe even buy enough to make some work clothes.
When Ning Xiyue finished tidying up and saw Liu Yao still touching the net, she shook her head with a laugh and checked the time. “Aren’t we supposed to go to the welcome party? Let’s go — it’s already 7:20. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
“Alright.”
Only then did Liu Yao reluctantly let go of the mosquito net. She hooked one arm through Ning Xiyue’s and the other through Chen Yechu’s as they left the room.
When they arrived at the place where they had eaten lunch, several people were already seated at the long wooden table — including Liu Yao’s cousin, Yu Zhiyu. He was still sitting there reading, and the senior educated youths hadn’t arrived yet.
When Yu Zhiyu saw them, he stood up with a smile. Liu Yao immediately pulled Ning Xiyue and Chen Yechu over toward him.
Ning Xiyue glanced at the seating arrangements and caught the hopeful look in Yu Zhiyu’s eyes. She immediately stepped back and chose a seat a little farther away, deliberately leaving the spot next to him for Chen Yechu.
After all, those two were canon. She might as well cooperate quietly — she was lowkey shipping this real-life CP.
Once Chen Yechu sat down, Yu Zhiyu completely forgot about his book. With Liu Yao leading the conversation, he occasionally found chances to talk to Chen Yechu too. Chen Yechu was patient with him — not showing even a hint of annoyance. She answered all his questions, and the atmosphere between them was good. It was obvious they had mutual feelings.
“Xiyue, why are you so quiet?” Liu Yao asked, noticing how unusually silent Ning Xiyue was.
“Nothing. You guys talk — I’m listening.” Ning Xiyue, who was secretly shipping them, couldn’t exactly explain herself. The vibe was too nice for her to intrude on anyway.
Just then, Xia Zhipeng and Wang Mengmeng arrived. As always, they were inseparable — where Xia Zhipeng was, Wang Mengmeng wasn’t far behind.
Xia Zhipeng’s eyes lit up when he saw the empty seat across from Chen Yechu. He quickly walked over and was just about to sit down — but Wang Mengmeng swooped in first.
With a bright, natural smile, Wang Mengmeng patted the seat to her right and said, “Brother Zhipeng, sit here. This spot is perfect — right in the middle.”
Xia Zhipeng’s face darkened, but he didn’t argue and silently sat down.
Once seated, he still tried to talk to Chen Yechu, but she completely ignored him. On top of that, Yu Zhiyu and Wang Mengmeng were constantly inserting themselves into the conversation.
Xia Zhipeng was left frustrated and confused. Why was Chen Yechu all smiles with others but so cold and dismissive toward him? And to make matters worse, there were two third wheels blocking him.
Ning Xiyue watched the whole thing with great amusement, struggling not to laugh. Wang Mengmeng was quite something. But why hadn’t she and Xia Zhipeng ended up together in the original timeline? With how fiercely Wang Mengmeng was guarding him now, it didn’t make sense.
Unable to figure it out, Ning Xiyue stopped thinking about it.
Because the senior educated youths had arrived.
Zhao Jianshe stood at the head of the table and began his speech.
“To make things easier for us to get along from now on, let’s all stand up and briefly introduce ourselves. The senior educated youths will go first, and then the new ones will follow in order of seating.”
With that, Zhao Jianshe began.
He was 25 years old and had been serving as an educated youth here for eight years — the longest among the current group. He was also the main bridge of communication between the captain and the educated youths; whenever something happened, the captain told him first.
After Zhao Jianshe, the senior female educated youth, Wu Guifang, introduced herself next.
She had been here the second longest — seven years — and was 24 years old. She, too, had earned the captain’s trust. Along with Zhao Jianshe, she was one of the most respected figures in the educated youth compound.
Next was Wang Fenglan, who had been sent down for three years. She was nineteen, and her voice carried power. From her behavior at lunch earlier, it was clear she had a fiery temper and a straightforward personality — if she didn’t like something, she said it outright.
The rest of the senior educated youths introduced themselves one by one.
Ning Xiyue paid special attention to one of them — a rather inconspicuous male educated youth named Li Yang. He didn’t talk much and looked honest and simple, but according to the pirated version of the plot she knew, he had a disturbing fetish: he liked secretly sniffing the shoes of the female educated youths left outside. It was bizarre — though she wasn’t sure if it was true.
True or not, she decided she would store her shoes carefully and never give that weirdo a chance. The thought alone disgusted her.
Once the six senior educated youths finished their introductions, it was the newcomers’ turn.
They started with Wang Jiandong and went one by one until finally, it was Ning Xiyue’s turn — the last one.
As she stood up, everyone’s eyes turned toward her.
Wu Guifang looked at her with a faint, expectant expression.
Wu Zhigang stared at her intently, wanting to confirm if she was who he suspected.
Wang Fenglan was simply curious about the injury on her forehead.
Noting everyone’s gaze, Ning Xiyue understood instantly. Calm and unhurried, she raised a smile and spoke:
“My name is Ning Xiyue. I’m seventeen.”
“You’re Ning Xiyue?!” Wang Fenglan’s shocked voice cracked as she spoke.
“I knew it!” Wu Zhigang shouted angrily. “You’re Xiaoxiao’s cousin!”
The senior educated youths all exchanged glances.
Chen Yechu’s pupils contracted slightly when she heard Wu Zhigang’s words and looked over at Ning Xiyue.
Only the new educated youths, who knew nothing about the situation, sat there confused, staring blankly at the seniors’ reactions.
