nodded. Family education taught her to understand that He Jian Guo hadn't treated them poorly, even though she was pampered, she also knew how to respect others. 。"I agree too, I'm in a worse conditio...Zhang Qingfang saw Jiang Yan being overwhelmed by the clamor but not showing up, her lips curled into a slight smirk as she silently conveyed her curiosity. 。She didn't work for nothing, the village head asked her to help write couplets and promotional slogans. 。Lu Hong's smile carried a hint of bitterness, revealing Jiang Yan's busyness. 。In fact, Jiang Yan's task stemmed from an unexpected calligraphy practice. She intended to decipher those blurry characters, but she was unexpectedly called upon to participate in the village's cultural activities. 。"
“This character is written so well, Jiang Yaotou. You should also get the village committee to make a couplet for us, and some promotional slogans too. It's almost Chinese New Year, let's put them up everywhere to add some festive cheer.”
" 。Although Niu Dabao was not well-educated, he often went around the village. He was very impressed by Jiang Yan's handwriting and encouraged her to write more. 。"Okay, so we'll go with this one then I'll make the slogan based on the guidelines from surrounding towns and counties." 。"Jiang Yan pointed to the piece that read, “Adhere to one’s duty and cooperate wholeheartedly,” 。She sought approval for the couplet "Uniting hearts and minds to build a nation," and after receiving it, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly to its creation. 。The "special" slogan was ignored, and Jiang Yan continued to write. After completing each pair of lines, she would take a short break, then focus her gaze on the newly written couplet. The single character "Guo" immediately caught her attention. 。Jiang Yan was in a panic. She looked around to make sure no one was there, then quietly took out a piece of draft paper from her pocket. She rearranged and combined the words repeatedly, switching the font to clerical script. A flash of inspiration came to her mind, and she found a clue to the answer. 。The shape of the character "country" suddenly struck her, and she hurriedly flipped through all the copied sketches. Although most of the content was still difficult to understand, several key words stood out clearly. 。Her excitement was too much to contain. She lightly covered her mouth, and the eight words, like pieces of a puzzle, revealed an astonishing piece of information: "The Imperial Seal, hidden treasure" 。“
Among Uncle Niu's pile of discarded drafts, Jiang Yan carried them, not returning to the educated youth point, but choosing to walk towards the back mountain. She needed to digest this discovery alone, in order to sort out her thoughts.
" 。Although Jiang Yan had seen countless depictions of the national treasure, the Seal of State, in novels, he always remained reserved about it. 。However, faced with the string of strange events happening in the village and the mysterious small orb in her hand, her belief began to waver. After all, in this era untouched by modern civilization, anything was possible. 。Jiang Yan decided to go with the flow, she believed that the future would surely reveal more secrets. 。Walking on snow, Jiang Yan casually picked up a handful of snowflakes. The icy feeling went straight from his fingertips to his heart. 。She tossed the snowball lightly into the distance, a silent vow forming in her heart: no matter what the future held, she would face it with courage and explore its depths. 。At this moment, He Jianguo walked out of the forest, carrying his prey—a wild chicken he had unexpectedly caught. He smiled and asked Jiang Yan what he was doing. 。"Oh, He Jian Guo, I was just out for a walk. What did you hit" 。Jiang Yan was startled by the sudden noise. Seeing it was He Jianguo, his tense mood eased. 。He Jianguo explained that he had only wanted to catch a few sparrows for a snack, but unexpectedly encountered this wild chicken. 。"Look, there's another beautiful long-tailed pheasant. Would you like some of those pretty feathers" 。Jiang Yan looked at the wild chicken in the sack, his eyes sparkling with surprise. The wild chicken's tail feathers were bright and colorful, a favorite toy for children, a good material for girls to make ornaments, and could be sold for a good price at the collection station. 。He JianGuo nodded and reminded Jiang Yan that the weather was cold. The two chatted as they walked back. 。Liu Aimin couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy seeing this scene. Although he was usually taciturn, he still paid attention to these young educated youths. 。He felt that He JianGuo's fondness for Jiang Yan seemed to have deepened, but this was just the warming of friendship, not the budding of love. 。Zhang Changqing disagreed with Liu Aimin's idea. He believed that the closeness between He Jianguo and Jiang Yan stemmed solely from their shared experiences, not from any emotional entanglement. 。They all know that finding a true soulmate is not easy. He Jian Guo and Jiang Yan are both intelligent people and will not easily fall into the vortex of emotions. 。Thus, Liu Aimin and Zhang Changqing chose silence. They seemed insignificant before He Jianguo, whose skill and personality made them hesitate to provoke him. 。They understand that gossiping about others is not manly. 。As their relationship grew closer, their suspicions gradually subsided, only watching silently in their hearts. 。As the first fortnight of winter arrived in January, the villagers of Qingshangou had already entered a busy mode of preparation for the coming Lunar New Year. Although the real New Year was still a month away, in that era of scarce resources, everything needed to be prepared as early as possible. 。Even three female intellectual young women couldn't help but join the lively market shopping spree of the village girls. 。Jiang Yan hid in her private space, carefully selecting those candy-like fruits. Finally, he found one and patiently peeled off the sugar paper. 。According to Xiuer from the county town, not only was sugar, white sugar, and red sugar sold out in the county, but even common sugar cubes have become scarce. 。She reminded the villagers that they needed to find another way to solve the children's candy problem, after all, candy wasn't just sweetness in their mouths but also a beautiful expectation for a better future life. 。Jiang Yan was not motivated by a desire for holiness to help the villagers, but hoped that during the new year, each child who came to pay New Year's greetings could receive two candies to add a touch of joy to their holiday. 。At that moment, the voice of the coachman cut through the silence: “Children, your parcels and letters have arrived.” 。Lu Hong's eyes immediately lit up with excitement when she heard about her package. She couldn't wait to open it and was overjoyed to find a brand new sweater inside. Although the yarn was a mix of old and new, it was undoubtedly a precious gift from home for her. Especially for someone like her who was sent to the countryside as a知青 (intellectual youth), this gesture gradually transformed her resentment into longing for her family. 。Now, she's already starting to think about how to respond to this affection and send back some local specialties. 。Jiang Yan also received a package. Although her friends and family were scattered, she was full of curiosity and opened it, discovering that it was a square package sent by a stranger. 。
Upon opening it, there were some rare tickets inside, ranging from simple candy receipts to fabric coupons, all the way to important shopping proofs for a motorcycle and knitting machine.
She quickly closed it, cherishing these rare resources on one hand, while noticing that the package might hide mechanisms on the other. She didn't want to draw attention from others. 。The people around her were busy with their own packages and letters, no one paying attention to her. 。Zhang Changqing and Liu Aimin only received letters, while He Jianguo and Zhang Qingfang were the biggest winners this time. 。Zhang Wei's mail was sent by his elder brother Zhang Yu, who lived far away. 。Inside was a complete set of items, ranging from military supplies to everyday necessities. This enormous package naturally attracted everyone's attention; the men envied it, while the women marveled at it. 。Zhang Yanhua's luggage was equally full. A brand new set of wool thermal clothing, a heavy cashmere overcoat, and a bag of carefully prepared dry food and a remittance notice that had arrived recently. 。At dinnertime, despite Zhang Yanhua and Li Zhiguo not receiving any physical gifts, the care they felt from the letters warmed their hearts. 。Clutching coins earned through labor points, they faced the new year's challenges with unwavering determination and anticipation. 。After the meal, everyone tried on the cotton-padded coats gifted by Zhao Minghua and returned to their respective rooms to prepare for sleep. 。Jiang Lei locked the door, drew the curtains, and burrowed into a warm blanket. The small box in her hand shimmered in the darkness. She carefully observed the carvings on the box, finally noticing a subtle change in the patterns at its four corners. 。is both focused on observing others and effortlessly wielding her brush. 。Her boudoir was neat and elegant. Besides the white plaster cast of Marx and two neatly arranged volumes of classic works on...