The life of a female cannon fodder

1

1974 marked the 20th year of the campaign to send educated youth to the countryside to receive re-education from the poor and middle peasants.

A green train slowly drove out of the Beijing Railway Station. Li Qiu waved out the window, and only after the people who came to see her off had disappeared from her sight did she look back and carefully survey the people in the carriage.

This carriage was filled with educated youth who were going to the countryside from Beijing to the three northeastern provinces. Everyone wore black, blue, and military green clothes that were very vintage. In their conversations, they not only expressed their expectations for life in the countryside, but also their confusion and helplessness hidden under their smiling faces.

Li Qiu was the best dressed person in this carriage. She was wearing a green military uniform, a military cap and a military water bottle sent by the guards, and an empty gun box on her waist. She was dressed in a trendy and stylish way. Not only was she wearing one set of clothes, but she also had a spare set and a thick military coat in her bag.

She thought it was against the rules before, but after the guards explained it, she realized that the No. 1 leader had specially arranged for someone to do it. Moreover, women in this era did not like makeup but loved military uniforms. Even those who were not in the military wore military uniforms that they found, or military uniforms that were mailed back by someone in their family who was in the military. Most of them made their own uniforms by cutting cloth and imitating the style of military uniforms. This is not a big deal. Many people are proud of having a piece of military equipment at home or in their own home.

Li Qiu, who was wearing a full set of military equipment, was even more eye-catching. Soon after the train left the station, someone came to talk to her.

The person who came over was a weak young man who looked like a scholar. He was the first person to start a conversation in this carriage that Li Qiu noticed at the beginning. He was more noble than other educated youth. He wore a pair of glasses on his nose and said to her with a warm smile: "Comrade, everyone is introducing themselves. Now it's your turn."

Li Qiu glanced at him and curled her lips meaningfully: "My name is Li Qiu. I am assigned to the Unity Brigade of the Red Flag Commune."

She did not say the province or city, but only said her name and introduced the place she was going to like other educated youth.

A flash of disappointment flashed across the eyes of the male educated youth, and he was about to say something when someone interrupted him.

"Wei Qing, you'd better stay away from her. Don't be fooled by her appearance. In fact, this woman is evil." The person who interrupted was a girl who was also wearing a military uniform and had two big braids. Interestingly, Li Qiu had actually seen her.

The girl saw that everyone in the carriage was looking at her and she unconsciously puffed out her chest: "She and I used to live in the same place. A few days ago, she climbed up the ladder and moved into the compound. She didn't care about her parents at all. Not only did she ask her parents for money, but she also drove her cousin out of the compound."

This was quite vague. People who didn't know what to think of her after hearing this, and might blame her for all kinds of bad things. Although Li Qiu doesn't like to stir up trouble, she won't show mercy if someone offends her. She is a vindictive person and is not a soft persimmon. It's a good opportunity to make this matter clear, so that the "cousin" with the halo of the heroine will not make a comeback and make her feel uncomfortable.

Facing the disgust and suspicion of the crowd, she asked back: "Why don't you say that I am obviously the daughter of a martyr, but I was replaced by my aunt when I was young. From then on, I became the poor little thing who didn't eat enough, didn't sleep enough, and had too much work to do every day, while my aunt's daughter, my cousin, lived in the compound and lived a life without worries about food and clothing?"