Chapter 6 â The Young Lady
Happy times are always short-lived. The next morning, Lu Miao was shaken awake.
Gu Ying, in a flurry, reminded her urgently:
âIâm heading to work. Hurry up! Itâll be very busy at noon. Before we start work, you all need to go to the team to collect your advance rations!â
It was all because they had chatted too long the previous nightâGu Ying was even late getting up today.
She hastily tied her hair, then turned around to see Lu Miao still frowning in her sleep. Gu Yingâs voice cracked:
âLu Miao!â
Lu Miao jolted, sleepiness vanishing more than half. She sat up slowly, displeased, and said:
âWhatâs the rush? If we donât collect them this morning, canât we just wait until noon when the team leader is done? Isnât it the same?â
Gu Ying shoved the toothbrush and towel Lu Miao had prepared last night into her hands and pushed her out the door. âThat wonât do. You just arrivedâyou need to leave a good impression on the team leader.â
If someone wasnât even enthusiastic about collecting rations, how could anyone expect more from them?
Lu Miao exhaled helplessly and had no choice but to wash up. When she came back, she got upset againâthis time because of her hair.
She didnât have a comb, so she temporarily borrowed Ren Bingxinâs.
She could manage a ponytail, and she knew how to tie buns or princess-style hairdos. But braids really stumped her.
When Ren Bingxin braided her hair before, Lu Miao had watched carefully. At the time it looked simple enough. But when she tried it herself, her hands seemed to have a mind of their own, twisting in all the wrong ways.
After struggling for half a day, the male educated youths outside couldnât wait any longer and left ahead. Not only had Lu Miao failed to braid her hair, but she also ruined her original ponytailâhere sticking up awkwardly, there sunken down.
Lu Miao slapped the comb onto Ren Bingxinâs bed, kicked off her shoes, and flopped back down. âIâm not going!â
Ren Bingxin almost laughed in exasperation. She pulled her up with half coaxing, half dragging. âMy dear young lady, Iâll do it, Iâll braid it for you, okay?â
Lu Miaoâs delicate brows pinched together, her lips puffed in a pout as she haughtily argued:
âI donât mean I canâtâI, I used to do it in front of a mirror. Thereâs no mirror hereâŚâ
Ren Bingxin casually humored her:
âI know, I get it. Alright, put on your shoes and letâs go, or youâll fall behind.â
Lu Miao incredulously grabbed her braid from behind. âSo fast!â
âOf course.â Looping her arm through Lu Miaoâs, Ren Bingxin thoughtfully protected her pride. âPractice later when weâre back. Youâre so smartâeven without a mirror, you can do it.â
âOf course.â
Lu Miao replied confidently. She was no worse than anyone elseâwhatever others could do, she could definitely learn too.
She straightened her back and immediately felt full of energy.
At the team leaderâs house, they went to collect the advance rations. Male educated youths were allotted thirty jin per month, females twenty-eight jinâall coarse grains.
If they chose fresh coarse grains, the exchange ratio with dry coarse grains was 3:1.
If they chose fine grains, the exchange ratio with dry coarse grains was 1:3.
Fresh coarse grains included potatoes and sweet potatoes. Dry coarse grains included corn kernels, sorghum, and dried sweet potato slices.
As for fine grain, there was only one kindâbrown rice.
Rations were chosen on the spot and weighed on the spot.
Lu Miao looked around. She had probably never eaten sorghum before, and she didnât want to try it, so she picked the ones she knewâsome sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn.
The brown rice really did look coarse and rough, nothing like fine grain, but she still asked for a few jin.
Altogether, she collected just over twenty jin. Since she hadnât brought anything to carry them, the team leaderâs wife, Chen Guifen, who was very kind, lent her a basket and a grain sack.
She tried lifting the basket. She could carry it, but the walk from the team leaderâs house to the educated youth station took more than ten minutes along winding paths. With the sun rising higher, Lu Miao didnât want to end up sweating through her clothes.
Her eyes scanned the courtyard. Everyone else was busy, and they all had big sacks already, so they probably wouldnât be reliable.
Lu Miao frowned in annoyance, then suddenly noticed Fu Xiaoliu standing next to He Hongjin, helping with the weights.
Her eyes lit up, and she waved eagerly.
âComrade Fu Xiaoliu, over here! Over here!â
Fu Xiaoliu shook his head slightly, then looked around until he noticed the girl standing in the shadow of the courtyard gate.
The young girlâs features were bright and striking, her eyes sparkling as though they hid little stars.
