Chapter 7: The Deceived Girl in the 1970s: Fake vs. Real Daughter Story (7)

At bedtime, Xiaoxiao discovered another big problem: there was no electricity.

Also, there was no toilet.

Could the train’s bathroom still work?

Xiaoxiao tried it. Yeah… she was being too optimistic. It didn’t work. She couldn’t even open the door.

Forget it. Sleep first! She had to go to work tomorrow anyway.

Early the next morning, Xiaoxiao had been worried she might oversleep, but instead?

She was jolted awake by the clanging of a gong.

She got ready quickly, ate two egg cakes, and went out.

“Xiaoxiao, you’re here!”

Seeing Wang Xiuxiu greet her, Xiaoxiao walked over. Although she didn’t have the best relationship with the others at the educated youth house, she was still an educated youth, so of course she had to go to work with everyone.

The team leader said, “Alright. Today, the new educated youths will be harvesting corn. Someone will guide you—pay attention and learn. Old educated youths, same as usual.”

With that, he walked off. Xiaoxiao followed the group into the cornfield and started working.

She’d forgotten she hadn’t done farm work in years. This body, while used to chores, had never done heavy labor like this.

She hadn’t even filled two baskets before her hands started to hurt.

Xiaoxiao looked at the others—she was actually among the faster ones. Not bad. She paused to pop a candy in her mouth, then got back to it.

She cheered herself on. She needed to make a good impression early on.

In the countryside, only hardworking kids were liked. She hadn’t been liked much as a child, but back then, she had family to protect her. Now? She was on her own.

She was really envious of those with systems or cheat spaces.

She didn’t want anything else—just those who could buy Strength Pills or had miracle springs to relieve pain and inflammation.

She couldn’t understand why the original novel never described rural life in detail, even though the protagonist had been in the countryside for six or seven years.

***

During the lunch break, Xiaoxiao made herself a wild vegetable porridge. In summer, porridge felt just right. She also boiled a section of sausage and finally felt human again.

But looking at her red, sore palms, hand cream was totally useless.

Xiaoxiao started rummaging through her luggage.

What if she had gloves?

Nope. All she had were winter mittens—the kind without fingers. Totally useless for manual labor.

When the gong sounded for afternoon work, Xiaoxiao cut the legs off a pair of footed leggings and turned them into makeshift gloves.

Honestly, aside from being a bit hot, they worked; at least her hands didn’t hurt anymore, and they didn’t interfere with her work.

“Educated Youth Ye, what are you wearing on your hands? “Doesn’t look like gloves,” an auntie nearby asked.

Her voice was loud enough that others turned to look.

“These city kids are so delicate.”

“Yeah, who in the countryside wears gloves to do farm work?”

“Look at her, wrapped up from head to toe. Isn’t she hot?”

“Right? Maybe she’s hoping for heatstroke so she won’t have to work.”

Xiaoxiao: … What did I ever do to you?

“Auntie, I just didn’t want to hurt my hands and slow down the work. This morning, my palms started peeling and were really painful.”

“As for being all covered up—I had no choice. Look, just a brush with the leaves and I break out in a rash.”

She pulled off her glove and showed them.

Her palms were red. The backs of her hands had scratch marks and were swollen—it looked miserable.

Xiaoxiao wasn’t sure if it was this body that had sensitive skin or if her condition had crossed over with her.

She’d always been like this—if she touched anything dirty, she had to wash it immediately, or her skin would break out in welts.

Seeing her like this and not once trying to shirk work or ask for time off, the others finally relented.

“Sorry, Educated Youth Ye. We misunderstood.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a good one. Didn’t try to slack off. It’s just you city folks have delicate skin.”

…

Once everyone finally stopped paying attention to her, Xiaoxiao let out a sigh of relief.

The auntie who’d first asked now looked a little embarrassed and said softly, “Sorry, Educated Youth Ye. I was just curious about your gloves and didn’t mean to cause a fuss. We rural folks tend to speak loudly; I didn’t expect it to cause you trouble. If your hands hurt, take it slower. Once I finish my part, I’ll help you.”

She even sped up her work, and she really did come over later to help.

Xiaoxiao was genuinely surprised. She’d thought it was just a polite offer.

“Thank you so much, Auntie,” Xiaoxiao said gratefully.

“Ah, don’t mention it. Are your hands okay? Later, go see Old Chen and have him take a look. It’ll get better soon. If not, ask the team leader for a work change; there’s no need to tough it out. I can tell—your skin’s just too delicate for this kind of job.”

Xiaoxiao asked, “Auntie, what other work could I do? I’m not sure what I’m suited for.”

Maybe gathering pigweed?

The woman thought for a moment. “There are quite a few easier tasks. But everyone fights over those. Show the team leader your hands. He’s a good guy; he might let you switch.”

Xiaoxiao: “Thank you, Auntie.”

“Don’t keep calling me Auntie. My name is Liu Cuilan—call me Auntie Cuilan.”

“Okay, Auntie Cuilan.”

After saying goodbye to warm-hearted Auntie Cuilan, Xiaoxiao went to find the Old Chen she’d mentioned.

“Grandpa Chen? Are you home?” She called outside the house.

“Who is it?” a voice asked as someone came out.

“Grandpa Chen, I hurt my hands and was hoping you could give me something for it.”

“Let me see.”

Xiaoxiao stretched out her hands.

Old Chen said, “Nothing serious. Some herbal ointment will do. The rash on the back of your hand is trickier. Keep things clean. If it doesn’t get better, ask the team leader to change your job.”

Xiaoxiao: “…Okay, thank you.”

So she really did need to ask for a job change. It looked like her skin was just as sensitive as in her past life—harvesting wheat, rice, sorghum, or corn wasn’t going to work.

Basically, anything fuzzy was off-limits.

Sigh. She really was suited to being a little useless thing.

After dinner, she tucked half a jin of brown sugar in her pocket and went back to the team leader’s home.

“Team Leader, can I ask you to help me change jobs?”

Wang Youjun was smoking, clearly not inclined to agree.

Well, of course—if it were that easy, everyone would want to switch.

Xiaoxiao had no choice but to pull the pity card.

She held out her hands—now smeared with green herbal paste—and startled him.

Cough cough… Cough, cough, cough…

He was choked by his own smoke.

Xiaoxiao felt a little embarrassed. Had she frightened him?

Hearing the coughing, Auntie Tan came in. “Coughing again! I told you to quit smoking long ago.”

Wang Youjun waved her off, then looked at Xiaoxiao. “Educated Youth Ye, what’s wrong with your hands? No one reported any injuries today.”

Xiaoxiao said awkwardly, “It’s not serious. Just some peeling. My skin is allergy-prone and breaks out in welts. I can’t handle fuzzy crops, so I wanted to ask if I could switch jobs.”

Wang Youjun frowned. “Fuzzy crops? You mean you can’t handle wheat, rice, sorghum, or corn?”

Xiaoxiao lowered her head.

“Did Old Chen say anything?”

“It’s congenital,” she said.

Wang Youjun, … Born with rich girl skin, huh? So why’d you even come to the countryside?

Xiaoxiao stayed silent.

Auntie Tan said, “Just let her switch. The girl didn’t know she had this issue; she’s never done farm work. Even today, after getting hurt, she didn’t ask for time off. She still finished the job. Now she’s just asking to change work.”

Xiaoxiao looked gratefully at Auntie Tan.

Wang Youjun asked again, “What happens exactly? Just welts?”

Xiaoxiao explained, using her past life’s experience, “It gets red, swollen, feverish… In serious cases, it affects my breathing.”

The team leader was skeptical. “Then how come you were fine after a whole day of work today?”

Xiaoxiao said, “I wrapped myself up tightly in the afternoon. As long as I don’t touch it directly, it’s okay. But it’s too hot, so I might get heatstroke.”

Softly—I’m really trying, but my body just can’t cooperate.

Wang Youjun: …