Sorry, My Beloved Is The Motherland - Chapter 17.1 - To Dedicate One's Life To The Country

Xiao Wu’s nerves were highly tense.

He quickly instructed the two staff members from the county on the vehicle, “Make sure to secure the car doors!”

Currently the vehicle is stuck in the snow and skidding continuously; they cannot move.

“If they charge up, absolutely do not confront them head-on!”

The two staff members from the educated youth office each nodded as if facing a great enemy, sitting in the car, holding their breath, and staring at the group getting closer and closer.

It’s not that they are overly nervous or making a fuss; it’s just that such incidents have indeed happened before.

At the beginning, when returning to the city, conflicts and disputes easily arose. The local production teams were unwilling to let people go, and there were only two possible reasons.

——Either the educated youth had some emotional entanglements or interests with the villagers; or the relations had not been properly managed.

A female educated youth from a certain village had become romantically involved with the son of a local village official, and their marriage arrangements were almost finalized. When news suddenly arrived about returning to the city, for a while, feelings became unsettled and she changed her mind, regretting the marriage and wanting to return to the city. What can the whole village do? The village couldn’t accept this and insisted on making her stay, even forcing her into the bridal chamber, nearly causing casualties.

In order to return to the city, many educated youths, eager to greet the village secretary, ended up colliding with each other. When they met on the narrow path, it was especially tense, and it nearly escalated into a physical altercation.

Xiao Wu felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, his eyes closely fixed on the gradually approaching group armed with open fire and weapons, and his breathing became labored.

Snow began to fall again.

In the atmosphere of intense tension, almost every light, drifting snowflake that touched the ground seemed to strike heavily on the hearts of the few people inside the car.

Lao Zhuo’erqin, who heads the snow-clearing team, took the lead and walked at the very front.

T/N: “Lao” (老) generally means “old” or “elder.” It can also be used as a prefix to denote respect or familiarity, such as in “Laozi” (老子), which refers to the ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi. When used among close friends, “Lao” (老) can be a term of endearment or familiarity, often combined with a name or a title. It conveys a sense of camaraderie and respect, suggesting a long-standing and warm relationship.

He had sharp eyes and was the first to spot the two cars gradually appearing in the wind and snow.

“This is probably stuck in the snow. Let’s go and help out!”

Zhuo’erqin is an experienced driver with rich experience. He called out to everyone, urging them to speed up and head towards the car.

Five minutes later, the two groups finally met.

Lao Zhuo’erqin waved his hand, and the villagers started clearing the snow and opening the road, with each of them using a shovel or a pickaxe.

When Xiao Wu and the others saw the situation, their anxious hearts gradually began to settle.

Xiao Wu rolled down the car window and greeted Lao Zhuo’erqin and the others, saying, “Are you fellow townsfolk from Tulaga qi?”

Lao Zhuo’erqin, directing a group of people working energetically, called out to them loudly, “That’s right!”

He smiled and said, “Isn’t the road blocked by the heavy snow? We were worried! We thought we’d take advantage of these few days when there’s nothing else to do and clear the road first.”

The old herdsman glanced into the car and asked, “Comrades, where are you going?”

Xiao Wu and the others let out a big sigh of relief, and their nerves, which had been tightly strained, finally had a moment to relax.

Seeing the enthusiastic attitude of the people from Tulaga qi, the faces of the few people in the car also broke into smiles.

T/N: ‘qi’ means ‘banner’, an individual administrative region. I’ll update in previous chaps soon.

We’re actually heading to the banner!” Xiao Wu said. “We want to find a young intellectual from our banner.

Lao Zhuo’erqin is very perceptive! He took a careful look at Xiao Wu, then noticed the two clerks in the car with their briefcases, and immediately figured they must be from a major office in the county!

Lao Zhuo’erqin’s face broke into a beaming smile, with his mouth almost reaching his ears.

He quickly asked, “Are you looking for Ning Fu?”

Xiao Wu instinctively nodded.

He then remembered that people couldn’t be taken directly; they first needed to show the documents processed by the county to the village secretary and complete the formalities. So he quickly added, “We still need to meet with the secretary first.”

Lao Zhuo’erqin, while smiling and rubbing his hands, eagerly said, “Of course, of course! First, you should meet with the secretary, and then we’ll take you to see Ning yātóu. She’s right over at the station preparing for the performance!'”

T/N: yātóu is a term for “girl” or “young woman,” often used affectionately.

“When the time comes, you should stay for a meal; we have freshly roasted lamb, it’s all good meat and fat!”

— These must be people from the county education bureau here to deliver the congratulatory notice!

Lao Zhuo’erqin knew it; Ning Fu, that girl, would definitely pass the exam!

With the road cleared, the Tulaga Banner snow removal team’s task for the day was declared complete.

The group helped Xiao Wu and the others push the car and, along the way, gave a ride to a shivering mail carrier. They finally arrived back in the village safely.

By the time they were heading back, the two groups had already gotten along like one big family.

Everyone was warm and cheerful, chatting and laughing as they streamed into the yard where the secretary Tugu Li’s office was located.

They all wanted to be the first to join in the celebration! Everyone exchanged glances filled with suppressed joy, as if they were keeping a secret.