Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback
CHAPTER 27: The 1970s Naive Supporting Girl (27)
Xingling Village was twenty li away from Heihe Village. By donkey cart, the journey took more than three hours.
After arriving at their destination, Song Susu paid the fare and did not forget to remind him, “Uncle Fugui, don’t forget to come pick me up tomorrow afternoon.”
The villages were quite far apart, and only the brigade office had a telephone. The customs in this village were not exactly good, and if anything unexpected happened, outsiders would likely be dealt with collectively. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances preventing her from leaving, Song Susu had hired the driver in advance at a high price for a round trip.
Wang Fugui, who was driving the donkey cart, chuckled. “How could I forget? Song Zhiqing is generous. This single round trip earns me as much as two runs to the county.”
“That’s good. I’ll treat you to a drink tomorrow.”
“Alright, alright. Don’t worry, Song Zhiqing. I’ll come early tomorrow…”
After the driver left, Song Susu held her younger brother’s hand and looked toward Cao Guangzhu’s nephew standing beside them.
The young man was strongly built, nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a square face and thick eyebrows. His large frame made him look a bit fierce, but in truth he had a simple and honest temperament.
“Comrade Cao, I’ll be troubling you from here on.”
When Cao Xiaojun met Song Susu’s beautiful, fair face, his cheeks blushed instantly, and he quickly looked away. “Song Zhiqing, it’s nothing. You’ve already paid the work fee. I’ll protect you properly.”
Song Susu smiled slightly at him. “Then thank you, Comrade Cao.”
Cao Xiaojun straightened his back, clenched his fists, and nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, Song Zhiqing. As long as I’m here, no one will dare bully you. I’m very strong.”
Besides, his second uncle was the brigade leader of Xingling Village. Even though Heihegou had plenty of local troublemakers, those in charge here still had to give his uncle some face.
Cao Xiaojun did not take those people seriously at all.
As soon as their group entered Heihe Village, they immediately drew plenty of attention.
A beautiful young woman, a delicate little boy, and a tall, dark, sturdy man.
It was an uncommon combination, especially since they were unfamiliar outsiders from another village.
People watched them openly along the way, and Song Susu took the initiative to approach a kind-looking middle aged woman to ask for directions.
“Hello, Auntie. We’re here to visit a friend. Is there an educated youth here named Liu Yingzi?”
Liu Yingzi was the girl Song Susu had met on the train.
The auntie looked Song Susu up and down, then let out a soft sigh before nodding. “Yes, there is. She used to work in the fields with me. She lives at the educated youth settlement up ahead. She fell in the back hills yesterday and did not come to work today.”
After thanking her, Song Susu asked for more detailed directions, then led the others toward the educated youth settlement.
As they walked away, the villagers behind them began whispering among themselves.
“That young girl just now was really pretty. Her skin was whiter than steamed buns.”
“Hope she does not run into those hooligans around here. Honestly, she should have covered her face more carefully. Walking around like that is just asking for trouble…”
……
The educated youth settlement in Heihe Village consisted of three earth-and-straw houses.
One was the boys’ dorm, one the girls’, and the middle room was for storing grain and supplies.
The courtyard was crudely paved with stones, and inside the house, facing south, there was a simple stove. Liu Yingzi sat nearby, her left arm supported by a wooden board and tied with cloth strips, a sling over her neck keeping it balanced. She was bent over, adding firewood to the stove.
Following the directions from the villagers, Song Susu arrived and immediately spotted the girl with the twin braids.
“Liu Yingzi?”
She called softly.
Liu Yingzi turned at once, her eyes widening for a moment when she saw the three people at the door. Her gaze finally landed on Song Susu.
A bright smile broke across her face as she hurried forward to inspect Song Susu, calling out with delight, “Comrade Song?”
Song Susu returned the smile. “It’s me. I happened to be passing by, so I thought I’d come see you.”
Hearing this, Liu Yingzi’s excitement grew. She grabbed Song Susu’s arm with her good arm and pulled her inside.
“This is amazing! I even dreamed about you last night. Come in, rest your feet. I’ll make you some corn cakes to eat…”
Every rural home had a kang, a heated earthen bed, and the educated youth settlements were crowded. Each kang was a big communal bed, with seven or eight people sharing a room.
Heihe Village’s conditions were worse than Xingling Village. Inside, the earth house was a little run-down, the walls blackened from soot, and there were water stains in the corners.
The room was packed with people and stuff, and the air carried the faint, musty smell of old things.
Liu Yingzi gave an embarrassed little smile, dragging over a few small wooden stools for them to sit on. Then she climbed onto her kang and pulled a few handfuls of roasted sunflower seeds from her little wooden cabinet.
“There’s not much to offer, just some sunflower seeds,” she said warmly, handing them out one by one with her good hand.
Song Susu, not wanting things to get awkward, stepped forward first and took some. “Thank you, Yingzi.”
Song Yuanchao, following his older sister's example, accepted the gift politely and said, “Thank you, Sister Yingzi.”
Cao Xiaojun scratched his head, held out both hands, and took some too. He could only follow suit with a shy, “Thanks, comrade.”
“You’re welcome, you’re welcome,” Liu Yingzi said, feeling a strange sense of relief seeing everyone so polite. It made her even happier.
She leaned closer to Song Susu and spoke softly.
“Susu, ever since we parted on the train, I’ve often thought of you. You gave me so much courage. Even with this injury, I feel really happy.”
Song Susu looked at her arm. She had assumed it was a farming accident, but listening to Liu Yingzi now, it seemed otherwise.
“How did you get hurt?”
Liu Yingzi patted her arm and laughed. “I ran into a troublemaker who couldn’t keep his mouth shut. I grabbed my grass-cutting sickle to scare him, and he got so scared he cried and ran away. I got too excited chasing him and ended up spraining my arm.”
Song Susu couldn’t help laughing and shaking her head, then gave her a thumbs up. “Impressive.”
Liu Yingzi straightened her chest, her clear, bright eyes sparkling with satisfaction. “Thank you, Susu. I used to be afraid of everything, but after seeing you fight and hearing your words, I’ve tried so many new things these past few days. It feels amazing.”
“If I get the chance, I want to teach the village girls too. The female educated youth can be brave. Those idle troublemakers are nothing to fear. If we stick together, we can make them cry. And when I return to the City, I’ll teach my younger sisters too. Girls can be strong.”
Song Susu felt a deep sense of admiration and was genuinely happy for her.
Looking at her sun-kissed face full of light, with the ends of her braids tied with two faded little cloth strips, Song Susu took the orange hair tie from her wrist and helped tie them neatly.
“No, leave it, Susu, you should keep it for yourself,” Liu Yingzi protested.
Liu Yingzi flushed with embarrassment, her cheeks turning red in an instant.
The hair tie looked delicate and expensive at a glance. How could she possibly accept something like that?
But Song Susu firmly tied it onto her braid, her tone gentle and smiling. “This is a little gift from me, to thank Comrade Liu Yingzi for your bravery and enthusiasm. May you become even braver and keep moving forward with confidence.”
Liu Yingzi’s eyes turned slightly red. She nodded firmly, gratitude and determination shining in her gaze. “Mm. I will.”
Even though they spoke quietly, the two people beside them could still hear.
Song Yuanchao glanced at his sister, silently telling himself: If my sister can do it, so can I. I’ll be brave too. I’ll keep moving forward too.
Cao Xiaojun held a handful of sunflower seeds, scratching the back of his head as his gaze drifted toward Liu Yingzi. Such a small girl chasing away a hooligan with a sickle was honestly pretty impressive.
After some small talk, Liu Yingzi finally remembered to ask the real question.
“Susu, what brings you to this village? You’re so pretty, and there are quite a few troublemakers around here. If you need something done, I can help you instead. Better not attract the attention of those rotten guys. Everyone here is connected by family ties, and we might not be able to win against them.”
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Glossary:
1) Brigade and Village
🌞Heihegou Brigade usually refers to the administrative unit or collective farm in the countryside—the “brigade” is like the official work/commune group.
🌞Heihe Village is the actual village settlement, the physical place where people live.
In many “sent-down youth” stories, the village is where the households are, and the brigade is the work unit that organizes farming, labor, and education for the youths. So Song Susu could be going to Heihegou (the brigade), which is located in or near Heihe Village.
2) In 黑河沟 (Heihegou), the 沟 (gou) literally means “gully” or “ravine”—so it’s more like a geographic feature, not an official administrative “village.” It’s describing the area: the Heihe ravine/valley.
On the other hand, 黑河村 (Heihe Village) is the actual village nearby, an official settlement.
So in that line:
杏岭村距离黑河村二十里路
It’s saying Xingling Village is 20 li from Heihe Village, which is a formal village.
Basically:
Heihegou = the valley/area called Heihe, not necessarily a village.
Heihe Village = the actual village with people living in it.
So “Heihegou” and “Heihe Village” refer to roughly the same region but one is more geographical and the other administrative.
3) Compound or Settlement
Educated Youth Compound
🌞 Feels more like a physical space, enclosed or specific area where educated youths live.
🌞 Emphasizes the “camp” or “residential” aspect.
🌞 Works well for the place like a cluster of buildings or dormitories.
Educated Youth Settlement
🌞 Feels more like a community or small village, not just the buildings.
🌞 Emphasizes the social/communal aspect rather than just where they sleep.
🌞 Works well for a lived-in place with people interacting.
💡In most translations of “知青点,” people tend to go with “educated youth settlement” because it captures both the living area and the social aspect.
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