Chapter 4: Daxing Island, the place where legends begin

Later, this incident became widely known among the educated youth on Daxing Island. Everyone spoke of Yuan Hou's relentless and shameless behavior, even observing the station manager during their shifts. Who could endure such a thing? Alright, I will ask my comrades in Hulan to see if it is feasible, and the comrades at the reception station conceded defeat. From then on, what did Yuan Hou think of Li Siming? It was like looking up at a towering mountain.

Li Siming knew that he had arrived at Beidahuang, which would not be the sacred land or hell praised in countless newspapers, but rather an unforgettable place in the lives of himself and countless young educated youths of similar age. After a brief stop at the station, Li Siming and Zhang Hua, along with other comrades from the corps, were crammed into more than a dozen large trucks, embarking on the journey to Daxing Island

Trust me, it's true! Li Siming imitated the tone of a certain product spokesperson from a past life

I smiled proudly, a triumphant smile... Ignoring the little face of MM, which was flushed with anger, I hummed a little tune and walked away

There are indeed solutions, but it depends on whether you are willing to give it a try

Hmph, using sophistry and books! There, I've used an idiom.

"Alright, alright, quickly tell me about it." Yuan's listless eyes immediately sparkled with an intense brilliance.

What a way, hmm, the badge of the Chairman you are wearing on your chest is quite rare

"It's quite good!" Li Siming said with a laugh, "I really enjoy collecting Chairman Mao badges. Look at what's in my bag; it's filled with all sorts. See, this one is from the Tangshan Ceramic Factory, this one is specially made by the Beijing Steel Plant, and this one is made of sandalwood, entirely hand-carved, quite hard to find. And this one, look..."

It's that simple, can this work? Yuan was a bit skeptical.

"Only you would think that I am a small-minded person who has gained a little success! I am simply being helpful, do you understand?" Li Siming retorted

"Indeed, do you have a solution?" Yuan Hou asked with a gloomy expression

The petty individual revels in their newfound success! Li Siming is admiring the spoils he has recently acquired with great delight, having obtained them effortlessly. However, some express dissatisfaction; who is opposing him? Ah, who else but that little girl.

"Here you go, quickly tell me what methods there are." Even a fool could see it, as Yuan Hou shoved his badge into Li Siming's hand.

Is this what you call being helpful? Only the simple-minded brothers of the class would be deceived by your tricks, gaining benefits while pretending to be virtuous The other party clearly scoffed at this

After a continuous journey of one day and two nights, Li Siming finally arrived at Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province. Here, they would take a brief rest before meeting with other educated youth from various cities across the country to be redistributed to different locations in Heilongjiang. At this moment, Harbin Station, the train station built by the Japanese, had completely transformed into a large military station, filled with young men and women from major cities of the Republic both inside and outside the station. Li Siming and his companions had a hard time finding the reception station for Daxing Island. Li Siming took a look around; among those reporting in, there were more than twenty he recognized, all from No. 15 Middle School, and another twenty or so from Tsinghua University Affiliated School, including the formidable female comrade whom Li Siming dared not provoke. As acquaintances headed to different places, there were naturally tearful farewells, leaving everyone unprepared for the fact that some would never reunite again, and some would even rest eternally beneath that black soil.

The Qixing River and the Naoli River, like a pair of sisters enduring hardships, flow from west to east, then converge and continue their journey towards the Ussuri River. At the point where they meet, a large expanse of land is divided, forming an island, which is known as Da Xing Island

A sudden uproar of intense arguments erupted among the crowd. Li Siming turned to look at the reception station behind him. After inquiring, he learned that a young man named Yuan Hou from Shanghai was loudly insisting on going to Daxing Island. Originally, he had signed up to go to Hulan in Heilongjiang, but upon arriving here, he realized that Daxing Island was very close to the old Russians and was at the forefront of the anti-Soviet movement, and he was shouting to change his destination to Daxing Island. However, it is not the case that one can go wherever one wishes; the destination of each young intellectual is predetermined, and changes are not permitted. The comrades at the reception station naturally would not allow it. Yuan Hou, feeling dejected, stood aside, wallowing in self-pity. Li Siming found it amusing and approached to pull him aside.

The solution is that, starting from now, you will follow the comrade in charge of reception. No matter what he does, you will follow him. In short, when he eats, you will stand by; when he goes to the restroom, you will follow him as well, fully demonstrating our army's tenacious spirit of continuous combat, unafraid of fatigue and sacrifice. Li Siming should know when to stop and not push people to their limits.

After resting for a day in Harbin, Li Siming and his comrades set off again. Among this group were his good brother Zhang Hua, Xu Dashuai, a beautiful young lady, and of course, the talking monkey. The train was not very long, consisting of only about ten carriages, fully loaded. The train passed through Jiamusi and traveled all night, finally reaching the terminal station of the railway—Welfare Tun Station near Fujin, which is probably the train station closest to the northeastern border of the Sanjiang Plain

This is where you are mistaken. Look at this future comrade, Comrade Yuan Hou, who appears to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, like the sun at eight or nine o'clock in the morning, a flower of the motherland, a pillar of the future. Unfortunately, he has no avenue to serve the country. A young seedling has not yet had the chance to thrive before it withers away, which is a significant loss to the revolutionary cause. Therefore, I have found a path for him, allowing him to serve the country effectively. Perhaps one day he will achieve merit and receive awards, and I will share in that military honor. I am more wronged than Dou E!

Indeed, this is ceramic. Only one kiln has been fired in all of Shanghai, and it was specifically made by Jingdezhen. Yuan was somewhat pleased, but he had not forgotten the main point of the conversation. "Hey, I said, comrade, if you have any solutions, please do share!"

Upon disembarking from the train, the temperature had noticeably dropped significantly. During this season, Beijing was still in the depths of autumn, while Harbin had already entered winter, and here the temperature had fallen by several more degrees. After getting off the train, Li Siming took a few deep breaths of fresh air; the train carriage, akin to a can, was filled with various odors that were almost suffocating. The train station was small yet noisy and crowded, with the acrid smell of coal smoke permeating the air, and just outside the platform lay an expansive field littered with cow dung and human urine.

I heard you want to go to Daxing Island? Li Siming stated directly.