Chapter 160: The Great Prairie Is So Beautiful! Truly Beautiful

Deep in the grand prairie.

A dormitory building of a research institute.

Inside a room, a tall and straight figure sat quietly beside the desk.

The man's fingers were slender and strong, holding a pen as he lowered his head to write a letter.

Occasionally, he would pause, raise his head slightly, and gaze into the distance.

Unsure of what he was thinking, the corners of his lips curled upward involuntarily, revealing a gentle smile.

The soft sunlight outside the window poured over his face, outlining his matchless and handsome features.

Just as the atmosphere fell into a quiet peace, the room door was suddenly knocked upon.

A few seconds later, a handsome face poked in from outside the door.

"Boss, save my life! Do you have any of that chili sauce left? Lend me half a bottle, and I'll trade you two cans of oranges!"

Xiao Kaile walked over swaggeringly, hugging two cans of orange-flavored fruit.

Zhou Qinglang put away his letter, his gaze calm and light: "I don't have any left here either."

Xiao Kaile placed the cans on his desk, looked at the envelope in his hand, and chuckled:

"Boss, are you writing to that girl named Lin Xiaodou again? Why don't you ask her to mail more chili sauce over? I'll pay for it!"

Zhou Qinglang flatly refused: "No. She is very busy with work and doesn't have time to make that much chili sauce."

Xiao Kaile leaned forward, wearing a ingratiating expression:

"Boss, just casually ask her about it in your letter, won't you? Eating these baked flatbreads every day is driving me crazy, my mouth is so bland it tastes like nothing."

Zhou Qinglang tapped him on the head: "Stop messing around, I already said no."

"All right, all right. Just look at how nervous you get over that girl, even though you've never even seen what she looks like."

As Xiao Kaile spoke, his eyes suddenly lit up:

"Boss, why don't you ask her to send you a photo in this letter?"

Although the boss had previously mentioned that this Lin Xiaodou girl wasn't very pretty, he really wanted to know just how unpretty she actually was.

He was genuinely curious.

After all, this was the first time the boss had ever paid such close attention to a member of the opposite sex.

Zhou Qinglang frowned slightly: "Why are you so overly curious? Comrade Lin and I are just friends, looks aren't that important."

Xiao Kaile looked at him skeptically: "Boss, look into my eyes and say that again."

This guy read his letters multiple times every single time they arrived; there was no way he'd believe nothing was going on.

Zhou Qinglang looked back at him with clear eyes, showing not the slightest trace of a guilty conscience.

Xiao Kaile rubbed the back of his head. Could he really have guessed wrong?

***

After Xiao Kaile left, Zhou Qinglang's gaze fell upon the envelope on the desk, his eyes pausing for a moment.

In truth, when locking eyes with Xiao Kaile just now, he had felt a trace of awkwardness in his heart.

It was a very strange feeling, and he couldn't quite figure out why it was there.

Zhou Qinglang had once sworn an oath to dedicate his entire life to the motherland's scientific research cause, having no intention of marrying or having children.

To him, women fell into only two categories: acquaintances and strangers.

Lin Xiaodou happened to be an acquaintance and a friend, and their relationship stopped right there.

Therefore, since he couldn't puzzle out this abnormal feeling, he simply stopped thinking about it.

He would not waste time on excessive emotions.

Zhou Qinglang sat back down and continued with his letter.

Only this time, his expression had grown much more relaxed.

***

Returning to Lin Xiaodou's side.

Just as the train was beginning to pull out, another female comrade unexpectedly boarded the carriage.

The girl was built solidly with broad shoulders and a sturdy frame, her eyes scanning everywhere. When her gaze landed on Lin Xiaodou, she beamed with pleasant surprise:

"Xiaodou! Yan'er! I've finally found you guys!!"

Before Lin Xiaodou could respond, Liu Yan'er beside her leaped up with joy:

"Oh my god, Zhu Damei, why did you come too!"

Zhu Damei squeezed her way over with a beaming smile and explained:

"I went to the pig-raising farm to look for you guys the other day, and when I heard you were heading to the grand prairie, I immediately asked my leader to apply for a transfer.

He contacted the livestock farm over on the grand prairie by phone and arranged a job for me as a slaughterhouse worker. From now on, we can stay together forever!"

Liu Yan'er: "Haha, you're a real friend, this is wonderful!"

Although initially she hadn't looked very favorably upon this person because she was competing for Xiaodou's favor, after spending a lot of time together later on, she had grown quite fond of her.

Lin Xiaodou was also smiling happily at this moment: "You rascal, you came without giving any advance notice."

In fact, when they returned to the county town this morning, she and Liu Yan'er had indeed visited the slaughterhouse, but Zhu Damei hadn't been there at the time, which was why they hadn't crossed paths.

Lin Xiaodou: "I was just thinking earlier that without saying goodbye to you in person, you'd probably be very heartbroken. I never expected we'd meet again so soon."

"I did it on purpose! I wanted to give you a surprise!" Zhu Damei chuckled, then politely greeted Elder Wang: "Hello, Elder Wang."

Elder Wang looked at her with a smile: "Hello."

The vitality of youth was truly enviable, able to pick up and leave on a whim.

***

Zhu Damei's seat happened to be in this very carriage as well.

After swapping seats with someone, she sat down directly opposite Lin Xiaodou.

The green-skin train from Guizhou Province to Inner Mongolia took a full seven days and seven nights.

Because the tickets had been bought at the last minute, there were no sleeper berths available, only hard seats.

The hard seats were both stiff and cold, and after sitting for a long time, one's backside ached.

Liu Yan'er had been quite excited at first, constantly chattering away to share interesting stories with them.

Yet after three days, she wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant, frequently leaning against the window with a look of utter despair as she lamented:

"Ai, how much longer until we arrive? My butt and my waist hurt so much~"

Even the energetic Zhu Damei wore a look of exhaustion: "Yeah, days on the train are so boring."

Lin Xiaodou, however, was completely unaffected; after all, she was in peak physical condition, and this little bit of fatigue was nothing.

What was most surprising was that Elder Wang, who had the frailest constitution, turned out to be the toughest of all.

Throughout the train journey, he never uttered a single complaint of hardship, keeping his head buried in a medical book every single time, reading with intense concentration.

Seeing an old man display such perseverance, neither Liu Yan'er nor Zhu Damei had the face to complain anymore, and could only grit their teeth and endure.

Finally! After enduring the torment of seven days and seven nights, they arrived in Inner Mongolia.

Lin Xiaodou and her companions grabbed their luggage and got off the train, then transferred through several buses, spending nearly a whole day before finally reaching the livestock farm.

Their originally exhausted and weary eyes were instantly captivated, leaving everyone stunned upon beholding the picturesque scenery before them.

In the early autumn grand prairie, the sky was as blue as a gemstone, and pure white clouds floated like cotton candy within it.

In the distance, mountain ranges undulated continuously in a deep green hue, reflecting and enhancing the blue skyline.

Across the grassland, a gentle breeze brushed over the vegetation, causing the grasses to sway softly like waves in a green ocean.

Various wildflowers bloomed in fierce competition—red, yellow, purple... in a riot of colors, exuding waves of fragrance.

Occasionally, a few birds swept across the sky, leaving crisp and melodious chirps echoing behind.

Crystal-clear streams flowed babbling along, their rippling waters reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and surrounding beauty.

By the banks of the stream, a herd of fine horses grazed leisurely, their coats soft and glossy, resembling silk.

"Ahhh! So beautiful! Truly so beautiful!"

Liu Yan'er and Zhu Damei tossed aside their luggage, flung their arms wide, and cheered as they ran wildly...