The fat guy and I carried a basin and went to the bathhouse, enjoying a relaxing bath to wash away all the bad luck. After that, we went to find the homeroom teacher to register.

The homeroom teacher was a kind old lady in her fifties. Seeing our refugee-like appearance, she thought we were children from the mountains who had come a long way. By the time we found her, she had already bought two big steamed buns for each of us, along with a meat dish and a vegetable dish to fill our stomachs.

We were touched and, since we were indeed hungry, we devoured the two large steamed buns quickly.

The homeroom teacher said, "There is a scholarship for students from poor families in the school. Once you write an application, I will submit it for you, and the school will provide you with a monthly living allowance. Without enough food, how can you concentrate on studying?"

The fat guy and I didn't say much, so as not to let down the homeroom teacher's kindness.

Just like at the county middle school before, there were boarding students and day students at this school. Most of the children from the county town were day students, while those from nearby villages, towns, or mountains couldn't go home every day and had to choose to board at school.

The fat guy and I asked the homeroom teacher to assign us to the same dormitory. After registering, we received our beddings and water bottles and went to the dormitory to arrange our beds.

The next day, classes hadn't officially started yet, and there was still half a month of military training before that. On this day, we received our camouflage uniforms, rubber shoes, enamel bowls, and other items for military training.

The shops near the school entrance were filled with various items. The fat guy and I went to a convenience store to buy some toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, and other daily necessities.

Just as we walked out of the convenience store, we heard someone calling our names.

I found it strange. I had only been to the county town a few times in my life, so how could someone know us?

Turning around, I saw a van parked by the roadside with a head poking out from the window—it was Xie Lao Ba.

Xie Lao Ba waved at us, signaling for us to come over.

I asked Xie Lao Ba how he was here, and he said, "I just picked up the car from the repair shop. It got damaged in an accident yesterday!"

The fat guy said, "Is it fixed so quickly?"

Xie Lao Ba replied, "Actually, only the front of the car was damaged, and the engine was fine. I need the car for work, so if I delay for a day, I lose a day of business. That's why I stayed with the mechanic and had the car fixed overnight!"

The fat guy rubbed his hands and said with a grin, "Are you here specifically to find us and treat us to a meal?"

Xie Lao Ba said, "Hey, you guessed it right. I did come to treat you to a meal. Come on, get in the car. I'll take you to a restaurant!"

Xie Lao Ba raised his chin, and since he mentioned treating us to a meal, the fat guy and I didn't hesitate and got in the car.

Xie Lao Ba drove the van slowly through the streets. He asked us what kind of food we wanted to eat, and we said anything delicious would do.

There was a beef hot pot restaurant by the street, so Xie Lao Ba parked the car by the roadside and took us inside.

We found a window seat and soon a hot pot full of spicy beef arrived. The fat guy and I rolled up our sleeves and enjoyed the meal heartily.

Xie Lao Ba said, "I came to find you today mainly for two things. First, I sincerely want to thank you for saving my life in the Wang family ghost village. So, I wanted to treat you to a good meal!"

With a mouthful of beef, the fat guy asked unclearly, "What about the second thing?"

Xie Lao Ba said, "After you left yesterday, I asked several old people from the mountains and finally figured out the cause and effect of the Wang family ghost village. Do you want to hear about it?"

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The fat guy and I quickly nodded. I had always wanted to know the secret of the Wang family ghost village. I felt that the root of all the trouble should be Wang Liang's family, but I didn't know what had happened to that household. Now that Xie Lao Ba mentioned it, I naturally wanted to understand and resolve the confusion in my heart.

Drinking the spicy beef soup, Xie Lao Ba began to tell us the past story of the Wang family ghost village.

It turned out that there really was a small village named Wang Family Village in that valley. Ninety percent of the people in the village were surnamed Wang, and the wealthiest of them all was Wang Liang's family. Wang Liang's ancestors held official positions during the Qing Dynasty and later fled to this place to escape war. They brought along a significant amount of money and servants, which led to the development of Wang Family Village.

After many years of development, Wang Family Village prospered, with a booming population. However, everything changed thirty years ago.

At that time, the nationwide "Down to the Countryside Movement" was launched, and many educated youth responded to the national call to experience life in rural mountain areas. This group of people was called "educated youth."

During that time, a female educated youth named Ma Xiao Lan came to Wang Family Village.

Ma Xiao Lan was originally from northern Shaanxi Province and came to Wang Family Village during the movement.

In people's impression, people from northern Shaanxi had rough skin and sturdy builds. But Ma Xiao Lan completely shattered that impression. Although she was from northern Shaanxi, Ma Xiao Lan was delicate and fair-skinned. Not only was she diligent and capable, but she also had a beautiful singing voice. She excelled at singing folk songs, and the villagers loved hearing her voice echoing through the mountains and fields.

At that time, Wang Liang was the village head of Wang Family Village. He had a big family and a big business, but there was one regret—he had a mentally challenged son named Wang Jian.

It was said that when Wang Jian was young, he had a high fever that damaged his brain. Since then, he had always been crazy, sometimes clear-minded and sometimes confused.

Because of his mental condition, even when Wang Jian reached the age to start a family and career, no girl was willing to marry him.

Wang Liang really liked Ma Xiao Lan and tried to persuade her to marry his mentally challenged son, Wang Jian, in order to continue the family line and ensure that the incense didn't break in the Wang family. In rural areas, it was considered very important for the family lineage to continue.

Ma Xiao Lan was an educated youth who could tolerate living in the mountains for one or two years, but she couldn't stay there for a lifetime.

Besides, Ma Xiao Lan had romantic fantasies about love, so how could she marry Wang Jian, a mentally challenged person?

No matter how much Wang Liang tried to persuade her, Ma Xiao Lan refused to agree.

As the time to return to the city approached, Wang Liang, driven by his own selfishness, even used his return-to-the-city quota to threaten Ma Xiao Lan.

At that time, in order to return to the city, educated youth had to obtain permission from the village committee and other relevant departments. Many female educated youth offered their bodies as a condition for returning to the city, and they were mistreated and taken advantage of by those uncouth men in the village.

It was a very dark period in history, and Wang Liang took advantage of this to coerce Ma Xiao Lan into staying.

(Note: "Down to the Countryside Movement" and "educated youth" refer to historical events that took place in China during the Cultural Revolution.)