Chapter 7: Living Alone

Upon arriving at the Changshan Production Brigade, Wu Hongtao first took the group to the brigade headquarters, where everyone was issued fifty catties of coarse grains, twenty catties of sweet potatoes, and twenty catties of cornmeal.

Taking advantage of this time, Wu Hongtao finalized the rental agreement with Su Yao and Ye Simin, and the funds were handed over to the accountant.

Wu Hongtao then escorted Yu Lu and the others to the educated youth dormitory. "Educated Youth Yang, the new arrivals have reached us. Please see to their arrangements."

A young man emerged from the dormitory, nodded at Wu Hongtao, and smiled, "I have been waiting for you. My name is Yang Guohua, and I am the person in charge here."

Wu Hongtao gestured toward Su Yao and Ye Simin. "These two young women have rented the house in the back. You just need to settle the others."

Yang Guohua glanced at Su Yao and Ye Simin before guiding Yu Lu and the others inside. "The three rooms on the west side are for the male educated youth, and the three on the east are for the female youth. The kitchen is in the middle, where everyone cooks and eats. Currently, we have seven men and nine women."

After explaining, he led Yu Lu and Zeng Yue to the women's quarters. "Both of these rooms had a space cleared yesterday; you two can pick whichever you like."

Without consulting Yu Lu, Zeng Yue immediately claimed the middle room. Yu Lu let out a cold snort and chose the room on the side.

Yang Guohua rubbed his nose; it seemed these two were at odds from the start. He wondered how lively the dormitory would become.

He then took Tian Zhixue and the two other men to their quarters. "Two men have moved out, so this room is vacant. The three of you will stay here."

After thanking Yang Guohua, they began to unpack their belongings.

Meanwhile, Wu Hongtao led Su Yao and Ye Simin to their own lodgings. "The west side is occupied by two male youths, the middle is the kitchen, and the two rooms on the east are yours. Just pick one each."

Su Yao pushed the door open to inspect the room. It contained only a large brick bed against the wall, with nothing else.

"Captain, is there a place in the village to buy furniture?" Su Yao asked.

"Old Liu and his son are the village carpenters. They should have some items. Once you put your things away, I'll take you there."

Su Yao looked at Ye Simin. "Which one do you want?"

"It doesn't matter to me. You choose first," Ye Simin replied with a wave of her hand.

Su Yao chose the room on the east end, and Ye Simin took the other. After stowing their bags, they went with Wu Hongtao to Old Liu's house.

"Uncle Liu, are you home?" Wu Hongtao called out loudly.

"Is that you, Hongtao? The door is open," a gravelly, aged voice echoed from the courtyard.

The three entered the yard, which was not very large. A small plot of land was tucked against the wall, and the area was piled high with lumber. An elderly man with graying hair was busy hammering away at something.

"Uncle Liu, these are the new educated youths. They would like to trade for some items," Wu Hongtao said, gesturing to Su Yao and Ye Simin.

"Hello, Grandpa Liu," the two greeted in unison.

"Good, good. Come with me, young ladies. I have a few more pieces in the backyard. See what else you might need." Old Liu led them to the back with his hands behind his back.

Wu Hongtao didn't follow; he excused himself to attend to the village's pressing matters.

The backyard was much larger than the front, filled with furniture. Su Yao pointed to a wardrobe. "Grandpa Liu, I'll take this wardrobe, as well as that bedside cabinet and table. I also want that desk and chair, the washstand, four small wooden basins, that large bathtub, and two small stools. That should be about it."

"By the way, Grandpa Liu, do you know where I can find a reed mat for the bed?" Su Yao asked.

Old Liu pointed to the side. "Those are the mats."

Su Yao checked them and nodded. "Grandpa Liu, I'll take these for now. If I need anything else later, I'll come back."

"Very well."

Ye Simin, not bothering to choose, simply asked for an identical set.

"Alright, I'll have my son deliver them once he gets back."

"Thank you, Grandpa Liu."

The two paid, carried the reed mats back, and returned to their rooms.

Once there, Su Yao borrowed a broom and dustpan from the main dormitory. She swept every corner of the room and cleaned the brick bed. Spotting a water bucket in the yard, she drew a fresh bucket of water, dampened a towel, and wiped down the doors, windows, and the bed. She laid out the reed mats and waited for the furniture to arrive.

By the time she finished, the workday was over. Yang Guohua came to invite them to the front yard for a welcome feast, where everyone could get to know one another.

In these times of scarcity, Su Yao did not want to eat for free. She took two sausages from her storage space to bring along.

After preparing, she knocked on Ye Simin's door. When it opened, she found two other people inside with Ye Simin.

Ye Simin pulled Su Yao in to introduce them. "Yaoyao, let me introduce you. This is Mu Xingjue, and this is Xu Xingyu. We grew up in the same courtyard."

She then introduced Su Yao to them: "This is Su Yao. We met at the train station and were assigned to the same brigade. She lives right next door."

Su Yao was surprised to find two such remarkable individuals among the educated youths. Especially the man before her—with his handsome face, muscular physique visible even through his clothes, and long, well-defined legs, he was exactly the kind of man she might have desired as a partner.

However, seeing the shy look in the little-doll-like Ye Simin's eyes, she knew this man was off-limits. What a pity.

"Su Yao, is it? Since you're a friend of Xiaomin, you're our friend too. If you run into any trouble, just come to me," Xu Xingyu said.

"Alright, thank you," Su Yao replied, arching an eyebrow and emphasizing the word "you."

*Hmph, a love triangle,* she thought. *Whatever, it’s none of my business. In an era where one touch means marriage, I’d rather stay single.*

"Let's go. They should be getting things ready in the front. We should go help," Su Yao suggested.

Seeing Su Yao carrying something, Ye Simin grabbed half a slab of salt-cured meat from her bundle, and the four of them headed to the front yard.

When Su Yao and Ye Simin entered the kitchen, they saw everyone busy. "Hello everyone, Ye and I brought some sausages and cured meat to add to the meal."

Upon hearing there was meat, the people in the kitchen swallowed hard; it had been a long time since they’d had any.

He Xiangyun wiped her hands and stepped forward to take the meat. "That’s wonderful. Everyone is in for a treat tonight."

"Is there anything we can help with?" Su Yao asked.

Chen Xiuhua gestured toward the greens on the floor. "You two just wash and chop those vegetables. We’re almost done here."

Soon, Yu Lu and Zeng Yue arrived. Seeing everyone working, they didn't offer a hand. Yu Lu even went straight to the stove and lifted the lid to see what was cooking.

This annoyed the veteran youths. Yang Hui, who had been slacking off to the side, rolled her eyes. "Well, look at that. Some people come empty-handed, while the other two newcomers not only help but bring food."

Su Yao and Ye Simin exchanged a glance, feeling speechless. If you want to criticize someone, go ahead, but don't drag us into it.