Captain Liu’s expression softened a little after hearing Song Yun’s reassurances. When he thought about how the siblings had no adult relatives at home, he even felt a bit of sympathy for them. Just as he was about to offer a few comforting words, a discordant voice cut in.
“Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Saying you won’t take up any resources—but where’s he going to live? If he stays at the educated youth station, then isn’t he already taking up resources? I don’t agree with this.” Zhao Xiaomei glanced sideways at Song Yun and her brother, slamming her luggage heavily onto the donkey cart as she vented her dissatisfaction.
Captain Liu frowned. Though he instinctively disliked Zhao Xiaomei’s sharp-tongued, snide personality, he had to admit she had a point.
Another male educated youth quickly chimed in, “He’s a boy—he can’t stay with the female comrades. If he stays with us male comrades, do we even have enough space?”
Captain Liu thought about the limited number of beds remaining at the educated youth station. Forget housing the little boy—even fitting in the rest of the group was going to be a squeeze.
But Song Yun had already thought this through. With her brother to care for and her parents to secretly tend to, it was completely impractical for her to stay at the station. It would be far too inconvenient.
“Captain Liu, I was actually planning to ask you about this. Since I brought my younger brother, it really wouldn’t be appropriate for us to stay at the youth station. I was wondering if there might be any vacant houses in the village? I’d like to rent one at my own expense. Would that be possible?”
Captain Liu thought for a moment. “There is one, but the condition’s pretty bad. Once we get back to the village, I’ll take you over to see it.”
With that, even though Zhao Xiaomei was still burning with resentment, she couldn’t say anything more. She could only stew in silence.
The other educated youth didn’t know much about Song Yun, so they had no strong feelings toward her either way. Still, Song Yun was undeniably beautiful—even in the most plain blue coarse-cloth shirt, she couldn’t hide her natural elegance. Her tall figure and refined demeanor made her a sight to behold. Several of the male educated youth would sneak glances at her from time to time. But when they thought about the “burden” of her little brother and how difficult her life might be, they quickly gave up any fanciful ideas. No one wanted to get involved and then not be able to get out of it.
So during the entire journey, no male educated youth came up to talk to her, and after witnessing her sharp wit back at the train station, none of the other girls dared approach her either. The atmosphere was peaceful.
Song Yun wasn’t interested in chatting with those who clearly didn’t like her anyway. She quietly stuck close to Captain Liu, first asking a few questions about Huaiyang Commune and Qinghe Village. Once the two had become a bit more familiar, she pulled out two fragrant peach crisps, wrapped in wax paper, and handed them to him. “You came such a long way to pick us up. You must’ve been waiting for hours and probably skipped lunch. Have a little something to tide you over.”
Captain Liu had actually brought some dry pancakes from home and wasn’t starving, but he politely refused. “No need, no need. I ate at noon. You better keep it for yourself.”
Song Yun cheerfully pressed the treats into his hands. “Oh, come on, it’s not anything fancy. Don’t be so polite.”
Captain Liu didn’t want to argue with a young lady, so he accepted it. He didn’t eat it right away though—he planned to take it home for his kids.
As the saying goes, “A gift softens the mouth.” After accepting the snacks, Captain Liu’s attitude became even warmer and more accommodating. He answered all her questions readily, and Song Yun quickly got the information she wanted.
Qinghe Village sat at the foot of Heima Mountain, with about a hundred households in total. It was one of the largest villages in the area. Thanks to the rich natural resources from Heima Mountain and the nearby Yuzhu Mountain Range, not a single person had starved to death there even in the worst of times. It was considered one of the better-off villages among the surrounding ten miles and eight townships. Zouyang Village was similar in conditions, which was why the higher-ups had chosen these two villages to host the educated youth stations.
Song Yun didn’t dare directly ask about the “cowshed” (a euphemism for where her parents were secretly imprisoned), so she casually inquired whether there were any vacant houses in the village—preferably ones secluded and away from others.
Captain Liu thought for a moment. “Actually, there is one, but it’s been abandoned for years. The courtyard wall is still intact, but the house inside is a wreck. It’s not livable.”
Song Yun asked, “Didn’t you just say housing in the village is tight and hardly any households have space to rent? Why is this courtyard still vacant?”
Captain Liu glanced behind him at the educated youth trailing the donkey cart and lowered his voice. “Someone hanged themselves in that house. The family line ended. Villagers think it’s bad luck. Over time, it got abandoned. And it’s right next to the cowshed area. People avoid going anywhere near it. That’s how it became an empty courtyard.”
Song Yun’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t this exactly the dream courtyard she wanted?
“Captain, once we get to the village, could you take me to see it? I’m not superstitious. As long as there’s shelter from the wind and rain, that’s enough for me and my brother. If it’s broken down, I’ll fix it. Can I hire some villagers to help with repairs? I’ll cover all the costs.”
Captain Liu hesitated, recalling how dilapidated the house was. “It might cost quite a bit to fix it up. Are you sure?”
Song Yun nodded. “Money’s not the issue. What I’m worried about is—if I fix it up, will someone try to take it from me?”
Captain Liu frowned. Truthfully, there were a few in the village who loved to take advantage and throw their weight around. It was a real possibility.
“How about this,” Song Yun offered, “I’ll sign a contract with the village. I’ll cover all repair costs. In return, I’ll have long-term rental rights to the property. The ownership stays with the village, but as long as I’m assigned here, it belongs to me for use. Once I leave for the city, the house returns to the village.”
Captain Liu thought this was an excellent idea. The village wouldn’t have to spend a cent and could still collect rent—why not?
The two reached a happy agreement. Once they arrived in Qinghe Village, Captain Liu first dropped off the youth’s luggage at the station. He was in a hurry to return the donkey cart, so Song Yun just unloaded her belongings and left them in the courtyard for now.
After Captain Liu returned the cart, she took her brother Song Ziyi and followed him to check out the abandoned courtyard.
Meanwhile, the old educated youth at the station were still out working in the fields. The new arrivals didn’t dare enter the rooms without permission, so they all waited in the courtyard.
As soon as Song Yun left, Zhao Xiaomei got up and circled around her luggage, occasionally kicking the tightly wrapped bundles. From the feel alone, she could tell there were thick quilts inside. She was especially jealous of the large brown leather suitcase. She’d seen those in department stores in Beijing—they cost 45 yuan, more than a month’s wages for a laborer.
“She says she’s not a capitalist’s daughter. For all we know, that suitcase is full of gold bars,” Zhao Xiaomei muttered bitterly, nearly driven mad by jealousy.
The other educated youth, sitting beside their luggage, looked at her with increasing disgust. The oldest among the female youth, Li Juan, spoke up bluntly, “What is wrong with you? Always calling people ‘capitalists’—do you have any proof?”
Zhao Xiaomei pointed at the suitcase and shouted, “What more proof do you need? If she weren’t a capitalist’s daughter, how could she afford such an expensive suitcase? Do you even know how much it costs?”
Li Juan rolled her eyes. “It’s just 45 yuan. My family has two of them. So by your logic, anyone who can afford a suitcase like that must be a capitalist?”