Zhao Yan, seeing that Song Yun already had plans, didn’t push further. She casually changed the topic and chatted while walking. But when they arrived at the place, she was left speechless.
“You rented this house?”
Carrying her things into the courtyard, Song Yun smiled and said, “What do you think? Pretty spacious, right? Don’t mind how broken down it looks now—once it’s cleaned up, it’ll be a completely different story.”
Zhao Yan looked at the overgrown weeds and the crumbling house and finally managed to say, “Were you scammed? This place is completely unlivable. And I heard this house—”
She trailed off.
Song Yun knew what she meant. “Someone hanged themselves here, right? It’s fine. That doesn’t scare me.”
Zhao Yan swallowed hard. “How much is it going to cost to fix this place?” Those rooms were big—it would definitely cost a lot. She couldn’t help thinking this Song Yun was just some rich fool.
“About a hundred and sixty,” Song Yun said casually.
Zhao Yan shook her head. “You could almost build a new house for that much here. Totally not worth it.”
“I know it’s not,” Song Yun sighed. “But we’re outsiders. Even if we wanted to build a new house, we’d need land. And the village doesn’t allocate homesteads to people like us.”
That was true. Still, it was such a huge expense.
But seeing that Song Yun wasn’t concerned about money, Zhao Yan didn’t say more. If she had the means and wanted to live comfortably, that was her right.
After helping Song Yun move her luggage into the firewood shed behind the house, Zhao Yan took her leave and went home.
As soon as she left, Song Yun and her brother got to work, scrubbing and cleaning the shed thoroughly. By the time the sky darkened, they had just barely finished.
“Is Comrade Song here?” came a soft female voice from outside.
Song Yun dropped the rag and stepped out. It was a sixteen-year-old girl with delicate features and slightly tanned skin. Her almond-shaped eyes curiously scanned Song Yun.
“I’m Song Yun. Are you looking for me?”
The girl nervously fiddled with her sleeves, her voice so soft it was barely audible. If Song Yun didn’t have sharp hearing, she might not have heard her at all. “My dad sent me to call you for dinner.”
“Oh, your father is Captain Liu?”
The girl nodded. “Yes.”
Song Yun smiled. “Okay, give me a moment. I’ll grab something and be right out.” She turned back into the shed.
From her luggage, she pulled out two packets of Beijing-style pastries: one with mung bean cakes and the other with osmanthus cakes—both specialties of the capital, and quite tasty.
In addition to the pastries, she took out a full carton of Da Qianmen cigarettes. She had bought seven cartons just for gifting and had used up all her cigarette ration coupons. They were stored in her system’s inventory and had been secretly retrieved earlier while her brother wasn’t looking.
Since Ziyi didn’t know what she had bought in Beijing, he didn’t find it strange to see her take out an entire carton of cigarettes.
Two packets of pastries and a carton of premium cigarettes already made for a generous gift—even in Beijing. In a rural village like this, it was more than enough.
She found a discreet cloth bag, stuffed the items inside, then locked the shed before heading out with Song Ziyi, following the girl to Captain Liu’s house.
“This is my younger brother, Song Ziyi. What’s your name?” Song Yun asked, making small talk with the girl.
The girl glanced at Song Yun and quickly looked away. “I’m Liu Fangfang,” she answered shyly.
“You seem pretty young. Are you still in school?” Song Yun asked.
Liu Fangfang shook her head. “I didn’t pass the high school entrance exam. I’m not studying anymore.”
“So are you working now too?”
She nodded. “Mm-hmm. But I’m not very strong, so I just cut pig grass, plant beans… lighter work.”
Song Yun looked toward the eastern hills and asked, “Where do you usually go to cut pig grass?”
Liu Fangfang pointed to Black Horse Mountain. “At the foot of the mountain, near the Qinghe River. Sometimes I go into the mountains.”
Song Yun looked at her sincerely. “Can you take me with you to cut pig grass tomorrow?”
“But that kind of work earns the fewest work points. And you educated youth are usually assigned tasks by the team leader,” Liu Fangfang replied, though she actually wouldn’t mind going with Song Yun. She looked like a fairy and had a kind way of speaking—unlike the other educated youths who acted superior.
Song Yun smiled. “Your dad’s the brigade captain. I’ll ask him later.”
It took about five minutes to walk from the abandoned house to Captain Liu’s home. During those five minutes, the two of them chatted and got more familiar. By the time they arrived, Liu Fangfang had loosened up a lot, and her voice was louder and more confident.
As soon as they entered the yard, she ran into the main room. “Dad! Mom! Comrade Song is here!”
Captain Liu and his son had just been chatting and stood up when they heard her. Before they reached the door, Song Yun was already leading Song Ziyi inside.
“I’m so sorry,” Song Yun said apologetically. “We got busy and lost track of time. I shouldn’t have kept you waiting or made Fangfang come get me.”
Captain Liu waved her off with a smile. “No worries. We just got back too.”
Behind him, Liu Hongbing stood frozen, staring at the beautiful girl in front of him, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was in his throat. How is this educated youth even more beautiful than the actresses in movies? Especially when she smiled—it was like a blooming flower. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Captain Liu quickly noticed his son’s dazed state and elbowed him, then introduced him with a smile. “This is my eldest son, Liu Hongbing. He works at the commune’s agricultural machinery station. He happens to be off today.”
Song Yun nodded politely. “Hello, Comrade Liu. I’m Song Yun, and this is my brother, Song Ziyi.”
Normally bold and confident, Liu Hongbing completely lost his composure in front of her and stammered, “S-Song… Comrade… Hello, I-I-I’m Liu… Liu Hongbing.”
Captain Liu rolled his eyes and gave his son a push. “Go help your mom bring the dishes out.”
Liu Hongbing’s face turned bright red, like a monkey’s butt. He couldn’t believe he was stammering—he never did that! Totally embarrassed, he wished he could crawl under a rock. Being sent to get the food was a blessing, but before he could move, his hard-working and efficient mother had already walked out with a steaming dish.
“Oh my, this must be Comrade Song. So beautiful—just like a fairy from a magazine!” Wang Juping set the fragrant stir-fried leeks and eggs on the table, then walked over to Song Yun. From her pocket, she pulled out two boiled eggs and handed one to each sibling. “Here, have some eggs to hold you over. There are still two dishes coming. It’s a humble countryside meal, but I hope you don’t mind.”
Song Yun quickly handed over the cloth bag. “Auntie, you’re too kind. These eggs are a real treat—even in the city. I brought these from Beijing—please try them.”
Wang Juping tried to refuse a few times but eventually accepted. She assumed it was just some canned goods or snacks and didn’t think too much of it. “Just call me Auntie Wang. I love girls like you—fair and pretty. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Song Yun smiled and thanked her sincerely. She genuinely liked this warm and sincere woman.
Wang Juping took the bag and went to the kitchen, placing it on a small table with the dishes. Her eldest daughter-in-law, who was tending the fire at the stove, quickly came over and opened the bag to peek inside.