After hearing what Si Chenye said, Qin Ziqi felt that ever since coming to this era, she had rolled her eyes more times than she had in the previous thirty years of her life.
Great. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful!
Was she supposed to play a game of Guess Who I Am? in the educated youth compound now?
“I understand. Do you need me to cooperate with you?”
Si Chenye shook his head. “No. Just protect yourself. Lu He and I will handle catching the person. He hasn’t changed his name. I’m Chen Ye now.”
“Fine. Got it, Chen Zhiqing.”
Si Chenye rubbed his nose, somewhat confused. Qin Ziqi didn’t seem very happy.
“I’ll install your cooking pot for you.”
He picked up the pot outside the door and carried it to the stove. He placed the iron pot into the opening in the stove and then sealed the gaps with wet mud. He worked quickly.
“It’ll be ready to use once the mud dries.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Qin Ziqi still poured him a glass of water. After all, he had helped her with the work.
As for why she was unhappy, it actually had little to do with Si Chenye. She was simply annoyed at the thought that life in the educated youth compound might not be peaceful from now on.
Si Chenye walked out of Qin Ziqi’s courtyard and was spotted by Lu He, who had come looking for him.
“Boss, whose courtyard is this? What were you doing inside?”
Si Chenye grabbed Lu He’s collar and dragged him into the courtyard before letting go.
“Don’t call me Boss here. Call me Chen Zhiqing, or Ye-ge is fine. The person living next door is Qin Zhiqing, the one we met on the train.”
“Oh, it’s her? She lives next door?” Lu He thought of the huge kang in the front courtyard and its chaotic, stinking environment. “Boss, you’re really not going to let me move over here?”
“The kang here is too small. How are the two of us supposed to sleep on it?” Si Chenye shot him a glance. “Besides, if we both live in the back courtyard, how are we supposed to observe the people in the front courtyard? All the old educated youths live there.”
According to the interrogation results, the enemy agent had been hiding among the educated youths for at least two years. The person who had been captured had never seen the accomplice and didn’t even know whether they were a man or a woman. All they knew was that this person regularly transmitted information outside.
“All right. I thought the military barracks were already smelly enough, but I didn’t expect the educated youth compound to be even worse. There are all kinds of smells. At least over there, it was only the smell of stinky feet.”
Lu He was genuinely disgusted. Didn’t these people wash themselves after returning from work? Their quilts were practically coated in grime. Didn’t they ever wash them?
“Just endure it. Once we catch the person, we’ll go home. And watch what you say from now on. Also, when you walk, don’t stand so straight. It’ll make people notice you too easily.”
Si Chenye patted Lu He on the shoulder. A soldier’s posture was always somewhat different from that of an ordinary person.
“Got it. I’ll head back to the front.”
“Go ahead.”
Si Chenye opened his luggage and sorted his clothes and daily necessities. To make his identity believable, he had bought a kang cabinet and a kang table. He had brought the iron pot himself.
After all, he still had to eat.
That evening, when everyone returned from work, someone from the front courtyard came over and said they were going to hold a welcome dinner for the new educated youths and invited everyone to eat together.
Qin Ziqi took a can of luncheon meat and went out.
She happened to run into Si Chenye at the door. He was carrying a piece of cured meat.
As expected, they both understood the ways of social etiquette.
The last two to come out, Shen Xingheng and Zhou Xue, had empty hands.
When they saw that Qin Ziqi and the others were carrying things, they hurried back inside. Zhou Xue brought out a can of canned yellow peaches, and Shen Xingheng did the same.
When they arrived at the front courtyard, the older educated youths had all returned. Two dishes had already been placed on the table: stir-fried cabbage and braised potatoes. There was also a basket of cornmeal buns.
Something was still cooking in the pot. Qin Ziqi sniffed the air.
It smelled like cucumber stir-fried with eggs.
Zhao Jun, the head of the educated youth compound, saw them come in.
“Everyone, sit down. Once the dish in the pot is finished, we can eat. There’s not much good food here, so we could only prepare these.”
Qin Ziqi and the others handed their things to Zhao Jun.
“Zhao Zhiqing, use them to add a few more dishes.”
Zhao Jun’s eyes immediately lit up when he took them.
There was hardly ever any meat in the educated youth compound’s communal meals. They might not see meat for an entire month. Luncheon meat was especially rare and generally couldn’t be bought at ordinary supply stores. It was usually only available at department stores.
The piece of cured meat would be perfect for stir-frying with garlic chives, while the canned fruit could be divided among everyone.
He handed the meat and canned fruit to Wang Jinyan and Jiang Pandi, who were preparing the meal.
“Slice up the luncheon meat, and stir-fry the cured meat.”
Wang Jinyan and Jiang Pandi had noticed the things Qin Ziqi and the others were carrying the moment they walked through the door.
Their previous dissatisfaction at being asked to contribute grain for the new educated youths’ welcome dinner instantly disappeared.
However, Jiang Pandi turned toward the three people sitting nearby—Lu Chengxiu, Zheng Hongjun, and Shen Changzheng.
“The new educated youths from the back courtyard have all contributed something. What are you three contributing?”
The three of them were stunned for a moment.
Then they all looked somewhat unhappily at Qin Ziqi and the other three, though none of them dared say anything.
In the end, Lu Chengxiu took out half a bottle of meat sauce, Shen Changzheng brought out a sausage, and Zheng Hongjun, his face flushed, took out some coarse grain.
The table finally looked much more decent.
Once everyone had sat down, Zhao Jun picked up his bowl. It contained a portion of canned yellow peaches.
“We’re all fortunate enough to have ended up here together as educated youths. I’ll introduce myself first. My name is Zhao Jun. I’ve been an educated youth for five years, and I’m from Su City.”
A male educated youth sitting beside Zhao Jun followed with his introduction.
“My name is Wang Changjun. I’ve been an educated youth for three years, and I’m from Shanghai.”
Next came another voice.
“M-my name is Wu Hai. I’ve been an educated youth for three years. I’m from Su City.”
“My name is Li Xinxin. I’ve been an educated youth for two years. I’m from Su City.”
“My name is Jiang Pandi. I’ve been an educated youth for four years. I’m from Zhejiang Province.”
“My name is Wang Jinyan. I’ve been an educated youth for two years. I’m from Zhejiang Province.”
Qin Ziqi raised an eyebrow.
Zhejiang Province? That’s quite a broad answer.
Why can’t they even say where in Zhejiang they’re from?
The newcomers also introduced themselves one after another.
It was obvious that Qin Ziqi, Si Chenye, Zhou Xue, and Shen Xingheng had attracted everyone’s attention.
There was nothing they could do about it.
Qin Ziqi’s appearance alone was enough to draw attention. Her clothes and the luncheon meat she had brought made it obvious that she wasn’t short of money. She had even rented a private room in the back courtyard as soon as she arrived.
As for Si Chenye, although he was currently using the name Chen Ye and claimed to be from an island, his handsome features and tall, slender build naturally attracted the attention of the female educated youths.
Zhou Xue and Shen Xingheng were both good-looking as well. They were from Beijing, and their speech and mannerisms clearly showed that they came from well-off families.
Zhou Xue looked at Si Chenye with sparkling eyes.
This is exactly what the man I’m looking for should look like.
Unlike Shen Xingheng. He looks like some weakling. I don’t like him at all.
Jiang Pandi lowered her head slightly, but her gaze kept drifting toward Si Chenye from time to time.
This man is so handsome, and he’s from a small place too. His family probably doesn’t have an especially powerful background, right?
Maybe… maybe I can try getting to know him.
Shen Xingheng immediately felt a sense of crisis.
This Chen Ye was far too outstanding-looking. He had obviously captured Zhou Xue’s attention.
Although he didn’t particularly like her either, he couldn’t give up on her before he found a more suitable option.
Shen Xingheng glanced inconspicuously at Qin Ziqi.
This Qin Zhiqing was far too cautious. He still hadn’t managed to find out anything about her family background. All he knew was what Lu Chengxiu had told him.
If her family background is no worse than Zhou Xue’s, then it doesn’t matter if Zhou Xue takes a liking to Chen Ye.