Shen Qingyu’s performance in the fields today, along with her seemingly unconventional yet already approved proposal, had sparked a deeper curiosity in him about this female educated youth who appeared delicate on the outside but possessed a resilient core.
Every step she took was remarkably clear in purpose, making her stand out distinctly within the chaotic group of educated youth.
Su Yixuan adjusted his glasses and wiped the sweat from the corner of his eye, analyzing rationally, “Building a house involves approval for the homestead site, purchasing materials, hiring labor—all of which are costly. It also requires continuous supervision from the brigade to ensure compliance with regulations. Comrade Shen’s plan won’t be easy to execute.”
Though he said this, there was not a hint of opposition in his tone. Instead, it carried an academic interest in observation.
Listening to the faint murmurs behind her, Shen Qingyu’s thoughts had already flown to the upcoming task of building her house.
Physical exhaustion was only temporary. The supplies in her Spatial Dimension were her confidence, and an independent, safe, and unsupervised dwelling was precisely the crucial first step for her to take root and establish herself in this unfamiliar era!
Brigade Leader Wang Dashan, though stern in appearance, was clearly a practical and efficiency-focused person.
This gave her more confidence for the upcoming negotiations.
As for Jiang Muxue’s little schemes? She would handle them as they came.
Clenching her fist, she felt the faint sting from the small cuts on her palm caused by the edges of the corn leaves. Her gaze grew even more resolute.
Returning to the dilapidated educated youth point, they were greeted by a cold stove and the dwindling supply of coarse grains.
Cooking became another new battle.
Too exhausted to linger, Shen Qingyu simply gnawed on a corn pancake to fill her stomach, refilled her water bottle with Spatial Spring Water, and went straight out to find Brigade Leader Wang Dashan.
Time was precious. She had to finalize the house matter as soon as possible, turning raw rice into cooked rice before Jiang Muxue could cause trouble.
Wang Dashan was smoking a dry pipe in his own courtyard, his brows habitually furrowed as if he were calculating something. Seeing Shen Qingyu approach, he tapped his pipe and spoke in his naturally gruff tone, “Made up your mind? Really going to buy that rundown house?”
“Yes, Brigade Leader,” Shen Qingyu replied calmly but firmly. “Health is the foundation of revolution. Only with a stable place to live can I better contribute to the brigade.”
“Rest assured, everything will be done according to the rules. I won’t cause any trouble for you or the brigade. I’ll cover all the expenses myself. As for materials, if available, I’ll follow your suggestion—the brigade can help arrange them, and I’ll pay. As for labor… I’ll figure it out myself.”
Wang Dashan stared at her for several seconds, seemingly assessing her determination and financial capability.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded. “Alright! Come with me to the brigade office to handle the paperwork and sign a pledge. The land for the old house at the village end near the foot of the mountain will be sold to you at a discounted price.”
“As for bricks, tiles, and lumber, I’ll have Tiezhu check the prices at the commune brick factory and the logging team. Let’s be clear: the area will follow the brigade’s rules for homestead approval—not an inch more! Also, the brigade won’t provide work points for the construction. You’ll have to find people yourself, and you’ll be responsible for their wages and meals.”
“Understood! Thank you, Brigade Leader!” Shen Qingyu nodded without hesitation. A weight lifted from her heart, and a sincere smile spread across her face.
As long as she had the land deed in hand, the rest would be manageable.
Once the house was built, she would have a corner to call her own in this era.
Arriving at the brigade headquarters, the brigade leader kept a stern face, but the procedures went smoothly.
Looking at the freshly issued document stamped with the red seal of the Red Flag Production Brigade, it clearly stated: Comrade Shen Qingyu voluntarily purchased a plot of abandoned homestead land at the village’s edge for self-built housing, with the area to be determined by on-site measurement.
A simple document, a thin sheet of paper, was the key to her new life.
Carefully placing the document in her pocket, she then stored it on the desk in her Spatial Dimension.
When she returned to the educated youth dormitory, most were already taking their midday nap. She cautiously removed her outer clothes and lay down.
Soon, she too fell into a deep sleep.
At two in the afternoon, the tin whistle sounded, and everyone dragged their sore bodies out of bed.
The male educated youth continued to work on the northern slope, while the female educated youth resumed their tasks from the morning.
Perhaps scheming something, Jiang Muxue behaved quite obediently during the afternoon shift.
Mu Yue and Liu Hongxia inquired about her house-building plans. Learning that the brigade leader had approved, both were genuinely happy for her.
At six in the evening, Zhang Mantun inspected the work and, somewhat satisfied, announced the end of the shift.
Shen Qingyu didn’t rush back to the educated youth dormitory. Instead, she walked briskly toward the village’s edge.
Passing a few households and a yard piled high with firewood, a desolate stretch of land at the foot of the mountain came into view.
The so-called “house” was indeed as the brigade leader had described—mostly collapsed.
The remaining earthen walls stood precariously, the roof reduced to a few charred rafters stubbornly jutting out. The yard was overgrown with waist-high weeds, littered with rubble and broken tiles.
Desolate, dilapidated, bearing the marks of time and weathering.
Yet, standing before these ruins, Shen Qingyu’s eyes gleamed with an unusual light.
Broken? Collapsed?
This was the perfect cover for her to use the “unreasonable” materials from her Spatial Dimension!
Who would question a few “salvaged” good pieces of wood appearing among the ruins?
Who would notice stronger “old” bricks filling the gaps in the collapsed earthen walls?
As for modern tools and materials, within the absolute safety of her Spatial Dimension, she could gradually modify and add them, bit by bit.
At this thought, she took a deep breath. The crisp air filled her lungs, carrying the scent of wood ash and freedom.
The first step had been firmly taken.
Next, she needed to figure out how to build a sturdy, hidden fortress—one that belonged solely to her—on these ruins, right under everyone’s noses, especially under Jiang Muxue’s watchful gaze, using the Spatial Dimension, her heaven-defying golden finger.
A cool mountain breeze swept over the ruins, whispering softly, as if murmuring of a future filled with opportunities and challenges.
A faint yet vibrant smile curved Shen Qingyu’s lips.
Jiang Muxue, your “good days” are yet to come, while my “home” begins right here.
Approaching the ruined homestead, the weeds reached up to her waist. She crouched down and picked up a blue-gray brick half-buried in the soil.
It felt heavy in her hand, its edges still relatively intact.
“First, I need to clear this out,” Shen Qingyu murmured to herself.
She needed a pretext, a reason that would make “finding” relatively intact building materials seem plausible.
She didn’t start working immediately. Instead, she carefully measured and observed along the remnants of the foundation.
The collapsed half of the wall had scattered earthen debris, but the foundation stones appeared quite sturdy.
The remaining half of the house leaned crookedly on its wooden frame, with only a few charred rafters left of the roof—still looking as though it might collapse at any moment.
At the same time, she had an idea: these rotten timbers could serve as cover for the sturdy lumber in her Spatial Dimension.
Shen Qingyu rolled up her sleeves on both sides, ready to first clear a space as a starting point for tonight and the next few days of work.