When she went out, she carried a large coarse cloth bag, which happened to hold quite a few items—all prepared in advance.
This was precisely for when the homestead approval came through, so she could come and see if she could take the opportunity to bring out some things from the Spatial Dimension.
These were all items she had picked up at the secondhand market, common tools of this era.
Taking out a slightly worn hatchet from the cloth bag, she began briskly clearing the overgrown weeds in the courtyard.
Her movements were crisp, carrying a resilience that seemed at odds with her appearance.
Just as she bent down to clear a pile of rubble and was about to “accidentally” discover a few usable bricks, a deep voice sounded not far behind her.
“Comrade Shen?”
Shen Qingyu was startled, instinctively moving the hatchet in her hand to her side as she turned around.
The backlight of the sunset outlined a tall, straight figure. She squinted to see who it was—Gu Huainian? When had he been standing there?
Gu Huainian’s gaze rested calmly on her, as well as the small patch of cleared ground at her feet and the pile of weeds and rubble beside it.
Shen Qingyu looked at him with some confusion, a hint of surprise in her tone. “Comrade Gu?”
She noticed he was holding a short-handled hoe, looking as though he had just returned from the fields and happened to pass by.
Gu Huainian took a few steps closer, his eyes falling on her pant legs, stained with mud and grass, then on the ruins, and finally on her calm, expressionless face.
“Here to see the place?” His question was simple and direct.
Shen Qingyu nodded. “Yes.”
Then she pointed at the bricks and stones under her feet. “The team leader approved it. I thought I’d start cleaning up early.”
Her tone was straightforward, without the slightest hint of hesitation or complaint.
It was as if she were stating something utterly ordinary.
Gu Huainian gave a soft “mm,” his gaze lingering on the ruins for a moment, as if assessing the difficulty.
When his eyes fell on the seemingly rotten roof beams, he paused briefly before shifting away without further questions.
“You’re quick.”
He was referring to the fact that she had already started clearing.
“The slow bird must start early. Starting sooner gives me peace of mind,” Shen Qingyu replied calmly, bending down to move a slightly larger rock. Her movements were efficient, and her entire demeanor exuded an unyielding determination.
She hadn’t rested at noon and hadn’t gone to work in the afternoon either. After all, by the time the procedures were completed, the others had already left, so it made no sense for her to go. Instead, she decided to come here and clean up as much as she could. She just hadn’t expected Gu Huainian to pass by.
Gu Huainian watched her slightly slender yet exceptionally steady back, remaining silent for a few seconds.
Just as Shen Qingyu thought he was about to leave, she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye walking to the other side of the ruins. Using the short-handled hoe in his hand, he began helping her clear some scattered debris, his movements equally brisk and efficient.
Shen Qingyu was momentarily taken aback before understanding dawned on her.
Gu Huainian was expressing a kind of silent support through action, or perhaps it was his acknowledgment of her initiative.
He didn’t say much, but his observational skills and execution were exceptional.
He didn’t press her on how she would solve the issues of materials and labor later. Instead, he simply helped her clear the ruins at this moment. It might have been a small gesture, but it aligned with his consistent style—getting things done.
The two of them worked at a distance from each other, each clearing their own area. The only sounds in the ruins were the scraping of the hoe against the ground and the shifting of rubble.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long, casting them over the withered grass and ruins to form a strange tableau.
Just as Shen Qingyu was about to “discover” the few intact bricks she had preselected, a delicate, slightly deliberate voice cut in: “Comrade Shen? Comrade Gu? You’re both here?”
Hearing that voice, Shen Qingyu felt nothing but irritation, yet she had to suppress it. She didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
Jiang Muxue appeared gracefully on the path, wearing a flawless expression of concern, a basket in hand as if carrying something. Her gaze swept quickly between the two, lingering briefly on Gu Huainian as a barely perceptible shadow flickered in her eyes.
Had Shen Qingyu already found help so quickly? And was it Gu Huainian, that quiet gourd, who had offered it willingly?
She walked over briskly, ignoring the uneven, muddy ground underfoot, and stopped before Shen Qingyu. Her tone was so warm that anyone unaware would have thought the two were close friends.
“Comrade Shen, you’re always in such a hurry, working so hard right after finishing your shift! You must be exhausted. I noticed you didn’t eat much at noon, so I specially went to a local’s home and traded for two boiled eggs for you to tide you over.”
With that, she tried to press the basket into Shen Qingyu’s hands.
Shen Qingyu subtly retreated half a step, avoiding the basket, and brushed the dust from her hands. Her tone was cool and distant: “Thank you for your kindness, Comrade Jiang. I appreciate it, but I’m not hungry, and my hands are dirty now, so it’s inconvenient.”
Jiang Muxue’s hand froze mid-air, her smile nearly faltering.
Suppressing her rising anger, she turned to Gu Huainian, her tone softening further: “Comrade Gu, you’re here to help too? How kind of you! This place looks truly…”
She glanced around, her delicate brows furrowing appropriately, tinged with sympathy and concern: “So difficult to clean up! Comrade Shen, how long will it take you to do this alone? Why don’t we speak to the team leader and see if we can assign a couple of experienced members to help you? After all, we’re all comrades in the revolution, and helping each other is only right.”
Her words seemed well-intentioned, but in reality, they were a reminder to Gu Huainian—or perhaps to everyone—that Shen Qingyu was engaging in special treatment, separating herself from collective labor to do personal work, and now even trying to occupy collective manpower.
Shen Qingyu sneered inwardly. Here it comes again.
She straightened up, meeting Jiang Muxue’s eyes with a calm, cool gaze. “You needn’t trouble yourself, Comrade Jiang. The team leader approved the procedures, which means he agreed to let me handle this myself. Cleaning up the ruins is my own affair. The team is busy with spring plowing right now, and the members are racing against the farming season. How can we delay collective production for my personal matters?”
Once again, she firmly placed the “collective production” hat on her head, effectively silencing Jiang Muxue.
She paused, her gaze falling on the ruins, her tone pragmatic: “As for whether it’s difficult or not, no matter how hard it is, it must be done. The place is in ruins, but the foundation remains. Some bricks and wood may look worn, but they might still be usable if we salvage them. Self-reliance can save a little here and there.”
As she spoke, she deliberately nudged a half-buried, “treated” plank at her feet that appeared even more dilapidated.
“Like this one—it could even be used for firewood.”
Jiang Muxue felt a tightness in her chest from Shen Qingyu’s words, and the phrase “salvage them” grated on her ears, stirring an inexplicable unease.
She wanted to retort but couldn’t find a more righteous reason at the moment.
Especially when she saw Gu Huainian still silently clearing away the rubble, showing not the slightest reaction to her words and no intention of stopping, Jiang Muxue felt a surge of anger rushing straight to her head.
She forced herself to maintain a smile on her face, but her tone was no longer gentle, instead carrying a hint of coldness and firmness: “Comrade Shen’s idea is a good one, but repairing a house is no small matter. What if…”