Wang Tiezhu stepped aside to reveal the half-collapsed kitchen tucked away in the corner behind the courtyard gate.
“This is the kitchen. It hasn’t been used in a long time, so it’s a bit run-down. But you can tidy it up and use it right away.”
“We’ve brought you pots, bowls, and utensils.”
For a moment, the scene fell into an eerily quiet stillness.
Wang Tiezhu felt a bit awkward too, but his dark complexion and habitually stern expression kept anyone from noticing.
Shen Qingyu stepped forward to break the tension. “Captain Wang, we’ll need you to find some wood for the kitchen. Otherwise, we won’t be able to fix it.”
This time, Wang Tiezhu agreed readily. “Alright. Take your rations first, and I’ll go get some wood for you.”
After all, it was getting late, and any further delay would affect tomorrow’s work.
As Wang Tiezhu distributed their rations, he suddenly remembered he’d almost forgotten to tell them that the older educated youths would be back in a couple of days.
“Oh, right. In a couple of days, the older educated youths who went to support other production teams will return. They’ll move in here and live with you.”
“More people? It’s already crowded enough. How are we supposed to fit more?”
“Exactly, Captain Wang. Look at where we’re staying. If two more people come, none of us will have any space.”
Wang Tiezhu waved his hand dismissively. “This isn’t something I can decide. Complaining to me won’t help.”
For a while, everyone silently carried their rations to their sleeping spots.
Wang Tiezhu went to find wood and discarded tiles to repair the kitchen.
Once the materials were delivered, he left the male educated youths to fix the kitchen themselves—he had to go home for dinner.
Gu Huainian led Lu Ye and the other male educated youths, working together to repair the kitchen.
By the time the kitchen was fixed, it was almost dark.
No one bothered to cook. Instead, they ate the dry rations they’d brought as dinner.
Shen Qingyu gathered some firewood around the educated youth point and took the new wooden bucket Wang Tiezhu had provided to fetch water from the well.
Seeing this, the others also got up to help.
After all, none of them had bathed in days, and they had to wash up tonight.
When Zhao Dagang saw Shen Qingyu carrying water back, he hurried over and said, “Comrade Shen, fetching water is a job for us male educated youths. Could you please clean the water vat?”
Shen Qingyu didn’t refuse. “Alright.”
Jiang Muxue watched this scene, her eyes flickering as she stepped forward with a smile. “Comrade Shen, why didn’t you tell us you were going to fetch water? It’s already dark, and you don’t know your way around. What if you got lost? We’d be so worried.”
Her tone carried a hint of reproach, as if they were close friends.
Shen Qingyu glanced at her coolly and replied calmly, “It’s not dark yet, and I know the way.”
Jiang Muxue’s expression stiffened, her fingers unconsciously clenching tightly.
But in an instant, she put on a teary-eyed look, her voice tinged with grievance. “Comrade Shen, do you have some misunderstanding about me? I was just worried about you.”
Shen Qingyu didn’t respond. Instead, she walked directly to the large water vat in the kitchen.
She lifted the lid—it was empty inside.
But it needed to be cleaned before use; otherwise, it would feel uncomfortable no matter what.
Zhao Dagang glanced at Jiang Muxue but said nothing.
Shen Qingyu looked around, walked to the side, and plucked a handful of clean twigs to fashion a simple tool for scrubbing the vat.
Zhao Dagang looked at the not-so-dirty water vat and hesitated for a moment about whether to pour the water directly in. But after a moment’s thought, he turned to Shen Qingyu, who was still struggling with the tree branches.
“Comrade Shen, should I pour the water in now?”
Without turning her head, Shen Qingyu replied, “Pour a little in. I’ll wash the vat.”
Zhao Dagang said, “Alright.”
He lifted the bucket and poured a bit of water inside, then stood to the side, waiting.
If she was going to wash the vat, Comrade Shen wouldn’t be able to move this large vat on her own.
Shen Qingyu finally managed to tie the branches into a small bundle.
Jiang Muxue kept her head lowered, making it impossible for others to see her expression.
Mu Yue, having finished tidying her own things, came out just in time to see this scene.
Her first impression of Jiang Muxue wasn’t favorable. Seeing the others busy at work, she rolled up her sleeves and went over to help.
At this moment, Liu Hongxia stepped forward and said to Mu Yue, “Comrade Mu, let’s go find some firewood to boil water later.”
Mu Yue had a good impression of this straightforward and cheerful girl.
She nodded at Liu Hongxia’s suggestion. “Alright.”
The others also joined in, either searching for firewood or cleaning up the yard.
After adjusting her emotions, Jiang Muxue followed the other female educated youths to help clean the yard.
After washing the water vat, Shen Qingyu also cleaned the large iron pot. She then asked Zhao Dagang to help fill the pot with water while she took out a match from her pocket—actually from her Spatial Dimension—to start a fire and boil water.
Zhao Dagang looked somewhat surprised at the already lit stove. “Comrade Shen, I didn’t expect you to know how to start a fire with this kind of stove.”
Shen Qingyu smiled faintly. “I used to live in a village before.”
Zhao Dagang nodded and left after filling the pot with water.
Shen Qingyu didn’t idle either and tidied up the kitchen once more.
Sitting on a small, worn wooden stool, she took a piece of White Rabbit milk candy from her pocket and put it in her mouth.
Mu Yue and Liu Hongxia, carrying firewood, looked at the clean kitchen and momentarily didn’t know what to do.
“Sister Shen, where should we put this firewood?”
Shen Qingyu stood up and made space, pointing to the corner beside the stove. “Put it there. It’ll be easy to grab when we need to light the fire.”
Mu Yue and Liu Hongxia nodded, carrying the firewood over and setting it down.
Mu Yue crouched by the stove, watching the flickering flames inside, and sighed with worry. “There are only two buckets. How are we going to bathe tonight?”
Mu Yue and Liu Hongxia crouched beside Shen Qingyu, their faces scrunched up in concern.
“The male educated youths can use one, and the female educated youths can use the other. We’ll make do for now. Tomorrow after work, we can ask the villagers where the carpenter’s house is. We can exchange some things with him then.”
Their eyes lit up. They had been wondering how to buy basins and other necessities tomorrow since they couldn’t go to the county town and would have to start working.
They hadn’t considered that there might be a carpenter in the village.
“I guess that’s the only way.”
Just as they were talking, Jiang Muxue’s gentle, questioning voice came from the kitchen doorway.
“Comrade Shen, aren’t you coming out to clean the yard? Are you too tired?”
Shen Qingyu frowned slightly, her gaze toward Jiang Muxue turning a bit colder. Her tone carried an unconcealed hint of displeasure.
“Does Comrade Jiang think no one needs to watch the fire in the kitchen? Or does Comrade Jiang believe that whatever she does, everyone must follow along? Otherwise, they’re just too delicate and lazy?”
Already exhausted, Jiang Muxue was still hopping around, trying to pin the label of being delicate and lazy on her.
How annoying.
She was never a person of good temper to begin with; being able to tolerate her for so many days was already an act of her own mercy.
Jiang Muxue did not expect Shen Qingyu to suddenly turn hostile. Her expression shifted, but in an instant, she put on a look of being wronged.
“Comrade Shen, that’s not what I meant. I was just concerned about you. Is that wrong?”