After work that afternoon, Xiang Wenhui really did only earn one work point, just like she’d said she would.
Xiang Wenshan earned two again, the same as in the morning—four work points for the whole day, not even worth ten cents. It sounded pitiful when you put it that way.
When they returned, Xiang Wenshan saw that the foundation of their house had already been laid, and quite a few adobe bricks were stacked nearby. She hadn’t expected them to move so quickly.
At this rate, they’d be able to move soon.
Back inside, the two senior educated youths were cooking. Seeing them return, they smiled and asked, “How was it? Not too bad today, right?”
Xiang Wenshan was still rubbing her lower back. “My waist aches and my back hurts. I feel sore all over.”
Xiang Wenhui nodded too, too tired to even speak. She found a clean patch of ground, plopped down, leaned against the wall, and stared up at the sky.
Song Tao’s eyes widened at the sight, silently asking Xiang Wenshan what was wrong.
“She’s just tired,” Xiang Wenshan said.
Song Tao nodded. “You just arrived. You’re not used to it yet. Once you get used to it, it’ll be fine.”
Xiang Wenhui looked utterly lifeless. “By the time I get used to it, I’ll probably be dead.”
Her expression, tone, and slumped posture made everyone laugh.
Xiang Wenshan pulled her up. “Alright, get up. Wash up.”
After dinner, they tidied up briefly and went straight to bed. The dirty clothes weren’t washed—they’d deal with them at noon the next day. They were simply too exhausted to move.
The night grew quiet. Just as Xiang Wenshan was drifting off, waves of snoring rose and fell in the room.
Her drowsiness vanished instantly.
She stared at the rafters and sighed. Just a few more days. Just a few more days.
She turned over, pulled the quilt over her head, covered her ears, and started counting sheep.
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep… nine hundred and ninety-nine sheep.
The more she counted, the more awake she felt. She sat up.
Moonlight spilled into the courtyard, making it eerily quiet.
She glanced around the room. There had been three snorers earlier—now only one remained. She quickly lay back down and covered her ears again.
No matter how much she thought about it, she hadn’t expected her sister to snore too. Such a petite girl, yet such impressive volume.
At some unknown hour, completely worn out, Xiang Wenshan finally fell asleep.
The next morning, she was woken by her sister’s voice.
“Sis! Sis! We need to cook breakfast!”
Xiang Wenshan irritably pulled the quilt over her head, then suddenly sat upright with a jolt.
Xiang Wenhui jumped in fright. She hadn’t expected her sister to have morning temper.
After ten seconds of buffering, Xiang Wenshan got dressed and followed her sister to the kitchen.
Her sister didn’t know how to cook, and they were on cooking duty for two days. After washing her hands, Xiang Wenshan started putting the grain into the pot while explaining what she was doing.
Once everything was ready, she put the lid on and grabbed a handful of wheat straw to start the fire.
Following her memory, she struck a match against the side of the box. The flame caught.
She lit the straw and shoved it into the stove opening, feeding branches inside with a forked stick.
Xiang Wenhui looked at her with admiration. “Sis, you’re amazing. You only saw it once and already know how.”
Xiang Wenshan smiled.
Back in modern times, she had used wood-fired stoves before. Her grandmother preferred cooking over firewood, saying it made the food taste better. During school breaks, she’d stay with her and learned how to cook and tend the stove.
Of course, she couldn’t explain that.
“Just watch today. Tomorrow you try. Take it slow. In the countryside, you have to learn everything slowly.”
“Ah? Okay, I’ll try tomorrow. Sis, you have to stand next to me. I’m afraid I’ll set the kitchen on fire.”
Xiang Wenshan paused.
She’d seen short videos before of young people who didn’t know how to cook and ended up burning down their houses.
She gave Xiang Wenhui a full once-over.
She… probably wouldn’t, right?
Xiang Wenhui felt uneasy under her sister’s gaze. “Sis? What is it?”
“I’m wondering if you’ll burn the kitchen down.” She added more firewood and pushed it inward.
“Keep an eye on the fire so it doesn’t spill out. I’m going to brush my teeth and wash my face.”
As soon as her sister stood up, Xiang Wenhui hurriedly took her place on the little stool, obediently staring at the stove.
When the fire burned steadily, she carefully pushed the firewood further in.
Xiang Wenshan, still worried, rushed back after brushing her teeth. Seeing her sister push the wood in properly, she gave her a thumbs-up. “Nice.”
Xiang Wenhui’s eyes curved into a smile. At her sister’s praise, she felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
At home, Xiang Wenwen always called her stupid.
“I’ll wash my face and come back,” Xiang Wenshan said.
After washing up, she returned to tend the fire, adding more wood, and sent Xiang Wenhui to freshen up.
Just as Xiang Wenhui finished wiping her face, the gong sounded.
She rushed back. “Sis! Is breakfast ready? The gong rang—they’ll be getting up soon!”
“Almost. Once the fire under the pot dies down, it’ll be done. By the time they wash up, it’ll be perfect.”
“Oh, oh.” Relieved, she nodded. She’d been afraid they’d make everyone wait.
After breakfast, another long day of hardship began.
When the gong rang for the third time, Xiang Wenhui pulled a long face and sighed.
Xiang Wenshan grabbed her hand and followed the others out to work.
The four new educated youths were assigned the same task as yesterday—pulling weeds—just in a different spot.
They had barely started when Xiang Wenhui plopped down onto the ground.
Xiang Wenshan continued at the same steady pace as the day before.
Watching the two sisters work like that, Wang Cuihua shook her head and said to the brigade leader’s wife, “Jinhua, you’re in charge of these two…”
“…But they’re not as quick at work as the two I’m leading.”
Jinhua glanced over at her and smiled. “What’s there to compare? They’re all new sent-down youths. They’re just not used to farm work yet. Once they get used to it, they’ll gradually catch up.
Besides, they’re all quite obedient. They do whatever they’re told.
That’s already pretty good.”
Wang Cuihua nodded. “That’s true.
The ones assigned to our production team are all well-behaved kids. Not like the neighboring team. Those few sent-down youths over there cause trouble every single day!
It’s been so long, and they’re still making a fuss—threatening to report people at the drop of a hat, saying they’re being bullied.
Who’s bullying who? No matter what job they’re assigned, they refuse to do it. They claim they came to the countryside to help with construction, but they’ve already made the neighboring team leader so angry he fell sick twice.
They couldn’t even tell wheat from weeds. Thought the wheat was grass and spent half a day pulling it out, ruining the whole field. It’s heartbreaking.
How much grain is that going to cost us?”
Xiang Wenshan kept pulling weeds while pricking up her ears to listen. Listening to the two aunties chat made the work more bearable. Just pulling weeds was unbearable—the time passed painfully slow.
Hearing people talk made it feel like time moved a little faster.
“Exactly,” the other woman said. “We survive on this bit of grain, and they ruined it as soon as they arrived. Are they trying to cost everyone their lives?
Forget their team leader—even I get angry just hearing about it.
Good thing those few weren’t assigned to our team.”
Wang Cuihua nodded. “Yes, thank goodness.”
After that, they stopped talking and continued working, squatting in the field.
Xiang Wenshan lifted her head to stretch her neck—and suddenly saw a familiar figure. The very person she had been wanting to find.
She watched him walk toward the southern woods, and a sense of urgency rose in her chest. She had finally run into him.
An idea flashed through her mind. She clutched her stomach, bit her lip, and turned to the team leader’s wife with a pained expression.
“Auntie, is there a latrine around here?
I need to use the toilet. My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable.”
Jinhua saw the fine sweat on her forehead and the pain on her face and looked concerned. “There’s no latrine here. We just go into the woods.
You look so pale. Why not take the morning off and rest?”
Hearing this, Xiang Wenhui climbed up from the ground and hurried over. “Sis, you’re so pale. Maybe you should listen to Auntie and take a break.”
Xiang Wenshan waved her hand. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I just need to go relieve myself first.” Holding her stomach, she stood up and headed toward the woods.
Xiang Wenhui watched her sister walk away with worry etched across her face, staring at her back for a long time.
“It’s alright, Comrade Xiao Xiang,” Jinhua said. “She should be fine. Don’t worry too much.”
Xiang Wenhui’s brows remained tightly furrowed. “Mm.”
When Xiang Wenshan reached the edge of the woods, she lowered the hand clutching her stomach and peeked inside.
The woods were thick with weeds. She spotted a small path trampled by others and walked a few steps in.
Song Zhaohua had just finished relieving himself in the woods and was coming out when he bumped into a female comrade who was peering around inside.
He had originally intended to walk straight past her, but when he saw her somewhat familiar face, he stopped in front of her.
Then he heard her ask nervously, “Do you know the café at the intersection on Heping Road Pedestrian Street?”
Song Zhaohua’s eyes widened suddenly.
She… she…