Shen Jingyao walked slowly along the road after leaving the Zhou Family courtyard.
Hearing steady yet urgent footsteps behind her, her jewel-like eyes sparkled with sweet delight.
Rural nights offered no entertainment – people went to sleep right after dinner. The entire village was quiet, with only occasional sounds of children being scolded or beaten.
Under the moonlight, only two harmonious figures moved along the country road.
The tall, straight figure approached the petite, slender girl, and a pair of large hands firmly grasped her soft, delicate ones.
“Yao Yao, I’ll walk you back.”
“Okay.” Shen Jingyao interlocked her fingers with his as they strolled under the moonlight.
Zhou Muyan looked down tenderly at the girl beside him. “Yao Yao, when we work tomorrow, I’ll assign you to my team. Just follow me and go through the motions.”
After this year’s autumn harvest, he would find her lighter work. If she didn’t work at all, both villagers and people at the Educated Youth Point would resent it.
Shen Jingyao raised her sparkling eyes to look at him. “A Yan, are you telling me to slack off?”
Zhou Muyan reached out and pinched her pert nose. “Yes, letting you slack off right under the leader’s nose. Isn’t that good?”
“Good, I’ll listen to you in everything.” Shen Jingyao wrapped both arms around his, leaning against his shoulder coquettishly.
“Good girl. And about your house – I’ll make sure to build it well for you.” He would keep everything about Yao Yao close to his heart.
“I know.”
The fifteen-minute walk from the Zhou Family to the Educated Youth Point took them a full half hour.
Outside the Educated Youth Point, Shen Jingyao released Zhou Muyan’s hand. “A Yan, I’m going in now. You should head back.”
Zhou Muyan stepped forward and embraced her, lovingly kissing her forehead. “Alright, go on in.”
Only after Shen Jingyao’s figure completely disappeared into the courtyard did Zhou Muyan turn and leave.
When Shen Jingyao returned to the Educated Youth Point, she went straight to her room where Xu Aili, Zhang Yanhong, and Wei Meixia were still awake.
Except for Zhang Yanhong, the other two stared intently at her as she entered.
Xu Aili approached her. “Xu Educated Youth, you’re back. I’ve already fetched hot water for you – it’s in your thermos bottle.”
Shen Jingyao hadn’t expected her to fetch hot water. “Xu Educated Youth, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Unable to contain her curiosity, Xu Aili asked, “Xu Educated Youth, what did you go see the team leader for?”
Wei Meixia paused arranging her bedding, waiting to hear the answer.
Shen Jingyao wasn’t annoyed by Xu Aili’s curiosity – this was actually a good opportunity to make an announcement.
“I went to ask the team leader to allocate me a homestead. I want to build my own house.”
“What? You’re building your own house?” Wei Meixia’s face showed complete disbelief, her voice rising sharply.
Shen Jingyao looked at her expressionlessly. “Yes, I want to build a house. Do you have any objections, Wei Educated Youth?”
“Where would you get that much money?” Wei Meixia blurted out. Building a house would cost several dozen yuan – could she really come up with that much?
Shen Jingyao’s expression cooled. “That’s none of your concern. It’s not your money anyway.”
Wei Meixia felt utterly miserable, consumed by jealousy and fury.
When she went to the countryside, she only had thirty yuan on her and hadn’t managed to get all the necessary items. Even now, she still didn’t have a thermos bottle.
This Shen Jingyao, however, had everything when she came to the countryside, and now she even wanted to build her own house to live separately.
She felt a discomfort in her chest and lay on the kang, breathing heavily.
Xu Aili stood nearby, looking at Shen Jingyao with concern. “Shen Educated Youth, why do you want to build your own house? It might not be very safe for a girl to live alone.”
Shen Jingyao smiled at her. “I’m just used to living alone. It’s fine. There are plenty of people around my homestead, so it’s safe.”
Xu Aili sighed. “Alright.” She turned and climbed onto the kang.
Shen Educated Youth had money, and there was nothing wrong with wanting to live more comfortably. If she had money, she’d want to live alone too.
From start to finish, Zhang Yanhong didn’t say a word—this was someone else’s business and had nothing to do with her.
Shen Jingyao poured hot water from the thermos bottle into a basin, took her toiletries, and went to the yard to wash up.
Meanwhile, Zhou Muyan returned home.
Liu Huilan was waiting for him in the yard. Seeing him in such a good mood, even smiling, was truly rare.
“Third Son, you’re back.”
Zhou Muyan hadn’t noticed his mother in the yard and was startled. “Mom, what are you doing here? You scared me.”
Liu Huilan looked at him with a smile. “Silly child, you haven’t done anything wrong, so why would you be scared? Did you see Shen Educated Youth home?”
Under his mother’s gaze, Zhou Muyan felt as if she could see right through him, sending a chill down his spine.
“Yes, I did. Mom, I’m going to rest now. I have work tomorrow.”
Liu Huilan nodded with a smile. “Go on, then.”
After he entered his room, Liu Huilan stood in the yard, watching his closed door, thinking she’d observe a bit more.
The next day, Shen Jingyao woke up at five in the morning from the kang. She changed into coarse clothes and a pair of old cloth shoes.
It was her and Xu Aili’s turn to cook. She gently nudged Xu Aili. “Xu Educated Youth, Xu Educated Youth.”
Xu Aili opened her eyes and saw her standing by the kang. “Oh, Shen Educated Youth, you’re up.”
“Yes, it’s our turn to cook today. Let’s get up quickly,” Shen Jingyao said.
“Okay.” Xu Aili immediately put on the clothes at the foot of the kang.
Shen Jingyao had already finished washing up and came back in. She put away the snow cream she had applied, opened her bag, and took out a piece of taosu.
“Xu Educated Youth, this is for you. Thank you for helping me fetch hot water last night.” Thanks to that, she had hot water to use this morning, and she didn’t want to owe anyone a favor.
Xu Aili’s face turned red as she reached out to take it. “You’re welcome. Thank you, Shen Educated Youth.”
Shen Jingyao waved her hand. “It’s nothing. Go wash up quickly. I’ll head to the kitchen first.”
“Okay.” Xu Aili placed the piece of taosu in her own cabinet, picked up her basin, and went outside to wash up.
Wei Meixia, who was already awake, overheard their conversation. Her expression darkened, and she tossed and turned on the kang before abruptly covering her head with the quilt.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of that tempting taosu and the fragrance of Shen Jingyao’s snow cream.
She and Zhang Yanhong only used clam oil. She had only smelled that scent on a classmate back in the city.
Shen Jingyao went to the kitchen, lit the fire, boiled water in the pot, and started cooking corn grits porridge.
In the cupboard were the corn flour and buckwheat flour they had handed in last night to make Wotou. She took them out and poured them into a larger wooden basin.
Just then, Xu Aili came in. She walked over, reached out, and took the wooden basin. “Educated Youth Shen, let me make the Wotou.”
Shen Zhiqing had already lit the fire and started cooking the porridge, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Shen Jingyao didn’t argue with her either, turning instead to tend to the fire by the stove.