After helping Cheng Ning settle in, Liao Sheng returned to his own dorm to fetch a quilt for her. At first, his roommates didn’t think much of it. But when they saw him carrying out Han Dongyuan’s quilt, everyone turned to look in surprise.
One roommate, Sun Jian, couldn’t help asking: “Liao Sheng, where are you taking Dongyuan’s quilt?”
“Lending it to someone,” Liao Sheng replied without turning his head.
Everyone: …
They all knew new educated youths had arrived today. And hadn’t their dorm just been assigned one? Clearly, the quilt was being lent to a newcomer.
Yang Hongbing stared enviously at the quilt in Liao Sheng’s arms. Like the others, he had packed light—no thick quilt or bedding.
“Is the new youth someone you know?” Sun Jian asked.
“Mm, from the same compound,” Liao Sheng said, already heading out.
Everyone muttered “Oh,” then cursed inwardly. Han Dongyuan was already a tyrant here, and now another from his compound had arrived—getting a quilt straight away. Their bond must be strong. Wouldn’t this make Shanghan Brigade practically Han Dongyuan’s domain? The difference between their countryside life and his was stark.
Still, why was that newcomer placed in another dorm? None of them guessed that the “same compound” youth was a girl.
Liao Sheng delivered Han Dongyuan’s quilt and bedding to Cheng Ning. He placed them on her bed and hurried off, as if the quilt burned his hands.
Min Ran’s eyes nearly popped out with envy. Clutching her own thin blanket, she thought she’d have to pile on all her clothes just to get through the night.
Since her rebirth, Cheng Ning’s senses had been sharp. She noticed Min Ran’s envious, disappointed look. After a moment’s thought, she offered her own quilt: “Use mine for now. Tomorrow we’ll go exchange quilts together.”
She had grown fond of Min Ran’s straightforward nature during the journey.
Min Ran quickly nodded: “From now on, you’re my big sister.”
Cheng Ning burst out laughing. “You’re younger than me!”
That night, Cheng Ning wrapped herself in Han Dongyuan’s quilt. She was no longer the timid girl of decades past. She felt no psychological burden at all. After two days on the road without proper sleep, she now felt warm and comfortable.
Finally, she had arrived. Though the dormitory was extremely crude—her first time living in such a dark, bare room, sharing one heated bed with several others—this night, for the first time since her rebirth, Cheng Ning slept soundly.
The next morning, Cheng Ning and Min Ran didn’t have to go out to work.
Liao Sheng came early, ready to take Cheng Ning to the brigade secretary’s house to exchange quilts.
Min Ran followed, embarrassed: “Comrade Liao, I don’t have enough bedding either. Could you take me along to get one too?”
Liao Sheng glanced at her: “That quilt is the secretary’s daughter’s dowry. I’m trading a radio for it. What do you have to trade?”
Min Ran: …
She wasn’t the type to take advantage. Looking at her luggage, she bit her lip and said: “I have money, ration tickets, cloth coupons. If that’s not enough, I’ve got a few clothes—things you can’t buy in the mountains. She’ll be glad to have them.”
Cheng Ning added: “A radio, even if self‑assembled, costs fifty or sixty yuan, and you need a radio coupon to buy one. Trading it for a quilt is too much. We should use cloth instead. I brought new fabric—she’s getting married, she’ll love it.”
She knew supplies were scarce in the mountains. Money alone wasn’t always useful, but cloth was prized for barter.
“No need,” Liao Sheng said, glancing at Cheng Ning. After all, Han Dongyuan had assembled the radio himself, and the materials only cost a few yuan.
He continued: “Then you two give me ten yuan each. I’ll trade with Zhou Xiaomei for grain and wild mushrooms. If you want to swap for other things, you can negotiate with her yourselves.”
Han Dongyuan’s radios were never sold outright—too risky. Instead, they were exchanged with villagers for grain, herbs, and game, then sent back to Beicheng for resale.
Min Ran was delighted and quickly agreed.
The three of them set off for the secretary’s house.
Villagers rose early, and along the way, they met several. Liao Sheng greeted each one, then introduced them briefly to Cheng Ning and Min Ran.
Halfway there, a man in a heavy, worn cotton coat suddenly appeared from a corner. He greeted Liao Sheng, his eyes darting toward Cheng Ning and Min Ran, smiling: “Comrade Liao, are these two the new educated youths? Out so early—where are you headed?”
When Liao Sheng saw the man suddenly appear, his expression immediately cooled. He said: “This has nothing to do with you.”
“Ah, Comrade Liao, don’t be like that,” the man rubbed his hands together, smiling. “I just thought, since the weather’s cold, I’d ask if the new educated youths brought enough clothes and quilts. I heard some were coming, so a few days ago I went to the commune and bought a brand‑new quilt and some daily necessities. Maybe the newcomers could use them.”
Min Ran’s eyes lit up at the mention.
Cheng Ning also looked curiously at the man.
But Liao Sheng replied coldly: “No need. We can buy things ourselves.” With that, he beckoned Cheng Ning and Min Ran to leave straightaway.
Both girls glanced back curiously at the man. He was still watching them, and when he saw them turn, he smiled.
Cheng Ning: …
She roughly understood why Liao Sheng didn’t want them dealing with him. One look and you could tell he wasn’t a good person.
Liao Sheng explained: “That man’s name is Zhou Xiong. He’s a notorious loafer and scoundrel in the village. Best keep your distance. But don’t be afraid—most villagers are honest and kind, and the secretary and brigade leader are fair. If he dares trouble you, just go to them. But remember: don’t walk alone after dark, and don’t wander into the back mountain.”
Both nodded in agreement. Talking as they went, they soon arrived at the secretary’s house. It was still early; the family hadn’t gone out yet and were eating breakfast.
“Comrade Liao, what brings you here?” they asked, then looked behind him. “You’ve brought the new educated youths?”
Thinking of something, their faces darkened. Surely he wasn’t here to ask for favors? Their brigade didn’t allow that.
“Secretary Zhou, Aunt Han,” Liao Sheng greeted with a smile. “I’m not here for you, but for Xiao Mei. These two new educated youths just arrived without enough quilts. In this snowy weather, they can’t go to the commune supply store. Since Xiao Mei is getting married next month, she must have new quilts prepared. So I brought them to see if they could trade something with her for a quilt.”
Hearing it was for that, Secretary Zhou let it be.
Zhou Xiaomei liked trading with the educated youths. She led the three into her room, curiously eyeing Cheng Ning and Min Ran, then asked Liao Sheng: “What do you want to trade with me?”
“A radio.” Liao Sheng pulled something from his shoulder bag. “One radio, in exchange for one quilt, two new blankets, plus ten jin of flour, thirty jin of corn, and ten jin of mushrooms and wild game.”
When Zhou Xiaomei saw him take out the radio, her eyes lit up. But hearing the long list of demands that followed, she jumped up and shouted: “You’re robbing me!”
“Robbing what?” Liao Sheng tapped the radio in his hand, smiling: “This is a radio. Outside, it sells for eighty yuan—and you need a radio coupon. On the black market, even a hundred yuan might not get you one. Trading this radio at the commune for just a few things—that’s what would be robbery!”
Zhou Xiaomei curled her lip, but she knew he was telling the truth. She looked again at the radio. She really did want one. She’d heard that in the city, weddings required the “three rounds and one sound.” The “three rounds” were a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch. The “one sound” was a radio. As the secretary’s daughter, she was marrying the son of the neighboring brigade’s accountant. He had already bought her a bicycle and a sewing machine. If she could add a radio to her dowry, it would be a great mark of prestige. She bit her lip, quickly calculating whether the trade was worth it.
The new quilts weren’t a big deal—once the weather improved, she could buy more at the commune supply store or the county department store.
Liao Sheng pressed his advantage: “I’ll tell you the truth—this radio belongs to Dongyuan. It’s the last one, kept for himself. I only took it because he’s not here. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have the chance to trade for it.”
“Han Dongyuan’s?” Zhou Xiaomei was shocked. “You’re trading his things? What if he doesn’t acknowledge it when he comes back?”
“I’ll handle that. Don’t worry about it. Just say—do you want to trade or not?”
*Trade first—what’s the worst that could happen? He won’t kill me. It’s for his sister anyway.*
“Trade!” Zhou Xiaomei gritted her teeth. “I can’t gather everything right now. I’ll write you an IOU and deliver it later.”
Liao Sheng laughed: “No rush. When you’re ready, let me know. Next time Dongyuan and I go to the commune, we’ll stop by.”
Han Dongyuan had already done many private trades with villagers, often in this way.
The deal was struck.
Zhou Xiaomei, brisk and efficient, opened her cabinet and pulled out the quilts.
The quilt cover was bright red with peony patterns, thick and heavy, looking warm.
Cheng Ning knew such a red peony cover was meant for marriage. Since she had brought her own quilt cover, she didn’t need it. She said to Zhou Xiaomei: “I have a cover already, so I don’t need this one. Could you give me two basins instead—one for washing my face, one for washing my feet?”
When Zhou Xiaomei had taken out the quilt, Cheng Ning had noticed a stack of daily goods under the cabinet—large and small basins piled up.
For Zhou Xiaomei, this was a good deal. A red quilt cover cost several yuan and required cloth coupons. A washbasin or foot basin could be bought for just one yuan. She agreed immediately.
When Min Ran saw it, she quickly said she wanted to trade too. Unfortunately, there was only one washbasin and one foot basin, but there were substitutes—like buckets and such.
Liao Sheng folded his arms, watching the girls chatter away, picking this and that.
In the end, all three were satisfied.
Cheng Ning wanted to build good relations with the brigade and liked Zhou Xiaomei’s straightforward personality. After the trade, she even gave Zhou Xiaomei a box of Snowflake Cream she had brought specially. Zhou Xiaomei happily accepted it, rummaged around her room, and gave Cheng Ning more daily necessities—bowls, chopsticks, soap, and so on.
Liao Sheng: …
There were so many things that not only did Liao Sheng end up as a porter, but Zhou Xiaomei also called her brother, Zhou Liangshan, to help carry everything back to the dormitory.
The group returned in a grand procession and happened to meet Zhao Zhi, Gu Jingwen, and Yang Hongbing at the courtyard gate.
The three immediately noticed the bundles and boxes they were carrying.
Zhao Zhi hesitated, wanting to speak.
Yang Hongbing, more blunt, quickly asked Cheng Ning and Min Ran: “Are these supplies you were issued? Where did you get them?”
Min Ran laughed: “Wishful thinking. They weren’t issued. The brigade wouldn’t hand out things like this. We traded with villagers.”
While she spoke, Liao Sheng and Cheng Ning had already led Zhou Xiaomei and Zhou Liangshan inside, brushing past Gu Jingwen and Zhao Zhi without even looking at them.
Min Ran quickly told Yang Hongbing and followed them in.
Gu Jingwen frowned. Zhao Zhi bit her lip. She truly didn’t understand how she had offended Cheng Ning, why Cheng Ning excluded her so deliberately.
Yang Hongbing, however, didn’t think much of it. “Let’s ask Xu Jianguo. Maybe we can trade too.”
Everyone had brought only limited essentials. No one had carried bulky pots, bowls, or thick quilts—just thin blankets. Originally, they thought they’d buy necessities at the local supply store, make do until larger luggage arrived. But they hadn’t realized how remote this place was. With the snow sealing the roads, even with money and coupons, there was nowhere to buy.
So the three went to find Xu Jianguo. As youth team leader, he was busy—leading the male youths in sawing wood and carpentry.
In winter, with little farm work, idleness meant hunger. So the brigade organized tasks: men chopped firewood, hunted, or did carpentry; women wove mats and baskets to sell at the commune when the weather cleared.
When the three asked about trading quilts and bowls with villagers, Xu Jianguo frowned. The villagers were poor. You might trade for a woven mat or basket, but new quilts and bowls were hard to come by.
Nearby, an older man overheard and said with a smile: “Go to the secretary’s house. His daughter Xiaomei is getting married next month. She’s prepared plenty of dowry—quilts, pots, bowls. If you bring good things to trade, you’ll succeed.”
This wasn’t unusual. Over the years, educated youths had often bartered with villagers because the commune and county were too far away.
Yang Hongbing quickly asked where the secretary’s house was, and the three set off together. Only then did they realize the “Secretary’s Xiaomei” was the same girl who had just helped Cheng Ning and Min Ran carry supplies.
But when they arrived, braving the snow, Zhou Xiaomei blinked her big eyes and smiled: “No quilts left, no basins or bowls either. I only have a few pairs of chopsticks left—want those?”
The three: …