After walking for about ten minutes, they finally arrived at the Educated Youth Residence.
The Educated Youth Residence consisted of mud houses as well. There were five rooms in total, one of which was apparently the kitchen. Two of the better-looking rooms were already occupied. The remaining two rooms were extremely run-down, with cracks in the walls and roofs covered with dried straw. No one knew whether they would leak when it rained.
Two words summed the place up perfectly: poor and shabby.
Looking at the housing unit before her, Lin Wanwan could hardly believe her eyes.
“We… are supposed to live here?”
Could a place like this really be inhabited?
Wouldn’t it collapse in the middle of the night???
“Team Leader Li, can people really live in a place like this?” The others were equally incredulous.
“Of course they can!” Team Leader Li replied. Then he called toward the occupied rooms: “Educated Youth Zhao! The new Educated Youth have arrived. Help them get settled and bring them up to the embankment tomorrow morning!”
Creak—
The two doors opened simultaneously.
The slightly older Educated Youth stepped out and readily agreed.
“You’ve brought them back? Alright, we’ve got it. Team Leader Li, you can head back now.”
Team Leader Li grunted in acknowledgment.
“I’ll leave them in your hands for now. Lu Ye, let’s go back!”
Brother Lu Ye said nothing.
He set down the suitcases and glanced briefly at the young woman beside him before quickly withdrawing his gaze.
Then he followed Team Leader Li into the darkness.
Once Team Leader Li had left, the male Educated Youth who had spoken earlier swept his gaze over the newcomers.
His eyes lingered on Lin Wanwan for several seconds before he smilingly introduced himself.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Zhao Chuan. I’m the first Educated Youth who came here. You must all be hungry, right? How about this—Comrade Wu Guizhi, take the female Educated Youth to make their beds. I’ll handle the male Educated Youth. The rest of you can head to the kitchen and start cooking.”
“There is one extra female Educated Youth, so use the slightly larger room.”
“Alright.”
“Sounds good.”
This Educated Youth named Zhao Chuan seemed to hold considerable authority among the group.
Everyone listened to him.
“Follow me.”
Wu Guizhi was a somewhat dark and skinny female Educated Youth. She called out to Lin Wanwan and the others before turning and walking into the slightly larger room.
She lit a kerosene lamp inside.
The faint orange glow barely illuminated the room.
There was only a table and a large kang-style sleeping platform made of packed earth.
It could barely fit all five of them.
The moment Lin Wanwan saw it, she was stunned again.
So all five of them were going to sleep together?
On one giant bed?
Then how was she supposed to enter the mall space?
Wu Guizhi spoke indifferently.
“The room has already been cleaned. These bed sheets were given by the villagers. Just sleep on them.”
“Why is this place so run-down?” Xu Wen complained. “Couldn’t you have repaired it?”
Wu Guizhi’s expression instantly darkened.
She snapped back impatiently.
“You should be grateful we cleaned the room for you. Such high demands. When we first came here, the housing unit was just as broken. We repaired it ourselves bit by bit. Back then, nobody even cleaned for us. Who do you think you are? Live here if you want. If not, then don’t!”
Xu Wen was immediately left speechless.
Still dissatisfied, she asked: “Is there hot water? I want to take a bath.”
“Boil it yourself.”
Wu Guizhi rolled her eyes and left the room.
The room immediately fell silent.
Everyone stood there awkwardly.
Lin Wanwan was still in shock and strongly resisted the idea of living here.
“Alright, alright. Let’s choose our sleeping spots first.”
Fang Yun was the first to move.
“Where do you all want to sleep? Is anyone taking the innermost spot?”
Shan Miaoyi replied with obvious disgust.
“I want the outermost spot.”
If it were not for Cheng Shi, she would not have stayed in this dump for even a second.
Dirty, shabby, and poor.
How had she endured this in her previous life?
Seeing this, Xu Wen quickly claimed the space beside Shan Miaoyi.
Lu Zhaodi quietly said she would sleep in the middle.
Lin Wanwan originally intended to sleep in the innermost position.
But when she walked over, she discovered spiderwebs in the corner.
Not just one, either.
Her face immediately turned pale with fright.
“I-I don’t dare sleep over there.”
Although there were no spiders visible in the webs, what if one came out after she fell asleep?
What if it crawled onto her body?
Or her face?
Wuwuwu, why am I so unlucky? I want to go home…
Upon hearing that, Fang Yun immediately said,
“It’s okay. Then you can sleep beside Zhaodi. I’ll take the innermost spot.”
There were no wardrobes or storage cabinets in the room.
All their luggage could only be piled against the wall.
Afterward, everyone simply stood around, unsure of what to do.
About ten minutes later, someone outside shouted,
“Come out and eat!”
The newly arrived Educated Youth, who had been hungry all day, immediately headed outside.
Lin Wanwan was hungry as well.
She had stayed with Fang Yun and the others the entire time and had no opportunity to enter the mall space.
Hearing that food was ready improved her mood slightly.
She followed them out.
The dining area was in the kitchen.
The earthen stove beside it still glowed with a few embers.
On the table sat a basin of thin millet gruel.
Beside it were two bowls filled with yellowish-brown corn buns and a plate of wild vegetables.
There was nothing else.
Seeing everyone standing at the entrance, Zhao Chuan waved them over.
“Don’t just stand there. Come in.”
“Team Leader Li said you’ve just arrived, so he sent over some sorghum grain. You should have a decent meal. We’re all Educated Youth here. If you run into any trouble or difficulties in the future, come talk to me. We should help each other. After dinner, get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning, you’ll have to get up early and head to the embankment so the villagers can get to know you.”
Lin Wanwan stared at the food on the table.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
She walked into the kitchen.
Holding a chipped bowl, she watched as Zhao Chuan ladled a spoonful of sorghum porridge into it.
The senior Educated Youth had already eaten.
Aside from Zhao Chuan, everyone else stood at their room entrances watching the kitchen.
Lin Wanwan hesitated for a moment before taking a small sip.
A sour and bitter flavor shot straight to the top of her head.
She nearly spat it out.
The taste was so strange!!
She forced herself to swallow it and then bit into a corn bun.
Instantly, a look of suffering appeared on her face.
The corn bun tasted even stranger.
It was hard and unpleasant.
“I can’t eat this.”
Unwilling to force herself, Lin Wanwan put down the bowl with a pale face.
“Fang Yun, are you still eating? Can you finish my portion for me?”
Fang Yun also thought the flavor was somewhat odd.
However, it was still acceptable.
Wasn’t countryside food supposed to be like this?
After swallowing her mouthful of corn bun, she looked surprised.
“You’re done already? What if you get hungry tonight? Eat a little more!”
Lin Wanwan waved her hands rapidly.
“I really can’t eat it. You have it.”
“…Alright.”
Fang Yun accepted the corn bun from her.
Lin Wanwan sighed in relief and sat there with her chin propped in her hands, watching everyone eat.
Nearby, Cheng Shi, who was also struggling to swallow the food, saw this and a strange light flickered in his eyes.
After dinner, Zhao Chuan said,
“There’s hot water in the big pot and cold water in the water tank. You can wash up a little. The bathing area is beside the kitchen. Oh, right—the toilet is behind the kitchen. Remember to bring the kerosene lamp when you go. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into the latrine pit.”
The girls were visibly delighted upon hearing this.
Shan Miaoyi glanced at Lin Wanwan.
“I’m bathing first!”
“I’ll go last.”
Lin Wanwan had no intention of competing for first place.
After dinner, Fang Yun and Lu Zhaodi were the last ones left washing dishes.
“Cheng Shi! Come help me carry some hot water! I can’t lift it!”
Shan Miaoyi pleaded coquettishly.
Cheng Shi responded gently and helped carry the hot water to the bathing area.
Lin Wanwan returned to the room with Fang Yun.
She took out a piece of peach pastry from her suitcase and nibbled on it in small bites.
“Is Educated Youth Lin here? May I come in?”
Suddenly, Cheng Shi’s voice came from outside the door.