After closing the door, she felt they still needed to figure out a way to get a lock—otherwise it didn’t feel safe. The two of them went to call Zhang Yan, but Zhang Yan said, “You go ahead. I don’t need anything. I just want to lie down and rest for a while.”
Su Yi and Hu Jiaojiao didn’t press further and left together. Not long after walking, they ran into a little bald boy. He was dressed fairly neatly and was squatting under a tree, digging around for something.
Seeing that Su Yi didn’t intend to speak, Hu Jiaojiao stepped forward and cleared her throat. The boy turned around, and Hu Jiaojiao asked directly, “We’re newly arrived educated youths. Do you know where we can have cabinets made?”
Before the boy could answer, another slightly darker-skinned bald boy nearby spoke up, “My family does. Come on, I’ll take you there.”
Goudan knew that whenever new educated youths arrived, they would buy quite a lot of things. That meant he might get something with a bit of oil—maybe half a jin of meat, maybe some eggs. He enthusiastically led them toward his home, calling back as he went, “Shitou, you guys keep playing. I’ll be back in a bit!”
Hu Jiaojiao recognized the name “Shitou”—it was the brigade leader’s youngest grandson.
Following Goudan down the road to the end, they turned a corner and ran into three other male educated youths and Lin Xue, who were also looking to buy supplies. So they all headed together to Goudan’s house. When they reached the third house in the second alley, they heard the sound of a plane shaving wood. Goudan pushed the door open and shouted, “Grandpa, the new educated youths want to make some cabinets!”
The youths followed him in. Before they could even settle, Goudan dashed off again. “Grandpa, I’m going to dig worms with Shitou!” And just like that, he disappeared.
The old man in the yard had already stopped working and took a puff of his pipe. “The things are all in the west room. Go take a look.”
Gu Chenye nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
The old man added, “My surname is Wu.”
Gu Chenye responded smoothly, “Grandpa Wu, we’ll take a look first and call you when we’re ready.”
The group went into the west room. Inside were wooden buckets, basins, a kang table, two large bathing tubs, and a three-tier cabinet without doors. In the corner were rolled-up kang mats. There were also chopping boards, rolling pins, wooden bowls, chopsticks—everything one might need.
This Grandpa Wu clearly knew how to do business.
Hu Jiaojiao didn’t bother with the others. She stepped out and called him in. After he set down his pipe and came inside, she said, “Grandpa Wu, I want this three-tier cabinet, that wooden chest with a lid, that large bathing tub, and this lidded wooden bucket.” She also picked a wooden basin, a kang table, and didn’t forget the kang mat.
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Grandpa Wu started naming prices. “Cabinet: two yuan. Wooden chest: three yuan. Bathing tub: two yuan. The rest—just give me two yuan.”
Hu Jiaojiao handed over nine yuan, and also gave him two White Rabbit milk candies, not wanting to take advantage. Grandpa Wu didn’t say anything, just tucked the money away.
Su Yi bought two wooden chests, one large bathing tub, a basin, a bucket, a kang table, a kang mat, and even wooden bowls, chopsticks, and a chopping board.
Grandpa Wu was overjoyed—Su Yi alone had cleared out two months’ worth of his stock and paid fifteen yuan.
Lin Xue watched Su Yi spend money like that and thought for a moment before saying, “The tub, kang table, and mat you bought—I can use those too. I’ll give you half the money when we get back.”
Su Yi didn’t refuse.
The remaining male youths each bought a wooden chest, shared two basins, and jointly bought a kang table and mat. After paying, they carried their purchases themselves. Gu Chenye turned to Su Yi and said, “I’ll help you carry yours later.”
Grandpa Wu told Hu Jiaojiao, “You go back first. I’ll have my second son deliver your things to the educated youth compound.”
Hu Jiaojiao thanked him and left with the others.
When they returned to the compound, they saw Zhang Yan washing her clothes. She greeted them, “You’re back.” Everyone nodded and went about their business.
Su Yi went straight into her room and shut the door. She wanted to take advantage of Lin Xue being with her brother to enter her “space” and harvest crops.
Hu Jiaojiao spread her bedding over a nylon bag, lined the kang with newspapers to keep dirt from falling, and tidied her belongings. At the same time, she was considering whether to eat with the older educated youths or cook on her own.
She wasn’t in a hurry. With the female lead here, she could just follow along and not stand out too much.
Just as she took out her small clay stove, someone called from outside, “Educated Youth Hu, are you here? We’ve brought your things!”
“I’m here, in the innermost room!” she replied, heading out to meet them.
Wu’s second son had already arrived. He placed the items at the door, asked where to put the bathing tub, and left in a hurry—he still had to get back for lunch and fieldwork.
Zhang Yan and the other female youths gathered around. “Wow, you bought so much. That must’ve cost eight or nine yuan,” said Li Aihua, an older educated youth. “That money should’ve been sent home to your parents.”
Hu Jiaojiao didn’t indulge her. “Before I came here, my parents gave me some money and told me to buy what I needed. I’ll be using these for years, so I shouldn’t deprive myself. No need for your concern, Educated Youth Li.”
The implication was clear: mind your own business.
Zhang Yan felt a bit envious but knew her family situation didn’t allow for such spending.
Hu Jiaojiao worked as she talked—laying the kang mat, placing the cabinet in the corner, neatly stacking her bedding, putting clothes on the top shelf, and setting the wooden chest beside it.
She placed the kang table on top of the bathing tub—when not bathing, it could serve as a table. The others found it quite clever: it saved space, added a table, and even kept dust out of the tub.
Soon, the discussion shifted to meals.
Some suggested cooking together, but conflicts arose over contributions. Li Aihua pointed out that new arrivals hadn’t grown vegetables yet and shouldn’t eat for free.
Hu Jiaojiao wondered why no one suggested splitting kitchens.
Just then, Lin Yang spoke up, “The three of us will cook together—we won’t join the group.”
Su Yi added, “I’ll cook on my own too.”
Li Aihua immediately said, “Then you’ll have to wait until we finish using the stove after work. You’ll also need to gather your own firewood. And the iron pot—we paid for it together, so if you use it, you’ll need to contribute.”
Hu Jiaojiao thought, Wow, they’ve really calculated everything.
Zhang Yan chose to stay with the older group. Gu Chenye asked Lin Yang if he could join them and, after a glance at Su Yi, added, “Su Yi and I will join you.”
Lin Yang agreed.
Then he asked Hu Jiaojiao, “Do you want to join us?”
She pretended to think for a moment. “No, I’ll cook on my own. I don’t eat much, so I won’t trouble you.”
In the end, the compound split into three groups:Zhang Yan with the older youths,all the other new youths together,and Hu Jiaojiao on her own.
Hu Jiaojiao returned to her room, scooped some coarse grain into a bowl, and gave it back to Lu Yu—repaying what she had borrowed the night before. Before Lu Yu could respond, Li Aihua quickly took the bowl and dumped it back into the communal basin. The others followed suit, returning what they owed.
It felt better this way—no debts between them.
Hu Jiaojiao then set up her small clay stove outside her door, lit a fire, and heated some multigrain flatbread in a small iron pan. Everyone watching couldn’t help but think—she had come prepared.
Hu Jiaojiao ignored them, rolled the hot bread with chili paste, and ate with great relish. Afterward, she tidied her room again and began planning—when it got colder, she could build a stove on the kang to both cook and keep it warm.
By the time the others were still scrambling to prepare their meals, she was already sitting at the doorway, fanning herself with a newspaper.
She glanced around the yard, considering how to make use of the space—perhaps a simple shed for firewood by the wall, a small earthen stove near the door, and a vegetable patch nearby to block the view of the latrine.
She wanted to start right away, but reminded herself she was new and shouldn’t seem too familiar with the village.
So she dusted off her hands, went back inside briefly, and then headed out.
Behind her, the new youths began discussing her—quiet, but clearly capable and well-prepared. Lin Yang said as much, and the others nodded in agreement.
As for the afternoon, everyone planned to nap first.
Meanwhile, Hu Jiaojiao had already befriended Shitou and Goudan—with just a few orange candies.