“I want to build two small rooms near the Sent-down Youth residence and move out to live on my own. Would the village be able to allocate a small plot of land for me? I’ll cover all the construction expenses myself, and we can sign an agreement. Once I return to the city, the house will belong to the village. What do you think of that arrangement?”
After speaking, Li Lezhi looked at Captain Xu expectantly.
“Ah, I thought it was something serious.” Aunt Xu immediately chimed in. “Old man, look at how Sent-down Youth Li has been unable to sleep properly because of this. Isn’t that affecting the entire Sent-down Youth group?” Her eyes remained fixed on the brown sugar sitting on the table. “Just agree to it. The poor girl came all the way here to support rural development. It isn’t easy for her.”
Since his wife had already spoken, Captain Xu could only nod.
“It’s possible, but you’ll have to prepare your own pots, bowls, and household supplies.”
Li Lezhi finally relaxed and gratefully glanced at Aunt Xu.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have my family send me some industrial coupons. I’ll need to take a day off tomorrow to go into town and mail them a letter so they can help me prepare some supplies.”
In truth, she already had everything she needed and didn’t need to buy anything. The real reason was that she wanted an opportunity to write to the elder brother she had never met, who was currently serving in the military.
“That’s no problem. It’s still not the harvest season yet. Tomorrow I’ll bring some people to measure the land near the Sent-down Youth residence.”
Captain Xu agreed readily.
“Then how much do you think it’ll cost? I don’t know much about labor fees, so I’ll have to trouble you to estimate it for me.”
Captain Xu thought for a few minutes before replying.
“The cost won’t be cheap. At the very least, around one hundred and twenty yuan.”
Materials such as beams, rafters, door frames, and window frames would all need to be purchased. The village had people who could provide adobe bricks, and the roof could be constructed with wooden planks covered with sorghum and corn stalks. As for labor, workers were usually paid sixty cents per day, and with at least ten days of work, one laborer alone would cost six yuan.
As he spoke, Captain Xu picked up a stick in the yard and began drawing calculations on the ground.
“Then I’ll give you one hundred and twenty-five yuan for now. If it isn’t enough, you can come ask me for more.”
Li Lezhi reached into her pocket, secretly taking the money from her space before handing over one hundred and twenty-five yuan.
Captain Xu had never seen so much money at once in his entire life. He hurriedly accepted it.
“That’s enough, that’s enough.”
“Then I’ll have to trouble you with the construction from here on out, Captain Xu.”
After thanking him politely, Li Lezhi took her leave.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on everything.”
Captain Xu patted his chest confidently.
From the village’s perspective, this arrangement was beneficial as well. Still, he had never expected Sent-down Youth Li to carry so much money with her. More than a hundred yuan, and she handed it over without even blinking.
Once the matter was settled, Li Lezhi felt much lighter. She headed toward the mountains.
Today, she planned to venture deeper into the forest and see what she could find.
Along the way, she picked up a handful of small stones and stored them in her space. If she encountered pheasants or other prey, she could use them as projectiles. With her enhanced eyesight and strength, even most grown men probably weren’t her match.
After trekking through the forest for two hours, she finally reached the deeper regions of the mountains.
Looking around, she saw towering trees whose dense canopies completely blocked the sky. The place felt airtight and secluded.
For the first time, she truly understood the atmosphere described in Wang Wei’s famous verse: “Deep in the forest, unseen by others, only the bright moon shines upon me.”
The sunlight struggled to penetrate the overlapping layers of leaves, much like moonlight filtering through the darkness of night. Standing within the tranquil forest, surrounded by silence, she felt an indescribable sense of peace settle over her heart.
Not far away, she spotted a tree laden with bright red fruit.
Joy immediately filled her heart.
After so long, she finally had a chance to eat fresh fruit.
It was a wild plum tree, but she wasn’t picky. Carefully harvesting every ripe fruit, she stored them in her space. She even snapped off a branch, intending to test whether it could survive if planted inside the space.
After wiping several plums clean beneath the tree, she ate them with relish.
They were pleasantly sweet and sour.
Just as she was preparing to leave, a pheasant wandered into view, leisurely pecking for food nearby.
As expected, there were far more animals deep in the mountains than on the outskirts.
She swiftly controlled a stone from her space and placed it in her palm. Crouching low, she took aim and hurled it with force.
The pheasant dropped instantly, struck squarely in the abdomen.
Looks like there will be meat again today.
A little farther ahead, she discovered a large patch of lion’s mane mushrooms and chanterelles. She immediately began gathering every edible mushroom she could find. Whenever she encountered additional edible varieties along the way, she collected those as well and transplanted them into her space.
By noon, she found a nearby water source, started a fire, and cooked pheasant soup with mushrooms.
After enjoying a satisfying meal, she resumed her journey.
Along the way, she successfully caught three more pheasants, five or six wild rabbits, and even stumbled across a nest full of pheasant eggs.
Although she still hadn’t found any valuable medicinal herbs such as ginseng or lingzhi mushrooms, she wasn’t particularly disappointed.
As long as she continued exploring the mountains, she was bound to find some eventually. Besides, once she obtained even a few seeds, she could cultivate endless quantities inside her space.
When afternoon came, Li Lezhi followed her usual routine. She filled her basket with pig fodder, making sure there was enough for the day before heading over to register her work points.
“Oh my, Sent-down Youth Li went back to that place again today, didn’t you?” The elderly man at the pigpen, the same one from yesterday, looked at her curiously. “Does that area have a lot of pig fodder?”
Li Lezhi inwardly cursed her carelessness.
Putting on a shy smile, she replied, “Not really. The fodder there was only enough to meet today’s quota. There’s still some left growing in dangerous spots, but I didn’t dare go near them, so I just left them there.”
“That’s right, safety comes first.”
The old man nodded, though inwardly he was convinced that Sent-down Youth Li had discovered some hidden place overflowing with fodder. Otherwise, why had none of the villagers ever found such a spot?
Li Lezhi naturally had no idea what he was thinking.
After handing in the fodder, she returned to the Sent-down Youth residence.
Everyone else was already back.
Since she once again skipped the communal meal, nobody found it strange anymore. They merely felt somewhat uncomfortable about it. After all, she had money and had brought plenty of food from home. There wasn’t much anyone could say.
The day passed uneventfully.
Although Shen Yueyue had behaved more restrained around her today, Li Lezhi knew the peace was only temporary.
Once everyone learned she planned to build her own house, another storm would surely follow.
After eating her fill in her room, she sat down to write a letter.
Most of it consisted of assurances of her safety and reminders for her older brother to take care of his health. By the time she finished, she had filled three entire pages with greetings and updates before finally setting down her pen in satisfaction.
The next morning, she got herself ready early, shouldered her basket, and headed toward the ox cart.
When she arrived, several village women were already waiting there.
A young woman who appeared to be several months pregnant noticed her standing alone. Stroking her belly, she walked over with a smile.
“You’re one of the new Sent-down Youth, aren’t you?”
She looked Li Lezhi up and down before continuing.
“You newcomers really are good-looking. Ever since you all arrived, the young men and women in the village haven’t even been focused on work anymore.”
Then she leaned in conspiratorially.
“You know Sent-down Youth Shen and Sent-down Youth Zhou, right? They’re newcomers too. Ever since they arrived, all the young fellows and girls in the village have become distracted. My younger brother-in-law used to earn ten work points a day, but recently he spends half the day staring at Sent-down Youth Shen. He’s lost four work points compared to before.”
A trace of irritation flashed across her face as she spoke, and she unconsciously rubbed her belly again.