“So, do you want to build a mud-brick house or a brick-and-tile house?
A brick-and-tile house would be like the one at the team office. You’d need to queue at the commune to get blue bricks.
Before that, you’d also have to clear weeds and lay the foundation.
By the time that’s done, the bricks should be ready.
A mud-brick house is much simpler. Villagers already have sun-dried mud bricks—you can trade for them.”
“Captain, I’d like to build a brick-and-tile house.” Jiang Yan couldn’t stand the idea of a mud house. She always felt that if it rained heavily, the mud walls might wash away.
“Then I’ll build a brick-and-tile house too. I’ll build it next to Comrade Jiang’s—we can share a wall and save some money.”
Zhao Nianze had fallen for Jiang Yan at first sight on the train. Now, in front of the girl he liked, he naturally didn’t want to fall short.
He wanted her to know he had the means.
Zhou Youfu nodded and looked at Yu Zhaozhao.
“Captain, we didn’t bring much money with us. A mud-brick house will do. But we’re not familiar with the village—could you help us find someone who has mud bricks?”
Jiang Yan didn’t know what the future held and simply wanted to live more comfortably, so choosing a brick house was understandable.
But Yu Zhaozhao was different. She knew that in two years, the college entrance exam would be reinstated. She was determined to go to university.
Less than two years—there was no need to spend so much.
Mud houses had their advantages too: warm in winter and cool in summer. She could treat it as a new kind of life experience.
Besides—single, living alone, a female educated youth…
Those labels already made her stand out. If she also appeared wealthy, wouldn’t that make her an easy target?
She wanted a good life, but she didn’t want to seem too conspicuous in the village.
But now, with the male and female leads as a comparison, she didn’t need to worry about that anymore.
“Alright. Where do you want to build your houses?”
“On the land east of the youth dorm. There’s just enough space for two houses.” The dorm was in a relatively remote spot at the foot of the mountain.
The land to the west bordered the mountains. If wild boars or wolves came down, the houses there would be the first to suffer.
Jiang Yan had no intention of living there.
But Yu Zhaozhao was secretly delighted.
The female lead was really doing her a favor—many things didn’t even require her to speak; the benefits practically fell into her lap.
In her previous life, Yu Zhaozhao had heard that the northeastern mountains were a treasure trove.
Rare mushrooms, crunchy hazelnuts, soft chestnuts, and all kinds of delicious game…
With her skills, she was definitely going into the mountains if she got the chance.
Living close to them would be incredibly convenient.
“Alright. And you, Comrades Yu and Liu—where do you want to build?”
“I’ll follow Zhaozhao’s decision,” Liu Ying said.
“Then we’ll build on the west side. We’re all educated youths—being closer together is better.”
“Okay. Now that the location is decided, let’s talk about the size of the houses.”
“I’ll be living alone, so it doesn’t need to be big. One bedroom and a kitchen will be enough,” Jiang Yan said.
“Ours will be the same,” Yu Zhaozhao added.
“Alright. Go back tonight and think carefully about the layout. Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll arrange for people to clear the land and start construction.”
“Okay. But Captain, where will we stay before the houses are finished?” Jiang Yan didn’t want to squeeze into the dorm—it was already overcrowded.
Zhou Youfu glanced at Accountant Yao.
Yao nodded.
Only then did Zhou Youfu say, “The men’s side isn’t too crowded. Comrade Zhao can stay at the dorm for now.
As for the three female comrades—Accountant Yao has a young daughter, and her room can accommodate one person.
My house has an empty room that can fit two people. How would you like to arrange it?”
“I want to stay with Zhaozhao!” Liu Ying quickly said.
She understood the importance of acting first.
“Alright, then you’ll stay with Comrade Yu at my house. Comrade Jiang will stay at Accountant Yao’s.”
Jiang Yan felt a bit reluctant. She didn’t know Accountant Yao’s daughter or what her personality was like.
Besides, she wasn’t keen on staying alone in a stranger’s home—there were safety concerns.
But the decision had already been made. If she objected, she would offend Accountant Yao.
For now, she could only agree and hope the girl was easy to get along with.
After settling the arrangements, the three women followed the captain and the accountant. By the time they arrived, it was almost seven in the evening.
Rural life offered little entertainment, and after a full day of labor, people went to bed early.
After greeting their respective hosts, they returned to their rooms.
Jiang Yan didn’t want to deal with Yao Xiaocui, while Yu Zhaozhao and Liu Ying were simply tired. Even though they had slept in sleeper berths, the constant rocking of the train wasn’t as comfortable as a proper bed.
After a quick wash, they went to sleep.
None of them knew that back at the youth dorm, the others were discussing them.
“You’re saying Comrades Yu and Liu had sleeper berths on the train?” Lü Dan asked.
The newcomers had stirred things up, so no one had gone to bed yet. They were all sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the evening breeze and chatting.
“Yeah. At first, she was sitting in hard seats just like us. Then she went out for a walk—who knows what kind of opportunity she stumbled upon? When she came back, she packed up and moved to the sleeper carriage.”
Chen Zhaodi deliberately spoke ambiguously, trying to stir suspicion. She wanted everyone to think Yu Zhaozhao wasn’t a decent person.
But no one was a fool.
That situation was possible—but another possibility was that she had connections.
Without knowing the truth, no one wanted to offend anyone.
“Then why did she bring Liu Ying along? Did they know each other before?” Wang Peng asked.
He was already 23. After five years in the countryside, he had lost hope of returning to the city. His family had even written to suggest that if he found someone suitable, he should settle down locally.
But marrying a village girl didn’t sit well with him. Looking around, his only option was among the educated youths.
At first, he thought Chai Xin was a good choice—petite, cute, and with a nice personality. But her family background seemed average; she had never received parcels or money orders. That made him dissatisfied.
Fortunately, new arrivals had come.
The three who went out today could afford to build houses, which meant they likely had decent family backgrounds. Now that he suspected Yu Zhaozhao might even have connections, his target became clear.
After marriage, they could live in the new house. Then, when the opportunity came, she could use her connections to get them both back to the city.
The thought made Wang Peng excited.
“What do you mean ‘knew each other’? Liu Ying’s just sucking up to her, that’s all.”