Bai Shanshan regretted it.
She must have taken leave of her senses during the day to agree to Wen Yan’s request.
Her brain was telling her legs to walk away and not take this humiliation, but her heart stubbornly argued back.
‘If I go back now, Wen Yan will definitely laugh at me.
She’ll say I can’t do anything right.’
She couldn’t afford to lose face like this.
“Comrade Bai, who are you requesting a job for?”
Li Group Leader asked again, puzzled by Bai Shanshan’s odd expression.
After playing out the scene in her head, Bai Shanshan gritted her teeth, straightened her spine, and declared in one loud, clear breath, “Reporting!
I want to request work for Comrade Wen Yan and myself.
Here is the diagram for a disassembled plow that Comrade Wen Yan drew.”
Li Group Leader took the notebook from Bai Shanshan, his eyes looking at her strangely.
‘What on earth is going on here?’
‘Infiltration?
A spy?
A counter-intelligence plot?
Walking into the tiger’s den?’
Li Group Leader could no longer comprehend Bai Shanshan’s thought process.
‘I have to tell my wife about this when I get home,’ he thought.
He suspected Bai Shanshan’s brain had frozen solid.
For now, however, he seriously examined the notebook.
He then checked with Captain Zhu from logistics and confirmed that the plow had indeed been made by Wen Yan.
“She really knows how to do woodwork.”
Li Group Leader muttered quietly.
Captain Zhu didn’t hear clearly and leaned in to ask, “Group Leader, what did you say?”
“Nothing.
Since Comrade Wen has the ability to make plows, let her continue to be in charge of this.
The spring plowing is a major affair; we need to make as many as possible.”
Last year, they had to rely on their hands and sticks, and the efficiency was terrible.
Captain Zhu knew Li Group Leader would agree.
Production was the top priority, after all.
“Alright, then you’ll have to approve the paperwork.”
As soon as Captain Zhu finished speaking, Bai Shanshan chimed in from the side.
“Comrade Wen’s job needs to be made official, and she needs to be paid.
You can’t expect people to work for nothing, can you?”
“Fine, the paperwork can be settled.
As for the salary… we’ll see.
You’re young comrades of a new era.
You should have some spirit of selfless contribution.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to pay.
The truth was, they were just too poor.
Bai Shanshan wasn’t about to accept that.
‘Wen Yan specifically asked for a salary.
If I can’t negotiate this, it’ll make me look so incompetent.’
“Comrade Wen provided the design schematics, and she’s personally teaching her techniques to others.
In the future, she’ll even be teaching mortise and tenon joinery!
It’s unjust not to pay her, isn’t it?
What kind of principle allows you to take someone’s work for free?”
Li Group Leader’s face flushed.
He certainly wasn’t the type of person to take advantage of others.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t pay her anything!
Things are just a bit tight at the moment.
Wait a little, just wait a little.”
Determined not to lose face, Bai Shanshan’s lips trembled, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
“Uncle—”
An hour later, a completely frazzled Li Group Leader exclaimed:
“Fine, fine, fine!
Eighteen point six for Wen Yan, and eight point three for you, Bai Shanshan.”
Bai Shanshan looked like she was about to say more, but Li Group Leader shot her a glare.
“Keep haggling and you’ll get nothing.”
Bai Shanshan snapped her mouth shut.
It couldn’t get any lower.
‘I’ve already lost so much face, I can’t lose the money too.’
At the same time, Wen Yan received a notification from the system.
[Job Secured mission complete.
Reward: One Frostbite Potion recipe.
P.S.
Due to the potion’s potency, you have been gifted one bottle of dilution solution.
Add three drops per 100 liters.]
To put it simply, the system had just given her a cheat code for her frostbite ointment.
A glint appeared in Wen Yan’s eyes.
Bai Shanshan had really come through for her.
“Could you test the water and see if the temperature is okay?”
Jiang Baizhou came over holding a white enamel basin with a peony flower pattern on the inside.
After they had both applied their ointments, Jiang Baizhou read the “love letter” Wen Yan had written.
It read more like a letter of introduction.
The entire thing was devoid of emotion, but he still praised Wen Yan for several minutes.
One dared to praise, and the other dared to believe.
Wen Yan even made a bold promise: “In that case, I’ll write more for you!”
Jiang Baizhou’s gaze was soft and indulgent.
“Alright.
But wait for me to write you back first.
It’s better when it’s a proper exchange.”
Wen Yan wasn’t particularly moved by the idea of receiving a love letter; she just felt that writing them was a good way to humor Jiang Baizhou.
“Okay!”
After the two, with their strangely synchronized yet bizarre logic, came to an agreement, Jiang Baizhou went to wash the dishes.
Wen Yan didn’t stop him; she had cooked the congee, so it was only fair that he washed the dishes.
There was little oil in the meal—just multigrain steamed buns with fish and potato stew—and they finished every last bite.
Jiang Baizhou used a bit of wood ash and a few handfuls of snow to scrub the dishes clean.
However, knowing Wen Yan’s preference for cleanliness, he rinsed them with boiling water as well.
Just as he’d expected, he was rewarded by the sight of her pleased expression.
After Wen Yan washed her face and brushed her teeth, she got ready to soak her feet.
Jiang Baizhou had already gone to fetch hot water for her.
At this moment, Wen Yan was sitting on the edge of the kang, her pant legs rolled up.
Her small, fair feet stepped into the white enamel basin.
She let out a comfortable sigh, her voice a little lazy, “Not too hot.
It’s perfect.”
Jiang Baizhou sat to the side and replied, “That’s good.”
His gaze fell on Wen Yan’s feet.
Her toes, with their neat, pink-tinged nails, wiggled restlessly, creating ripples in the water.
He smiled and looked away.
Wen Yan was completely unaware of Jiang Baizhou’s subtle gaze.
She was reading a book in her system while washing her feet.
She could do both at once.
When the water started to feel a little cool, she lifted her feet.
“Here.”
Jiang Baizhou smoothly handed her a towel made from an old piece of clothing.
By the time Wen Yan took it, he had already picked up the basin and was heading outside to empty the water.
Wen Yan smiled, dried her feet, and climbed onto the kang.
She looked at her watch and muttered in surprise, “It’s only seven-thirty?”
‘I know I need to take care of myself and get to bed early, but this is a little *too* early, isn’t it?’
‘No wonder the older generation had so many children.’
CREAK.
Jiang Baizhou returned, closed the door, and said, “If you need to use the toilet tonight, call me.
I’ll go with you.
It’s too dark outside.”
“I’ll put the flashlight next to you.”
Jiang Baizhou put the basin away, then placed the flashlight next to Wen Yan’s pillow.
Wen Yan hummed in agreement.
The room suddenly fell silent, and the CRACKLE of the firewood seemed to grow louder and louder.
‘What else was there to do besides procreate?’
A subtle awkwardness filled the air.
Thankfully, Jiang Baizhou didn’t let it linger.
“Can you teach me how to read?” he asked.
Wen Yan let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief and looked up.
“Of course.”
Just after she finished speaking, Wen Yan frowned and said, “If you can’t read, how did you read the telegram and the love letter?”
Jiang Baizhou had already anticipated this question.
He casually took off his shoes, climbed onto the kang, and said, “I didn’t have much schooling before.
I learned to read on my own in the army, but there are still a lot of characters I don’t recognize.”
“Oh…
I see.
In that case, I can also teach you basic math, chemistry, physics, and things like that.”
Jiang Baizhou’s back stiffened for half a second.
He just wanted to find an opportunity to get to know Wen Yan better; he wasn’t actually all that interested in studying.
But seeing that Wen Yan really wanted to teach, he went along with it.
“That’s great.
I’ve been wanting to learn.
I never had anyone who could teach me before.
It’s wonderful to have you here.”
Hearing his praise, a small, eye-crinkling smile crept back onto Wen Yan’s lips.
“Don’t you worry,” she promised confidently.
“I’ll make sure you learn.”
Wen Yan’s proud little expression made Jiang Baizhou’s heart stir.
He shifted imperceptibly closer, and just as he began to raise his right hand, she vanished from in front of him.
He saw Wen Yan slip on her shoes, hop off the kang, and then come back with a notebook.
“I’ll write up a set of questions for you,” she said.
“First, I need to see where you’re at.”
Jiang Baizhou’s outstretched right hand found only empty air.
He clenched it into a fist, a sense of helpless amusement washing over him.
“Right now?”