Chapter 47: Discussing House Repairs

Song Yue paused in her writing and looked at Yun Xingzhi with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

Yun Xingzhi seemed a little embarrassed. “Given our current situation… we can’t go out, so…”

Hearing his hesitant words, Song Yue more or less understood the situation.

She turned to the brigade secretary and captain. “Secretary, Captain?”

Before the two could respond, Zhou Ye spoke up. “Secretary, Captain, if you don’t mind, Lu Huaishen and I can make the trip.”

Everyone’s gaze immediately shifted to Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye met their stares with a smile.

The brigade secretary weighed the situation in his mind before nodding in agreement. “Alright, you two will go.”

Zhou Ye turned to Song Yue. “Comrade Song, write up the prescription.”

Song Yue nodded. “Alright.”

She continued writing the prescription, while the others remained silent, watching her work.

A few minutes later, she tore off the completed prescription and handed it over. “Comrade Lu, Comrade Zhou, please get the medicine as soon as possible. The elderly man’s condition can’t be delayed any longer—if it worsens, it could be life-threatening.”

“Understood.” Lu Huaishen stepped forward and took the prescription. “We’ll get it tomorrow.”

Song Yue nodded. “Good.”

With the diagnosis done and the prescription written, it was time to leave.

Song Yue glanced around the room. “That’s all for now. We’ll be going.”

Yun Xingzhi and Yun Xingjun, along with their family members, expressed their gratitude.

“Thank you, Comrade.”

“Thank you.”

“No need for thanks.” Song Yue waved a hand and headed outside. “We’re off.”

The brigade secretary and captain followed her out.

Zhou Ye and Yun Xingzhi walked them to the entrance of the cattle shed.

Once the three left, the atmosphere inside the house changed. Apart from the younger men and the little girl, the expressions of the Yun family members turned excited as they all turned to Lu Huaishen, eager to ask what was on their minds.

Lu Huaishen didn’t speak. He simply shook his head slightly at them.

Understanding his gesture, they held back their questions—people hadn’t gone far yet, so they’d have to wait.

A short while later, Zhou Ye and Yun Xingzhi returned to the house.

Lu Huaishen glanced at Zhou Ye, who gave him a nod, signaling that it was safe to talk.

Lu Huaishen’s voice was calm. “Go ahead.”

The old man of the Yun family was the first to speak. “Lu boy, that girl… is she…”

…

A short distance away, Song Yue turned to the brigade secretary. “Secretary, how long will they have to stay in the cattle shed?”

The secretary’s tone was serious. “Comrade Song, that’s not something you should ask.”

“I know I shouldn’t be asking,” Song Yue replied, “but… this concerns a person’s life, so I have to.”

The secretary paused, staring at her. “?”

The captain’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, “Comrade Song, what do you mean by that?”

Song Yue explained, “The medicine I prescribed will only provide temporary relief. The environment in the cattle shed is too poor—his illness will relapse. If it happens again, he might not survive.”

The secretary frowned. “Comrade Song, that’s not what you said earlier.”

“If I had said it outright,” Song Yue asked, “how do you think the elderly man would feel? And how do you think his family inside that house would react?”

The secretary was momentarily speechless. “…”

The captain also didn’t know what to say. Seeing that even the secretary remained silent, he figured it was best to just listen.

Song Yue met the secretary’s gaze. “Secretary, you mentioned earlier that the higher-ups are paying attention to them. If someone dies, that would be hard to explain.”

“They were sent here for reformation—to improve, not to die.”

The secretary listened to her words and found them reasonable, but thinking about the orders from above gave him a headache.

Just then, the words of a higher-up from before echoed in his mind.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, “Comrade Song, are you saying that if they move to a better environment, Yun Gongchao’s illness will improve?”

Song Yue replied, “It will gradually get better.”

The captain scoffed. “Comrade Song, you want a reform… criminal to live in a better house? How is that reformation?”

Song Yue looked at him. “Captain, I’m not saying they should live in a nice house—just somewhere other than the cattle shed.”

The captain opened his mouth to argue, but Song Yue spoke first. “I’m just bringing it up. The final decision is up to you and the secretary.”

“We’re almost at the educated youth point. I’ll be heading back now.”

She turned and left without giving the two a chance to respond.

The two men watched her go. “…”

The captain turned to the secretary. “Secretary, what do you think about this…?”

Before the conversation could continue, Song Yue suddenly ran back.

“Oh, right, Secretary, Captain… there’s something I almost forgot.”

The two turned to look at her.

Meeting their gazes, Song Yue said, “You both saw what happened this afternoon—it turned into such a mess. If I continue staying at the educated youth dorm, who knows what might happen next?”

“So… can I build my own house?”

The captain frowned. “Comrade Song, building a house requires the approval of the village members. Everything in the village belongs to the collective.”

“We’ll ask tomorrow and let you know.”

Song Yue understood how things worked here.

She nodded. “Alright. When you discuss it with the villagers, make sure to mention that I will cover all the expenses myself. When the reeducation period is over and I return to the city—”

“The house and everything in it will belong to the village collective.”

The captain’s eyes brightened. “Alright.”

“We’ll come find you and Educated Youth Lin after work tomorrow.”

“Didn’t Lin also want to move out?”

Lin He?

Song Yue pressed her lips together. “If you’re considering Lin, Captain, then you should go to the dorm now and ask how many people actually want to move out and build a house.”

“Lin He, Zhao Zirui, and Li Xinyue are always together. If Lin moves out, Zhao and Li might follow.”

“If they do, that makes four people.”

“The more houses being built, the easier it is to negotiate with the villagers, right?”

The captain chuckled. “You have a point.”

“Then let’s go.” The secretary finally spoke up. “We’ll check it out.”

And so—

Originally about to part ways at the main road, the three of them instead headed for the educated youth dormitory.

The older educated youths were preparing dinner.

Lin He, Li Xinyue, and the others were nowhere to be seen, likely still inside their rooms.

The captain and secretary went to find Lin He and Zhao Zirui.

Meanwhile, Song Yue returned to her own room.

When she reached the door, she found it tightly shut and wouldn’t budge when she pushed.

She lifted her foot and kicked it twice. “Open the door.”

Liu Wei’s voice came from inside. “Coming.”

A moment later, the door creaked open just a sliver.

Song Yue pushed it open and stepped inside. The moment she did, a delicious aroma filled the room.

She looked up.

No wonder they locked the door.

Li Xinyue and Liu Wei were huddled over aluminum lunchboxes, eating.

The boxes contained food they had bought from the state-run canteen earlier that afternoon.

The three of them exchanged glances before silently looking away.

Song Yue shut the door behind her, slid the latch into place, and locked it.