Chapter 8

Lin Kexin’s breakfast was just a hard, dense cornbread. She had flour and vegetables in her space, but with so many people around, she couldn’t just take them out.

“Yingzi, what are those cave dwellings in the back used for?”

Lin Kexin pointed to the row of caves behind and asked Yun Ying, pretending not to know.

Behind the sent-down youth dormitory were several caves left over from the War of Resistance. In her previous life, Liu Xuewei had complained about being crowded on the same kang with so many people, so they had gone to the brigade leader, who had agreed without hesitation to allocate the caves to them.

This time around, Lin Kexin wanted her own cave too. That way, whatever she ate or drank would be much more convenient, and she could manage the grain in her space more easily every day. Having some private space would be perfect!

“I heard they were dug during the war! Why do you want to live there?” Yun Ying looked at the caves where Lin Kexin was pointing, a bit puzzled.

“Well… I have a habit when I sleep—I tend to sleepwalk,” Lin Kexin said, forcing an embarrassed smile.

“I’m afraid I’ll disturb everyone, so if one of those caves is habitable, I thought I could move in and stay there alone.”

“Don’t!” Yun Ying immediately interrupted, her face a little mysterious. She leaned close to Lin Kexin’s ear and whispered,

“I heard people died in there. At night, you can even hear crying—so scary! Plus, those caves are really old, and there are lots of insects and snakes inside. If you sleepwalk, that’s fine, I’ll just move my bedding next to yours. If you wander, I’ll wake you up!”

Lin Kexin couldn’t help but laugh. In her previous life, she had heard the same rumors about haunted caves, but they were nonsense. After moving in with Liu Xuewei, nothing ever happened.

Besides, caves are warm in winter, cool in summer, and very comfortable to live in.

“No worries, I don’t believe in ghosts,” Lin Kexin said reassuringly, giving Yun Ying a confident smile.

“Right now it’s cold, so it’s fine, but when it warms up, living with so many people won’t be convenient. Caves are warm in winter, cool in summer, and offer good privacy. Look—there’s even a big open area in front. You could plant vegetables there. One person couldn’t possibly eat it all. I’ll ask the brigade leader later, and if he agrees, I’ll move in.”

Yun Ying was impressed. She turned and studied the caves again. Indeed, with that big open area, if they planted some greens and a few flowers at the entrance, it would be lovely. Fresh vegetables right outside the door for cooking every day—quite nice, isn’t it?

Still… are there really no ghosts?

Noticing Yun Ying’s expression, Lin Kexin’s lips curved slightly.

“Yingzi, can you take me to the brigade leader later?”

Yun Ying nodded eagerly.

“Sure! I’m heading to the brigade office to pick up today’s tasks anyway.”

After finishing breakfast, the two girls linked arms and headed toward the brigade office. On the way, they ran into Li Tao and Wei Dongming.

“Lin Comrade, where are you off to?” Li Tao ran up smiling as soon as he saw Lin Kexin, while Wei Dongming nodded to her cheerfully.

“I’m having Yingzi take me to the brigade leader,” Lin Kexin said brightly, her eyes sparkling.

“Oh, right! This is my good friend Yun Ying!” Lin Kexin introduced her to everyone.

“Yingzi, this is Li Tao, and this is Wei Dongming…”

After a brief introduction, they walked side by side.

“Lin Comrade, is your dorm crowded? Last night I couldn’t sleep a wink! And the stinky feet in the room—unbelievable!” Li Tao complained, recalling last night.

“It’s normal for sent-down youth to have sweaty feet after working,” Wei Dongming added. He hadn’t slept well either, spending most of the night holding his nose.

“You’ll get used to it… but summer… sigh,” Wei Dongming trailed off, and everyone understood his meaning.

Lin Kexin frowned, thinking of the row of ten or so caves, then said,

“I might have a solution for your problem, though I’m not sure if it will work.”

In her previous life, when she and Liu Xuewei moved into the caves, some people had warned them they’d regret it. But later, everyone saw they weren’t haunted, weren’t bitten by snakes or insects, and those quick-witted enough had gone to the brigade leader to request caves. Those ten or so caves quickly filled up, and the sent-down youth who didn’t get one were frustrated.

“What solution? Tell us, tell us!” Li Tao’s curiosity got the better of him, and he stopped, staring at Lin Kexin. Wei Dongming also watched her intently, eager to hear her idea.

“It’s simple, actually. Look over there…” Lin Kexin pointed toward the caves.

“According to Yingzi, these are caves left from the war, and they’re livable. I’m going to ask the brigade leader if I can get one for myself today. I’m not used to squeezing in with so many people…”

“Really? Anyone can live there?” Li Tao perked up, standing on his tiptoes to get a better look. Though still far away, he could make out some weeds and small, nondescript wooden doors.

“I’m not completely sure, so I’m going to ask the brigade leader,” Lin Kexin said with a smile, glancing at Li Tao.

“If you want one too, you can take a look. If it works, we can all go to the brigade leader together. If not, never mind.”

“Sure! Lin Comrade, wait here for us. We’ll be right back!”

Wei Dongming got excited as well, pulling Li Tao along as they ran toward the caves.

“Kexin, will it be inconvenient for you, a female sent-down youth, to live there with all those others?” Yun Ying asked, thinking it over.

“No problem. If they move in, I’ll just have them separate the yards with fences…”

Lin Kexin had already planned this. In her previous life, the ten or so caves had been divided into individual little courtyards.

“Okay, that works!” Yun Ying nodded, already imagining fences around the yards, green vegetables at the entrance, and a big kang for one person. She could sleep in any shape she liked—big-character style, fire-shaped, anything.

Soon, Li Tao and Wei Dongming returned, visibly excited. Li Tao nodded repeatedly.

“Lin Comrade, the caves are great! Wei and I want to stay there!”

Wei Dongming smiled too, but spoke more steadily.

“Thanks to Lin Comrade! The caves are pretty good. We checked: two are uninhabitable, but the rest are fine. There’s one large one we can leave for you, and Wei and I will take two small adjoining ones…”