Chapter 40

Zhong Zijun made a type of three-grain steamed bun, adding white flour, cornmeal, and buckwheat flour.

Among them, the cornmeal was the most, while the white flour and buckwheat flour were relatively less.

It was no surprise that the steamed buns turned out to be quite flavorful, with a strong chewy texture and a fragrant taste of the original grains.

The shredded potatoes were also perfectly seasoned for a cold salad.

After running around the whole afternoon, Gu Qinghuan was already hungry. She ate the meal, which was very tasty, along with some spring water.

“Huan Huan, now that you’re splitting up, how is the private land distributed? Although it’s a bit late to plant cabbage, you can still plant spinach, cilantro, garlic sprouts, little cabbage, or late radishes and so on.

You should plant them quickly, otherwise, there will be no vegetables in the winter. You can’t go through the whole winter without eating vegetables.” Zhong Zijun asked while taking care of the two children eating.

Gu Qinghuan paused. She hadn’t actually thought about this issue.

Yes, the only vegetables at home right now were potatoes, or mountain goods picked from the mountains. There were no leafy greens at all.

Although she could buy them, it was clearly unrealistic to buy vegetables every day.

However, she really wasn’t clear about the distribution of the private land. Back when the original person was at the sent-down youth spot, the private land was shared by everyone, with everyone planting and eating together, so she didn’t know much about it.

“The private land is divided according to labor force. Each labor force gets two fen (a unit of land).” Xu Huai’an, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

Gu Qinghuan was already used to his sudden outbursts and wasn’t startled by it.

Was this guy recovering a bit too quickly these days?

He seemed to wake up for a period of time almost every day. This was actually a good thing; it seemed that the spring water combined with the medicine was effective.

Zhong Zijun looked worried. “Only two fen of land might not be enough. Huan Huan, tomorrow, go to the team and ask about it. According to the rules, since Huai’an is a veteran, he should be allocated some private land too.”

Having an extra two fen of land would allow them to plant quite a bit more.

The private land was the lifeblood of the farmers, one of the main sources of their livelihood, and a hope in their hearts.

Nowadays, the team allocated land according to a ratio of seven parts labor to three parts land. The land was barren, and the water irrigation conditions were poor, so the general labor enthusiasm was low, resulting in poor collective income and difficulty in maintaining basic sustenance.

Therefore, the private land became the only way for the farmers to support their families, and everyone did everything they could to cultivate this small piece of land well.

As the saying goes: “Public work is done with the body; private work is done with life.”

The private land was indeed an important economic source for a family.

“I’ll ask tomorrow.” Gu Qinghuan nodded while eating.

While chewing on the steamed bun, she suddenly remembered something: “By the way, I should have a share of the private land at the Educated Youth Courtyard too. Last time they didn’t give us any of the vegetables from the land, so tomorrow I’ll go find them.”

Although they didn’t lack these two types of vegetables, the original person had contributed labor, so she should get her fair share, not letting them take advantage.

“Alright, just speak to them properly.” Zhong Zijun said.

Xu Huai’an listened to the conversation between the mother and daughter, not saying anything more. He was silently frustrated with his illness, unable to help with anything and needing to be cared for, even less useful than the two children.

However, his waking periods were getting longer these days, and his hands could perform simple activities now. He seemed to be slowly improving.

Perhaps, as Gu Qinghuan had said, he could really get better?

Gu Qinghuan noticed the melancholy in Xu Huai’an’s expression and decided not to continue with the previous topic.

“By the way, Xu Huai’an, it seems like you’ve been waking up more frequently these past couple of days. How do you feel?” She reached out and handed him a steamed bun.

Xu Huai’an took the bun from her. “Thank you. I feel that my emotions have been much more stable these past few days. The restlessness and irritability inside me have become more controllable. I’m not as easily upset anymore.”

To be honest, he was also surprised by his remarkable change. It had only been a few days since Gu Qinghuan said she would help him with treatment, and he had already made great progress. He could now move his hands, feed himself, and wake up for a while every day.

Could the psychological therapy she mentioned really be effective?

However, he felt that the bigger reason might be the improvement in his living conditions—he no longer had to worry about the two children, so his emotions became more stable.

Anyway, he could see a glimmer of hope now.

Gu Qinghuan was really happy for him.

“That’s good. Once you’re able to control your emotions, you can untie the ropes on your legs. If you leave them tied for too long, your legs will be useless.”

Xu Huai’an nodded eagerly. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, desire would grow wildly.

He wanted to climb out of hell, step by step, and return to the human world.

He always felt like he had forgotten something important, as though there were still many things waiting for him to do.

Zhong Zijun watched the interaction between the young couple and felt happy for them in her heart. From the looks of it, Huai’an had a chance to recover. As long as he kept improving, Huan Huan’s life would get better and better.

The bond forged through shared hardship was deeper than any sweet words.

After the meal, as usual, the two children went to wash the dishes. Zhong Zijun excused herself, saying she was going out to boil some water, leaving the space for the young couple to talk.

At first, Gu Qinghuan didn’t think much of it, but when it was just the two of them looking at each other, she started to feel a bit awkward.

“By the way, I went up the mountain today and picked some persimmons. I’ll wash a few for you to try.” Gu Qinghuan found an excuse, preparing to slip away.

She suddenly stood up, but after sitting cross-legged on the kang for too long, her legs went numb. Without any support, she fell straight toward Xu Huai’an, who was sitting across from her at the kang table.

Everything happened in a flash.

In the next moment, she found herself on top of Xu Huai’an.

The first thing she felt was how uncomfortable it was. His body was all bones, and it hurt her to the point of discomfort.

Xu Huai’an was startled as well. Instinctively, he tried to catch her with his hands, but since his arms hadn’t fully recovered their strength, he ended up being knocked down onto the kang.

The two of them ended up in an intimate embrace.

A fragrance exclusive to women drifted through the air, entering Xu Huai’an’s nostrils with the strands of hair.

Her two soft mounds pressed tightly against his chest, and he felt as though his skin was suddenly on fire, burning hot with unease.

In the next moment, he realized that he had reacted, and instant shame flooded him. He wished he could sink into the ground to hide.

She had been kind-hearted, taking care of him and the two children, and here he was… having such impure thoughts about her. It was truly wrong.

Xu Huai’an felt like a cooked shrimp, closing his eyes and silently chanting a calming mantra.

Zhong Zijun, holding a persimmon, walked outside the door. Just as he was about to enter, he saw the two of them tangled together inside, and he couldn’t help but snicker as he walked away.

Gu Qinghuan noticed that he had closed his eyes and was unmoving. She thought she had somehow hurt him: “Sorry, I lost my balance just now. Xu Huai’an, are you alright?”

Xu Huai’an gritted his teeth for a long time, then managed to squeeze out a sentence: “I’m fine. You can get up now!”

Well, it was better to just throw caution to the wind! What would she think if she saw him like this? Would she think he was a disgusting person?

At that moment, Xu Huai’an’s mind was a jumbled mess.

Gu Qinghuan, not caring about her numb and weak legs, hurriedly scrambled off him.

Just as she was about to check on him properly, she caught sight of something beneath him. His reaction was quite… surprising. The size of it was a little shocking, especially since his lower half was tied, making the outline particularly prominent.

In that instant, she was both amused and exasperated.

This guy, so innocent. It was just a small tumble, they hadn’t even kissed yet—why such a huge reaction?

But it did show that her charm hadn’t faded over the years.

Gu Qinghuan understood that he must have been so embarrassed that he closed his eyes and pretended to be still. She didn’t call him out on it.

“I’ll go wash the persimmons now.”

After Gu Qinghuan left, Xu Huai’an finally turned over, silently pulling the blanket over himself, feeling all mixed up inside.