Chapter 53: What? Want to Argue Again?

Song Yue had no idea that the rumor about her bringing misfortune to men had already spread throughout the village.

After emerging from the ground, she went to the nearby forest, gathered some branches, and carried them back to the educated youth’s quarters.

Last night, she had already stated—if she was going to cook separately, then she would cook separately.

With a bundle of firewood on her shoulder, Song Yue returned to the educated youth quarters.

The older educated youths were already busy making a fire and preparing their meal.

When they saw her, they paused for a moment.

Chen Xue stood up and walked toward Song Yue, chuckling,
“Comrade Song, there’s no need to rush when it comes to collecting firewood. You can always go after work in the afternoon.”

As he spoke, he reached out to take the firewood from her.
“Here, let me carry it for you.”

Song Yue dodged him.

Chen Xue’s hand grasped at empty air. “?”

With a polite smile, Song Yue said,
“Comrade Chen, are you mistaken? This firewood is for my own use. Why should I give it to you?”

For her own use?

Was she really going through with this whole “cooking separately” thing?
Lin He and Zhao Zirui had also said they’d cook separately, but they hadn’t actually taken any action—probably just all talk.

But Song Yue? She was serious?

“Oh~” Song Yue suddenly seemed to realize something. “Comrade Chen, are you asking for the firewood I used yesterday?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go collect more after work in the afternoon and return what I used.”

Chen Xue: “…”

His brows furrowed. “Comrade Song, are you really going to cook separately?”

Song Yue calmly looked at him. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

Chen Xue found himself at a loss for words.
For some reason, under her unwavering gaze, he felt uneasy—like an invisible hand was gripping his throat, making it difficult to speak.

Song Yue averted her gaze, leaned the firewood against the wall, and began stacking stones to build a simple makeshift stove.

Chen Xue stood beside her, watching quietly without saying anything.

Once the stove was set up, Song Yue straightened up, examined her work, and clapped her hands in satisfaction.

Wu Yun, one of the educated youth, couldn’t help but comment,
“Comrade Song, not to rain on your parade, but… do you even have a pot?”

Song Yue turned to glance at Wu Yun, didn’t say a word, and simply walked back inside.

Pushing open the door, she entered the room.

Inside, Li Xinyue and Liu Wei were huddled together, eating something.

Hearing the door open, the two of them quickly hid their food behind their backs, wiped their mouths haphazardly, and looked up—only to find it was Song Yue.

The three of them exchanged looks.

Song Yue ignored them and walked straight to the corner, rummaging through a large bag.

A moment later, she pulled out an object wrapped in layers of newspaper.

Holding the mysterious bundle, she walked out of the room under the curious gazes of Li Xinyue and Liu Wei.

Stepping back outside, she once again found herself under the collective scrutiny of the older educated youths.

Under their watchful eyes, she began unwrapping the layers of newspaper.

One minute later.

A frying pan appeared in front of everyone.

The older educated youths were genuinely bewildered: “…”

Who the hell brings a pan when they get sent to the countryside?

Song Yue gave the pan a little shake and deliberately reminded Wu Yun,
“See this, Comrade Wu?”

Wu Yun: “…”

She hadn’t expected Song Yue to actually bring a pan with her when coming to the countryside.

Wu Yun’s eyes flickered. “So, Comrade Song, you brought a pan with you… That means you always intended to cook separately, doesn’t it?”

“In other words, you never planned to integrate with the group—”

Before she could finish, Song Yue set the pan on the stove and cut her off.
“Comrade Wu, are you looking for another argument? Trying to stir up internal conflict again? Undermining collective unity?”

Wu Yun choked on her words: “…”

The pan was now in place.

No problem.

Song Yue grabbed a bucket and headed toward the water tank.
“I’m borrowing some water. I’ll fetch more tonight to return it.”

The older educated youths stayed silent.

Song Yue filled her bucket and carried it back. Then she went inside and brought out rice, oil, eggs, and salt.

No one said anything, but that didn’t stop them from watching.

Seeing her bring out rice, oil, and salt, another thought popped into their minds—
Had she packed her entire kitchen and brought it with her?

Song Yue ignored their reactions and focused on cooking.

For lunch, she made steamed rice and water-steamed eggs.

Since it was just for herself, the cooking was quick.

Her mealtime coincided with that of the other educated youths.

And honestly?

The steamed egg was silky smooth, infused with the aroma of pork.
Mixed with rice, the flavor was absolutely divine!

Whether it was because the dish was too delicious or because she was starving after a morning’s work, Song Yue ended up eating two full bowls of rice.

During her meal, Zhao Zirui and Liu Wei both briefly left the educated youth quarters.

When they returned and passed by her, both of them paused mid-step, their faces filled with shock.

Song Yue ignored them and kept eating.

The two exchanged a glance before walking away.

After finishing her meal, Song Yue leaned back with her empty bowl, feeling more satisfied than ever since arriving in the countryside.

Even eating meat at the state-run cafeteria didn’t feel this good—probably because it had cost money.

She sat and rested for a while, then got up to wash the dishes.

Just then, Lin He arrived.

He got straight to the point.
“Comrade Song, can we share a pot?”

“You provide the pot, and I’ll bring the ingredients. I’ll even cover your share. How about it?”

“I’ve been living off biscuits for the past two days, and I’m sick of them.”

Lin He looked at her with a pitiful, pleading expression.

Song Yue pressed her lips together. “Just you? Can you even cook?”

Lin He was briefly stunned before quickly responding,
“That depends on whether you’ll agree to let them join too.”

“I can cook—stir-fries, soups, dumplings, buns, steamed bread—you name it.”

He hurriedly listed his skills, afraid she might refuse.

Song Yue remained silent.

She was still a bit angry about what happened yesterday…

But considering how Lin He had gotten into a fight with the older educated youths afterward, his stance seemed different from theirs.

As for the other three? There was no doubt about their intentions.

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Lin He quickly added,
“Just for tonight! I’ll get a letter of introduction from the team leader and head to town tomorrow morning to buy a pot.”

“Alright,” Song Yue finally agreed. “Just for tonight.”

Lin He’s eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, just for tonight!”

Song Yue glanced at him. “Those two—if you can get them to keep their mouths shut, we can share. If not, forget it.”

Lin He nodded. “Understood.”

His gaze fell on the unwashed dishes. “Thank you, Comrade Song! As a show of sincerity, let me wash—”

Before Song Yue could refuse—

A voice suddenly called out from outside the yard,
“Comrade Song!”

“Is Song Yue here?”

The shout instantly drew the attention of everyone in the educated youth quarters.

Song Yue frowned. “?”

The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.

She responded,
“I’m here. Who’s asking?”

The two men standing outside the yard exchanged looks, internally exasperated: “…”

Not only had they spent days in the hospital together, but they’d also met several times afterward.

And she still couldn’t recognize their voices?

Zhou Ye suddenly realized—it didn’t matter whether she recognized his voice.

What mattered was whether she recognized their boss’s.