“Few people and nice ones?” Sanya tilted her head and didn’t hesitate long before giving an answer. “Sister, are you talking about Chou Niu’s family?”  

“Chou Niu?” Rong Xiaoxiao remembered this person.  

The first impression was far too vivid—a small head floating on the river’s surface. If someone timid had seen it, they might have had nightmares that night.  

It had even scared Luo Wang, who had come to fetch them, into a frantic panic.  

At the time, Luo Wang had mentioned that Chou Niu’s family only had a blind grandmother, and the two of them lived in great hardship.  

Sanya stepped over the threshold and pointed in the direction Auntie Chen had left. “Chou Niu lives right next to us. He lives with his grandma.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao looked over, and soon her eyes lit up.  

The terrain here was truly excellent.  

The brigade’s land wasn’t completely flat—it rose and fell, with slopes going up and down as you walked.  

Chou Niu’s house happened to be situated on an upward slope.  

Along with Sanya’s family and another household, the three formed a triangular layout, with Chou Niu’s house right at the apex. The two sides sloped upward, while below flowed the river.  

This meant that not only was there no foot traffic behind Chou Niu’s house, but one could also stand at the higher ground and survey the surrounding area.  

It was an incredibly private location.  

Rong Xiaoxiao fell into thought.  

She couldn’t stay in the educated youth dormitory forever. If she wanted to move out, she’d have to find another place.  

There were two ways to secure housing: build her own or move in with a local family.  

The first option was much more convenient, but she hadn’t even considered it.  

If she built her own house, the brigade would certainly be happy.  

After all, the educated youth were already overcrowded. If she could ease the burden, so much the better. Besides, if the house was built within the brigade, she wouldn’t be able to take it with her if she ever had the chance to return to the city—it would ultimately belong to the brigade.  

Rong Xiaoxiao didn’t particularly mind this.  

But right now, she couldn’t bear to spend the money.  

Building even a modest one-room house would cost at least several dozen yuan.  

Spending that much on housing simply wasn’t necessary.  

At least not now, when she was so reluctant to part with the money.  

So, Rong Xiaoxiao set her sights on the second option.  

She would find a household with few people and good-natured folks to live with.  

Paying a small monthly rent for a room might still come with some inconveniences in daily life, but it would be far better than the crowded bunkhouse of the educated youth dormitory.

Most households in the brigade were packed full, but a small number had spare rooms and would likely be willing to rent them out.  

Having space was one thing, but more importantly, the people had to be decent.  

Otherwise, moving in would just invite a heap of troubles, and she wasn’t interested in that.  

Rong Xiaoxiao scratched her forehead, realizing she had a lot on her plate.  

She needed to sort out housing, figure out work, and also inquire about the Rong family to decide whether to acknowledge them as relatives.  

One thing after another, and she couldn’t take her time with any of it.  

Especially the work.  

Weeding might be considered light labor for the brigade members.  

But for her? Not easy at all.  

She had never done manual labor before, and coupled with her self-admitted lazy nature, it just didn’t suit her.  

That said, even if she could support herself, she couldn’t just sit around doing nothing.  

Even if the brigade leader allowed it, there was always the risk of some envious person reporting her to the authorities in the city—that would be a serious offense. After all, the state had sent her to support rural development, not to live a life of leisure.  

So, work was a must.  

But what kind of work? That was something she could plan carefully.  

“Chou Niu’s grandma is really nice. She even taught me how to weave straw hats,” Sanya said, lifting her chin proudly. “In a few days, when I finish making one, I’ll give it to you, sister. You can switch between them.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao chuckled, appreciating the gesture. “Then I’ll thank you in advance.”  

Sanya puffed out her chest. “You’re welcome.”  

Just then, Auntie Chen emerged from Chou Niu’s house, waving behind her. “No need to see me out, elder sister. I’ll come by later to chat.”  

After saying this, she spotted the two standing at the path and hurried over. “Why are you waiting here? Comrade Rong, what do you think of these four bamboo hats?”  

Rong Xiaoxiao took them and inspected them carefully. “They’re quite good.”  

“Right? Don’t let Chou Niu’s grandma’s blindness fool you—she doesn’t cut corners in her work.” Being older, Auntie Chen couldn’t help but ramble a bit, her tone sympathetic. “But life hasn’t been kind to her. Nothing’s ever gone smoothly. She lost her husband early, struggled to raise her son alone, and finally, when he grew up and joined the army—earning a decent monthly stipend—it seemed like things were looking up… only for this to happen.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao was curious. “What happened?”  

“No one knows for sure. Chou Niu’s father suddenly stopped sending word.” Auntie Chen sighed. “The army sent back a lump sum of money, but no explanation. Everyone assumed he died in battle. His wife waited a year with no news, then took the family’s money and ran back to her parents’ home. Now, all that’s left is a blind old woman and her eight-year-old grandson, clinging to each other to survive. Their days are hard, oh so hard.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao was surprised. “She just took the money and left? Didn’t the brigade intervene?”  

She’d assumed the brigade would step in for such matters.  

“Oh, they tried. It caused a huge uproar at the time.” Auntie Chen also seemed puzzled. “But for some reason, it just… fizzled out.”

She waved Sanya off to go home, then glanced around before lowering her voice. “I suspect it was because of Chou Niu. Chou Niu’s mother probably threatened to take him away and remarry. The Rong family only has this one descendant left—how could Chou Niu’s grandma agree to that?”  

Rong Xiaoxiao’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “The Rong family? Chou Niu’s surname is Rong?”  

“That’s right.” Auntie Chen chuckled. “Same as yours, Comrade Rong. Who knows, maybe your families were connected a hundred years ago.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao smiled faintly.  

Honestly, the moment she heard Chou Niu’s surname was Rong, she had wondered if they might be related.  

But judging by age, it didn’t quite add up.  

Her father had once mentioned that before he went missing, his own father, older brother, and sister were still alive.  

He had always held onto hope, thinking that if they were still around, they might have returned to Hongshan Village.  

Before she left for the countryside, he had given her a rough idea of their circumstances, hoping she could look for them.  

But as far as she knew, her eldest uncle was significantly older than her father and second aunt—he wouldn’t have an eight-year-old grandson.  

Her second aunt’s age would fit, but the surname didn’t match.  

As for whether they might be distant relatives—that was another matter.  

Actually, finding them would be easy. She could just mention her father’s name in the brigade, and if anyone recognized it, they’d come forward.  

But that was too passive.  

She preferred to gather all the information first, then make a plan.  

After chatting a bit more, Rong Xiaoxiao asked, “Auntie, do you know who else in the brigade has cotton? I’d like to prepare some winter supplies in advance.”  

“How much do you need?” Auntie Chen asked.  

“I’d like to make a quilt, plus some cotton-padded clothes and pants.” Rong Xiaoxiao answered honestly.  

Her family had prepared some for her, but she’d long heard how bitterly cold northeastern winters could be—she figured it wouldn’t hurt to have extra. “Not just for me, either. The other educated youths who came with me also want to get some.”  

“My family has some, but definitely not enough for all of you. Tell you what, I’ll ask around today and give you an answer tomorrow at the educated youth dormitory.” Auntie Chen took charge of the matter without hesitation.  

Once they settled on that, Rong Xiaoxiao took the bamboo hats and headed back to the educated youth dormitory.  

Before she even entered the courtyard, she could hear the others complaining—especially Jiao Gang, whose voice was the loudest. “I can’t do it, I really can’t. We still have to work for hours this afternoon—I’m gonna collapse.”  

He Jiabao laughed, trying to console him. “You’ll get used to it.”  

Jiao Gang groaned in misery, slumping in his chair like a limp rag.  

Rong Xiaoxiao handed out the bamboo hats one by one. “Eight fen each. Take a look and see what you think.”

No one had any complaints. The bamboo hats provided much-needed shade from the sun—who wouldn’t want one?  

One by one, they got up to fetch their money, though their movements were stiff and awkward—proof they weren’t used to manual labor.  

Yang Juan, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying their misery. Listening to their complaints and watching them struggle with trembling legs, the smirk on her face grew wider.  

But when her eyes landed on Rong Xiaoxiao, who looked completely unfazed, she couldn’t help but frown. “Aren’t you tired?”  

“Tired?” Rong Xiaoxiao smacked her lips. “Not physically, but my mouth is a bit dry.”  

She decided to bring a water bottle in the afternoon—she’d take a sip whenever she got thirsty.  

“How is that possible?” Yang Juan’s dissatisfaction grew as she took in Rong Xiaoxiao’s relaxed demeanor. When she had first arrived in Red Hills Brigade, she had suffered plenty. They were both educated youths sent to the countryside—why should someone else have it easier than she did?  

Her expression turned suspicious. “Did you slack off?”  

Rong Xiaoxiao eyed her. “Are you the work-point recorder?”  

Yang Juan instinctively replied, “Of course not.”  

Rong Xiaoxiao snorted. “Then why do you care if I slacked off?”  

With that, she picked up a stick about two fingers thick, snapped it in half with a slight exertion of force, and walked straight back into the house without another glance.  

“……” Yang Juan stared, suddenly at a loss for words.  

That was clearly a warning!  

As the other girl disappeared inside, Yang Juan didn’t dare raise her voice, only muttering under her breath, “Who does she think she’s fooling? She might get away with slacking for a while, but I refuse to believe she can keep it up forever.”  

But Yang Juan was wrong.  

When work resumed in the afternoon, she deliberately took a detour, hoping to catch Rong Xiaoxiao slacking off—preferably losing a few work points in the process. That’d wipe the smug look off her face.  

But as soon as she arrived, she saw the supervising team leader pull Rong Xiaoxiao aside for a chat.  

What was going on? Were they just talking instead of working?  

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help but stare, completely forgetting she was supposed to be heading to her own work assignment.  

“You—why aren’t you at work yet?” A sharp voice snapped her out of her daze. The person held a notepad and pen, jotting something down. “It’s already work time—why aren’t you at your post? Points deducted!”  

“???” Yang Juan froze in disbelief.  

She… she was the one getting penalized?!  

This wasn’t fair! How come Rong Xiaoxiao got to chat instead of working, while she was the one losing points?!