Chapter 9 – Good Neighbors

“Although the conditions are a bit rough, you can squeeze in and manage.

The kang in your room is big enough—you can fit five people if you squeeze.”

It was unclear what kind of mood this Comrade Li was suddenly in.

After speaking, Secretary Zhao motioned for Jiang Manman and the others to move their luggage in.

Jiang Manman and Tang Xiaomin carried their belongings into the house and saw that the room really wasn’t very spacious.

Five people crammed onto one kang would just barely fit.

They set down their luggage and took out their quilts to spread on the kang.

The female educated youth who had earlier shot Jiang Manman a hostile look stood by the door and spoke impatiently.

“This place was already cramped. Now that the two of you moved in, there’s not even space for a kang cabinet.

Some people are so fat—don’t tell me you’re some capitalist’s pampered daughter?”

Jiang Manman had already noticed her hostile gaze earlier. Now hearing her words—

Wasn’t that clearly directed at her?

“Comrade, I may be fat, but I didn’t eat your family’s rice.

And I’m not a capitalist’s daughter—I’m the child of a martyr.

After my mom died, my dad remarried. My stepmother treated me so well, that’s how I got so fat.”

Li Hongmei rolled her eyes.

“How many stepmothers in the world are actually good?

If you ask me, you’re so fat you shouldn’t share the kang with us.

Originally, five people could have a little space. Now, sleeping five feels like cramming in six. No room to turn at all.”

Jiang Manman… So she was being looked down on just for being fat?

Another female educated youth walked in and bumped Li Hongmei on the shoulder.

“Cut it out already. Secretary Zhao is still outside.

Didn’t we all agree before? We’d just squeeze in a little.”

Li Hongmei rolled her eyes again.

“Sure, we agreed. But who would’ve thought one of them would be this fat?

She’s as big as two people. It was already tight, and now it’s even worse.”

Seeing that none of them seemed to welcome her, and even the other two girls weren’t showing friendly faces, Jiang Manman quietly stepped out and spoke to Secretary Zhao, who hadn’t yet left:

“Secretary Zhao, the girls’ dorm is really too crowded.

Is there any villager’s house available that I could rent instead?”

Secretary Zhao found these female educated youths a bit troublesome.

He glanced at Jiang Manman’s figure and thought about that kang. It probably was too cramped.

“Renting a villager’s house isn’t impossible, but for just one female educated youth, it might not be very convenient.”

Tang Xiaomin followed her out, eyes lighting up:

“Count me in—I’ll stay with Comrade Jiang.”

She glanced at Jiang Manman after speaking. She had also sensed that Li Comrade’s hostility wasn’t exactly subtle.

Even if it wasn’t aimed at her directly, leaving her alone here with those three older girls and a whole courtyard full of male educated youths—

She’d rather spend a bit of money and move out with Comrade Jiang.

She had no desire to get caught up in the mess here.

“Comrade Jiang, take me with you. With just the two of us, it should be safer.”

Jiang Manman didn’t mind. So far, this Tang Comrade seemed decent.

Seeing them both agree, the team leader—who had just returned with the grain ration—exchanged a glance with Secretary Zhao.

“What do you think, Team Leader?”

The team leader placed the 10 jin of brown rice and 10 jin of sweet potatoes down and said:

“This is your business. I’m only in charge of production.”

Secretary Zhao thought for a moment:

“There is an empty house in the village—it belonged to a barefoot doctor.

The doctor died in that house last year. His body wasn’t found until a few days later. If you don’t mind, you can stay there.

Just pay the brigade two yuan per year.”

Jiang Manman… Secretary Zhao, was it really necessary to give that much detail?

She and Tang Xiaomin exchanged a look. A house where someone had died—most people would find that unlucky.

“I don’t mind. What about you?”

Tang Xiaomin hesitated for two seconds, then nodded.

“I don’t mind either. What about you!?”

Tang Xiaomin hesitated for three seconds. She had already made up her mind—she definitely didn’t want to stay behind alone.

“I don’t mind either. We’ll split the rent.”

Secretary Zhao hadn’t expected these two girls to be so bold.

“Alright, I’ll take you there.”

The team leader handed over their grain rations and left with his hands behind his back, walking alongside Secretary Zhao.

Everyone watched the two girls come and go, exchanging glances. The educated youth point returned to its previous state.

Li Hongmei frowned as she watched them leave. She suddenly thought of something, stomped her foot, grabbed something from inside, and rushed out.

Jiang Manman and Tang Xiaomin followed Secretary Zhao to a house on the east end of the village.

The house wasn’t big, surrounded by a small courtyard with a fence.

“There’s a private plot in the courtyard—you can grow some vegetables.

Over there’s the kitchen, that’s the main room, and there’s a bedroom.

There’s also the old doctor’s dispensary, but there’s nothing much left inside.

The latrine is over there, by the wall.

It’s only been vacant for a year or so. Clean it up, and you can live in it.”

Jiang Manman and Tang Xiaomin exchanged a look and each handed over one yuan to Secretary Zhao.

He wrote them a receipt.

“Alright, clean up the place. Since you just arrived today, starting tomorrow you’ll work like the villagers.”

“Okay, thank you, Secretary Zhao. By the way, is there a carpenter in the village? I’d like to get a bench, a table—basic furniture.”

Because honestly, this former doctor’s house was completely empty. No kang mat, no pot—let alone tables or chairs. Nonexistent.

Hearing her ask, Secretary Zhao replied:

“Liu Neng’s family does carpentry, but it’s the busy farming season right now—you’ll have to wait a few days.

You could go into the county town. They sell ready-made ones there.”

He turned to the neighboring courtyard and shouted:

“Zhou Ye! If your family has any spare benches or tables, bring a set over for the new girls.

They saved your life, after all!”

Only then did Jiang Manman turn her head and notice—the yard next door, separated only by a fence, belonged to that man from the river.

She turned speechless and looked over. Zhou Ye had already changed clothes, was ruffling his short hair, and stepped out with his long legs.

He met Jiang Manman’s gaze.

He froze for a moment and turned to look at Secretary Zhao.

“Secretary Zhao, why did you bring these two girls here?

This isn’t the educated youth dorm.”

Secretary Zhao gave him an annoyed side-eye.

“The dorm’s full. They rented Dr. Wang’s old house. They’ll be living next door—keep an eye on them.”

“What? She’s living next to me?”

Jiang Manman: …Can I not rent it anymore?

Secretary Zhao rolled his eyes.

“What’s wrong with living next to you?

That girl saved your life. I heard you still owe her 20 jin of rice.

Now that she’s next door and doesn’t even have a pot, how about you let them cook at your place?”

Then he turned to Jiang Manman:

“You can go to the county this afternoon to buy cooking supplies. After you start working tomorrow, you’ll only get one day off a week.

Alright, I’ll head back now.”

As soon as Secretary Zhao left, Jiang Manman turned to clean the house, only to see Li Hongmei walking toward them.

She thought Li Hongmei had come to confront them—

But to her surprise, Li Hongmei was heading straight for Zhou Ye’s courtyard.