Chapter 11: Boiled Eggs

The makeshift wooden kitchen, after being battered by a night of heavy rain, was leaking from all sides. While the roof held up well enough, the floor was soaked, leaving everything damp and unpleasant.

Ye Xin frowned deeply—life in this era was harsh, and you could only truly understand its hardships by living through them.

The table and chairs were also damp, so the two of them ate their bland sweet potato porridge standing up.

After the meal, Shen Zhuo went to the main room to check on the grain they had moved the previous night when the rain was pouring down. It was dry here, but he was worried about rats getting to it.

Ye Xin followed him, glancing around before spotting something.

“Oh no, it’s leaking here.”

A small puddle was forming from a drip in the ceiling, and the surrounding area was already wet. The dirt floor, though packed, wasn’t hardened, so once it got wet, it became a messy nuisance.

Shen Zhuo remained calm. “Let’s just put something under it.”

Ye Xin looked around and said, “Let’s use this clay jar for now. We’re not using it anyway.”

She dragged the large jar over and placed it under the leak. A drop of water fell, landing inside with a clear “ding” that echoed slightly in the jar. Ye Xin found the sound amusing and listened for a moment before saying, “This is better than using a basin—the water won’t splash out.”

Shen Zhuo continued inspecting the room, eventually finding a spot in the corner where water was seeping down the wall, soaking the yellow mud bricks. It wasn’t too serious yet, but he frowned and said, “Go check if your room is leaking.”

Hearing this, Ye Xin rushed back to her room.

If her room was leaking too, she might just lose it!

Fortunately, after thoroughly checking every corner, she found the floor dry and the yellow mud walls free of any signs of leaks.

She sighed in relief and went to inform Shen Zhuo.

He nodded but said nothing more, sitting in the main room, staring out at the rain. Seeing him so worried, Ye Xin decided to return to her room.

With the day off from work, she decided to seize the moment and tend to her crops in the space.

The heavy rain had opened her eyes to just how tough things were here. Her desire to earn money grew even stronger!

That evening, the rain finally began to let up. By the next morning, only a light drizzle remained. At dawn, Shen Zhuo was already preparing to head out, even before eating breakfast.

Just as Ye Xin stepped out of her room, she called out, “It’s still raining. Where are you going?”

“I’m checking the fields,” Shen Zhuo said as he walked toward the door.

“At least take a straw hat!” Ye Xin urged.

“Light rain’s no problem,” he replied, glancing back at her. “Make breakfast, and don’t go outside,” he added before hurrying off.

Ye Xin thought to herself, I’m not foolish enough to go out in the rain. What if I catch a cold?

She went to check the kitchen. With the rain easing up, no more water was seeping in, and the packed floor wasn’t softening. She was careful not to dirty her shoes as she moved around.

She started a fire to cook breakfast, but just as she was about to wash the rice, she realized there was no water left.

That’s right—while they had stored some water the night before, most of it had been used. The family had little to spare in terms of water storage tools.

Lifting the lid of the pot they usually used for heating water for baths, she saw only a small amount left—barely enough for one meal.

But what about dinner?

The heavy rains had likely contaminated the well, raising the water level. She figured it would be safer to wait until tomorrow, hoping the rain would stop.

Thinking it over, and since Shen Zhuo wasn’t around, Ye Xin quietly retrieved a bucket of spring water from her space. She used half to cook breakfast, pouring the rest into the pot. With yesterday’s storm and gloom, Shen Zhuo probably wouldn’t remember exactly how much water was left.

She washed the rice and set it to cook. When she looked at the sweet potatoes she’d grabbed, she decided not to throw them into the pot.

They’d eaten sweet potato porridge the whole day yesterday, and she couldn’t bring herself to eat more…

An idea struck her, and she tossed the two sweet potatoes into the ash under the stove. Then she carefully washed two eggs, placing them into the pot and covering it.

…

Shen Zhuo wasn’t the first to head out. Many villagers, worried about their crops, were already outside, some wearing straw hats and raincoats, others braving the rain as Shen Zhuo did, all heading toward the fields.

From a distance, they saw that the rice paddies had turned into murky ponds, the muddy water swallowing up the rice seedlings and field borders. It was impossible to tell where one field ended and another began.

Low-lying areas were submerged, while higher ground was eroded, leaving everything in a chaotic mess of mud and destruction.

Everyone was heartbroken and anxious.

Li Xingguo, the team leader, was already standing by the water, his brow deeply furrowed, his face grim. Beside him stood Li Jianbang, the deputy leader.

Seeing everyone’s concern for the crops, Li Xingguo spoke in a serious tone. “The water level’s too high, and the roads are flooded. Our first priority is draining the water. We need a few people to come with me to the culvert outside the village to check if it’s blocked. It’ll be dangerous. Who’s willing to help?”

Most people immediately volunteered.

Danger? Who cared? The rice seedlings needed saving!

Shen Zhuo stepped forward. “Team Leader, I’ll go.”

Li Xingguo looked him over and shook his head. “Shen Zhuo, you’re still young and not strong enough yet.” Then he turned to the burly Zhang Kangming and nodded. “Zhang Zhiqing, you come with me.”

Shen Zhuo pressed his lips together but had to admit defeat when he glanced at Zhang Kangming’s sturdy frame.

Li Xingguo pointed to a few more able-bodied men before turning to the rest of the group. “The rest of you, go home and eat! Once we clear the culvert and the water level drops, we can get back to work!”

With that, the crowd dispersed, heading back home. Shen Zhuo lingered behind, overhearing Zhang Kangming say to Li Xingguo, “Captain, the roof at the Zhiqing dormitory is leaking badly. Some people’s bedding is soaked through. We want to repair it.”

Li Xingguo replied, “We’ll have to tough it out for a few more days. Once the crops are saved and replanted, we can worry about other things.”

With that, their group hurried off toward the village entrance.

Shen Zhuo walked home with the other villagers, some of whom had heard Zhang Kangming’s concern. They began to talk amongst themselves:

“This rain was just too much! Whose house isn’t leaking?”

“Tell me about it. We only have one room that’s dry, and the whole family has been squeezing in there for two nights!”

“You’re lucky it’s just leaks. Aunt Xiu’s place is so old that half of it collapsed. Thankfully, no one was hurt…”

As Shen Zhuo distanced himself from the others, he climbed the slope back toward the house, deep in thought. When he returned, he saw smoke rising from the kitchen. Ye Xin was already making breakfast.

Hearing his footsteps, Ye Xin popped her head out from the kitchen. “Oh no! Your clothes are soaked. Go change before you catch a cold!”

Shen Zhuo shook his head. “No need. I’ll be going back out soon.”

Ye Xin looked surprised. “But the rain hasn’t stopped! You’re already going back to work?”

Sitting down on a small stool by the stove, Shen Zhuo stirred the firewood. “The crops won’t wait.”

Ye Xin noticed the tension in his expression and asked, “How’s the situation?”

“It’s bad. The fields are flooded, and we can’t even see anything. The captain’s leading a team to drain the water. If the rain doesn’t pick up again today, we might be able to save some of it.”

Ye Xin frowned at the news. “I hope we can salvage them. We worked so hard planting those seedlings.”

Shen Zhuo also shared what he’d overheard about the dormitory roof leaking.

“So serious?” Ye Xin gasped, feeling both frightened and relieved. “Good thing I’m not staying in the Zhiqing dorm anymore. Your house is much better—barely any leaks.”

Shen Zhuo looked up at her but said nothing.

As the food in the pot started to finish cooking, he stood up to help. Ye Xin quickly stopped him. “I’ve got it. You sit and dry your clothes.”

She deftly fished out the boiled eggs with a spatula, then ladled the porridge into bowls. She placed some salted pork sauce and condiments on the table and called out cheerfully, “Breakfast is ready!”

Shen Zhuo stared at the white porridge and the two boiled eggs, momentarily stunned.

Ye Xin beamed. “Come on, eat! One egg for each of us—good for the body.”

“You eat both. You don’t need to give me any,” he said.

“How could that work? I already told you, we share everything. From now on, one egg a day, one for each of us,” Ye Xin insisted.

Shen Zhuo hesitated. “There aren’t many eggs. You shouldn’t waste them on me.”

“There are over twenty eggs—it’ll last us more than ten days!” she said, dismissing his concern.

Shen Zhuo frowned deeper, his voice serious. “I can’t keep accepting your generosity.”

Ye Xin sighed. “What generosity? It’s nothing.”

She spoke more earnestly. “I get it—you don’t like owing anyone. I feel the same. I’m living in your house, using your things, but whenever I buy food, you’re always so polite. If we’re going to keep score like that, why don’t I just pay you rent?”

“I don’t want money,” Shen Zhuo said, stubborn as ever.

“Then let’s stop keeping track of who owes who. We share the good and the bad. Stop being so awkward about it!” she said with a firm tone. “Look, we’re both at an age where we need proper nutrition. Without it, we stay weak, and then we can’t work properly. But if we eat better and get stronger, we’ll be able to work harder, earn more work points, and get a bigger share of the end-of-year bonuses. It’s a positive cycle! How can you not see that?”

Shen Zhuo froze, taking in her words.

He thought about earlier—how the captain had said he wasn’t strong enough to clear the culvert and had picked the burly Zhang Kangming instead. Compared to Zhang, Shen Zhuo was indeed much skinnier.

She was right. He needed to build up his strength if he wanted to work more and earn more.

Just remember what you’re eating now, and later, when you have more money, buy more eggs, he reasoned to himself.

Finally convinced, he stopped arguing. He peeled an egg, dipped it in soy sauce, and took a bite. The taste was rich and savory, soft yet flavorful. It had been so long since he’d eaten an egg that he’d forgotten how good they tasted.

Seeing him eat, Ye Xin smiled and peeled her own egg.

After eating the porridge, warmth spread through their bodies, giving them renewed energy. Just then, the rain finally stopped, and the two of them quickly headed out to the fields to save what crops they could.