Chapter 12: Repairing the Roof

Once the rain stopped, the sky brightened, signaling that the worst was over. Ye Xin looked out at the low-lying areas, now completely submerged under muddy water, with nothing visible beyond the murky flood. The village roads, mostly running along low embankments, were all underwater.

The culvert had already been cleared, but draining the flood would take time. The team that had worked on clearing it returned, drenched from head to toe. The captain told them to head to higher ground to replant corn and sweet potatoes, while he and others went home to change clothes and eat.

Everyone rolled up their pants and waded through the flooded areas, carefully navigating toward the dry land. In some places, the water was so deep that rolling up pants didn’t help—people still got soaked.

Being shorter than most, Ye Xin was waist-deep in water, and her legs went numb. The soft, slippery mud underneath made her uneasy, so she instinctively grabbed Shen Zhuo’s hand in front of her.

When he turned to pull away, she quickly said, “I can’t keep my balance—help me, just for a bit.”

Seeing her small frame unsteady in the water, Shen Zhuo reluctantly held her hand and guided her forward.

Fortunately, this wasn’t unusual—many people were holding hands for safety, helping each other across the water.

“Be careful.”

“Watch your step!”

“Mind the debris washed in from the floods—there might be broken tiles in the mud…”

The group helped one another, trudging through the water until they reached the dry but devastated fields. The rain-soaked ground made planting even more difficult. However, the cooler weather and thoroughly watered soil meant that after planting, they only needed a little more water to secure the roots.

No one mentioned taking a break. They worked in silence, heads down, until noon, when their clothes had dried from sweat rather than rain. Then they finally headed home for lunch.

By this time, much of the flood had receded, and the path home was only ankle- or knee-deep in water. Ye Xin could now walk steadily without assistance.

Shen Zhuo, who usually felt exhausted and hungry after a morning of work, was surprised to find he wasn’t as tired today. He assumed it was because of the cooler weather, but when he glanced at his fellow workers, they all seemed just as worn out as usual.

Could it have been the egg I ate this morning? he wondered.

With this thought in mind, he looked back at Ye Xin.

She was carefully navigating the path, pants rolled to her knees. Seeing him look back, she smiled and said, “I don’t need your help anymore—let’s keep going.”

Shen Zhuo turned back and continued walking in silence.

Once home, they ate the leftover porridge from breakfast.

Afterward, Ye Xin went to check the well. As expected, the water level was higher than usual, and when she drew some, it wasn’t as clear as it normally was.

When she turned around, she saw Shen Zhuo carrying a basin of water from his room and pouring it into the ditch by the yard wall. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. “Your room is leaking?”

Shen Zhuo nodded and went back to his room with the basin.

Ye Xin quickly followed him. “Let me check how bad it is.”

Before Shen Zhuo could stop her, she had already stepped inside, making him feel a bit uncomfortable. It was, after all, his private space, and having a girl in his room felt strange.

With the windows open, the room was well-lit, and Ye Xin immediately spotted three leaking spots, leaving the floor noticeably wet. One leak was near the cabinet, which had clearly been moved to avoid getting soaked.

Frowning, Ye Xin asked, “Why didn’t you tell me the leaking was this bad?”

Shen Zhuo gave her a puzzled look. “What good would it do to tell you?”

She paused, realizing he had a point—she couldn’t exactly climb onto the roof to fix it.

After inspecting the leaks, she took a moment to observe the rest of the room. It was sparse but tidy, the opposite of the stereotypical messy “bachelor’s den.”

Noticing her lingering gaze, Shen Zhuo grew more uncomfortable and wanted her to leave.

But Ye Xin, after a quick glance around, asked, “Is the room next door leaking too?”

“A little, but not badly,” Shen Zhuo replied.

Ye Xin furrowed her brow. “Why is every room leaking except mine?”

After a brief hesitation, Shen Zhuo said, “Before you moved in, my father had me check the tiles on that roof.”

Ye Xin froze, realizing what this meant.

His father had probably insisted on repairing that roof, thinking it was only right to welcome a “new bride” into the family with some degree of decency.

As for why he hadn’t fixed the rest of the house—it was likely a matter of money. In those days, they probably didn’t have a penny to spare.

Mentioning it now must have reminded Shen Zhuo of his recently deceased father, which likely soured his mood.

In a soft voice, Ye Xin said, “Once we get through this busy period, let’s repair the roof.”

Shen Zhuo didn’t respond.

After resting for a while, they returned to the fields in the afternoon.

By then, the floodwaters had receded further, and the pathways through the fields were clearer. The tips of the rice plants in the water could now be faintly seen.

The commune had sent technicians to survey the situation and guide the teams in draining the water and saving the crops. For the flooded rice fields, the technicians provided clear instructions: first, drain the water and remove debris; second, wash the mud off the rice leaves to avoid blocking photosynthesis; and third, spray pesticides to prevent disease. Other tasks included fertilizing and replanting where necessary.

Squad leader Li Jianbang had already organized a group of strong workers to follow the technicians’ advice. Meanwhile, the captain, Li Xingguo, headed to nearby villages to check on the situation. Though he was from Liangshuitang, as captain, he had to consider the needs of the entire team.

Ye Xin and Shen Zhuo, not among the stronger workers, continued planting sweet potatoes in the dry fields.

By the afternoon, the sun was out, evaporating the moisture from the fields, and everyone was drenched in sweat. After the heavy rains, July had arrived, and while it had been cool right after the storm, the weather quickly turned hotter.

For several days, the villagers focused on disaster recovery. The early-planted rice, with deep roots, was mostly unaffected, but the corn and sweet potato seedlings were destroyed and had to be replanted. After many more days of hard work, the fields were finally fully replanted.

During this busy period, Ye Xin was too exhausted after each day’s work to continue tending to her private garden. At most, she would water the plants or read a little. However, she quietly “smuggled” a few corn and sweet potato seedlings into her garden—just three of each—to experiment with growing them inside.

Sigh, farming outside, farming inside—it seems like I’m destined to be a farmer for life…

The vegetables she had planted earlier had already sprouted, with vibrant green seedlings popping up everywhere. The germination rate was high, and the plants were growing exceptionally well, finally adding some life to her previously barren garden.

At this rate, I’ll be eating my own home-grown vegetables soon! Ye Xin thought eagerly.

As she was filling her water bucket by the spring, she suddenly noticed that the rice seedlings she had planted first had already started to flower! She looked closely, confirming that they were indeed in the flowering stage. Meanwhile, the seedlings outside, still recovering from the flood, hadn’t even reached the tillering stage yet. The difference was striking.

With the field work done, everyone could finally turn their attention to their homes.

While working, Ye Xin overheard others talking about leaks in their houses, knowing that many families were facing the same issue and waiting until the farming was done to fix their roofs.

Over the past few days, Captain Li Xingguo had visited every village under the Fengshui Brigade, and the damage was similar everywhere: crops ruined, houses leaking, some even collapsed. The worst case was a house that had collapsed and injured an elderly resident. After returning, he briefed the village on the situation, urging everyone to take advantage of the downtime to repair their homes.

The reports made Ye Xin anxious, so she quickly brought up the idea of repairing the house with Shen Zhuo. Shen Zhuo went to fetch a tall ladder, which he placed against the eaves of the house.

The ladder was so tall that Ye Xin felt dizzy just looking at it. She could only steady the ladder with both hands, nervously reminding him, “Be careful!”

Shen Zhuo nodded and climbed up, carefully inspecting the roof.

Once he was safely up, Ye Xin released her grip and stepped back, watching the slender young man silhouetted against the clear summer sky. His profile looked especially striking from below.

Shen Zhuo removed the tiles and cleared some footholds to avoid stepping on and breaking any. He had a good memory, recalling where the leaks were, and began checking each one. Some tiles were just loose or misaligned, which he easily fixed, but a few were cracked beyond repair.

From below, Ye Xin called out, “How bad is it? Are many tiles broken?”

Shen Zhuo replied in a muffled voice, “A few are damaged.”

Ye Xin said, “Make a note of how many and where they are, so we can buy new ones to replace them.”

Shen Zhuo glanced down at her. The roof was high, and all he could see was her small, thin face, her bright, wide eyes standing out. He quickly looked away. “We don’t have the money to buy tiles,” he said quietly.

“How much does a tile even cost?” Ye Xin asked.

Shen Zhuo didn’t answer. No matter how cheap they were, he didn’t have any money right now.

Knowing his personality all too well, Ye Xin sighed, “It can’t be that expensive. I’ll cover the cost for now. Don’t refuse. With three rooms leaking, how could I possibly sleep in peace? If you feel that bad about it, you can pay me back later when you have the money.”

Just as they were talking, Captain Li Xingguo arrived.

Ye Xin hurried to open the door and greeted him, “Captain, what brings you here?”

Li Xingguo stepped inside and saw Shen Zhuo on the roof, immediately understanding the situation. “I just came from the educated youth dormitory—the roof there is leaking badly. I thought I’d check on you since you’re living here, and also because Shen Zhuo’s house is up on the slope, near the mountain. I wasn’t sure how it’s holding up, so I came to see.”

He asked about their situation, and Ye Xin explained that while it wasn’t too serious, the leaks couldn’t be ignored. “Since you’re here, Captain, I might as well ask—where can we buy tiles, and how much do they cost? We need to replace some.”

Li Xingguo replied, “There’s a tile factory in Huangjia Village, about ten miles away. It’s part of our brigade, and we usually buy tiles from there. Since so many houses need repairs this time, we’re planning to make a bulk purchase. Li Jianbang will lead a team to transport them back, so you won’t have to make the trip yourselves and waste time. Just report how many you need, and we’ll let you know when the tiles arrive.”

Ye Xin was delighted. “That’s great! The brigade really knows how to make things easier for us.”

Li Xingguo nodded, reassured that everything was in order. Before leaving, he reminded them, “It’s best to report the number of tiles you need to Li Jianbang today. The team’s heading out tomorrow to buy them.”

Ye Xin quickly agreed, “Got it! We’ll go right after we finish here. Thank you, Captain!”