Chapter 3: Go To Work

Ye Xin made an effort to finish her sweet potato porridge, not wanting to waste any food. Even though she felt a bit stuffed, she knew she needed to eat more to grow stronger and healthier.

After the meal, while there was still daylight, Ye Xin quickly fetched water to bathe. Shen Zhuo’s kitchen, though simple, had two stoves and pots. The stove on the right was usually filled with water, and whenever they cooked on the left, the water would heat up as well. However, there was no dedicated bathroom. Before she arrived, Shen Zhuo and his father would bathe outside in the courtyard. Now, Ye Xin had to carry a basin of water to her room to wash, which wasn’t convenient and often left her room damp.

After washing off the day’s sweat, she felt much more refreshed. She also washed her clothes and hung them up to dry just as the sun set and the air finally cooled.

Once she returned to her room, Shen Zhuo went out to wash, deliberately avoiding her. As she listened to the sound of water in the courtyard, Ye Xin, now feeling energized from her meal, tidied up her room in the dim light. Then, with quiet steps, she slipped into her secret space.

Inside the space, it was still daylight, as if time passed differently here. There seemed to be no night, or perhaps it hadn’t arrived yet—Ye Xin would have to figure that out later.

Earlier in the afternoon, she’d only glanced around briefly before feeling dizzy. Now, she was determined to explore more thoroughly. She walked to the spring beneath the tree. The water was crystal clear, cool mist rising from its surface. It flowed gently through several plots of land before disappearing toward the edge of the space, its destination unknown.

Cupping her hands, she boldly took a sip. It tasted refreshing but otherwise unremarkable, just cool and pure.

She then looked up at the tree towering above her. It was lush and green, though she didn’t recognize the species. It wasn’t something commonly seen in the city, but it was tall, elegant, and vibrant.

Turning her attention to the wooden house, Ye Xin approached with a sense of adventure. The two-story structure wasn’t particularly ornate, unlike the elaborate buildings at tourist spots, but it was sturdy, exuding a rustic, natural charm.

She pushed open the door, feeling like she was about to uncover some hidden treasure. Inside, the space was spacious, filled with well-preserved wooden furniture. The first floor had a living area and a kitchen, with a small storage room in the back that housed tools like hoes and shovels. Upstairs, there was a bedroom with a bed and wardrobe, and a study with a desk and chairs. On the desk sat a few books.

Her eyes fell on those books—perhaps they held the key to understanding this mysterious space.

Excited, she opened one of the old, thread-bound volumes, only to find that it was written in traditional Chinese characters. Not too surprising, given the old-fashioned design of the house.

Sighing, Ye Xin sat down and tried to decipher the text. It was slow going, requiring both guesswork and patience. She was just finishing a page when the sound of footsteps outside startled her. Quickly, she exited the space.

Shen Zhuo knocked on her door. “If you’re going to the fields tomorrow, make sure you wake up early.”

Ye Xin immediately replied, “I will!”

Realizing she had no phone or alarm clock, she nervously added, “If I don’t wake up on time, could you call me?”

There was a brief pause before Shen Zhuo responded, “I’ll call you once.”

Ye Xin smiled, relieved. “Thank you!”

His footsteps receded as he returned to his room, leaving Ye Xin to breathe a sigh of relief. That was close. But at least she could still hear things happening outside while in the space, which meant she could react if needed. Another reason to stay at Shen Zhuo’s house—if she went back to the dorms, she wouldn’t be able to use her space freely.

Thinking about how early she had to wake up tomorrow, she decided not to explore the space any further tonight. After all, those books weren’t something she could understand in one sitting; they’d take time.

Lying down on the hard wooden bed, she shifted uncomfortably, trying to adjust. This era was so different from the one she knew. She tried to recall the history of this period, but it was fuzzy in her mind. After all, she had never been much of a history buff—her post-work relaxation had always been watching TV shows, not studying the past. The only time she had encountered this period was during high school history lessons, where they briefly mentioned the struggles of the sent-down youth and the difficulties of returning to the city. She did, however, remember something about the reinstatement of college entrance exams later on. If she could survive this rough patch, there was a chance she could return to the city…

Before she knew it, Ye Xin drifted off to sleep.

Waking before dawn, Ye Xin stared at the ceiling, momentarily confused by her surroundings. Reaching beside her for her phone out of habit, her hand instead brushed against the cool, hard bamboo mat. That’s when she fully remembered where she was—no phone, no office job. Just farming.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, there was a knock at her door. Shen Zhuo’s voice called out, “Ye Xin, wake up.”

“I’m already up!” she quickly replied.

Shen Zhuo headed to the kitchen to start the fire for breakfast, while Ye Xin dressed, grabbed her washbasin, and followed him outside to wash up. She shyly used the water he had drawn and stood near the courtyard wall to brush her teeth, much like Shen Zhuo was doing. He glanced at her, looking slightly uncomfortable, but said nothing.

Breakfast was once again porridge mixed with sweet potato, and this time, they didn’t even have any vegetables to go with it.

Ye Xin silently finished her bowl of sweet potato porridge, thinking to herself that she really needed to find better food to nourish her body. If she missed this window of growth, it would be hard to get any taller.

After breakfast, before the sun had even risen, it was time to head to the fields.

It was June, and the heat was intense. Most people preferred working in the early morning and late evening when it was cooler. But since it was the busy farming season, there was no escaping the midday heat, making it a grueling time. Many, including Ye Xin, had already suffered from heatstroke.

Following closely behind Shen Zhuo, Ye Xin took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She was about to face people again, and the thought of being mocked for what had happened before made her nervous.

—But she had to face it sooner or later.

She glanced at Shen Zhuo’s lean back, feeling slightly more at ease. No matter what, she’d just stick close to him.

The morning mist hadn’t yet lifted, and the mountains around them loomed mysteriously, while the cool air made the walk bearable.

They lived in a village called Liangshuitang, known for its many ponds. Officially, it was part of the third squad of the seventh brigade of the Hongze Commune. The seventh brigade, also called Fengshui Brigade, housed all the sent-down youth in the area, including Ye Xin. She had only arrived in March, and it had barely been three months since.

The village sat in a hilly region with scattered fields, where rice and wheat were planted. In summer, during the rainy season, rice was grown, while wheat was sown in winter. The higher, drier land was used for crops like corn, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and rapeseed, while the lowest areas had two large ponds for fish farming.

The wheat had already been harvested, and now the fields were being tilled and watered for rice planting.

Ye Xin did her best to ignore the stares of others as she trailed behind Shen Zhuo to the storage shed, where tools and tasks were distributed.

The squad leader, Li Jianbang, who was the nephew of the brigade leader, only glanced at Ye Xin before assigning her to plant rice. Shen Zhuo received the same task.

Most people were planting rice today. The rice seedlings had been grown in advance, and the process of planting was still very primitive. Some people pulled the seedlings from the beds, while others, strong and steady, carried them in buckets across the uneven ridges to the various fields for planting.

Ye Xin continued following Shen Zhuo toward the wide, flat rice paddies. Along the way, she noticed a few female sent-down youth who spotted her and began whispering among themselves. They didn’t approach her, choosing instead to keep their distance.

Ye Xin felt relieved. Good, she thought. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way.

When they reached the edge of the muddy field, she hesitated, staring at the murky, swirling mud.

Nearby, a woman had already kicked off her shoes and was wading into the field. She spotted Ye Xin and called out loudly, “Better get to work while it’s still cool! If you wait till noon, you’ll be fainting from the heat!”

Ye Xin sighed, realizing that in the eyes of hardworking farmers, anyone slacking off was unwelcome. She glanced over at Shen Zhuo.

Without hesitation, Shen Zhuo stood at the edge of the field, rolled up his pants, revealing his bony legs, and waded straight into the mud.

Unable to resist, Ye Xin asked in a low voice, “Are there…leeches in the field?”

Shen Zhuo paused for a moment. “I haven’t seen any,” he replied, then continued into the mud, which quickly swallowed his ankles.

Seedlings had already been delivered to the field, and it was time to start planting. Ye Xin knew she couldn’t stall any longer. She hurriedly rolled up her sleeves and pants, cautiously stepping into the water.

The moment her foot sank into the cool, slippery mud, she involuntarily gasped. The sensation of the mud oozing between her toes sent a shiver down her spine, making her want to retreat to the dry edge.

But she had no choice but to grit her teeth and wade deeper, awkwardly making her way through the field until she was next to Shen Zhuo.

He grabbed a handful of green rice seedlings, and Ye Xin mimicked him, taking some for herself. As he bent down to plant, she followed suit, trying to copy his movements.

Shen Zhuo glanced at her briefly, and she flashed a friendly smile.

“…”

He said nothing and returned to work, focusing on planting.

Ye Xin let out a small sigh of relief.

Having grown up in the city, she had no experience farming, and the memories left by the body’s original owner offered little help, as she had rarely worked in the fields. Now, she had no choice but to learn by watching others.

Though young, Shen Zhuo was a natural at farming. His planting was precise and neat, the seedlings evenly spaced, like they’d been measured out with a ruler. Even someone with obsessive tendencies would find it satisfying.

Ye Xin, on the other hand, struggled. She was slow, and her rows were crooked. Worse, she couldn’t gauge the depth at first, so some seedlings ended up falling over, forcing her to replant them.

Before long, she had fallen behind.

She glanced around and noticed that the woman on her other side was moving much faster, though her planting wasn’t as neat as Shen Zhuo’s.

To her left and right, everyone was working quickly, leaving Ye Xin as a slow, awkward gap in the middle, her section of the field forming a noticeable dip.

“Come on, Comrade Ye, speed it up!” the woman next to her shouted.

Ye Xin’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

Farming really is an art, she thought.