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As soon as the morning class ended, everyone felt too exhausted to focus on their studies any longer. They quickly pulled out their lunches to eat.
The commune, aware of the biting cold of winter, had thoughtfully sent someone to bring a barrel of hot water for everyone. This small gesture provided genuine convenience, leaving the students pleasantly surprised and grateful.
With the steaming water available, the cold, hard food became much easier to swallow. Each person had brought something different for lunch: dry wheat cakes, mixed grain dumplings, corn rice, roasted sweet potatoes… There was hardly any meat; the best some could manage was vegetables with plain rice. By now, the food, packed since six or seven in the morning, had grown quite cold. However, dipping it in hot water brought back a bit of warmth. Some students didn’t even have food containers and could only gnaw on their cold, hard rations, struggling to choke down their meals.
Most people settled into their seats to eat while chatting, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Huang Zhihao returned with hot water and noticed Shen Zhuo wasn’t moving. He asked, “Shen Zhuo, why aren’t you getting some hot water?”
Shen Zhuo reviewed his notes from the last class, confirming he hadn’t made any mistakes before he put away his paper and pen. “I brought my own.”
He then opened the cloth bag slung over his shoulder, retrieving a water cup and a lunchbox. He was hungry too, but hadn’t snacked during the class.
Huang Zhihao’s eyes widened as he spotted Shen Zhuo’s shiny new stainless steel lunchbox and thermos. He couldn’t help but wonder if Shen Zhuo came from a well-off family.
Shen Zhuo twisted open his cup and found the water still steaming. He set it aside to cool and opened his lunchbox. Since Ye Xin had packed it while the food was still hot and kept it sealed tightly in the cloth bag, it retained some warmth. At least the oil hadn’t solidified, and the vegetables still looked fresh.
“Wow, you’re eating so well?” Huang Zhihao exclaimed, surprise evident in his tone. Then he regretted his outburst, thinking he had overreacted.
But Shen Zhuo’s meal was indeed impressive. Although it was plain rice with cabbage, the cabbage clearly had been stir-fried in oil, looking appetizing and standing in stark contrast to the bland food in others’ containers.
After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Zhuo rummaged through his bag again and pulled out a steamed bun, offering it to Huang Zhihao.
Huang Zhihao was even more surprised and flustered, quickly waving his hands. “No, you keep this! I have enough to eat.” His own meal was just a standard dry wheat cake, but with hot water, it was satisfactory.
Shen Zhuo paused briefly, then pushed the bun toward him again, softly saying, “It’s just a vegetarian filling; it’s nothing special.”
Unable to resist the temptation, Huang Zhihao accepted with a grin. “Then I won’t hold back. Thank you!”
Eagerly, he picked up the bun and took a bite, realizing it was far easier to chew than his dry wheat cake. Upon taking a bite, he discovered it was filled with fragrant mushrooms and wood ear fungus. Although it was vegetarian, those ingredients were still considered treats! The filling had also been stir-fried, making it incredibly flavorful. He finished it in just a few bites.
Feeling grateful, Huang Zhihao chuckled, “You’re a kind person, Shen Zhuo. If I ever have something good to eat, I’ll share it with you too!”
Shen Zhuo nodded, feeling satisfied that he had met Ye Xin’s advice to “build good relationships with people.” This lifted his spirits.
He lowered his head to eat, realizing he needed to hurry before his food grew cold.
His lunchbox wasn’t the tiered type but rather a large-capacity container. Ye Xin, mindful of not drawing attention, had layered the food: a layer of rice, followed by a layer of green beans stir-fried with cured meat, topped with another layer of rice, and finally, the cabbage on top.
So, what Huang Zhihao saw was just the surface; the meat was hidden below.
Fortunately, no one was impolite enough to stare while others were eating. The dishes weren’t steaming hot, and their aroma didn’t travel far, effectively keeping things low-key.
Ye Xin had considered Shen Zhuo’s growing appetite and packed a generous portion to ensure he was satisfied.
He finished his lunchbox clean, not rushing to wash it, folding it up to put away before taking a sip of water. As he drank, he felt…
Shen Zhuo took out his notes from the morning class, determined to review the day’s lessons while the information was still fresh.
Next to him, Huang Zhihao had finished his meal and, not wanting to fall behind, pulled out his own notebook to study. However, he was far less focused. He couldn’t help but glance enviously at Shen Zhuo’s shiny, steaming thermos. “Shen Zhuo, your family really takes good care of you!”
Shen Zhuo’s eyes remained glued to his notes as he thought, Family? Well, Ye Xin is like family to me. He nodded in acknowledgment.
Huang Zhihao then spotted Shen Zhuo’s brand-new blue cloth bag, admiring its unique design and meticulous stitching. “Did your family make this for you? It looks amazing!”
Shen Zhuo remembered how he had felt while sewing the bag and chuckled. “I made it myself.”
Huang Zhihao’s jaw dropped. “You made this? You’re really talented!”
Not only was Shen Zhuo good-looking, but he also had such skill and was so diligent in his studies. Huang Zhihao felt a surge of motivation; he knew he had to work even harder so he wouldn’t fall short in comparison!
Ye Xin’s lunch was more casual. She steamed a few leftover buns from the morning, then went into her space to pick some sweet and tangy tomatoes and a crisp cucumber to munch on.
Being alone at home was incredibly relaxing.
After filling her stomach, she took a short nap. She didn’t need to work that afternoon and went straight back to her space. Looking at the watermelon seedlings she had just planted, her anticipation grew. “Grow quickly! It’s been an entire summer since I’ve had watermelon!”
She busied herself in the space until five in the afternoon, before emerging to prepare dinner slowly.
Around five-thirty, Shen Zhuo returned home.
Hearing the commotion, Ye Xin peeked her head out from the kitchen. “You’re back?”
“Yeah!” Shen Zhuo saw her, his previous haste dissipating as he put down his cart and bag, rushing over to help her cook.
Ye Xin had already prepared the rice and was now dishing it out.
Shen Zhuo took over washing and chopping vegetables and then began frying them. As he worked, he asked, “What did you do today?”
“I worked in the morning and stayed home in the afternoon,” she replied.
Curious, Shen Zhuo pressed on, “What did you do at home?”
He was usually quiet, but today he was unusually chatty. Ye Xin glanced at him and quickly understood his mood. Playing along, she replied, “I didn’t do much. I usually work with you, and since you weren’t here today, I felt a bit off, so I took half a day off.”
Shen Zhuo’s heart lifted at her words.
Although he knew it was a bit awkward, he couldn’t help but hope she thought of him too.
Ye Xin stole a glance at him, stifling a laugh. She found teasing him amusing. “I slacked off for half a day today. You’re not mad, are you?”
Shen Zhuo stirred the food in the pan, a hint of a smile on his lips. “You’ve been working hard already. It’s fine to take a break. Winter is cold; it’s better to rest a bit. You can leave the chores for me to do when I come back.”
Ye Xin arched an eyebrow at him. “You have your training class now, coming and going at odd hours. When would you even have time to do that? It’s still up to me to handle everything!”
Shen Zhuo responded earnestly, “Classes don’t start until nine in the morning. I could leave by eight-thirty. It’s light out, and I can ride faster. I could even do some work in the morning before class and get a bit done in the evening when I come home.”
Ye Xin couldn’t help but laugh. “So you’ll be studying all day and rushing to get chores done in the morning and evening without a moment to rest? You’ll exhaust yourself!”
Shen Zhuo replied, “Sitting in class is my way of resting. It’s not as tiring as working with you.” He added, “I’m strong now; I won’t tire easily.”
Ye Xin nodded, pleased with his attitude. She couldn’t help but praise him, “You’re really great!”
Shen Zhuo’s cheeks flushed slightly. “You’re… great too.”
Once the dishes were cooked, they sat down to eat. Ye Xin inquired about his classes and how he was adjusting to his classmates, curious about his day.
It felt just like a parent caring for a child on their first day of school. Shen Zhuo didn’t find it strange at all; he felt that Ye Xin was genuinely worried about him and appreciated her concern.
Ye Xin then asked, “What courses do you have? Tell me about them.”
Shen Zhuo eagerly reported back, “We have classes on basic medical theory, daily epidemic prevention, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, and Western medicine. Each subject is taught by doctors from the health clinic and county hospital. There’s also a teacher from the commune who gives us lessons on ideological education.”
As he spoke, he set down his bowl and chopsticks to retrieve his textbook. “Look, this is our textbook. There aren’t enough copies—each brigade only gets one or two, so we have to share.”
He and Huang Zhihao had agreed that each would bring the textbook home on alternating days. Today was the first day, and he was especially eager to show it to Ye Xin.
Huang Zhihao, having enjoyed one of the buns, readily agreed to take the textbook home today.
Ye Xin accepted the “Barefoot Doctor’s Manual” from him and flipped through the pages. Nodding her head in encouragement, like a parent thrilled with their child’s schoolwork, she said, “Not bad! You did well today! Make sure to study hard tomorrow too. And remember to get along well with your classmates. You can’t keep giving people the cold shoulder.”
Shen Zhuo, still buzzing with excitement from their reunion after a day apart, simply nodded and happily continued eating dinner.
After the meal, as Ye Xin was clearing the table, she recalled needing to send a letter. Turning to Shen Zhuo, who was washing dishes, she said, “Oh, by the way, I need to go to town to mail a letter the day after tomorrow. I completely forgot after I read it last time. Can you give me a ride in the morning?”
Shen Zhuo nodded immediately. He was more than happy to spend extra time with her. “Sure! I’ll take the herbs to Doctor Xu tomorrow. That way, I’ll have my basket free the day after. We can take some vegetables to sell on the way.”
He didn’t mention that Ye Xin was already planning to do the same—after all, they needed to keep earning money. “When that happens, you can go to class, and I can sell the veggies at my own pace.”
“Sounds good!” Ye Xin agreed. “Just don’t take too much so it doesn’t interfere with your studies.”
Shen Zhuo wanted to take more vegetables to sell, hoping to lighten her load. “It won’t be a problem. I can sell for two hours. If I don’t sell everything, I’ll just carry the rest back. With the cart, it won’t be too hard.”
Ye Xin chuckled, “If you keep going to the market, we won’t have enough vegetables to sell!”
Shen Zhuo nodded, realizing she had a point.
Once they settled those plans, Ye Xin couldn’t help but exclaim, “Having a bicycle really makes things convenient! It saves time and effort. No wonder it’s such a big deal now!”
After finishing the dishes and washing his lunchbox, Shen Zhuo wiped his hands and nodded in agreement. “I heard some of the other students have to get up around five in the morning just to walk three hours to reach town.”
Just hearing that made Ye Xin feel tired. How could anyone study after walking such a long distance? She definitely couldn’t handle that kind of hardship.
Feeling fortunate, she smiled at Shen Zhuo. “I’m so glad I’m with you. You have a bike, and I get to benefit from it!”
Shen Zhuo’s cheeks flushed slightly, grateful that he had a bike to offer.