Chapter 51: Quite Tiring

Ye Xin had been feeling quite exhausted these days. Her time at home wasn’t just about dividing up the spoils; she’d been working hard too.

First, after a bit of relaxation, she spent two days digging a canal in her backyard to divert water for fish. Inevitably, some of the little fish and shrimp she caught died, but she scooped them up to bury them in the ground as fertilizer. The survivors went straight into the newly dug canal, along with some vegetable scraps to let them grow on their own for a while.

Next came the task of cleaning the house. According to local customs, the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month marked the beginning of the New Year celebrations, and on this day, it was customary to thoroughly clean both the inside and outside of the house, sweeping away the dust and grime accumulated over the year to welcome the New Year—this was no small feat.

Unfortunately, Ye Xin didn’t finish cleaning that day. First, Shen Zhuo had to attend a training class, leaving her to tackle the monumental task alone. His family situation was unique; while most families had four or five members working together, Shen Zhuo’s family was smaller, meaning that with him away, Ye Xin had to shoulder all the work by herself, which obviously slowed her down.

Then there was the distraction of the pig slaughtering festivities. She found herself too caught up in watching the spectacle and queuing for her share of the meat to focus on cleaning.

Understanding the situation, Shen Zhuo couldn’t bear to leave her to manage everything alone, so he made an effort to clean up before the profit-sharing began. However, his time at home was limited to the early morning and late evening, when the light was dim, making cleaning challenging. He did what he could—after cooking breakfast, he’d move heavy furniture like tables and chairs outside to ease Ye Xin’s workload, even dismantling the chimney so she could clean up easier. He would take care of the heavy lifting in the morning and put everything back after she’d done her cleaning in the daytime.

But despite his efforts, the bulk of the cleaning still fell on Ye Xin’s shoulders. Their house was larger than most, and even though it wasn’t cluttered, cleaning every corner was still a time-consuming task. Plus, with mud floors and mud walls, while she didn’t have to worry about mopping, the overall dirtiness was discouraging.

Of course, with no one to oversee her, she worked at her own pace. Whenever she felt tired, she took a break; whenever she felt hungry or thirsty, she snacked and drank as she pleased.

She cleared out cobwebs from the corners, swept the floor, washed and scrubbed everything that needed it, and reorganized the space. Slowly but surely, it took her two or three days to finally finish cleaning.

On top of that, she had to tend to the vegetable garden, clean the chicken coop, manage the space where they grew grains, and pick, wash, and dry everything—each day was a flurry of activity.

Today, the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, she finally found some free time.

As she wandered around the yard, she caught sight of the brand-new red brick bathhouse to her right, and her brow furrowed. While having a bathroom was a huge convenience, it was equipped with only a shallow basin that didn’t hold much water, making each wash less satisfying than it could be.

It wasn’t that she wanted a fancy shower or a bathtub, but surely a larger tub would suffice? If she could fill it with more water, she could take longer baths and enjoy the experience a bit more.

Without wasting any time, she decided it was better to buy two wooden tubs sooner rather than later. There were surely craftsmen in the village who made them, but since this idea had just popped into her head, she hadn’t had a chance to ask Shen Zhuo. Not wanting to wait any longer, she resolved to head down to the commune and inquire at the youth dormitory.

Why the youth dormitory? Because she had recently met Wang Xiaowei, Zheng Wenwen, and Wang Youwei, all of whom had pleasant personalities. Ye Xin felt she had found an opportunity to improve relations with the youth brigade.

The young intellectuals were considered one of the more advanced groups of their time. Educated and well-traveled, they hailed from various provinces, bringing with them a wealth of information—a vital connection to the outside world for this remote mountain village. Ye Xin had no intention of turning against them.

After all, she was a young intellectual too. How could she distance herself from the youth brigade? From a standpoint of goodwill and neighborly harmony, she certainly didn’t want to maintain a frosty relationship with the youth of Fengshui Brigade.

With that in mind, she decided to bridge the gap. She pulled two water radishes from her vegetable garden, gathered some dried vegetables, and collected a handful of sweet potato slices, packing them all into a basket.

Then, basket in hand, she strolled leisurely toward the youth dormitory.

As she approached, a mouthwatering scent of salty, spicy meat wafted through the air. The dormitory consisted of a row of four small houses, built on half a meter of stone foundation, with yellow mud bricks for walls and dark tiled roofs. The living conditions were no better than those of the other brigade members. However, since these were dormitories for the young intellectuals, some distance was kept between them and the other houses, placing them on the edge of the village. A small plot of land had been allocated for them to grow their own vegetables, but it wasn’t fenced off, allowing a clear view of their doors.

In front of one of the houses, Jiang Jingyu was drying a basket of wheat, planning to grind it into flour for some delicious treats for the New Year.

Seeing Ye Xin approach with her basket piqued her curiosity. However, given their history—Jiang Jingyu had often targeted her during the first half of the year—she didn’t feel inclined to greet her. Even though she had since changed her ways, their interactions had become somewhat estranged.

At first, Jiang Jingyu assumed Ye Xin was merely passing by. To her surprise, Ye Xin walked directly toward her, prompting Jiang Jingyu to ask, “Ye Xin, who are you looking for?”

Ye Xin offered a warm smile, her tone friendly. “I’m looking for Sister Xiaowei. Is she around?”

“She’s in the house,” Jiang Jingyu replied.

Feeling somewhat obliged to be civil, she decided to go inside and call out to her. Just then, Liu Hongxia heard the commotion from the kitchen, poking her head out. Upon seeing Ye Xin, she stepped out, curiosity shining in her eyes. “Ye Xin! What brings you here?”

Ye Xin couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Liu Hongxia was quite memorable—she had a reputation for being talkative and a little intimidating.

Despite her chatter, Liu Hongxia was a hardworking farmer, and her industriousness was impressive. Tired of her long hair getting in the way, she had been the first among the young women to cut her braids shortly after arriving in the countryside. With her short hair and sturdy build, she looked more like a rural woman than a young intellectual. But her penchant for gossip made Ye Xin a bit wary.

However, Ye Xin had come with a purpose to mend fences, so she couldn’t afford to ignore her. “I don’t have much going on today,” she said with a smile. “I was just up there feeling a bit bored, so I thought I’d come down for a walk, soak up some sun, and chat with someone.”

Liu Hongxia raised her eyebrows, a smirk playing on her lips. “Oh? So, you’ve finally realized how lonely it can be with no one to talk to? I knew it! Shen Zhuo is off at training, and you’re all alone at home. How do you manage?”

Ye Xin found it surprisingly comfortable to be alone at home; she enjoyed her freedom.

Before she could respond, Liu Hongxia continued, “But with Shen Zhuo going to town every day and having a bicycle, you must find it easy to get things. Not like us; it takes us two hours just to get there, and we’re not guaranteed to find anything. Take meat for example—by the time we get there, it’s either all sold out or there’s just not much good stuff left. And here we are, at the end of the year, still with unused meat coupons!”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Hey, could you ask Shen Zhuo to help us out with some shopping? It wouldn’t be much trouble for him!”

Ye Xin sighed at Liu Hongxia’s suggestion. “That’s not an easy request. There’s a ton of work at home. I can’t just leave it all for him. He’s got his own schedule to manage, rushing off to classes in the morning. When does he have time to leisurely stroll around town? By the time he finishes his morning chores, everything that’s worth buying is already gone. It’s not really more convenient than you going yourselves.”

Liu Hongxia frowned, sensing that Ye Xin was brushing her off and unwilling to help. But she…

“That’s a fair point,” Liu Hongxia admitted, momentarily speechless in her rebuttal.

At that moment, Zheng Wenwen emerged from the kitchen, spatula in hand, and addressed Ye Xin. “Don’t mind her. Who doesn’t know that Shen Zhuo is busy running errands in town? Time is tight for him, and it’s bold of her to say otherwise.”

Liu Hongxia huffed but had no further retort.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Xin turned to Zheng Wenwen with a curious nose. “What delicious dish are you cooking? I could smell something scrumptious from afar. It sounds like you’ve been busy in the kitchen!”

Zheng Wenwen chuckled. “Well, since I’m heading home for the New Year, I got permission from the brigade leader for a family visit. A couple of days ago, we received some pork—just a pound—but I can’t bear to eat it all at once. I plan to turn it into a savory meat sauce to take back with me.”

Ye Xin’s eyes brightened with interest. “When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow,” Zheng Wenwen replied. “It’s just me and Brother Wang Youwei heading home. I’ll make the sauce this morning, and he’ll handle his portion in the afternoon. We’ll set off together in the morning, first heading to town, then catching a bus to the county, and finally transferring to the train station in the city. At least we’ll have company for the journey.”

Listening to her, Ye Xin felt the weight of the young intellectuals’ travels. It wasn’t a simple trip; they had a two-hour walk followed by multiple bus rides. She imagined them hauling luggage along the way, adding to the struggle.

Just then, Wang Xiaowei joined them, having just emerged from her sewing. “I was stitching some clothes when you arrived. What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing major,” Ye Xin explained. “I’m looking to make a couple of wooden barrels for the bathing area. The basin is too small and inconvenient. I’m not sure if our brigade has any skilled carpenters. I meant to ask Shen Zhuo but forgot, and since you arrived early, I thought you might know.”

Wang Xiaowei nodded. “We do! Grandpa Sheng San is a master at making these. It’s a family tradition; I had him make one for me in my second year here, and it’s still sturdy. He lives on the west side of the village. If you go early and are lucky, you might even have it ready before the New Year!”

She paused for a moment, observing Ye Xin’s expression, then added, “Grandpa Sheng’s house is next to Grandpa Rong’s; they’re brothers. Would you like me to take you there?”

Ye Xin immediately understood the implication. Grandpa Rong was Li Guangrong’s grandfather—the very man the original owner had been infatuated with, almost causing her to break off her engagement with Shen Zhuo.

Embarrassment washed over her, and she let out a sigh. Ah, the original owner’s past always seems to leap out and ambush me…