Chapter 4

In the afternoon, He Xianqiu was still diligently hoeing the field, even though she still had a large area of land left to do.

As the sun gradually began to set, He Xianqiu finally felt a trace of coolness.

After working the whole day, she was already completely exhausted.

Just then, the whistle blew. He Xianqiu threw down her hoe and casually found a place to sit.

The record keeper was recording the work points and happened to call her name. She pricked up her ears, listening carefully to see how many points she had earned.

She remembered that a full day’s work was worth ten points, but she had no idea how many she’d get in her current state.

“He Xianqiu—two points.”

He Xianqiu thought, Two points isn’t bad; at least I’ll get some grain.

She had already figured it out—no matter how hard she worked herself to death, she might not earn enough rations to fill her stomach.

She would probably still have to rely on cash coupons, so she decided she’d just work slowly and do enough to get by.

After all, she didn’t depend on work points to survive, so she didn’t really care how many she earned. As long as she did a bit each day, it would be fine.

Later, she could buy coarse grains from the production brigade, and as for refined grains and snacks, she’d get them from town or the county.

It was absolutely impossible for her to eat coarse grains at every meal. She’d still have to use fine grains to prepare something more palatable.

The day’s work was over. Even though He Xianqiu hadn’t finished her assigned area, she dragged her weary body back to the educated youth compound.

When she got there, the others had already arrived and were heating water.

He Xianqiu found a random place to sit in the kitchen and casually asked one of the young men who was tending the fire.

“Comrade He, will there be any water left in this pot?”

He Qiye, looking shy, said, “There’ll be a little left. Do you want some?”

He seemed embarrassed. He Xianqiu was so pretty that he always felt a little bashful speaking to her.

He Xianqiu nodded. “Thank you, Comrade He.”

She sat there waiting for the water to boil, occasionally adding firewood to the stove. The two of them weren’t very familiar, so they didn’t say much else, but the atmosphere wasn’t awkward.

When the water was ready, He Qiye said, “Comrade He, I’ll carry it over for you.”

He Xianqiu didn’t stand on ceremony. It was nice to have someone help.

“Thank you, Comrade He.”

He Qiye scratched his head and gave her a shy smile. “No need, no need.”

He carried the water to the bath stall. He Xianqiu went to get her clothes, and after washing her hair and taking a bath, the stickiness and discomfort were finally gone, and she felt much better.

When she returned to the dormitory, she heard the other educated youths discussing going to the commune to shop the next day. She listened quietly.

“We get one or two days off each month. Tomorrow’s our day off, so we can go to the commune to buy things.”

“Oh, I see.”

“But you have to get up early to get a spot. Otherwise, there won’t be room on the ox cart. Probably around seven or eight o’clock.”

Hearing this, He Xianqiu made up her mind to get up early the next day. She also wanted to go buy things.

There wasn’t much entertainment in the countryside, so she simply lay on her bed listening to them chat until she gradually drifted off to sleep.

Maybe because the bed was too narrow, she didn’t sleep well and woke up early.

Lying there, she sighed. When will this life be over?

The room was pitch black, so she couldn’t see what time it was. She decided simply to stay in bed until dawn.

When the others began to stir, she heard the rustling sounds of people getting dressed.

He Xianqiu got up and changed her clothes, then went out to wash up.

After washing, she dabbed on some snow cream and a bit of lip balm. Only then did she leave with Zhang Zhijuan.

From a distance, she could see there were already quite a few people on the ox cart. The two of them practically ran over.

Seeing a free spot, He Xianqiu sat down, and Zhang Zhijuan took the seat beside her.

People kept coming, squeezing in until the cart was packed tight. There was literally no more space for anything or anyone else.

He Xianqiu stared, dumbfounded. This is way too many people.

Once everyone was settled, the old man driving the cart grabbed the rope tied through the ox’s nose and gave its hindquarters a pat. The ox cart swayed forward.

The dirt road was uneven, and the cart jostled and jolted the whole way. After several hours, they finally arrived at the commune.

He Xianqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Finally here.

After yesterday’s hoeing, she was left with residual soreness all over, and after this long ride, she felt like her bones were about to fall apart.

He Xianqiu looked around, taking in the commune. Most of the buildings were still earthen houses, but there were more small residential buildings and quite a few blue-tiled roofs compared to the countryside.

While she observed the commune, others were observing her.

Wearing a pale yellow, knee-length dress among so many people dressed in drab, dark clothing, she stood out like a crane among chickens. That soft yellow was strikingly conspicuous.

Especially with her snow-white skin and refined manner, she looked utterly out of place on the dusty street.

He Xianqiu had only heard older people talk about this era, and she never imagined she’d experience it herself. Even if it was inside a novel, she couldn’t help but marvel at how fast the country had developed—just a few decades, and the economy and infrastructure had advanced so much.

Who could have guessed that these uneven dirt roads would one day become smooth asphalt highways, or these gray earth houses would be replaced by beautiful apartment buildings and towering skyscrapers?

He Xianqiu didn’t know why she had ended up here, but she knew that since she was here, she’d just have to muddle through.

She patted her head. Thinking about it won’t help. Better focus on shopping.

This was her first time shopping since arriving in this world, so she had to think carefully about what to buy. Since coming here wasn’t easy, she sighed.

She wanted to walk around alone, so she separated from the other female educated youths.

She remembered that the state-owned restaurant was known for generous portions and delicious food, so she asked someone for directions and quickly found it.

The restaurant was quite small, with a signboard that read “State-Owned Restaurant” in large characters and a slogan beside it. A few tables stood outside—simple and unpretentious, like a little shop.

He Xianqiu went to the ordering window. The woman behind the counter looked up.

“What would you like to eat?”

He Xianqiu looked at the menu and ordered a serving of braised pork, a plate of stir-fried greens, and a bowl of rice.

“One moment.” The woman wrote down the order and quickly went into the kitchen.

Soon, the woman called out loudly, “Comrade, your meal is ready. Come get it.”

He Xianqiu walked over, took her food, and paid. It cost fifty cents and half a jin of grain coupons. She marveled at how cheap it was.

The braised pork was still steaming. She took a bite and her eyes lit up. So delicious! The fat and lean meat were perfectly balanced, fragrant without being greasy. The greens were crisp and sweet. Even the rice, though mixed with sorghum, was tasty.

Thinking of the thin porridge and dry vegetables she’d eaten the past two days, she felt like crying. She really couldn’t stand it anymore.

He Xianqiu had been a wealthy heiress, accustomed to countless delicacies. Even though the food here wasn’t as refined, she ate slowly and elegantly, keeping her manners in public—only her pace was a little faster than usual.

When she finished, she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and squinted contentedly. She now felt that being able to eat meat every day was true happiness.

She did have enough money for food and treats, but if she ate like this all the time, she’d definitely attract unwanted attention. She felt troubled. Why is it so hard? I can’t even eat meat every day.

It seemed she’d have to come here only occasionally for a good meal. The thought made her feel deflated.

Although she was sad, she still bought ten meat buns, tucked them into her backpack basket, and used other things to cover them up.

She left the restaurant. The commune was bustling with people for market day. He Xianqiu went to the supply and marketing cooperative, where she bought a thermos, five jin of refined flour, and various odds and ends that filled her basket to the brim.

She had originally planned to buy a kettle for boiling water, but even carrying what she had now was difficult. Frowning, she stood there worrying.

Just then, she spotted a young man—well, more a boy, about eighteen or nineteen.

He Xianqiu jogged over and tapped him lightly on the back. Her voice was bright and pleasant. “Comrade, could I ask you for a favor? There’s compensation.”

She remembered him mainly because he was good-looking. His features were handsome and clear-cut. And in this era of scarcity, it was impressive he’d grown so tall—over 1.8 meters, she guessed.

Though he was thin, he was definitely very tall, probably around 1.85 meters or more.

The young man turned around and frowned at her. “What is it?”

He Xianqiu hurried to explain. “It’s like this—I’d like to buy a kettle to take home, but I already have too many things and can’t carry them all. I saw you’re from the same brigade, so I wondered if you could help me carry it to the ox cart.”

Ji Chen Zhou frowned down at her. Under his sharp gaze, she instinctively took a step back, feeling that his eyes were rather piercing.

“If you can’t, it’s fine—sorry to bother you.”

In a low voice, the young man said, “I can.”

He Xianqiu was momentarily startled, then delighted. “Great! Please come with me—I’ll go buy it now.”

He didn’t reply, just nodded and silently followed her.

She bought the kettle and handed it to him. He took it without a word and started walking. He Xianqiu trailed behind, keeping pace with him.

She thought, although he was quiet, he seemed like a really good person. She had a very favorable impression of him.

They soon reached the ox cart. He Xianqiu directed him where to set everything down, then thanked him and handed over two meat buns wrapped in paper.

“Comrade, these are for you—thank you for your help.”

“No need.” He shook his head.

“How could you not take them? These are for you—hurry, take them. Besides, once I give something away, I never take it back.” As she spoke, she firmly placed the bundle in his hands.

He looked a bit taken aback but eventually accepted them.

He Xianqiu smiled. Since she already felt embarrassed for asking a favor, giving a little reward put her mind at ease.

After he left, she sat in the ox cart waiting for the others to return. One by one, everyone climbed on, and the cart set off.

She put her things at her feet to take up as little space as possible. Zhang Zhijuan, sitting beside her, looked at the large pile and exclaimed in surprise.

“Xianqiu, you bought so much! You even got a kettle—it must have cost quite a bit?”

He Xianqiu nodded. “It was a fair amount. It’s not easy to come here, so I wanted to get everything I’d need in one trip.”

Honestly, she’d spent over forty yuan altogether. She herself was surprised how cheap everything was, but she couldn’t say that in front of others—she’d only be inviting trouble.

Even though most people were honest and simple, it wasn’t as if there were no bad sorts. Alone out here, she had to stay cautious above all.