Chapter 16

“If you build a house that’s too big and you live alone, not to mention other people, your own grandmother will probably come to cause trouble for you.”

“Captain, I’ve thought about this too. I’ll build a utility room and put some small things in it, and some firewood.”

“I also need to build a kitchen, a toilet, and two kangs for sleeping. You can also make the room bigger. Do you think this is okay, Captain uncle?”

“Uncle Captain, I want to find someone to help me dig a well. I don’t want to carry water. It’s okay for me to spend a little more money.”

The captain said, “You are so lazy. Don’t you know that it costs a lot of money to find someone to dig a well? It’s no problem to build a house as you said.”

The captain said, “Since I want to repair the house, I will do it all at once. How much money did your classmates lend you if you spend so much money? What will you do if you don’t have money at that time? You spend money lavishly without even saving a little.”

Hehe, “Uncle Captain, just relax. I have already thought about these things. I will definitely have the money to pay it back when the time comes. No one will come to the brigade headquarters.”

“I’m going to pick up the educated youth tomorrow morning. When I come back, I’ll find someone to build a house for you. What do you think? Captain, don’t we have so many educated youth in our village? More are coming.”

Alas, the captain sighed, shook his pipe and said, “You don’t know that there are still eight people coming this time. I don’t know what the higher-ups are thinking. How can we have so much food to feed these people? Look at those educated youth who work so hard that they can’t even lift anything with their hands or shoulders. The work points they earn are probably not enough to even feed themselves.”

“There are so many things going on, and they look down on us farmers. If they look down on us farmers, why do they still go to the countryside? If they look down on us, why do they still eat the food we grow?”

Xia Yunxuan said, “Captain, this is an arrangement from above. You are just the captain of the village. What can you do? Who would have thought that those people like to cause trouble every day? Captain, there are so many of them this time. I guess there are quite a few female educated youth. You will have a headache again.”

The team leader said, “There are four men and four women here this time. Anyway, you have to work hard. If anyone dares to cause trouble in the village, I will send him back. The more I see those educated youth, the more annoyed I am.”

“Little girl, let’s not talk about the educated youth. Didn’t you say you had something else to ask me? Tell me what it is. Captain, I have to go to work tomorrow. I’m alone now. Anyway, it’s enough for me to eat. I want you to help me arrange a lighter job, okay?”

The captain said, “You should think about it. The work points for the easier jobs are very few. What will you do if you don’t have enough food?”

“Uncle Captain, I don’t eat much anyway. I’ve made up my mind. You should go to work tomorrow and manage the farm tools. Distribute the farm tools in the morning and collect them and register them in the evening. But you can’t make any mistakes. If the farm tools are lost, you will have to compensate for it. How about that?”

“Captain Uncle gave them farm tools in the morning, so I can go do other things, and then collect them and register them in the evening when they are ready to leave work, is that right?”

“You little girl only know how to be lazy. It’s up to you when there’s no autumn harvest, but you have to work when there’s autumn harvest.”

“Okay, Captain. I’ll follow your instructions. Since I have nothing else to do, I’ll leave first. Consider these things as a gift to you. I hope you don’t mind.”

The captain looked at Xia Yunxuan and said, “Little girl, why did you bring me so many good things when you don’t even have any money? You don’t know how to save money, and you don’t know how to save money. Let’s see what you will do when you get married in the future.”

“Hehe, Captain, just relax. Besides, I can’t come to you empty-handed when I ask you for help. It would make me look so immature.”

The captain said, “Why are you leaving? Your aunt is cooking now. Just have dinner at my house before going back. Captain, I always come here after dinner. Didn’t I not go to work today? Don’t worry, I will have dinner early if you have time. I won’t be too hard on myself.”

“Then Captain, please help me find a few more people to help me build the house tomorrow. By the way, Captain, how do you calculate the wages if meals are not included?”

“It’s 70 cents if it’s not provided, and 50 cents if it’s provided. Captain, you know I have no place to cook, so I won’t provide meals. 70 cents a day is fine. Captain, I want to move into the new house as soon as possible. Can you help me find a few more people? Ask if anyone in the village is willing to come.”

“Okay, I’ll help you find someone tomorrow. Thank you, Captain. I’ll definitely treat you to a drink when the house is built.”

“You’re free of meals. Life is not easy for a little girl now. You have to rely on yourself for everything. Tell me why you separated from me? Captain, I’m much happier now. That family is hell.”

“Ah, I don’t know what your mother and grandmother are thinking. You have such good grades and are obedient, but they always want to make trouble for you.”

“Uncle Captain, you don’t have to feel sorry for me. I don’t want a family like that. I don’t know how happy I am living alone now.”

“I’m leaving first, Captain Uncle,” Xia Yunxuan said to Hu Guiqin outside and left. Wu Guiqin said, “You little girl, you see that I have prepared the meal, but you don’t want to eat it and leave. You are so polite to your aunt.”

“Aunt, I came here after dinner. You, little girl, don’t come to my house for dinner. You are alone now and have nothing. Aunt, you don’t have to worry about me. I have bought everything I need.”

“Then I’m relieved. At least you have a place to stay. Well, Auntie, I’ll go back first. Take care, little girl. Come to my house when you have time and we can chat together.”

Xia Yunxuan nodded. After everyone left, Hu Guiqin told the captain, “This little girl is really sensible. I don’t know what that bastard was thinking. They didn’t want such a good girl.”

The captain said, “We should just take care of them in the team anyway. Why do you care so much about other people’s affairs?”

“You know what kind of person Aunt He is. Be careful that she may rely on you.”

That person is notoriously stingy in the village. Hu Guiqin said, “I just feel sorry for the little girl for meeting such a relative. But then again, have you noticed, head of the family? This little girl doesn’t look like that family at all.”

“Look at that family, everyone is ugly, but this little girl looks like a fairy, the captain said, you can’t say such nonsense, after all, we have no evidence, it would be bad if outsiders heard it.”

“Do you think I, Hu Guiqin, am stupid? Am I such a loudmouth? I am just gossiping with you. Come on, let’s eat. And the little girl has taken so many good things, so lock them up quickly.”