As Xu Ning walked, she reflected on the plot of the book she had been reading. Most of it centered around the main characters, with only a few brief mentions of other people at the youth commune and in the village. The most detailed parts were about the female protagonist’s black market business dealings.

Since she couldn’t recall any particularly useful details at the moment, she decided not to dwell on it. Now that she was in the county town, she intended to visit the house of her father’s student, as mentioned by the original owner. She wanted to see what kind of person he was and if there was any reason to establish contact.

Xu Ning had brought along a note with the address written on it. After asking several people on the street, she finally located the place. It was a modest small courtyard, similar in style to the surrounding houses.

When Xu Ning reached the door, she knocked lightly twice and called out, “Is anyone home?” After a short while, a woman in her twenties, holding a child, came out and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

Xu Ning replied, “Is this Zhao Jianguo’s home?”

“Yes, it is Zhao Jianguo’s home. Who are you? What do you want with him?”

Xu Ning explained, “I am an educated youth from Jing City ^[1]Beijing / Jing City / The Capital who has come to Yushu Village. Zhao Jianguo is a student of my father. Since I’m in the hometown of my senior brother, I thought I should come and visit his elder relatives.”

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately opened the door and welcomed Xu Ning inside, warmly taking her hand. “Sister, I am Su Hongmei, Zhao Jianguo’s sister-in-law. If you don’t mind, you can call me sister as well.”

Xu Ning quickly responded with, “Sister,” and then looked at the little boy she was holding. “This must be my little nephew. He’s really cute.” Su Hongmei smiled and said, “Yes, he’s almost eight months old.”

As they chatted, they moved into the main room. Xu Ning took a look around the courtyard. It had three main rooms, a side room that seemed to be the kitchen, and a toilet in the corner near the gate. The courtyard was very clean.

When the original owner went to the countryside, her father had mentioned Zhao Jianguo and his twin brother Zhao Jianshe. Their mother had previously been a wet nurse for a wealthy family. The two brothers had lived with the wealthy family’s young master and studied with him. When that family moved to Hong Kong in the 1950s, they left some money for the brothers. Their parents took them back to their hometown, now Chengnan County. After their parents passed away a few years ago, only the two brothers remained. Zhao Jianshe, having graduated from high school, worked as a police officer at the Chengnan County Public Security Bureau, while his brother Zhao Jianguo went to university and stayed in Jing City. The original owner’s father trusted Zhao Jianguo but didn’t know Zhao Jianshe well, so he advised the siblings to avoid visiting unless absolutely necessary.

In the main room, Su Hongmei warmly invited Xu Ning to sit down and offered her water and snacks. Xu Ning quickly said, “Sister, please don’t bother. I just came to make an introduction. I’ve been here for half a year and haven’t had a chance to visit. Today, there happened to be a bullock cart going to the county town, so I came along.” She then placed two pounds of meat, ten eggs, two pounds of brown sugar, and one pound of egg cake from her basket on the table.

Su Hongmei hurriedly declined, saying, “Sister, just coming is enough. You don’t need to bring so many things.” She then asked about the bump on Xu Ning’s head, to which Xu Ning explained that she had bumped it while fetching water.

After a bit more conversation, Xu Ning said she had to leave. Su Hongmei insisted that she stay for a meal, but Xu Ning said she might miss the bullock cart back to the village and promised to visit again next time she came to the city.

After leaving, Xu Ning hurried to the agreed meeting place. When she was almost there, she took out five pounds of rice, five pounds of flour, ten meat buns, two pounds of meat, two pounds of brown sugar, two pounds of egg cake, and one pound of White Rabbit candy from her space, covering them with an old piece of clothing.

Arriving by the bullock cart, she saw Old Chen, the cart driver, and the village head’s daughter-in-law talking. The others hadn’t returned yet. Xu Ning took out three buns, giving one to the village head’s daughter-in-law and one to Old Chen. They both waved their hands and refused, but the village head’s daughter-in-law said, “Xu Ning, take these back for your brother. Harvest season is approaching, and you two need to keep your strength up. Otherwise, you’ll struggle during the harvest.”

Xu Ning insisted on giving each of them one bun and told the village head’s daughter-in-law, “Auntie, I still have more in my basket. These were made by my sister-in-law; she packed ten of them. The weather is hot, and my brother and I can’t finish them all. They’ll go bad by tomorrow.”

The village head’s daughter-in-law asked, “Your sister-in-law? Xu Ning, do you have relatives here?”

“Yes, Auntie, my brother Jianshe is a police officer in the Public Security Bureau,” Xu Ning replied.

“Oh, I was wondering why you two came to the countryside at such a young age. It turns out you have relatives here,” the village head’s daughter-in-law exclaimed.

Xu Ning smiled shyly and started eating a bun. She also invited Old Chen and the village head’s daughter-in-law to have some. Both of them, though reluctant, took the buns. The village head’s daughter-in-law put hers in her basket, and Old Chen placed his in his cloth bag, likely to take home to his children. By the time Xu Ning had finished one bun, the others had returned, and Old Chen began driving the bullock cart slowly back.

When Xu Ning returned to the youth camp, the villagers had just finished their work. Xu An and three male educated youths were relaxing inside, while the two female youths were cooking in the kitchen. Seeing Xu Ning return, drenched in sweat, Xu An immediately went to get water for her to wash her face.

Xu Ning placed her basket in the room, washed her face, and sat down. She noticed Xu An had brought a fan to cool her. She thought her brother was both obedient and thoughtful and pulled him to sit beside her.

She opened her basket and took out the buns for him to eat. Xu An’s eyes widened when he saw the contents and he asked in a low voice, “Sister, did we really need to buy so many? Will we be able to finish them?”

Xu Ning replied quietly, “We’re not eating all of them ourselves. Some will be given as gifts.” She then explained her plan to Xu An—she wanted to build two small rooms on the vacant land behind the private plot, close to the Daqing Mountain, so that they could live there separately.

Xu An’s eyes lit up. “Will the village head agree?”

Xu Ning smiled and patted the basket. “I’ll ask him tonight.”

She urged Xu An to eat the buns quickly. They had been hot when she took them out of the space, but it was early August, the hottest time of the year. After sitting outside for two hours, the buns were only warm now, which was perfect for eating.

Xu An went to fetch the hot water he had boiled earlier and brought it back. The siblings ate their buns with the hot water, so they didn’t need to cook a separate meal for lunch.

The buns were as big as an adult’s fist. Xu An ate one and stopped, saying he was full. Xu Ning knew he was being reluctant to eat more.

In the past, Xu Ning could easily eat two or three of these big buns, let alone in this era when people generally had larger appetites, and Xu An was still growing.

Xu Ning told him, “These are meat buns and can’t be left out. They’ll spoil by tomorrow.”

Xu An shook his head. “I’m full. Sister, you eat. Dr. Han said eating nutritious food helps injuries heal faster.”

Xu Ning was so moved she nearly cried. How could she have such a wonderful brother?

Taking advantage of a moment when he was speaking, Xu Ning shoved a bun into his mouth, pretending to be stern. “Eat up. If you don’t, I won’t eat either.”

Xu An finally ate the bun. Xu Ning let him have three buns before sending him back to his room to rest.

Lying on the kang, Xu Ning thought about the house-building plan she had discussed with Xu An. Though she had said she would ask about it, she felt confident it would work out.

Today, when Xu Ning gave the buns to the village head’s daughter-in-law in the county town, she unintentionally mentioned that her brother and she had relatives in the county public security bureau. These were the kind of relatives who could give away ten meat buns at a time. Such generosity with ten pure white meat buns was not something one would do unless they were close to the person.

The police still held considerable power, and while most people did not actively seek to befriend them, few would deliberately offend them.

What Xu Ning sought was not a big deal—she simply wanted to build a house with two rooms on a piece of land with little value, which would not harm anyone’s interests.

Initially, Xu Ning hadn’t planned to visit Zhao Family home today. Her original plan was to stay at the youth camp, gauge the situation in the village, and discuss the house-building matter gradually.

However, today she realized she had crossed into the world of the book. In the original story, the female protagonist would arrive in Yushu Village in about a month, and the original owner’s parents and younger brother would also soon be sent here. Xu Ning needed to move out before the protagonist arrived.

First, she wanted to avoid the protagonist’s spotlight. Second, moving out was the only way to take care of the original owner’s parents.

Xu Ning felt that once the protagonist and the male lead arrived, the youth commune would become very lively, and she did not want to get involved in that.

While Xu Ning was recalling the plot, Li Fengjiao and Lin Qiuhua came in after dinner. Both of them said nothing; they simply lay down on the kang and fell asleep. Listening to their snoring, Xu Ning also drifted off.

When she woke up, it was already past four in the afternoon. With work ending at five, Xu Ning quickly got up, intending to prepare dinner for the siblings before they returned.

She first washed the rice and put it in a pot to make porridge. Both she and Xu An needed to gradually improve their health, and consuming too much greasy food would upset their stomachs.

While the porridge simmered on low heat, Xu Ning cut a pound of the two pounds of pork belly from her basket to render lard. After cutting the pork, she went to her private plot to pick some green beans and an eggplant, planning to use the pork fat and residue to stew the vegetables.

When Xu An returned from cutting pig grass, Xu Ning had already set the meal on the table. There were two large bowls of thick rice porridge, a large bowl of stewed green beans and eggplant with pork residue, and two leftover meat buns from lunch.

Seeing Xu An return, Xu Ning asked him to wash his face and hands first. After he had washed up and come to the kitchen, she handed him a bowl of cool boiled water to drink slowly. Once he had finished the water, they began their meal. Each had a bowl of rice porridge, a meat bun, and a large plate of vegetables. They both ate until they were full.

Xu An insisted that Xu Ning sit and rest while he washed the dishes. He took the dishes to the water tank to wash them, and Xu Ning followed him, since there were only two or three bowls. After cooking, Xu Ning washed the pot and then went to the room to organize the items in the basket.

She first prepared the items to take to the village head’s house: a pound of pork, a pound of brown sugar, and a pound of egg cake. She put the remaining items in the cupboard and locked it.

Xu Ning then thought for a moment and took out two military water bottles from her space, one for the village head and one to keep outside for herself and Xu An.

Just after Xu Ning finished organizing the items, Xu An came in and saw the two new water bottles on the kang. He asked quickly, “Sister, where did these water bottles come from?”

“I bought them in the county town today. We’ll use one, and the other will be for the village head,” Xu Ning explained.

Xu An nodded and asked softly, “When are we going to the village head’s house?”

“Let’s go after it gets dark,” Xu Ning replied. Gifts are best given in the quiet of the night.

After everything was organized, the siblings went to fetch water. It was the turn of the three male youths to fetch water today, but since they had already arranged to eat separately, Xu Ning didn’t want to take advantage of the situation.

The closest well to the youth camp was about 20 meters away, separated by a cattle shed. The shed was as large as the camp, covering an area of over three acres. Inside the shed were six cows. Previously, an elderly, limping widower had tended to the cows. In 1967, a couple who had been sent down also lived there. The couple, in their forties, rarely spoke, and no one in the village paid them much attention. During busy farming seasons, they worked in the fields; otherwise, they took care of the animals. Occasionally, they would be seen gathering firewood or foraging for wild vegetables on the mountain.

Xu Ning thought about how the original owner’s parents were sent here for re-education. Compared to other places, this was relatively good. The village had a simple, honest character, and the village head was relatively upright, not engaging in the city’s critical struggles. The only drawbacks were the heavy labor and lower public distribution scores, but with no mental torment, life could be endured.

If she and Xu An could successfully build their house and move out, it would be convenient to open a small gate in the back. This would make movement between their house and the cattle shed easier.

The youth camp and the cattle shed were close to the Daqing Mountain and a bit far from the village. According to Aunt Dashuan, when the cattle shed was built, the village elders had said the land here was not fertile, so they put the shed there. When the first batch of educated youths came, they stayed with villagers, and conflicts arose over time. A few youths complained to the township, leading the township leaders to reprimand the village head and instruct him to build houses for the youths. Annoyed, the village head allocated land for the youth commune far from the village, near the cattle shed.

When the siblings reached the well, they saw the limping elder from the cattle shed drawing water. Xu Ning quickly put down the water buckets and went over to help. Xu An called out, “Grandpa Qi!”

“Good, good, good children,” the elder said, patting Xu An’s head in praise before heading back to the shed with the water.

Xu Ning tied the rope to the bucket and lowered it into the well. After filling both buckets about 80% full, they carried the water back to the camp.

By the time they arrived, the other youths had returned. Sun Hao saw Xu Ning carrying water and hurried over to take the buckets. “We’ll handle the water fetching for the next few days. Rest until your injury heals.”

Xu Ning quickly replied, “Thank you, it’s much better now.” Chen Xiangdong, who was nearby, also chimed in, agreeing to help fetch water for the time being. Xu Ning appreciated their kindness, knowing that with her head injury, it was best not to overexert herself.

Sun Hao then asked if she needed company to visit the village head to discuss the land division. Xu Ning said it wasn’t necessary. It was a simple matter, and she and Xu An could handle it. Sun Hao nodded and took the buckets and carrying pole to fetch water.

As Xu Ning noticed that it was getting dark, she and Xu An put on their baskets and headed towards the village. They walked slowly along the road, which was mostly deserted since it was dinnertime.

When they arrived at the village head’s house, the family had just finished dinner. The village head’s wife welcomed them warmly and offered them a seat while getting some water. The village head asked Xu Ning, “Xu Qing, how’s your head? Is it better? Don’t rush back to work; take another couple of days off. There’s not much work in the fields right now.”

“Thank you, Village Head. I’ll rest for another couple of days. I appreciate your help,” Xu Ning replied, beginning to unpack the items from her basket. “This water bottle was sent by my brother from the army. He sent two; one is for me, and the other is for you,” she said, handing over the water bottle. She then took out a piece of meat. “This meat was given to me by my sister-in-law today. I kept one piece and brought one for you and Auntie. It’s hot, so it won’t keep well. Auntie should cook it soon,” she continued, also presenting the brown sugar and egg cake.

The village head and his wife were taken aback by her actions, but the village head was the first to recover. “Xu Qing, what are you doing? Put these things away.”

“Village Head, my brother and I came to Yushu Village, and you and Auntie have taken good care of us. If it weren’t for Auntie, my brother wouldn’t have had any work to do. We both appreciate everything you’ve done for us.”

“Village Head, Auntie, these aren’t valuable items. The water bottles were issued by the army, and we each have one. This extra one is for you. Also, I need to trouble you to come with me to the camp.”

Xu Ning then explained that she and Xu An had planned to eat separately and had discussed with the other educated youths about dividing a piece of land near the Daqing Mountain for their own use. She wanted the village head to help measure the land.

The village head said, “That’s a minor matter. Let Xu An come over and say hello. I can measure the land when I have time. There’s no need for all these gifts.”

Xu Ning added, “Village Head, there’s a small piece of barren land covered in stones near the camp where we want to build our house. Do you think it’s feasible?”

“You want to build a house yourself? Building a house costs quite a bit. I know the rocky land you’re talking about,” the village head said, thinking for a moment before continuing, “That land can be allocated to you for building, but the cost of construction will be on you.”

“Of course, we will cover the construction costs. Village Head, could you help find a few people in the village to help with the construction? We’ll pay 80 cents per person per day.”

“There’s no need to pay that much. 70 cents per day will be sufficient,” the village head’s wife interjected.

“Auntie, I can’t provide meals. There’s only one pot at the camp, and we need it for cooking and boiling water. The workers will have to eat at home.”

The village head asked, “When do you plan to start building? Will you be constructing one house or two?”

“Village Head, I’m thinking of building it before the autumn harvest, while there isn’t too much work in the fields. I plan to build a house with two rooms—one for my brother and one for me.”

“Alright, I’ll find people for you tomorrow. You can tell them how you want it built. They have adobe bricks at home; you can buy them directly. “Building a two-room house will be quick, and I’ll measure the land for you during my lunch break tomorrow,” the village head said.

Xu Ning and Xu An stood up to thank him. “Thank you, Village Head. Please rest early. We’ll head back now.” The village chief’s wife took the things on the table and asked her to take them back but Xu Ning and her brother ran away with their empty basket.