Chapter 12 – Spatial Changes

By the time it was nearly noon, Tang Lingling left work early, planning to come back and cook.

But on the way back to the educated youth spot, she unexpectedly ran into that man in the village who was rumored to have killed wolves and wild beasts.

She was just about to detour around him when Yan Xiao handed her two fish and a chicken.

Tang Lingling was flattered and overwhelmed.

……

When she returned to the educated youth spot and entered the courtyard, she saw Wen Qinghe in the kitchen seemingly about to cook. She was startled.

She quickly set down her things, rushed into the kitchen, pulled her out, and only after seeing that the stove hadn’t been lit yet did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she pushed her back into the room.

“Qinghe, you don’t need to bother with this. Go back and rest… from now on, I’ll handle the cooking~”

“But, wasn’t it arranged that the two of us would do it together?”

“Do you know how to cook dishes?”

Wen Qinghe shook her head.

“Do you know how to cook rice?”

Wen Qinghe shook her head again.

“As for lighting the fire, you don’t know how either, right? From now on we’ll rearrange shifts. When it’s time, I’ll call you! Just go rest!”

Wen Qinghe looked dazed. “But if I don’t do anything, won’t everyone have opinions about me?”

Tang Lingling thought of that man’s words. “No, didn’t you already hand in grain rations? Don’t worry, besides, this was something the brigade leader specifically instructed. You just rest easy.”

With that, she happily carried the two fish and the chicken into the kitchen.

Wen Qinghe didn’t understand. When everyone returned from work at noon, they smelled the aroma of meat from the kitchen. Though surprised, their mouths watered, and they all rushed into the kitchen.

When the dishes were served, looking at the sumptuous spread, their eyes lit up. After all, ever since they came down to the countryside, it had been far too long since they’d had any meat.

Just earlier in the kitchen, Tang Lingling had spoken with them, so now when they looked at Wen Qinghe, their eyes were as if looking at their provider of food and clothing.

Faced with these eager gazes, Wen Qinghe didn’t know what to make of it.

At the table, everyone ate fragrant chicken and drank fresh fish soup.

Aside from praising today’s cook, Tang Lingling, for her clever hands, they almost all turned to Wen Qinghe with warmth.

“Comrade Wen, I heard you fainted this morning. Are you feeling better now?”

“Educated Youth Wen, in the future at the educated youth spot, you don’t need to do anything. Just stay and rest.”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

“If you ask me, Educated Youth Wen should just stay here at the educated youth courtyard to watch the house for us~”

“Educated Youth Wen, your health isn’t good. From now on, leave the work here at the courtyard to us~ Old Yao here can do anything!”

This sudden goodwill left her at a loss.

After all, just yesterday everyone avoided her like the plague. Was the brigade leader’s word really that effective?

Even Liu Meihua, who had suddenly grown cold to her before, now spoke softly and gently:

“Xiao He, I was wrong before. I apologize to you. From now on, leave the cooking of your group to me.”

That way, I can eat more meat.

Tang Lingling had told them, as long as they didn’t let Wen Qinghe do work, they’d have meat to eat every day.

These past days they’d had enough of it—either wild vegetable gruel, coarse corn porridge, or teeth-straining cornbread…

Now, as long as there was meat, they didn’t care where it came from—they were willing to do anything.

Seeing that everyone’s attitude toward her had changed, Wen Qinghe assumed the brigade leader had spoken to them, and felt even more grateful toward him.

Besides, her health truly was a problem. Otherwise, if she didn’t fulfill the original host’s wish, she’d just drop dead…

Thinking of this, after the meal she didn’t refuse their goodwill and returned to her room to rest.

……

These past days, with so much idle time, she bought some old newspapers from the villagers.

Tang Lingling eagerly helped her mix paste and stick them onto the walls, and also helped tack up a floral curtain for the small window.

With improved privacy, the neat little room, full of the era’s character, looked completely renewed.

Because she slept so much in the day, Wen Qinghe couldn’t fall asleep at night these days, and so she began to study her space. She discovered that her space seemed to be in a state of stasis and preservation.

But it seemed limited to within the space itself, since time flowed normally outside.

At night, she tried placing a cup of hot water in the space. The next morning when she checked, the water was still as warm as it had been the night before.

This discovery delighted her. With no refrigerators in this era, if the space could preserve food, she’d be able to store perishable things.

Thanks to her study these days, she also found that her space seemed to especially like moonlight.

As it absorbed the moonlight at night, the thick white mist within the space gradually began to disperse.

That night, she vaguely felt that the whiteness wasn’t its true form.

The following night, when she came again to observe, the mist had dispersed more, and in some places she actually saw what looked like tiny green leaves.

…

On the third night, faint outlines of lines appeared.

…

By the fourth night, she was stunned to find a tree had appeared. So this space actually contained living things…

She cheered in excitement—finally it wasn’t just a blank white void.

She had a feeling that as the space absorbed more moonlight, this was only the beginning, and it would definitely bring her more surprises…