Chapter 8: The Courtyard of the Educated Youth

Once everyone had gathered, the brigade leader drove the ox cart in a slow, swaying manner out of the town. Lin Jingyue also learned the name of the first educated youth to arrive: Yang Ming, from the capital. No wonder there was such pride in his eyes.

“Brigade Leader, about how far is Qingshan Brigade from the town?” Lin Jingyue had chosen a spot near the front, close to where the brigade leader was driving. She leaned over, blocking the others’ view, and slipped a pack of cigarettes into his hand.

The brigade leader glanced back at her. Seeing the pure, clear look in the young woman’s eyes, he immediately felt a sense of goodwill. Coupled with the cigarettes in his pocket, he actually gave Lin Jingyue a rare smile, thinking to himself, This girl knows how to get things done. Coming to our Qingshan Brigade, too?

“If you take the ox cart, it’s a bit over two hours. Walking would take even longer. Sometimes there’s a tractor, but people don’t come to town that often. The commune has its own supply and marketing cooperative, which basically meets everyone’s daily needs.” The brigade leader didn’t bother lowering his voice.

There were seven educated youths on the cart; he had to let everyone know. Lin Jingyue smiled, “That’s really quite far.”

The others saw her chatting easily with the brigade leader, occasionally laughing out loud. She looked as though she was adapting well, and they were a little surprised.

After their initial astonishment, Lin Xinrou and a few others felt only disdain, silently thinking that Lin Jingyue had no sense of propriety. What good does it do to curry favor with a peasant?

After more than two hours, Lin Jingyue’s legs had gone numb, and the others were grimacing as well. It couldn’t have been pleasant for anyone.

Fortunately, they had arrived. True to its name, Qingshan Brigade nestled against a great green mountain, offering a scene of tranquil harmony as far as the eye could see. That is, if you overlooked the scrawny children running around naked and the members’ clothes patched upon patches.

The educated youths’ dormitory was built within the brigade compound, close to the mountain: a row of mud-walled houses enclosed by a courtyard. The ox cart stopped at the gate, and the brigade leader called out twice. The educated youths inside, who had been cooking, all came out.

“All right then, since everyone’s here, I won’t repeat myself. If you need anything, look for Luo Jianhua, the head of the educated youth dormitory. He’ll let you know what to do.” The brigade leader waved his hand, gave a few instructions to the oldest man in the dormitory, and left.

This was Luo Jianhua, the dormitory head. He’d been in the countryside for six years, now twenty-six, with a square face etched with hardship.

“Welcome, everyone. The dormitory is divided into two sides, with the dining room in the middle. The men’s rooms are on the left, the women’s on the right. Currently, there are three male and four female educated youths. You can choose your rooms.”

He went on to explain the other arrangements.

There weren’t many mud houses, so the earlier arrivals had lived quite comfortably. But now, with seven newcomers, there were fourteen people in the dormitory. It would be crowded—never mind the trouble that might bring. The old-timers looked displeased, clearly not welcoming the new arrivals.

“Also, about your food rations: the summer harvest just ended, and autumn isn’t here yet. Since you don’t have any work points, you’ll have to borrow grain from the brigade. Once you start earning work points, you can pay it back...” Luo Jianhua was thorough in his explanation.

The newcomers, who had been at a loss, now had some idea of what to expect.

Lin Jingyue, carrying her suitcase, stopped in front of the outermost room on the right. “Excuse me, is anyone living here?”

Luo Jianhua smiled. “No. If you want, you can have it to yourself.”

There were four women’s rooms in total; three of them were slightly larger and could house two or three people. Each had a kang platform ready.

“Why does she get a room to herself?” Lin Xinjian looked at Lin Jingyue with a dark expression.

Du Jianguo spoke up as well. “Some people think they’re special from the moment they arrive!”

Luo Jianhua frowned at them. “I wasn’t finished. This room is small and doesn’t have a kang. If you want to live here, you’ll have to build the kang yourself.”

He opened the door. Everyone looked in and wrinkled their noses. The room was a mess, barely five or six square meters—just enough for a single kang. At night, you’d have to be careful not to fall off. Once you put in a cupboard, there’d be hardly any space to stand.

Lin Xinrou was inwardly disgusted too, but she couldn’t stand the thought of Lin Jingyue being comfortable. Her eyes darted, and she spoke in a soft, gentle tone, “Sister, I’m not well, I...”

“If you’re unwell, go to the hospital! It’s not as if you’re dying,” Lin Jingyue shot her a glance. “And if you call me sister again, do you believe I’ll break your legs?” She gave Lin Xinrou’s legs a pointed look.

Leg pain...

Lin Xinrou’s face twisted, and she lowered her head, unwilling to give in—a picture of being terribly bullied.

The old educated youths were surprised, their gazes shifting back and forth between Lin Jingyue and the others.

Lin Jingyue was unperturbed. She turned to Luo Jianhua. “Comrade Luo, I’ll stay here and build my own kang.”

“That’s fine.” Luo Jianhua had no reason to object.

Lin Jingyue, having chosen her room, ignored the others. She set down her suitcase, rolled up her sleeves, and began tidying up.

The old educated youths, bowls in hand, watched as she went in and out. In no time, the room was mostly cleaned up. They were a little surprised—she seemed used to hard work.

When she was nearly done, Lin Jingyue took a lock from her suitcase, shut the door, locked it, and walked out of the dormitory with a leisurely air.

“Seems like she’s not the sociable type,” muttered Xie Wenjuan beside Luo Jianhua, though it was unclear if she meant Lin Jingyue or someone else.

No one responded.

With two pieces of fruit candy, Lin Jingyue soon found out where the brigade leader lived.

Most houses in Qingshan Brigade were made of adobe, but the brigade leader’s was half brick, half tile, with a spacious yard.

“Auntie, hello, I’m a new educated youth. My name is Lin Jingyue.” In the yard, a woman had just come out of the kitchen with a bowl when Lin Jingyue quickly greeted her.

Aunt Chun turned and saw a fair-skinned young woman standing prettily outside the gate, her smile as bright as a spring peach blossom.

Such a beautiful new educated youth! The young men in the brigade would surely be restless. Though she was thinking of this, her face remained cheerful. “Ah, Comrade Lin, come in. What brings you here?”

Lin Jingyue stepped in and handed over half a pound of brown sugar. “Auntie, I wanted to ask—whom should I talk to about building a kang or making a cupboard? I just arrived and don’t know anyone.”

Aunt Chun passed her bowl to her daughter-in-law, took Lin Jingyue’s hand, and said, “Come on, I’ll take you. But why do you need a kang? There should still be space in the dormitory.”

Lin Jingyue slipped the brown sugar to Aunt Chun’s daughter-in-law and walked out with Aunt Chun. “I chose the small room that no one wanted—peace and quiet to myself...”

Their voices faded into the distance.

Aunt Chun’s daughter-in-law, holding the brown sugar, was all smiles.

“This is the place. Is Brother Shuisheng home?” Aunt Chun called out from outside a courtyard.

It was dinner time, so of course the family was in.

With a single call, the entire Shuisheng family came out, leaving Lin Jingyue a little embarrassed.