"The autumn harvest is in two days, so everyone should try to get some rest and prepare for the harvest. Meeting adjourned."

After the meeting, to thank the male educated youth for taking care of Luo Changtian, Luo Jingyan grabbed a handful of fruit candies and put them in the boys' dormitory for them to eat.

"Young Luo, you're too kind," Tong Jianxin said. "We're all part of the same group, so it's only right that we take care of young Luo."

Luo Jingyan nodded: "Tong Zhiqing is right, but I would like to express my feelings, so please don't refuse."

Everyone was smiling, except for Zhao Wensong, whose expression seemed a little unnatural. He didn't take the candy that Luo Jingyan offered.

Luo Jingyan returned to her room, then grabbed another handful and placed them in the girls' dormitory, just to avoid any complaints from the female educated youth, especially the five older ones.

"Jingyan, you're too kind," Shen Ruyi said with a smile.

Lin Shanshan was self-aware and didn't take Luo Jingyan's candy, and Du Yinan didn't eat any either, which suited Luo Jingyan's wishes perfectly.

Song Yinglan smiled and said, "This young educated youth is so thoughtful."

With one swift motion, half of the candies were taken away, leaving only eight or nine. Liu Huifang and Sun Tiantian were both unhappy about this.

But these were Luo Jingyan's candies after all, so they couldn't say anything. Liu Huifang took three pieces, enough for her share, and Sun Tiantian also took three pieces, stuffing the remaining three into Shen Ruyi's hand.

Luo Jingyan didn't say anything. Having seen Song Yinglan's character this time, she was wary and knew she couldn't let her take advantage of her again.

Afraid of what others might say about her, Song Yinglan said, "I just saw that these two newcomers weren't eating, so it would be a waste to keep them."

"A thick skin makes you fat, that's absolutely true. It's a pity we don't have that kind of thick skin," Liu Huifang said sarcastically.

Song Yinglan knew she was in the wrong, but she was thick-skinned and didn't say anything, putting the candy into her pocket.

While everyone was resting, Luo Jingyan went to check on the small room in the courtyard. The house was made of adobe, and the wooden door was dilapidated but still usable. The old-fashioned windows had all the paper pasted on them rotted away.

Through the window, you can see that the innermost part is covered with a thick layer of soil, and there is a kang (a heated brick bed) at the very back, with a dusty wooden box next to it.

She was puzzled: if the house was uninhabitable, why was no one using the things inside?

She found Shen Ruyi and asked, "Sister Ruyi, there's a small room over there. Why is it empty? Even though the roof is broken, it can be repaired and people can live in it."

Shen Ruyi's expression didn't change much, as if she was already used to this kind of question.

She whispered in Luo Jingyan's ear, "Because the female educated youth who lived there died a violent death, no one dares to live there."

Then, Shen Ruyi told Luo Jingyan the cause of the female educated youth's death.

“She paid for the construction of that room herself, but a year ago, she suddenly jumped into the river and committed suicide. Her body was taken to the back of the mountain and buried. The educated youth were all afraid to enter that room. Who would dare to live in her house?”

"Then why did she jump into the river? She must have been quite young when she died."

Shen Ruyi said, "Her affair with Lai Zi from the village was seen by others, and she even got pregnant with Lai Zi's child. She didn't want to marry Lai Zi, so she jumped into the river and committed suicide."

Luo Jingyan was still puzzled, "If she doesn't want to marry Lai Zi, then she must not like Lai Zi. Why is she still involved with Lai Zi?"

"I don't know about that. Back then, some people from the educated youth settlement went to see the scene of the adultery. She and Lai Zi were indeed disheveled and doing that kind of thing. But she said that someone was trying to frame her. She said that the child in her belly was the village secretary's son's. No one believed her. The village secretary even framed her for framing someone. In a fit of anger, she committed suicide. At first, we were all very scared. We were afraid that her ghost would come back to the house. We wanted to move out, but the village wouldn't tolerate us and would not build us a new house. When we went to the villagers' homes, they thought we had evil spirits and refused to take us in. We could only secretly find the village shaman to exorcise the evil spirits, and then everyone was less scared."

Luo Jingyan suddenly understood that the death of the female educated youth in the house was suspicious and must be related to the village secretary and his son.

Regardless of what the female educated youth had done, the Party branch secretary and his son were not good people.

She had the idea of ​​moving out when she arrived, but if there were any empty houses outside, other educated youth would have moved in long ago, and they wouldn't have left them for her.

With the autumn harvest approaching, it's unlikely that anyone will be available to build houses. After the harvest, winter will soon arrive, and the foundations may freeze before they are even laid. Once the ground is frozen, construction will be impossible, and we'll have to wait until next spring.

She's not afraid at all; she can fix the house when she has time. It's not like anyone died here.

We'll make do here for a while, and then move out next spring after we've built a new house outside.

Shen Ruyi reminded her: "Because this matter will affect the reputation of the brigade, the Party Secretary gave the villagers a strict order that no one is allowed to talk nonsense outside or link this matter with his son. The only thing to say is that the female educated youth accidentally fell into the water and drowned. Anyone who lets it slip will probably be punished. You should not talk nonsense outside either."

"I understand, Sister Ruyi. I know what I should and shouldn't say."

Shen Ruyi smiled and said, "I like smart girls like you, otherwise I wouldn't have talked to you so much."

In the evening, Zhang Baolai brought over six large wooden boxes, three wooden frames, and five straw mats on a cart.

Among the new educated youth, except for Fang Zhiyuan who used a wooden box left behind by the older educated youth, everyone else bought new ones.

The wooden frame belonged to Luo Jingyan, Luo Changtian, and Jiang Manyue; the straw mats belonged to the three of them, as well as to Lin Shanshan and Du Yinan.

Zhang Baolai left after unloading the goods.

They each carried their belongings into the house. Luo Jingyan wanted to help Luo Changtian with his suitcase, but Luo Changtian said, "Sister, I'm a man now. I can do these things myself."

Luo Jingyan lightly patted his head: "When did you become a man? You're just a little kid. You're a long way from becoming a man."

Luo Changtian said, "Sister, I'm all grown up now. I'll be able to work in the fields and earn work points soon, and I can support myself with my own strength. Aren't I a man?"

"That's not a man, but you can't say he's not a man either. The word 'boy' is more suitable for you."

Tong Jianxin picked up the large wooden box with one hand: "Young man, look at us, this is what men are like. You, you're just a kid."

He carried Luo Changtian's box into the house, and Chen Zhiyu helped him carry the wooden frame inside. He only needed to take the straw mat inside.

Luo Changtian: Everyone looks down on him, yet they insist on helping him with chores. He should just stay a child.

Luo Jingyan felt that the male educated youth was still very humane. "Xiao Tian, ​​he helped you, you should thank him when you go in."

"Sister, I know."

Before the new educated youth arrived, the five veteran educated youth took turns cooking. After the groups were divided, it was Liu Huifang and Sun Tiantian's turn today, and Shen Ruyi and Jiang Manyue's turn to cook tomorrow.

Almost everyone pitched in for dinner that evening. Those who couldn't help went to do other chores; no one wanted to be idle.

But there is one exception: Du Yinan.