Previously, when some educated youth from the commune were assigned to other villages, Liu Weimin knew that it was only a matter of time before he ended up in Liujiatun.

He had a good idea: there was a big house in the village that belonged to a landlord a few years ago. After the landlord was overthrown, it was left empty. There was nothing inside; the villagers had taken everything that was usable home. But the house was still relatively intact and could be moved into after some cleaning. It was suitable for the educated youth to live in.

Then there's a small house not far from the village entrance, near the foot of the mountain. It was used for sentry duty during the war years ago. It was built very sturdily back then, but it's small, just enough for one person. There's also a large open space around it. He had ruled that out after thinking about it for a while. But when he mentioned it, he became more interested in this small house. When he got there, he was even more impressed.

"Uncle, can this little house be repaired? Can a wall be built around it?"

Liu Weimin immediately regretted it.

"Why don't you go live in that big house? It's so spacious and nice. Look, the one in the middle, it's a brick house."

Simple and natural, she can't say that it's inconvenient to cook for herself, nor can she say that there are still more than ten years of educated youth going to the countryside. Such a big house, how many people will live there? People from all over the country, with different living habits, tastes and customs. Just thinking about the daily necessities and trivial matters, it's very lively. If she can't afford to offend them, can't she just hide away as soon as possible?

“Uncle, isn’t it creepy for me to live in such a big courtyard by myself? I think this small house is just fine. Could you help me find someone to build a wall and tidy it up? Shouldn’t we build a kang (heated brick bed) and a stove? I’m all alone, so a smaller one will be warmer and I won’t be scared.”

"No, no, you have to listen to your uncle. That place is near the mountains. What if a wild animal comes down? What will you, a child, do?"

He gestured simply.

“If I build the wall higher and thicker, it should block it to some extent. Besides, look, it's only this far. If I shout from here, they'll hear me from there. Are you really going to just stand by and do nothing?”

Seeing that she was determined, Third Master Liu also tried to persuade her.

"Sure, it doesn't matter where we stay. This is still the village, isn't it? It's just a few steps away, what's there to be afraid of?"

That's what they say, but Jian Dan prefers the quiet here. Although it's at the village entrance, no one is eating now, so hardly anyone goes out. She can sneak out without attracting attention.

It was already getting dark, and there was nothing to do today, so Liu Weimin took Jian Dan directly back to his home. He figured he could just let her stay with his daughter for the night.

When he entered the house, he was startled to find it deserted and the stove and pots were empty.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

After searching around and not finding anyone, just as I was about to leave, a little boy, about four or five years old, ran in. He was a tanned little black boy, barefoot, wearing a sleeveless shirt and ripped pants that only reached his calves.

Upon seeing Liu Weimin, they immediately attacked.

"Master, Master, Second Madam has fainted. She's not feeling well even after drinking water."

Liu Weimin turned and walked out. The light was dim, and Xiao Heidan didn't see that there was still someone in the yard. He ran after him, paused briefly, gathered the bundles together, and followed.

Turning left after leaving the house, there were about five or six courtyards in between. A group of people were gathered at the entrance. Jian Dan quickly walked a few steps and followed Liu Weimin inside. The room was dimly lit, and he could vaguely see an old woman lying on the kang (a heated brick bed). Several people around the kang were holding water and cornbread.

Liu Weimin went straight there as soon as he came in.

"Second Aunt, how's it going?"

The woman carrying the water came closer, speaking in a very low voice.

"Why did you only just get back? Old Chen came to see you. You've been working so hard, not eating or drinking. Even a body of iron can't take that."

"Zhu Zi hasn't come back yet?"

"No, there isn't even a single green leaf in Auntie's house. We pooled our resources to eat some food, but Auntie absolutely refused to eat it, she just drank some water."

In the dim candlelight, the faces of the men were sallow, their cheekbones protruding. Their clothes looked like they were hanging on a rack, swaying in the wind. Two of them had their eyes shining as they looked at the dark green cornbread.

She had actually read quite a few books from this era, but at this moment, she felt that no words could accurately describe the reality of this moment: pale, barren, helpless, and desperate, yet also carrying the unique warmth and concern of this era.

When she returned with Liu Weimin, it was already completely dark. The Liu family hadn't turned on any lights, but they arranged for her to rest in the west room. It was simple and they weren't picky, since it was only temporary anyway.

When I woke up the next day, Liu Xiu, who shared a kang (heated brick bed), was no longer in the room. I got up quickly, tidied myself up, and went outside. The sun was shining brightly again.

Liu Weimin strode back from outside.

"You're awake? Do you still want a smaller room installed? I'll have someone fix it for you."

Jian Dan nodded quickly and followed him out.

Normally, people wouldn't be this idle before the autumn harvest, but the crops in the fields are so dry that even weeds are scarce, so people have some free time. As soon as Liu Weimin called out, a group of people rushed over.

Quickly catch up, asking questions as you go.

"Uncle, how much does that house cost? I don't even know how many years I'll live here. I'll just buy it. I won't mind spending money on repairs, right?"

Liu Weimin was a little surprised.

"Are you sure? Whether it's yours or not won't stop you from staying here, and no one in our village should be going to try and take it from you."

Jian Dan didn't respond to that comment, just smiled.

"Uncle, could you tell me how much it costs? I'll see if I can afford it."

Liu Weimin didn't try to persuade her any further. No matter how close she was to him, she could still tell the difference between the benefits to the villagers and the fact that the money would go to the villagers.

"That little house must be over ten years old. The only thing is that it's made of blue bricks, with thick walls and a solid construction. Just give it 50."

The simple and natural acceptance of the "ten-thousand-yuan household" title was readily accepted. As they were talking, they arrived at the destination and followed Liu Weimin inside. It consisted of four walls with two small rooms divided inside. Hmm, it was very simple.

"Look at the state you're going to make. There are a lot of people here, so we'll get it done for you as quickly as possible."

I took a simple detour.

"Uncle, how big of a yard can you fence for me? Is there any private plot or garden?"

"You can grow a garden? Then I'll enclose a five-tenths of an acre around this house for you."

Simplicity mainly means having independence and not being disturbed by others.

"Okay, Uncle, please build a higher and sturdier wall around the perimeter for me. I'll build a kang (heated brick bed) inside. Oh dear, there's no room to step on the kang. Uncle, how about this section, connecting this section to the corner here, and making it all into a kang? From the corner of this wall to the window, build a multi-tiered frame this wide for me to put things on. Also, build a frame on the section around the corner from the kang. This area should be enough for me to live in alone."

They set up two stoves for me in the outer room. Hehe, I'm afraid of the cold, so I'll have to cook more in the winter.

"Oh, I also need to set up a small shed, and I need to store some firewood."