"Wait a minute, you said you didn't know how, do you think I do? That's ridiculous. Besides, you don't have any food, why are you coming to me instead of the brigade leader? Don't you think you've come to the wrong person?"

"no"

"I'm really sorry, I don't have any food to lend you."

"From that day on, several newly arrived educated youths came one after another to collect grain. After several days, they started coming to collect firewood. When they couldn't borrow any, they asked if they could move in and live with them."

Not only these newcomers, but even the older educated youth who came before came and asked me questions.

"And what about you?"

"How could that be? Putting aside everything else, I know how cold it is here in winter, even if others don't. The firewood in the woodshed is enough to last until next spring after planting. How could it possibly be lent out?"

Furthermore, it's so much better to live alone than with other people. If you move in, not only will you have to share firewood with others, but you might even have to divide up food.

Also, none of these new educated youths are cut out for farm work. You're in for a worry! They'll cause quite a stir next spring.”

"Don't worry about them, just focus on your work and earn your food."

"That matter"

"I just heard from the team leader that you earned 2240 work points all by yourself. Isn't that tiring? Besides, don't you get a subsidy? Why are you working so hard?"

"Third brother, you know how strong I am and how much I eat. Besides, isn't it good to have more food?"

"You're right, but there aren't many game animals on this mountain, not even wild boars. Otherwise, I would have gone and hunted one for you to eat."

"It's alright, Third Brother. Even if there are no wild boars, there are still pheasants and rabbits, right? I said I was going to gather pig feed after work this afternoon, but actually I was going to hunt some game. Gathering pig feed was just something I did on the side."

"But it's not as oily as pork! Should we buy some from the black market?"

"No need, Third Brother. I have some meat coupons on hand. I haven't used the meat coupons I received as a subsidy this year. I plan to go to the city before the New Year to buy some more. Besides, we're going to slaughter the New Year pig soon, so I'll find an opportunity to exchange for more then."

"That's good. There won't be any subsidies after the New Year. If you need tickets, just let me know, and I'll find someone in the army to exchange them for you."

"Third Brother, there's really no need to go to so much trouble. Do you know that the hospital's traditional Chinese medicine clinic buys medicinal herbs?"

I don't know.

"Where you buy medicinal herbs, you can pay with cash or choose to get a receipt, but..."

"However, only 30% can be exchanged each time."

"That's quite a lot!"

"Right?"

"Then we still need to be careful."

"good"

"Does Third Brother have a holiday for Chinese New Year this year?"

"It's not certain yet, what's wrong?"

"I was thinking about whether I could invite Uncle Shen and Aunt Zhou to come and celebrate the New Year together. I've been in the production team for more than half a year now, but I only call them occasionally from afar, and sometimes I secretly bring them some grain at night. I'm still worried about them because I haven't been able to check on them properly."

"It's alright, it's good enough that we can see them. At least they won't go hungry with you here."

On the other hand, my parents are considered well-off here; some places are even worse off.

"That's all we can do. If we could live closer, we could take better care of the cowshed. It's still quite far from here."

"Let's forget it! There are other people in the cowshed besides Mom and Dad! We can't let them get you thrown in too."

"It can't be that bad!"

"It's better to be careful. Judging by how things are going today, who knows how chaotic things will get in the future! Better to be careful."

"Too"

"When you talk about this, haven't you thought about who did it?"

"It's just those people from the educated youth compound. They're just envious and jealous of living alone in such a big compound."

That's all?

"You haven't finished speaking yet."

"Then you tell me."

"There's also the fact that the autumn harvest and grain distribution probably affected them. You saw it yourself after the distribution. Putting aside the food rations for each person, just looking at the work points they earned, they didn't even have as much as they did. Do you think they had enough to eat?"

"Of course! There's definitely not enough food!"

"So, they're eyeing the food? And not only the food, they're also eyeing the firewood outside."

"You're thinking about this too?"

"Without new educated youth coming, the money they prepared themselves was barely enough to last through the winter. Not long ago, so many educated youth came, and even if we don't talk about food, the firewood probably won't last until February next year."

"So they thought they could stay here with you."

"Saying it's just a temporary stay is a nice way of putting it. I'm afraid that once they move in, not only will we have to share firewood, but we'll also have to share our food."

"Then what should we do?"

"I don't know, but after today's commotion, the brigade leader will probably come to inquire in a few days, or he might just arrange for someone to come and stay here."

"But the house has already been bought, hasn't it?"

"Not only did they buy it, but there were very few vacant houses in the entire brigade. Besides, the female educated youth who came were all 17 or 18 years old and above, so the brigade leader didn't dare to arrange for these female comrades to stay in a member's home."

"Are we going to assign them to your place then? Isn't that bullying?"

"What can we do? There's only one person in the family! And she's a woman, so the brigade leader has no choice but to assign her here."

"Then how about we get married?"

"Huh, getting married?"

Yes! Getting married.

"No, Third Brother, we don't need to get married just to deal with this!"

"What are you thinking! Who said you were getting married just to get by? Isn't this perfect timing? Besides, I came here to ask you if you want to marry me?"

"No, Third Brother, what are you thinking? We've only been officially dating for less than a year, and you're already planning to get married?"

"Dating without the intention of marriage is just being a scoundrel, you know that?"

"I know."

"That'll do."

"But it doesn't have to be this fast!"

"Soon? I don't think so! Besides, we've known each other for so many years. Or are you saying you don't want to marry me, or that you have someone else you like?"

"Third Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? Nothing, it's just that it feels a bit sudden."

"I don't think it's sudden at all, I think it's just right. Wait, after all this talk, do you agree or not?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to cook."

"Come back, why are you running, hmm?"

"What are you doing! Pulling and tugging like that, it's not good if someone sees."

"Why are you pulling and tugging at him? What's wrong with hugging your own wife?"

"What nonsense are you talking about! Who's your wife?"

"You!"

"Who agreed to be your wife?"

"No?"

"No"

"If you don't have it, why are you blushing?"

"Shen Xi, you're bullying me!"