No matter when it is delivered or how far the journey is, you will always reach your destination.
Standing at the gate of the educated youth site, Huo Yang and Du Jiang stood opposite each other, one tall and one short, one strong and one thin. One was imposing and the other ordinary, just like the raging fire and the flowing water, obviously incompatible yet making people feel unusually harmonious, at least in Qian Meili's eyes.
"Hey, how long are you two going to stand there?" Seeing that the two were still standing there silently without saying a word, Qian Meili couldn't help but speak up to interrupt this... ambiguous atmosphere in her eyes.
The sudden noise made Du Jiang and Huo Yang look over at the same time. Facing their calm faces, Qian Meili realized that she had just overthought. However, the words had already been said, so she could only smile awkwardly, "Sorry, sorry, I said the wrong thing. Can you come in?"
"No, Comrade Qian, my grandparents are waiting for me at home, so I won't go in. Let's do it another day."
"Comrade Du, you should consider what I'm saying. It would be best to discuss this with the other comrades at the educated youth site. After all, in everyone's eyes, you are a large group."
"Okay, I understand, thank you, Brother Huo"
After seeing Huo Yang off, Du Jiang walked into the house tiredly under Qian Meili's ambiguous wink. After entering the house, Du Jiang did not go back to the room directly as usual. Instead, she took Qian Meili to sit down and relayed Huo Yang's words. "Sister Qian, I think what Brother Huo said makes sense. The land belongs to the village after all. The village chief agreed to lend it to us to build a house now, but after a long time, or if the village chief is replaced, the house will be unclear. Besides, if we buy the land, it will probably cost a lot of money. Sister Qian, I will not build a house outside. I will build it in our educated youth yard. Anyway, this piece of land has been allocated to the educated youth site. At least it is clearly accessible in the town. Even if someone comes to grab it, we have the right to do so."
He Jiefang and Xu Zhizhou were chatting in the room. When they heard the noise outside, they came out.
He Jiefang: "Du Jiang, Brother Huo really said that, no way, after all, it's the house we built ourselves, the villagers can't just rob us openly."
Xu Zhizhou: "It would be fine if we could build it at the educated youth site. We could build two or three single rooms at that time. Even if more people come later, our lives won't be disrupted. Just like Brother Huo said, there's open space in the back. If we move the wall outward, even if we don't move it, the yard in front will be enough for us to build two single rooms on the east and west sides."
Qian Meili: "That's a good idea. If we build it this way, we can save a lot of money. It would be enough to build a brick house, and it would also save the village chief from having to worry about the land."
Bai Yongjun: "In that case, I'll need a single room. I can build a stove and a kang in the room, so I can cook for myself. I don't have to go out in the winter. But then I'll lose my vegetable garden. I guess I'll have to reclaim the land behind the house."
Seeing that even Bai Yongjun, the most honest and silent one, was moved, the others were speechless.
Xu Zhizhou: "Since everyone wants a private room, then fine, He Jiefang and I will go and talk to them, and the rest of you can wait for news at home."
Perhaps because he was afraid of complications or because of a sudden change, Xu Zhizhou immediately took He Jiefang out. Seeing that only Qian Meili and Du Jiang were left in the main room, Bai Yongjun felt embarrassed to sit there, so he said something and went back to his room.
Although the room was not big, it seemed a bit empty as only Qian Meili and Du Jiang were left in it.
In less than three months, the entire educated youth camp fell apart to such an extent, which was something neither Du Jiang nor Qian Meili had expected.
"It's good this way. Everyone has their own dormitory. To be honest, when I was at home, even though the place was not big, my mother found a way to separate a single room for me," Qian Meili looked at the main room with only a table with some emotion.
"A single room is fine, and it's convenient for washing. Aren't most of them shanty towns when we're at home? If they're built, they'll become shanty towns again."
Thinking along the lines of Du Jiang's words, Qian Meili suddenly laughed, "You know what, it's true. The most important thing is that I have privacy. To be honest, even though we're all girls, I'm still not used to it."
"I won't do that in the future. I think since it doesn't take up any land, the village chief will definitely agree. Then we can cultivate the land behind the house and grow enough vegetables to eat." Although he hasn't gotten a definite answer yet, Du Jiang has already started planning the layout in his mind.
Following Du Jiang's words, Qian Meili nodded and said, "That's true. The ground is always open in the afternoon anyway, so we can put up a fence. But it's best to raise chickens in the yard to prevent them from being stolen."
Although it was not said explicitly, looking at Qian Meili's pouting expression, Du Jiang knew that something like this must have happened in the village, otherwise Qian Meili would not have said that.
After chatting with Qian Meili for a few more words, the two of them got up to cook, still making black noodle dumplings with leek and egg drop soup.
The coarse noodles were a bit harsh on the throat, but Du Jiang didn't mind. After all, her work points were enough to support herself, but it would be a daydream to eat fine grains every meal.
Just as the three of them were eating the steamed buns, Xu Zhizhou and He Jiefang walked into the yard with happy faces. Looking at their expressions, Du Jiang knew without asking that the village chief must have agreed.
As expected, Xu Zhizhou repeated the village chief's words while drinking his soup at the dinner table. "Building a single room is no problem. We even set aside two acres of land behind the house for vegetable gardens. But if there is any disturbance later, we will have to quell it ourselves."
Okay, it’s just a matter of suppressing the trouble caused by later generations. Du Jiang felt that there was nothing wrong with him.
After Xu Zhizhou finished speaking, Du Jiang nodded first, "I have no objection. If it can be built as soon as possible, let's do it. After all, there will be a lot of people in the next batch, and I'm afraid there will be a lot of things to do by then."
"I have no objection, Brother Xu. The pig house needs to be built, so let's build it together to avoid further delays." Qian Meili also had no objection.
He Jiefang and Bai Yongjun had even less objections. For the first time, everyone had the same opinion. Xu Zhizhou, who received the order, went to see the village chief again the next day. When they got off work in the afternoon, the village chief brought several young people from the village to measure the land.
Du Jiang lived alone in a small single room, but Qian Meili and He Jiefang were getting married, so they built a large room and divided it into two rooms to take into account their children. Xu Zhizhou and Bai Yongjun each had a single room. After everyone divided it up, Du Jiang and Qian Meili became neighbors and occupied the vegetable plot on the east side, while Xu Zhizhou and Bai Yongjun became neighbors and occupied the kitchen on the west side. Although each family had a small stove in the house, the one outside was still retained, but it was moved under the window of the men's dormitory. After all, people who came later would have to cook. As for the open space between the gate wall and the house, one part was used as a firewood shed and the other as a toilet.
With everyone's tacit understanding, the wing rooms on the east and west sides of the educated youth site were built, and the open space behind the house was reclaimed by Qian Meili and Du Jiang. The vegetable plots in the front yard were moved there. Although many died during the period, many survived.
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