After Tan Dingguo helped them unload their things from the oxcart, he went inside and pointed out the separate rooms for men and women, as well as the kitchen where they cooked.
He left with the words, "Remember to report to the brigade headquarters at 7 a.m. tomorrow," and then departed.
A group of people stood in the yard, dumbfounded. Was that all?
When the cold wind blows, it will only be the beginning of spring. If you catch a cold or get sick in this remote and impoverished area, getting medical treatment will be a big problem.
The men were the first to react and quickly pushed open the door to the room that Tan Dingguo had pointed out to them.
Once inside, it was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything at all.
The consultant reached into his pocket, pulled out a box of matches, struck one, and with a "whoosh," a dim yellow light appeared.
He saw a table in the middle of the room with a kerosene lamp on it, so he quickly went over and lit the lamp with a nearly burnt-out match.
After turning it on, I carefully observed my surroundings.
Against the wall, a long bed board was nailed together with wooden planks, with mud brick legs underneath and straw laid on top.
There was nothing else there. Xiang Liguo immediately threw his bundle on the ground and said with dissatisfaction, "This is hardly a place to sleep. Even a pig wouldn't be able to sleep here."
The consultant took a deep breath and ignored his words.
Cao Dajiang frowned, looking worried and distressed.
Chen Daohui, without saying a word, stepped forward and placed his luggage on the bed board.
Then he took out the bed sheet and bedding from the package and placed them directly on the straw, taking up the innermost spot against the wall.
Seeing this, the advisor followed suit and laid out his bedding as well.
The village chief has already gone back. We're unfamiliar with this place, and if we don't make our bedding ready, we won't have anywhere to sleep tonight.
Seeing that Chen Daohui and the consultant were preparing bedding, Cao Dajiang hesitated for a moment and then went over to help.
He casually asked Xiang Liguo, who was sulking to the side, a question.
"Do you want to sleep on the side or in the middle?"
After all, Chen Daohui slept at the very back, and the consultant's bedding was right next to Chen Daohui. Now, all that was left was the area against the wall near the door and the middle area.
Seeing that no one paid attention to him and that he had taken the bed without saying a word, Xiang Liguo became dissatisfied and went forward to sit on the side against the wall, saying, "I want to sit here."
As she spoke, she glanced at Chen Daohui's side, thinking that both sides were about the same. She moved her mouth, but didn't say anything more.
After the boy finished making the bed, the consultant realized that he didn't know how the two girls in the yard outside were doing.
He stepped forward and glanced into the kerosene lamp. He saw that only the bottom layer of kerosene remained. He figured that if he didn't use it sparingly, he would be blind tomorrow.
The consultant carried the kerosene lamp outside and saw that the light was also on in the room next door, where people were making bedding.
Only then did he feel relieved and go back inside. After all, it was evening, and even if he was worried, he shouldn't just go into a girl's room.
After laying out his bedding, exhausted from a long day and a long ride in the oxcart, even Xiang Liguo, who had originally planned to eat some biscuits to stave off hunger, drifted off to sleep as soon as he touched the bedding.
As I lay down, I thought about how the straw under the bed smelled quite nice.
The girl was in the same boat. Although she was annoyed by how shabby the room was, she was exhausted and hungry, so she just tidied up a bit and then lay down and fell fast asleep.
When I woke up, it was already broad daylight.
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