Chapter 1 Thatched House (Minor Renovation)
September 1973, late summer and early autumn.
Starting from Jiangcheng, the means of transportation ranged from green trains, ships, buses, tractors... all the way to climbing the mountain using hands and feet. After four days and three nights, with blisters on the soles of my feet, purple marks on my palms, and my waist almost breaking, we finally arrived at Xiufeng Mountain Farm at an altitude of 1,500 meters.
Tao Nanfeng stood blankly in front of a row of thatched houses.
In a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, a house was built with thatched grass. There are no windows, as well as ventilated grass walls and a thatched roof. A few door panels made of miscellaneous wood make creaking sounds when the mountain breeze blows.
There was no usual coal stove, so they just built an empty stove with bricks in the open space in front of the house.
There were no electric lights or wires, and the surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, looking desolate.
There was no running water, so the mountain spring behind the house gurgled down and fell into a large moss-covered water vat. When it was full, it flowed down the vat and hit the ground, making a rhythmic "tick-tick" sound.
"No way? This is our educated youth point?"
"What the hell is this place!"
"Is this thatched house habitable? The conditions are too poor!"
Clang——
I don't know who dropped the net bag, and the white enamel basin printed with red peony flowers rolled to the ground, making a harsh sound.
Tao Nanfeng was awakened by the strange noise. He calmed himself down and looked at the thatched house that had appeared in his dream. His heart was filled with anxiety and fear.
She had dreamed of this thatched house last night, and it was exactly the same as hers.
However, in the dream, this thatched house that could not block the wind and rain collapsed in a violent storm. Some people had their legs broken by the beams, some were hit on the waist by the door panels, some caught a cold from the rain, and everyone was screaming for help.
Tao Nanfeng suppressed his inner panic and took a half step back with the wicker box and luggage bag.
A pair of soft little hands supported my back. It was Xiao Aiyun, who always liked to sit next to me during their trip. She was a daughter of a Jiangcheng Towel Factory employee. She had thin eyebrows and eyes, and when she smiled, two small canine teeth were exposed. She liked to talk and be lively.
Seeing her pale face, Xiao Aiyun comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Tao Nanfeng. We will stay here for one night and report the situation to the site tomorrow."
Tao Nanfeng said nothing, pursed his lips and nodded slightly.
In the eyes of everyone, Tao Nanfeng had two braids tied with red ribbons and a light pink shirt with small floral patterns, which looked clean and tidy. Her eyes are big and bright, and her eyelashes are long and thick, spreading out like a small fan, casting a faint shadow under the eyelids, so beautiful and delicate that it makes people's eyes shine.
Beautiful things always make people happy. The educated youth who was complaining just now heard Xiao Aiyun's words, and saw Tao Nanfeng nod in agreement. His anger and irritability gradually dissipated, and he became calm.
As it was getting dark, I could only take a rest and wait until tomorrow to deal with everything.
There were twenty educated youth from Jiangcheng in this batch, all of them were 17 or 18-year-old boys who had just graduated from high school. There are three thatched houses in total. The one in the east is for four girls, and the other two are for sixteen boys.
In the twilight, the thatched house was empty. The wind came in through the cracks in the wall, and the faint smell of earth could be smelled from the rammed earth ground.
There is no desk or wardrobe, only a large bunk bed that can accommodate eight people. The crudely made bunk bed, made of a dozen or so pieces of miscellaneous wood, had been there for who knows how long. When I touched it with my fingers, there was a thin layer of dust.
He filled a basin with icy spring water, tidied up his room, washed his body with cold water, and changed into clean clothes. After finally cleaning up, it was completely dark.
"Rustle...rustle..." The wind blew in through the cracks in the wall, and it was the thatch that made the sound.
"Woo--" The mountain wind blew through the hills and pine forests, making a wooshing sound that made people feel creepy.
"Cuckoo, cluck, cluck..." The frogs croaked, and the sounds became louder and louder. The entire mountain was filled with a high-frequency resonant sound that hurt people's ears.
"Roar--" A huge roar of a wild beast suddenly sounded, and the frog croaking stopped.
The darkness magnified the fear. The girls were so scared that they trembled and curled up in their beds, not daring to say a word.
I don't know who started it, but a faint sobbing sound came from under the quilt: "I want to go home."
go home? Tao Nanfeng thought of his home.
He lost his mother at the age of seven. When he was ten, his father remarried and his stepmother brought a daughter who was two months older than Tao Nanfeng. Her real name was Wang You, but she took the initiative to change her name to Tao You.
My father is a professor at Jiangcheng Architectural University, and he is aloof and aloof. My stepmother is a worker in a sewing machine factory. She is diligent and virtuous. She cooks, does the laundry, and cleans the house, taking good care of the family.
The original person who signed up to go to the countryside was Tao You, but she broke her collarbone before setting off, so Tao Nanfeng had to replace her.
Physically exhausted, in a bad environment, and unfamiliar with the place, Tao Nanfeng felt as if he was drowning and suffocating. His chest was stuffy and he couldn't breathe. He stretched out his hand and tightly grasped the jade button hanging on his chest, mumbling, "Mom..."
The jade button is emerald green and transparent. It is the only relic left to Tao Nanfeng by his mother.
The moonlight was like water, shining through the broken cracks in the wall. The jade button seemed to come to life, emitting a soft light curtain that enveloped Tao Nanfeng.
She was pulled into a strange dream.
This is not the world she is familiar with. This place is called the end of the world.
The zombie virus is spreading. After being infected, 80% of humans will turn into monsters with stiff limbs that bite anyone they see, while 20% of humans will evolve into supernatural beings with various magical powers.
More and more people turned into monsters. People were running around with panic, bewilderment, and fear of the unknown on their faces.
Squeezed in a group of fleeing people, Tao Nanfeng looked around in panic, but no one paid attention to her existence.
"Run, the zombies are eating people——"
"Help me! I don't want to turn into a monster!"
Tao Nanfeng tried desperately to escape, but he couldn't run fast enough and was gradually left behind by the main force. The group of monsters behind him kept approaching.
His heartbeat was getting faster and faster. The tension and fear made Tao Nanfeng run as fast as he could.
The last bit of air in his lungs was squeezed out of his body, his throat ached as if it was on fire, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead. Tao Nanfeng could no longer run.
"Ah!" A sharp pain came over my hand...
The dream fades.
Tao Nanfeng opened his eyes, sweating profusely.
The monster in the dream opened its fangs and bit my left hand. Its teeth pierced the back of my hand, and the pain of tearing flesh was sharp and deep.
The first ray of sunlight in the early morning shone into the thatched house. The light filtered through the cracks in the wall and the roof, gently soothing her frightened emotions.
Fortunately, fortunately, it was just a dream.
While comforting himself, Tao Nanfeng subconsciously raised his left hand to check.
A black tooth mark is clearly visible!
how so? Tao Nanfeng thought he was dazzled and rubbed his eyes, only to find that he was not mistaken. It was exactly the same location as in the dream. The skin around the teeth marks was black and it felt like a burning pain when I touched it with my hand.
Tao Nanfeng bit his lip and concentrated for a long time.
After a while, feeling his heartbeat slow down, Tao Nanfeng climbed up from the bed, walked to the corner, opened the rattan box, took out a dark red gauze scarf, and wrapped it around half of his palm, completely covering the teeth marks.
There is a strange feeling of power flowing through the body, and the whole person seems to be immersed in warm water, warm and light.
Something awakens inside my body, and the world before my eyes becomes different.
Birds are singing and the breeze is blowing.
The breathing sounds of everyone in the room, the conversations outside the window, the dripping of the fountain... all reached my ears clearly.
Without having time to think too much, Tao Nanfeng bent down, reached out, picked up the washbasin and cup and prepared to wash.
But……
As soon as my finger touched the basin, the enamel edge was broken!
He put his finger into the handle of the water cup, moved it slightly, and the handle broke!
“Bang!”
The washbasin and teacup fell to the ground with a loud noise.
The sound woke up the roommates. They poked their heads out of bed and saw that it was just Tao Nanfeng who knocked over the washbasin and knocked over the water cup. They didn't take it too seriously and got up to wash up, yawning.
Tao Nanfeng stood there in a daze, staring with wide eyes at the corner of the basin and the handle in his hands.
How can you be so strong?
Tao Nanfeng silently adjusted and controlled his strength and completed the washing without any danger. Seeing that the time was almost up, he went to the site office with everyone.
After a night passed, the roars of wild beasts and the croaking of frogs that made everyone uneasy last night disappeared completely.
The air is filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, smoke from farmers' houses rises in the distance, and corn and rice are planted in the moon fields on the hillside. Purple wild pea flowers are in full bloom on the ridges, creating a pastoral landscape.
The site headquarters was built on a wide ground floor, a two-story brick-concrete building with a single-sided corridor. The ground floor was an office building, the second floor was a residence, and there was a row of one-story concrete bungalows on the east side, which were warehouses and canteens.
As I walked into the headquarters compound, I met the office director Luo Xuan who was burping and walking out of the bungalow on the east side.
After eating dry food for a few days, everyone smelled the aroma of rice soup and noodles coming from the canteen. They couldn't help swallowing their saliva and curiously asked Director Luo: "Is this the canteen? Can we eat?"
Luo Xuan was a tall and thin man. He wore a washed-out sweatshirt and two pieces of blue cloth patches on his trouser knees. He looked frugal and simple.
He glanced at everyone with a somewhat arrogant attitude: "This is our small canteen at the farm headquarters, not open to the public. Each educated youth site has a kitchen, you can cook your own meals after receiving the rice."
After hearing what he said, everyone's dissatisfaction that had been suppressed all night burst out collectively.
"The kitchen, you mean the earthen stove built on the grounds of the thatched house? There's not even a tarpaulin to cover it from the rain. What will we do if it rains?"
"Where is the rice you mentioned? Man is iron and rice is steel. I ate steamed bread for three days on the way. I finally arrived at the farm, but I can't even have a hot meal!"
"The thatched house is full of drafts. What if it rains? It's impossible to live there."
"We have come all the way here to support the farm construction, you should at least guarantee some basic conditions."
Luo Xuan's face turned stern when he heard this: "What are you arguing about! The conditions on the farm are like this, you can only work hard to overcome them. If you don't want to stay, I will immediately issue you a repatriation certificate! There were five batches of educated youth sent by the Revolutionary Committees before you, and none of them had as many tricks as you."
Deportation? Educated youth who went to the countryside had to go through layers of review. Only if they made serious mistakes and had serious records in their files would they be deported. But... this will ruin my future.
The educated youth all shut their mouths and dared not speak anymore.
Seeing that his move had shocked the educated youth, Luo Xuan softened his tone and said, "You all just arrived and don't know the situation yet. Let's go through the registration procedures first, and the conditions can be improved gradually."
After having his subordinates assist in completing the registration procedures for all the educated youth, Luo Xuan finally took the initiative to explain a few words: "The subsidy is 16 yuan a month, but you must earn 10 work points every day. As for how to determine these 10 work points... it will be reported by the scorekeepers of each team."
After saying that, he took out a piece of white paper from his desk and sent work letters to the names on the list one by one.
All the boys joined Production Team 3. They started work at 8 a.m. every day, brought dry food for lunch, and finished work at 5 p.m. Their current job is harvesting corn.
The four girls had other plans.
Tao Nanfeng and Xiao Aiyun, road construction team.
Li Huilan and Ye Qin, pig farm.
This arrangement immediately caused an uproar among the educated youth.
“Why is it that girls’ jobs are harder than boys’?”
"They are weak and powerless, how can they build roads and raise pigs? I will switch with them!"
"Yes, let's go."
Luo Xuan felt that his authority as the office director was challenged and slammed the table.
"What are you fussing about! There is no distinction between high and low jobs, and women hold up half the sky! It's settled, hurry up and get to work, or you won't get any food today."
Wei Min rolled up his sleeves and wanted to say something, but was held down by his companions.
Xiao Aiyun wanted to cry but had no tears. She held Tao Nanfeng's arm, her lips trembling, "Repair the road? I don't know how to repair the road!"
The author has something to say:
Good luck on your opening post, and you’ll receive a red envelope!
[Pre-collection of "The Real Daughter Has Mind Reading Skills" for collection]
Zhao Xiangwan and Zhao Chenyang, born in 1973, are twins, but they are treated completely differently. Xiangwan started doing farm work at the age of six, she is diligent and honest; Chenyang sits at home and learns embroidery, she is delicate and pretty.
After being accidentally struck by lightning, Zhao Xiangwan discovered that he had the ability to read minds.
The younger sister hugged her and cried: Sister, I am so worried about you~
What Xiang Wan heard: Even thunder can’t kill you? What a miserable life!
Mom sighed: What book to read? My family is poor.
What Xiang Wan heard: I won’t let you use your money even if I have it.
Dad looked kind and said: Don’t compare yourself with fourth sister, Dad likes you the most.
What Xiang Wan heard was: If they are not your biological children, you can’t raise them well.
Xiang Wan, who was cautious in her words and actions, listened quietly to everyone's thoughts and gradually understood many things. She was the illegitimate daughter of Zhao Qingyun and Wei Meihua, two educated youth who went to the countryside. In order to return home, she gave her away without hesitation. She was supposed to be taken home by her nouveau riche father at the age of ten to be a rich and beautiful woman. But Chen Yang is reborn and is ready to persuade his parents to replace the two.
When he was ten years old, Zhao Qingyun came to the countryside and Xiang Wan planned to expose the conspiracy of his adoptive parents. However, when she heard what her biological parents and brother were thinking, she changed her mind...
From now on, let’s return to our own lives.
Five years later, the Zhao family searched the whole world for Xiang Wan, but she disappeared quietly like a drop of water in the sea.
One day, the Zhao family owed hundreds of millions in debt, and all their assets were taken away by the bank. Zhao Qingyun was desperate and sought help from the Luo family in Kyoto.
The Luo Mansion is low-key yet luxurious, making the Zhao family feel ashamed.
After finally meeting the head of the Luo family, Zhao Qingyun and Zhao Chenyang's pupils shrank: Is it you?
Xiang Wan put his hands behind his back and smiled slightly: It’s me.
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