Tanya Jun lowered her head and thought for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"Village Chief, I know you're doing this for my sake, but I still prefer it here. I'll have to trouble you to help me make some arrangements."
Seeing this, Liu Weimin didn't say anything more.
"Alright, alright, I'll take you there to have a look."
Just as they said, everything except the walls needs to be renovated.
The courtyard wall collapsed, and the yard was overgrown with weeds. The house walls stood stubbornly, and the thatched roof had skylights that leaked through. The windows and doors were also very dilapidated, and the window frames were trembling. When a gust of wind came, they swayed a few times and then fell down with a "crack," splashing up a cloud of dust.
Liu Weimin's eyelids twitched slightly as he stared expressionlessly at the girls.
"Well, see? Don't say I lied to you. Look, everything except the walls needs to be renovated."
Having prepared themselves mentally, none of them were disappointed. Tan Yajun glanced around...
"Village chief, this is fine, but I'll need you to help me find someone to tidy it up. I'm a girl living alone, and I don't know anything about the walls, doors, windows, and roof. I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things for me."
Now that it's all repaired and we've moved in, it'll be a home, after all. We can't have to repair it every time it rains and snows, can we? What do you think?
Liu Weimin nodded.
"Don't worry about that. Since I said so, I'll make sure I take good care of it for you. I won't slack off on the work either."
Besides, I can't bring in someone who's dishonest and cunning.
Tan Yajun had already made up her mind, and with Liu Weimin's words, the matter was basically settled. She turned around, went back to the village office, paid the money, and got the receipt. Liu Weimin went to find someone to arrange work, while Tan Yajun and her two friends returned to the dilapidated courtyard.
“There’s still room in the backyard. I’m thinking that since the house will only be here for a few days, it should be ready soon. I can fence off a section of the front yard here and keep the chicks there. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Looking around the overgrown yard where there was nowhere to step, Jian Dan and Mingzhu also looked around.
"I must say, Sister Yajun, this courtyard is really nice. The front yard is quite large, and there's also a back garden, right?"
"Yes, it's quite large, several times bigger than my vegetable patch. It's enough for one person's vegetables. If I plant more cabbage, I probably won't be short of vegetables for the whole winter."
Here's the chicken coop, here's the woodshed, and in the backyard I can plant cabbage or eggplant whenever I want. I no longer have to worry about what vegetables to plant, and I don't have to feel uneasy about taking a bite more or less when I eat. I can eat as much as I want without worrying about what others might think. Just thinking about it makes me feel so comfortable.
Ah, I finally feel like I can live my own life!
"Are you regretting not moving out sooner?"
Tanya hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"A little bit, I guess. If I had come out earlier, I guess I would have figured it out sooner."
But it's not too late now. There's still a long life ahead of us, let's take it one step at a time!
“That’s right, you make your own life. Sister Ya Jun, the house is almost ready, you can start preparing to move. We’ll come over and help you pack.”
"What's there to pack? It's just a small place. I can pack it up myself in two days. But you guys can come over and visit later. The three of us can each have our own place now."
To put it simply, isn't that right? This is not only a detached house, but if this were in later generations, it would definitely be considered a school district property!
Speaking of this, she glanced into the village office courtyard next door.
"Hey? Those kids aren't learning to read anymore?"
After all, this small school is somewhat related to me, so I should at least show some concern for it.
"Oh, this? The one I taught last year, did something happen to him? I heard today that they're going to choose someone else. The busy spring season is over, I guess it'll be soon."
"Is the village chief frightened?"
Mingzhu, pulling her son to stand, nodded in agreement.
"If my child's teacher was like that, I wouldn't take the job either. What family isn't afraid of their child going astray?"
Tanya Jun and Jian Dan don't have children, but the thought of being in close contact with someone with those kinds of thoughts is naturally uncomfortable, let alone having children.
"That's true. Let alone children, even we ourselves would be on edge if we were with such people every day, always worried about being stabbed in the back."
"Okay, that way, you all have a chance."
Tanya waved her hand.
"Alright, don't drag me into this. I don't want to compete with them. I'd rather just go to work and earn work points honestly."
That job looks easy and doesn't require much physical exertion. You only get a few work points a day, which isn't enough to do anything.
Tell me, I'm busy spending money to move out and rent a place, but at the end of the year I don't have enough work points and I'm even in debt. Isn't that just making me a laughing stock?
Who knows what people will say about me then? I don't want to be in the limelight. I'd rather just stick to farming. I think it's fine. You reap what you sow. Money earned with my own hands makes me feel at peace."
Jian Dan and Mingzhu exchanged a glance. This person was incredibly insightful. It was probably because he had been completely heartbroken by his family last time and had stood up for himself.
Although they said they were tidying up, they couldn't start right away. Liu Weimin led the group over and confirmed the house requirements with Tan Yajun. Only then did the group stroll back, with Tan Yajun still talking about the things she wanted to buy.
Jian Dan and Mingzhu smiled like doting aunts beside her; it was clear she was genuinely happy to be able to move out.
"Sister Yajun, this is going to cost money again, why are you so happy?"
"How can they be the same? The educated youth compound is always different. Like you said, I can treat it as a dormitory, but it doesn't feel like home. It's that feeling of being able to pack my bags and leave at any time, a feeling of not having a home. As for these daily necessities, I just make do with what I can. I don't buy anything that can only be used a few times. I think it takes up space."
"That's true, it really makes sense."
Tanya Jun's joy was undisguised; her eyebrows and eyes were beaming.
"When do you have time to go to the commune? I'll make a list when I get back tonight to see what odds and ends we need, and then we'll buy them all together."
"Haha, Sister Yajun has already started planning her new home."
The group burst into laughter.
"Jian Zhiqing, Jian Zhiqing,"
"Hey? Did someone call you?"
Jian Dan heard it too, turned around and looked around. A figure was running towards them from a distance. Jian Dan squinted and looked at it with her hands on her hips. It seemed a little familiar.
"Are they... from the village?"
Tan Yajun glanced at it too, then looked at Jian Dan strangely.
"You don't recognize him?"
Jian Dan also looked puzzled.
Should I get to know him?
She looked back again; the person was almost upon her, but her eyes still looked dazed.
Do I know him?
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