Crossing 70: Fish in the Pond Have Good News

Because a kang and a stove had just been built in the room, they needed to be ventilated and dried, so Jiang Yu and Xue Li had to temporarily live in an empty room at the back for two days. Later, when the male educated youth started construction, they would also have to squeeze into one room.

The newly purchased furniture also had to be placed in the empty rooms. Jiang Yu and Xue Li put them in the room they lived in, and the male educated youth put them in the empty room next to them. After putting the things away, they would lock the door.

They put the square table they bought together and placed stools on it. Xue Li fetched some water and wiped the table with a rag made from scraps of cloth that she brought from home. Then she placed the lunch boxes filled with food, the enamel pot, wooden bowls and chopsticks on the table and it was time to start eating.

After washing their hands, a few uncles sat down happily. Looking at the full bowl of bacon porridge in front of them, they felt very satisfied.

Jiang Yu and Xue Li sat in the corner, surrounded by Chen Jinghan and the other two. They listened to the villagers chatting and talking nonsense while eating their meals.

Wu Aiqing said that he can cook, and his skills are not just that simple. Although the rich seasonings also contributed to it, his control of the heat was just right. If the scrambled eggs with green beans are served with dry rice, Jiang Yu said that she can finish a whole pot by herself!

The stir-fried Chinese cabbage was crispy, sweet and refreshing, the sweet potato vines were fresh and tender, the cold wild vegetables were very appetizing with spicy peppers, and everyone enjoyed the meal very much with the fragrant bacon porridge.

After the meal, the distance between the new educated youth and these villagers was shortened a lot. Zhuang Shouren felt that they were more open-minded than the old educated youth, and spoke straightforwardly and without ambiguity, so his favorability towards them increased.

After dinner, the uncles wanted to work a little longer while it was still early, but only Xiong Lijin brought a flashlight. This thing consumes a lot of electricity, and batteries are hard to buy. The uncles thought it was a waste to work with a flashlight, so they agreed to come early the next morning to continue working.

"We have taken your money, but you can't prepare meals for us tomorrow. Let's all go home to eat. When we come over tomorrow morning, you can do what you need to do, and we will help you look after the house." Zhuang Shouren knew that the new educated youth would definitely have to go to the town to buy some things, such as candles, pots, shovels, etc., so he gave instructions. After all, the team's ox carts would not wait for anyone.

"Hey, thank you, Uncle Zhuang." Chen Jinghan and several other male educated youth saw them out. They agreed nicely but were thinking about buying something as a thank you gift from the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow.

The villagers who came to build the stove were not the kind of people who would cheat or play tricks. They spent an entire afternoon to finish the kangs and stoves for the two rooms. This was really fast, and no one was slacking off. The fire wall, kang, and stove for a small room, including the earthen bricks bought from the village and the labor, only cost 8 yuan, which was really a very reasonable price.

Not only is it to get closer to them, but just based on their attitude, it is reasonable to give them some candy.

"Come with me to the brigade headquarters and bring back some door panels. I think you don't even have a place to sleep." These old educated youth had old door panels in every empty room before, and no one knew who took them away and used them. Now, with the new educated youth coming, there is not even a place to sleep...Zhuang Shouren looked down on those old educated youth more and more.

"We were just about to mention it when you spoke up. Thank you so much for troubling Uncle Zhuang, otherwise we would have to sleep on the floor tonight." Xiong Lijin pushed his glasses and smiled embarrassedly.

Zhuang Shouren patted him on the shoulder and said, "You are assigned to our team, so you are part of the team. If you have any difficulties, please tell us. Don't be embarrassed. We will help you if we can solve them."

"Then we would like to thank Uncle Zhuang first. Don't think we are annoying in the future~" Fu Biao is handsome and strong. He pretends to smile in a simple and honest way, which easily wins the favor of these old farmers.

The male educated youth went to see someone off, leaving Jiang Yu and Xue Li with the newly bought buckets, preparing to fetch water from the well in the front yard for washing.

The hut where the female educated youth took a bath was occupied, so the two men could only squat in the patio and wait, using a clean ceramic pot to boil some hot water, which they would then mix with cold water.

Xue Li looked up at the sky. The atmosphere was not polluted at this time, and the stars were twinkling, which was very beautiful. "Jiang Yu, look."

"Huh?" Jiang Yu raised his head in confusion.

"Look at that spoon over there. The Big Dipper is so bright." Xue Li shook his feet contentedly. "The North Star is so bright."

Jiang Yu nodded. She only remembered seeing the starry sky when she was a child. Later, when the apocalypse came, the clouds were like a barrier. Not only did they block the stars and the moon, they also disconnected the signal between satellites in outer space and the ground, completely paralyzing the communication equipment of mobile phones and other devices.

Xue Li took a deep breath, "Jiang Yu, are you scared?" Coming to this strange place suddenly, without any relatives, life became difficult.

Jiang Yu tilted his head to look at her, "Don't be afraid, I believe I can live well no matter where I am."

"Then I'm not afraid either!" Xue Li suddenly smiled. Jiang Yu is alone, and I have such a big shopping mall as my backing. What should I be afraid of? I'm not afraid even if the king of heaven comes!

"Squeak--" the bathroom door of the male educated youth opened, and the person inside walked out holding an oil lamp.

The three people's eyes met. Guan Wenbin gripped the handle of the oil lamp tightly and walked quickly through the alley.

"Why is he walking so fast?" Xue Li wondered.

"Maybe he's afraid that we'll borrow a lamp from him." Jiang Yu guessed randomly.

Xue Li grinned. If the flashlights in the Space Mall weren't too small and too bright, she would have taken them out and used them long ago. Who would want to borrow his light!

The two raised their heads and continued to look at the sky.

But the silence did not last long, as Ma Yanna walked towards the back in the moonlight.

She stood at the entrance of the alley, looking at Jiang Yu and Xue Li without saying a word.

Xue Li bumped into Jiang Yu's shoulder, and the two exchanged glances in the dim light.

What does she do? I don't know.

"Xue Li." Ma Yanna called in a low voice, "Can I..." borrow a basin from you?

"No." Xue Li interrupted her directly. What can or can't you say? You can't. Nothing can be done!

Ma Yanna took two steps forward anxiously, "I haven't finished speaking yet..."

"Don't tell me, I just can't tell you." Xue Li answered straightforwardly.

"We are all new educated youth. Shouldn't we help each other?" Ma Yanna stamped her feet. "I just wanted to borrow a wooden basin from you to wash my face. Why didn't you let me finish my words? You are so stingy!"

"Yes! I'm stingy! I won't lend it to you!" Who knows if you will only wash your face after borrowing it? What if you want to wash your feet? I have already arranged my wooden basin for washing your face, feet and vegetables, so I won't lend it to you.

"Why are you like this! Jiang Yu, look at her. We are all educated youth, but she is unwilling to help with such a small favor." Ma Yanna turned to Jiang Yu with a stiff upper lip. She knew that Xue Li was easy to talk to compared to Jiang Yu, and Jiang Yu was as shrewd as anything.

"Stop talking nonsense. I won't lend it to you! Goodbye. I won't see you off." Jiang Yu was too lazy to listen to her nagging and refused her coldly.

Ma Yanna stood there for a long time without giving up, until the male educated youth came back carrying the door panel, and then she left unwillingly.