His predecessor failed

It was getting dark when we got back to the Youth Institute. The male educated youth helped unload the cement and move it to the back of Su Zhuzhu's house. Peng Aiguo had already found someone to break through the wall and install a wooden door in Su Zhuzhu's house, as he had gone to the county to study yesterday. Now it was just the right time to carry the cement from inside the house.

Cement was not common, and they got so much of it at once. Everyone admired the two new female educated youth and were looking forward to seeing the house they renovated.

After two days of getting used to working in the fields, Su Zhuzhu followed the educated youth to the mountain to collect firewood after dinner. Although the brigade had straw stacks left, they had other uses, and the straw that could be left for burning was not enough for the members and educated youth, so everyone still had to go collect firewood when they had time.

Su Zhuzhu was quite fast at picking up firewood. There was plenty of it on the mountain at this time of year. As long as she was quick, she could quickly pick up a pile. Maybe it was her first time here and she was quite fresh, so she picked up a lot. Liu Yuanyuan and I were dumbfounded holding the rope. We looked at each other and couldn't tie it up, let alone carry it back to the educated youth institute.

The old educated youths looked at their flustered appearance and thought of the time when they first arrived. They all laughed, but they quickly came over to help tie it up. In the end, Zheng Qiwen and Wang Jiaguo helped carry it back. After all, they were female educated youths who came from the same batch, so it was their duty to take care of them.

The two bundles of firewood were placed directly in the big kitchen of the educated youth institute. After all, everyone was using it together these days, so they would be separated after the small kitchen in the backyard was built.

In the evening, we took a bag of glutinous rice noodles and a bag of melon seeds, and took them out to everyone while everyone was chatting in the yard after taking a bath. We also secretly put three apples in Zheng Wenqi's room.

Seeing that the atmosphere was so good, Duan Xiaoling went to the kitchen to boil a pot of water, added a handful of tea leaves she had roasted herself, and brought out a bowl for each person to quench their thirst.

For a moment, the Youth League Institute became more lively. A bunch of mugwort was lit, and there were a lot of mosquitoes.

Everyone was chatting about all sorts of things. Su Zhuzhu, drinking tea from a bowl, took the opportunity to ask questions.

"I didn't prepare any bowls, chopsticks, or teacups. It's not good to borrow everyone else's. I want to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some daily necessities. Do I need to ask the team leader for leave?"

"No, no, we won't need it. The rice harvest is coming soon. It will take about 20 days. We will have a day off before the harvest. Then we can go to the commune to buy it together."

"Yes, there are bullock carts in the village. If there are too many things, we can take them back. We can also help."

"You will be notified of the holiday in two days. It is not cost-effective to take leave now. Your work points will be deducted. You just arrived and your work points are not high to begin with."

After chatting for a while, they changed the topic. After eating, everyone went back home because they had to go to work the next day. Some people lit kerosene lamps and continued studying.

Two days later, the three rooms in the backyard were built and they were just waiting for the cement to dry before they could be used.

There was some extra cement, so Su Zhuzhu wanted to use it to pave the floor of her own house. Although the compacted floor looked okay, it was made of mud after all, and it would be difficult to clean up once it got wet.

However, there was not much cement left, barely enough for Su Zhuzhu. Even if Liu Yuanyuan wanted to, she had to give up. After all, it was Su Zhuzhu who got it, and she didn't have to spend any money on the remaining cement. She was already satisfied to be able to build the backyard, and she shouldn't be too greedy.

They also asked the male educated youth for help and went to Uncle Li's place to move the finished furniture back and hang it under the eaves of the corridor to dry.

Because the cement was not dry yet, Su Zhuzhu squeezed in with Liu Yuanyuan tonight. After lying down and chatting, they planned to go to the commune supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things the day after tomorrow while they were resting, and buy some food to treat the people in the Youth League Institute to a meal, to thank them for their help over the past few days, and to join the group.

"Yuanyuan, do you think we should invite the two married female educated youth? It seems we haven't greeted them yet."

"I heard from Sister Xiaoling that Tao Qing is pregnant and is staying at home to take care of the baby. Liu Xiao has gone to work, so he might not have met her. We are all educated youth, so we should ask Sister Xiaoling to call her. It's up to her to come or not."

"Okay, I'll talk to Sister Xiaoling tomorrow. Go to bed quickly, you have to get up early tomorrow!"