Chapter 4: The Deceived Girl in the 1970s: Fake vs. Real Daughter Story (4)

Back at the educated youth house, Xiaoxiao began unpacking and organizing her luggage.

First, there was the 1,000 yuan and a few ration tickets from the Li family parents as compensation for the original host going to the countryside in place of their biological daughter. Xiaoxiao took it without a shred of guilt.

In the original plot, the host didn’t spend a single cent on herself. Instead, after finding out where her birth parents had been sent, she regularly mailed them supplies, spending all her money on them while exhausting her health.

Now that she was the one here, there was no way she’d play the tragic fool.

Since the money was in exchange for taking her place, it belonged to her, and she wasn’t going to spend a dime of it on anyone irrelevant.

She wouldn’t take revenge either; without her playing the sucker, she was confident those people would all meet bad ends anyway.

Now that family ties were severed, she’d keep it that way—no contact, no disturbance.

She wasn’t sure if she’d ever go back.

But she’d always been the type to go with the flow, and she could survive anywhere.

As for farm work, she wasn’t worried. She grew up in the countryside. Even though she hadn’t done that kind of labor in over a decade, she still remembered how. It wouldn’t take long to get the hang of it again.

She looked over her other belongings, and it was two sets of clothes, two bedsheets, one quilt, and a set of high school textbooks.

That was the entirety of the original host’s possessions.

Still, with 1,000 yuan, it wasn’t bad. She could trade for everything else she needed.

Xiaoxiao looked at Wang Xiuxiu and asked, “Sister Xiuxiu, I didn’t really notice yesterday—is the supply and marketing cooperative far from here? I need to buy some things.”

Wang Xiuxiu replied, “It’s pretty far. Yesterday we rode an oxcart here, and that took over two hours.”

Xiaoxiao continued, “So does an ox cart go to town every day?”

Wang Xiuxiu shook her head. “The team leader said there’s only one market day a week. That’s the only time the oxcart goes.”

Xiaoxiao was surprised. “There’s a market? But aren’t private trades banned?”

If she remembered right, this should be 1972, right?

Did she transmigrate into a fake period novel?

Wang Xiuxiu replied, “Yes, I asked yesterday too. The team leader said it’s allowed—just villagers trading their farm products. But you can only barter, not sell.”

Xiaoxiao nodded in understanding, then awkwardly asked, “Sister Xiuxiu, did the team leader say anything else about the village yesterday? Can you tell me? I didn’t catch any of it.”

Yesterday she’d been completely out of it, preoccupied with how to die and go back. She hadn’t thought about how she might have to actually live here.

Wang Xiuxiu was a warm-hearted girl. She smiled and said, “It’s fine. We came together; you can just ask me anything. We’re here to help each other.”

Xiaoxiao smiled in return. “Thank you. I’m really lucky to have met you.”

“Can you tell me about life at the educated youth house? Like how meals are arranged. Was that all sorted yesterday?”

Wang Xiuxiu nodded. “The team leader didn’t say much about the village. This place is called Wangjia Village, part of Qingshan Commune. Including us newcomers, there are now 13 people at the educated youth house. Two of the female educated youths got married in the village, so there are 11 of us now—you met everyone today. We’ve got six male comrades and five female comrades. Before, they cooked in groups of three. With us joining, they were going to rearrange things today.”

Xiaoxiao asked, “So what are your thoughts?”

She herself preferred living and eating alone.

Wang Xiuxiu replied, “I don’t know. If two of the male comrades team up, we might have to pair up too.”

Xiaoxiao nodded. That would have to do for now. She’d just treat it like college dorm life—eat in the mess hall. She could find other options later.

At noon, when everyone returned to the post for lunch, the meal arrangement came up.

Wang Meiling said, “I think we should keep our original group of three. You two newcomers can form a group. We’ll take turns day by day.”

Xiaoxiao thought, Is she trying to bully the newbies? Or am I overthinking?

Still, it’s best to clarify.

She asked, “So one group per day? That means your group of three cooks three days, and we cook two?”

Wang Meiling glanced at Xiaoxiao and said, “I meant one group cooks per day.”

Xiaoxiao, Yep, bullying it is.

She didn’t hold back. “Sorry, but if that’s the arrangement, I don’t agree.”

Wang Meiling replied, “That’s simple—then don’t join our group. You can cook for yourselves.”

They hadn’t wanted newcomers to join anyway.

Xiaoxiao looked at the others. They glanced at each other and still seemed inclined to share meals.

Wang Xiuxiu tried to smooth things over. “Xiaoxiao, cooking’s not a big deal. The two of us can handle it. We can add someone else later when they come.”

Hearing this, Wang Meiling looked at them with a mix of disdain and smugness.

Though they didn’t want to include newbies, if the newcomers were willing to take the short end, they didn’t mind.

Xiaoxiao glanced at Wang Meiling and shook her head at Wang Xiuxiu.

She hadn’t wanted to eat with them anyway—now was her chance.

Xiaoxiao said, “Then I’ll cook on my own. That leaves you four, perfect for two groups of two.”

She hadn’t wanted to say that—especially since Wang Xiuxiu was willing to bear the burden—but she figured this would repay her for yesterday’s help.

Everyone looked her way. Zhou Weiguo asked, “Are you sure?” If you cook alone, you’ll have to gather your own firewood and carry your own water.”

Xiaoxiao nodded. She’d done all that before. Just needed a little practice.

Wang Meiling was annoyed. She hated people who didn’t fall in line. She couldn’t help but snap.

“The kitchen here was stocked with things we bought. If you’re cooking alone, you can’t use any of it.

And you can only use the stove after we’re done with it.”

Xiaoxiao gave her a look and said firmly, “I’ll talk to the team leader this afternoon. He can help me set up a separate stove.”

Trying to manipulate her? Dream on.

She was a country girl back in the countryside; was she supposed to be afraid of a little inconvenience?

If she gave in once, there’d be a dozen more times waiting. Besides, she hadn’t planned on mixing with that crowd anyway.

Once everything was settled, the veteran-educated youths went to work. The newcomers went to the brigade office to collect grain.

At the office, the team leader said, “The new harvest’s almost in, so you’re getting a bit less—just enough for a month.

Ten catties of cornmeal, twenty catties of sweet potatoes.

This is a loan from the brigade. It’ll be deducted from your work points later. Of course, you can also pay cash.”

Seeing no one object, the team leader told them to follow the accountant to weigh out the rations.

Xiaoxiao stayed behind and asked directly, “Team Leader, are there any vacant houses in the village? I want to rent one—with a kitchen.”

The team leader was surprised. “Did you have a falling-out with the others?”

She seemed so weak and frail yesterday, so he didn’t see this coming. Was she a tough one after all?

Xiaoxiao didn’t explain. She simply said, “I’m used to living alone.”

Fortunately, the team leader didn’t push. After a moment’s thought, he said, “There is an empty house—but the rent’s a bit steep.”

Xiaoxiao asked, “How much?”

The team leader replied, “Eight yuan a year. It’s a good place—one room converted into two, with a loft. You can sleep upstairs; it stays warm in winter. The family lives in town now, so they’ve left the house with us to manage.”

Xiaoxiao said, “Team Leader, can I go see it first?”

He nodded. “Go weigh your grain first. The accountant might be busy later. I’ll go get the key from home.”