Miss Yu Decides To Change Her Fate After Being Reborn

by Usui Takumii

not mine, readwn novel.

1. 00 to 20

MISS YU DECIDES TO CHANGE HER FATE AFTER BEING REBORN!

SUMMARY

Lying on the hospital bed, Yu Bing, who was severely ill to the point she could not open her eyes, could do nothing but wait for death. Because of her frail body, her parents had disliked her since she was born. And because of what happened in the countryside, her elder sister hated her for a lifetime. Her second sister, Yu Yan, who had been sent away as a child, also hated her for some bizarre reason. All kinds of framing and setup were used on her, and they even stole her fiance from her… As she didn't get enough love and care since she was young, she regarded Yu Yan's false kindness to be real and treated her sincerely, only to have the former trample all over her reputation. For the sake of getting a smile from her parents and some false praise, she lived frugally until she almost died. Looking back on her life, Yu Bing felt it was absurd, and endless resentment festered in her heart. She had never done anything to anyone, so why? Why did those relatives and close family members treat her this way? Since they didn't want her, well, then she wouldn't treat them like family anymore. If there was a next life, she didn't want to be the Yu family's daughter! "She's my sister, so how can I not love her? But the dead have to make way for the living. It's rare that there's such a happy event in our family. We can't let her bad luck taint this home!" Familiar words rang in her ears. Yu Bing opened her eyes with difficulty, and found that she had been reborn back to when she was younger! She had been reborn to the eve she had been sent to the countryside. Her family was arguing about who to send to the countryside in response to the call of the country. Her elder sister had gotten married in a hurry as she didn't want to be sent to the countryside, and placed all the blame for the misfortune of her marriage on Yu Bing. As Yu Bing wanted to stay away from the Yu family, she took the initiative to sign up and went to the countryside. She completely cut off contact with the Yu family and vowed to change her destiny!

"She's my sister. How can my heart not ache for her? But the dead have to make way for the living. It's not easy for us to have a joyous occasion at home. We can't let her death ruin our life!"

Thinking back to his life, Yu Bing immediately felt that it was ridiculous, and resentment arose in her heart.

When the familiar words sounded in her ears again, Yu Bing tried her best to open her eyes.

Suddenly, her closed eyes opened with a cold look.

Yu Bing looked at the corridor in front of her and was stunned for a long time. Didn't she die in the hospital? Why would she be in an old house that had been demolished?

Yu Bing walked to her house in confusion. The door was not closed tightly, and there was a gap. They were having a loud argument about building a village.

Yu Bing realized that she had transmigrated to the period when her family was choosing people to go to the countryside to do rural construction.

Through the crack in the door, she saw the family talking in the living room.

Yu Pan raised her head and said hatefully, "I won't go to the countryside to do construction. Either your precious son will go, or that sickly person will go."

"Do you think I don't feel sorry for you? I asked long ago. The factory said that Yu Bing is weak. If she goes to the countryside, she can't help them. She would even cause trouble for them. They don't want her!"

As Mrs. Yu spoke, she tapped Yu Pan's head with her hand.

Although the Yu family favored boys over girls, the eldest daughter was their first child. Comparatively, the parents still doted on her more.

"I don't care. Think of a way yourself." Yu Pan sat on the sofa.

Mr. Yu and Mrs. Yu looked at each other helplessly.

Yu Wu knew that it was impossible for his parents to send their only child to the countryside. He calmly nestled on the sofa and thought about how he would ask Mrs. Yu for 50 cents to watch a movie with Tan Datou and the others later.

When Yu Bing saw this scene, she couldn't help but sneer. She pushed open the door and pretended not to know anything. She greeted her family and entered Yu Pan's room.

Yu Pan's eyes darted around before she stood up and entered the room.

Yu Pan held Yu Bing's hand and forcefully squeezed out a few drops of tears. "Xiao Bing, our family has to send someone to the countryside to do construction. I have a hard life. I stopped studying in my teens and came out to work to support everyone."

In reality, Yu Pan didn't want to study anymore after graduating from primary school. She stayed at home for a few years. At that time, her grandfather, who worked in a supply company for supermarkets, died. Mrs. Yu was the only daughter, so the vacant position was naturally taken by Yu Pan.

In this era where supplies were scarce, it was an impressive thing to be able to work in a supply company. Yu Pan showed off in the neighborhood for a long time.

After Yu Pan was done acting pitiful, she said, "You're young and weak. If you go, after your brother and I marry in two years, our parents can use this reason to transfer you back. At that time, our family of five can stay."

Yu Bing was born sickly, so she was a burden at home.

In her previous life, Yu Pan had also used this reason to let Yu Bing go to the countryside. After Yu Bing refused because of her ill health, Yu Pan immediately married her pursuer in order to avoid going to the countryside to do construction. Her parents refused to let their son go to the countryside to suffer, so the burden fell on Yu Bing. Yu Pan also blamed Yu Bing for her misfortune after marriage. Yu Pan believed that it was because Yu Bing didn't agree to go to the countryside that Yu Pan had no choice but to get married in a hurry. In the end, she met a bad person.

"I'm not in good health. I'm afraid I won't be able to survive until the day I return to the city," Yu Bing said slowly with her head lowered.

How could it be that easy to return? Not to mention the lack of government policy dictating the return to the city in recent years, even if there was later, how could those local people who determined whether or not they returned release them without obtaining enough benefits? How many girls had to sell their bodies to get a spot?

Although Yu Bing had already made up her mind to go to the countryside, she didn't intend to agree so easily.

Yu Pan continued to persuade her, "You used to sit around all day without exercising when you were studying. Coincidentally, you don't need to study anymore after high school. You might get better after working there."

"But I heard from Auntie Jiang that Jiang Yuan sent a letter back saying that farm work is especially heavy there and that he doesn't eat well. I can at least eat until I'm half-full at home. He's such a healthy person, but he's already tired and sick after only two months. I don't want to delay your marriage either. I'm not even afraid of being tired. I'm just afraid that I won't be able to eat my fill and have enough clothes to wear. If I go, I won't even be able to work. I'm afraid I won't be able to survive." With that said, Yu Bing raised her head and looked at Yu Pan with her usual timid gaze.

When Yu Pan heard that Yu Bing seemed to have wavered, she immediately expressed her stance. "Don't worry. As long as you agree, I'll tell Dad and Mom to bring more food stamps for you."

In this era, money was not the only thing that mattered when buying things. One also had to have the corresponding food stamps and clothing stamps before others would sell them to them.

Yu Bing lowered her head and tugged at the corner of her shirt with both hands. "I have to take 30 pound food stamps, 20 feet clothing stamps, and 70 yuan. I might never come back. I have to take more money as backup."

Yu Bing had already planned it all out. In her previous life, because the Yu family only gave her a few food stamps and five yuan, in order to save money, she couldn't even afford eggs.

With her already weak body, she collapsed from exhaustion after harvesting crops in the countryside. After that, she developed the syndrome of panting after taking only a few steps.

After that, every time her family sent a letter asking her to send food, she would obediently send food back at the expense of scrimping and saving herself. Once, she was so famished that she almost died.

Later, she found out that the Yu family had no problem eating their fill.

In this life, she would no longer live for these people. She would live for herself.

At this moment, Yu Pan wanted to jump up and curse when she heard that she wanted 70 yuan. However, she thought about it and immediately stopped herself. After all, 70 yuan was only two months of her salary. It was still very worth it for her to continue being a city girl!

Her mother had always safekept her salary. After Yu Pan understood, she immediately left the room to ask Mrs. Yu.

The mother and daughter fought in the living room over this matter. In the end, as expected, it ended in Yu Pan's victory.

Mr. Yu and Mrs. Yu called Yu Bing out of the living room.

Yu Bing knew that her parents wanted her to express her stance clearly. "Dad, Mom, as long as you give me enough stamps and money, I can go to the countryside to do construction."

Yu Pan pulled Yu Bing to his side with a smile. "Little Bing is knowledgeable and sensible. The elders say that there is much to be done in the world. I definitely won't be able to do much there with my primary school educational level. Only you intellectuals can help build the country."

Mr. Yu and Mrs. Yu were very happy to see their youngest daughter take the initiative to go to the countryside.

Although the factory had objections, it couldn't stop people from voluntarily answering to the country's call. This would lessen their trouble greatly.

Thus, the two of them hurriedly ran to find someone to let Yu Bing take Yu Wu's place.

When they were preparing dinner, Yu Bing suggested that Mrs. Yu take out the food stamps and money for her so that she could set off directly in a few days.

Mrs. Yu stammered as she changed the topic. "Let's eat first."

Yu Bing stood at the door and watched coldly. sHe said calmly, "Mom, if you don't give it to me now, I'll go upstairs and tell factory manager Mr. Qian that my body suddenly can't take it and I can't go."

"You d*mn girl! How much money do I usually spend on your medicine? You're already at this age, but you still have to ask for money from your family when you go to the countryside to work." Mrs. Yu scolded sternly as she served the dishes.

In fact, Yu Bing's body was weak and needed supplements. However, during that era, it was difficult to buy nutritional supplements even if one had money. Every family ate the same food.

It didn't cost any money to go to the bathroom in the factory. Moreover, the factory had subsidies for such situations. Yu Bing didn't need to spend much money on medicine.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Mrs. Yu started to feel distress over the 70 yuan. The family had been saving for half a year and planned to find a girlfriend for their son.

Yu Pan was afraid that Yu Bing would change her mind, so she immediately added, "Mom, didn't we agree? If you're unwilling, I'll get married immediately and let your precious son go. Let's see if you're still unwilling to part with that 70 yuan."

When Mrs. Yu saw that her elder daughter was throwing a tantrum and that her younger daughter's attitude was firm, she could only angrily take out the money and food stamps from her room and throw them at Yu Bing. "What a debt collector!"

Yu Bing squatted down and picked up the money and food stamps one by one with a cold gaze.

In the next few days, Yu Bing jogged in the courtyard for half an hour every morning and night. During the day, she looked forward to going to work. She practiced yoga in her room for an hour every day in preparation for going to the countryside.

The night before they set off, the Yu family had just finished eating when they heard a knock on the door. Yu Bing got up to open the door and realized that it was her best friend, Jiang Chun. This was the first time the two of them had met in their lives. Yu Bing suddenly felt a lump in her throat and her eyes was a little blurry.

Seeing this, Jiang Chun immediately pulled Yu Bing under the tree downstairs.

"Don't cry, Little Bing. We're going to the same place. I'll take care of you. Don't be afraid." Jiang Chun comforted Yu Bing while wiping her tears with a handkerchief.

Yu Bing could no longer control her emotions. She hugged the person in front of her and thought to herself that in her previous life, it was Jiang Chun who protected her. In this life, it was her turn to protect Jiang Chun.

Jiang Chun didn't know that the reborn Yu Bing only wanted to stay away from her family. She thought that she was afraid of leaving her family and going to the countryside alone, so she comforted her gently.

It took Yu Bing a long time to control her emotions.

Seeing that Yu Bing had calmed down, Jiang Chun said with heartache, "Your brother is strong enough to kill a cow. You've never been in good health since you were young. I didn't expect your parents to be so heartless as to let you replace him. But don't worry, I can protect you even in the countryside!"

Jiang Chun's words warmed Yu Bing's heart. "Don't worry, I'll take care of my body. I'll be fine."

As the two of them were talking, they saw Yao Nian walking past them angrily.

Jiang Chun bumped Yu Bing's shoulder and whispered, "Do you know? Yao Nian is coming with us."

Yu Bing looked at Yao Nian's back coldly and didn't speak.

In her previous life, Yao Nian had indeed gone to the countryside. This fiancé who claimed to be her childhood friend had even set a trap for her with that person. In her previous life, she didn't have the time to settle this score. In this life, she had to settle it properly!

Jiang Chun continued to tell her what she knew. "I heard that it's because Yao Ling is preparing to get married. She works in the Food Bureau and her parents are both supervisors. Otherwise, the Yao family wouldn't have let Yao Nian go to the countryside."

After Yu Bing heard this, the corners of her mouth curled up into a cold smile. As expected, it was the same as in her previous life. These days, there were a few families that didn't favor boys over girls. Only when they obtained enough benefits from their daughters would there be the situation of favoring girls over boys.

However, Yao Nian's unhappiness was her source of joy. Yu Bing looked forward to seeing if Yao Nian could withstand her revenge in this lifetime.

Because they were leaving early tomorrow morning, the two of them still had to pack their luggage, so they didn't talk much and returned home.

As soon as Yu Bing entered, he realized that there were only Mrs. Yu and Yu Pan in the living room. The atmosphere was a little off. Mrs. Yu leaned against the sofa and crossed her arms in front of her chest with anger in her eyes.

"Yu Bing, you slut! I was wondering why you were so proactive in volunteering to build the village. So you only took the initiative to mention it because you knew that Yao Nian would also go! To think that I even gave you so much money and stamps since I was afraid that you would suffer. Take out half of all the stamps and leave them at home. You can only bring five yuan with you!" Mrs. Yu sat up straight and pointed at Yu Bing.

Yu Bing looked at Yu Pan, who was sitting beside Mrs. Yu with her legs crossed while munching on melon seeds, as if she was watching a good show.

She understood that Yu Pan must have started to sow discord again. Although Yu Pan was just over 20 years old, she was famous for being a gossipy woman in the neighborhood.

Yu Bing had died once before, so how could she be afraid of Mrs. Yu's threat? He said helplessly, "Since Mom thinks that my motive for going to the countryside is not pure, I won't go. I'll take out the money and food stamps later."

Mrs. Yu froze, and Yu Pan, who was eating melon seeds, also stopped.

In fact, this was indeed Yu Pan's doing. She just felt that if Yu Bing left home, there would be no one for her to bully anymore. She just made up some lies in front of her mother in order to see Yu Bing being scolded.

Mrs. Yu wanted to use this as an excuse to deduct more money and stamps.

Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that the Yu Bing in front of them was no longer the person they were familiar with. She wasn't someone who the Yu family could make suffer and mercilessly exploit. She was no longer someone who silently endured and didn't dare to resist.

Mrs. Yu slammed the table and roared, "You wretched girl! Are you threatening me?!"

Yu Bing walked to the armchair and sat down. She held her chest and said with an uncomfortable expression, "Mom, I haven't gone to the countryside yet. It's not too late for me to give up the spot now. I suddenly feel a little pain in my chest."

Yu Pan widened her eyes. From the looks of it, the situation was a little out of control. She was afraid that something unexpected would happen. Yu Wu definitely wouldn't go. In the end, it would be over for her if she went.

Yu Pan hurriedly held Mrs. Yu's arm and whispered into her ear, "Mom, she might not be able to return for the rest of her life. She's a sickly person. Our family won't have to pay for her food anymore. No matter what, these stamps and money are worth it!"

Mrs. Yu was also scheming. In this era, it was indeed difficult to find a job through connections. Her son had yet to find a job. This time, she could send off this sickly person with an excuse. Not only could she fill the spot, but this could also save them money. It was indeed a profitable deal.

"Yu Bing, don't think that we can't control you. If you dare to do anything embarrassing, I'll break your legs! I'll sever all ties with you!" Mrs. Yu threatened.

In the past, Yu Bing would panic and be afraid that her parents would be angry. However, at this moment, she only felt calm and didn't want to pretend to be polite with them anymore. She only said calmly, "I'm setting off tomorrow. I'll pack my things first."

With that, she returned to her room, leaving the two of them looking at each other.

The next morning, just after seven o'clock, Yu Bing took two large bags containing clothes, a net bag containing a hot water bottle, a basin, a lunch box, and some food that she had fought for from her mother in the morning. She set off alone on the journey to build the village.

The train station.

The train station was bustling. They were all parents who were sending their children off. The Yu family was still angry about what happened last night and morning, so they didn't send her off.

Yu Bing squeezed into the car with all his might and looked for her seat. She saw that Jiang Chun, who wasn't far away, had already seen her. Afraid that Jiang Chun wouldn't see her, Yu Bing stood up and waved her hands vigorously.

Yu Bing smiled for the first time today. "Chun Chun!"

"Come, give me the heavy one." Jiang Chun took a few steps forward and brought the clothes to the seat. She turned around and took the net before placing it under the seat. She pulled Yu Bing to sit in the inner seat.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Accompanied by the rhythmic sound of the train, Jiang Chun and Yu Bing, who had been sitting on the train for a long time, fell asleep. When Yu Bing woke up, it was already evening. Jiang Chun, who was sitting on the outside and leaning on her shoulder, hadn't changed her posture from the time she fell asleep to the time she woke up. She only tilted her head and listened to the people in the neighboring seats tell stories with relish.

Yu Bing was moved when she saw this scene, so she massaged Jiang Chun's stiff shoulders. Jiang Chun noticed and turned around. "Xiao Bing, you're awake. You don't have to massage me. I'll just stand up and move around a little!"

"Just sit tight. I've enjoyed the afternoon nap. Now, it's your turn to enjoy it." Yu Bing smiled.

Jiang Chun smiled. "Alright, then just massage me for a few minutes. Massage is a tiring task."

Yu Bing looked at the girl who was always smiling, and couldn't help but think of Jiang Chun, who had always smiled and encouraged her no matter how difficult things were in her previous life. Therefore, when she returned there this time, she had to plan thoroughly before that time. She couldn't let Jiang Chun be schemed against.

Jiang Chun looked at the person sitting next to her and licked her lips. She touched her stomach and turned to look at Yu Bing. "Bing, let's eat now. To save food, we didn't even eat lunch. I'm starving."

Yu Bing was also hungry and nodded vigorously. The two of them took out food from the net under their seats.

Yu Bing took out a white steamed bun and two eggs, then handed an egg to Jiang Chun. As Jiang Chun took out her home-made pickled vegetables as she rejected Yu Bing, "Little Bing, I brought food. Keep it for yourself."

Yu Bing shook her head helplessly and stuffed the egg into Jiang Chun's hand. "Eat it. I brought more. Your pickled vegetables are delicious. I want to take a few more bites. Take it as me exchanging with you."

Jiang Chun knew that Yu Bing was only finding an excuse to let her accept the egg. She lowered her head and looked at the egg in her hand. She thought to herself that she must help Yu Bing work more when she reached the countryside!

At this moment, the train stopped. The words "Linshui City" were written on the platform.

Yu Bing's pupils dilated as she looked at the familiar figure on the platform. Then, she leaned against the car window and turned her body to face Jiang Chun while eating the last bite of dinner. She then pretended to listen to everyone's conversation carefully. When the train started again, she silently straightened her body.

In her previous life, she had also sat by the car window. When Yu Yan passed by the car window and saw her, she took the initiative to talk to her. The two of them started to interact after that.

But now that she had ruined this opportunity, Yu Bing wanted to see if the Wheel of Destiny would change.

After the train traveled for a while, everyone found their seats and chatted with the people they sat with.

Just as Yu Bing thought that this person would disappear from her life, a tall woman with a round face and almond-shaped eyes appeared in front of her again.

Yu Yan was wearing a fashionable polyester plaid shirt, fitting green military pants, and a military kettle on her back. Her outfit was very chic in this era, and it made everyone's eyes light up.

Then, she smiled and introduced herself generously. "Hello, everyone. My name is Yu Yan. You're all going to the countryside, right? Can I sit here with you? A couple went to visit their relatives with a few children. I saw that it was inconvenient, so I took the initiative to find another seat."

In this era, most people were simple-minded, passionate, and kind. Yu Yan's actions indeed made these teenagers have a good impression of her. One by one, they hurriedly squeezed out seats for her. A man even took the initiative to take the bamboo rattan box containing the clothes and helped place it on the iron shelf above the seat.

Yu Bing sneered. She was certain that Yu Yan had always been prepared for her. The train had been driving for so long, so she must have passed by so many seats, but none of them were suitable for her, and their place, which was fully packed, was suitable for her.

"You look so familiar! What's your name?"

Yu Bing looked up. Yu Yan was sitting at the outermost side of the row opposite Yu Bing and smiling at her.

"My name is Yu Bing. Perhaps it's because of my average-looking face, but people often say that I look familiar to someone they know," Yu Bing replied with a smile.

Yu Yan paused slightly. This answer was beyond her expectations and she didn't know how to answer.

She looked at her third sister, who had an oval face and almond-shaped eyes like her, and suppressed the urge to lambaste her. After all, it wasn't time yet. Country life was too boring. She had a third sister to pass the time with. She wanted the Yu family to know how outstanding she was! They had chosen the wrong daughter to give away.

At the same time, Yu Yan was very curious. Between the two of them, did one look more like their father and one look more like their mother?

Hence, she continued to smile and said, "You must be joking. I didn't expect us to have the same surname. What a coincidence. I keep feeling that you seem familiar and I can't help but want to get close to you."

In her previous life, Yu Bing was happy when she heard Yu Yan's words. She wasn't in good health and rarely went out to play. She only had Jiang Chun, her best friend. Therefore, in her previous life, she rushed to befriend her.

Every time Yu Yan needed something, she would look for her. Yu Yan would coax her with sweet words and Yu Bing be willing to help her do anything after hearing them. Yu Yan would even frame Yu Bing time and time again.

Now that she thought about it, Yu Bing wished she could slap herself!

Yu Bing recalled her previous life experience, but she didn't show it on her face. She pretended to be confused and said, "Is that so? If we have the same surname, then we might really have been a family five hundred years ago."

She pretended to recall for a few seconds and said seriously, "I'm sure my family doesn't have any relatives in Linshui City. Moreover, my parents said that I always look silly and non-threatening, so many people want to get close to me. This time, they even reminded me to be careful when I'm out."

Jiang Chun knew about the Yu family's situation and didn't understand why Yu Bing said the exact opposite. However, she believed that Yu Bing must have a reason for doing this, so she sat at the side without saying anything.

When Yu Yan heard this, the smile on her face froze.

Yu Bing looked at Yu Yan's expression and covered her mouth. "Miss Yu, don't misunderstand. My parents aren't talking about you. They're talking about those bad people. You don't look like a bad person."

Yu Bing knew too well what kind of words could make Yu Yan uncomfortable!

At this moment, Yu Yan was indeed feeling worse than if she had swallowed a fly. If she had seen that Yu Bing wasn't favored in the family, she would have felt better. However, Yu Bing's words had clearly indicated that the Yu family protected her. Yu Yan only felt that Yu Bing had snatched the happiness that should have belonged to her.

She even thought that her parents were targeting her. What did they mean by wanting to get close to her and being more careful?!

Who were they guarding against?!

At this moment, Yu Yan no longer had the urge to continue talking. She only sat quietly in her seat.

A girl sitting beside her felt the awkwardness and quickly tried to smooth things over. "We are good young people who support the country's construction. We're all good people."

Then, the others changed the topic, and the atmosphere slowly returned to normal.

Unknowingly, everyone chatted until late at night before falling asleep.

Just as the sun rose from the ground in the east, the train arrived at the station. A few young people who had the same destination alighted with their luggage.

Yu Bing watched as Yu Yan took the car to the Fengtou Mountain Commune in Jiangning County. After arriving at the Commune, they took an ox cart to the He Mountain Brigade.

The car swayed and smelled of gasoline. Yu Bing resisted the urge to vomit and finally got out of the car.

Looking at the sunroof car ox cart in front of her, Yu Bing felt alive again when she smelled the fresh air.

The ox cart had pulled people and things. It had basically pulled everything. The driver had even specifically washed it last night before picking them up. However, it still looked dirty after so many years of usage.

Although Yu Yan lived with her adoptive parents, she had been doted on by her family since she was young and had never suffered much.

She looked at the ox cart in front of her with disdain. "Can't you change it? It's so dirty and it smells! My clothes and pants are stained from it."

The old man was a straightforward person and couldn't stand such pampered behavior. He said angrily, "If you don't want to sit in it, you can walk back to the village!"

Although the other threes who supported the construction of the village also despised the ox cart, they knew that the village didn't have anything better. It was better than walking, so they naturally wouldn't complain.

Jiang Chun wasn't a high-maintenance person. After seeing Yu Bing put down her luggage and step into the ox cart, she followed him into the cart.

The old man driving the cart didn't expect this thin young lady to lead the way into the car. He originally thought that she was a pampered young lady, but who knew that the one complaining was the tall and muscular young lady? He thought to himself that one really couldn't judge a book by its cover.

After Yu Yan saw everyone get into the carriage, she stomped her feet and followed them into the ox cart.

She felt a little resentful that Yu Bing, who had taken the lead to get into the car, was deliberately going against her to embarrass her. She wanted to use the soft approach to approach Yu Bing, but now, she couldn't help but say, "Little Bing, I heard that farming is quite tiring. What if you faint since you're so frail? Wouldn't this implicate everyone's progress?"

She was undoubtedly insulting Yu Bing in front of this group of companions who had come to the countryside to build. After all, no one wanted a burden in their team.

Before Yu Bing could speak, Jiang Chun was so angry that she contorted, "Who are you trying to slander? According to what you're saying, you're so burly, so you should be dispatched to the wilderness!"

Yu Yan had heard praises since she was young. When Jiang Chun suddenly said this, she immediately lost her temper. "Who are you calling burly?! I'm just healthy!"

"I'll scold whoever looks for trouble!" Jiang Chun turned around and glared at Yu Yan with anger. Yu Yan was someone who bullied the weak and feared the strong. When she saw that Jiang Chun wasn't to be trifled with, she calmed down and sat at the side gloomily.

The ox cart drove on the yellow dirt road in the field. The villagers in the paddy fields on both sides were working hard. The scene gave off a sense of vitality.

The old man drove the car to the entrance of the village and stopped. He pointed at the bungalow not far away and said, "The village has arranged a temporary dormitory for you all. You can reach it after walking straight for a few hundred meters. It's a three-bedroom apartment. It's very easy to recognize. The village chief is waiting for you guys there. I still have to rush to the field to work. Get off the cart and walk over."

Yu Bing knew that it was the harvest season. If the harvest was reduced late in the season, the already tight supply of food would be even more insufficient. This was a matter of life and death.

Although she was weak and her body was already a little tired from the long ride, she could still slowly walk a few hundred meters.

When the others heard the old man's words, they all understood. Only Yu Yan was dissatisfied. However, when she saw that everyone had gotten out of the car to get their luggage, she couldn't say anything else. She only muttered indignantly as she got out of the car, "I'm already exhausted from sitting in the car for so long. I still have to walk with so many things. He's not even willing to send us for a few hundred meters more. People say that villagers are compassionate, but they can't even do this simple task."

The old man couldn't stand Yu Yan to begin with. In order to pick them up, he had already delayed half a day's work. Now that he was being complained about, he became angry and shouted, "Young lady, do you think I can't hear you muttering behind my back? If you have any objections, say it loudly. You're so fussy and high-maintenance. You guys haven't even started working, but you're already accusing others for being weak and about to faint. She took a long bus here just like you, but she didn't say that she couldn't walk a few hundred meters. You're so burly, yet you still talk so much nonsense! I think you just look burly. That little girl might even be stronger than you, yet you say that she's weak."

Seeing that they had already taken their things out of the car, the old man didn't give Yu Yan a chance to retort. He directly chased the ox head straight to the field, leaving Yu Yan fuming.

When Yu Bing saw this, she pursed her lips and chuckled. In her previous life, she was stupid and was instigated by Yu Yan to discuss it with him. He pitied her for her poor health and sent them to a place.

However, it was also because of this that Yu Yan used this as an excuse to say that she was weak and sickly, causing her to be ostracized the moment she arrived in the village. After all, no one wanted to have another burden in their team. Later, she coaxed her into thinking she was doing this to help her get an easy job.

In this life, if she didn't take her bait and no one helped Yu Yan, her plans would indeed be disrupted.

The six of them walked to the temporary shelter under the scorching sun and saw a burly man standing in the courtyard. He was about 40 years old and his patched clothes and pants were stained with mud. He seemed to have just rushed over from the ground. When he saw them, he smiled and shook hands with them one by one. "Comrades, it's been hard on you! I'm the village chief of Heshan Village, Sun Wang."

Only then did everyone officially introduce themselves.

The bespectacled and scholarly boy was called Liu Ming. The tall and thin boy beside him was called Qian Hao, and the smiling boy was called Li Zhen.

Yu Yan, Yu Bing, and Jiang Chun also gave their names and hometowns.

Sun Wang looked at the names on the list in his hand one by one. After confirming that there was no problem, he looked up and said, "The dormitory is full now, but every year, there are people who get married and move out, or befriend other villagers and move in. So every year, the young people who participate in the construction will stay here for a few months first. The conditions are bad, so you guys should tolerate it."

Everyone expressed their understanding.

In order to gain favor with the village chief, Yu Yan raised her head and said, "Village Chief Mr. Sun, we came here to contribute and are prepared to work hard. Don't worry, this bit of difficulty is nothing!"

Sun Wang saw Yu Yan's proactive attitude and nodded in satisfaction.

"Then rest well today. We'll start work tomorrow." Sun Wang said the arrangements and went to work again.

Yu Bing looked at the familiar house and sighed with emotion. She was back again!

Everyone looked at the three rooms. One was the kitchen, and among the remaining two rooms, one was for men and one was for women. There was also a bathroom at the back.

Seeing that everyone had been assigned, Yu Bing said, "The boys are in charge of filling the water tank and chopping wood. Yu Yan, you clean the kitchen. Jiang Chun and I will wash the pot and start a fire to cook."

The three boys were worried that no one would cook, so when they heard this arrangement, they readily accepted the task they were responsible for, took their tools, and left. Only Yu Yan walked up to her with an indignant expression. She glared at her and said, "Why should you assign the tasks?!"

Yu Bing turned to look at Yu Yan with a smile as she said indifferently, "Then you can assign the tasks."

Yu Yan looked at Yu Bing and turned around proudly to size up the kitchen. She thought about what simple work she wanted to do. However, when she looked at the earthen stove and the few large pots in the kitchen, then at the rice in everyone's lunch boxes on the table and the vegetables and oil the village had prepared for their lunch, she felt that she could only clean up.

Thus, she rolled her eyes at Yu Bing and started to clean with the broom made of straw placed on the stove.

The current Yu Yan no longer hid her dissatisfaction with Yu Bing. Her hatred for her sister made her give up on her plan to be gentle at first.

Yu Bing couldn't be bothered to argue with Yu Yan, but Jiang Chun didn't want to indulge her, so she specifically walked to Yu Yan and rolled her eyes.

Yu Yan pouted as she watched the two of them go against her. She chose to remain silent and only secretly stared at the rice in her lunch box to see if they had transferred it to Yu Bing's lunch box.

In order to eat early, Yu Yan didn't play tricks when she cleaned. She obediently cleaned the stove, swept the floor, and swept the spider webs in the corners.

With everyone working together, they finally had lunch an hour later.

After the meal, everyone gathered under the eaves to chat. There were only a few families in front of the temporary residence. They could see the fields directly in front of the house.

The villagers had all gone home to eat. They could only see the rice, which had been mostly harvested already, in the field. The few of them drank warm water and looked at the scene that they could only see in textbooks when they were studying in the city. At this moment, a breeze happened to blow in their faces, making everyone temporarily forget their fatigue from long-distance travel. The scenery in front of them seemed quite unique.

Li Zhen rubbed his hands. Under the other two's signaling, he said, "Yu Bing, the three of us don't know how to cook. Can we eat with you?"

The other two boys also expressed that they would be in charge of fetching firewood and water.

Yu Bing agreed readily. "Alright, then Jiang Chun and I will be in charge of cooking in the future."

Yu Bing looked at the silent Yu Yan and took the initiative to ask, "Yu Yan, if you want to join us, you can be in charge of cleaning our room and courtyard every day."

Yu Yan raised her head proudly and said, "I plan to move in with the villagers tomorrow, but I'll still eat with you guys tonight. Yu Bing, your culinary skills are really not that good." After saying that, she even shook her head in disdain.

Everyone couldn't help but think of how tasty the food Yu Yan had cooked was during lunch just now. They didn't think it wasn't good.

If it was anyone else asking this question, Yu Yan might have agreed. However, it was Yu Bing who asked this question. Yu Yan was even more determined to go against her. She decided to go to the village later to see if there were any families who could cooperate.

Before she came, Yu Yan had already found out that people like them who came to the city to the countryside to support the rural construction could use their rations to go to the villagers' houses. The villagers' families usually raised chickens, and the children at home sometimes went to the river to fish. The people who cooperated with them could occasionally eat meat.

When Yu Yan, who was originally hesitating, heard that Yu Bing wanted her to clean the room and courtyard, she was even more unhappy.

Yu Bing didn't know how to cook when she first arrived in the countryside in her previous life. Yu Yan chose to go to the villagers' house. However, when she thought of what happened later, Yu Bing secretly chuckled. This time, she took the initiative to lure her into saying that she wouldn't eat with them anymore.

The boys could also tell that although there were three girls, there were two camps.

However, they had come all the way here together. Everyone saw Yu Yan's actions towards Yu Bing. They were a little unhappy with Yan Yan's provocative actions and secretly heaved a sigh of relief that they learned that they didn't have to eat together with Yu Yan anymore.

After discussing, everyone returned to their rooms to take a nap.

An hour later, everyone got up one after another. This was because the village chief had arranged for everyone to be given 30 pounds of rice and 2 taels of oil per month. However, they could think of ways to buy vegetables from the local villagers, or exchange them with stamps and items that the villagers needed. Of course, they could also plant them themselves.

Yu Bing planned to exchange for some vegetables, eggs, and vegetable seeds. The boys also took the initiative to pay for the food. After all, they could pay for the rice themselves, but Yu Bing couldn't use her own stamps and money to exchange for the vegetables. After some discussion, they handed them over to Yu Bing for exchange.

Yu Bing brought Jiang Chun to a family not far from the resettlement point. This family had a lame widow and two sons. The eldest son sacrificed himself for the country during war, and the youngest son was a soldier in the army.

The village took good care of her and assigned her the job of raising pigs. She just had to take good care of the pigs. Therefore, although there were no men at home, no one dared to look for trouble. In addition, she was a generous person and had always been popular in the village.

When Yu Bing saw the door open, she shouted, "Hello, is anyone home?"

"I'm coming." A middle-aged woman wearing a dark scarf was limping, but she looked energetic.

Auntie Zhao looked at the two young ladies in front of her and knew that they must be the group of young people who had just arrived at the village today. She smiled and said, "What's the matter?"

Yu Bing smiled and replied, "Hello, Madam. We're here to build a village. My name is Yu Bing, and her name is Jiang Chun. We want to buy some vegetables, eggs, and seeds from you."

Auntie Zhao said cheerfully, "Sure, I can't finish them alone anyway. My surname is Zhao. You can call me Auntie Zhao from now on."

As she spoke, she led the two of them to the vegetable field in her backyard.

She took a large bunch of each vegetable from the bamboo basket at the side and took some vegetable seeds. "Fortunately, you came quickly. Otherwise, I would have had to pick pig grass later."

With that, she quickly turned into the house and started picking eggs from the bamboo basket beside the bed. "Young lady, how many eggs do you want?"

Yu Bing hurriedly replied, "Madam, I want six. I'll come back after finishing them."

Auntie Zhao chose six of the biggest eggs from the dozen eggs. "No problem. You can come to visit me when you're free."

Yu Bing knew from her previous life that many people from the construction village would come here to exchange things. This was because Auntie Zhao was warm and easygoing, and the prices of the items she exchanged were very fair.

However, in her previous life, because she was focused on saving money and sending food home, she couldn't bear to eat eggs. It was because of a serious illness that she bought two eggs from Auntie Zhao to replenish her nutrition. This was the only time they interacted.

Jiang Chun took the bamboo basket from Auntie Zhao.

Yu Bing replied mischievously, "As long as you don't find us annoying, Auntie, how much are these veggies and eggs?"

"I don't mind. Just give me one cent for these veggies. Five cents for one egg. I don't need money for the vegetable seeds. I'll give them to you guys."

Yu Bing and Jiang Chun looked at the smiling Auntie Zhao and then at each other in embarrassment.

If they were to find someone else to exchange this basket of vegetables, they would have had to pay at least two cents. As for the eggs, they could only buy them in the city's supply company when they had time off work. One egg would cost seven cents, and they had to buy them with stamps.

This was because in this era, each family could only raise two chickens at most. Their own families didn't even have enough to eat. Due to Auntie Zhao's special situation, the village had discussed and allowed them to raise two more. In addition, Auntie Zhao usually lived alone and ate little, so she could sell them to who needed eggs.

Yu Bing knew that the old lady wanted people to come and go for the sake of liveliness and didn't care about this bit of money, so she didn't refuse anymore. She only made up her mind to come more often in the future and help the old lady do some work.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you!" After paying, Yu Bing carefully transferred the vegetables in the basket into the bag she brought.

After saying goodbye to the woman, Yu Bing and Jiang Chun walked back.

Jiang Chun asked curiously, "Little Bing, how did you know that this woman would exchange veggies with us?" After all, there were a few families nearby, but Yu Bing walked straight to Auntie Zhao's house.

Yu Bing's eyes flickered. She pretended to be calm and said, "I chose her randomly. Anyway, I could ask the next family if she didn't exchange with us."

Jiang Chun nodded without thinking much about it. Then, she suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, why did you say that to Yu Yan on the train?"

Yu Bing calmly said the answer she had long prepared, "I just felt that she was deliberately trying to get close to me. It seemed strange, so I was on guard. I want others to think that my family is constantly paying attention to my safety, so they won't dare to bully me."

When Jiang Chun heard this, her eyes widened in agreement. "At that time, I felt that her smile was a little fake, especially when she said those words to you. I knew that my intuition was right!"

The two of them chatted for a while before returning to the location. They placed the vegetables in the kitchen. Yu Bing took her eggs and temporarily placed them in the pocket of her bag.

Yu Yan was writing a letter on the wooden table.

Jiang Chun also took out a pen and paper. "I have to write a letter to report my safety to my parents."

Yu Bing finally left the Yu family and didn't want to write to contact the Yu family anymore. However, when she saw Yu Yan, she changed her mind and took out her stationery. "Me too. Otherwise, my parents would be worried."

From the corner of Yu Bing's eye, she saw Yu Yan stop writing for a moment. Then, when she wrote again, she could see that she was holding the pen even tighter.

A smile appeared on Yu Bing's lips. She treated it as collecting some interest from Yu Yan for setting her up in her previous life.

Then, she sat at the square table in the middle of the room and started writing something with a pen. After thinking for a moment, she had an idea. She first described the tough life in the countryside in detail. The farming work was heavy, and at the end, she even wrote that her body was even weaker after the journey. She wrote that if she didn't have enough money to go to the doctor, she hoped that her family could support her with more money and stamps.

Yu Bing smiled and looked at her preemptive letter in satisfaction. She would kill the Yu family's intention to exploit her in advance.

However, in Yu Yan's eyes, Yu Bing was happily telling her family that she had arrived safely. She felt indignant again. She looked at Yu Bing as if she was looking at a thief who had stolen her family and happiness.

Yu Bing ignored Yu Yan's gaze and placed the letter into her luggage. She leaned closer to Jiang Chun, who was still writing, and whispered a few words into her ear. Then, she went out to discuss planting vegetables with Liu Ming and the others.

Yu Bing knocked twice on the boys' room's open door and said gently, "Jiang Chun and I asked for some vegetable seeds. After all, it's not sustainable to keep buying vegetables."

Speaking of which, Yu Bing was the youngest among them. Originally, the three of them thought that with Yu Bing's gentle and frail appearance, she would definitely be a sensitive young lady. Who knew that after interacting with her for a day, they discovered that she was efficient, meticulous, generous, and cheerful? On the other hand, the tall and fit Yu Yan was the fussy troublemaker.

The older Liu Ming immediately replied, "I think it's feasible. Since we're here to build a village, we have to be prepared in the long-term."

The other two agreed and turned over half of the land that the young man who had previously lived here had reclaimed. Considering that it was only for a month or two, they decided to only turn over half an acre of land and sprinkle some water on the seeds.

After they were done, it was already evening. Only then did Yu Yan slowly return to the resettlement point. Seeing everyone return from planting vegetables in their own land in exhaustion, she felt that she had made a wise decision by joining forces with the villagers.

Then, Yu Yan and everyone handed the lunch box containing the rice to Yu Bing and steamed it in the pot. After eating, Yu Yan ran out again.

Yu Bing, Jiang Chun, and three boys carried firewood and water to fill the two large pots that were used for cooking with water to boil water and shower. One pot was used to heat up the boy's bath, while the other pot was used to boil water. Half of it was boiled to drink, and the other half was used for the two girls' bathe.

Seeing that both pots of hot water had been used up, Qian Hao was thinking about what Yu Yan would do and was hesitating about whether to help her boil a pot. Liu Ming saw through Qian Hao's thoughts and whispered, "Let's go back to our room. Just now, Yu Bing and Jiang Chun were in charge of boiling water together, but in order to let everyone rest early after showering, they also took a basin to fetch water. Yu Bing almost fell. But what about Yu Yan? She left after eating and didn't do anything. Why do you still care about her?"

On the other side of the room, Yu Bing and Jiang Chun were lying comfortably on the bed and talking after taking a hot shower.

Bang! The door was pushed open and hit the wall beside it.

Yu Yan pushed the door open angrily. "Why isn't there hot water for me?!"

Yu Bing sneered.

Seeing this, Jiang Chun immediately turned around and sat on the bed. "What do you mean by hot water for you? Did you fetch the water? Or did you pick the firewood? Or did you help boil the water?"

Yu Yan replied indignantly, "I was assigned to clean the kitchen previously. I've already done it. Why can't I have a share of the hot water?!"

Yu Bing stood up and looked at Yu Yan as she said softly, "Are you planning to reap all the benefits after cleaning the kitchen only once?"

"Everyone except you picked water together. Don't take advantage of others' hard work. We're not your parents, so we have no obligation to spoil you."

Yu Yan didn't think that there was anything wrong with her not working. She only felt that Yu Bing was taking the lead in targeting her. "You guys are bullying me together!"

After saying that, she rushed out of the door and walked to the kitchen. She saw that there was still half of cold water in the tub. Fortunately, it was midsummer, so Yu Yan could take a simple cold shower. She felt hatred. Mr. Yu and Mrs. Yu, who she had been looking forward to seeing, were also resented at this moment. She hated them for giving birth to Yu Bing, who always went against her!

The two people in the room were also talking about Yu Yan.

Jiang Chun said in confusion, "You asked me not to leave the room before Yu Yan left today. Then, I slowly wrote the letter and saw that she had been secretly looking at the bag you put the letter in. However, because I deliberately slowed down, she couldn't wait anymore and left. Little Bing, why do I feel that she really wants to see what you wrote?"

Yu Bing also pretended to be puzzled and replied, "I don't know. When I wrote the letter, I felt that she kept peeking, so I specifically told you that."

Jiang Chun couldn't figure it out, so she changed the topic.

Because they had to start working in the fields the next day, everyone chose to sleep early.

The next day, just as the sky lit up, they heard the crowing of a rooster in the village. Yu Bing immediately got up and cooked the rice that everyone had given her last night. She steamed two eggplants and picked a little chili sauce from the chili sauce jar she had brought to smear on the cut eggplants. She poured a little soy sauce and cooked two eggs for herself and Jiang Chun. Yu Bing looked at the breakfast she had prepared with satisfaction.

It looked, smelled, and tasted good!

When Jiang Chun saw the egg Yu Bing handed her, she said, "Little Bing, stop cooking eggs for me. You bought this. I can't eat your food for free every time!"

Yu Bing knew that Jiang Chun's kindness towards her was pure, and she also knew that Jiang Chun wasn't greedy. She wanted to treat whoever treated her well ten times better. Hence, she could only agree. "Alright, I won't prepare it next time. It's already cooked. Eat this first. If you don't want to eat it, I'll prepare yours again next time."

Jiang Chun looked at Yu Bing's cheeky smile and nodded helplessly.

At this moment, the three boys entered the kitchen. The three of them drank plain porridge and ate eggplants mixed with chili.

This was their first day of work. After dinner, they went to the field early to wait for arrangements.

In this era, there was a work score system. The village chief would customize the score according to the amount of work done.

For example, the highest score for farming was 10 points. This was because farming was very difficult. If one completed their work on time that day and didn't slack off, the team leader would get a full score of 10 points after reporting to the scorekeeper. If one was late, left early, or was caught slacking, the corresponding score would be deducted.

Another example was that one could get three points for chasing the sheep raised in the village. This was a simple job. It only took one to two hours a day. Generally, teenagers would be responsible for it and the corresponding score would be given according to the child's performance. Similarly, the highest score for this job was only three points.

These work points would affect the food, stamps, and money that everyone would eventually get, so everyone worked hard.

This time, Yu Bing was assigned to pull the seedlings. She washed the soil on the seedlings and tied them into a bunch before throwing them to the person who inserted the seedlings. With the experience from her previous life, Yu Bing led Jiang Chun to make various protective measures in advance, like wearing hats and long-sleeve clothes. They were assigned to different groups.

At this moment, Yu Yan rushed over. She left the house a little late in the morning. When she arrived at the villager's house, she only saw the child watching the house. Only then did she know that the villagers ate two meals a day. She could only come to work on an empty stomach. However, the villager's house she worked with was a little far from the field, so she was late.

On the first day of work, she was late. Sun Wang looked at Yu Yan in dissatisfaction and arranged for her to be in the planting team, which planted the seeds into the field. Planting seedlings was more tiring than pulling seedlings, and she had to bend down.

Yu Yan walked to the planting team and saw that everyone had been working at a 90-degree angle. She then looked at Yu Bing and understood that Yu Bing's job was easier than hers. She thought about how to swap jobs with her. She came up with an idea and started walking towards Yu Bing.

At this moment, Yu Bing was learning from her team leader. Although she had done it in her previous life, there was no harm in learning it again.

The team leader saw that Yu Bing's speed was neither fast nor slow, but her posture was standard. She was very surprised by the learning ability of this young lady from the city. She didn't know that the girl in front of her had already done farm work for a few years in her previous life.

"Yu Bing."

Yu Bing turned around and saw Yu Yan looking at her with a smile. She was secretly amazed. The two of them had already had such a tense fight yesterday, yet she still came to look for her.

Yu Bing smiled and replied, "What's the matter?"

Yu Yan immediately pretended to be pitiful. "I want to apologize to you. This is the first time I left home, so I wasn't in a good mood. I treated you badly yesterday. I hope you can forgive me."

In her previous life, Yu Yan had always been tough in front of her. Yu Bing didn't expect her to act pitiful.

She pretended not to care and said generously, "It's okay, I don't blame you. Don't take it to heart."

When Yu Yan wanted to reply, she said seriously, "But Yu Yan, it's work time now. If you want to talk, let's talk when we get back. Work is more important now."

After Yu Bing finished speaking, she turned around and continued working. She snickered to herself. In her previous life, she had fallen for Yu Yan's trap and changed jobs with her. If she didn't know Yu Yan's purpose, then she would have let down the heavens for giving her this chance to be reborn.

Yu Yan was instantly speechless. She looked at Yu Bing, whose back was facing her, and her expression was very ugly.

At this moment, when the team members beside Yu Bing heard their conversation, they stared at Yu Yan as if they knew that she wanted to slack off. Yu Yan could only reluctantly turn around and leave before returning to the field she was responsible for.

Yu Bing's team leader was a middle-aged woman called Zhao Gui. She hated people who played tricks and slacked off the most. After witnessing the scene just now, her impression of Yu Bing improved. She was smart and diligent.

The sun in July and August was especially scorching. Yu Bing was scorched by the summer heat. Her face was pale and large beads of sweat were flowing down. However, compared to her previous life, when she felt dizzy on the first day of going to the lower field, she was already doing much better than before.

With previous experience, Yu Bing naturally knew how to work more efficiently. Moreover, the exercise she had done before coming to the countryside had indeed made her stronger.

In the distance, Jiang Chun was working as quickly as possible. She wanted to finish what she was responsible for as soon as possible and rush over to help Yu Bing. Therefore, although it was her first day of work, she was only slightly slower than the veteran team members.

Yu Yan, who was in the same group as Jiang Chun, was much slower. Because she hadn't eaten breakfast in the morning, Yu Yan, who hadn't done much work when back at home, felt exhausted.

In addition, without the cover of a hat and under the scorching sun, Yu Yan suddenly felt a little dizzy and fell down. Before she could catch her breath, she was called on by the team leader Li Ping.

In fact, for some of the city people who had never worked at home, it was their first time doing such high-intensity labor. Yu Yan's situation was very normal. Although Jiang Chun was an only daughter, her family wasn't rich. She had suffered a lot since she was young.

However, they were from the same batch. They were also in the same group. With this comparison, Li Ping was naturally a little dissatisfied with Yan, so she kept a closer eye on her.

After about half an hour, Jiang Chun finished her work and walked towards Yu Bing.

"I'll help you. Go back and cook first."

"I'm fine. I can hold on!" Yu Bing panted slightly.

Yu Bing hadn't stopped to rest for the entire morning except for drinking water. Others occasionally slacked off, so their progress wasn't much worse than the others. Zhao Gui saw all of this, and at this moment, Yu Bing's face was even paler than before. She said amiably, "Since someone is helping you and you're in charge of cooking, you can go back first."

Jiang Chun said jokingly, "Go back. We want to eat as soon as we get home."

Yu Bing saw that there wasn't much left of her portion, so she nodded and went back first.

When Yu Yan saw that Yu Bing had left early, she felt excited. She felt that she had caught her red-handed. However, she didn't choose to complain immediately. Instead, she made a mental note.

After she reached home, Yu Bing steamed the rice and made cucumber salad, stir-fried zucchini, and loofah egg soup.

After everyone arrived home, they ate their lunch with relish. Because their clothes were already drenched in sweat, everyone prepared to take a bath before resting.

The boys weren't that high maintenance. They took a cold shower and went to rest.

On the other hand, Yu Bing had used two basins to hold water and placed them on the empty space in front of the house to dry. The temperature of the water was just right after dinner.

Jiang Chun touched the water in the basin. "Little Bing, your idea is really brilliant. The temperature is just right. Not only can we take a warm bath, but we can also save a lot of firewood."

Yu Bing smiled and said, "I learned it from the villagers."

The two of them had just finished showering and changed into dry clothes to lie down when Yu Yan returned from the villagers' home to rest. When she entered the kitchen, she didn't see any hot water. She thought that everyone had boiled it and didn't leave any for her. Even the water in the tub was empty, and there was only enough water to fill the kettle she drank from.

Yu Yan was already filled with anger when she ate at the villager's house today. Not only did she not eat breakfast, but she also didn't wash the rice for lunch properly, causing her to accidentally bite into small stones twice. The plates still had grease that hadn't been washed clean, and the food weren't as tasty as the food Yu Bing cooked.

Thus, she threw the pot lid onto the iron pot with a bang.

She took the empty bucket and planned to get water from the well one kilometer away from the dormitory.

Beside the dormitory, there was the village's warehouse for storing food. In front of it, there was a very large place for drying rice. The children in the village liked to come here to play.

A 10-year-old girl saw Yu Yan running up with a bucket. "Are you here to get water to take a bath?"

Yu Yan looked at the little girl in front of her. She had two braids and her big eyes were widened. She was very cute. Because she thought that she was just an ordinary child from the village, she didn't speak and only nodded.

The girl smiled warmly again. "Although the weather is hot, be careful of catching a cold with the water from the well. You can go to the pool to get water. The water temperature there is higher."

The mud on the villagers' hands and feet, as well as the water spiders, flying animals, and other plankton immediately appeared in Yu Yan's mind. She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. She felt that the people in the village were really slobs.

So she left with the bucket.

However, when she found out that this little girl was the daughter of the village's female director, Wang Xia, she regretted it so much that she wanted to bang her head against the wall.

At this moment, Wang Xia looked at Yu Yan's back. She realized that she was a city person who looked down on villagers. She went to her best friend's house angrily.

Wang Xia's best friend, Xiao Li, lived at the end of the village, very close to the foot of the mountain. There were only a few families living there.

"Xiao Li… Xiao Li…"

Before Wang Xia arrived, Xiao Li heard her loud voice from the main room. A happy smile appeared on her face, and even her unfocused eyes were filled with mirth.

The moment Wang Xia entered, she saw a 20-year-old man weaving a bamboo basket in the courtyard.

She smiled and shouted, "Brother Xiao Sheng!"

Xiao Sheng raised his head and replied. Then, he lowered his head and continued what he was doing.

Wang Xia jogged into the house and sat on the stool beside Xiao Li while talking about what had just happened.

Xiao Sheng, who was outside the house, heard all of this. The scene he saw at the village entrance yesterday surfaced in his mind. Wang Xia's description made him think of Yu Yan, whose face was filled with anger.

However, what left the deepest impression on Xiao Sheng was the thin girl carrying the luggage. Her face was pale and her footsteps were weak. It could be seen that she was very tired at that time, but she still rejected the help of another girl and followed closely behind everyone.

However, Xiao Sheng didn't care about this. The scene from yesterday flashed past his mind, and his attention returned to his own business. To Xiao Sheng, finding a way to earn enough money to treat his sister's eyes was what he was most concerned about.

On the other side, Yu Yan finally carried half a bucket of water back and took a bath. Just as she laid down and fell asleep, she heard the announcement for work in the afternoon.

She could only wake up with a tired expression. The large tank was filled with water by the boys who had already woken up.

Because the weather was hot at noon, the boys were strong enough to take a cold shower. However, the temperature in the village was a little low at night, so it was best to take a warm shower.

In order to conserve firewood, everyone placed their basins and buckets in the open space to sunbathe.

Yu Yan hurriedly followed suit.

Seeing this, Yu Bing said, "Yu Yan, if you need water in the future, you'll be in charge of cleaning the dormitory's courtyard and kitchen every day."

Yu Yan immediately acted pitiful and said softly, "I actually don't need much water myself. Besides, you didn't fetch the water. The boys did."

Liu Ming and Qian Hao looked at Yu Yan's pitiful expression and felt that it was inappropriate to argue with a girl. Just as they were about to let it go, they heard Li Zhen's words.

"Everyone is currently staying in this dormitory together. Everyone should contribute. In order to enjoy benefits, you should naturally have the obligation to contribute."

Li Zhen was the kind of person who didn't like to fuss over petty things, but that didn't mean that he would tolerate everything. The problem of using water would always exist. It was unfair to others if Yu Yan kept using water for free.

He was very much in favor of Yu Bing asking questions from the start. He wanted to be polite first before being blunt. Otherwise, as time passed, everyone would definitely have resentment in their hearts. Why should they work hard while others enjoyed the results of their hard work?

Yu Yan looked at Li Zhen with a gentle smile. The other boys were silent and could only nod in agreement.

Everyone arrived at the field together.

Everyone continued to work according to the division of labor in the morning. Because Yu Yan didn't rest well, she felt even more tired, and her performance was worse than in the morning.

With this contrast, Li Ping looked at Jiang Chun, who was still working hard. She thought of the news she had heard in the afternoon and felt tempted.

She planted seedlings with Jiang Chun. "Jiang Chun, I heard that you and the Yu Bing family's work in the same factory?"

Jiang Chun subconsciously replied, "Yes."

Li Ping pretended to be nonchalant and continued to ask, "Then what other siblings do you have?"

Jiang Chun didn't think much of it and replied honestly, "I'm an only child. I don't have any siblings."

Li Ping's eyes lit up when she heard this. Being an only daughter meant that everything in the Jiang family would be left to Jiang Chun in the future. Moreover, without the support of her siblings, if she married into their family, she would be at her mercy.

She immediately thought about how to matchmake Jiang Chun and her son.

On the other side, Yu Bing was much better after her nap. However, her body couldn't withstand continuing to work in such a high-intensity field, so she thought about her future as she worked.

In her previous life, after returning to the city due to policy reasons, Yu Bing had never done farm work again. Therefore, when she first started working in the morning, her hands were still a little rusty. However, after half a day, Yu Bing's speed gradually increased.

Pulling the seeds were a little easier than planting them. Yu Bing finished work faster than Jiang Chun in the afternoon, so she told Jiang Chun and decided to go back to cook first.

Li Zhen, who was passing by with a tired look on his face, instantly perked up. "What are we eating tonight? I feel like I'm about to collapse after working all day. If a big pot of rice appeared now, I could finish it immediately!"

During the harvesting and planting period, the farming tasks were more important than usual. During this period of time, everyone would eat well and nourish themselves. Otherwise, many farmers wouldn't be able to withstand the intense labor. Yu Bing thought for a while and said, "I still have three eggs left from yesterday. I'll stir-fry some chives with eggs, carrots, beans, and vegetables."

Although there was no meat, Yu Bing planned to make up for it with quantity. Moreover, eggs were nutritious and could at least nourish everyone's bodies.

After the heavy labor, Li Zhen and Jiang Chun felt motivated when they thought of what they would eat for dinner.

When Yu Yan heard their conversation, she couldn't help but feel proud of the small piece of fish she had eaten this afternoon. Although it was only a small piece, it was still fish. Moreover, she didn't have to cook herself. Seeing that Yu Bing still had to go back and cook after a day of farm work, she felt very happy.

"Yu Yan!" Li Ping's voice sounded again.

Yu Yan bent down and resigned herself to work. Seeing that there was still a small half of the field that hadn't been planted with seedlings, her mood plummeted again.

On the way home, Yu Bing met two children who were roasting mudfish by the stream. There were more than ten swimming in the shallow water in the wooden basin beside them. She had an idea.

Yu Bing smiled as she quickly walked over and said with a smile, "Can I use candy to exchange for loaches?"

When the two seven and eight-year-old children heard that they could get candy, they immediately agreed happily.

In this era, unless it was a wedding or the new year, children wouldn't be able to eat candy.

On the other hand, loaches could be caught by rural children with little effort. Moreover, because it tasted muddy, no one liked to eat it. Only children who were very hungry would catch it and roast it.

Because Yu Bing had slight hypoglycemia, she had the habit of carrying candy with her. She took out the two candies from her pocket and exchanged them with loaches. She watched as the two children immediately stuffed the candies into their mouths and instructed the children to go to the temporary dormitory to look for her to get the wooden basin after dinner.

Yu Bing carried the wooden basin towards the dormitory with a smile. After all, even if there was little meat, it was still meat. She had a way to solve the problem of the heavy muddy taste.

At that moment, a 10-year-old boy suddenly ran to Yu Bing's side. "My name is Xiao Lin. I can catch loaches for you. I only want one candy in exchange for 10 loaches. Can you look for me to help you catch them in the future?"

Yu Bing looked at the dark-eyed boy and thought that he might have seen the scene just now. She was impressed with this child for being so smart and knowing how to do long-term business.

Yu Bing pretended to hesitate in order to tease him. She didn't expect him to look at her calmly.

At that moment, Xiao Lin was actually very worried that Yu Bing wouldn't agree, but he thought of his brother's words: When negotiating with others, the more hesitant they appear, the calmer he had to appear. Once others knew that he was more anxious, the initiative would be in their hands. They could demand whatever conditions they wanted.

Yu Bing burst out laughing and was amused by Xiao Lin's serious look. "No problem, but you can't eat it every day. You can just send it to the temporary dormitory once every three days. I'll take conchs too."

conchs tasted even muddier. It tasted worse than a loach if one didn't know how to cook it, so not many people ate it.

Although Xiao Lin didn't know why Yu Bing was even willing to accept conchs, he felt that the group of youths who came to build the village were all greedy for meat. They were willing to eat any sort of meat, so he rolled his eyes and said, "No problem, 10 loaches for 1 piece of candy. Is 50 conchs for a piece of candy okay?"

Yu Bing thought about it and agreed.

Xiao Lin decided to act immediately and ran home to get his tools.

Yu Bing smiled and shook her head. She continued walking forward. When she was about to reach the dormitory with the wooden basin in her hand, she didn't notice the small pit under her feet. She lost her balance and fell forward.

Just as Yu Bing thought that she was screwed, a strong arm supported her. A few loaches jumped out of the basin due to inertia, but most of them were still in the basin.

After Yu Bing stabilized herself, she turned to look at the man in front of her. He had healthy tan skin and well-defined features. He was handsome, but tough-looking. The white coat that had some abrasion at the corners couldn't hide his muscular body.

Yu Bing recognized the young man as Xiao Sheng. The two of them had never interacted in her previous life, but she had heard that the Xiao family's parents had died early, leaving the three siblings to rely on each other. There were also some girls in the village who liked Xiao Sheng's looks. They didn't mind marrying Xiao Sheng and supporting his siblings, but for some reason, Xiao Sheng had always rejected them. Even until she returned to the city, she didn't see Xiao Sheng get married.

At this moment, Xiao Sheng was carrying a pole with empty baskets hanging on both sides. Seeing that Yu Bing had stabilized herself, he retracted his hand and walked in the opposite direction.

The other party did a good deed without leaving his name. Yu Bing raised her eyebrows helplessly and squatted down to pick up the loaches that had fallen out. On the way back to the dormitory, she thought about where she had seen Xiao Sheng's eyes before and suddenly smiled. He looked exactly the same as the little boy who had stopped him just now. Xiao Lin was probably Xiao Sheng's younger brother.

When Yu Bing returned to the dormitory, she quickly removed the loaches' stomach and internal organs. Usually, when cooking, a tiny amount of oil would be smeared onto the pan with a cloth, but this time, she extravagantly poured a little oil into the pot and simply fried the loach with salt. The ginger was cut into pieces, and a few onions were thrown into the pot as well. The water began to boil slowly. After the soup was boiled to a milky white color, small pieces of mustard were placed into the pot.

Everyone returned one after another and entered the kitchen.

Yu Bing picked out the bundle of onions and placed them aside before putting in the chopped fresh onions.

Everyone drooled.

Because there was loach mustard soup, she didn't cook green vegetables anymore.

Before the meal, everyone drank a large bowl of soup. Everyone got three loaches and the remaining one was given to Yu Bing.

After everyone was full, the usually calm Liu Ming couldn't help but praise, "Yu Bing, your culinary skills are superb!"

Qian Hao also smiled and said, "That's right. I didn't see much oil in the soup, but it didn't taste fishy at all. In the past, my mother made it a few times at home. She used a lot of oil to fry it. It tasted crispy."

Seeing that everyone was satisfied, Yu Bing was happy. In her previous life, after she returned to the city, in order to earn money, she went to a restaurant to work as a chef. Later, she opened a small restaurant on her own, so she developed good culinary skills.

At that moment, Xiao Lin also carried a wooden basin to the temporary dormitory and shouted outside the kitchen, "I'm here with the loaches."

Everyone walked out when they heard the sound. Yu Bing took out a wooden basin from the kitchen and transferred the loach conchs in the basin while counting. In the end, she counted 18 loaches, 2 eel, and 100 conchs.

Yu Bing took out a bag of candy from the room. The mints with frosting looked tasty. Xiao Lin didn't eat them immediately. Instead, he took out a small handkerchief and wiped his hand on his clothes twice. He reached out and carefully took four mints, then placed them in his handkerchief before wrapping them.

When Yu Bing saw this, she felt pity for him. A penny could buy five mint candies, so giving one more was nothing to her. She smiled and said, "You can take one more. By the way, my surname is Yu. You can call me Sister Yu."

Xiao Lin hurriedly shook his head. "Sister Yu, the number I caught is only enough to exchange for four. The rest don't belong to me."

"I'll take my leave first. I'll come back in three days."

With that, he ran off with his basin and candy.

Xiao Lin ran home with the candy and saw his brother weaving a bamboo basket in the courtyard under the moonlight. His sister was looking ahead while rubbing the hemp rope skillfully.

"Sister, open your mouth."

Xiao Li smiled and opened her mouth obediently.

Xiao Lin opened his handkerchief and put a mint into Xiao Li's mouth. Then, he quickly sealed his sister's mouth with his hand.

He smiled and asked, "Is it sweet? You're not allowed to spit it out, or I'll ignore you."

Xiao Li felt the candy slowly melting on the tip of her tongue and nodded. Then, she took her hand off her mouth. "Brother, did you give it all to me again?" Although it was a question, Xiao Li knew that Xiao Lin definitely didn't eat it.

Xiao Lin quickly replied, "I did. I couldn't help but eat one on the way."

Xiao Li looked suspicious.

Xiao Sheng looked at the handkerchief and asked Xiao Lin how he got it. Xiao Lin told him the whole story.

Hearing that Yu Bing had given him four candies, Xiao Li asked Xiao Lin for them. Xiao Lin handed them over without thinking much about it. Xiao Li felt that there were still three candies in her handkerchief and felt a little touched. She took out one and said sternly, "Second Brother, you lied to me again. Come over and I'll feed you."

Xiao Lin slapped his forehead and realized that he had been seen through by Xiao Li. He didn't want to make his sister sad, so he obediently opened his mouth and ate the candy in Xiao Li's hand. He felt the unique coolness and sweetness of the mint candy and smiled.

Xiao Li took out another one and said, "I'll feed you."

Xiao Sheng looked at Xiao Li's serious expression. He could only helplessly extend his head and open his mouth to eat it.

After confirming that both of them had eaten it, Xiao Li savored the candy in her mouth and felt extremely happy.

Seeing how happy his siblings were, Xiao Sheng couldn't help but smile.

His hands kept weaving as he said gently, "I'll be back late tonight. Sleep early and leave the door open for me."

Xiao Lin's eyes lit up as he looked at Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng had inherited his father's hunting skills and often went up the mountain to secretly dig traps. Most of the prey he hunted was exchanged for money in the county's black market.

In this era, there was public ownership and a centralized system. Private transactions were not allowed, but things were in short supply. The stamps obtained by people working in the city were limited every month, so there were often cases of people with money but no stamps, or people with money and stamps but no supplies in the supply companies!

Thus, the black market appeared. Many people with connections found things that were difficult to buy from supply companies and looked for buyers to exchange for stamps or money, such as Xiao Sheng.

However, the risk of black market transactions were very high. Once they were caught, they would be charged with speculation. At best, they would be criticized by everyone at the village meeting. In other words, they would be beaten and insulted. At worst, they would go to jail. Therefore, many people wouldn't go to the black market unless they had no choice.

However, this phenomenon slowly disappeared after the reform. The planned economy turned into a market economy, and the entire country began to allow free trade.

Xiao Lin knew that this was money to treat his sister's eyes. If not for the fact that he was worried about his sister being at home alone, he would have entered the mountain to help his brother dig a few more traps.

Xiao Sheng guessed that most of the families in the village were asleep by now. He carried two empty baskets from the back of his house and went up the mountain. After walking for about half an hour, he stopped at a fork completely covered by tall weeds.

After pushing aside the grass, Xiao Sheng carefully stepped over. He even turned his head to observe carefully. He only continued forward after seeing that there were no signs of anyone walking past.

After walking for more than ten minutes, he first went to the place where the trap was dug. The trap caught a pheasant and a wild rabbit. He placed them in the basket.

He continued walking for a while and entered a low-lying valley. Xiao Sheng had plowed two acres and planted many vegetables. Xiao Sheng quickly harvested them into the wicker basket and covered them with the tattered linen cloth he had prepared.

After taking the things down the mountain, he made some turns before going into a hidden cave. He took out a dilapidated bicycle from a pile of weeds and placed the wicker basket on both sides. He rode towards the county in the darkness.

After Xiao Lin left, everyone surrounded the wooden basin excitedly.

The eyes of the little fellows, who had just eaten the tasty loach mustard soup, lit up.

These were all tasty meat!

They could be exchanged for a few candy that cost less than a cent!

After Yu Yan finished her meal, she returned to the dormitory. She saw everyone standing in the middle of the courtyard chatting and laughing, but no one saw her return. She was very angry.

Yu Yan had been tall and beautiful since she was young. Because she was good at acting and was always polite in front of others, she was very well liked by her elders and was used to being the center of attention wherever she went.

However, ever since she came to the countryside, she no longer had these privileges. She felt very indignant.

When she got closer, she heard everyone discussing the loaches and eels in the wooden basin. Yu Yan's desire to cause trouble began to stir again.

"These things are very oily. Be careful, or you guys won't have any oil to cook with after half a month." After saying that, Yu Yan looked like she was saying this for everyone's good.

This sentence was like pouring a bucket of cold water on everyone's heads.

The monthly ration of oil for the five people in the dormitory was only a catty of soybean oil. It was fine to eat lavishly once in a while like today, but with so much loaches and conchs, it was indeed unsustainable to eat them every day.

In this era, oil was precious. Yu Yan wanted to use this to sow discord between everyone and Yu Bing.

Yu Bing saw through Yu Yan's plan and sneered to herself. However, on the surface, she said with a kind expression, "I saw that everyone was working so hard and wanted everyone to eat something good."

When Yu Yan heard Yu Bing's words, she thought that she had caught Yu Bing's weakness. She gloated and said, "Everyone believed you since you were in charge! Sigh, now, these things have been exchanged for nothing."

When everyone heard this, they didn't blame Yu Bing. Everyone believed that she had good intentions, but when they looked at the wooden basin on the ground, they couldn't help but reveal worried expressions.

When Yu Yan saw this, she was even happier and looked at Yu Bing provocatively.

The anxiety on Yu Bing's face disappeared, and she smiled.

Since Yu Bing dared to accept them, how could she not have thought of a way to solve the problem regarding oil? She said softly, "I've thought of a good idea. We can use it to make porridge in the morning. Loach and eel nourish the body and blood. Although it's more prickly than meat, it's at least more nutritious than eating plain porridge. We won't need much oil."

"There's not much meat in conchs. We can save up a few times and pick out the conch meat together to stir-fry. It's okay to stir-fry oil-consuming vegetables once every half a month. That's an entire plate of meat! Moreover, conch meat is rich in protein and is very nutritious."

These words made everyone relax and smile.

"Yu Bing is so smart!"

"Isn't that so? I couldn't think of this idea!"

"You only know how to eat. It would be strange if you could think of something."

Everyone laughed and praised Yu Bing's good idea.

When Yu Yan saw that Yu Bing had turned the situation around, her expression instantly darkened. She glared at Yu Bing but was helpless. She rolled her eyes and entered the room.

Yu Bing revealed a smile. After all, how could someone who had died once already be plotted against by Yu Yan so easily?!

For the next few days, everyone was exhausted from working during the day. When they returned to the dormitory, they only wanted to sleep, so Yu Yan didn't have the strength to cause trouble anymore.

On the evening of the third day, Xiao Lin took a large basin to exchange for candies. There were 20 loaches, 10 eels, and 150 conchs. He had caught them over the past two days.

Yu Bing had used a total of six fish to cook the porridge in the past few mornings. She cooked loach mustard soup once every three days. Tonight, she used the remaining 12 fish to cook soup. Everyone had two fish. The extra two loaches were left for Xiao Lin after everyone agreed.

Everyone was a little embarrassed that they had exchanged so much meat for less than a cent.

So when she brought out the candies, she even brought out a bowl of loach mustard soup.

Xiao Lin rejected her as usual.

Yu Bing smiled and said, "You're quite principled. Isn't it normal for neighbors to give each other food? If you feel bad, catch two more loaches for me next time."

Xiao Lin's nose twitched a few times. He was tempted by the aroma of the soup.

Yu Bing felt that Xiao Lin was too cute, so she smiled and instigated, "Smell this loach soup. It's tasty and nutritious!"

When Xiao Lin heard the word nutrition, he thought of his thin sister, so he took the bowl. "Thank you. I'll catch a few more eels for you next time!"

After saying that, Xiao Lin placed the basin upside down on his head and carefully walked home with the soup.

When Xiao Lin arrived home, the Xiao family was about to eat when the door shouted, "Brother, sister, look, this is loach soup. It's smells so good!"

Xiao Sheng took the bowl and placed it on the table. He asked curiously, "Didn't you go to exchange candies? Did someone from the dormitory give it to you?"

"Yes, Sister Yu gave it to me."

Xiao Li was fed a mouthful and said in surprise, "It's so tasty! Brother, Second Brother, try it."

The two of them took turns drinking it and realized that it was indeed tasty. The families that were slightly more well-off would occasionally fry them to eat. There were once people who wanted to make soup, but there were too many bones and too little meat, and the fishy taste was too strong. Other than during the famine in the past, no one would take the initiative to eat it if they had a choice.

Xiao Sheng suddenly had a thought and asked, "Do you know who made this loach soup?"

Xiao Lin stuffed sweet potatoes into his mouth and replied, "Sister Yu made it. She's in charge of cooking in the dormitory."

Xiao Sheng immediately thought of the girl he had met twice. "Is it the girl who is a little pale and very thin?"

Xiao Lin nodded.

Xiao Sheng thought about his plan and decided to observe first.

After another 10 days, the harvesting finally ended. The village gave everyone two days of leave.

The few people in the dormitory couldn't help but rejoice. When they came, they had already reached the latter half of the harvesting process. If they participated the entire time, they would probably shed a few layers of skin.

However, because Yu Bing fed them a healthy diet and her culinary skills were good, although everyone felt tired, they were still in good spirits.

At this moment, there was already a large basin of conchs that had been saved for half a month. The soil in the conchs had also been spat out. Yu Bing suggested that while they were resting tomorrow, everyone should go to the back of the mountain to take a walk. They would pluck some purple conch leaves to stir-fry the meat and see what food there was in the forest.

The next day, everyone woke up naturally. Because Yu Yan had left early in the morning, everyone was happy that they didn't have to travel with her.

After everyone in the dormitory woke up, they ate some sweet potatoes together and set off for the mountain. The bottled up emotions from when they were busy for half a month were vented during the climb.

Yu Bing had seen people from the village picking purple root leaves on the mountain, so she suggested it. However, after everyone walked around for more than half an hour, they didn't see any. Instead, they harvested some wild apples that were sour and sweet.

After everyone picked dozens of apples, they accidentally discovered a huge hornet's nest on another tree branch. They were instantly excited.

In this era, sugar was valuable, and honey was even more valuable. Those who had honey couldn't bear to eat it themselves. They would only take it out to brew a cup of honey water for their guests when there were guests at home.

Therefore, even though they knew that it was very dangerous to poke a hornet's nest, they still didn't want to give up. Yu Bing felt that it was too dangerous, but she couldn't dissuade everyone, so she let them fiddle around while she walked around to see if she could find purple leaves.

Yu Bing walked further and further away and discovered a small patch of purple perilla. She pulled out a large bunch of it by the roots and planned to transplant it into the ground of the dormitory. However, when she walked back, she realized that she was lost. After wandering around for more than ten minutes, she still couldn't find her way back. She felt a little flustered.

At this moment, there was a rustle not far away. Yu Bing followed the sound and walked over. She didn't expect to meet Xiao Sheng, who was untying a rabbit. The two of them looked at each other.

Xiao Sheng's eyes flashed, and when Yu Bing saw the rabbit in Xiao Sheng's hand, she couldn't help but lament her bad luck.

In the era of collectiveism, prey could be eaten or sold by one's own family. The premise was that they weren't discovered. Once they were discovered and reported, they would be captured, beaten, and insulted at the village meeting. The person who reported them would be honored for his glorious deed.

At this moment, many thoughts flashed across Xiao Sheng's mind. Would this girl who had just arrived in the countryside report him for meritorious service? However, he couldn't be arrested. Otherwise, what would happen to his siblings? Would he have to kill her to silence her or frame her?

Yu Bing looked at Xiao Sheng's sharp gaze and felt a little afraid. The difference in strength between the two was too great. There was definitely no need to think about fighting. She immediately made her intentions clear. She had to make the other party believe that she wouldn't report him for so-called meritorious service.

Yu Bing forced a smile on her stiff face. "Hello, I almost fell a while ago. Thank you for helping me. I didn't have the time to thank you last time."

Seeing that Xiao Sheng didn't speak and only stared at her as he walked over, Yu Bing hurriedly said, "Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped. This time, just take it as… take it as me repaying you for saving my life last time."

"To thank you for the loach soup you gave my brother Xiao Lin last time, come home with me later and try a bowl of rabbit meat." Xiao Sheng used a threatening tone to invite her, and the smile on his face didn't reach his eyes.

Xiao Sheng thought that instead of killing and framing her, it was better to turn both sides into grasshoppers tied by one string. It was safest when their interests were mutual. As long as Yu Bing ate a piece of this rabbit, he wasn't afraid that she would dare to say anything.

Yu Bing naturally understood the other party's worries. In order to reassure Xiao Sheng, she immediately nodded. She thought of her companions at the foot of the mountain and said, "I can go home with you, but I came with my roommates. I have to find an excuse to tell them."

Xiao Sheng agreed after thinking for a moment. He asked Yu Bing for the cloth bag in her hand and placed the rabbit under the apple and purple soda to cover it before handing it back to Yu Bing.

This way, Xiao Sheng wasn't afraid that Yu Bing would spout nonsense when she saw her roommates later. Otherwise, he would be the unlucky one.

Yu Bing took the cloth bag and muttered softly, "You're really careful."

Xiao Sheng chuckled and said, "Better safe than sorry." With that, he carried two loads of firewood and led the way.

When Xiao Sheng found out that the others were at the apple tree, he quickly calculated the route and circled around his vegetable field. He brought Yu Bing and arrived after about 20 minutes.

When Yu Bing returned to the apple tree, she realized that everyone had just chased the hornets away. Li Zhen was climbing onto the tree to take out the honeycomb. After Li Zhen came down, his roommates, who had been paying attention to the hornet's nest, realized that Yu Bing had returned and looked at the man beside Yu Bing curiously.

After everyone introduced themselves, they found out that Yu Bing had just gotten lost and was brought down the mountain by Xiao Sheng, who happened to be chopping wood.

After chatting for a while, they found out that Xiao Sheng was the brother of Xiao Lin, who often sent loaches. They immediately felt a sense of intimacy with him.

Then, everyone laughed and talked about how to outsmart the bees all the way down the mountain.

Yu Bing found an excuse to part with everyone at the foot of the mountain. Before Jiang Chun left, he saw that the cloth bag Yu Bing held was a little heavy and reached out to help her bring it back to the dormitory.

When Xiao Sheng saw this, his heart almost jumped out of his throat. He saw Yu Bing calmly stop Jiang Chun's hand and say with a smile, "It's fine. It's just a few apples. I plan to give some to Xiao Lin to thank him later. This little fellow always picks the biggest loaches and eels for us."

After everyone left, Xiao Sheng led Yu Bing home.

Yu Bing entered the courtyard and saw a listless young lady sitting on the ground of the central room.

When Xiao Li heard footsteps, she turned to look at the door with a sweet smile on her lips. "Brother, you have a guest?"

In her previous life, Yu Bing only knew that there were three siblings in the Xiao family. She had never specifically inquired about the others. She didn't know that the youngest of the Xiao family was blind, nor did she expect that she would meet all of them in this life.

Yu Bing went forward and squatted in front of Xiao Li. She said gently, "Hello, my name is Yu Bing. I just came to the He Mountain Brigade to support the construction of the village. I came to your house as a guest today."

Usually, very few people came to her house. When she found out that the girl in front of her had come to visit, Xiao Li was very happy. "Sister Yu, you're welcome to come to my house to play. Are you the Sister Yu that my second brother often says he gets candy from?"

Yu Bing looked at the cute little girl in front of her and stroked her little head. She praised, "How smart. You guessed correctly."

Yu Bing looked around and realized that there were more than ten mats in the central room. "You made these mats? Are you planning to go to the county to sell them to the supply company?"

In this era, selling handmade products to the supply company was the only way for families to increase their side income. Moreover, it was legal and compliant, but the price wasn't high.

If they hunted animals and wanted to take the legal route, they had to get approval from the village they belonged to and sell them to the supply company in the name of the village. Only then would the other party be willing to accept them. The income would naturally belong to everyone. The village chief might even give some money to the people who hunted as encouragement for the construction of the village. Otherwise, all the money would be collected by the group. It was common for the money to be used to buy fertilizer.

Although Xiao Li was talking, her hands didn't stop moving. She said proudly, "I made this."

Yu Bing touched the mat and realized that it was very sturdy. "You made it so well. I'll buy two. I originally planned to go to the county city tomorrow, but this saved me a lot of trouble."

Xiao Li hurriedly smiled and said, "Sister Yu, I'll give you two. I don't want your money."

Although Xiao Li was blind, she could feel this world more acutely.

Other than Wang Xia, no one in the village was willing to play with a blind person like her. Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin all had their own work to do and couldn't accompany Xiao Li at all times. Xiao Li could only stay at home all day. Yu Bing's arrival made her feel the exciting life outside.

Xiao Li secretly considered Yu Bing her friend. She could feel the kindness of the person in front of her.

Xiao Sheng closed the courtyard door and killed the rabbit in front of the central room. When he heard the conversation in the room, he felt a little sad. He understood the meaning of Xiao Li's actions, so he said, "Miss Yu, please accept it. You're welcome to come to my house when you're free."

When Yu Bing heard this, she understood what he meant. She took out half a bottle of apples from the cloth bag and placed it on the table beside her. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. I picked a lot of apples today. Take them as a gift. In a few days, I'll make another bottle of jam for you guys to try."

The two of them chatted happily in the hall.

Soon, the rabbit meat was ready. When it was almost time to eat, Xiao Lin ran back from outside.

Seeing Yu Bing, he was a little surprised. "Sister Yu! Are you here for me?"

Xiao Sheng immediately locked the courtyard door after his brother entered the house. Xiao Lin was a little puzzled when he saw this. It would only be like this when the family wanted to eat meat, but Sister Yu was still here. They wouldn't dare to take it out even if they had meat.

Xiao Sheng said, "Eat and talk less."

After that, Xiao Lin was even more surprised to find that Yu Bing was eating meat with his family.

Yu Bing ate a piece of rabbit meat with a stiff expression. She lamented to herself that Xiao Sheng was a talent for making meat taste so bad. She slowly took a sip of the sweet potato mixed grain porridge.

Xiao Sheng looked at Yu Bing's reaction and felt a little embarrassed. "Ahem, my cooking isn't very good. Just make do with it."

Yu Bing looked at Xiao Sheng's slightly red ears and pursed her lips to hold back her laughter. She didn't expect that the aloof young man who had terrified her in the mountain had a bashful side to him.

After finishing the bowl of rabbit meat, Yu Bing returned with two mats.

When she returned to the dormitory, she saw Sun Wang and her roommates talking under the roof.

When Sun Wang saw Yu Bing, he hurriedly shouted, "Little Yu, you're the only one left."

Seeing this, Yu Bing hurriedly placed the mat on the wall and walked over.

Seeing that everyone was here, Sun Wang began to speak. "It's like this. There are empty seats at the youth dormitory in the construction village. Two boys were transferred to another brigade, and a girl got married."

"But now, the adobe on the boys' side can squeeze three people. However, there's only one empty spot on the girls' side. The remaining two girls can only stay in the villagers' houses."

Yu Yan was afraid that she would be assigned to the villagers' house. During this period of time, when she ate at the villagers' house, she realized that they were too unhygienic. If it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't bring herself to come back and eat out of pride, she wouldn't have endured it until now.

Moreover, Yu Yan had been going to the youth dormitory every day recently to build a good relationship with those people in advance. She wanted to move over so that she could ostracize Yu Bing. In any case, she couldn't let her have a good time.

Although this plan couldn't be carried out for the time being, it was impossible for her to not be able to move in after all her efforts. Moreover, the conditions of the younth dormitory were good. Yu Yan definitely couldn't accept living in a villager's house.

Thus, Yu Yan took the initiative to suggest, "Village Chief, I'm from the same city as Xu Ling, who lives in the youth dormitory. I heard that the empty bed is in her dormitory. Can I stay there?"

In her previous life, something happened to Jiang Chun when she lived in a villager's house. In this life, Yu Bing couldn't let her live there anymore.

Therefore, when Yu Bing heard that there was only one empty spot in the female dormitory, she wanted to help Jiang Chun get this opportunity. "The country's leaders have said that we came from all over the world for the same goal. We came together to the He Mountain Brigade to support the countryside. How can you choose based on whether we are from the same city or not? Everyone should have a chance."

Yu Yan was instantly stunned when she heard this. After all, she could refute the words of the nation's leaders.

Jiang Chun, on the other hand, wanted Yu Bing to stay in the dormitory. This was because the conditions of the dormitory were generally better than those of the villagers. Yu Bing was frail, so it was better for her to stay in the dormitory. Hence, she moved closer to Yu Bing and whispered, "Little Bing, I suggest raising our hands to vote later. I'll help you get this spot."

Yu Bing was surprised. "I'm not going. I want to help you get it."

Only then did the two of them know what the other was thinking, but neither could convince the other.

Sun Wang saw the stalemate and was about to suggest drawing lots.

Yu Bing stood up and said emotionally, "Village Chief, since we can't stay in the dormitory anymore, Yu Yan can stay in the dormitory if she wants. Then can Jiang Chun and I stay alone? It's mainly because we don't want to cause trouble for the villagers."

Sun Wang scratched his bald head. "Little Yu, your idea is good, but there's no room in the village."

A few days ago, Yu Bing found out that Jiang Chun's team leader, Li Ping, had always advised Jiang Chun to stay in her house on the grounds that she didn't have a daughter. Yu Bing had been worried that Jiang Chun would agree.

In her previous life, because there weren't enough beds, Jiang Chun stayed in Li Ping's house. Later, for some reason, she married Li Ping's son. At that time, Yu Bing was framed by Yu Yan and was sentenced to go to another farm to undergo labor reform. She couldn't take care of Jiang Chun. Later, when she returned to the He Mountain Brigade, she realized that Jiang Chun, who was in her early twenties, looked like she was in her thirties.

Yu Bing was worried that Yu Yan would enter the dormitory this time, so she had prepared a backup plan in advance. A few days ago, she had been deliberately asking about the empty rooms in the village, and she found out there really was one. It was quite close to Xiao Sheng's house. Today, when she returned from the Xiao family's house, she specifically went to take a few glances. "Village Chief, isn't there an empty place at the end of the village? Jiang Chun and I will both have company."

Sun Wang knew that most of the villagers didn't like to accept these young people who came to build the countryside to live together. They felt that the people in the city had many bad habits and looked down on them, unless they had other intentions. However…

Sun Wang advised again, "Little Yu, that place is too dilapidated. No one has lived in it for more than ten years. It probably leaks on rainy days."

Jiang Chun was also worried about Yu Bing living alone. It was best if the two of them could take care of each other, so she also advised, "Village Chief, can you find a few people to help us repair it? If it's repaired, it's still the village's collective property. If there's an empty space in the dormitory in the future, Yu Bing and I will go over to stay. It's good if this house can be vacated for the village."

In the end, Yu Yan and the three boys stayed in the dormitory while Jiang Chun and Yu Bing stayed alone in the empty place at the end of the village.

Yu Bing and Jiang Chun took advantage of their break to clean the house in the afternoon. When Xiao Lin, who was passing by, found out that they were moving in next door, he was so happy that he insisted on helping.

The village chief arranged for five young men who were good at making mud tiles to help. The boys in the dormitory also came to help. Although Yu Yan was unwilling, she still had to put on a show. This was also beneficial for her in establishing the image of being beautiful and kind.

One of the young men who knew how to build houses looked at the house and determined that the framework of the house was fine. It was just that the walls had fallen in a few places and the roof was leaking. It was livable after repair.

Yu Yan looked at the three rooms in the courtyard in front of her. To be precise, there was one room and one living room. There was a small kitchen on the right and a toilet by the kitchen. It was even more shabby than the toilet in the dormitory. She felt that Yu Bing was crazy to take the initiative to stay here.

Three young men were in charge of repairing the courtyard wall and two were in charge of repairing the leaking roof.

Liu Ming, Qian Hao, and Li Zhen planned to turn the ground in the courtyard upside down so that it would be convenient for Yu Bing and Jiang Chun to plant vegetables in the future. Xiao Lin helped clean the kitchen while Yu Bing and Jiang Chun cleaned the house.

Only Yu Yan strolled around the room and commented on how dilapidated this place was from time to time.

Yu Bing was in a hurry to tidy up the house and wanted to move in tomorrow, so she endured her anger and ignored her.

Yu Yan watched as Yu Bing threw the mat on the bed onto the ground and prepared to burn it. Her heart ached. "This mat is quite good. It's just a little gray. It can still be used after washing it. Yu Bing, you can't throw things around after buying a new mat. It's too wasteful to throw it away."

Yu Bing revealed a faint smile. "Yu Yan, I already have a new mat. I remember that you haven't had the time to buy one, right? I'll spread it on your bed later."

Yu Yan had fought with Yu Bing so many times that she knew that Yu Bing really dared to throw it on her bed. Hence, she immediately said, "This mat has been there for so many years. Even if you wash it, it probably won't be used. Just throw it away."

Yu Bing couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard this. She didn't understand Yu Yan's persistence. Yu Bing suspected that she would feel uncomfortable if she wasn't snubbed.

There was strength in numbers. In the afternoon, the house was almost cleaned up, and only the walls and roof outside were left.

Yu Bing boiled hot water in the kitchen that had just been tidied up. The honey that Jiang Chun and the other boys had picked on the mountain in the morning had already been evenly distributed. Jiang Chun took out his share and poured some out. After filling it with water, he made some honey water for the people who came to help.

The young men, who had some complaints about being assigned to work on their day off, felt better.

The sky gradually darkened. After discussing, everyone decided to clean up the rest tomorrow.