CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 86 SETTLING

The two of them returned to the dormitory together.

Jia Shu still felt like she was dreaming, having just entered that school.

Seeing the things made by this old man, she finally understood why Jiang Xiaoxiao came here.

What he made is much better than what’s sold at the service club, and don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s made of wood; it’s actually sturdier than those porcelain basins.

Not afraid of chipping or losing glaze.

She couldn’t resist and bought a washbasin and a foot basin, plus a thermos cover.

She didn’t buy anything else.

She didn’t have much money, and her family’s situation didn’t allow her to bring much.

The little money she had was secretly given by her uncle.

But these things were essentials if she had to live here for several years.

Not buying them was not realistic.

She would save wherever she could.

Jiang Xiaoxiao bought more.

Moreover, the cabinet bed she bought was ready-made.

A cabinet made from jujube wood.

Below were two doors where bedding and clothes could be stored, and to the side were three drawers, which Uncle Feng thoughtfully fitted with locks.

You just needed to buy a lock to secure them.

The craftsmanship was really meticulous; even though the outside wasn’t varnished, it was sanded smooth.

It felt as good as if it were varnished.

Sleek and smooth.

Looking at it was really tempting; if Jia Shu had more money, she would have wanted one too.

The two of them, panting, carried the cabinet back and placed it against the wall on Jiang Xiaoxiao’s side.

She slept at the end of the bed, and this spot was by the wall.

Once the cabinet was placed, everything immediately looked more organized.

Jiang Xiaoxiao put her change of clothes, books, and daily necessities in it; after all, Fan Xiuying had brought plenty.

She discreetly smuggled them out from her space and put them into the cabinet, so she could openly take them out in the future.

No one could know what was inside the cabinet.

A natural protective barrier.

Inside the drawer was her notebook; with no wallet, the notebook was her wallet.

She tucked the spare change inside the notebook, so when she spent it, others could see where it came from.

She couldn’t keep taking things from her space, it was too inconvenient.

The bulk of the money was still in her space, or it would be easy to lose.

Don’t think there aren’t people here who are greedy; every educated youth’s family situation is different, and you would still encounter all sorts of people.

Just as they finished tidying up, others began entering the room.

The other residents of the dormitory came back.

They were returning from the service club, and many were sighing.

The main issue was that the club had too few items with too many people, making it impossible to grab anything.

As soon as they saw Jiang Xiaoxiao’s cabinet bed, everyone couldn’t take their eyes off it.

This was just too impressive.

Who wouldn’t like that kind of thing?

"Where did you buy this cabinet bed? How much did it cost?"

Someone asked.

Having such a cabinet was very convenient and could hold a lot of things.

It was also safe; everyone brought money and food coupons.

"After leaving the farm, walk two miles forward, there’s a school there. Although classes aren’t in session now, there’s an Uncle Feng who specializes in woodworking. This cabinet bed costs fifteen yuan."

Jiang Xiaoxiao was not stingy.

In her past life, although these people weren’t very good to her, they never harmed her.

But her past life was miserable enough that no one needed to hurt her.

They just didn’t like her, and disliking someone isn’t a crime; you can’t wish misfortune on people for that.

She wasn’t that narrow-minded.

Hearing this, Mi Su was taken aback.

"Oh my, comrade, you dared to spend 15 yuan! Do you know how much you can buy with that? You’re really wasting money."

Mi Su was straightforward.

But her words were really unpleasant to hear.

Jiang Xiaoxiao spending her own money had nothing to do with others.

Whether or not she was wasteful was not for others to say.

The main thing was that sis had money, and sis was willing to spend it.

"Comrade, has anyone ever told you that you’re really blunt when you talk?"

Mi Su also realized her words were offensive.

She sheepishly apologized.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t consider your feelings. My name is Mi Su, from Beisu. What’s your name? Let’s all introduce ourselves and get to know each other since we’ll all be sharing a bed as roommates in the future."

Quite a few laughed.

"My name is Wang Hongbing, I’m from Jingbei."

"I’m Wu Yue from Jingnan!"

"I’m Pan Xin, from Beihe."

"I’m Jia Shu, also from Beihe."

"I’m Jiang Xiaoxiao! From West Mountain."

And so everyone got acquainted.

For the moment, the atmosphere among the girls was quite harmonious.

Everyone was chattering away happily.

Jiang Xiaoxiao watched everyone bustling about with a smile.

This time, she wouldn’t end up on bad terms with others.

A new life meant a new beginning.

She wouldn’t resent others; she would remember kindness and repay it.

To those who weren’t kind, she would keep her distance but never seek revenge.

Except for those who harmed her and hurt people; those were the ones she wanted to retaliate against.

The goodness or badness of others, she couldn’t expect everyone in the world to like her or be kind to her.

That wouldn’t be fair.

She wasn’t a banknote!

Not everybody could like her.

Meals had to be eaten in the cafeteria, each person with their own lunchbox.

Everyone was hungry after a night; this meal was eagerly anticipated.

Nobody knew what the food would be like here.

"What does the canteen serve? Should have steamed buns, right? I heard the production teams in Beidahuang eat more rice. Not sure if they eat buns."

Pan Xin asked eagerly.

Most of them were from the North and preferred to eat pasta.

"No idea! We’ll find out soon, we’ll see when we get there."

Wang Hongbing was also looking forward to it.

Upon entering the cafeteria, Jiang Xiaoxiao smelled the distinct scent of sauerkraut.

She couldn’t help but smile; this was the local winter vegetable.

Sauerkraut.

No white-flour steamed buns, but there were cornmeal buns, this was the mixed-flour bun.

Made with cornmeal mixed with white flour.

There was also sauerkraut vermicelli.

Cornmeal porridge.

Each person received two buns, a portion of vegetables, and a bowl of cornmeal porridge.

Exactly equal portions.

Many felt a bit resentful; they ate better at home.

Not lavish meals.

But certainly not cornmeal buns.

Most families could at least afford white flour.

At the sight of the buns, they felt a bit disdainful.

But Jia Shu ate with relish since her family often couldn’t eat their fill.

For her family, being able to eat their fill was already good.

These were already good foods.

Seeing Jiang Xiaoxiao enjoying it too was unexpected.

"Xiaoxiao! Are you okay?"

Judging by the food Jiang Xiaoxiao brought on the journey, her family ate well.

Worried that Jiang Xiaoxiao might not cope well.

"It’s fine! I’m eating really well, don’t worry."

The hardships Jiang Xiaoxiao endured back then were far worse than this.

Later, during the locust plague, they couldn’t even get cornmeal.

Just staying full was a problem; now, this was already good.

People say there’s no blessing you can’t enjoy, only hardships you can’t endure.

She had a lot of food stored in her space, but there was no way to take it out and eat it.

For now, they depended on the cafeteria, but that would change soon.

Next year, everything would be better.

After dinner, everyone was tired and was finally able to lie down on the bed and rest properly, compared to the previous night.

This was as comfortable as being at home.

Nobody complained, once they washed up, they all fell asleep immediately.

Snores filled the air.

Of course, an important reason was that the team leader had already instructed them.

Tomorrow morning, they needed to rise early for roll call and work.

Although winter came early here, there was still a lot of fieldwork to be done.

If they didn’t finish before the first big snow, they wouldn’t be able to work once it snowed.

The entire farm would be at a standstill.