RYEY – Chapter 9 No One Wants to Sleep Next to Xu Laidi

Xiaofang leaned closer and whispered in Cheng Qiao’s ear. At first, she had also wanted to pocket the money, but now it was clear she couldn’t get away with it. Better to pay it back—after all, they all slept on the same shared kang, and one still had to save face.

“Alright. As long as you’re sincere about repaying, I can wait a little longer.”

Relieved, Xiaofang hooked her arm through Cheng Qiao’s and walked into the dormitory, acting as if they were very close. Zhang Yuefang curled her lip, went in first, and grabbed a few clothes to wash.

Chai Jianmin stormed into the room, fuming. He didn’t have much grain left, nor even a single cent on him. What Cheng Qiao had done was clearly meant to starve him.

Besides, once autumn harvest passed, the weather would turn bitterly cold overnight. He needed to find a way to get a thicker cotton-padded jacket. But now, Cheng Qiao was asking him to repay money and ration tickets, throwing all his plans into chaos.

“Qian Longkun, do you still have any money or cotton tickets left?”

Qian Longkun had come down to the countryside with the same group as Cheng Qiao, but he was different—he was from Beijing. His father was a high-ranking official, his mother a university professor. They were both sharp and perceptive.

When they sensed trouble was coming, they arranged for their eldest son, Qian Longqian, to join the army; the second son, Qian Longkun, was sent to Xiangyang Village; and their youngest daughter, Qian Longxin, was placed in neighboring Xiangqian Village.

“No.”

Qian Longkun despised Chai Jianmin’s greedy, petty nature. In the Beijing compounds, people like him would have been beaten until their own parents couldn’t recognize them. Unfortunately, this wasn’t Beijing.

“You…”

Chai Jianmin didn’t know Qian Longkun’s background, but he did know one thing: Qian Longkun was rich. He had seen with his own eyes how he ate meat and drank broth in the county’s state-owned restaurant.

He remembered when Qian Longkun first arrived at the educated youth point—wearing a brand-new white shirt, sharp black trousers, and shiny leather shoes that nearly blinded him. Even his bedding was all new.

“You clearly have money and tickets, but when you see a comrade in trouble, you refuse to help. Isn’t that just too selfish?” Chai Jianmin muttered under his breath.

Finally, Qian Longkun lifted his eyes from his book and stared at him with sharp, piercing eyes. A chill ran down Chai Jianmin’s back.

He had underestimated this man. He might look approachable and gentle, but he was not someone to provoke. Embarrassed, Chai Jianmin scrambled to his feet and left the room. Since the team leader wanted him to repay, then he’d have to borrow from the team leader.

When Jiang Guangrong heard his words, he nearly cursed out loud. But as the team leader, he clenched and unclenched his fists, forcing himself to hold back.

“I don’t have money either. As for cotton tickets, they’re even rarer. You’d better wait until after the harvest, when the village distributes grain and cash, before paying her back.”

Chai Jianmin glanced at the other educated youths, but each one avoided his eyes. Furious, he didn’t know what else to say.

After a simple lunch, everyone took the chance to rest—there was still work to do in the afternoon. Xu Laidi, however, pulled Han Chunmei aside, saying she had something important to discuss.

Han Chunmei eyed her warily, secretly resolving that no matter what, she would never lend Xu Laidi anything.

“Sister Chunmei, can we swap bed spots? I don’t want to sleep next to Cheng Qiao. She was too scary last night.”

Han Chunmei hadn’t expected that. What was scary about Cheng Qiao? Xu Laidi just shook her head awkwardly—she didn’t dare admit that Cheng Qiao had talked in her sleep, saying she’d kill her.

Han Chunmei frowned. Since she had been in Xiangyang Village the longest, most of the female educated youths saw her as the “female team leader.”

“Sorry, I can’t decide this on my own. It’ll have to be brought up at a meeting.”

Xu Laidi: “……%￥……”

Zhang Yuefang, who slept next to Han Chunmei, saw Xu Laidi carrying her bedding over and immediately jumped up. “What are you doing?”

“I’m swapping spots with Sister Chunmei.”

“No way. I don’t agree. Sister Chunmei, do you?”

Zhang Yuefang flatly refused. What a joke! Sharing a dorm with Xu Laidi was already unpleasant enough—sleeping right next to her would be unbearable.

“This isn’t your private educated youth point. What right do you have to say no?” Xu Laidi snapped.

Zhang Yuefang hated her even more. If it hadn’t been for her big mouth, that hundred yuan would still be lying safe in her cabinet.

“I said no, and I mean it. If you dare move your bedding over, I’ll throw it right back out!”

Zhang Yuefang stood her ground, blocking Xu Laidi’s way, clearly ready to make good on her threat.

Just then, Han Chunmei came back from the latrine and found the two of them at each other’s throats. She frowned—lunchtime was short, and instead of resting, they were making trouble?

“Sister Chunmei, she says she wants to swap beds with you. But I don’t want to sleep next to her.”

Han Chunmei stared at Xu Laidi in surprise. When had she ever agreed to switch? Xu Laidi, looking guilty, immediately put on a pitiful expression.

Han Chunmei wanted to scold her, but seeing that pathetic look made her swallow her words. She was furious inside. Fine, if they had to switch, then switch.

“Cheng Qiao, why don’t you move to the spot between me and Zhang Yuefang?”

Zhang Yuefang’s eyes lit up—this was perfect. Cheng Qiao nodded. She didn’t care where she slept; she wasn’t planning to stay at the educated youth point for long anyway.

“Sister Chunmei, I don’t want to sleep next to Xu Laidi either. She thrashes around at night and keeps kicking me,” said Xiaofang, who slept on Xu Laidi’s other side. She seized the chance to distance herself from this venomous woman.

Han Chunmei glanced at the other two female educated youths. There were seven girls in total, all squeezed onto one kang. Kicking each other at night was practically inevitable.

“Why don’t we rearrange ourselves? Pair up as you like. I’ll sleep with Cheng Qiao. On the other side, anyone but Xu Laidi.”

Zhang Yuefang immediately grabbed Cheng Qiao’s hand. “Then I’ll sleep next to Cheng Qiao too.”

“I’ll take the other side of Cheng Qiao,” Han Chunmei added. As the first girl to arrive in Xiangyang Village, she naturally slept at the head of the kang. By saying this, she placed Cheng Qiao in the second spot.

“Then I’ll sleep beside Zhang Yuefang,” Xiaofang quickly added. Everyone knew that once the weather turned cold after harvest, the closer you were to the kang head, the warmer it would be.

The two sisters, Xiaoping and Xiaoqin, also said they wanted to sleep next to Xiaofang.

And just like that, Xu Laidi was pushed all the way to the tail end of the kang. Fuming, she kept trying to calm herself down—inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.