Chapter 156: Utterly Comfortable
Ning Xiyue was thinking that later, she’d better invite Uncle Dajian over to thoroughly inspect the beams in the Zhiqing dormitory — not for any other reason, but for the sake of her own life.
The houses in the Zhiqing compound were all connected. If one part collapsed, it could easily affect the others. It had only just started snowing, so the impact wasn’t serious yet. It was best to take advantage of this opportunity to make some repairs and feel at ease.
The man waiting in line beside her rolled his eyes.
“You Zhiqing always worry about nothing, wasting your effort and money. Hiring someone to inspect the house costs money, you know. What a waste — if you’ve got so much money to burn, save it and buy some meat instead.”
Ning Xiyue slapped her thigh and argued back:
“Oh, come on, Uncle Li Qiang, you can’t say that. There’s always a chance something could go wrong. I’m timid by nature — spending a little money for peace of mind is worth it. If something did happen, we wouldn’t even have time to run. We’re just being thorough. It’s never wrong to think ahead.”
Chen Ye chu glanced at Uncle Li, her expression distant and thoughtful. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke up:
“Uncle Li, I suggest you inspect your house too. You don’t need to hire anyone — just check it yourself. It’ll only cost you some time. But if something happens, you’ll regret it, and there’s no medicine for regret.”
Li Qiang’s expression darkened as he heard this. He snapped back at her:
“My house is sturdy. Stop cursing it, you’re bringing bad luck!”
Chen Ye chu: …
She shouldn’t have meddled.
“My bad. I shouldn’t have spoken,” Chen Ye chu said coldly, retracting her gaze.
Ning Xiyue: Hmm. Looks like Uncle Li Qiang’s house does have a problem, but he doesn’t believe it. He’ll suffer the consequences.
Yu Zhi, unable to stand seeing someone he liked being wronged, stepped forward to defend Chen Ye chu, his voice firmer than usual:
“Uncle, we’re just giving you a friendly reminder. No one can predict when accidents will happen. If you don’t believe us, fine, but there’s no need to insult us.”
“Hey—”
Li Qiang, still unconvinced, rolled up his sleeves, ready to say more — but the people behind him stopped him in time.
“Old Li, come on now. Why are you bickering with the youngsters? They were just reminding you, that’s all. Chen Zhiqing wasn’t cursing you. It’s fine if you don’t believe them. Let’s all just drop it. It’s grain distribution day — peace and harmony are what matter most.”
With a mediator stepping in, Li Qiang turned his head away and ignored them, preventing the situation from escalating.
Today, Ning Xiyue really broadened her horizons. Some commune members were more petty than a needle’s eye and quick to anger. Touch a nerve, and they’d be ready to pick a fight.
The smallest thing, if handled carelessly, could turn into a farce.
“Ye chu, have some candy. It’ll cheer you up. Don’t bother arguing with people like that.” Liu Yao leaned over and comforted her, taking a fruit candy from her pocket and handing it over.
Ning Xiyue noticed Chen Ye chu’s silence and gloomy face. She patted her shoulder.
“It’s okay. I’ll do as you said. I’ll go hire someone in a bit.”
Elder Sister Wu Guifang came over and deliberately raised her voice:
“All of us in the Zhiqing compound will follow your suggestion. We’ll chip in together and hire someone to do a full inspection. Split between us, it won’t cost much. We’ll have both peace of mind and safety.”
“Alright, thank you. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”
Chen Ye chu smiled at the people from the compound. The gloom in her heart vanished. If someone refused a well-intentioned warning, the one who’d regret it later wouldn’t be her. This whole situation had been an undeserved misfortune — she was just unlucky.
Ning Xiyue also looked away and focused on queuing. Just two more people, and it would be her turn.
She decided to stop chatting and instead took in the lively scene around her.
Everyone brought their own containers to collect their grain.
Some carried bamboo baskets, others used back baskets, and of course, there were plenty of sacks.
Many of those who had already received their grain were using handcarts or other tools to haul it home. Their faces were lit with joy and satisfaction — they were glowing.
It was the joy of a good harvest.
Families with more laborers and more diligent workers received more grain. The smiles on their faces were even wider — they couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.
Just from the expressions on their faces, Ning Xiyue could roughly guess how much grain each household had received.
At that moment, the person in front of her finished collecting their share and left. It was her turn.
Uncle An Guo looked up, found her name in the account book, and pointed at it.
“Ning Xiyue, check this carefully. If there’s no problem, sign here.”
“Okay.”
Ning Xiyue lowered her head and looked at the record of her work points. She didn’t have many — she had only worked for a little over three months: one month in the drying team earning seven points a day, and the remaining two-plus months at the health clinic earning ten points a day. Altogether, she had 910 work points — pitifully few, and so she’d get very little grain.
She also had to repay the month’s rations she had borrowed from the commune when she first arrived. After deductions, she would receive only forty jin of unhulled rice, twenty jin of corn, and sixty jin of sweet potatoes. The subsidy for the two months at the clinic totaled seven yuan.
There were no mistakes in the records, so Ning Xiyue signed her name.
Zhao Anguo handed her the money, and she went to collect her grain.
Even though it wasn’t much, Ning Xiyue felt genuinely happy. This was the result of her own hard work. As she touched the sack of grain, a wave of accomplishment welled up inside her.
Her load wasn’t heavy, so she could easily lift it. She moved to a less crowded spot to wait for the other Zhiqing so they could head back together.
Then Ning Xiyue pulled out her trusty brick — time to try out its “luxury seat mode.”
She switched the brick to “CEO Leather Sofa Mode.”
Placing it on the ground, she sat down with excitement, eager to feel the ultimate comfort that only a domineering CEO would experience.
As soon as she sat down, Ning Xiyue closed her eyes without thinking. She could feel the supportive pressure on her back and the warmth cradling her head.
A sigh escaped from deep inside her heart.
Wow, this was heavenly! It even had a built-in pushback function, plus a feature that shielded her from rain and snow. This upgraded brick was truly intelligent — so comfortable!
Ning Xiyue basked in the blissful comfort brought by her brick. When she opened her eyes, she didn’t just sit idly — she looked around contentedly and finally spotted Uncle Dajian by the dam, loading grain onto a cart.
Seeing that he had just two more sacks left to load, Ning Xiyue reluctantly put away her “utterly comfortable” brick and walked over to him.
When she got close, she called out with a smile:
“Uncle Dajian!”
“Hey, girl Xiyue, what’s up?” Uncle Dajian replied as he hoisted the last sack onto the cart.
Time was precious, so Ning Xiyue got straight to the point:
“Uncle, we Zhiqing were wondering if you could help us do a full inspection of the houses in our compound — today. Do you have time?”
“Sure, I’ve got time. Once I haul this grain home, I’ll come check your place.”
The moment Uncle Dajian heard there was work — and payment — involved, he agreed immediately. Jobs like this were his favorite.
“Thank you so much, Uncle.”
Just as Ning Xiyue finished talking to him, the rest of the Zhiqing came out carrying their share of grain. She waved them over, and together they discussed the payment details with Uncle Dajian. With everything settled, the matter was done.
