Chapter 9: The House

Zhou Yichen never liked living with others in his past life, especially being squeezed under the same roof with a bunch of grown men; just the thought of it was agonizing. Of course, if it were someone like Jiang Xiaoman—a pretty girl with a cute baby face and a forthright personality—he wouldn't mind at all... in fact, the more the merrier.

Ahem, he was getting ahead of himself. Zhou Yichen quickly reined in his wandering thoughts.

"How is it, Yichen? Is it alright?" Wang Zhenshan asked, feeling a bit uncertain as he watched Zhou Yichen look around in silence.

Zhou Yichen snapped out of his trance and offered a sincere smile. "Captain Wang, this place is great! I'm very satisfied."

"Really?" Wang Zhenshan was slightly surprised; he had expected Zhou Yichen to turn his nose up at it.

"Really!" Zhou Yichen nodded emphatically. "It's much better than the educated youth dormitory! I've dreamed of having a private courtyard like this!"

This was the truth. Seeing that Zhou Yichen was genuinely pleased rather than just being polite, Wang Zhenshan’s face lit up, his wrinkles smoothing out.

"As long as you're satisfied! As long as you're satisfied!" He patted Zhou Yichen on the arm. "The house is a bit empty, but if you want to build a table or some stools, we have a carpenter in the brigade. I can have him make them for you; just pay for the materials as you see fit."

"As for daily necessities like pots, pans, and basins, you'll have to buy those yourself at the commune's supply and marketing cooperative."

"Don't worry about firewood, either!" Wang Zhenshan promised, thumping his chest. "I'll have someone bring a cart over for you in a while to get you started!"

Wang Zhenshan truly wanted to win over a technical talent like Zhou Yichen. This kid had skills, unlike those other greenhorns among the educated youth; he deserved special treatment.

Listening to Wang Zhenshan’s thorough arrangements, Zhou Yichen felt a warmth in his heart. He thanked him solemnly once more, "Captain Wang, thank you so much! I’ve caused you so much trouble."

Wang Zhenshan waved his hand dismissively. "Bah! Why stand on ceremony with me? You’re the golden treasure of our Fifth Brigade now, and you’ve got real talent! It’s only right that we take care of you. If you need anything else, just ask! As long as the brigade can manage it, I, old Wang, will make sure it gets done."

After a few more instructions, seeing that everything was settled, Wang Zhenshan handed the key to Zhou Yichen. "Yichen, keep this key. From now on, this is your home!"

Zhou Yichen took the key; it felt cold in his palm, but his heart was burning with excitement.

"Alright, I’ll head back now. There’s a pile of things waiting for me at the brigade," Wang Zhenshan said, waving goodbye.

"Take care, Captain Wang."

Zhou Yichen saw him to the gate and watched his sturdy figure disappear at the end of the alley. Only then did he turn back into the yard, taking a deep breath of the dust-scented air, feeling incredibly lighthearted. From this day on, he, Zhou Yichen, had a "home" of his own in this strange countryside of the seventies.

Opening his talent panel, Zhou Yichen checked his progress.

[Medical Skill LV1 (643/1000)]

He had noticed his medical proficiency increasing while saving lives at Dr. Sun’s house earlier, and looking at it now, it had indeed grown significantly. He calculated that this single incident of treating patients had earned him over ten points of proficiency.

It seemed that this skill relied heavily on practical application. If he just read books, he would only gain twenty or thirty points a day, but if he saw more patients, his skill level would skyrocket! Of course, he knew that was unrealistic; after all, the countryside was a small place—how could there be patients for him to treat every single day?

Closing the panel, Zhou Yichen prepared to get to work. His luggage was still at the educated youth dormitory, and he needed to move it over immediately. He also had to tidy up the house and yard, or he wouldn't even have a place to sleep tonight. Most importantly, he had to go to the commune this afternoon. He needed to buy pots, pans, oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar—all the necessities for daily life. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to light the stove tonight.

With his plan set, Zhou Yichen locked the courtyard gate and headed straight toward the educated youth dormitory. He reckoned Jiang Xiaoman and the others should be back by now. It was perfect; heavy lifting like moving house was tough for one person. Even though Jiang Xiaoman had a cute baby face, she was a pro at chores; dragging her over as labor was the best idea. After all, they were good friends—share the blessings, and naturally, share the work!

A smile tugged at the corner of Zhou Yichen’s mouth.

As he arrived outside the dormitory, he heard a flurry of chatter before he even entered. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickened his pace. Upon entering the courtyard, he found that Jiang Xiaoman, Zhao Weiguo, and Lin Xiaoyue had indeed all returned. They were huddled around the worn-out wooden table in the center of the room, seemingly in deep discussion. The older educated youths were likely still out working in the fields and might not even return for lunch.

"Yichen! You're finally back!"

Jiang Xiaoman spotted him first and sprang up from her stool like a little swallow. She trotted over to him, her baby face flushed red from the cold, framed by her winter coat collar and a red scarf, full of concern. "How was it? Did everything go smoothly over there?"

The questions came pouring out like beans from a tilted jar. Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue also looked up, watching him with curiosity.

Zhou Yichen looked into Jiang Xiaoman’s clear, bright eyes, felt a swell of warmth, and offered a relaxed smile. "Don't worry, everything went well."

He paused, cleared his throat, and announced unhurriedly, "The Captain said that from today on, I am the health worker for our Xiangyang Brigade."

"What?!"

Jiang Xiaoman’s eyes widened, her shoulder-length hair seeming to bristle with her excitement. She grabbed Zhou Yichen’s arm, her voice rising several decibels. "H-health worker? Yichen, you're not joking, are you?!"

She found it hard to believe. She had grown up with Zhou Yichen since they were children running around in the dirt; she knew exactly when he had started learning medicine. By her count, it had been barely over half a month since he picked up that "Barefoot Doctor’s Manual"! And it was all self-taught! And he had actually succeeded?! She wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her.

However, despite her shock, Jiang Xiaoman wasn't stupid. She instinctively glanced at Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue, who were equally dumbstruck, and swallowed the question, "When did you sneakily learn medicine?" that was on the tip of her tongue.

Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue were completely stunned by the news. Envy! It was raw, naked envy.

"Z-Zhou Yichen, you... you really became the health worker?" Zhao Weiguo pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, a complex light flickering in his eyes. Lin Xiaoyue, standing to the side, pressed her lips together; though she didn't speak, her eyes were filled with the same envy.

A health worker! That was a technical position—it meant higher work points and a job that didn't require breaking one's back in the fields under the sun and wind!

Zhou Yichen smiled slightly, accepting their gaze with composure. He nodded, his tone firm. "Yes, the Captain said it himself. Could it be fake?"

Then, as if remembering something, he casually dropped another piece of news that shocked them even more. "Oh, right, the Captain also arranged a separate place for me to live. I won't be staying in the dormitory from now on."

"Ah?!"

If the previous news had been shock and envy, Zhao Weiguo’s feelings now were pure, distilled jealousy. A separate place! In this dormitory where food was scarce, five or six people were crammed onto a single large bed, and one could barely turn over, he knew all too well what a private residence meant! It was practically heaven!

Zhao Weiguo’s mind raced. Zhou Yichen had become a health worker and now had his own place... Even though he wasn't particularly close to Zhou Yichen, they had come to the countryside together and were in the same brigade. If... if he could find a way to use that connection to stay at Zhou Yichen’s private courtyard, or perhaps bask in his reflected glory to get some preferential treatment while working... After all, he had heard how grueling the farm work in the brigade could be.

With that thought, Zhao Weiguo’s gaze toward Zhou Yichen became increasingly fervent.