Rebirth in Famine: She Thrives by Lucky Space

Chapter 864: 864 Odd Jobs

The nearby women joined in the conversation, discussing how Lv Jingchu is a beautiful, educated girl with good conditions, and it would be great if someone could marry her.

Jing Chu just kept her head down, not responding to anything anyone said, though she was already thoroughly fed up.

The crowd was energetically chatting, but Jing Chu didn’t say a word.

Right now, Jing Chu was just hoping to finish work quickly, it was so bothersome.

Lu Fengzhen listened from the side, but in this setting, she couldn’t really refute anything. After all, people weren’t speaking with malice, and being too hard would not be good.

Xiao Liu and Xiao Hong both sympathized with Lv Zhiqing, so they just kept their heads down and worked, without saying a word.

The rural women really have a knack for this; even without a response, they can keep the conversation lively.

Lu Fengzhen joined in the chatting, and soon steered the topic to something else.

She saw Jing Chu’s relax and smiled to herself. This girl’s temper is just too stiff, she doesn’t know how to bend.

Guodong was already halfway done with his work. Being young, he didn’t have much in common to talk about with the other Zhiqing, so he just listened to them talking.

”Chen Hui, you’ve finished raising the walls of your yard, but where is the gate?”

”It’s already been ordered. The carpenter will deliver it this afternoon and help install it, or else I wouldn’t be able to.”

Fu Xiaoping genuinely envied Chen Hui, now that he had a home, a wife, and child. ”Chen Hui, you’ve settled down.”

”Yeah, I’ve put down roots here.”

”Chen Hui, aren’t you planning to go back?”

”I’d also like to go back, but I really don’t know when that will happen.”

When this topic ended, everyone fell silent. Indeed, there was still no news at all.

”Guodong, any news from your relatives?”

Lv Guodong shook his head, ”No, they just told me to work diligently.”

”Looks like going back really isn’t possible.” Song Jinbao said, feeling quite discouraged.

”Alright, it’s the same for everyone. We can only wait for instructions from above. For now, let’s not be pessimistic. Who knows when we might be able to go back?” Chen Hui encouraged them as the older brother figure.

Ding Xiaojuan and Wu Hong were cooking. Sorghum rice, and they took out the rice soup and added brown sugar, inviting them inside to drink.

Since Zhao Xiaoli had brought over a piece of meat, lunch was smoked meat stewed with potatoes, plus two heads of cabbage, filling a big pot. There was meat today, so everyone ate with great relish.

”Chen Hui, I’ll go to the county to pick up parcels. I’ll bring back our vouchers.

If there’s anything you want to buy, just let me know.” Sun Lian said after he was full.

”I’ll go too, I’ve got a parcel waiting from several days ago.” Song Jinbao chimed in.

”Everyone might as well go, and Xiaojuan and I won’t. You can bring it back for us.”

”Indeed, I’ll also go to walk around the county; it’s been a long time since I left the village.”

Ding Xiaojuan said, ”There’s not much work now, the village head will surely agree.”

Wu Hong remained silent, she was actually in need of many things, but lacked the courage to go to the county.

Just hearing the term ’county’ brought thoughts of Huang Ying to mind.

She was truly frightened, always thinking of what Huang Ying said when she left, feeling alarmed and anxious.

”I won’t go, please bring back three packs of toilet paper and a bar of soap for me.”

Ever since Huang Ying left, Wu Hong was a changed person. Just take today as an example; if it were the old Wu Hong, she would have been picking out the meat, but today she only ate the two pieces Xiaojuan gave her, without serving herself from the pot.

Previously, while she wasn’t overly loud or outgoing, she did express herself freely, but now day by day she did not speak, reducing her presence.

”Wu Hong, are you sure you don’t want to go for a walk?”

”No, I just don’t want to go to the county, it makes me think of Huang Ying.”

The conversation ceased. Huang Ying’s name had become a taboo among them.

Song Jinbao, being young and unable to keep things inside, asked ”Do you guys think that incident was really Huang Ying’s doing?”

Silence fell over everyone as they really didn’t know. Having lived together for over a year, although Huang Ying was full of little schemes, she was still just a girl; committing murder shouldn’t have been her doing.

However, the investigation pointed to her, sparking suspicion among them all.

”I don’t believe it was her. One girl against five men, how is that possible?” Fan Shucai speculated.

”Regardless, now that Huang Ying has disappeared, where could a girl go? Was she perhaps harmed too, just not found yet?

It doesn’t make sense otherwise. From any angle, it seems impossible it was her.”

Seeing the gloomy atmosphere, Chen Hui intervened. ”Alright, let’s not dwell on this. Whether it was her or not, let’s just wait for news.”

At that moment, sounds of conversation came from outside. The gate had been delivered, giving them more work to do, and they headed back out.

”Sister Xiaojuan, I really think it was Huang Ying; she looked so different as she left, especially vacant.”

”Wu Hong, don’t keep thinking about it, it’s no good for you.”

”But I really can’t forget. You don’t know, Sister Xiaojuan, at night I always think of how she looked when she left.”

”You need to find a way to forget it, don’t be afraid. Even if it was her, now that she’s gone, she won’t come back to throw herself into trouble again, no need to keep thinking about her.”

”Sister Xiaojuan, Huang Ying changed after she fell down the night before she left, she wasn’t her usual self at all.”

Ding Xiaojuan didn’t know how to explain these circumstances, but seeing Wu Hong’s demeanor, she really seemed terrified. Xiaojuan didn’t know how to comfort her.

The two women tidied up the table, while outside the gate was being installed.

”Chen Zhiqing, your pace is really fast.”

Chen Hui chuckled, ”Everyone put in effort, and the adobe was readily available.”

”Still, there should be a courtyard wall, then it would feel like a home.”

”Exactly, that’s what I think too. Once the gate is installed, it’ll feel much more enclosed.”

The money for the gate was paid when it was ordered, so once installed, those who helped left.

In the afternoon, with not much work, several people planned a trip to the mountains, as a lot of firewood would be needed for winter.

”Sister Xiaojuan, I’m coming to the mountains too.”

”Hmm, I won’t be going.”

”Take care then.”

Thinking it’s a good opportunity with free time this afternoon, Guodong decided to join, as although the house had coal, a lot of firewood was still necessary.

So he went home to inform Jing Chu, with Zhao Xiaoqiang also joining in.

The two carried baskets, each with an axe, plenty of rope, water bottles, and a sickle, joining the other Zhiqing heading up the mountains.