Chapter 30: Housewarming Banquet

"Wow! Pork ribs?"

"Are you serious? Yichen, you really are a stand-up guy!"

"This is amazing! I haven't tasted meat in nearly half a year!"

As soon as the words "pork ribs" were uttered, the eyes of every educated youth present lit up, erupting into a chorus of surprised cheers. In these times, meat was a rarity, something seen only during festivals and holidays—let alone pork ribs.

Even those who had been hesitant, feeling a bit stingy about chipping in their own supplies, were now beaming with enthusiasm. After all, this was real, honest-to-goodness meat! It was well worth contributing a little something to satisfy their cravings.

Seeing Zhou Yichen being so generous, Jiang Xiaoman felt a sense of pride as if it were her own achievement. She tapped her chest and declared boldly, "Since Yichen has brought out pork ribs, I’ll contribute a slab of cured meat to add another hearty dish for everyone!"

She said this, of course, to support Yichen and ensure his housewarming dinner would be a grand affair.

Zhou Yichen smiled at Jiang Xiaoman upon hearing this. The girl was truly loyal when it counted.

Seeing the two newcomers, Yichen and Xiaoman, being so generous—one providing ribs, the other cured meat—the rest of the educated youths felt a bit embarrassed. If they continued to be stingy, offering only rotten vegetable leaves, they wouldn't be able to hold their heads up.

"Since Comrade Xiaoman is contributing cured meat, I’ll contribute two large white radishes!"

"I have some vermicelli left; I'll bring that over!"

"I have a bottle of sweet potato liquor; let’s crack it open today!" Zhao Weiguo said, adjusting his glasses, uncharacteristically generous for once.

"I... I have a few eggs!" Lin Xiaoyue said in a small voice, her fair cheeks flushing slightly.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the small courtyard became incredibly warm. Everyone sprang into action with high spirits. Some moved quickly, heading back toward the communal living quarters to fetch their food supplies. Others shouted as they went to haul firewood, knowing that with so many people, the hearth fire couldn't be allowed to die out.

More thoughtful ones chimed in, "Yichen’s place probably lacks equipment. Let’s pool together our bowls, chopsticks, tables, and stools!"

Yichen’s newly assigned courtyard was, to put it mildly, bare. Aside from the few pieces of basic furniture left behind, he had bought all the pots and pans himself.

Since everyone was accustomed to eating from the same pot, they understood his predicament and readily volunteered to fetch items from the communal dorms.

Jiang Xiaoman waved her hand with the air of an older sister, "Alright, alright! The men go fetch the furniture! We women will stay behind to help Yichen tidy the kitchen and prepare the meal!"

Several nimble-handed women, including Lin Xiaoyue, followed Jiang Xiaoman into the small kitchen. Soon, the cramped space was filled with the clatter of pots and pans and the sound of the girls' laughter.

Zhou Yichen stood in the center of the courtyard, watching the bustling scene with a smile. Indeed, the world was truly this pragmatic. When you possess sufficient value and can bring benefits to others, you are naturally surrounded by smiles and kindness.

He remembered the day he first arrived in the countryside, when the veteran educated youths had been cold and indifferent, even hostile. And now? They were all brimming with enthusiasm, as if they were old friends reunited after years apart.

Yichen understood this. After all, the veterans had been living comfortably enough, and the arrival of newcomers meant competition for limited resources and space; it was only human nature to be unhappy. Furthermore, he was now the health worker for the Xiangyang Production Brigade, possessing actual medical skills—a vital asset in a rural area lacking doctors and medicine. Their current warmth was partly motivated by self-interest, or at least a desire to ensure future convenience.

Having lived two lifetimes, Yichen’s character had been honed to be discerning, so he held no grudges over their past coldness. Human interaction, in many ways, was simply an exchange of value.

Before long, the men returned with tables, stools, and the food everyone had contributed. As the nominal host, Yichen busied himself greeting everyone. Through this process, he finally learned the names of all the educated youths in the Fifth Production Team.

Besides himself and Jiang Xiaoman, there were the two other newcomers, Zhao Weiguo and Lin Xiaoyue. He memorized the seven veteran youths as well.

Among the four men, besides the team leader Li Weidong, there was the burly Wang Qiang; Liu Jianhua, whose name carried the fervor of construction; and the stern-faced, taciturn Zhang Guoqing.

The three women included Sun Fang, who wore two braided pigtails and had a few freckles; Qian Hongxia, who was slightly plump and spoke with a brisk, refreshing tone; and the relatively quiet Gao Meili, who wore black-rimmed glasses.

Some had only been in the countryside for a few months, while others like Wang Qiang and Sun Fang had been there for over a year. The team leader, Li Weidong, had endured on this land for three full years; his skin was tanned dark, and his eyes held the weariness of a local farmer.

After a flurry of activity, smoke rose from the kitchen, and the aroma filled the air. In the simple mud-brick house, a hodgepodge of tables and stools was squeezed into a circle.

On the table sat steaming pork ribs with cabbage, fragrant stir-fried cured meat with dried radishes, vinegar-shredded potatoes, scrambled eggs, and stewed vermicelli. While not as refined as a city restaurant, in these years of scarcity, it was a rare and luxurious feast.

Under the dim glow of the kerosene lamp, the group of young people sat together, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Come, come, don't be polite—dig in!" Li Weidong, as the eldest brother, was the first to lift his chopsticks.

"Yichen, Xiaoman, Xiaoyue, and Weiguo, this drink is to welcome you all and to congratulate Yichen on his housewarming!" Zhao Weiguo suggested, raising a coarse ceramic bowl filled with sweet potato liquor.

"Right, right! Bottoms up!" everyone responded.

Yichen raised his bowl, clinked it against theirs, and laughed, "Thank you all. We are all comrades in the same team now, so please look after each other!"

Jiang Xiaoman also raised her bowl, her doll-like face full of smiles, "Thank you all! Yichen and I would like to toast everyone!"

After a few bowls of liquor, the atmosphere grew even warmer. People drank, ate, and chatted; the initial awkwardness faded as they opened up. The veteran youths began to talk about life in the countryside.

Wang Qiang sighed, "Life in the countryside is truly grueling. We have to go to the fields before dawn, working ourselves to the bone all day just to earn those few work points."

"Indeed," Qian Hongxia chimed in, "The worst part is getting sick. You have to endure even the smallest ailment because the commune clinic is too far and the brigade lacks a proper doctor. It’s better now that Yichen is here; we finally have someone to rely on!"

At these words, everyone nodded, their gazes toward Yichen becoming even more fervent.

Li Weidong sipped his drink, his eyes distant, "To say I don't miss home would be a lie. In the dead of night, when I think of my parents and siblings in the city, it feels like a cat scratching at my heart."

His words stirred the homesickness in many, and the mood at the table grew slightly somber.

Yichen listened quietly, occasionally adding a word or two. These conversations gave him a more intuitive and profound understanding of rural life in this era and the unique group that was the "educated youth."

It was a life of hardship and confusion, yet it still carried a faint glimmer of hope for the future.