Chapter 44: Moving Out Tomorrow

As for Leng Yongkang, who had set out early in the morning, he rushed to the subdistrict office on Furong Road. It wasn't office hours yet, so only a few people had arrived early for their shifts.

After some inquiries, he learned that the dilapidated courtyard he was looking for had been snatched up by another unit yesterday.

Exiting the subdistrict office feeling utterly dejected, he had no choice but to head to the factory for work first.

He was distracted in the workshop all morning; having thought about it all day, he simply could not accept being beaten to the punch like this.

Taking advantage of his lunch break, he rode his bicycle back to Furong Street and asked passersby for the specific location of the old courtyard.

When he arrived outside the courtyard, he heard voices coming from within. Walking through the gate—which was nothing more than a door frame—he discovered Leng Hui and two young men there.

He recognized Jiang Jingtao.

"Huihui, why are you here?"

Wasn't she filling in for Tang Lin these past few days?

Leng Hui had just brought two hoes out from the innermost room, preparing to dig a well in the courtyard with Xiao Ye and Jiang Jingtao.

There had originally been a well in the courtyard, but it had been filled in later. Leng Hui had no intention of digging in the old spot; instead, she planned to dig a new well on the other side of the courtyard.

If the courtyard had no well, they would have to fetch water from outside, which was incredibly inconvenient. Since she had the strength, she might as well dig a new one.

The three were just finalizing the location for the well when Leng Yongkang burst in.

Leng Hui's reaction to seeing him was both expected and unexpected. Theoretically, since he had learned about this courtyard from Leng Mei, he should have checked with the subdistrict office first. Knowing the courtyard already had an owner, he should have given up.

It was quite surprising that he had come here even after learning it was taken.

"I should be asking you, why are you here?"

A bit agitated, Leng Yongkang explained, "Yesterday, Xiaomei saw how hard I was working to find a house, so she specifically told me there was a dilapidated courtyard here. I went to the subdistrict office today and only then found out that this courtyard already has an owner. I want to ask you, why are you here?"

Leng Hui shrugged. "Just as you guessed, the machinery factory swapped this courtyard to my mother."

Looking at the dilapidated courtyard he had intended to acquire, Leng Yongkang showed a hint of disdain.

However, the fact that a courtyard even he found distasteful had been put under Tang Lin's name made him feel unwilling to let it go.

"You and your mother knew perfectly well how hard I've been searching for a house these past two days. Just when I finally got news of a place to acquire, you and your mother snatched it up. You're trying to drive me to death and leave me no way to live!"

Leng Hui slammed her hoe into the ground and said, "Comrade Leng Yongkang, I hope you understand. First of all, by the time you heard about this courtyard, it was already in my mother's name. In other words, even without your knowledge, we were already the owners of this courtyard."

Leng Yongkang turned and entered the house, walking around for a moment before quickly coming back out.

Leng Hui watched him pacing around with composed indifference, a mocking smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

"Huihui, I saw that this house has five rooms. A family of over ten could live here. Why not let me move in with you and your grandmother? Even though your mother and I are divorced, you are still my only daughter. If we live together as a family, I promise that since I've divorced your mother, we won't interfere with each other in the future."

Five rooms, not counting the main hall, meant one room per person with one left over. It would be just enough for Leng Hui and Tang Lin. As for the kitchen, the stove could be placed in the main hall.

"How is that possible?" Jiang Jingtao exclaimed.

Leng Yongkang was truly shattering his worldview; was he never satisfied with taking advantage of people?

"Yeah, how is that possible?" Leng Hui sneered. "I told you last time, you don't have the looks, but you certainly have the delusions. My mother and I can barely stand to be away from you people; how much self-torture would it take to bring those troublemakers from the Leng family back into our home again?"

"Huihui, how can you speak like that? Those are your elders!" Leng Yongkang felt contempt for himself, but the pressures of life forced him to swallow his pride.

"Enough. Don't try to act like an elder in front of me. I respect *them*; they are the elders. Otherwise, they are nothing to me. And don't even dream about this house; we won't let you through the door."

They were already two separate families; the only way they would live under one roof was if she had lost her mind.

Wasting her time with this nonsense was useless; she was waiting to dig a well so she could have water and yellow mud to build a courtyard wall.

"If you won't let us live here, tell your mother to talk to the unit. Can they grant us an extension on our current housing until we find a place to move?" Leng Yongkang remained undeterred.

"If you want to say something, go say it yourself. Don't you have a mouth? You want to rely on women for everything—where is your dignity?"

Annoyed, Leng Hui pushed Leng Yongkang aside and handed the hoe to Jiang Jingtao, telling him and Xiao Ye to start digging.

"Leng Hui, how long do you think it'll take to hit water?"

Leng Hui glanced at the mountain behind them. "We're at the foot of the mountain, so it shouldn't need to be dug too deep."

Having been humiliated by a junior and then ignored as they went about their work, Leng Yongkang's face felt like it was boiling, hot and stinging.

Once Leng Yongkang left in a huff, Jiang Jingtao glanced at the courtyard gate. "Leng Hui, you're really heartless toward your father."

Leng Hui stared at him coldly. "If you're so brave, say that again!"

Seeing that Leng Hui was about to snap, Jiang Jingtao gave a cheeky grin and didn't dare say another word.

"How wide do you want the mouth of the well to be?" Xiao Ye had dug a shallow pit and was gesturing to indicate the appropriate size.

Seeing that Jiang Jingtao had quieted down, Leng Hui gave a cold snort and turned back. "A meter square is enough for a private well."

The reason for making it a meter square was to make it easier for someone to squat down and dig with enough room to move. If they were using machinery, the mouth wouldn't need to be that large. Once finished, they could line the walls with bricks or stones, and the well wouldn't need to be huge—it would be enough for a hand-pump well.

Digging the well was the most exhausting part. The two boys took turns going down to dig. When Leng Hui tried to help, they wouldn't let her, so she could only clear the weeds in the courtyard.

By the time she had finished clearing the weeds, the sun was nearly setting.

Looking at the well they had dug, the two of them had managed to reach nearly 1.5 meters through their shifts during the afternoon.

The two boys were drenched in sweat, especially Xiao Ye. The white shirt he had worn in the morning was heavily stained with yellow mud, and his hair was disheveled as he climbed out of the pit looking quite bedraggled.

He was no longer the elegant young man from the morning; he looked more like a laborer digging an irrigation ditch for a landlord.

Xiao Ye shook the sweat from his hair, patted the mud off his hands, and said, "The soil below is already very moist. If we dig for another day tomorrow, we should hit water. If I have time tomorrow, I'll come early to help."

"No need. I've already troubled you enough today. If you have things to do tomorrow, go attend to them. I can dig the well myself."

Leng Hui declined quickly. She had tools in her space; using a mechanical arm to dig was far more efficient than using a hoe. Moreover, she could even collect the mud into her space to bring it up from the bottom, which was much more time-saving and less strenuous than manual labor.

To be honest, as long as it wasn't something done in public, Leng Hui could work much faster on her own than with help.

Before leaving, Jiang Jingtao looked at the pile of bricks and tiles in the courtyard and suddenly remarked, "Won't someone steal these bricks and tiles if they're left outside?"

Since the courtyard had no gate and was so exposed, it was quite possible someone would come to scavenge them to repair their own houses.

Leng Hui paused. "People steal fired clay?"

Aren't bricks and tiles just fired clay?

Hearing this, Jiang Jingtao felt he needed to re-evaluate this comrade, Leng Hui. "Do you even know what red bricks and tiles are used for? Do you need bricks to build a stove? Do you need a few tiles when the roof leaks? Just look at your stripped courtyard wall."

Leng Hui hesitated for a moment before saying, "How about this: you guys head back first. I'll leave when it gets dark, so they don't take advantage of the light to move the bricks or tiles out of the courtyard."

Jiang Jingtao was speechless. "Standing here does you no good. Once you leave, it'll be even easier for them to act under the cover of darkness."

Leng Hui said with certainty, "They won't dare."

The legends surrounding this courtyard didn't come from nowhere.

Jiang Jingtao also thought of the legends. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "How about you go back first, and I'll stay?"

Leng Hui shook her head. "No need. You've already helped me immensely today. Hurry and go back."

Xiao Ye looked at the courtyard. "Are you really not afraid?"

People nearby avoided this place like the plague; an ordinary girl wouldn't usually have such courage.

"Enough, stop nagging. Go back and rest. I'll head back once it's dark," Leng Hui urged again.

Xiao Ye didn't say more. He had Jiang Jingtao leave his bicycle with Leng Hui while he gave Jiang Jingtao a ride back.

Leng Hui had no objection to leaving the bicycle there.

There were no streetlights in the alleys at night, but there were lights on the main streets, and cycling was much faster than walking.

There was about an hour between sunset and true darkness. After Jiang Jingtao and Xiao Ye left, Leng Hui jumped into the well to continue digging.

With the mechanical arm, the digging speed was much faster. The soil she dug up was sent directly into her space, making her incredibly efficient.

While Xiao Ye and Jiang Jingtao had achieved a certain amount in an afternoon, Leng Hui had a "cheat tool." In half an hour, she had dug down four meters. She only climbed out once water began to seep up continuously.

Taking advantage of the fact that the well wasn't full yet, Leng Hui stored some bricks in her space. She descended into the well again and used the wet mud from the bottom to line the bricks directly.

Since the well was small, if the bricks were stacked well and secured at the four corners, they wouldn't need mud to prevent collapse.

In fact, she had some construction materials in her space, including over a dozen bags of cement. However, cement was in short supply in this era, and it was hard for ordinary people without connections to get any. Every bag used from her space was one less; she wanted to save the cement for when she eventually sealed the well.

By the time the well walls were finished, only a sliver of twilight remained. Taking advantage of the dim light, Leng Hui moved the bricks and tiles in the courtyard into her space, patted her hands, and pushed the bicycle out of the courtyard.

After a busy day, she returned home covered in dust. Her first priority was to wash her hair, bathe, and change into clean clothes.

By the time Leng Hui sat down, feeling refreshed after her bath, the Leng family had already finished dinner.

Tang Lin brought out the food she had set aside. "Why are you so busy that you're only back this late?"

Looking at the multigrain porridge and the salted potato shreds, Leng Hui sighed slightly and took a resigned sip of the porridge. "Ordering bricks and tiles this morning, laying tiles this afternoon, and digging a well on the side."

Tang Lin glanced at the Leng family members sitting nearby with grim expressions. "Your father said that since you're already divorced, you should move out as soon as possible. What do you think about that?"

The truth was that before Leng Hui returned, Tang Lin had been in an argument with the Leng family.

The cause was that dilapidated courtyard. Seeing that the mother and daughter had snatched up the property, they couldn't stomach it. When Tang Lin returned from work, they couldn't do anything to Leng Hui, so they took their anger out on Tang Lin.

Leng Hui swept a cold gaze over the family. "This house was allocated to you as a benefit from your factory. They are the ones who should move out. If they don't want to live together, they can move, and I have no objection."

Old Lady Leng glared at her. "All these years, we've raised a white-eyed wolf! Is this how you speak to your elders? Where are your manners?"

"Enough. Don't talk to me about manners; the word 'manners' doesn't apply to you." Leng Hui waved her hand. The last thing she wanted in this house was to argue with Old Lady Leng. She was unreasonable and difficult to talk to.

Being looked down upon by a junior, Old Lady Leng trembled with rage, pointing at her but unable to form a complete sentence for a long time. "You... you... you little wench..."

"Enough, Mom. Is it any fun to argue every single day?" Leng Yongkang interjected while patting her back to help her breathe.

"Sister, how did you know there was a courtyard on Furong Road?"

Leng Mei, who had been sitting in the corner without much presence, spoke up.

"The logistics department at the machinery factory is very well-informed. Do we really need to go looking for a courtyard ourselves?"

Leng Mei: "..."

How infuriating. All the effort they had put into trying to find a courtyard, and to them, it was just within reach.

"Sister, since the logistics department is so efficient, why don't you let us have that courtyard and let the factory swap you into another one? You know the situation—the old are old, the young are young, and Uncle and Dad both have to work. We really don't have time to look for a house. We can't just wait until the lease expires and the whole family is kicked out. Would you really have the heart to let this whole family sleep on the streets?"

Leng Hui couldn't help but sneer. "Stop trying to morally kidnap me. We are law-abiding citizens; we do whatever the authorities arrange. As for whether you rent a house or sleep on the street, what does that have to do with me?"

Leng Mei glanced at Leng Yongkang and countered, "What do you mean it has nothing to do with you? Isn't Uncle your father?"

"He is my father, yes, but all he cares about is your branch of the family. When has he ever cared about me?"

Leng Mei shook her head. "Sister, you're being a bit biased. What parent doesn't care about their children?"

Leng Hui replied, "If he truly cared about me, he wouldn't be making things difficult for me. The steel plant has staff dormitories. If he cares about me, he should go live in the dorms; it would save everyone the trouble."

She had brought along this whole mess of a second family, and now they wanted to use moral blackmail on her? Not a chance.

"How can you live in a dormitory? It's inconvenient..."

"Enough with all this mindless chatter! Can't anyone eat in peace?" Tang Lin interrupted Leng Mei.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room grew stagnant. Aside from the sound of Leng Hui chewing, everyone else remained silent.

Exhausted from the day, Leng Hui finished her meal, rinsed her mouth, and lay down to rest. She didn't expect to drift off almost immediately upon touching the bed.

When a person is focused on one task, even their dreams are about that task.

In her dream, Leng Hui was sealing the mouth of the well. Just after the cement had been smoothed out, there was a sudden *boom*, and the seal cracked down the middle, causing all the cement to sink into the well.

Leng Hui woke up from the dream in a panic.

Before she could even recover, the sound of "bang, bang, bang" hitting wooden boards came from above her head. Startled, she instinctively rolled across the bed, from the head to the foot.

"Mom, what are you doing hitting wooden boards in the middle of the night?"

Leng Hui felt for her flashlight and brushed away the messy hair in her eyes, only to find that Tang Lin was angrily hitting the partition—the divider between the compartments.

Tang Lin spat on the floor. "Some people don't act like human beings in the middle of the night; I'm just giving them a reminder."

What did that mean?

Leng Hui pulled back the cloth curtain to look at the small bed.

Leng Yongkang was curled up, pretending to sleep.

"Ms. Tang Lin, who offended you? Was it the people from the second family next door?"

Tang Lin cursed irritably, "Two vixens!"

Leng Hui: "?"

Seeing Leng Hui's bewildered expression, Tang Lin took a deep breath. "Go to sleep! We're moving out tomorrow!"

Even a dilapidated house would be better than living here. At least it would be quiet.