Chapter 49: Quite the Flirt

Xu Lin refused the suggestion to cook together without hesitation. She had her own space and many secrets, and she was not willing to get too close to others. This answer left Han Hong and Zhang Qiang a little disappointed, but they understood—Xu Lin had brought her own cooking pot, so she had never intended to share meals with anyone else from the start.

Han Hong whispered to Zhang Qiang, “Can you cook?”

Zhang Qiang shook his head. If he knew how, he wouldn’t have wanted to team up with Xu Lin in the first place. Han Hong sighed, “I can’t cook either.”

Their conversation made Liu Pandie’s eyes light up. These two didn’t seem short on money. If they could form a cooking group, she might get a taste of meat every now and then. But before Liu Pandie had a chance to invite them, Qin Fang spoke up first.

“My brother Liang and I will be cooking on our own, but you two can join us if you like,” she said softly, her gaze hooking onto Han Hong and Zhang Qiang like invisible barbs.

Across from her, Qian Li rolled her eyes, once again confirming her belief that Qin Fang was no good—she had a knack for flirting with men. The other female educated youths, having already heard stories about Xu Lin, quietly watched Qin Fang’s performance. And what they saw gave them all a clear impression: Qin Fang was not an honest girl at all, quite the flirt.

Those who secretly liked someone or had a sweetheart made sure to remember Qin Fang, afraid she’d steal the attention of the men they fancied.

Qin Fang herself didn’t realize that her habitual actions would bring her a heap of trouble.

After thinking for a moment, Han Hong shook his head and declined, “Thank you, Comrade Qin, but I won’t disturb you and Comrade Su’s world for two.”

“Right, I don’t want to intrude either. I don’t want to be tormented by your lovey-dovey display. Life as a single dog—sigh, I can’t handle the jealousy,” Zhang Qiang joked, half teasing, half criticizing; the pair really were too clingy, hugging in public without a care.

Wu Siyu, thinking of the dwindling pile of firewood, suddenly smiled and suggested, “Why don’t you two pair up with me? But you’ll have to gather firewood, fetch water, and tend the vegetables—I’ll handle the cooking and cleaning.”

Han Hong and Zhang Qiang exchanged glances. This sounded like a good deal. Since neither of them could cook, teaming up with someone was ideal.

As for joining the group on the shared kang bed, neither wanted that—there were too many people, and most of them didn’t have much money. It went without saying that the food wouldn’t be great, and if they kept contributing more than they got, it would only leave a bad taste in their mouths.

But teaming up with Wu Siyu was different. Even if she didn’t have much, feeding one more mouth didn’t compare to feeding several.

Most importantly, Wu Siyu was a very good cook. She’d made half the dishes at today’s meal, while Liu Pandie and the others had prepared the rest. To put it mildly, their food was merely edible—it couldn’t be called delicious.

The two men’s decision left Liu Pandie disappointed, but she bore them no grudge. She knew too well—if they teamed up, Han Hong and Zhang Qiang would be the ones losing out.

After talking about cooking arrangements and chatting a while longer, Xu Lin excused herself, claiming exhaustion. Everyone knew how tiring train travel was, so no one objected; they all got up to leave.

Qin Fang and Su Liang followed behind Xu Lin, both casting hostile glances at her.

Back in her room, Xu Lin touched the kang bed and was pleased to find it warm. She decided not to cultivate tonight and lay down to rest immediately.

She slept dreamlessly and woke before dawn, quickly dressing and getting up. Opening the door, she breathed in the fresh air, feeling thoroughly alive again.

After some exercise, she left the Educated Youth Courtyard and jogged slowly along the village road, circling the settlement until she reached the foot of the mountain.

Turning to look around, she spotted a grass hut not far away. Granny Wang San had mentioned that a few people sent down from the city lived there, and warned Xu Lin to steer clear—don’t even greet them if you happened to meet. Apparently, in the neighboring brigade, someone had chatted with that group a bit too much and was dragged off for criticism for several days. The poor soul came back a shadow of their former self, and ever since, villagers dared not say much to that group.

But Xu Lin knew those people were all capable individuals. As long as they survived this phase, they wouldn’t fare too badly. The situation was already improving over the past two years. As long as one stayed wary of those desperate last-ditch counterattacks, there was little real danger.

Xu Lin had her own plans but had no intention of befriending anyone with an agenda. She believed she could do well enough in this world on her own strength. After all, in this life, she just wanted to live quietly, not achieve fame or great deeds. The treasures in her space alone were enough for her to live in comfort for a lifetime.

In good spirits, Xu Lin jogged up the mountain path. Once deep in the woods, she found a clean spot and sat down to cultivate her wood ability.

Almost immediately, the flowers, grass, and trees around her seemed to be infused with a powerful tonic, growing rapidly and thickening in no time.

Buds on the branches burst forth, quickly maturing into lush green leaves. As time passed, the leaves yellowed and, driven by the spring wind, fell to the ground in a rustling carpet.

If any outsider had witnessed this scene, they would have been utterly shocked, perhaps even screaming that it was witchcraft.

At the same time, Xu Lin’s wood ability advanced rapidly—twice as fast as when she cultivated in her room. Delighted, Xu Lin beamed. At this rate, she would soon break through to Level 2.

The wood ability could not only accelerate plant growth but also be used in combat—a skill Xu Lin had mastered in the late stages of the apocalypse. At first, she too thought the wood ability was only for support, with little offensive power. But that wasn’t the case; in battle, the wood ability was no weaker than any other.

She manipulated the surrounding plants, arranging them like soldiers, digging pits and setting traps. Should anyone enter this domain, Xu Lin could dispatch them in an instant.

After practicing for a while, Xu Lin checked the time and prepared to descend the mountain. She stood and looked around, noticing that there was little game on this hill—just a few wild pheasants far off in the distance.

Clearly, people often came here to hunt. Since it was getting late and she wanted to visit the commune, she decided against venturing deeper.

Heading downhill in good spirits, Xu Lin felt the chill of a February morning in the northeast. She didn’t meet anyone on her way back.

When she returned to the Educated Youth Courtyard, the others were still asleep. Xu Lin fetched some hot water to wash up.

Of course, she could have washed in her own space, but with so many eyes around—and with Qin Fang keeping a close watch—it was safer to stick to the routine. If anyone noticed anything strange, it would be trouble. Xu Lin was always careful, knowing that caution was the key to a long, steady life.