As Wen Qian contemplated where to go next after leaving the village, she realized there was an important matter she needed to take care of before leaving.
Her identity card was about to expire and needed to be renewed, otherwise she wouldn't be able to take any transportation.
So Wen Qian took her chance and traveled to the town, which was over 45 minutes away from their village by car.
The roads built in the hilly area were based on the old dirt paths, so out-of-town drivers had to be very careful, while local drivers were quite skilled and adept.
On the way, she saw tea gardens on the slopes, as well as newly constructed high-speed rail elevated bridges.
They passed by cement factories and brick kilns with advertisements and prices posted.
Wen Qian roughly calculated the prices for bricks and decided to give up on the idea of building her own home for now.
However, when she saw some old abandoned houses that had collapsed due to lack of maintenance, an idea flashed in her mind - why not make use of those materials?
The bricks and tiles used for building houses in the past were made of red clay or mud bricks, and she had seen villagers making mud bricks when building cattle sheds, which was an early construction material used in this area.
She didn't know why the brick kilns now produced dark gray cement bricks that didn't seem as sturdy as the old red clay bricks.
Many old houses, if left unoccupied and unmaintained, would eventually collapse, and their land and household registration would be canceled.
Nature would take over, with grass and trees growing taller than the houses, and no one would bother to collect the scattered bricks and tiles, so some villagers would use them to build chicken coops.
Wen Qian thought that since no one wanted them, she might as well take them all.
The main components she needed were the bricks and beams, while the tiles, mostly small mud tiles from the past, were unnecessary to collect in large quantities. When her family had replaced the tiles, most of the small old tiles were left intact and neatly stacked at the side of the yard, which would be easier to take with her.
Another point was that the safe haven she had chosen might have different construction methods from her area, so she wanted to collect as many materials as possible, just in case they could be useful in the future.
Moreover, with the current abnormal climate conditions, she couldn't rely solely on past climate and environmental records anymore. It was hard to predict what challenges lay ahead, so she needed to prepare as much as possible.
After all, since last year, the climate issues had persisted until now, breaking past records repeatedly, and it was difficult to foresee what would happen next.
Along the way, she silently observed the scenery outside the window, her mind still mulling over her plans, as if she were just out for a breath of fresh air.
Usually, Wen Qian wouldn't go to her own town unless she had something to do, usually opting for the town near Liuhe Village to buy supplies and attend gatherings.
Upon arriving in town, Wen Qian asked around for the address of the police station, only to find that it had moved from its previous location.
The address on her phone map was still the old one.
The townspeople gave her conflicting directions, and she ended up going in a big circle before finding the new address of the police station in an alley.
She always wondered why people would give wrong directions or intentionally mislead her in such situations.
Once there, she quickly took a photo and got her fingerprints scanned, and after completing the process, she went to explore other parts of the town.
This town was slightly larger than the one near her home, with more places to visit.
However, Wen Qian didn't have much money, so she could only afford to look around and buy very little. If it weren't for the low wages and lack of job opportunities in town, she might have considered working there.
She was truly as poor as a church mouse!
However, after being unemployed and living in the mountains for a long time, Wen Qian didn't really have much desire to actively seek work. She would rather scavenge for bricks from collapsed houses.
Holding a cup of soy milk, Wen Qian stood by the street, watching the people coming and going as she sipped her drink absentmindedly.
The road was wide, with many cars parked on both sides. It would be best for her to leave in the morning, as there would be no cars returning to her hometown in the afternoon.
"Wen Qian? Is that you?" A voice came from beside her.
Wen Qian's first reaction was not wanting to engage in conversation with anyone, so she didn't respond immediately, but she did straighten her back.
After reducing her interactions with people, Wen Qian preferred to maintain this state of solitude. She could talk to herself, but she didn't want to add any new interpersonal relationships.
She felt that she could bear loneliness and solitude on her own, but the psychological burden and guilt that came with deepening relationships were something she couldn't handle, so she had to minimize her interactions with others as much as possible.
The person approached Wen Qian and said with a smile, "It is you! What are you doing in town?"
Wen Qian looked at him without speaking, planning to play dumb.
She recognized this classmate, whose name consisted of two characters. They had been in the same class for a year when they attended middle school in town. She remembered him being a thin and small boy, and he still appeared rather frail.
Her classmate Ren Jie, whose name consisted of two characters, looked down at her and scrutinized her. He had found her familiar when he saw her from across the street, and upon getting closer, he realized she was his middle school classmate.
Wen Qian was wearing an old white t-shirt and jeans, carrying a canvas bag.
Her clothes and bag were from a few years ago, looking old and shabby, or one could say rustic.
This outfit still had a student-like vibe, without any semblance of a mature adult, and even students nowadays dressed better than her.
Ren Jie greeted her, saying it had been a long time, and then asked where she had attended high school.
Wen Qian mentioned her previous occupation before quitting her job as a clerk, and upon hearing this, Ren Jie understood her likely income level. He then politely asked if she was available to attend their class reunion, which was held every summer or winter.
During their school years, they would gather in the summer, but after starting their careers, the reunions gradually shifted to winter.
The heavy snow at the beginning of the year had prevented any lively gatherings, so he symbolically invited this once-excellent student to join the reunion.
A fresh face would be a welcome addition.
Wen Qian had basically stopped attending such events after graduation, and since her future plans were still uncertain, she only said she would consider attending if she had time.
Ren Jie asked for her contact information and added her to the group chat.
However, Wen Qian didn't have much to say, so she was just planning to lurk in the group.
Ren Jie felt a bit awkward, as a conversation should flow both ways. Since he had asked about Wen Qian, it would be polite for her to ask about his life as well, such as how he was doing these days, or some other small talk.
But Wen Qian didn't seem to have any curiosity about him and didn't initiate any conversation.
So Ren Jie had no choice but to continue asking her if she was waiting for someone or waiting for a ride while standing by the street.
Wen Qian hesitated for a moment. Originally, she had planned to wander around some more, but now she just wanted to hurry back home.
So she told him she would be heading home soon.
Ren Jie asked if she had driven there, offering to give her a ride if not.
Wen Qian then asked where he lived.
Ren Jie said he lived right in town.
Wen Qian declined his offer, saying she had already arranged for a driver from her village to pick her up.
So when she saw the van that had brought her in the morning, Wen Qian bid farewell to Ren Jie and quickly boarded the vehicle.
In Ren Jie's eyes, Wen Qian hadn't changed at all. Not only did her appearance remain the same, but her personality also seemed unchanged - still so unsociable and quiet.
Shouldn't she have become more sociable and engage in some small talk after becoming an adult?
