Chapter 4

Half an hour later, Lu Lanlan felt intense pain in her hands.

Looking down, she saw a large, watery blister forming at the base of her thumb.

She had never had blisters from hard work before and didn’t know how to deal with them. With no other choice, she switched to using her other hand.

However, using her left hand felt awkward, slowing her down. Before long, that hand also developed blisters.

Seeing both hands covered in blisters, Lu Lanlan sighed. She realized she wouldn’t be able to work for the rest of the morning and decided to go back and take care of them first.

After informing Auntie Xu, the latter advised her to just pierce the blisters with a needle.

But Lu Lanlan didn’t follow her advice. Instead, she took some money and went to the village clinic.

She wasn’t delicate or spoiled, but she feared infection. Staying healthy meant she could keep earning money and repay her uncle and aunt for their kindness.

As she reached the clinic, holding up both hands carefully, someone suddenly rushed out and collided with her.

The impact struck her half-clenched hands, and a fingernail scraped right against her large blister.

The sharp pain was so intense that tears welled up in her eyes.

“Lu Zhiqing, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there. I’m really sorry!”

The man who had bumped into her, Xu Jianguo, immediately apologized. He hadn’t noticed the blisters on her hands and assumed she was crying because of the collision.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m really sorry. Don’t cry—here, have some candy.”

Seeing her tears, Xu Jianguo felt guilty. He quickly pulled out three pieces of candy from his pocket and handed them to her.

Lu Lanlan glanced at him. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember who he was. Wiping away her tears, she replied, “It’s fine. You can go.”

She was about to head inside to find the doctor when he suddenly blocked her way.

“Lu Zhiqing, are you mad at me? I really didn’t see you. It wasn’t on purpose.”

As he spoke, he even reached out to grab her arm.

Lu Lanlan instinctively took a step back, putting more distance between them.

“Don’t misunderstand, Lu Zhiqing. I just wanted to give you the candy—it’s really sweet,” Xu Jianguo explained.

“I don’t want it,” Lu Lanlan said, frustrated. Looking at him blocking the clinic door, she added, “Move aside. I need to see the doctor.”

“You need a doctor? Are you sick?” Xu Jianguo stepped aside but still followed her closely, even all the way to the doctor.

Nearby, Gu Yu, who had also come to the clinic due to blisters, watched the scene unfold and scoffed.

She should have switched rooms yesterday instead of listening to a few nice words.

A pest would always be a pest. A dog would never stop eating its own filth.

Lu Lanlan frowned at Xu Jianguo, who kept talking to the doctor.

“Hey, comrade, I just need my blisters treated. It’s not like I’m dying. Even if I were, it wouldn’t be your place to say all this nonsense to the doctor. If you have nothing else to do, just leave and stop wasting my time,” Lu Lanlan finally snapped, unable to hold back anymore.

Who even was this guy?

The doctor was equally annoyed, but since Xu Jianguo’s father was the village chief, he had to show some respect. He gave Lu Lanlan a sympathetic look.

Xu Jianguo was taken aback by her harsh words. “Lu Zhiqing, I was just worried about you. I’ve had blisters before—I know they hurt a lot.”

If you know they hurt, then why are you still talking so much?

Lu Lanlan wanted to curse him out but held back. She had just arrived in the village, didn’t know anyone, and wasn’t sure of his background. She didn’t want to offend someone who could make her life difficult.

“I appreciate your concern, comrade, but I’m not afraid of pain. You should leave now.”

“But you were just crying,” Xu Jianguo pointed out, thinking she was pretending to be tough. He kept pestering the doctor with instructions.

The doctor was about to tell him, The more you talk, the longer she’ll be in pain.

Before he could say anything, a voice from outside yelled, “Are you done yet? The clinic isn’t a place for flirting. If you want to chat, do it somewhere else! Some of us are waiting to see the doctor!”

Gu Yu, who had been watching for too long, finally lost her patience and shouted.

Everyone inside turned to look.

Lu Lanlan saw the disgust on Gu Yu’s face and twitched the corner of her mouth.

Great. Now I really might end up sharing a room with a worm.

In the past day, she had already figured out why Gu Yu disliked her.

“What’s the rush? Ever heard of ‘first come, first served’? Wait your turn,” Xu Jianguo snapped back.

Since Gu Yu had a bad attitude, he had an even worse one.

Lu Lanlan quickly defended herself, “Gu Yu, you misunderstood. I don’t even know this comrade’s name. We’re definitely not flirting.”

She had to clarify things. If this rumor spread, her reputation would be ruined.

Gu Yu, of course, didn’t believe her and sneered.

Xu Jianguo looked upset. “Lu Zhiqing, did you forget? We met yesterday. I even offered to carry your luggage.”

“I don’t remember. I just arrived yesterday, and I met a lot of people. I couldn’t possibly remember everyone. If you’re done, can you please leave?”

Lu Lanlan’s words served two purposes: to distance herself from Xu Jianguo and to remind everyone that she had only arrived yesterday, making it impossible for her to be romantically involved with him.

Seeing her annoyed expression, Xu Jianguo realized she was angry.

He knew how important a girl’s reputation was. Gu Yu’s words could seriously damage hers. No wonder she was upset.

He shot Gu Yu a fierce glare before walking away.

After getting her blisters treated, Lu Lanlan returned to the educated youth dormitory. Shortly after, Gu Yu came back as well.

As soon as she entered, she began packing her belongings.

Lu Lanlan got up and closed the door.

“Gu Yu, I don’t know what kind of pain you’ve been through, but as a fellow woman, you should understand how important a girl’s reputation is. You—”

Before she could finish, Gu Yu angrily threw her clothes onto the bed.

“If you care so much about your reputation, don’t do shameless things! And if you do, don’t expect people to stay quiet about it.”

“What shameless thing have I done? I just arrived here yesterday. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have had the time,” Lu Lanlan snapped. “You know I’m innocent. You’re just biased against me because of how I look.”

Gu Yu stayed silent.

“I don’t know if you were tricked or hurt by someone who looks like me, but I’ve never wronged you. Stop projecting your disgusting thoughts onto me.”

Lu Lanlan was furious. How unlucky was she to have ended up with such a roommate?

Gu Yu’s face darkened. Lu Lanlan had hit a sore spot.

Ignoring her reaction, Lu Lanlan continued, “If today’s rumors spread, you’d better clear things up. If my reputation is ruined, you won’t have it easy either.”

With that, she pulled open the door and walked out.

Left alone, Gu Yu crouched down and hugged herself, tears streaming down her face.

After leaving the dorm, Lu Lanlan headed back to the fields.

She couldn’t work with her hands injured, but she still had questions for Auntie Xu.

“Lu Zhiqing, why are you back? You should rest your hands,” Auntie Xu said when she saw her return.