Chapter 14.1

Lin Yujiao wore a look of reluctance. “Ruan Mingfu even reported the rumors to the police. It’s become quite a big deal, and we were all called in for questioning.”

Zhou Peng’s brow furrowed deeply.

His face darkened swiftly, his eyes blazing with anger that made one shiver.

Lin Yujiao’s heart raced, but she forced herself to speak, “Brother Xiaopeng, don’t blame your mother. Ruan Mingfu should really keep her distance from other male comrades…”

Seeing Zhou Peng’s increasingly frightening expression, Lin Yujiao dared not continue.

Having grown up with him, Lin Yujiao knew Zhou Peng well. As a child, she had bullied him, and as he grew up, he had repaid her in kind.

If not for the dreams she’d had since she was ten, Lin Yujiao would have kept her distance from him.

She always spoke to him with extreme caution.

Though she had a fear of him deep down, it was overshadowed by her greed, buried deep inside. When Zhou Peng showed anger, that fear would surface.

Zhou Peng set down his soup and stood up abruptly.

“Brother Xiaopeng, you go—”

Lin Yujiao gasped, but before she could finish her sentence, Zhou Peng had already left.

After he left, Lin Yujiao slowly began tidying up the table, her eyes showing a hint of satisfaction.

She had to exaggerate. Otherwise, Zhou Peng would never give up on Ruan Mingfu. She didn’t want her future husband to be thinking about another woman after they were married.

….

But her scheme did not succeed.

Zhou Peng suppressed his furious emotions, and his inner rage surged.

He thought Ruan Mingfu had already done enough.

She had injured her hand, asked for leave from the team leader for her, and when she didn’t want to marry, he had stepped back to agree to an engagement first…

Zhou Peng licked his lips, and Ruan Mingfu’s image suddenly flashed before his eyes.

—A delicate and bright face, beautiful collarbones and slender neck. He wondered what it would feel like to touch.

He lowered his gaze, hiding the emotions swirling within.

Thinking about Ruan Mingfu’s surprised expression when she saw him later, Zhou Peng actually chuckled softly.

As he strode towards the door, he was called to a stop.

“Xiaopeng, there’s suddenly a new task. Can you run an errand for me?” Zhou Dahu, the uncle, walked out of the building and saw Zhou Peng at the gate, his eyes lighting up.

Zhou Peng closed his eyes briefly, suppressing his rising frustration.

“Sure!”

Zhou Dahu smiled. “Great, I’ll give you the car keys. If you can’t make it in time, just stay overnight in the city. Come over here, and I’ll give you the paperwork…”

*

Ruan Mingfu looked at the clothes on the bed, furrowing her beautiful brows.

The original owner had plenty of clothes, but none of them appealed to her. She compared the clothes again and again, feeling they no longer suited her current self.

Remembering the piece of floral fabric her so-called friend had given her, she decided it would be perfect for making a dress.

She would make it as soon as she got back!

In the end, Ruan Mingfu picked out a simple outfit.

Even though it was the most basic style, it looked striking on her. She took a can of food and walked out of the educated youth camp.

Zhuzi’s home was in the west of the village, in the opposite direction from the educated youth camp.

As Ruan Mingfu walked for a while, she saw Zhuzi’s mother coming toward her from a distance.

Upon seeing her, Zhuzi’s mother smiled warmly and called out, “Educated Youth Ruan, I was just coming over to pick you up!”

“There’s no need to come all the way here to get me, we’re in the same village.”

Zhuzi’s mother smiled. “Come on, let’s walk over. The food will be ready soon.”

“This is for Zhuzi,” Ruan Mingfu handed over the items she was carrying, knowing Zhuzi’s mother wouldn’t accept them without a reason and specifically pointing out it was for Zhuzi.

As expected, Zhuzi’s mother hesitated for a moment before accepting.

“Look at you, treating us to a meal and making you spend money.”

Ruan Mingfu didn’t respond.

Zhuzi’s house was a small courtyard with a garden at the back where they grew some vegetables. Although the house was simple, it was clean and tidy. Unlike other households where chickens and ducks roamed in the yard, making it filthy with droppings.

It was quite unpleasant.

Everyone was gathered, and the house was bustling. The team leader was also among them.

Zhuzi’s eyes brightened when he saw Ruan Mingfu and ran over like a little butterfly.

“Sister, you’re finally here!”

Zhuzi looked much better than before, more lively and cheerful.

“Yes,” Ruan Mingfu patted his forehead. “Zhuzi, do you welcome your sister?”

Since she had saved Zhuzi personally, she had a special tolerance for him.

Ruan Mingfu didn’t particularly like children. They had endless energy, and their crying seemed like an assault on the ears, making them painfully irritating.

She always wanted to keep her distance from them.

“Welcome! Zhuzi will marry sister in the future!”

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

Zhuzi’s mother scolded with a smile, shaking her head and turning back to the kitchen.

The other adults in the house started teasing Zhuzi:

You haven’t even grown all your teeth yet, and you’re already thinking about getting married?”

“Zhuzi is a smart kid. He’ll turn out well in the future.”

“That’s true. After all, we didn’t think about getting married when we were this old…”

Everyone laughed together.

When Xie Yanzhao arrived, he saw this scene.

Ruan Mingfu stood in the dimly lit room, casting a soft glow over the space. She smiled, and her delicate, radiant face was tinged with a faint blush. She resembled a blooming begonia in spring, striking and captivating.

Xu Zhu stood beside him, glancing at Xie Yanzhao with a look of silent disdain.

Is this all?

He’s already infatuated, and he still claims he’s not interested.

Tsk, men…

Xu Zhu nudged Xie Yanzhao’s arm. “Let’s go.”

“Comrade Xie has arrived. Please come in!”

The people inside also saw them and greeted them warmly.

Recently, Xie Yanzhao had helped the village a lot.

The villagers’ perception of him had changed from an initial cold and intimidating figure to a warm-hearted, handsome young man. Many had even started inquiring about him, hoping to introduce him to their daughters.

Ruan Mingfu knew as soon as Xie Yanzhao arrived.

He was so tall that it was hard not to notice him. But Ruan Mingfu was still annoyed with Xie Yanzhao due to past issues. She avoided looking at him, focusing on other things instead.

Dog man!

He doesn’t like her, Miss Ruan, but she doesn’t like him either.

Ugh!

Stinky man!

The house wasn’t very spacious, so the dining area was set up in the yard.

Three tables were arranged, with only four dishes on them. There were mostly cabbage and radish dishes, with only one stir-fried sauerkraut containing some minced meat. The rest were boiled dishes, with no oil or seasoning visible.

In this era, the Zhou family was an exception, most families were poor farmers like Zhuzi’s.

The meal was probably assembled from whatever was available.

Ruan Mingfu and Zhuzi sat together, and coincidentally, Xie Yanzhao was seated next to her.

The rural tables were small, so Ruan Mingfu was forced to sit very close to Xie Yanzhao. Whenever she reached out to pick up a dish, she would accidentally touch him.

Before they had even started eating, Zhuzi thoughtfully added a piece of sauerkraut to her bowl.

“Sister, eat quickly.”

“You eat too.”

Ruan Mingfu found the child somewhat interesting and reciprocated by adding a bit of food to his bowl.

Zhuzi’s mother’s cooking was quite good.

The sauerkraut was well-cooked, and the addition of meat made it much more delicious compared to the other dishes. The boiled cabbage, however, was hard to eat.

She took a bite and almost spat it out.

The cornmeal steamed bread was decent.

It had a sweet corn flavor but sometimes had gritty bits, which was unpleasant.

Ruan Mingfu had one and decided not to eat more.

Xie Yanzhao, sitting beside her, observed Ruan Mingfu’s small appetite with a frown but said nothing.

Xu Zhu chewed on a piece of steamed bread, his eyes sneakily watching the scene before him.

Something was off!

Something was definitely off!

He was willing to bet his entire future happiness that there was something he didn’t know.

He knew that Ruan Mingfu had been trailing after Old Xie. Every time she saw him, she practically clung to him. But this time, not only did she not cling to him, she didn’t even spare him a glance.

To keep her distance from Xie Yanzhao, she had even angled her body away from him.

Xu Zhu couldn’t figure it out and could only attribute it to Xie Yanzhao.

He shot a fierce glare at him, frustrated.

It must be that the young woman found Xie Yanzhao too cold and unapproachable and thus gave up.

Xie Yanzhao, who received an angry glare for no reason, was baffled. “…???“

**