Chapter 19

“Zhang Accountant, they’re trying to flirt with me!”

Soon, the morning work bell rang again. Xia Wanyang, Duan Xiaoyu, and Wang Yan walked out together.

Wang Yan was a girl who didn’t even weigh 80 jin (about 176 lbs), so thin that it seemed like a gust of wind could blow her away. Her skin was yellow, and her hair was also yellow, making her look like she lacked a lot of nutrients.

On the other hand, Duan Xiaoyu was quite chubby, with a short height and a weight that seemed to be around 150 jin (about 330 lbs). Her face was flushed, but not from heat or sun exposure. It was more like her skin was naturally flushed from within.

Xia Wanyang didn’t have a strong impression of them. In her past life, these two people were always like transparent figures, with little interaction with her. She only remembered that Duan Xiaoyu once said that when she was young and sick, her family was too poor to afford injections, so her parents used medicine for pigs on her. Gradually, she ended up looking like this.

In her past life, these two girls married men from the village. Wang Yan married a bachelor who couldn’t afford a wife, and Duan Xiaoyu married a man who slaughtered pigs for different villages. Although their conditions weren’t great, their lives were still passable.

When they arrived at the work site, sure enough, they didn’t see Qian Guilan. Xia Wanyang walked over briskly and greeted everyone with a smile.

A young woman came over and asked, “Hey, Xia, how old are you this year? Where are you from?”

Xia Wanyang smiled. She was the older sister-in-law of Zhou Su and Zhou Yan, and her name seemed to be Liu, but Xia Wanyang didn’t remember it.

“Big Sis, you’re asking about personal stuff!” Xia Wanyang said with a laugh. This woman wasn’t bad; although she hadn’t helped her before, she hadn’t spoken ill of her either, so Xia Wanyang didn’t know how to respond.

Liu Cui smiled and said, “Oh, what’s so private about it? Let me tell you, my younger brother can drive a tractor! He’s 20 this year and looks quite handsome.”

Xia Wanyang looked up at her and smiled. With that smile, not only was her little brother Zhou Su unforgettable, but even her heart skipped a beat.

“Big Sis, I’m still young. I don’t want to think about these things yet. Besides, I came here to help with the village’s development, not to solve personal matters!” Xia Wanyang answered in a formal tone.

Aunt Qiao was picking seeds nearby, her ears long, listening carefully to Xia Wanyang’s words, and let out a heavy sigh.

There were many things to worry about today. After returning from the morning work, Aunt Qiao talked to Zhang Heping about the food that her fourth son had delivered to her. Zhang Heping didn’t know how to respond, but eventually, he told her about his younger son’s feelings and also mentioned Xia Wanyang’s background.

As a mother, of course, she hoped for her son’s happiness, but this girl’s family was too high-class. Her husband was right; their family wasn’t a good match. If they indulged their son’s feelings, and one day the girl returned to the city, her son’s future would be uncertain.

After lunch, Aunt Qiao came back with a less enthusiastic attitude than in the morning. Xia Wanyang could feel it, so she continued picking seeds, thinking of a way to handle the situation.

She was really annoyed. Why was it so hard to get close to Zhang Shiye? How could she even talk to him? If she couldn’t even speak to him, how could they develop any feelings?

The morning passed just like that. The work wasn’t physically tiring, but Xia Wanyang felt mentally exhausted.

Walking back to the young worker’s station, it was the time when most people were finishing work. The fast-moving aunts had already returned home to prepare lunch. Now, only the older men and the uncles were left in small groups.

Zhang Shiye noticed the young worker, Xia Wanyang, who was looking down at the ground from a distance.

“Hey, I didn’t see such a beautiful girl in the new young worker team this morning!” A lewd voice called out.

Two young men saw Xia Wanyang and immediately froze in their tracks. This morning, Xia Wanyang had covered herself so well that no one could see what she looked like, but now, they could clearly see her face.

“Hey, where are you going, comrade? Can you find the way? Do you need your older brother to walk you back?” One of them said, leering at her with a lascivious look, stepping forward and trying to touch Xia Wanyang’s face.

Xia Wanyang stepped back in disgust. She wasn’t in the mood, and this was the perfect opportunity to vent. “Get lost…” she started, but before she could finish the word “brat,” she saw Zhang Shiye running toward them.

Xia Wanyang instinctively pinched her thigh, wincing from the pain, and cold sweat broke out, with tears flowing down her face.

When she looked up again, she immediately turned into a nervous, frightened person, almost as if she were a scared little grape. “Who are you? I don’t know you. Don’t bully me…”

Before she could finish, Zhang Shiye’s fist slammed into the face of the man who had spoken rudely.

“Who the hell is this? Who dares to hit me?” The man staggered back a few steps, feeling like his teeth had been loosened by the punch.

As Xia Wanyang stood stunned, Zhang Shiye’s tall figure blocked her from the men, protecting her from danger.

Zhang Shiye’s expression was cold and stern as he stared down the two men who had tried to harass Xia Wanyang. The man who hadn’t been hit immediately lost his earlier cocky demeanor, lowering his head and muttering, “Wild Brother…”

“Song Changhe, are you tired of living?” Zhang Shiye’s voice was icy and full of threat.

Song Changhe was Qian Guilan’s youngest son, a lazy and good-for-nothing guy who hung around with men who couldn’t afford to marry.

“Zhang Shiye, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because your father is the village chief! I’m just trying to befriend the new comrade. What’s your relationship with her that you’re hitting me?” Song Changhe looked around at the group of men watching and felt embarrassed. Though he was afraid of Zhang Shiye, he tried to act calm.

Xia Wanyang, seeing that Zhang Shiye didn’t speak, thought he didn’t know how to express their relationship, so she poked her head out from behind him. “Who wants to be friends with you? You’re shameless, you stink like sweat, and it’s making me want to puke! Go away!” After saying this, she deliberately made a disgusted expression, as though the smell had really gotten to her.

She then turned to Zhang Shiye and complained, “Zhang Accountant, they were flirting with me, and one of them even tried to touch my face!”

Zhang Shiye almost wanted to laugh at her complaining, but the situation was too awkward to laugh. He sighed deeply. “Which hand did they use?”

Xia Wanyang shook her head, “They didn’t even touch me. You came just in time!”

Song Changhe saw Zhang Shiye’s expression change and hurriedly said, “We’ll see about this. I’ll go tell the village chief this afternoon!”

After the two men ran off, Xia Wanyang immediately began to cry, “Zhang Shiye, I’m scared. Can you walk me back?”

Zhang Shiye looked around, nodded, and said, “Let’s go.”

The two of them walked back to the young worker’s station, Xia Wanyang leading the way. Soon, she started walking backward, staring at Zhang Shiye. “Zhang Shiye, thank you so much today. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know what to do!”

Zhang Shiye didn’t dare look at her and could only stare at the ground. “It’s nothing. You’re just a young girl in our village, and I’m the village chief’s son. It’s my duty to protect your safety.”

Such an official response. Xia Wanyang secretly pursed her lips. “Is that so? But thank you anyway.”

“The one who got punched is Song Changhe. He’s Qian Guilan’s youngest son, the one you argued with this morning,” Zhang Shiye explained.

Xia Wanyang simply responded with an “Oh~.”

When they got back to the young worker’s station, Gu Xiuyuan was looking out the door and immediately spotted Xia Wanyang, smiling as she chatted with Zhang Shiye.

He lowered his head and smiled.

After saying goodbye to Zhang Shiye, Xia Wanyang returned to the young worker’s station in a good mood. Gu Xiuyuan called out to her, “Xia, I need to talk to you for a moment.”

Xia Wanyang followed him into the yard. “What’s up?”

Gu Xiuyuan clenched his fists, then suddenly spoke, “You and Captain Zhang’s youngest son…”

Xia Wanyang’s face hardened, and she coldly replied, “Gu, whatever happens between me and him is my personal business. Who are you to be asking about my private matters?”

Gu Xiuyuan didn’t respond, but Xia Wanyang smiled and said, “I’ll tell you, since it doesn’t matter. I like him. Is that not obvious enough?”

Gu Xiuyuan smiled again. “Thanks for telling me. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret.”