Chapter 18: Jealousy

“Alright, it’s settled then.” Li Lin agreed cheerfully.

“Then I won’t delay your meal. I’ll head back first; I need to buy some meat tomorrow to improve our food,” Han Xue said, turning and heading back to her room.

Once Han Xue left, Hu Yingying lifted the lid of the pot and took a spoon to serve a bowl of potato stew for Li Lin, saying, “Lin Lin, can you take this over? I’ll wash the bowls and wait for you to come back to eat.”

“How about you go instead?” Li Lin hesitated, holding the slightly hot bowl.

“Ah, go quickly, I’ll wait for you to come back,” Hu Yingying said while pushing Li Lin out the door.

Li Lin had no choice but to carry the bowl and go to Fang Mingyi’s room.

Lin Meina had just finished eating and came out to wash the dishes. When she saw Li Lin, she was about to greet her, but noticed that Li Lin was heading to Fang Mingyi’s room.

This made her narrow her eyes. Even her dishwashing became a little more forceful.

On the other side, Zhu Liyan, who was cooking, saw Li Lin walking over with a bowl of potato stew and asked in confusion, “Li Zhinqing, what’s this?”

“This is a thank-you from me and Hu Zhinqing for your help with us and Fang Zhinqing today,” Li Lin said as she motioned for Zhu Liyan to take the bowl.

“No need for that. It was just a small favor, no need for something so valuable,” Fang Mingyi said, walking out from inside to decline.

“Anyway, I’ve brought it over. Whether you eat it or not, it’s up to you,” Li Lin said, directly placing the bowl on the table inside the room and turning to leave.

“Keep it, just return it tomorrow,” Fang Mingyi smiled and shook his head after Li Lin had left, then went back inside to continue resting.

Back outside, Lin Meina saw Li Lin coming out and greeted her with a forced smile, “Li Zhinqing, you’re delivering meat to Fang Zhinqing? Such a generous gesture.”

“Today, Fang Zhinqing helped me, so it’s normal for me to send some meat as thanks. It’s nothing extravagant. Not extravagant at all. I still need to go back to eat, Sister Meina, you carry on with what you’re doing,” Li Lin said calmly, then walked towards Hu Yingying’s room.

“Bitch, don’t think just because you’re good-looking, you can flirt with my Mingyi Ge. Just wait,” Lin Meina thought to herself, her earlier affection for Li Lin turning into a desire to scratch her.

She couldn’t act impulsively, though. She needed to observe carefully. If she found even the slightest hint of something between them, she’d find a way to stop it.

With that thought, she turned around and went back to her room, preparing to start watching them tomorrow.

Li Lin had no idea that the bowl of meat she delivered was being watched secretly. If she knew, she would definitely give Lin Meina a lesson.

She went back to her room, took the sweet potato and sorghum rice from the pot, and brought it to Hu Yingying’s room.

“Back already? Come on and eat, I’m starving,” Hu Yingying said, setting the table and waiting for Li Lin to return.

“We’ll have sweet potato sorghum rice today. Tomorrow, let’s go to the commune and buy more grains, in case we run out,” Li Lin said as she placed the food on the table.

“I’m not picky, as long as I can fill my stomach,” Hu Yingying replied.

Although she said that, as soon as she tasted the sorghum rice, her face showed an indescribable expression.

“It’s a little rough, but the taste isn’t bad,” Li Lin said after taking a bite of the sorghum rice with a smile. “This sweet potato is really sweet. Take your time chewing; the rice has a slight sweetness too.”

Hearing that, Hu Yingying slowed down and, realizing that the sweetness was quite pleasant, started to take larger bites of the dish.

After the two finished eating, they cleaned up together, and Li Lin went back to her room to lock the door and enter the marketplace.

—

“It’s still better in the mall,” Li Lin sighed contentedly, holding a cup of milk tea as she soaked in the bath.

After finishing her bath, she lay down on the soft bed and fell asleep.

*Knock, knock, knock.* “Lin Lin, wake up!”

Hu Yingying had already gotten up early, made breakfast, and finished eating. Seeing that Li Lin’s door was still closed, she went over and knocked.

Li Lin woke up with a start, hurriedly put on her clothes, and came out of the mall. She opened the door and, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “I was a little tired yesterday, so I overslept.”

“Quick, go wash up. I still have some leftover porridge from breakfast. Come eat, then we can go cut grass for the pigs,” Hu Yingying said, busying herself in the room to scoop some porridge.

Li Lin smiled, watching Hu Yingying busying herself for her, before going to wash up.

After finishing breakfast, Li Lin went back to her room, locked the door, and sprayed on sunscreen. She then stuffed a few pieces of beef jerky into her pocket before heading out to cut grass for the pigs.

“Big Sister, you’re here!”

Da Ya, who was cleaning the pigsty, saw Li Lin and Hu Yingying coming and quickly greeted them with a smile.

“Wow, Da Ya, you’re so early,” Li Lin said, surprised to see Da Ya already cleaning the pigsty. She sighed lightly, seeing her hard at work.

“Big Sister, I won’t be coming to cut grass with you today. You two go ahead. It’ll get hot soon if you wait,” Da Ya said, lowering her head and continuing her work.

Li Lin and Hu Yingying understood that Da Ya had other tasks, so they didn’t say anything. They grabbed their baskets and sickles and went to the river to cut grass.

“Yingying, let’s try to finish these four baskets of grass by noon. In the afternoon, we should go to the commune. My package from home should have arrived,” Li Lin said as she cut grass, suddenly remembering the package from home.

“Now that you mention it, I don’t think we’ve written to our families yet, have we?” Hu Yingying paused in surprise, then looked at Li Lin.

“Right, we’ve been so busy that we forgot! Let’s hurry up, and we can go to the commune in the afternoon,” Li Lin said, speeding up her work. She was concerned that her parents would be worried because she hadn’t written to them.

Hu Yingying also quickened her pace, thinking about her grandparents and parents worrying about her.

At the pigsty, Liu Daniu noticed that every hour or so, the two young women returned to deliver more grass. She couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten into these two—why were they working so hard?

“Big Aunt, we’ve finished the four baskets of grass. Can you tell the record keeper that we won’t be coming this afternoon?” Li Lin said, unloading the last basket onto the ground and wiping the sweat from her brow.

“Got it,” Liu Daniu nodded, understanding.

Li Lin and Hu Yingying then put their sickles into the baskets, returned them to the storage room, and went to find the brigade leader to inform him that they were going to the commune in the afternoon.

“Go early and come back early. Don’t stay out too late. It’s not safe for you two girls,” Brigade Leader Zhang reminded them before going off to handle his own matters.

The two of them, happy that the brigade leader had given his approval, quickly ran back to the youth compound, fetched some water to wash up, changed clothes, and grabbed a few snacks before heading out, hand in hand.

“Li Zhinqing, Hu Zhinqing, where are you two going?” Zhao Li and the others, dragging their tired bodies back from work, saw Li Lin and Hu Yingying dressed nicely and about to head out. Zhao Li asked in curiosity.

“We’ve finished our work for today. We’re going to the commune to buy some things since we’re free this afternoon,” Li Lin explained, not paying attention to the changing expressions on their faces. She grabbed Hu Yingying’s hand and walked out.

“Not fair, not fair…”