Chapter 48: Caught Each Other’s Eye (Part 1)

The two of them didn’t get it.

Mu Mian didn’t explain either—she couldn’t even if she wanted to.

She took the lead and started walking ahead. “Come on, let’s go home. I’m starving.”

Shiyi must have been hungry too.

The moment it heard the word “home,” it dashed off like a flash.

That left the two young, unmarried comrades standing there, subconsciously glancing at each other.

Although Mu Mian’s words had been cut off midway, making no sense, her expression had been way too obvious.

They suddenly became aware of the awkwardness, feeling self-conscious.

One after the other, they quickened their pace and followed Mu Mian down the mountain.

Compared to their earlier lively conversation, the atmosphere now felt noticeably different.

Mu Mian turned her face slightly to the side, stealing a glance at them from the corner of her eye, her eyebrows twitching slightly.

Tsk. People who haven’t been in a relationship really don’t understand.

Sometimes, a silent atmosphere makes people overthink even more.

Just look at her brother—so distracted that he tripped over a vine on flat ground. Anyone watching might think his eyes were on top of his head.

And Sister Sihui—she had a leaf stuck in her hair and didn’t even notice. The branch had practically lifted her hair, yet she remained oblivious.

Well… on the bright side, at least her eyes weren’t on top of her head, or she would’ve noticed by now.

But was her sense of pain gone too?

Didn’t it hurt when her hair got caught?

Mu Mian touched her own head. It definitely hurt. But if someone’s mind was elsewhere, they could probably block out that little bit of pain.

And as for where their thoughts were…

Hehe~ A single man and a single woman—where else could they be?

Mu Mian kept smirking to herself.

Since the two of them weren’t talking, she stayed quiet too, just letting her eyes dart back and forth.

Because of that, the strange atmosphere lasted the entire way back.

The educated youth’s dorm was closer to the foot of the mountain. When they reached the area, Nie Sihui spoke first. “I’ll head back now.”

Mu Mian waved. “Alright, Sister Sihui, come visit our house when you have time!”

She had said this many times before.

And Nie Sihui had indeed visited many times. But for some reason, this time, she felt less at ease when replying.

Still, out of habit, she responded, “Alright~”

Once Nie Sihui had walked away, the sweet, innocent smile on Mu Mian’s face instantly changed. She looked at her brother with a sly expression, her eyes full of mischief.

Tilting her head, she stared at him as if saying, “I’m just going to watch you.”

Mu Zhuo ruffled his little sister’s hair. “What’s with that face?”

His little sister was such a mischievous one.

Mu Mian huffed. “What do you think?”

Mu Zhuo scratched his head, pretending not to understand. “What are you talking about?”

Mu Mian snorted again, not bothering to play word games with him. She got straight to the point. “What do you think of Sister Sihui?”

She had already learned about Nie Sihui’s family situation.

She couldn’t recall if it was last year or the year before, but on a winter day, Nie Sihui had come over to visit. While chatting with their grandmother and mother, the topic had naturally come up.

Mu Mian hadn’t been too surprised since she had already had some guesses before.

Family circumstances didn’t matter—what mattered was whether a person could stand on their own.

In her eyes, Nie Sihui was indeed a wonderful young woman.

As the siblings walked home, Mu Zhuo wasn’t quite sure what to think. Instead of answering directly, he asked, “Educated Youth Nie really doesn’t have a partner?”

Mu Mian pursed her lips. “Brother, you already know the answer. Didn’t I tell you a long time ago that Sister Sihui is single?”

Mu Zhuo touched his nose. “Just confirming.”

Mu Mian smirked and nudged him. “Why? Want to give it a try?”

Mu Zhuo looked around before leaning down to whisper, “I think she’s quite interesting.”

Mu Mian had only met her twice, including yesterday, but her younger sister had written quite a lot about her in letters. After matching those impressions with the real person, she found that this female comrade was truly interesting.

Mu Mian put on a knowing expression. “Oh~ interesting~”

She added excitedly, “Brother, let me tell you, being interested in someone is the beginning of a relationship!”

Mu Zhuo glanced down at his little sister, who was still shorter than his shoulder. “You’re just a little girl. How do you know so much?”

Mu Mian puffed up proudly. “Because I’m smart! I know everything!”

Then she continued, “Or what? Should we call it love at first sight?!”

During this time, no one spoke about emotions so openly.

Mu Zhuo was stunned by his sister’s bold words. His eyes widened. “No, no, no… it’s not to that extent.”

Even though he denied it, for some reason, his face turned red.

Mu Mian silently watched her brother’s flushed face and puffed up her cheeks.

Alright, both of them were quite reserved when it came to this.

But she was not!

Mu Mian was thrilled and excited. “Next time, I’ll ask Sister Sihui and see what she thinks.”

She had never played matchmaker before! Just thinking about it made her excited!!

She had a strong feeling…

This would work!!!

Sister Sihui’s reaction was exactly the same as her brother’s. What was this called…?

This was called mutual attraction!!

Mu Zhuo was startled. “Asking directly? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate? Too fast, right?”

For someone usually carefree, he was actually hesitating at this moment.

Mu Fugui once said that back then, he took one look at Comrade Liu Shuangcui and knew she was going to be his wife.

Some young men inherited many good traits, but this particular one? Not at all.

Mu Mian glanced at Mu Zhuo from the side. “Fast? How do your comrades go on blind dates?”

Mu Zhuo replied, “Never seen it. They’re all single.”

Mu Mian was silent for a moment.

Thinking about it, it made sense. His comrades rarely had the chance to meet female comrades.

She put on a knowledgeable look. “I saw Lele’s older brother go on a blind date once. They met just one time and decided to get married.”

“Isn’t that how it works? Men and women meet, check if their families are a good match, see if they like each other, and then try dating. If there are no issues, they get married!”

Mu Zhuo looked down at his little sister, who wasn’t even as tall as his shoulder, yet spoke so confidently. He chuckled. “What exactly is in that little head of yours? You really have something to say about everything.”

Mu Mian raised an eyebrow proudly. “Of course, it’s filled with wisdom!”

Once she got excited, there was no stopping her. She continued, “Brother, you think it’s too fast, but the aunties in the village definitely don’t think so. Before you even came back, many of them were already asking Mom and Grandma about you, eager to find you a match on the spot.”

“Just wait and see. In a few days, plenty of people will come asking about you.”

“Speaking of which, Sister Sihui also had a lot of people introducing her to potential matches before. She said none of them were suitable, so she didn’t agree to any.”

“Recently, it’s been quieter because of the recruitment at the factory. Now, everyone is eyeing Sister Xiaozhu and Sister Xiao Qiu instead.”

Mu Zhuo only found out about the commune’s factory recruitment after he got home.

He frowned. “Xiao Qiu is still young, only seventeen or eighteen. What’s the rush?!”

Mu Mian shrugged. “A good woman attracts many suitors. Sister Xiao Qiu is steady and capable. Everyone wants to secure a match early.”

“But Fourth Aunt turned them all down, saying Big Brother Daqing isn’t even settled yet and that Xiao Qiu can wait a few more years. Honestly, she just doesn’t think those suitors are good enough, and I agree with her.”

Sister Xiao Qiu was such a good girl—calm, reliable, and mature. She deserved someone better!

Mu Zhuo fully agreed with his Fourth Aunt’s decision. “Even settling down at twenty isn’t late. You should do the same in the future.”

Then, after thinking for a moment, he added, “Actually, it’s best to be like Sister Taozi. Take your time, meet more people, and wait until you’re twenty-five or twenty-six!”

If she couldn’t find the right person, she didn’t have to marry at all. He could take care of his little sister for a lifetime!

Hearing the hidden meaning behind his words, Mu Mian lifted her chin and grinned. “I have money~”

Mu Zhuo also smiled and asked curiously, “How much do you have left?”

This was something he really didn’t know. Even though they exchanged many letters, there was always a time gap between them, leading to missing details.

Mu Mian leaned closer to her brother and whispered, “A lot, a lot! Over a thousand yuan! Mom is keeping it for me.”

And that didn’t even include her ‘real estate’ assets.

Mu Zhuo gave her a big thumbs-up. “How are you so capable?!”