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“Is there something wrong with the educated youth, Lu?” Song Zhaodi asked.
Lu Xingguang really lacked physical stamina. After running just two or three hundred meters, he was already out of breath.
This physique is truly terrible.
“I was wondering if it would be possible to team up with you all for cooking,” Lu Xingguang said, catching his breath before continuing.
“I’m not quite used to the communal meals, so I thought I’d ask if I could join your group for meals.”
As he spoke, his gaze subtly shifted towards Su Niannian.
Lu Xingguang couldn’t shake the feeling that Su Niannian seemed to be getting more and more beautiful each day. Was it just his imagination?
Upon hearing Lu Xingguang’s request, Song Zhaodi didn’t really mind. However, she still wanted to ask Su Niannian for her opinion.
So, she looked towards Su Niannian.
Su Niannian waved her hand gently. “It’s not really convenient.”
Her voice was soft and gentle. Even though she was declining, to Lu Xingguang, it still sounded very pleasant.
For a moment, Lu Xingguang didn’t even process that Su Niannian had declined him.
“…”
“Since Niannian said it’s not convenient, you should look for someone else to team up with,” Song Zhaodi said, naturally siding with Su Niannian.
If it weren’t for Su Niannian, she wouldn’t be enjoying such good food right now. She didn’t even know how to repay Su Niannian for everything.
“But… I can contribute more food, and I can chop firewood and fetch water too,” Lu Xingguang added. As he spoke, other educated youths gradually began to appear from their posts.
Huang Yingying and Zhao Sulan had also overheard the conversation between the three.
Zhao Sulan quickly realized that Gu Nan was just a simple country boy, and after learning that there were still problems in his family, she shifted her focus to Lu Xingguang.
This person had a scholarly aura about him, and his family background was very impressive.
He had a father who was a factory director in Shanghai and an older brother who, she heard, worked in a government office.
With such a background, Zhao Sulan was definitely interested.
Now that such a great opportunity was right in front of her, of course, she would seize it.
“Lu, why don’t you team up with me and Yingying? We can take turns fetching water and chopping firewood!” Zhao Sulan said, pulling Huang Yingying along as she quickly moved forward.
Huang Yingying’s eyes were practically rolling in her head from frustration.
She tugged on Zhao Sulan’s arm and even gave her a wink.
However, Zhao Sulan completely misinterpreted Huang Yingying’s intentions.
She didn’t catch the meaning at all.
“I also think it’s better for Lu to team up with them for cooking,” Su Niannian said with a smile.
She quickly pulled Song Zhaodi along and walked ahead.
Trashy men and cheap women, lock them out of my life!
Lu Xingguang felt embarrassed. He wanted to team up with Su Niannian, not just because she was a great cook, but also because he wanted to find an opportunity to get closer to her.
He thought everything about Su Niannian was wonderful, and he liked her more than he could express.
However, being rejected by Su Niannian was one thing, but now he was being associated with those two who couldn’t even cook well.
Liu Yang happened to pass by at that moment and glanced at Lu Xingguang.
“If you don’t like the communal meals, I can give you the food I’ve saved for you,” Liu Yang said in a calm voice.
Before Lu Xingguang could respond, Zhao Sulan immediately agreed.
“Then it’s settled!” Zhao Sulan said, her face lighting up with a bright smile.
Seeing this, Sun Siyuan, standing nearby, quickly followed suit, his eyes shifting as he approached them.
“I’d also like to team up with you all for meals.”
From the moment Zhao Sulan arrived, Sun Siyuan had taken a liking to her. He thought that Zhao Sulan’s family background was good, and as a young woman, she didn’t have anyone to take care of her outside.
If he showed enough care and attention and won her favor, perhaps he could latch onto a good opportunity.
Regardless of whether he could return to the city in the future, having a beautiful wife with a solid family background would always be a good thing.
With that thought in mind, teaming up to cook was a perfect opportunity.
However, when Zhao Sulan heard Sun Siyuan’s words, it was as if she had swallowed a dead fly—utterly disgusting.
These past few days, this person named Sun Siyuan kept approaching her to strike up conversations.
Zhao Sulan couldn’t outright scold him away; after all, she still had to maintain her image as a lady.
But this Sun Siyuan was like a stubborn plaster stuck to her—he was truly making her feel disgusted.
Just as Zhao Sulan was about to reject him, Liu Yang spoke up again.
“You can decide among yourselves. As for Sun Siyuan, when he finishes work at noon, he can come to me and take the remaining food.”
Liu Yang said this, casting a glance at the people in front of him, before striding off with long, confident steps.
Liu Yang didn’t care about who teamed up with whom for meals; it had nothing to do with him.
When Sun Siyuan heard this, he smiled and walked over to Zhao Sulan’s side.
“Well, it looks like we’ll have more chances to interact in the future.”
Zhao Sulan felt a chill run down her spine and quickly grabbed Huang Yingying’s arm to walk away.
Lu Xingguang stood there in a daze, feeling a bit confused. This situation wasn’t turning out quite how he had imagined.
Huang Yingying’s expression wasn’t much better; she thought to herself that Zhao Sulan didn’t seem to have much sense.
Zhao Sulan felt that her mood had soured completely. She wanted to team up with Lu Xingguang, not that Sun Siyuan guy.
Now, she found herself in a bit of a bind. If she teamed up only with Lu Xingguang and rejected Sun Siyuan, wouldn’t her intentions be obvious?
“It’s all that Sun Siyuan’s fault. Yingying, what should we do now?” Zhao Sulan asked with a bitter expression.
“Heh, you’re the one talking all the time. Now you’re asking me?” Huang Yingying replied with an exasperated eye roll.
Before long, the people who were going to work today had all arrived at the threshing ground.
Gu Nan had already arrived. At this moment, Li Ergou was chatting idly with him, but Gu Nan clearly seemed uninterested.
He stood sideways in the yard of the threshing ground, his gaze occasionally glancing towards the main gate.
It wasn’t until Su Niannian’s figure appeared at the gate that a smile slowly appeared on Gu Nan’s face.
However, considering the number of people around, Gu Nan pressed his lips together, took a few deep breaths, and adjusted his expression.
He returned to his usual cold, indifferent face, like an ice cube.
Su Niannian also noticed the change in Gu Nan’s expression.
Gu Nan, standing at 1.87 meters tall, truly stood out in the crowd. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Su Niannian’s gaze immediately fixed on him.
However, she didn’t notice a woman beside the door standing up from a small bench. The woman immediately charged toward Su Niannian, holding a torn cloth in her hand.
“You’re Su Niannian, right? You didn’t show up for work yesterday, and I couldn’t find you. Today, you finally came!” The woman said as she advanced to grab Su Niannian.
Song Zhaodi, standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and shielded Su Niannian behind her.
Gu Nan observed the situation without rushing to intervene, his brows furrowed as he watched the woman approach. He recognized her as the wife of the village chief’s eldest son.
He had a hunch about why she was here, but until she brought up the issue regarding her son Li Baobei bullying Gu Ningning, he wasn’t in a position to step in. Revealing himself prematurely could bring trouble for Su Niannian.
Song Zhaodi, however, wasn’t one to back down. She stood her ground, her voice firm as she confronted the woman. “If you have something to say, just say it. What’s with the grabbing?” She positioned herself as a barrier, protecting Su Niannian.
Song Zhaodi had been working hard for many years, and her strength was not to be underestimated. She was resolute in her stance, fully prepared to prevent Su Niannian from being taken advantage of. She would not allow anyone to bully or harm her, especially not when she could step in and defend herself.