Chapter 26: Love at First Sight

Even children could produce sounds using onion stalks, and Jiang Pan Yu felt that the sound made by blowing through an onion stalk was more pleasant than that of a willow whistle.

Tan Yanlu, itching to try it herself, pulled Jiang Pan Yu along to join in the fun.

Jiang Pan Yu, having grown up in the countryside, was familiar with such activities. However, since they hadn’t brought scissors with them, it was a bit inconvenient.

The two of them gathered several willow branches and returned to the Educated Youth residence, where they used a kitchen knife to craft their willow whistles.

Making a willow whistle didn’t require much skill; the sounds varied depending on the length and thickness of the branches, but it was all just for fun.

Jiang Pan Yu and Tan Yanlu pursed their lips around the willow whistles and blew hard, producing either loud or muffled sounds.

Even such a simple children’s toy brought them joy.

Li Gaoyang, also intrigued, asked for a branch and started making his own willow whistle. Seeing this, others became interested as well.

Before long, the Educated Youth residence was filled with the sounds of willow whistles.

Then, someone started singing, and soon everyone joined in, clapping along to the rhythm, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere.

As they sang, the sound of a harmonica suddenly accompanied their voices. Jiang Pan Yu looked over and saw Lian Xiuran playing the harmonica, adding to the music.

Coincidentally, she noticed that Lian Xiuran’s gaze kept drifting toward Tan Yanlu, his usually distant eyes now soft and warm.

Lian Xiuran’s eyes were truly distinctive. When he wasn’t smiling, they carried an aloofness that kept people at a distance.

But when he smiled at someone, those eyes seemed to light up, radiating warmth and focus.

Jiang Pan Yu not only loved gossip and drama but also enjoyed appreciating handsome men and indulging in a bit of daydreaming.

Unfortunately, Lian Xiuran was already someone else’s “dog,” his heart already taken. Jiang Pan Yu could only admire his beauty from afar, not daring to think beyond that.

Watching Lian Xiuran play with such enthusiasm, Jiang Pan Yu smiled softly and sighed, “Which young man isn’t full of passion? Which young girl doesn’t dream of love? Ah, love! It arrives so quietly!”

With Lian Xiuran’s accompaniment, everyone became even more spirited. Songs like “The Red Azalea,” “Embroidering the Golden Plaque,” “On the Golden Mountain of Beijing,” and “Jasmine Flower,” each with their own era-specific charm, attracted quite a crowd.

The small Educated Youth residence was now bustling with excitement.

On a nearby path, Jin Bei was being dragged toward the Educated Youth residence by her friend Cai Xuan, who kept saying, “I’m serious, there’s a new male Educated Youth there, and he’s incredibly handsome.

In all my life, I’ve never seen a man more beautiful than a girl.”

Jin Bei was skeptical. “More beautiful than a girl? What does that even look like? Isn’t that just effeminate?”

Cai Xuan shook her head. “No, not like that. You’ll see when we get there. He’s just exceptionally good-looking, really captivating.”

When the two girls arrived at the Educated Youth residence, they found a crowd gathered around and heard singing coming from inside. Their curiosity grew even stronger.

They squeezed through the crowd and finally made it to the front.

With just one glance, Jin Bei was captivated by the young man playing the harmonica.

He was dressed in a white Dacron shirt, and his features were indeed striking, so outstanding that they were unforgettable. He was playing a song on the harmonica with complete abandon, his cheeks slightly flushed from the effort, which only added to his charm.

Jin Bei didn’t know the term “Prince Charming,” but before today, she had been somewhat vague about who she wanted to marry.

But now, she suddenly realized that Lian Xiuran was the man of her dreams.

In Jin Bei’s heart, this was the kind of man she wanted to marry. As she watched him, her face slowly turned red, and her heart began to race.

Cai Xuan, standing beside her, shook her arm and said, “What do you think? Isn’t he especially handsome? You know, he’s been assigned to Team Five, and all the girls there are completely smitten.

I heard his family background is really good. Jin Bei, do you think he’ll get married here?”

Jin Bei nodded with a soft “Mm,” but when Cai Xuan mentioned the word “marriage,” her face turned even redder, and she became a bit fidgety. “Who knows!”

Cai Xuan sighed regretfully, “But I think even if he does get married, he probably wouldn’t marry a local girl.

After all, he’s so good-looking, and he’s an Educated Youth from the city. He even plays the harmonica.

There’s no way he’d marry a country girl who only knows how to farm.”

Jin Bei didn’t like hearing this. “What’s wrong with country girls? Everyone is equal now. There are plenty of Educated Youth who’ve married in the countryside.

Besides, the Educated Youth can’t return to the city anymore. If he doesn’t settle down in the countryside, where else can he go?”

Cai Xuan retorted, “If he settles in the countryside, he’d have to marry a country girl, but he could also marry a female Educated Youth!

Did you see that? Over there, there’s a female Educated Youth named Tan Yanlu. She’s so beautiful.

If I were a man, I’d like a girl like that—pretty and cultured.

Don’t you think Lian Xiuran and Tan Yanlu look perfect together, like a pair of celestial beings?”

Jin Bei’s face immediately fell, and she turned and walked away. Cai Xuan was taken aback, “Hey, why are you leaving? Jin Bei, wait for me!”

This little episode went unnoticed, and the Educated Youth residence remained lively as ever.

The next day, the sky had cleared, and it was time to head to the fields.

Today, they didn’t need to pull weeds but instead had to drain the waterlogged areas in the fields. Standing water accelerated the aging of crop roots, making them more susceptible to disease and affecting yields.

Some fields that had been washed out by the rain also needed to be filled in promptly to ensure the crops could grow properly.

The teams lined up to get hoes from the warehouse. The person in charge of distributing the tools was the village accountant, surnamed Jin, whom everyone simply called Accountant Jin.

What was different today was that standing next to Accountant Jin was a girl with two shiny black braids, her clothes neat and tidy.

Those familiar with Accountant Jin asked, “Old Jin, why did you bring your daughter out today?”

Accountant Jin glanced at his daughter, “She’s been idle at home, so I thought I’d have her help me out. A teenage girl can’t just rely on the family to support her forever.”

“It’s rare to hear you say that. Didn’t you used to say that Jin Bei is the only girl in three generations of your family? You couldn’t bear to have her work in the fields.”

Accountant Jin indeed couldn’t bear to have his daughter work in the fields. After all, she was the only girl in the family, and everyone doted on her.

But now that the daughter has grown up, it’s unclear who she has set her heart on. Yesterday, she returned home and insisted on going to work in the fields.

Accountant Jin had no choice but to let his daughter assist him. He figured she would work with him for a couple of days, and once she couldn’t bear the hardship, she would want to go back.

Jiang Pan Yu, standing in the eighth team, also saw Jin Bei and overheard the conversation between Accountant Jin and others.

She immediately recalled Yang Guiying’s words and remembered who Jin Bei was—the key figure responsible for tarnishing Tan Yanlu’s reputation.

Jin Bei, the daughter of Accountant Jin, and the only girl in three generations of the Jin family.

She had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, which was quite rare in rural areas.

As a result, this girl grew up to be very spoiled and willful, often causing trouble for Tan Yanlu. Later, it was because she saw Gao Shaolin pouring his heart out to Tan Yanlu, pulling and tugging at her.

It could be said that if Jin Bei hadn’t spread the word about this incident, Tan Yanlu might not have ended up in such a predicament.

Jiang Pan Yu carefully observed Jin Bei’s appearance. Indeed, she was a pretty girl, but she couldn’t compare to Tan Yanlu.

Moreover, Tan Yanlu had the enhancement of the Golden finger, her skin was fair and delicate, crystal clear, and her natural elegance was outstanding.

Tan Yanlu was ethereally beautiful, while Jin Bei was like a domesticated flower—pretty, but after a while, it felt common.

Furthermore, there is a difference in how someone speaks and carries themselves depending on whether they have been educated or not.

Tan Yanlu was educated, her speech was interesting, and her every move had an indescribable charm that would make most men’s hearts flutter.

Jin Bei, on the other hand, had not been educated. In those days, it was quite common for girls in rural areas to have little schooling.

But Jin Bei was different; the Jin family had wanted her to go to school, but she herself was unwilling.

Whenever the topic of reading and writing came up, she would complain of headaches and brainaches, so the Jin family didn’t force her to study.