Chapter 73 – Scolded by Xie Zhi

The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Villagers would stop working by noon, and even the school children got longer lunch breaks to avoid heatstroke.

These days, Father Xu organized the villagers to wake up at four in the morning to work until around ten, then rest until the sun went down before going out again to harvest the wheat.

Wheat harvesting relied on skill, and thanks to how bright the nights were during this era, walking down the road felt like carrying a night lamp—it was that bright.

Xu Jiaojiao ran home and saw Xie Zhi chopping firewood in the yard. His slim but strong waist looked full of power.

Beads of sweat trickled down from his fair Adam’s apple, making him all the more attractive.

The girl finally understood why the women of this era liked capable men.

With a final swing, Xie Zhi split the last piece of wood. One had to admit, he was truly hardworking. Someone who once lived a pampered life as a young master now adapted easily to the simplicity of rural life.

Xie Zhi squinted and interrupted her wandering thoughts. “Jiaojiao, it’s hot out here. Go inside and sit by the fan.”

“Okay.”

As soon as Xu Jiaojiao stepped inside, a piece of watermelon chilled in well water was shoved into her hand. Its bright red flesh was full of flavor.

It tasted far better than the bland but pretty-looking watermelons of the future. Xu Ze aimed the fan at his sister and raised an eyebrow as he looked at the water bottle at her waist.

“Dad, did you get the water Jiaojiao brought you?”

Father Xu saw his daughter’s flustered expression and laughed heartily. “Yes, I did! The water Jiaojiao brought was sweet as honey!”

Xu Jiaojiao gave an embarrassed smile. She had been too caught up in the fun and forgot all about it.

Yan Fenglian had the lightest chores in the family and came home early to cook. Everyone helped bring the food to the table, and they started eating.

After eating, Xu Jiaojiao returned to her room. Xie Zhi went to wash some freshly picked mulberries for her.

The dark purple mulberries still had their green leaves. They tasted sweet and juicy. The girl lay on the bed in front of the fan, happily listening to the radio with her lips stained purple—looking quite ridiculous.

“Is it sweet?”

“Very sweet.”

Xie Zhi grinned and leaned in, grabbing her hand as she reached for another mulberry. “Which is sweeter, the berry or me?”

Xu Jiaojiao blushed and kissed him. “You are.”

Xie Zhi laughed even more joyfully. He wrapped his large hand around the back of her neck and deepened the kiss.

The words that slipped from his lips were tempting, making her lower her guard: “Little liar, where did you go at noon?”

“I went to laugh at Sheng Jie. He was so miserable,” Xu Jiaojiao mumbled, clearly dizzy from the kisses.

Xie Zhi studied her expression carefully as he continued. After confirming she had no other feelings for Sheng Jie, he finally relaxed.

He popped a mulberry into his own mouth and then fed it to her. “So obedient.”

Once she was dazed and muddle-headed, Xie Zhi went outside to fetch a basin of water. He also left two buckets of water in the sun with a thin towel over the top to keep bugs out.

After wiping the purple stains off her hands and mouth, he lay down with her in his arms. To keep her cool, he burned some mugwort and used a palm fan to gently fan her.

Even with her hair messy and the weather hot, Xu Jiaojiao slept soundly.

Though half-asleep, Xie Zhi’s hand didn’t stop fanning her. After a short nap, he resumed fanning.

When Xu Jiaojiao woke up with her arms around his, he was still fanning her. She was used to it by now and kissed him before falling into a daze.

With a deep sigh, she muttered, “So boring… I don’t want to go to work. It’s so hot outside. There’s not even a phone. What can I do right now…”

Xie Zhi asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just bored. I wish we had a TV.”

“There will be. You’ll have everything one day.”

At 2:30, Xie Zhi left to teach at the school. He was undoubtedly the most promising of the educated youth. Villagers respected cultured people, especially teachers.

In the afternoon, the sun no longer shone on the front door but instead baked the back wall of the house. Xu Jiaojiao squatted by the front door, bored, making earrings out of grass.

She used a long blade of grass, removed the pith from the center, and twisted it into small segments that formed a chain-like earring.

She also made a matching necklace and bracelet. Last night she had started braiding little grass strands, enjoying herself so much that it brought back memories of childhood in the countryside.

“Jiaojiao, you’re back.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Xu Jiaojiao looked up. “Yangmei, what are you doing here?”

“My mom just dried some chili peppers, so I brought some for you. Jiaojiao, do you want to go to the back hill to pick fruit? The mulberries and apricots are really tasty,” Yangmei said shyly, as if worried her gift wasn’t good enough.

Xu Jiaojiao didn’t mind at all. She got up and took the chili peppers. “Thank you! I’ll go. Wait for me a sec.”

She took the peppers inside. She was just too bored and wanted to pass the time. Yangmei was the only girl in the village she could talk to.

Today, Xu Jiaojiao wore a camisole with lotus ruffles and flower buds and a pair of shorts. She looked fresh, pretty, and especially eye-catching.

She grabbed a small basket her father had woven and slung her crossbody bag over her shoulder—it had some snacks inside.

She casually grabbed a handful of candy from a drawer and stuffed them into Yangmei’s hands. “Thanks for the chili sauce! Have some candy.” Then she cheerfully walked ahead.

Her skin glowed under the sun, as dazzling as a fairy from the heavens.

Yangmei looked down at the colorful candies—square, round, and star-shaped—and thought, So generous, just giving them away like that.

Xu Jiaojiao waved at her with a playful smile. “Come on, Yangmei! Let’s go play in the stream!”

The stream was nice and cool in the afternoon. Xu Jiaojiao filled her basket and thought about asking her brother to chill them in the well water. She soaked her fair feet in the stream, grinning and playing in the water.

“Yangmei, why aren’t you playing?”

“I’m on my period.”

Xu Jiaojiao stuck out her tongue and giggled. “Oh, then you can’t play in the water.”

Not having a period was the best—she could eat cold stuff and not worry about pain. It was so freeing.

After some hesitation, Yangmei finally spoke. “Jiaojiao, could you lend me five yuan?”

She looked very worried. They weren’t very close, so she would understand if Xu Jiaojiao refused.

The girl smiled, pulled out her small pouch, counted out a few notes, and handed them over. “Is this enough?”

Yangmei was stunned. All the explanations she had prepared were suddenly useless.

Five yuan was quite a lot, especially among girls their age—most didn’t even have pocket money.

…

Xu Jiaojiao was being pressed down heavily on Xie Zhi’s lap, her upper body slumped over the bed, her lower half fully exposed on his legs.

His eyes were full of anger. He smacked her hard, making her tear up instantly. In that moment, he turned into the strictest punisher.

She struggled and sobbed, “Why are you hitting me? Let go… sob sob…”

Xie Zhi’s thick black brows were furrowed deeply. His anger intensified. He rubbed her a little and then spanked her again.

He laughed coldly, “Still so defiant?”

Her struggling and crying were useless against him. He easily overpowered all her resistance.

“Honey… don’t hit me… it really hurts… please go easy… I’m in so much pain…”