Chapter 16

“You’re not just too polite. How many people don’t have enough food these days? They just count the grains of rice. Even if neighbors help each other, how can they send food every now and then?” Jiang Yule looked at the rice in his hand and felt that it was a little hot…

She can give some back, as a token of reciprocity.

But she was just an educated youth who had just arrived in the countryside. Given her current situation, she would have to stay here for at least two to three years. There were some things she didn’t want to do too much. If the two families were to interact too closely, outsiders wouldn’t know what would happen. Jiang Yule didn’t want to take any risks on this matter.

Especially since she knew what Mu Chuan’s family was planning.

“I think Grandma Mu Chuan wants to bring you two together,” Meng Wanshu asked speculatively.

“Matchmaking also depends on whether it is suitable or not. Mu Chuan obviously has no intention of doing so,” Jiang Yule said. Suddenly, she thought of the way he asked her to call him Mu Chuan that day. Jiang Yule inexplicably felt a little unsure…

“He doesn’t care, what about you? I think Mu Chuan is a good guy. I heard Brother Qi Bo say a few words about Mu Chuan. It seems that Mu Chuan’s parents were tricked. This matter implicated Mu Chuan, and he can’t even be a soldier anymore.”

“But I don’t think it’s a big deal. In the future, you will be vindicated sooner or later. You are good-looking, capable, and have a good background. Don’t you really want to consider it?”

Meng Wanshu looked at Jiang Yule eagerly, waiting for her answer.

If she were to say, these two should be together, they are really pleasing to the eyes!

“Well…but Mu Chuan’s figure and appearance are indeed to my taste, but a forced melon is not sweet, and I can’t go after him if he’s not interested, right?”

“What’s the big deal? You have to twist it off and taste it to know if it’s sweet or not. With Mu Chuan’s figure and face, it’s worth it!”

“Hahaha, that’s true.” The two looked at each other and laughed heartily. They both had modern thinking and were indeed much more open-minded emotionally than people of this era.

Jiang Yule had never been in a relationship before, and she always thought that love was about mutual affection. In addition, she wanted boys to take the initiative, so she subconsciously chose to distance herself from Mu Chuan, who was in line with her aesthetic standards in appearance, figure and voice.

After this conversation, Jiang Yule, who had been stuck in a dead end, opened up a new idea.

“It doesn’t seem impossible,” Jiang Yule muttered.

“Yes, considering our family’s conditions, it won’t take us long to take him down.”

“What are you talking about, girl?” Jiang Yule pushed Meng Wanshu shyly.

“This is the truth,” Meng Wanshu said playfully.

“Okay, eat quickly. After we’re done, we’ll clean up and send it to the neighbors. We’ll also take some gifts to the three nearby families and visit them.”

“Okay, I still have some date cakes that I made before, let’s take those over,” Meng Wanshu suggested.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you. I have some tea sent from the capital, take some with you.”

Meng Wanshu nodded. After they had their meal, they washed up, changed their clothes, and went out with their gifts.

Grandma Qi’s family and the captain’s family were fine. They went in, put down the gifts, exchanged pleasantries, and then left. But Grandma Mu Chuan’s family…

When Jiang Yule and the others left, Shen Wenke hadn’t left yet. Seeing them coming in, he immediately had a deep understanding of what his mother and grandmother had said that morning.

Mu Chuan….is indeed a little bit off…

“Yu Le, Wan Shu, come in and sit down.” Grandma Mu Chuan invited people to come in. Seeing the two elderly people in the house, Jiang Yu Le realized that she shouldn’t call them Grandma Mu…

He quickly changed his words and said, “I’ll just call you Grandpa Shen and Grandma Shen.”

“Okay, okay, you can call me anything you want.” Grandma Shen held Yule’s hand. Such a pretty little girl, she could call her anything she wanted.

“Girl, listen to your Grandpa Shen. Take these things back. Come to our house more often in the future and don’t bring these things with you.”

“Grandpa, this jujube cake was made by Wanshu herself, and the tea was sent from the capital. Let me give it to you to try. We don’t drink tea much either.” Jiang Yule continued to push the thing forward. Mu Chuan’s family members were very kind, and they were not as fussy as she had imagined.

Such a family made Jiang Yule silently give Mu Chuan a few more points in his heart.

“Okay, Grandpa will accept it this time. Don’t take it again in the future. Just come to our house often to play.”

“I’ll listen to you. Grandpa Shen, as long as you don’t find me annoying,” Jiang Yule said to the old man coquettishly.

“Don’t mind, don’t mind. It’s not easy for you two girls out there. Your Aunt Aiping cooks delicious food. Just tell your Auntie what you want to eat.”

“Yes, yes, yes, tell your auntie and she will make it for you.” Fang Aiping, who was leaning her head to admire the beauty of the two girls, immediately came to her senses when she heard her father-in-law talking about her, and asked the two girls to come often.

“Okay, I’ll let you know if I need anything next time.”

The whole room chatted for a long time. Jiang Yule was afraid that he would have to stay for lunch later, so he sat with Meng Wanshu for a while before getting up and leaving.

Although Grandma Shen wanted the two girls to stay, she knew that haste makes waste, so she did not force them to stay. She just told them to come and visit often, and then sent them away.

The two of them were too lazy to cook when they got home, so they just took some food from the space and thought about whether they should take a nap. As a result, they lay in bed and couldn’t fall asleep.

Boom boom boom

There was a knock on Jiang Yule’s door

“Yu Le, are you asleep?” Meng Wanshu asked softly while leaning against the crack of the door.

“Not yet, wait for me.” There was a rustling sound from inside the door, and then Jiang Yule’s door was opened. His eyes were clear, and it was obvious that he was not asleep.

“Are you sleepy?” Meng Wanshu asked

“Not sleepy”

“I’m not sleepy either,” Meng Wanshu said with a pout. She had done nothing all morning and had just woken up at that hour. How could she sleep?

“How about we go out for a walk?” Jiang Yule suggested.

“Let’s go! I heard Xiao Ai say yesterday that there is a stream in the south. Let’s go take a look.” Meng Wanshu thought of the place Xiao Ai mentioned yesterday. Children often go there to play. I think it shouldn’t be very deep.

When Jiang Yule heard that it was a stream, he hesitated, worried that there might be danger in the forest. After thinking for a moment, he felt that he knew some martial arts and there were electric batons in the space, so there would not be any danger, so he nodded and agreed.

“Wait for me, I’ll change my clothes and go out.”

“Okay, I’ll change my clothes too,” Meng Wanshu said as she ran back to the room.

After changing their clothes, the two of them linked their arms and headed in the direction Xiao Ai pointed.

But along the way, Jiang Yule felt that he had walked for a long time and had not seen the so-called stream. Not to mention the stream, he did not even see the woods. He wanted to ask someone, but there was not even a single person on the road at noon.

Just when she was about to give up and go home, she seemed to hear the sound of children playing.

Standing still, Jiang Yule tilted his head and listened carefully, “Wanshu, do you hear a child’s voice?”

Meng Wanshu didn’t say anything and just listened quietly.

“It seems to be coming from over there.” Meng Wanshu tried hard to distinguish and then pointed in a direction.

“Let’s go and take a look.” Jiang Yule turned around and walked over there. Although the effect of Tianxianzi made her not get tanned, not feel hot, and her physical strength was much better, she still hadn’t found it after walking for so long, so she was a little bored.

The result did not disappoint Jiang Yule. As the children played, the sound of the stream gurgling also reached their ears.

Walking further, I saw a few children playing in the stream under the shade of the trees. The water was only ankle-deep and looked very cool.

Jiang Yule’s eyes sparkled. He tugged at Meng Wanshu’s sleeve and said, “Wanshu, let’s go a little further upstream. It’s quieter there.”

“Let’s go!” The two of them walked upstream, the terrain gradually became higher, and the trees around them were much more lush than before.

“Wow! Wanshu, are those small cherries over there?” Meng Wanshu suddenly pointed to a tree not far away. It was full of small red fruits, so heavy that the branches were even bent.

“I think so,” Jiang Yule said hesitantly. From a distance, those small red fruits looked almost the same, and she couldn’t tell them apart.

“Then I’ll go take a look,” Meng Wanshu said as he ran away.

Jiang Yule saw that the tree was not far away, so he could get there by himself if anything happened. He told her to be careful and to call her if anything happened.

Then he sat down on a big rock by the stream.

Looking at the cool and clear stream, Jiang Yule suddenly had an idea. He took off his shoes and socks, sat on the stone and played in the water.

Jiang Yule pulled up the edge of her skirt to prevent it from getting wet. Her fair and slender legs swayed in the water, splashing dots of water, which was very beautiful.

In this way, Jiang Yule played for a long time, with his arms behind his back, his head slightly tilted back, and his eyes closed basking in the sun, like a fairy who had fallen into the mortal world.

Suddenly, Jiang Yule’s mouth curled up slightly, and he lazily enjoyed the peace of the moment.

“Does it look good?”

Jiang Yule’s voice was charming, a little careless, but her tone was very firm.

As Jiang Yule spoke, there was a moment of silence around them.

“Sorry,” Mu Chuan coughed lightly and walked out of the woods.

He admitted that he was distracted for a moment when he saw it just now, but then he felt that it was inappropriate for him to go out, so he looked away without saying anything, thinking that he would come out together after Qi Bai and the others came over. Who knew that they would be discovered in such a short while…

Mu Chuan was also puzzled as to how he was discovered. Although he did not hide deliberately, he did not make any noise. Logically, a little girl like Jiang Yule should not have discovered him.

This is thanks to Tian Xianzi.

Tianxianzi’s improvement of Jiang Yule’s body made her more sensitive. Mu Chuan’s gaze and his unique smell in the air all told Jiang Yule that Mu Chuan was nearby and was still staring at her.

“You haven’t answered my question yet.” Jiang Yule ignored Mu Chuan’s apology. While speaking, he straightened up slightly, looked back at Mu Chuan, and said nothing. He just stared at him steadily, as if he was vaguely expecting his answer.

Mu Chuan just looked at Jiang Yule. She was pretty. No, to be more precise, she was beautiful. She was very beautiful, and this could not be deceived.

But now he doesn’t even know what his future will be like. He can’t be responsible for a girl. When he can’t bear each other’s future, he won’t easily step into a girl’s life.

But inexplicably, Mu Chuan looked at Jiang Yule’s expectant eyes, and finally couldn’t bear to let her down, so he responded softly.

“Hmm” was a very soft voice, as if if the voice was lowered, no one would know what he was thinking deep in his heart.

Mu Chuan’s response seemed to please the girl, and her clear and pleasant laughter struck Mu Chuan’s heart like a silver bell.

Jiang Yule got up from the stream and walked barefoot towards the shore, like an elf in the forest, easily touching people’s hearts.

The shore was covered with moss. Jiang Yule couldn’t stand firmly when he stepped on the shore, and he fell forward.

There was no leverage nearby, so Jiang Yule had no way to save herself. Just as she was about to close her eyes and wait for the impact, a strong arm suddenly grabbed her waist. When she opened her eyes, she saw Mu Chuan’s eyes meet.

Feeling the warmth and softness in his arms, Mu Chuan was stunned. His subconscious action put him in a situation from which he could not turn back.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly and he swallowed his saliva unconsciously. After realizing what he had done, Mu Chuan lowered his eyes instantly and let go of the girl in his arms.

The arm that held her just now was hidden behind her back, and she clenched her fist tightly, and the soft touch seemed to still exist.

Seeing the girl walking barefoot on the ground, Mu Chuan frowned unconsciously. The next second, he looked away from the white, small, and tender feet, and said with an unnatural look.

“When you put on your shoes, there are a lot of small stones, which can easily scratch you.”

“Can you help me?” Jiang Yule just stood there. She had clearly seen the nervousness in Mu Chuan’s eyes just now, but it was fleeting and too fast to be captured. At this moment, it seemed that she wanted to test Mu Chuan’s attitude.

Jiang Yule’s soft and gentle voice made Mu Chuan have some inappropriate thoughts in his mind. He stood there in a daze for a moment and didn’t move.

Jiang Yule was not a hesitant person. She listened to Wanshu’s advice, but she was not a person who liked to force others to do things. She had no interest in forcing others to do things that they did not want to do.

But Mu Chuan hid his emotions too deeply. Even if the people around him said it with confidence, she was not sure whether Mu Chuan really had feelings for her. After all, this was life, not some emotional story. How could there be so many love at first sight?

As expected, Jiang Yule saw some shock in Mu Chuan’s eyes, and it seemed that… there was also disgust or confusion? Jiang Yule couldn’t see clearly, but she was sure that Mu Chuan didn’t like her.

Jiang Yule chuckled. It was disgust… Thinking of the rejection he showed when he looked at her on the train, this was probably his true thought.

Sitting down on a rock by the stream, she washed off the mud on her feet and put on her shoes. She said that Mu Chuan had no feelings for her at all. Her previous thoughts were just illusions created by others.

She put on her shoes and stood up, putting away her previous charming and lazy look, and returning to her usual distant and polite manner when facing strangers.

“It was just a joke, Comrade Mu, don’t mind it. I’m going to look for Wanshu.” After saying that, Jiang Yule nodded slightly to Mu Chuan, then turned around and went to look for Meng Wanshu.

Such a distant tone made Mu Chuan’s heart sink again and again. He just felt that it was unreasonable. Thinking of his bad thoughts about lesbians just now, his hands behind his back clenched into fists again.

She called him Comrade Mu again. Was she angry? Because he didn’t help her? He could do it. He was just afraid that she would be unhappy, and he was also afraid of other people’s gossip. He was even more afraid that he couldn’t afford her future.