Chapter 4: Head-to-Head

Auntie Yang bustled in waving a palm fan. Wang Fang was sewing shoe soles, while the eldest and second sisters-in-law were about to bathe the children. Hearing there was gossip, they quickly gathered around.

“What’s this about? How did clothes end up burned? That must be heartbreaking,” Second Sister-in-law said. She was lively by nature and especially loved making clothes, so just hearing about clothes being ruined made her distressed.

Lin Yiran perked up her ears and leaned closer. Ever since she woke up in this world, the plot of the book had been growing fuzzy—now she could hardly remember what was supposed to happen. So she was curious too.

“Over at the educated youth courtyard, they take turns cooking meals. Today, the new girl—the slightly shorter one, named Jiang Lanru—said that since everyone had helped them a lot, she’d cook dinner tonight.”

“That girl doesn’t sound bad, seems capable,” Eldest Sister-in-law chimed in.

With someone responding, Auntie Yang could keep her story flowing. “That’s right. If someone volunteers to cook, the others are happy enough to let her.”

“Anyway, while she was cooking, the other girl—the taller one, Zhuang Wenting—went in to help.”

Lin Yiran almost found it unbelievable. Zhuang Wenting helping Jiang Lanru? That didn’t sound right.

“Then, somehow, the two of them started arguing. Jiang Lanru dirtied Zhuang Wenting’s clothes. She apologized and offered to wash them, but Zhuang Wenting wouldn’t let it go and insisted on burning the clothes instead.” Auntie Yang recounted dramatically.

Lin Yiran listened for a while, then lost interest. Spotting her second brother coming out, she ran over and pulled him aside.

“Second Brother, are you going to town the day after tomorrow?”

By then, most of the farm work would be done, and the whole village would rest for a day.

“Yes. What do you want me to buy for you?” Weimin asked with a grin.

“I don’t need anything. But while you’re there, could you find out what Auntie Zeng’s son has been up to lately?” Lin Yiran whispered.

Weimin’s expression turned serious. “Did that scoundrel do something to you?”

“No, no,” Lin Yiran waved quickly. “Last time I went to town, I overheard him saying he wanted to join the transport team. His useless buddies were giving him all sorts of bad ideas.”

“Uncle Lin will be back soon, and in a while Big Brother will be going with him to run transport. I’m afraid that thug will get jealous and try to hurt Big Brother.”

Weimin thought for a moment and understood what she meant. “Got it. I’ll look into it the day after tomorrow. Don’t worry.”

Lin Yiran trusted her second brother. He was clever and capable.

By this time, most villagers had just finished supper and were sitting outside cooling off. With nothing better to do, everyone was talking about the uproar in the educated youth courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, Jiang Yuanxiang felt her head throbbing. Two of the girls were crying in their rooms, and she couldn’t persuade them to stop. Exhausted, she left them to it and went to eat.

The night had been meant as a celebration for the newcomers. Jiang Lanru had volunteered to cook. Everything was fine until Zhuang Wenting suddenly decided to “help.”

Anyone could tell those two didn’t get along—they both liked Xiao Ziyi. Jiang Yuanxiang glanced at him sitting quietly at the table.

If she were a few years younger, she too might have fallen for him. Handsome, hardworking, dependable, and capable—after just one day, even the educated youths naturally looked to him for leadership.

Earlier, when the two girls had quarreled, the shouting grew so loud it almost came to blows. Families were eating in their yards, and the nearby villagers carried their bowls over to watch the commotion.

Fortunately, when Xiao Ziyi came in, both girls stopped and burst into tears instead. He comforted neither of them.

Jiang Yuanxiang sighed. People always said beauty could be dangerous—clearly, so could a handsome man.

Zhuang Wenting felt wronged. She looked at her reddened hands, then glared at Jiang Lanru, who was crying pitifully beside her.

Tonight, Jiang Lanru had made a big show of volunteering to cook. Fine—let her cook. But she had to parade in front of Brother Ziyi, asking what he liked to eat and promising she could make it.

When she finally went into the kitchen, Zhuang Wenting thought she’d finally get a chance to chat with him. But he was reading, barely glancing her way. So she had no choice but to leave.

No sooner had she stepped out than she overheard Jiang Lanru gossiping with the other educated youths, sneering that she was a pampered young lady who couldn’t do any work.

Zhuang Wenting was furious. She declared she would help with cooking—only for Jiang Lanru to snap at her the whole time, calling her a burden and a nuisance.

Then she even dirtied her clothes. She clearly saw that Jiang Lanru had deliberately used her dirty hands to smear them.

Jiang Lanru really was pretending to cry. The reason she volunteered to cook today was to ruin Zhuang Wenting’s chance to spend time with Xiao Ziyi.

In their previous life, Zhuang Wenting couldn’t cook but still insisted on trying. She would put on an act of working hard, only to “accidentally” scald her hand, which made Xiao Ziyi feel sorry for her and help apply medicine.

That dress of hers? Jiang Lanru had deliberately dirtied it as well. Why should Zhuang Wenting get to wear such pretty clothes? Even out here in the countryside, she still acted like some pampered young lady.

The other educated youths finished their meal and didn’t want to get involved. After all, they weren’t very close yet. Jiang Yuanxiang left the leftovers in the kitchen, then went to the room:
“The food is in the kitchen. You two should eat a little.”

Zhuang Wenting turned her back. She refused to eat food cooked by Jiang Lanru. She still had some biscuits and would eat those later.

Jiang Lanru stood up, wiped away her tears, and said sweetly,
“Alright, thank you, Sister Yuanxiang. I’ll go eat now—sorry for troubling you.”

But in truth, Jiang Lanru didn’t think much of Jiang Yuanxiang either. In her last life, Jiang Yuanxiang had married into Lotus Village, gotten pregnant quickly, and when the news about the reinstated college entrance exams came the following year, she had no chance to sit for them. She was stuck in Lotus Village for life.

Even so, Jiang Lanru couldn’t afford to offend her yet. During her time here in Lotus Village, she might still need her help.

Jiang Yuanxiang simply nodded. She didn’t want to get involved anyway. She picked up her basin and a change of clothes, preparing to bathe. After all, their quarrel had been loud enough for the nearby villagers to hear—no doubt the whole village already knew about it.

…

In the men’s dormitory.
Xiao Ziyi was reading, and the others didn’t bother him. They couldn’t understand the books he was studying anyway.

Although he looked approachable and even helped them in the fields, patiently explaining farming methods, once things quieted down, no one dared to disturb him.

“Brother Xiao, are you going to wash up first today? Yesterday you were the last one,” Chen Tai, who was half a year older than Xiao Ziyi, asked.

“It’s fine, you all go first. I’ll read for a while,” Xiao Ziyi replied, flipping through his book and making notes.

Before he came to the countryside, his teacher had deliberately given him a stack of research books, telling him not to waste his talent. His grandfather and father had also urged him to stay on the scientific path. The country needed him. Once this turbulent period passed, he would be able to return.

For him, being sent down was just changing locations—he could keep studying anywhere. The only drawback was the lack of scientific equipment.

Yet here, Xiao Ziyi felt something stirring inside him. A radiant smile flashed in his mind.

…

The next morning, the village loudspeaker blared, calling everyone up for work.

After gathering, they collected their tools and went to the fields, sneaking curious glances at Zhuang Wenting and Jiang Lanru.

Zhuang Wenting blushed with embarrassment and quickly hid behind her “Brother Ziyi.” Jiang Lanru, on the other hand, didn’t care what the villagers thought. As far as she was concerned, she and Xiao Ziyi were already close—by next year, they’d return to the city together anyway.

Jiang Lanru yanked Zhuang Wenting out from behind him.
“Come on, let’s work.”

Zhuang Wenting couldn’t break free and had no choice but to start working beside her.

Xiao Ziyi knew Zhuang Wenting liked him and had already rejected her many times, to no avail. If Jiang Lanru could make her give up, that would be a good thing.

As for Jiang Lanru, he found her strange. The first time they met on the train, she had looked at them as though she already knew them, but he was certain they had never met. Later, she clung to him, pretending to like him, but what he saw in her eyes was determination and ambition. He suspected she was deliberately approaching him.

The country still had many spies, and Xiao Ziyi had been trained in this since childhood. So, instead of exposing her, he decided to wait and see what she was really after.

…

At noon, Lin Yiran came to deliver meals. She also saw Xiao Ziyi at work—serious, meticulous, and producing excellent results.

She couldn’t help but admire him. A man like him was a talent no matter where he went.

Not far away, Jiang Lanru and Zhuang Wenting worked side by side, ignoring each other but competing silently.

Amidst the noisy calls in the fields, Xiao Ziyi instantly picked out Lin Yiran’s voice.

He subtly turned to face her direction, and when he caught her gaze, his movements grew unconsciously sharper and more precise.