Chapter 6 – Love at First Sight

“Brother Yan! Brother Yan! I saw a fairy!”

Yan Xiao ignored his noisy yelling and kept walking home on his own.

“Brother Yan! Why aren’t you answering me? Where are you going? I’ll go with you!”

“To the mountain!”

“I’ll go too!”

He hurried to catch up with Yan Xiao, talking as he walked, continuing what he hadn’t finished saying just now.

“Among the educated youths who came today, there’s one who looks just like a fairy! If it wasn’t for my dad making me drive the ox cart, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see such a beautiful girl…”

“Pfft… what fairy? You said the same thing before when you saw pretty educated youths.

No matter how pretty a girl is, after working here for a while, she’ll end up looking just like the village girls.”

“No, this one’s different, she’s really like a celestial being! It’s just a pity, she looks so frail, like she’ll shatter at a touch…”

“Iron Pillar! You little rascal! Stand right there for me!”

Not far away came his father Feng Dabing’s voice. Feng Tiezhu let out a wail, thinking he’d done something wrong again and made the fair-and-square brigade leader angry…

“Dad, I’ve finished all my work today!”

Feng Dabing had walked for a while and hadn’t seen many people, since most had already gone to work. He hadn’t expected to run into his rascal son again, hanging around with that boy.

“Where are you two going?”

“Dad, I’m going up the mountain with Brother Yan to have a look. I only came back because I’d already finished my work today!”

Since he happened to run into them, Feng Dabing thought about that utility room that needed cleaning. Yan Xiao was quick and efficient at work, so if the two of them cleaned together, it’d be fast.

“You two, don’t head to the mountain yet.

The new educated youth has nowhere to stay. Go and tidy up the utility room at the educated youth spot, so there’ll be a place for them to sleep tonight.

Don’t worry, the two of you together will be quick, it won’t delay your trip to the mountain.”

When Feng Tiezhu heard it was for the educated youths, it had to be for the newcomers.

He thought maybe he’d get to see that fairy again, and his face instantly brightened with delight.

“Got it, Team Leader, we’ll definitely finish the task!”

Feng Dabing gave his son a glare.

“Enough nonsense! Go early and come back early, don’t delay their rest.

And remember, that female educated youth has a heart condition, don’t scare her.”

He meant this especially for Yan Xiao—tall as a mountain at 1.9 meters, broad-shouldered and strong.

With his sun-darkened skin from years of farm work, and his fierce features, he looked terrifying.

Even tigers couldn’t scare the village children, but just a glance at Yan Xiao would make them shrink like quails.

He had to warn him—this girl was delicate and thin, her thigh wasn’t even as thick as someone’s arm. If she got frightened on her very first day, that would be disastrous.

Feng Tiezhu looked confused. Heart condition? What kind of scary illness was that…

No way, it couldn’t be that little fairy, right?

Bah, bah… definitely not!

A fairy that pretty, even Heaven wouldn’t bear to mistreat her!

When the two of them arrived at the educated youth spot, Feng Tiezhu’s eyes immediately locked onto that fairy…

“Brother Yan! Look! That’s the fairy I was talking about! Isn’t she pretty?”

He proudly nudged the man’s arm with his elbow, only to hit hard, solid muscle.

Tsk~

They both worked every day, so why couldn’t he have a body like that?

But Yan Xiao wasn’t paying him any attention now. His eyes were fixed only on the slim figure ahead.

Iron Pillar hadn’t exaggerated—she really was a fairy…

The girl’s skin was pale, almost bloodless. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly on a small palm-sized face, her lips were soft pink. Thin and frail, she looked as though a light touch would break her.

He couldn’t imagine—such a fairy-like beauty, and she had a heart condition?

His heart clenched. Someone like this should be cherished tenderly, held in the palm of one’s hand—not sent to a place that devoured people alive.

“Brother Yan? Brother Yan?”

Feng Tiezhu hadn’t expected that even Yan Xiao would one day lose composure over a female educated youth.

And to think they both fancied the same person—ah, their taste really was excellent!

He understood. After all, when he’d first seen the fairy earlier today, he had been stunned as well.

He quickly walked over, putting on the gentlest tone of his life, afraid to scare the little fairy with a voice too loud.

“Fairy—no, comrade, which of you needs the utility room tidied up?”

“That would be me. Thank you! My name is Wen Qinghe.”

Feng Tiezhu hadn’t expected such luck—to get the chance to tidy the fairy’s room!

But when he remembered what his dad had said about her illness, he felt regret. He didn’t mind, but if he really insisted on marrying this fairy home, his parents would probably break his legs.

Still, such beauty—even just keeping her at home to look at, he could probably eat an extra bowl of rice every meal.

By then Yan Xiao had returned to his senses, speaking seriously and concisely.

“Which room?”

Wen Qinghe was startled by his sudden deep voice.

“Uh… th-that one…”

This man must be at least 1.9 meters tall. She had to tilt her head back to look at him. His features were sharp and handsome, though his skin was dark. Honestly, he was the best-looking man she’d seen since arriving here.

His body was like that of a modern boxing coach, solid as a mountain, radiating presence…

He hadn’t said a word just now, but even standing nearby, his aura pressed down on her heavily.

Seeing the girl’s breath hitch and her body tremble from fright, Yan Xiao felt annoyed with himself.

He failed to realize that with his dark face and his usual unsmiling demeanor, any expression of his looked like a scowl.

Wen Qinghe, terrified by his stern expression, felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Was he going to hit her?

Just because she’d asked him to tidy the room?

What should she do?

With her frail little body, one punch from him and she’d probably be off to meet Buddha…

Seeing the girl silently retreating, putting distance between them, Yan Xiao pressed his lips together.

Remembering all the times he’d made children cry, he felt uncharacteristically at a loss, not daring to move closer.

He pulled Feng Tiezhu along and went into the room to start cleaning.

In less than fifteen minutes, the firewood was stacked neatly under the eaves, and the farm tools were set aside.

The already small room, once tidied, didn’t look much bigger.

Yan Xiao frowned. How could anyone live in such a cramped place?

There wasn’t even room for a bed…

“Thank you both. Could you also help me put together a plank bed? I’ll just make do tonight and find a carpenter tomorrow for a proper small bed.”

The moment the fairy spoke, Feng Tiezhu was ready to leap into action.

But before he could go find wooden planks, Yan Xiao stopped him.

“Wait!”