Chapter 34

Zhang Takes Two Little Brothers

Summer Wan’ang rushed back to the youth commune, and at that moment, the others hadn’t returned yet. She hurried to her room and entered the space to find a useful weapon.

She rummaged around until she found a toy pistol in the warehouse. It looked like an imported one, quite realistic for a toy.

Summer Wan’ang shook it a little and then found a few steel pipes in the villa. In her past life, Zhang Shiye had raised many strong men, so finding some weapons was easy!

After washing up, she carefully applied her makeup, and slathered on sunscreen three times. Though she had skin that wouldn’t tan, she didn’t want to take chances. If she ended up looking like a roasted potato, she would have no one to complain to.

For breakfast, she ate two big meat buns with sour and spicy pickled radish strips, followed by a glass of fresh juice. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

By the time she finished eating, the other youth members began returning in small groups. Summer Wan’ang called Li Xiang over and handed him a package of egg cakes and a small jar of pickles. “My mom pickled these, they go well with your meal.”

After that, she turned and left the commune. She had an appointment to keep.

Da Changlian and Er Lenglian were already waiting outside before work ended. Both of them were sweating in the heat, visibly annoyed. When they saw Summer Wan’ang approaching, Er Lenglian immediately walked up to her.

“You damn woman, why are you so late? Do you want to kill us, your brothers?”

Summer Wan’ang stretched her neck and then raised her hand, swinging her arm to slap him hard across the face. After the slap, she blew on her hand. “Are you crazy? You dare talk to me like that when you owe me money?”

Since gaining the space, Summer Wan’ang had been bathing in the creek almost every day, and her strength had grown frightening. That slap knocked Er Lenglian dazed, with blood spilling from his mouth and two teeth knocked out.

Seeing his good brother being hit, Da Changlian immediately rushed forward, but Summer Wan’ang was calm. She pulled out the toy gun from her bag and pressed it to Da Changlian’s forehead, saying sweetly, “What do you want to do?”

Da Changlian froze in fear and dared not move. “D-Da… Big Sister, let’s talk things over calmly.”

Er Lenglian quickly recovered and, covering his mouth where the blood was leaking, said, “Face, don’t be scared. She’s just a woman, how could she have a real weapon?”

Summer Wan’ang smiled, “You do know my dad is a military officer, right? Having a toy gun for self-defense is nothing, isn’t it?”

Both men believed her. Da Changlian slowly knelt on the ground. “Please, let us go. We’ll avoid you from now on, promise.”

Summer Wan’ang tucked the gun away. “No more borrowing money?”

Er Lenglian quickly replied, “No more! Just please let us go, and we’ll honor you properly in the future!”

“Alright, go back then. If anything comes up, I’ll find you. But if you dare tell anyone about today…”

Da Changlian and Er Lenglian quickly shook their heads and waved their hands. “We won’t, we won’t! We didn’t see anything, we didn’t go anywhere!”

Summer Wan’ang nodded in satisfaction, walking off with her head held high.

There was still some time before work started, so Summer Wan’ang went to the team office. Zhang Shiye was writing something inside.

“Accountant Zhang, I have something to ask you!” Summer Wan’ang teased as she walked into the office.

Zhang Shiye looked up and saw it was her, quickly standing up and pulling her into his chair. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Of course! After finishing my morning work, can I rest this afternoon?” Summer Wan’ang asked, batting her eyes.

Zhang Shiye’s heart melted as he looked at her. Her eyes seemed to speak, so pure and clear, sparkling with light, gazing at him affectionately. Her soft, pink lips were like a flower, making him want to kiss her.

“Yes, you didn’t get much sleep this morning, right? You should rest this afternoon,” Zhang Shiye said hoarsely.

Summer Wan’ang shook her head. “I want to go to the city. I wrote a letter home to update them about our situation.”

Zhang Shiye gently picked her up and carefully placed her on the desk. He then moved closer between her legs, and the distance between them shrank, creating an intimate, almost ambiguous atmosphere.

Though Summer Wan’ang was usually thick-skinned, the close proximity made her blush. Her cheeks turned pink, and her eyes grew misty with a touch of embarrassment.

“What do you want?” she asked.

Zhang Shiye looked at her seriously, his handsome face glowing as if stars were shining in his eyes. His gaze was direct, as if he wanted to peer into her soul.

“Wan’ang, I’ve been wanting to ask you… why do you like me? If you wanted to go back to the city, with your family background, you could easily go back. Do you really want to spend your life in this backward village, working hard every day?”

Zhang Shiye’s gaze was as direct as his words.

Summer Wan’ang looked at his serious expression and couldn’t resist teasing him. “Well, actually, I haven’t decided yet!”

Hearing this, Zhang Shiye immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he were about to lose her. “Don’t think about it anymore. It’s my fault for bringing this up. Don’t worry about it. Everything is fine as it is. Wan’ang, I will treat you well for the rest of my life, and you will never regret your decision.”

Wan’ang was tightly held in his arms, struggling to catch her breath, but she didn’t push him away. She could feel his trembling and tension, realizing that her words earlier had probably scared him.

“Fool, I was just joking…” Wan’ang gently patted his back, trying to comfort him. “I won’t leave you, unless you don’t want me anymore.”

“How could I not want you?” Zhang Shiye buried his face in her neck, his voice choked with emotion. “I’ll never leave you. Even if the whole world opposes us being together, I will still be with you.”

Wan’ang felt a surge of warmth and gratitude in her heart. She knew he was speaking from the heart. She reached out to stroke his hair and whispered, “I know, we’ll be together forever.”

They held each other, enjoying the rare moment of peace, neither of them noticing that all of it had been observed by a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows.

Li Yu finished her breakfast and grabbed two steamed buns from her nephew. She had planned to deliver them to Zhang Shiye for breakfast, but unexpectedly, she witnessed this scene. She crouched outside the window like a venomous snake, watching the two inside, locked in a tight embrace, reluctant to part.

Zhang Shiye held her like a rare treasure, while Wan’ang leaned on him like a bird relying on its mate, as if they wanted to merge into one.

Li Yu gritted her teeth, her nails digging into her palms until blood oozed out without her noticing. Her heart ached. She had fallen for this man ever since her sister’s wedding, but it turned out she had been the only one with feelings all along.

Wiping away the tears from her face, Li Yu turned and ran off. She didn’t go home but headed straight for the Zhang family’s house.

“Qiao Auntie, is my sister home?”

Qiao Shuyun glanced at Li Yu. This girl was here again. But since the guest had arrived, it wouldn’t be right to chase her away. She rolled her eyes and called into the house, “Third daughter-in-law, your sister is here again!”

Li Yu froze, her heart sinking. It seemed like Shiye’s mother didn’t like her. She had thought that because of her sister, she would be treated differently.

Li Ling rushed out of the house, seeing her sister’s tear-streaked face. She quickly grabbed her and led her outside, asking nervously, “Xiaoyu, why are you crying? Are mom and dad unwell again?”

Li Yu shook her head. “Mom, dad, brother, and the little one are all fine, but it’s me! Sister, what should I do? Shiye is seeing someone. I just went to the commune to find him, and I saw him hugging a female youth worker!”

Li Ling’s eyes widened. “What? No way! Are you sure it was him? Just a few days ago, my mother-in-law was trying to set him up with a girl! It’s only been a few days!”

“You believe me, sister. I could mistake anyone else, but I would never mistake Shiye. That female youth worker was in his arms, and he didn’t push her away. Sister, you know how I feel!” Li Yu sobbed, out of breath.

Li Ling’s heart sank. She had originally planned to marry her sister off to her younger brother-in-law, thinking it would be better than having her end up with someone unknown. Now, what should she do?

“Alright, stop crying! I’ll talk to the fourth brother when he comes back tonight and see what he says. Maybe you’re mistaken?” Li Ling wasn’t sure what to do, so she could only try to calm her sister down for now.