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Chapter 35
In the morning, after finishing the work, Xia Wanyang didn’t have to go back in the afternoon. She didn’t care much about the work points. She returned to the educated youth station, took a nice bath, and ate the cold noodles her mother had made. Xia’s mother knew she would be working in the field and would be hot, so she made a large batch of cold noodles and soaked them in a basin of water. Whenever she wanted to eat, she would take some out, add shredded cucumber, scallions, and fried peanuts, then mix in a little meat sauce. Even Wanyang, who didn’t have a big appetite, ate a whole bowl.
Full and satisfied, she immediately fell asleep in her space. It was so hot outside that when she opened her eyes, it was already 2 PM, and the other educated youths had already gone back to work. After a quick tidy-up, Xia Wanyang grabbed her small bag, put on a sunhat, and headed out.
As soon as she stepped into the yard, she suddenly remembered Xu Jiaojiao and the peach fuzz she had collected. Her fox-like eyes scanned the yard and landed on a pink short-sleeve shirt that Xu Jiaojiao had worn in the morning, still dripping wet.
Xia Wanyang grinned mischievously, looked around, and quickly walked over. She sprinkled some fuzz on it, then hummed a tune in satisfaction before heading to the commune.
This time, in addition to mailing a letter, she mainly wanted to take some things back. After all, if she didn’t eat from the big pot often, people might start to get suspicious after a while.
After sending the letter, Xia Wanyang went to the supply and marketing cooperative. She looked around and, as expected, didn’t find anything she liked. However, she bought two packs of peach crisps and a pound of egg cakes as a formality. Just as she was about to turn to leave, she saw Song Changhe entering with a girl.
Xia Wanyang took a closer look—oh my, wasn’t that Li Jing? Didn’t she used to like Li Wenzhuo? How did these two end up together?
Li Jing also noticed Xia Wanyang and, though she wanted to pretend not to see her, she simply couldn’t. Xia Wanyang was too dazzling. In a crowd dressed in black, white, and gray, she stood out in a bright red dress, like a burning flame, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Her originally pale face was now flushed with a healthy pink, like a ripe peach, making people want to take a bite. Her skin was delicate and smooth, like silk satin, with a faint glow. Her face was flawless, with exquisite features, and her eyes held a lively and playful sparkle.
She wore a small beige bag, elegant and delicate, adding a refreshing touch to her overall appearance. On her feet were white leather shoes—simple yet stylish.
Li Jing looked at her own outfit: a fast-fading pink-and-white shirt, black pants, and worn-out black cloth shoes that had turned a dull gray. In comparison to Xia Wanyang, she felt like a plain duckling.
Song Changhe didn’t notice the exchange of glances between the two. Since the last time Xia Wanyang had beaten him up, and his mother had scolded him fiercely afterward, he had come to realize how impressive Xia Wanyang’s family background was. Now that he saw her, he hurriedly bowed and greeted her, “Sis, you’re here to buy things too?”
Xia Wanyang glanced at the two of them, made a sound of disapproval, and turned to walk away.
Was Li Jing’s head squeezed by the door? How could she get involved with Song Changhe?
Li Jing glared at Song Changhe, feeling furious. “Song Changhe, can’t you act like a man? Your brother is in the army, and he sends back a lot of allowances every month. Your family is living pretty well in the team, right? Do you really have to stoop so low just because of her?”
Song Changhe straightened his back. “You don’t know anything. Her father is a big official, and he’s in the same unit as my brother. If I offend her, it could affect my brother, and my mom will skin me alive!”
Li Jing rolled her eyes. If it weren’t for the heavy farm work, and if Song Changhe didn’t keep feeding him with good food and drinks, she really wouldn’t want to bother with someone like him—no education, full of crude language.
Xia Wanyang couldn’t be bothered with them. As long as they didn’t affect her, it was fine. When Li Jing saw what she was holding, she seemed to have realized the situation. Xia Wanyang could enjoy her own little perks again. The big pot meals really weren’t fit for people to eat, so if she didn’t eat, she didn’t have to cook. She could avoid it for a few days at least!
After riding the ox cart back to the team, Xia Wanyang’s bottom was nearly jolted into four parts. She couldn’t stand it anymore and had to get off halfway. It seemed like she would still need to go into the city during her break to figure out a way to get her bicycle back. Otherwise, going out to buy things was just too inconvenient!
Once the ox cart left, she had to walk back step by step. Thankfully, the road wasn’t far, but her leather shoes were really hurting her feet. It felt like her heels were being worn down, and every step sent a sharp pain through her.
Xia Wanyang regretted it deeply. If she had known, she would’ve rather stayed on the ox cart—at least she could squat if her bottom hurt. Now her feet were sore, and it was almost dark. She couldn’t walk quickly alone.
There was no choice but to grit her teeth, tiptoe, and slowly move forward, each step more painful than the last. But she couldn’t stop; she was afraid of running into danger after dark.
Zhang Shiye knew Xia Wanyang had gone out to mail a letter in the afternoon. He thought she’d return quickly, but by evening, she still hadn’t shown up. He started to worry, so he decided to go to the educated youth station to check if she had already come back. However, when he got there, he found that Xia Wanyang wasn’t there.
Zhang Shiye’s heart skipped a beat. He was afraid something had happened to her. He hurriedly followed the route she might have taken. About ten minutes later, he finally spotted her, limping as she struggled forward with a painful and helpless expression.
Zhang Shiye rushed over and caught her, also taking the things from her hands. “What happened? Why did you walk back?”
He looked her up and down, relieved when he saw she wasn’t injured.
Xia Wanyang pouted, feeling wronged. “The ox cart was too bumpy, so I got off. I thought I could walk back, but my shoes rubbed my feet raw!”
Zhang Shiye’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly picked her up and took a few steps forward, spotting a large stone. Gently, he placed her on it, then carefully removed her little leather shoes to examine her feet.
Her feet were so small, smaller than his palm. They looked like exquisite pieces of jade, pale and delicate, making one want to touch them.
However, Zhang Shiye wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the beauty. He carefully cradled her foot, as if holding a precious treasure. When his gaze fell on the raw heel wound, an indescribable pain surged in his heart.
The wound was still bleeding, and there seemed to be a thin layer of blood oil mixed in with the blood, clinging to the injury.
Zhang Shiye quickly lifted her foot and placed it gently on his lap. Then, he bent down and softly blew on the injured spot with his warm lips.
“Does it feel better? Let me take you to the clinic to clean it, okay?” Zhang Shiye asked, furrowing his brows.
Xia Wanyang shook her head, her voice trembling with a hint of crying. “I have iodine at home. I’ll just clean it myself when I get back. I don’t want to go to the clinic. It’ll hurt too much if the doctor does it.”
Zhang Shiye smiled and lightly tapped her foot. “Spoiled brat!”
Xia Wanyang was about to get angry when Zhang Shiye squatted down in front of her, grabbed her arm, and with one strong move, securely carried her on his back.
As he adjusted her, he glanced back at her. “Don’t wear leather shoes tomorrow. The roads in the countryside are rough.”
Xia Wanyang grumbled, “But leather shoes look good with a dress!”
Zhang Shiye sighed helplessly. “No matter what you wear, you look good. You’re beautiful, so even in a burlap sack, you’d look good!”
Every woman loves to hear compliments, especially from her partner. Instantly, Xia Wanyang felt as though she had eaten honey, twisting and turning in his back as she teased, “Hehe, what can I do? I was born beautiful. I’m troubled by how good-looking I am!”
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