Chapter 38: I Hate You to Death

Shen Jiaojiao felt that this space was tailor-made for her!

It was specifically designed to make up for her shortcomings.

Earlier, when she was adding ribs, she had accidentally put in too many, so the portion ended up being particularly large.

However, she had a small appetite and felt full after eating three or four pieces.

There were still plenty of sweet and sour ribs left, and Shen Jiaojiao really wanted to give them to Xu Mo.

So, she decided to bring them to Xu Mo when she went to the small grove in the evening.

After eating, Shen Jiaojiao was covered in sweat.

In an era without fans or air conditioning, summer was truly unbearable.

She picked up a fan and kept fanning herself.

At this time, the educated youths were gradually returning from work to prepare their noon meals.

Voices of conversation and the sound of returning footsteps echoed outside the courtyard.

Immediately after, the clattering of pots and pans could be heard.

Ye Huan had spent the entire morning carrying buckets of manure and was now utterly exhausted, her body drenched in sweat.

Moreover, she smelled so bad that people avoided her.

Even Huang Honghong covered her mouth, looking as if she was about to vomit.

Ye Huan felt extremely wronged.

Before being sent to the countryside, she had at least been a decently good-looking girl. But now? Her skin had been tanned dark, she had lost weight, and apart from her facial features remaining the same, everything else felt miserable.

When Ye Huan returned to the dormitory after finishing work, she initially wanted to lie down.

But the dormitory was stiflingly hot, making it impossible for her to do so.

She stood there weakly.

Most of the other educated youths had already started cooking, but her stove remained cold and unused.

She was now partnered with Huang Honghong for meals.

Since she didn’t have a pot, the entire task of cooking fell solely on her.

Meanwhile, Huang Honghong only ate and didn’t care about anything else.

“Ye Huan, why did you come back so late? Hurry up and cook! I still want to eat and take a nap afterward.”

Huang Honghong had probably just washed her face outside, as her face was still wet.

When she walked in and saw Ye Huan standing in a daze inside the bedroom, she couldn’t help feeling dissatisfied.

However, she didn’t show it on her face.

Ye Huan looked at Huang Honghong weakly.

“Honghong, can you cook just this once today? I’m really too exhausted.”

Huang Honghong immediately rejected the idea.

“That won’t do. You agreed to this from the start. You wanted to partner with me for meals, and I said you could use my pots and bowls as much as you like, but in return, you have to cook and wash the dishes.

If you don’t want to do it, then I won’t partner with you anymore. There are plenty of people willing to cook for me.”

Ye Huan instantly deflated.

That’s right!

Huang Honghong was flirtatious and charming, so naturally, many men were eager to cook for her.

Back then, it was Ye Huan who had begged Huang Honghong to team up with her. The condition was that she would take care of cooking and washing the dishes.

Accepting her fate, Ye Huan picked up the pot and headed to the makeshift stove outside to start cooking.

However, when she needed water, she suddenly realized that the water jar was empty.

Fetching water meant either carrying it in buckets or hauling it from the well.

In this sweltering heat, she really didn’t want to move.

“Honghong, can you fetch a bucket of water for me?”

Ye Huan turned her pleading gaze to Huang Honghong again.

“Aiya! I’d love to help you, but I just got my period. It’s really inconvenient! You’ll have to manage on your own, okay?”

Huang Honghong spoke delicately, turning her unwillingness to help into an excuse of inconvenience.

Naturally, Ye Huan couldn’t complain about her.

Realizing she couldn’t count on Huang Honghong, Ye Huan gave up hope.

She picked up a bucket and walked to the well to fetch water herself.

The bucket was large, and even with just half a bucket of water, it was already a struggle for her to carry.

Staggering as she carried it back, Ye Huan wasn’t paying attention and accidentally kicked a stone.

Her hand slipped, and the bucket fell to the ground, spilling water everywhere.

Losing her balance, she crashed to the ground in an embarrassing heap.

Dizziness overwhelmed her instantly, and half of her body went numb.

She lay there for a long time without moving, feeling incredibly lightheaded.

When she finally regained her senses, a sharp pain shot through her knees.

Sitting on the ground, she rolled up her pant legs and saw that both her knees had large patches of scraped skin.

Ye Huan immediately hugged her knees, burying her head in the crook of her arms as she sobbed.  

What kind of suffering was this?  

She had never needed to do any of this before.  

Back then, Shen Jiaojiao had taken care of her, allowing her to live as freely and recklessly as she pleased.  

But now? She had nothing.  

Shen Jiaojiao, this is all your fault. Everything is because of you.  

You spoiled me, made me used to a life of comfort, but why did you stop taking care of me?  

You’re truly horrible—I hate you to death.  

“Comrade, do you need help?”  

Just as Ye Huan was on the verge of breaking down, a gentle voice sounded.  

She lifted her head and saw a man standing beside her, slightly bent forward, his expression tinged with concern.  

The man was about 1.65 meters tall, with dark skin and a thin face.  

His eyes weren’t big, but they were bright and piercing.  

Ye Huan recognized him—he was part of the same group of educated youths sent to the countryside as her. His name was Chen Guangkun.  

He usually kept to himself and rarely interacted with others.  

Ye Huan had never spoken to him either.  

Back then, she had looked down on him, thinking he was ugly.  

But she hadn’t expected him to approach her today, showing concern. A warmth spread through her heart.  

Especially in moments like this—when she had no one to rely on—even a stranger’s small act of kindness could be remembered for a lifetime.  

And at this moment, Ye Huan felt exactly that.  

She even thought that he wasn’t all that ugly after all. In fact, there was a certain rugged handsomeness about him.  

An inexplicable urge to depend on him suddenly arose within her.  

Ye Huan tried to make her voice sound as delicate and sweet as possible, imitating the way Huang Honghong dealt with men.  

“My foot is injured. Can you help me fetch a bucket of water?”  

After all, while she wasn’t as beautiful as Huang Honghong, she was still considered rather delicate and pretty.  

Chen Guangkun glanced at Ye Huan’s exposed knees, his eyes flickering for a moment.  

Then, he quickly looked away, picked up the overturned bucket, and walked to the well to fetch a full bucket of water.  

Without saying much, he turned to Ye Huan and asked: “Can you still walk? Do you need me to help you?”  

Ye Huan shook her head and struggled to get up.  

“Thank you! I can walk on my own.”  

She was well aware of the situation.  

In this era, things weren’t easy for women.  

If she got a bad reputation, she wouldn’t be able to marry into a good family.  

Chen Guangkun’s gaze flickered again, but he didn’t say anything more. He simply carried the bucket of water and walked toward the educated youth dormitory.  

Ye Huan followed behind him but deliberately kept a distance.  

As she watched his thin frame, she felt a bit regretful.  

If only he were taller, if only he were stronger—then he’d be perfect.  

But height was a hard limitation. Unless he could be reborn, there was no way he could grow taller.  

When Ye Huan arrived at the dormitory, the bucket of water Chen Guangkun had fetched was already placed next to her stove.  

Without another word, he had already returned to the male dormitory.  

As she passed by, Ye Huan casually glanced inside.  

She happened to see Chen Guangkun taking off his shirt.  

Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly looked away.  

Suddenly, her previously gloomy mood lifted.  

Ye Huan no longer felt as tired.  

Even cooking in the sweltering heat seemed enjoyable now.