Chapter 40: He Liked Shen Jiaojiao

Shen Jiaojiao’s hands and feet felt weak at this moment.

She quickly put on her pants and walked out of the restroom.

Looking around, there was no one in sight.

And she couldn’t possibly make this matter public.

If this incident were to spread, those who enjoyed watching the spectacle would either think she had seduced the man or claim that her purity had already been ruined by the voyeur.

From then on, whenever she walked through the village, she would undoubtedly become the target of everyone’s condemnation.

Even though it was obvious that Shen Jiaojiao was the one who had suffered in this situation, this era was simply too unfriendly to women.

Just like those two people in the cornfield yesterday.

It was said that Aunt Wang’s daughter-in-law had been severely beaten by Aunt Wang, beaten nearly to death before being sent back to her parents’ home.

As for that butcher, although he had been taught a lesson by the villagers, he wasn’t greatly affected.

He still went to work as usual, and from time to time, there were even lecherous men gathered around him, asking about Aunt Wang’s daughter-in-law.

“How was her figure?”

“Did she moan loudly? Was she wild?”

Sigh!

The ones who made mistakes were both men and women, yet in the end, it was always the women who suffered the most.

Shen Jiaojiao circled around the educated youth dormitory, but she still didn’t find any trace of the voyeur.

Disheartened, she returned to her room.

She recalled the shocking moment from earlier.

She was certain that she had already pulled up her pants before that eye had pressed against the gap.

So she could also be sure that no one had actually seen anything.

Thinking of this, she felt a little better.

However, what she couldn’t figure out was—

In this era, the crime of hooliganism was a serious matter.

If someone was confirmed to have acted indecently, they would be sent to the Public Security Bureau.

They might even be sent to a farm for reformation.

Who would have the audacity to do such a thing?

Was it an educated youth? Or a commune member?

Shen Jiaojiao recalled her past life—this incident had never happened at all.

In this life, the trajectory of events had changed because of her rebirth.

As a result, many things had undergone a butterfly effect and would no longer follow their original course.

She slammed her fist onto the wooden bedboard, making a loud bang echo through the room.

Gritting her teeth, she spat out: “Damn pervert! I will definitely catch you.”

Xu Mo had been absent-minded all day.

His mind was filled with Shen Jiaojiao’s words—tonight at nine, she would wait for him in the small forest.

Such a specific time, such a specific place—just thinking about it made his mind flood with heart-racing, blush-inducing images.

To his surprise, he was actually looking forward to meeting her in the forest that night.

When Xu Mo realized this, he could no longer deceive himself.

It seemed… he had fallen for Shen Jiaojiao.

The thought was almost unbelievable.

After all, he had disliked Shen Jiaojiao before.

Yet, in just half a month, his feelings had changed from dislike to affection.

And not just any kind of affection—it was the kind where, if he didn’t see her for even a day, he would miss her terribly.

Lost in thoughts of Shen Jiaojiao, Xu Mo ended up cutting his own hand.

And not just a small cut—it was a deep one, with blood gushing out.

Liu Xiaolan was harvesting wheat right beside him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xu Mo clutching his hand, bright red blood dripping continuously onto the ground.

The wheat at his feet was quickly stained crimson.

“Oh no! Old Third, you cut your hand! Let me see!”

Liu Xiaolan immediately dropped her sickle and the wheat she had been holding.

She hurried over to Xu Mo’s side.

“It’s nothing.” Xu Mo muttered, keeping his hand tightly covered, unwilling to let Liu Xiaolan see.

But Liu Xiaolan’s temper flared.

She grabbed Xu Mo’s arm and forcefully pried his injured hand open.

The sight made her gasp—his left index finger had a huge chunk of flesh sliced off, exposing pale bone beneath.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe the wound as a bloody, mangled mess.

Liu Xiaolan frowned. “You troublesome brat, how did you even manage to cut your hand? What on earth are you thinking about all day?”

She was furious.

“Hurry back and use some wood ash from the stove to stop the bleeding. Don’t come back to work this afternoon.”

Xu Mo thought his mother was making a big deal out of nothing. He pulled his hand away from Liu Xiaolan’s grip.

“Mother, I’m fine.”

He reached for the sickle, intending to continue harvesting the wheat.

Liu Xiaolan kicked him squarely on the backside.

“Get lost and go home! You never let me have a moment’s peace! If you dare show up to work this afternoon, I’ll break your legs myself!”

She wasn’t joking.

Whenever Liu Xiaolan got angry, no one in the family dared to disobey her.

Xu Mo pressed his lips together, grabbed the sickle, and turned to leave.

Liu Xiaolan watched his retreating figure and let out a frustrated sigh.

This Old Third—wasn’t he just about to get married?

Did he really have to be this absentminded over it?

Sigh!

She was truly worried that if Jiaojiao didn’t marry into the family soon, Xu Mo’s troubles wouldn’t just stop at cutting his hand.

On his way back, Xu Mo spotted a woman standing beneath a large tree.

She was dressed in clean, white clothing, and her hair was styled into two neat braids. It was clear that she had taken great care with her appearance.

The moment she saw Xu Mo, her once calm expression lit up with joy.

She ran toward him with a bright smile.

“Xu Mo, I was just about to look for you.”

Xia Tiantian stopped in front of him, and the first thing she noticed was his injured finger.

“Xu Mo, what happened to your hand?”

Xia Tiantian’s face paled in shock, her expression filled with concern.

She instinctively reached out, wanting to hold Xu Mo’s injured hand.

Xu Mo, however, avoided her touch with clear disgust.

Without saying a word, he stepped around Xia Tiantian, intending to leave.

Xia Tiantian froze, unable to comprehend why Xu Mo was treating her so coldly.

Unwilling to give up, she quickly stepped forward again, blocking his path.

“Xu Mo, do you not recognize me? I’m Xia Tiantian! We almost got married before.”

“Move.” Xu Mo said coldly, unwilling to waste another word on her.

“Xu Mo, I know you’re still mad at me. It was my fault for breaking off the engagement last time, but I’ve thought it through now. My family has also agreed to accept you. But… my parents said you would have to marry into my family instead. Xu Mo, aren’t you happy? I’m finally going to be your wife.”

Xu Mo had always been straightforward when dealing with people.

If he liked someone, he would treat them with wholehearted devotion.

But if he despised someone, he would never allow them to have anything to do with him.

Just like now.

He looked at Xia Tiantian and said: “I will never marry you. In fact, I’m about to get married soon. Stop bothering me.”

With that, he stepped around her once more and walked away.

Xia Tiantian stood frozen in place, struggling to process what he had just said.

Wait.

Did he say he was getting married?

Ha!

How was that possible?!

His family was so poor, and he was cold and unapproachable. Aside from his muscular build, he had no redeeming qualities.

What kind of girl would be willing to marry him?

Xia Tiantian scoffed. Xu Mo had to be joking.