Chapter 5: First Visit to the Song Family

I know, you’re doing this for your savior. It’s okay, I’m really picky about my food.” He Xiaoqian put her arm around her shoulder. She really didn’t mind.

“What are you going to eat tonight then? I have some sponge cake, do you want some?” They only had rice, so they couldn’t cook anything tonight.

“Yes, I have malted milk powder. Let’s have malted milk powder with sponge cake.”

“Okay.”

They borrowed hot water from Liu Fengjuan, and the two girls quickly finished their dinner.

“Should we go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things tomorrow?” He Xiaoqian asked.

“Of course. Let’s get up early tomorrow and take the village’s ox cart.” The village’s tractor was only used for farming. The usual mode of transportation was the ox cart. They only used the tractor today because they had to pick up the educated youths.

“Okay, I’ll come and call you tomorrow.”

“Okay, I want to go to the Song family later.”

“Go at night? Won’t it be awkward?” He Xiaoqian knew she was talking about Song Jingzhi’s home.

“But I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t go.”

“Then I’ll go with you.” After all, they had just arrived and were unfamiliar with the place. He Xiaoqian was worried.

“It’s not far. I can go by myself. I’ll tell you a secret, I know martial arts.” In her previous life, Tang Xiaoxiao had learned some self-defense skills because she was often approached by men due to her beauty.

“Can you boil some water for me later? I want to take a bath.” They hadn’t showered in two days and one night on the train. It was a bit sticky in this summer heat.

“Okay, be careful. Shout if anything happens.”

“Okay, I’ll shout loudly. Xiaoqian, come and save me.”

“Haha~” The two girls laughed together.

Because Tang Xiaoxiao was going to the Song family, He Xiaoqian went back to her room.

Tang Xiaoxiao took a can of milk powder and a fruit can from her space, put them in a cloth bag, and walked towards Song Jingzhi’s home.

It was still early evening, around 6 pm. The sun hadn’t set yet.

Song Jingzhi’s house and the village head’s house were the only two houses in the village with blue tiles. Song Jingzhi’s house was built with his allowance.

The village head’s eldest son worked at a shoe factory in the city, and his eldest daughter had also married in the city. These two families were considered the most well-off in the village.

Southern houses were different from northern houses. Southern rural houses rarely had courtyards. The front was a hall, and the rooms were on either side. If there were more rooms, they would be at the back. There were also rooms behind the hall.

There was usually a large flat area in front of the house, used for drying things. Song Jingzhi’s house was like this.

“Is this Comrade Song Jingzhi’s home?” The hall door was open. Tang Xiaoxiao called out to the house.

At that moment, a kind-faced woman emerged from the house. “Are you Comrade Tang?”

Tang Xiaoxiao, hearing the way she was addressed, knew that the village head must have told the Song family about her arrival.

“Yes, Auntie, hello! I’m here to see Comrade Song.”

“Oh, what are you looking at? You even came all the way here to the countryside for him.” Song’s mother held her hand and said.

“Cui’e, ask Comrade Tang if she’s eaten.” Song’s father’s voice came from the kitchen next door.

“Uncle, I’ve eaten.” She walked to the kitchen door and greeted Song’s father.

“You really have? If you haven’t, you won’t be able to sleep at night.” Song’s mother said with a smile.

“I have, I really have.” Tang Xiaoxiao was surprised by the warmth of Song’s father and mother.

“Alright, Cui’e, take Comrade Tang to see Jingzhi.” Song’s father’s face was filled with the simplicity of a farmer.

“Okay, Comrade Tang, come with me. Jingzhi is in the east room.” Song’s mother led Tang Xiaoxiao to the door of the east room.

“Comrade Tang, you can go in by yourself. He knows you’re coming. If I don’t let you see him, I’m afraid he’ll scold me.” Song’s mother said softly.

“…” These parents were the opposite in front of their son?

Tang Xiaoxiao pushed open the door and walked in.

“Comrade Song Jingzhi.” She looked at the man leaning against the bed, momentarily stunned.

Song Jingzhi was so handsome? Under his strong and perfect features were a pair of deep, dark eyes. He was definitely a heartthrob, as they say on TV in her previous life.

In her previous life, she had seen him covered in dust during the rescue efforts. She only knew that he was generally good-looking.

Later, she saw him in the footage, thin and haggard. Later, when he was repairing shoes, he always wore a hat and had grown a beard.

“Mother, what are you doing? Letting a woman be alone in my room?” Song Jingzhi shouted towards the door.

“You’re lying down and can’t move. I didn’t close the door. What are you getting excited about?” Song’s mother appeared at the door.

“Comrade Tang, don’t mind him.” Song’s mother held a teacup in her hand. “This is our local pounded tea. Try it.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Tang Xiaoxiao placed the cloth bag on the table and took the teacup with both hands.

“It’s delicious.” Seeing Song’s mother looking at her, she took a sip.

It was indeed much better than the pounded tea she had drunk later in her previous life when she was older. This was the real deal.

“It’s good, it’s good.” Song’s mother said with a smile, preparing to leave the room.

“Mother, where are you going again?” Song Jingzhi leaned against the bed. If he could move, he would have gotten up and pulled Song’s mother back.

“I’m going to eat. Where else would I go? The door isn’t closed.” Song’s mother rolled her eyes at him. He was really enough, he couldn’t even eat in peace.

“Are you so unwelcome to me?” Tang Xiaoxiao put down her teacup and looked at Song Jingzhi on the bed.

“A man and a woman alone in a room, people will talk.”

If this were Tang Xiaoxiao at 18 in her previous life, she might have had this concern. But now, the body belonged to Tang Xiaoxiao, who had lived to 80 in her previous life and had seen the world.

“I’m a girl, I’m not afraid, what are you afraid of?” Until now, Song Jingzhi hadn’t looked directly at Tang Xiaoxiao.

“Am I so ugly? You don’t even look at me.” She moved a chair and sat in front of him.

“You shouldn’t have come. Saving you was my duty. I would have saved anyone.” Song Jingzhi finally looked at her.

He saw that the girl was blinking at him with wide eyes. Song Jingzhi immediately turned his head away.

Tang Xiaoxiao saw his ears turn red quickly. She smiled, he was quite innocent.

“You’re being polite to me now? Back then, I called you brother, and you even responded.”

“I, I was, I was doing it because of the situation. I was trying to calm you down.” When he was in Xushan, he knew the girl was beautiful.

He knew that the girl was not only beautiful but also bold, directly coming to his hometown to be an educated youth.

“Then you still pressed me down.” Tang Xiaoxiao saw that he was stuttering and suddenly felt like teasing him.

“I was trying to save you, I…”

“Pfft~”

He was anxiously explaining when he heard her laughter and looked over.

The girl had two small dimples on her face, which were incredibly cute. Then he realized that she was deliberately teasing him.

“Ahem.” He coughed lightly. “Since you could think of a way to come here, you should be able to think of a way to go where you should go. Or, where were you supposed to go? I’ll help you figure it out.”

Looking at the girl’s clothes, her family must be well-off. If all else fails, he could go to the leader and plead for her. She could definitely go to a better place.