Chapter 54: Repairing the Reservoir, Fang Rou’s Outburst

After finishing the work on the cabbages and radishes in the fields, all farm tasks were finally completed. This meant that Hei Province had officially entered the winter break.

However, there was still one major task left in Hongqi Commune—the annual reservoir repair.

This job was extremely exhausting, especially in the winter. Every time people returned from it, they were so thin they looked like they had shed a layer of flesh. Fortunately, winter provided some time to recover. Otherwise, even the strongest men wouldn’t be able to endure it.

During this time, the atmosphere at the educated youth quarters was always heavy.

Every year, the educated youths had to participate in the reservoir repairs, all because of the mistakes of a certain predecessor, who had dragged everyone down with them.

But one person was an exception.

When Fang Mingyang announced that everyone had to go to repair the reservoir, Fang Rou casually threw out a shocking revelation.

She was going to be a teacher at the commune’s elementary school!

The moment this news came out, Qi Zhijun was completely stunned!

He stared at Fang Rou, who remained calm, and an unexplainable anger ignited in his heart.

Song Lanlan reacted with sarcasm, her words dripping with jealousy and insinuations that Fang Rou must have used improper means to secure this opportunity.

Fang Rou didn’t bother to tolerate her. She looked Song Lanlan straight in the eye and spoke just two words. Whatever she said scared Song Lanlan so much that her face turned pale, and she didn’t dare to say another word.

Fang Mingyang frowned. Although he didn’t say anything, his dissatisfaction was obvious. Unfortunately, Fang Rou wasn’t concerned in the slightest and ignored him completely.

Chen Erhong’s gaze was deep and thoughtful. She quietly observed her for a moment before lowering her head.

Hou Wei, on the other hand, was full of flattery, probing whether there were any other job openings and if he could get one.

Meanwhile, Liu Yan was seething with resentment, unable to understand why Fang Rou always managed to seize the good opportunities.

But when saw Qi Zhijun looking disappointed, she felt a surge of joy. This meant she would have more opportunities to spend time with him.

Zhang Xiaojun and Liu Daye were somewhat envious and jealous, but their greater concern was the upcoming reservoir repair. The older educated youths had warned them—it would be so grueling it would feel like shedding a layer of skin.

Cai Mingcheng, as always, remained unnoticed like a transparent figure, showing no reaction as he huddled by the stove to warm himself.

In the entire room, only the straightforward Qin Fangfang sincerely congratulated Fang Rou. Fang Rou smiled and thanked her in return.

That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Qi Zhijun sought out Fang Rou.

In the darkness, he couldn’t clearly see Fang Rou’s face, but he felt like she had changed.

“Xiao Rou, why didn’t you tell me about your job at the commune’s elementary school?!”

Could it really be like Liu Yan said? Was she afraid I’d take her spot?

Hearing his accusatory tone, Fang Rou found it amusing. What gave him the right to question her like this?

Still, she lowered her voice, speaking with a hint of grievance. “Did I even have a chance to tell you? You’re always with Liu Yan. It’s hard enough for me to talk to you in private. How could I announce something like this before it was confirmed?”

Her soft and aggrieved tone was like a gentle hand touching the most tender part of Qi Zhijun’s heart.

That’s right. He hadn’t spent time alone with Xiao Rou in so long. She never even had the chance to tell him.

His brows furrowed. “It’s all Liu Yan’s fault. She follows me everywhere and kept you from telling me. But it’s good that you’re going. Repairing the reservoir is too tough—I wouldn’t want you to go through that.”

A mocking smile tugged at Fang Rou’s lips. Blaming Liu Yan for clinging to him? If he really didn’t want her around, he could have pushed her away. But instead, he enjoyed Liu Yan’s admiration and flattery.

A pair of shameless people!

“As long as Zhijun-gege doesn’t blame me, that’s all that matters. Be careful when you go to the reservoir.”

That one sweet “Zhijun-gege” was enough to turn Qi Zhijun into a fool. In a moment of generosity, he even lent Fang Rou his bicycle so she could commute more conveniently.

Fang Rou happily agreed, calling out “Zhijun-gege” a few more times, making Qi Zhijun so delighted he could barely think straight.

After sending off the foolish Qi Zhijun, Fang Rou was suddenly stopped by a low female voice.

She turned around, amused by the timid, hesitant woman in front of her, but also slightly bored.

“How did you know?”

Song Lanlan shrank back, trying to appear fierce but failing miserably. Her first words already gave her away.

Fang Rou let out an elegant yawn. “How I found out isn’t important. All you need to know is that you can’t afford to provoke me. Stay out of my way, and you’ll be fine. Otherwise… hehe.”

Before Song Lanlan could react, Fang Rou turned around and entered her room, shutting the door behind her.

Left outside in the cold, Song Lanlan broke into a cold sweat. The biting wind sent a shiver through her as she slowly slid down against the wall.

From that night on, Song Lanlan remained silent for quite some time and never dared to stir up trouble with Fang Rou again.

Meanwhile, Ming Dai received news about the reservoir repair from Auntie Huang, who personally came to inform her. She also brought along two large burlap sacks filled with dried vegetables, as promised.

It was Auntie Huang’s first time visiting the small courtyard behind the educated youth quarters, and she was led there by Tiedan. They took the back entrance to get in.

Hearing the knock, Ming Dai was curious. When she opened the door and saw Auntie Huang, she quickly invited them inside.

Auntie Huang’s youngest son, Liu Laifa, carried the two large sacks of dried vegetables. With a shy smile, he asked where to put them. After setting them down, he turned and left immediately, not even giving Ming Dai a chance to stop him.

Auntie Huang pulled Ming Dai back. “Don’t mind him. He’s always been like a cat burying its poop—so sneaky that I sometimes wonder if I gave birth to a daughter instead of a son!”

Ming Dai couldn’t help but laugh at Auntie Huang’s analogy. She gave up trying to call Liu Laifa back and instead welcomed Auntie Huang, Tiedan, and Goudan inside.

Though it wasn’t their first time visiting, the two little boys were still a bit shy. They clung tightly to their grandmother’s clothes, nearly tripping her in the process.

“Get out, get out, get out! You little troublemakers! If you trip me and something happens, you’ll all be waiting for a funeral feast!”

Auntie Huang scolded as she took a good look around the small courtyard. It was truly well-kept. Just the two massive stacks of firewood alone—her whole family wouldn’t be able to chop that much, yet Xiao Ming, an educated youth, had managed to.

Stepping inside, she was even more surprised by how tidy and spotless the room was.

Their homes had heated brick beds, which inevitably led to smoke and soot accumulating everywhere. But to her astonishment, Xiao Ming’s room was so clean that she suddenly felt embarrassed to step in.

Ming Dai took a hot water kettle and three bowls from the cabinet. Noticing that Auntie Huang and the children were still standing awkwardly at the doorway, she quickly called out, “Auntie, come on, sit on the kang! Tiedan, Goudan, come here—Auntie has some treats for you.”

Auntie Huang hurriedly dusted herself off, then patted the dirt off the two little “mud monkeys.” When she saw Goudan’s nose running, she felt even more embarrassed. She instinctively reached out to wipe it on the wall, but just as she was about to, she hesitated. Xiao Ming’s walls were neatly covered with newspaper, spotless and well-kept—she couldn’t bring herself to ruin them.

Luckily, Ming Dai noticed in time. She grabbed some straw paper from the kang table and handed it over, solving Auntie Huang’s dilemma.

Ming Dai then reached out and lifted the five-year-old Goudan onto the kang, while motioning for Tiedan to climb up himself. An eight-year-old little rascal—she definitely couldn’t carry him.

Goudan, having been held by his Auntie Xiao Ming, suddenly realized that she smelled so nice. It was different from the scents of his mother or grandmother. Feeling shy, he sat up straight and proper, a stark contrast to how he normally rolled around all over the kang at home.

Tiedan also sat quietly at the edge, too reserved to climb all the way up.

Auntie Huang crumpled the used tissue and tossed it into a bamboo basket full of waste paper. She found it incredibly convenient and hygienic.

Taking another look around Ming Dai’s room, she noticed there wasn’t anything overly extravagant. The furniture was all old-fashioned, some even unfinished, showing the natural wood grain without any red lacquer. The only extra things were a few bamboo baskets and trays. Yet somehow, the space felt incredibly cozy and inviting.