Chapter 36 Stepping on Fu Wenli’s Tail

Ming Leyao’s heart was pounding like thunder, her mind completely blank. Oh my god, how had she never realized before that she had the potential to be a “sexy woman”? Now she finally understood what it felt like when women in past lives screamed to slide down a man’s abs… because… she wanted to do that too!!

Originally, Fu Wencheng had some small schemes in mind, but suddenly being stared at like that, no matter how thick-skinned he was, he felt embarrassed and couldn’t help but say,
“You… got up…”
“Ah…” Damn it, how humiliating!

Ming Leyao screamed and spun around, rushing back into her room, completely missing Fu Wencheng’s gentle hand gesture and the loving tenderness in his eyes.

Helpless, she went back inside to put on her clothes. Fu Wencheng, worried his delicate little lady might get hungry, busied himself in the kitchen for about an hour. Afraid Ming Leyao would feel awkward facing him, he carefully prepared a bowl of porridge, a stack of small side dishes, two boiled eggs, and a beautifully steamed flower roll.

“Leyao… I left breakfast outside your door. Remember to eat it.”

After placing it there, Fu Wencheng hid outside the door. Not long after, Ming Leyao opened her door, stretched out a fair, slender arm, quickly took the breakfast inside, and shut the door.

Eating is what matters, eating is what matters.

Relieved, Fu Wencheng returned to the kitchen to eat his own breakfast. After finishing, he tidied up the kitchen, then thoughtfully retreated back to his own room.

Hearing the movement, Ming Leyao opened her door and came out, breathing a sigh of relief. She took her bowl to the kitchen and found it cleaned and organized. This made her like Fu Wencheng even more.

Having seen many modern men who couldn’t carry or lift a thing, a man who was capable, considerate, and made her feel safe was inexplicably appealing.

She still had classes that morning. After washing her dishes and picking up her books, she headed to school.

At this time, Liu Qiushuang hadn’t finished morning classes, so Ming Leyao still had time to prepare.

Fang Xian had already cleaned the courtyard and repaired the broken desks and chairs. When he got back to the office and saw Ming Leyao, he greeted her kindly.

“Good morning, Teacher Ming.”

“Good morning, Teacher Fang. Thank you for coming early to help with these chores.”

“This work is easier than going to the fields, not too troublesome,” Fang Xian waved it off casually.

“Has the situation with the educated youth been resolved?”

“Not yet. The competition this year is fierce, and the brigade headquarters hasn’t finalized the list.”

Ming Leyao nodded knowingly. This was normal. It was 1977, and in a few years, policies would open up so all educated youth could return to the city. Then they’d realize the opportunities they had fought so hard for back then weren’t really any kind of advantage.

“Teacher Fang, I remember you graduated from high school?”

“Yes, I graduated early. But family pressure was too great, so I didn’t continue studying.”

“Have you ever thought about advancing further?”

“Given the situation now, even if I dared to dream, others would call it wishful thinking.”

“Teacher Fang, I think people should have ideals. Our country won’t stay like this forever. It’s gradually getting better, and some opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.”

Ming Leyao didn’t mention the possibility of reopening the college entrance exam. She wasn’t usually one to meddle, but said this because Fang Xian was a good person—kind, gentle, and uncompetitive.

“I understand, Teacher Ming.”

Their relationship wasn’t deep, so the conversation naturally ended there.

After classes finished that morning, Ming Leyao walked home slowly—not because she wanted to, but because there was a certain man at home who made her inexplicably reluctant to face him.

No matter how slow you walk, eventually you reach your destination.

Ming Leyao kept repeating this to herself. This was her home; she’d only seen the man’s upper body, not the lower half. The man wasn’t embarrassed, so why should she be?

Whether it was self-convincing or not, when she got to the gate, Ming Leyao had no way out but to reach out and push the gate open.

Her hand barely touched the door when she heard someone calling her.

“Comrade Ming.”

She turned to look at the person. Ming Leyao furrowed her brows slightly.

The man before her wore patched but fairly clean clothes. His eyebrows and eyes resembled Fu Wencheng’s somewhat, but his aura was gentle yet carried a hint of arrogance and disdain. Though it was rare, Ming Leyao was very sensitive to others’ emotions and immediately sensed it.

“Who are you?”

“I am Fu Wencheng’s elder brother, Fu Wenli. There have long been rumors in the production team that Comrade Ming is bright, graceful, and learned. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time but never had the chance. May I have the honor of getting to know you?”

He spoke politely and smoothly, his tone gentle, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. Did he really think Ming Leyao was some naive young girl who could be fooled by him? Hah. Where did this man get his confidence?

“No.”

Fu Wenli hadn’t expected Ming Leyao to refuse. His well-prepared words got stuck in his throat, making him look a bit ridiculous.

Ming Leyao didn’t think the elders or villagers in the production team would describe her as bright and graceful. More likely they’d say this girl was handsome, good-looking, pretty, simple, and down-to-earth—traits fitting the local people.

“Comrade Ming, I suppose you’re not well-informed about our family’s situation. Do you really think that by linking yourself with Fu Wencheng, you can live a good life in Shangjia Bridge Brigade? He’s nothing but a poor loser abandoned by his family.”

“Oh? Comrade Fu Wenli, are you no longer planning to keep up your refined and cultured act? Also, who told you that a woman must rely on a man to live a good life? Though I live alone now, I have a proper job, no worries about food or drink, and I’m living a very comfortable life — and none of it has anything to do with a man. Even the top leaders have said that women hold up half the sky. Or… does Comrade Fu Wenli take issue with the words of our great leaders?”

That kind of accusation — who would dare to argue once a hat like that was thrown on their head?

“Heh, Comrade Ming really does have a sharp tongue. Yes, your current life is indeed quite decent. But I wonder… if that peace were disrupted, would you still be so calm?”

“What’s it got to do with you?”

“You… you really are just like my younger brother, blind to the situation. Do you believe that after tomorrow, the whole production team won’t be spreading rumors about us? And if I say a few more things, your reputation…”

“Same rice raises a hundred kinds of people. Even if you and Fu Wencheng share the same surname, I still think you’re not half the man he is.”

That line hit Fu Wenli right where it hurt.

The thing he cared most about in life was his reputation. He always believed his family was like a dragon stranded in shallow waters, just waiting for the day they could soar out of the mountain ravines. So he looked down on the people in the production team, always thinking himself superior.

Especially when it came to Fu Wencheng — the one he blamed for the downfall of their family — he held nothing but contempt.

Yet now, the person he looked down on the most had achieved the one thing he himself had dreamed of his whole life: flying out of the mountain valley, becoming a king of soldiers in the military, and rising to the prestigious position of regiment commander.

It was easy to imagine just how intense his jealousy and bitterness must be.