Chapter 15: The more friends, the more paths you have.

Zhao Ke knew how heavy her hand was and awkwardly asked, “How’s your arm?”

“It’s fine.” Fu Hang lightly gripped his arm and spoke in his usual tone. “Did I scare you? Sorry, I heard you talking with Zhuang Zhiqing, so I planned to quietly follow and send you back.”

Zhao Ke politely replied, “Thank you, but you can just talk to me directly.”

Fu Hang said, “We’re not familiar, and if I suddenly offered to escort you, you might feel uncomfortable.”

After saying that, he added, “I’m only doing this out of courtesy. If it were someone else today, I would have done the same, but I didn’t consider things thoroughly, sorry.”

Being cold towards others has its limits, but helping the vulnerable has warmth.

He apologized twice more, and Zhao Ke couldn’t really blame him. 

Besides, she had hurt an innocent person and felt a little guilty, so she said to Fu Hang, “My house is nearby, Fu Zhiqing. Wait for a moment, and I’ll bring you a bottle of medicinal oil.”

Fu Hang politely refused, “It’s not serious.”

Zhao Ke insisted, “Whether it’s serious or not, you still need it.”

Zhao Ke jogged home, grabbed a bottle of red flower oil from her drawer, and jogged back.

Fu Hang patiently waited at the spot.

Zhao Ke handed him the oil.

Fu Hang thanked her.

Zhao Ke apologized again for hitting him earlier, and to avoid endless pleasantries, she quickly said goodbye and parted ways.

Fu Hang watched her safely reach home before returning to the educated youth point.

Zhao Feng was standing at the door of his room, waiting. When he saw Zhao Ke return, he asked, “Er Jie, you kept going in and out just now. What were you doing?”

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Zhao Feng answered, “I was waiting for you.”

Zhao Ke yawned and directly gave instructions: “Make sure to get more water ready in the morning.”

Zhao Feng agreed, attentively saying, “You should sleep quickly, I’ll handle the work, I know what to do.”

By the time Zhao Ke closed her door, Zhao Feng had no idea what she was doing, and he even forgot what he had asked her earlier.

But Zhao Feng was quite perceptive. By the time Zhao Ke woke up the next morning, he had already prepared water, sat in the yard washing the bedding and clothes for father and son, and even boiled hot water specifically for her.

“Er Jie, you’re up! Go wash your face, I’ll bring you your food.”

After Zhao Ke finished washing up, she ate in the kitchen while Zhao Feng continued to clean both inside and outside the house.

Zhao Ke spent an hour and a half hand-washing clothes, while Zhao Feng moved from the inner room to the main hall, cleaning every corner and cranny until everything was spotless.

When Zhao Ke grabbed the broom, Zhao Feng stopped her. “Er Jie, you only need to tidy up your own room.”

Zhao Ke didn’t feel embarrassed; she was just that useless of an older sister.

So, by the end of the day, Zhao Feng, full of energy, took on every chore, leaving no task undone.

Zhao Ke… just idled away and ate.

When the younger brother is well-trained, the older sister has no worries.

In the evening, the ever-curious Zhao Yunyun came to Zhao Ke’s house again. This time, she didn’t ask Zhao Ke for any information.

“This Zhuang Zhiqing wins the children’s hearts more than that Hu guy, and she puts a lot of effort into her lessons, but I think none of them are as good as you.”

“Zhuang Zhiqing is teaching according to my eldest sister’s lesson plans. How much of a difference could there be?” Zhao Ke thought she was looking at it through a biased lens.

“No, it’s just…,” Zhao Yunyun struggled to find the right words, and after a while, she clapped her hands and said, “You’re more relaxed, it’s more pleasant to listen to.”

Zhao Ke didn’t want to be humble and thought for a moment—perhaps that was true.

The novel didn’t include the part about voting for a teacher. Eldest sister Zhao Mian was dating Li Dasheng and continued teaching as usual. Half a year later, she married into the Li Village production team, leaving the teacher position vacant, which was immediately filled by Hu Hezhi.

At this point, Zhuang Lan was still actively working to integrate into the production team, unaware of how strong the team’s exclusionary attitude was.

Each person’s decisions and developments were based on the choices they made at the time.

Zhao Ke was different. She knew that the college entrance exams would be restored, so she was definitely more at ease.

“You’ll definitely be chosen,” Zhao Yunyun said confidently, excitedly continuing, “Today everyone praised you, saying you’re calm and smart, knowledgeable and generous…”

If she kept going, Zhao Ke would start to get carried away, so she interrupted, “Did anyone lose something?”

Zhao Yunyun hesitated for a second, then caught up with the conversation, “Everyone said nothing was lost, maybe Chen San’er went out yesterday and didn’t steal anything?”

Chen San’er was very slippery. He’d always steal small things, but never anything major, and never from the production team. It was unclear why, in the novel, he was accused of “harassing” female educated youth.

Could it be because of love?

The fleeting thought made Zhao Ke shiver, and she couldn’t bear it, shaking herself before quickly changing the topic.

Zhao Yunyun was also going mushroom picking with them the next day, so she stayed the night at Zhao Ke’s place.

The next day, the three of them each carried a basket and set off.

Leaving the village eastward from her house, in just a few minutes, they encountered several village girls who wanted to join them in gathering wild vegetables. Even half a mile outside the village, there were more people catching up with them.

There was definitely a big mouth.

Zhao Ke glanced at Zhao Yunyun, who avoided her gaze.

A girl with an egg-shaped face and delicate brows noticed the silent exchange between the two. She raised an eyebrow and pinched her waist, saying, “What’s going on? You don’t want to take us along anymore? If you don’t, we’re not voting for you the day after tomorrow!”

“Ping Jie, how could that be?” Zhao Ke begged for mercy, trying to make the girls happy. “We’re so good to you, if you don’t vote for me, who will you vote for? If it’s someone else, I’ll have to go to your house and block the door.”

The girls laughed and teased, “Then come and block us~”

“Block, block, block, not a single one will escape.”

A group of unmarried young girls chattered and laughed, while the only man, Zhao Feng, walked on the side of the road, feeling incredibly awkward, his expression always blank.

He didn’t want it to be like this, but they kept discussing him—

“Zhao Ke, did you hit your brother again?”

“Xiaofeng is quite handsome, but his brain doesn’t work so well.”

“It doesn’t matter if his brain isn’t working, in our production team, if you’re big and strong, you won’t have trouble finding a partner.”

“How could that work? If he gets hit too much, he’ll get dumber…”

Zhao Feng: “…”

So, why did he like Zhuang Zhiqing? Because the village girls completely ruined any romantic fantasy he had.

They didn’t treat him as a young man approaching adulthood and marriage. Instead, they directly spoke to him as if he were a joke.

Zhao Feng sighed deeply.

That day, Zhao Ke and the others chatted and gathered wild vegetables, even playing around with fish by the river, visibly enjoying themselves.

Meanwhile, Zhao Feng, aside from being teased, was completely on the sidelines, nothing more than a tool. He was more exhausted than when he did the big cleaning yesterday.

Finally, when they were heading back, Zhao Ke nudged his arm, not even looking at him, and ordered, “You carry the fish bucket.”

Zhao Feng could barely wait to get home, wishing he could get there in two steps and lie down. He smiled widely and said, “Alright, give me the fishing net too.”

He certainly didn’t seem very bright.

They first returned to Zhao Ke’s house to divide the fish.

The fish weren’t big, the largest barely a handful long, and there were few of them—most were about the size of half a palm, with the smallest ones thrown back into the river.

They divided the fish evenly, then went home, making sure to give two or three fish to the neighbors to taste.

Zhao Ke had always done this since she was young, sharing fruits and wild vegetables. Anything she gathered, she’d share, and if someone didn’t get any this time, they would next time. She made sure everyone was treated fairly and managed the social obligations with great skill.

As a result, almost no one in the production team had any issues with their foraging in the mountains and rivers. By now, it had become routine.

However, Zhao Ke didn’t know that after leaving Zhao Ke’s house, Zhao Yunyun and several of the girls stayed behind and whispered together for a while. When they delivered fish to the neighbors, Zhao Ke’s name was mentioned here and there, but they didn’t leave anything for themselves.

Zhao Ke had to go to the commune today and was busy at home.

She planned to stay at her elder sister’s dormitory for the night and pick Zhao Mian up early the next morning to save time.

For the fish, mushrooms, and wild vegetables, she left enough for a meal at home and packed the rest, tying them to the bike seat. She even boiled the eggs that Accountant Niu had given her and planned to take those to the commune as well.

Upon arriving at the commune, Zhao Ke first delivered the fish and wild vegetables to Xiao Wen and a few of the older sisters in the canteen.

Everyone’s living conditions were poor, and resources were scarce. No one minded the rural goods. Zhao Ke was so generous, and naturally, the older sisters were warm toward her.

They told Zhao Ke about Zhao Mian’s situation at the factory and assured her they would take good care of her sister. The closest one, Cui Da Jie, even wanted to give Zhao Ke something from her home as a return gift.

Zhao Ke declined, but after some insistence, she accepted it. “I live in the countryside. If I get anything else, I’ll bring it to you next time I come to the commune.”

“You can’t always accept things for free. I’ll pay for it,” Cui Da Jie said, and after thinking it over, she added, “I trust you. I’m not afraid to tell you—my sister-in-law is in the county. Without a ticket, nothing’s available. She’s afraid to go to the black market, but if I buy from you, how does that sound?”

Zhao Ke hadn’t planned to get involved in that kind of business, but she had no reason to refuse the potential for income. She thought for a moment before saying, “We’re just using it for ourselves. If I can help you out, I will. If anyone finds out, it’s still reasonable. But if it’s too much, I can’t do it.”

Cui Da Jie understood. “I trust you, but I wouldn’t say anything to anyone else. I can’t joke with my own job.”

“Then, if you need anything, just let my sister know in advance. I’ll help you get what I can.”

“Don’t wait. Next time you come, can you get me a basket of eggs? My sister-in-law just had a baby and needs to eat eggs.”

It wasn’t even egg-laying season yet, and eggs were hard to come by, not just in the county but even in the commune. However, Cui Da Jie was confident Zhao Ke could get them, so she took 50 cents from her pocket and handed it to Zhao Ke. “I’ll pay you what they cost in the commune. This is a down payment.”

There was no such thing as a buyer insisting on a deal. Zhao Ke couldn’t help but laugh and said, “I’ll check when I get home and come back on Sunday.”

“Alright.”

After leaving Cui Da Jie’s house, Zhao Ke rode straight to the factory dormitory, where Zhao Mian was already waiting.

She took the boiled eggs, and there were still some mushrooms on the bike. “These mushrooms, Jie, you can give them to whoever you want. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Zhao Mian helped with the bike and asked, “It’s so late. Have you eaten? I saved some food for you in the dormitory.”

“I’ll eat when I get back.”

A few minutes later, at Master Yu’s dormitory—

Zhao Ke took the boiled eggs from her bag and handed them over with a smile, “Master Yu, I boiled these at home, using eggs from our own chickens. Please keep them.”

“What’s this for?” Master Yu was initially happy to see her but quickly straightened his face. “I can’t take your things. Take them back and share them with your family.”

Zhao Ke grinned, “I’m just bribing you in advance.”

Master Yu, annoyed, said, “I don’t need your bribe to take care of Zhao Mian. She’s much more hardworking than you.”

“Of course, she’s my sister,” Zhao Ke said proudly. “But I’m not bribing you for that. I just want your help when the male workers at the factory start pursuing her.”

Master Yu thought of Zhao Mian’s pretty and gentle appearance. “She definitely needs some protection.”

“Please just accept it. If you don’t, I’ll feel bad bothering you.”

Master Yu didn’t refuse this time and instead invited Zhao Ke to have some meat sauce noodles. “My husband brought this meat sauce from the city. It tastes great. When my son comes over in a few days, I’ll have him bring more. You can take some home to your parents to try.”

“Then I’ll have to shamelessly try some first,” Zhao Ke said without hesitation, casually asking how long Master Yu’s son would stay, wondering what kind of return gift she could bring when the time came.

The meat sauce noodles were indeed very delicious, and Zhao Ke had two bowls, feeling quite satisfied.

“Isn’t it cramped at your sister’s dorm? You can stay here with me,” Master Yu suggested.

Master Yu’s single room had a bunk bed, with the upper bunk empty.

It would definitely be more comfortable for each person to have their own bed, but the upper bunk had a blanket rolled up, probably for her family when they visited. Zhao Ke, being considerate, politely declined the offer.

Since she had already had a meal at Master Yu’s, the food Zhao Mian made could only be taken home to eat.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, the two sisters set off.

They alternated riding the bike, with one person sitting on the seat. The pace wasn’t fast, and halfway there, a postal worker caught up with them.

“Zhao Ke?”

Zhao Ke smiled and greeted, “Are you heading to the countryside?”

The postal worker was happy to see her too. “I have to run errands to several places today, and I’ve got a package for your production team. Could you take it for me?”

Zhao Ke had helped the production team collect letters before, so she stretched out her hand. “Sure, give it to me.”

The postal worker stopped his bike, pulled out a large package from a green cloth bag, and handed it to her. “This is from the capital, for a young man named Fu Hang.”

After the handover, the postal worker took some candy out of his shoulder bag. “This is a token of appreciation.”

Zhao Ke took the candy, then pulled out the walnut crisps that Cui Da Jie had given her the day before and offered them to the postal worker. “Have you eaten? You can have these to fill your stomach. Since we happened to meet, I have something to ask you.”

The postal worker took the crisps. “What is it? Tell me.”

“One of my relatives is sitting the month, and I want to collect some eggs to send to them. My family doesn’t have enough. Since you’re heading to the countryside, could you help me collect a few? Even if it’s just half a basket, that’s fine.”

The farther out you go, the less valuable eggs become. Postal workers traveling to rural areas have a hard time, and some will secretly collect eggs to sell at the commune, as long as it’s discreet, and it’s quite profitable.

The postal worker readily agreed, and Zhao Ke gave him a 50-cent deposit. They agreed that she would pick up the eggs at his house on Sunday afternoon, and then they said their goodbyes.

Zhao Mian had been watching the whole exchange, growing numb to her sister’s social skills. “You’re even familiar with the postal worker…”

Zhao Ke modestly replied, “The more friends, the more paths you have.”

Zhao Mian watched her sister’s back, silently reflecting.

Is Zhao Ke really not hardworking?

If she wasn’t, then why did she cultivate so many relationships? Was it just to gather eggs for some distant relative who didn’t even need them?

The author has something to say:

Regarding comments on the male lead, I’ll address them.

In the conventional sense, the character with a romantic storyline with the female lead is the male lead, so in this story, the male lead is Fu Hang.

However, the main focus of this story is Zhao Ke, who is the absolute protagonist, with the production team’s group dynamics as the key plot. The romance subplot is a minor part.

I’m informing you in advance so that readers who cannot accept this can stop reading.