Chapter 31: Lifesaver

He strode into the hospital room and stopped about a meter away.

The man had long legs, and standing this close, Jiang An’an had to slightly tilt her head back to see his eyes, feeling an inexplicable sense of pressure.

Just as she was about to break the uncomfortable atmosphere, she suddenly heard him say, “The group of thugs from yesterday has been taken to the police station. Depending on the severity of their crimes, they will be detained for five days or more. Since it was self-defense, you won’t have to pay for Liu Qiang and Zhao Manni’s medical expenses.”

Jiang An’an felt a jolt.

The original character was a delicate little girl who couldn’t possibly know Thai boxing!

Was Zhou Yinghuai testing her or was it unintentional?

“They still want me to pay? Nonsense! No way,” Jiang An’an raised her brows and said fiercely, “They’ve caused me so much suffering; they must compensate for my medical expenses and nutritional costs. My head hurts; it’s not too much to drink chicken soup every day.”

Her bright, shiny eyes kept darting around, as if planning how to take advantage of the situation to extort Liu Qiang and the others, fully embodying a greedy and bizarre persona.

If it were an ordinary person, they might have believed her, but Zhou Yinghuai had undergone hellish training in the army, and his investigative skills were unmatched.

Jiang An’an’s tone and actions were very similar, but her eyes couldn’t deceive anyone.

Her eyes were too pure.

But do spies have such clean eyes?

Zhou Yinghuai had no answer in his heart; time would tell. If she were an enemy, she would eventually reveal her true colors.

“By the way,” Jiang An’an suddenly remembered something important and urgently requested, “Comrade Zhou, there are important documents in the bicycle; can you help me find them?”

Zhou Yinghuai replied, “The bicycle and everything else are probably at the police station.”

As soon as Jiang An’an heard this, she immediately threw off the blanket and got out of bed, her bare feet touching the cold cement floor. The sudden movement made her head spin, and she stumbled forward.

Fortunately, Zhou Yinghuai reached out in time to steady her. “Don’t rush; the doctor advised you to rest and keep calm.”

How could Jiang An’an calm down? She wished she could run to the police station right now. “Those documents include my employment certificate as an intern with the county Women’s Federation; they absolutely must not be lost.”

Losing a government employment certificate could lead to serious consequences.

“The county Women’s Federation hired you as an intern?” Zhou Yinghuai looked at her deeply, his gaze profound.

In this day and age, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to enter government positions. In addition to the extremely rigorous written and interview selections, one also needed strong connections.

But Jiang An’an had neither background nor education…

“Congratulations!”

Zhou Yinghuai praised her, “You were able to skip two levels directly, bypassing the brigade and the commune to enter the county government. Even if it’s just a small internship position in the Women’s Federation, your starting point is much higher than that of grassroots officials in the townships.”

Jiang An’an: “…”

Could this dog of a man be a criminal police officer or something?

She snorted lightly, “Why do you think? Of course, it’s because I’m outstanding!”

“Just yesterday afternoon, I took office, and with just two documents, I facilitated a major project for cooperation between the Women’s Federation, the clothing factory, and the Nanxi Commune. The clothing factory agreed to provide six outsourced positions for the female comrades in the brigade.”

She secured her position entirely based on her abilities!

Jiang An’an proudly puffed out her chest.

She had developed quite well, with a substantial bust. As she straightened her back, it became even more pronounced.

Zhou Yinghuai was still holding her arm when he suddenly felt something soft pressing against it and looked down.

Zhou Yinghuai: !!!

He hurriedly withdrew his hand as if shocked, stepping back several paces, his ears quickly turning red.

The twenty-three-year-old bachelor, who could take down all the soldiers under his command in the army, now found his limbs stiff and didn’t know where to put them.

“Your family is probably arriving soon; I’ll go to the police station to help you find the documents.” He almost fled in a panic.

Jiang An’an belatedly realized what was happening, her cheeks flushing bright red.

Even when her family arrived at the hospital, her cheeks were still a bit warm.

“An’an, where are you hurt? Does it still hurt? What did the doctor say?”

“Father brought you two eggs, still warm. Are you hungry? Eat a little egg to tide you over; later, Father will go buy some braised pork.”

“Sister, are you still feeling unwell?”

“Auntie doesn’t hurt; Daobao will blow on it for you.”

…

Faced with her family’s concern, Jiang An’an felt warm inside: “I’m not injured, just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine after resting for two days.”

Lin Meiru sighed in relief, “The person who passed the message said the night road was too dark, and you fell unconscious by the roadside, saved by a passing educated youth. What about your lifesaver? Did he leave any contact information?”

Jiang An’an was extremely surprised upon hearing this.

She didn’t expect Zhou Yinghuai to be so thoughtful, using an excuse that was a thousand times better than being surrounded and robbed by thugs, preserving her reputation.

“He’s Zhou Yinghuai, the educated youth assigned to our brigade. He just helped me get documents from the police station. He also covered my hospitalization expenses. I only have one yuan in my pocket, and my mother gave me another thirty cents, so I’ll pay him back later.”

Lin Meiru’s expression stiffened: “Is he the educated youth who is even more handsome than Zhou Kang?”

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared intently into her daughter’s eyes, earnestly advising her, “An’an, since the founding of the country, it’s no longer the case that one repays lifesaving kindness with one’s body. Your older sister serves as a warning; you must not foolishly fall for an educated youth. The more handsome a man is, the less reliable he is. A man like your father is much more suitable for living a life together.”

Jiang Degui: “…”

Does that mean he’s ugly?

Feeling a lump in his throat, and with a sharp look from his wife, he had no choice but to cooperate, saying, “A man’s appearance isn’t important; what matters is his abilities.”

Jiang An’an was holding back laughter so much that her stomach hurt, deliberately playing devil’s advocate: “But Zhou Yinghuai is impressive too; he acts bravely and has good character.”

Jiang Degui was dumbfounded: “You can’t tell what’s in a person’s heart; he might have a belly full of bad intentions.”

To change his daughter’s opinion, he began to smear Zhou Yinghuai: “All the young wives and unmarried girls in the village like him. I’ve seen several times where women approached him to flirt and give him things. Although he never accepts, that’s not the point. This kid is full of tricks; he must be fishing for big catches. Tomorrow, I’ll report him to the commune.”

Seeing him get more and more ridiculous, Lin Meiru lifted her eyelids and shot a glare at her foolish husband, saying impatiently, “Your daughter is just teasing you. Hurry up and wait at the door for Zhou Yinghuai to get his things, and return the medical expenses to him.”

Jiang An’an felt sorry for her father: “It’s so cold outside; let Dad stay in the ward.”

“No way!” Lin Meiru was resolute, determined not to let Zhou Yinghuai meet Jiang An’an, nipping any possibility in the bud. Seeing Jiang Degui unmoving, she raised her eyebrows sharply: “Why aren’t you going? Don’t delay Zhou Yinghuai from going to work.”

Jiang Degui shrank his neck timidly, took the eggs from his pocket, and stuffed them into his daughter’s hands, hurriedly running to wait at the door.

The eggs still felt warm to the touch. It took at least forty minutes to walk from the brigade to the town, and one couldn’t imagine how much effort his father had put in to keep the eggs warm.

Jiang An’an suddenly felt a sourness in her nose: “Mom, big sister, I’m sorry for making you worry.”