Chapter 12

The rice seedlings had just been planted and the winter rapeseed harvested when Ruan Mingfu was immediately assigned to plant peanuts.

To save time, they were tilling and sowing simultaneously.

When Ruan Mingfu arrived, she saw Xie Yanzhao driving a tractor. Tall with long legs, he stood out in his white shirt. The muscles in his forearms and the clear outline of his chest were undeniable…

This man is incredibly handsome!

The sun was quite strong today, and he was already sweating lightly on his forehead. Before he could wipe it off, he was called away by the team leader.

Ruan Mingfu’s beautiful eyes showed a hint of regret.

Life in the countryside was extremely monotonous—every day was spent working from dawn to dusk with no entertainment at all.

No wonder the older women were so fond of gossiping.

Ruan Mingfu had found the reason.

“Educate Youth Ruan, I’ll dig the holes,” said her partner, Zhu Hong. “You just need to drop the peanuts into each hole.”

“Okay,” Ruan Mingfu replied. Throwing peanuts wasn’t too difficult.

Zhu Hong was being considerate of her.

The peanuts they were handling were coated with pesticides and were not for eating. Ruan Mingfu carried the bag of peanuts and began tossing them into the holes one by one.

Planting peanuts wasn’t as tiring as planting seedlings, but bending over all the time was quite exhausting.

As the sun grew hotter, Ruan Mingfu rubbed her back, her face under the hat scrunching up in discomfort.

In the past, she only enjoyed life, but now she realized how hard everything was. If she stayed in the countryside, she couldn’t imagine how much more worn out she would become in two years.

The thought made her shiver.

She wasn’t someone who would just resign herself to suffering.

Since the troublesome man hadn’t left, maybe she should try harder.

Resolved, Ruan Mingfu took advantage of the break to quietly slip away.

The peanut fields were located at the foot of the mountain, and she had just seen Xie Yanzhao heading into the mountains.

……

Ruan Mingfu followed a winding path surrounded by three-meter-high shrubs, some of which had thorns.

She treaded carefully.

After some time, she faintly heard voices. Peering towards the sound, she saw Xie Yanzhao and Xu Zhu talking, with a brightly colored wild chicken lying by their feet.

They had come up the mountain for hunting.

“…When will we head back?”

Xie Yanzhao, sitting on a large rock with his back to Ruan Mingfu, had his long legs casually crossed, looking indifferent.

Hearing this, Ruan Mingfu furrowed her pretty brows: Is that dag man leaving?

Xu Zhu glanced at him, “It’s rare to have free time, so we should stay here for a few more days. You’re always so busy with the team. It’s a pity to waste this opportunity. Besides, the mountains and waters here are beautiful, and so are the people…”

At the end, he looked at Xie Yanzhao with a teasing expression.

Xie Yanzhao rolled his eyes at him.

“Hey,” Xu Zhu sat down beside him, “What are you really thinking?”

“What do you mean?”

Xie Yanzhao shifted positions, his eyes hiding emotions that were hard to read.

Xu Zhu: “…”

“Ugh, just stop pretending,” Xu Zhu rolled his eyes, “The girl is already making advances, and you’re still like a block of wood.”

Xu Zhu’s face showed frustration.

Ruan Mingfu, hidden behind the trees, nodded in agreement.

That dog man was too difficult to deal with, and she was exhausted.

“Why don’t you just go for it?” Xu Zhu suggested. “Ruan Mingfu is beautiful and knows how to cook. What’s there to be unhappy about? Besides, she’s in a tough spot, and marrying her would solve her immediate problems.”

After the incident with the lunchbox, Xu Zhu began asking around the village about Ruan Mingfu.

Their comrades, being locals, had a better understanding of the situation.

Ruan Mingfu nodded vigorously.

This sentence really struck a chord with her.

If the dog man were like Xu Zhu, she wouldn’t have to put in so much effort.

“So,” Xie Yanzhao looked at him sideways, “Is marriage just a means for you to show pity? Just marry whoever seems pitiful?”

Xu Zhu: “…”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

That dog man!

Xu Zhu straightened up, his expression serious. “Stop joking around. Tell me clearly, what do you really think of Ruan Mingfu?”

Ruan Mingfu listened intently.

Xie Yanzhao leaned back, a cigarette in his mouth, the smoke gradually blurring his view.

After a long pause, he said, “I’m not interested in her.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

What does that mean? What is he implying?

She didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation.

It felt as if she had been struck directly in the face. Even the previous rejection didn’t sting as much as this.

Ruan Mingfu’s face turned pale, and for the first time, she doubted herself.

Her eyes quickly filled with tears, and a layer of mist gathered beneath them. Ruan Mingfu sniffed, stumbled, and turned to leave.

……

When she returned, Zhu Hong had already finished working.

Seeing Ruan Mingfu’s figure, she sighed in relief. “You’re finally back. The team leader just asked where you went.”

Zhu Hong felt something was off and looked closely at Ruan Mingfu.

“Are you alright?”

Ruan Mingfu didn’t answer. She simply picked up the bag of peanuts and said, “Let’s finish up quickly. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave.”

These words were unlike the Ruan Mingfu she remembered.

Zhu Hong stared at her in surprise.

That afternoon, Xie Yanzhao continued to drive the tractor, helping the village with land preparation, but Ruan Mingfu didn’t even glance in his direction. Her face remained tense. Zhu Hong dared not speak, silently working on her own tasks.

The efficiency was much better than before.

The old team leader, having made his way over, finally showed a satisfied expression towards Ruan Mingfu, who was working diligently.

The old man waddled over to Xie Yanzhao and, looking at the freshly tilled land, grinned broadly.

“Comrade Xie, thank you so much.”

The land for planting peanuts was all unused village land. In the past, it would have taken considerable effort, at least three or four days, to get it done properly.

Now, with Xie Yanzhao’s help with the tractor, it was completed in just one afternoon. The land was tilled thoroughly, with all the weeds and stones cleared away.

The old man was thoroughly pleased with Xie Yanzhao.

Such a fine young man—wonder who will end up with him?

The old man had a sudden thought.

Although Xie Yanzhao looked a bit fierce, he was enthusiastic and capable. For everyday life, such a man was reliable.

The old man’s attitude changed rapidly; he had been addressing Xie as Comrade Xie but now called him Xiao Xie.

Xie Yanzhao jumped down from the tractor, wiping the sweat from his forehead. As he did so, a small patch of his toned abdominal muscles was visible.

“No need to be polite,” Xie Yanzhao said, taking a breath, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Serving the people.”

The old man’s smile grew even wider.

While speaking, Xie Yanzhao’s eyes caught sight of Ruan Mingfu not far off.

She was wrapped up tightly, not revealing any skin despite the weather. She was using her hat as a fan to cool herself.

Ruan Mingfu was sweating profusely, with damp strands of hair sticking to her temples. Her lips, moistened from drinking water, looked like dew-covered petals.

The only exposed part of her was her slender, delicate ankles, which still looked strikingly white under the sun.

Xie Yanzhao suddenly felt a bit thirsty.

“Xiao Xie, what are you looking at?”

As Ruan Mingfu’s figure gradually disappeared, Xie Yanzhao snapped back to reality and said lightly：“Nothing.”

*

Back at the educated youth camp, Ruan Mingfu was met with a face full of resentment.

She was startled.

Xu Pandi was frowning as if her parents had died. “Why didn’t you testify for me?”

Heaven knew what kind of days she had been through.

Every few hours, someone came to question her. Xu Pandi had memorized their questions. After finally clearing her name, she had returned to the youth station.

“I didn’t follow you every day. How would I know if what you said was true?”

Ruan Mingfu retorted, feeling justified. If she hadn’t known that Xu Pandi was merely blowing off steam, she would have sent her to the farm for re-education.

Xu Pandi: “…”

After being lectured by the police, Xu Pandi was too afraid to speak harshly and just looked at Ruan Mingfu with a face full of grievance.

“Pandi, it’s hard enough that you’re back. Don’t make a fuss.”

A female educated youth who was on good terms with Xu Pandi quickly pulled her away.

The educated youths at the camp were genuinely afraid of Ruan Mingfu now.

She was someone who dared to report to the police directly, even if it was just a verbal reprimand. It was still unpleasant. Unlike in later years, people at this time avoided the police like poison.

After dinner, the youths scattered in the courtyard to enjoy the cool evening.

Zhu Hong held clothes in her left hand and a needle in her right, mending them under the not-yet-setting sun.

Ruan Mingfu sat across from her, with a troubled expression on her face.

After hesitating for a while, she finally asked, “Educated Youth Zhu, what do you think of my looks?”

“Huh?”

Zhu Hong was surprised by the question and looked at Ruan Mingfu with a puzzled expression.

Seeing that Ruan Mingfu’s face was serious and not joking, Zhu Hong said, “Of course, you’re beautiful. You’re recognized as the most beautiful girl in the village.”

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many men trying to win her favor.

Hearing this, Ruan Mingfu felt both angry and distressed.

She was so beautiful, yet the jerk didn’t like her—was he blind?

Ruan Mingfu gritted her teeth angrily.

She wanted to see what kind of goddess that troublesome man would end up with.

Not interested in her?

She wasn’t going to marry him. Even if he begged her in the future, she wouldn’t marry him! She would find a matchmaker tomorrow and look for someone ten thousand times better than that troublesome man!

Seeing Ruan Mingfu’s darkening expression, Zhu Hong suppressed her curiosity and didn’t ask any further.

“Ruan Mingfu, someone’s looking for you.”

Lost in her thoughts, Ruan Mingfu heard someone calling her name. She looked up, curious about who was at the door.

**