Chapter 4

Ruan Mingfu was taken aback by Xie Yanzhao’s sudden and firm declaration. Her smile faded, and she asked, “What did you say?”

Xie Yanzhao fell silent.

“Did you listen to what those people said?”

Ruan Mingfu was beautiful, and male comrades often flattered her. The original owner didn’t understand social norms and accepted all advances naively. Not only did the female comrades at the educated youth camp dislike her, but the village women also resented her.

Her reputation had long been in tatters.

Later, Zhou Peng fell in love with the original owner at first sight and dealt with a few troublemakers, reducing the number of unwanted advances around her.

Reputation was crucial in these times, and if Xie Yanzhao cared about it, Ruan Mingfu wasn’t sure what to do.

Xie Yanzhao looked puzzled, “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing!”

Ruan Mingfu sighed in relief.

Thank goodness.

She was so scared!

Ruan Mingfu looked at Xie Yanzhao, who was putting on his jacket. No wonder he had his back to her when she arrived.

Tsk tsk, the fool was indeed a model of male virtue.

Ruan Mingfu remembered what she had seen before and felt a ripple in her heart. She hadn’t noticed that the fool had a great figure that looked slim when dressed and muscular when undressed. Ruan Mingfu liked that kind of physique, but she hadn’t appreciated it before and now couldn’t see it.

Xie Yanzhao turned around and saw the regretful look in Ruan Mingfu’s eyes. His hand trembled slightly as he fastened his buttons.

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

Nowadays, women are really becoming bolder.

“You don’t need to waste your time on me,” Xie Yanzhao said, seeing Ruan Mingfu’s pale face, and paused before adding, “I’ve decided to dedicate my life to the people. I have no intention of getting married.”

Even if he were to marry, Ruan Mingfu wouldn’t be a suitable choice for him.

Ruan Mingfu studied Xie Yanzhao closely.

She saw his serious expression and determined gaze, and the sincerity in his demeanor was shocking.

Ruan Mingfu knew he was serious this time.

Tears misted in her beautiful eyes. She trembled as she tried to find her voice after a long pause.

“…Why?”

Xie Yanzhao remained silent.

Silence.

More silence!

Xie Yanzhao’s silence ignited the anger in Ruan Mingfu’s heart.

“You’re too much!” Ruan Mingfu, both angry and desperate, let tears fall like beans, “I’ve never been in a kitchen my entire life, yet I cooked for you myself!”

As the eldest Miss Ruan, she could have any man with just a glance. Not to mention cooking for someone, even her own parents hadn’t received such treatment.

Yet Xie Yanzhao was indifferent to her. For the first time in her eighteen years, she had experienced rejection fully through him.

“I’ve used almost all my patience on you. Comrade Xie, don’t push it too far!”

If only it were 1977 this year…

If only her parents could be rehabilitated…

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and her tears flowed more heavily.

Xie Yanzhao’s brows furrowed tightly, looking even more severe. He watched Ruan Mingfu crying sorrowfully, his lips moved but no words came out.

Ruan Mingfu’s tears did not diminish her beauty but rather made her look more fragile.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can get married,” the stubborn man wouldn’t appreciate it, and Ruan Mingfu’s temper flared, “Listen up, I will definitely marry someone a thousand times better than you in the future!”

“Son of a bitch, I never want to see you again!”

Ruan Mingfu wiped her tears away in frustration, stomped on his foot in retaliation, and then quickly ran off.

Xie Yanzhao stared at the imprint on his shoe, his eyes darkening as he watched Ruan Mingfu’s retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The comrades who had been observing from the shadows approached.

“Old Xie, you really went too far.”

Others nodded in agreement.

They had kept their distance to avoid being seen, only witnessing the two talking without hearing what was said. Soon after, the beautiful young woman had run off crying.

Xu Zhu looked pained, “Brother, I beg you, be gentler with the women. You can’t treat them like recruits… Women are like beautiful flowers, they need to be cherished…”

Xu Zhu was at his wit’s end over Xie Yanzhao’s personal issues.

Xie Yanzhao’s reputation for being harsh was well-known throughout the unit. When he glared, even the toughest troublemakers in the team would fall in line. Women seeing him act so sternly would want to run away after just a few words.

He had a rare opportunity to meet a woman who was clearly interested, and he hadn’t handled it properly.

Xie Yanzhao felt a pang as he noticed his comrades looking at him with disapproving eyes, “What do you all know?”

“Old Xie, let me tell you something,” one of them said, “We actually know a lot more about these matters between men and women than you do.”

The only single dog, Xie Yanzhao: “…”

*

Ruan Mingfu descended the mountain with a dark expression on her face.

Damn man!

She spat out in disgust.

Holding onto the untouched lunchbox, she snorted, “Go back and feed the dog!”

The bastard didn’t deserve to eat what she had made with her own hands.

Fuming with anger, Ruan Mingfu was about to continue cursing when she heard crying from not far off. The sound was sharp and childlike, likely from a small child.

She went over to check.

It was a river flowing from the reservoir, with a figure struggling in the water. On the shore, two children around five or six years old were crying.

The place was a bit far from the village, and given how exhausted the child in the river looked, they might not hold on much longer.

“Quick,” Ruan Mingfu instructed the two kids, “Go quickly and notify the adults in the village.”

It was summer, and the temperature was high. If it were winter with snow and ice, she wouldn’t have bothered to go into the water.

Ruan Mingfu took a detour and grabbed the child’s clothing from behind, pulling them towards the shore.

Country kids were used to farm work from a young age and had a lot of strength. The child struggled fiercely, almost managing to escape several times. Ruan Mingfu gritted her teeth, almost wanting to give him a good beating.

Luckily, she had trained with a coach to ensure she had the skills needed. Otherwise, both of them might have ended up in the river.

Ruan Mingfu, panting, managed to get the child to the shore. A large hand reached out, pulling both her and the child up.

She looked up and saw Xie Yanzhao’s determined chin.

Hmph!

Ruan Mingfu hadn’t forgotten that she was still angry with this man.

“Put this on.”

She pursed her lips and was about to say something, but was interrupted when Xie Yanzhao’s warm jacket was draped over her head.

She was still angry, and now he was dressing her in his clothes?!

The villagers, having heard about the drowning child, had abandoned their tools and rushed over in a large crowd.

The clothes she was wearing, once wet, clung tightly to her body, outlining her curves attractively. Ruan Mingfu fumbled to pull the clothes down and put them on. She wanted to thank Xie Yanzhao but only saw his back as he walked away wearing a sleeveless vest.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

The drowning child lay on the ground, drenched and pale, with closed eyes. A closer look revealed that the child was taking in less air than they were exhaling, and their chest showed no movement.

The child was in shock from drowning, leaving only a few minutes for rescue.

“Zhuzi… Zhuzi!”

The child’s mother was in shock, her mouth slightly open, unable to cry. The child’s grandmother had already fainted.

The villagers looked away, unsure of what to say to offer comfort.

Every summer, a few children would drown, making it almost routine.

Adults repeatedly warned them, but the kids, being rebellious, would ignore the warnings.

Xie Yanzhao paid no attention to the murmurs around him. He put his ear to the child’s chest and carefully checked his condition.

“Quiet,” the team leader said, “Be quiet and don’t disturb Comrade Xie while he’s saving the child.”

No breath left—could the child be saved?

Though the villagers were skeptical, they remained silent out of respect for the soldiers. Zhuzi’s mother kept a close eye on the scene, tears streaming down her face.

Among those present, only Xie Yanzhao and a few others had received first aid training.

They supported Zhuzi’s head and Xie Yanzhao quickly performed CPR and artificial respiration.

The crowd was so tense they barely dared to breathe.

Ruan Mingfu, sitting not far away, couldn’t help but watch.

With his arm muscles straining, Xie Yanzhao’s forehead was covered in fine sweat. When Zhuzi finally coughed up a significant amount of water and then cried out, Xie Yanzhao, sitting beside him, showed a relieved smile.

It was like the warmth of the sun breaking through a gloomy winter sky, dispelling the darkness in people’s hearts.

Ruan Mingfu suddenly couldn’t stay angry with him.

This man was just too handsome.

Xie Yanzhao also noticed her. Wrapped in his clothes, she looked like a child playing dress-up. A few strands of hair were stuck to her face, giving her a vulnerable, heart-wrenching look.

The marks on his wrist hadn’t faded, and he turned his head slightly, feeling unusually self-conscious.

Zhuzi’s mother, her eyes red from crying, said, “Thank you. If it weren’t for you and Comrade Xie, Zhuzi… Zhuzi would…”

The words hadn’t even left his mouth before he started crying again.

“Thank you so much,” Zhuzi’s father said, his face filled with terror. Overwhelmed with emotion, he almost knelt down, “If Zhuzi hadn’t been saved, neither I nor his mother would have been able to live.”

Xie Yanzhao quickly helped him up, “Zhuzi is not out of danger yet; we need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible.”

Ruan Mingfu took a couple of steps back, “Yes, we need to go to the hospital for a check-up.”

He was in shock; they needed to avoid complications.

“Of course,” the team leader, an old man, clapped his thigh, “Get the tractor ready, quickly!”

“Team Leader, we don’t know how to drive it.”

Xie Yanzhao said, “I’ll take them.”

With his long legs, Xie Yanzhao quickly carried Zhuzi and moved at a fast pace. The others struggled to keep up.

As they watched the figures in the distance, the villagers started to discuss:

“Comrade Xie is really a kind-hearted person.”

“Isn’t he? I heard he’s still single?”

“Is that true?”

…..

A cold breeze hit, and Ruan Mingfu couldn’t help but sneeze. She tightened her clothes and quickly headed towards the youth spot.

The educated youths were not involved in the commotion.

They had just finished their meal and were resting in the yard. When they saw Ruan Mingfu’s figure, the people chatting momentarily paused.

The original owner and these educated youths never got along well. She couldn’t be bothered to put on any pretense.

She went straight into the house.

Hu Lihong looked at the others curiously, “Why did she come back looking like this after going out?”

“Who knows.”

The female educated youth who had always been malicious towards Ruan Mingfu smirked, “Don’t you know?”

“You know?”

Everyone looked at her.

“Did you forget so quickly what she said yesterday?” The female educated youth grinned, “She was trying to seduce someone, but the soldier comrade didn’t take the bait and ended up in such an embarrassing situation.”

“Don’t even know whose clothes she’s wearing now.”

**