Chapter 2.1

As soon as the brigade leader finished speaking, that figure began walking over.

Meng Yinyin turned to look and saw the tall man she had accidentally glared at earlier standing beside the brigade leader.

She had noticed from afar that he was much taller than the others, standing out like a crane among chickens. But now, with him right in front of her, she realized just how tall he actually was—she had to tilt her head up to see his face. He was a full head taller than her; she barely reached his shoulder!

The moment their eyes met up close, his sharp brows and eyes carried an unintentional coldness and hostility, like a lone wolf roaming in the mountains, giving off warning and dangerous signals to this unexpected intruder.

Meng Yinyin’s breath caught, and her survival instincts kicked in, making her quickly avert her gaze and unconsciously step back.

Noticing her frightened reaction, the brigade leader opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he finally hesitated and spoke gently.

“Uh, Educated Youth Meng, don’t pay attention to the nonsense the gossiping women in the brigade say. Lu Chen might look a bit intimidating, but he doesn’t have any bad habits. He knows a lot, and he’s very capable in his work. If you follow him, you’re bound to learn a lot.”

Meng Yinyin was left confused by the brigade leader’s words. What gossip had the women in the brigade been spreading about Lu Chen? But she hadn’t interacted with them, so she had no idea.

At the moment, she didn’t feel like probing further into the brigade leader’s words. All she wanted was to suggest that maybe he could reconsider this arrangement.

Or perhaps, she could have someone else teach her—anyone other than this scary-looking Lu Chen.

After all, he really did look terrifying!

In her previous environment, because of her parents, everyone she knew was either a professor or a well-mannered student. They were all polite and easygoing people. Even here in the Nanjiao Brigade, the other Educated Youths were fairly harmonious. The local brigade members rarely interacted with them, so she didn’t know much about their personalities.

Therefore, Lu Chen was probably the first person in Meng Yinyin’s life who looked so intimidating and unapproachable. Not only was he tall and strong, but he could probably pick her up like a baby chick with one hand. If he threw a punch, she might not make it out of the Nanjiao Brigade alive.

While Meng Yinyin was nervously organizing her words, the brigade leader seemed to have no intention of lingering.

“Alright, I have other things to take care of. Lu Chen, take Educated Youth Meng to work. I’ll check in with you this evening.”

With that, the brigade leader patted Lu Chen’s shoulder with a sense of assurance and left without hesitation.

Startled, Meng Yinyin quickly called after him.

“Brig-brig-brigade leader..” Can I go without a guide?

“It’ll be fine, Educated Youth Meng. I have faith in you. Just follow Lu Chen closely, and soon you’ll be able to repay the brigade for the food.”

Meng Yinyin: “…”

But she didn’t have that confidence in herself… woo.

However, the brigade leader’s mention of “repaying the brigade for the food” finally stirred a bit of conscience within her. She couldn’t bring herself to voice her reluctance.

Without a guide, she would probably never be able to pay back the brigade for their food.

So in the end, all Meng Yinyin could do was watch the brigade leader’s unsympathetic back as he disappeared from sight.

Pulling herself together, she forced herself to stay calm.

It was broad daylight, after all, and Lu Chen had been personally chosen by the brigade leader. He probably wouldn’t harm her. At most, she just needed to be on her best behavior.

After a moment of silence, Meng Yinyin cautiously looked up and forced out her sweetest, most innocent smile as she said, “Comrade Lu, I’ll do my best to learn!”

She hoped her words and actions would convey how obedient and well-behaved she was.

To this, Lu Chen showed no other response, only giving her a blank nod before turning and heading in a particular direction.

Watching him, Meng Yinyin felt a wave of nervousness. Had he been satisfied with her efforts to appear cooperative?

Anxious thoughts filled her mind, but seeing that Lu Chen had already walked quite a distance, she had no choice but to follow behind him, scurrying like a little tail after the tall figure ahead.

Soon, the mismatched pair disappeared around the dike, and many of the brigade members who hadn’t left began murmuring about this odd sight.

Some were worried: “Oh my, how did Educated Youth Meng end up with that person? What is the brigade leader thinking? Isn’t he afraid that he will get Educated Youth Meng into trouble?”

Others were secretly pleased: “Why are you even worried? If anything happens, the brigade leader will handle it. Besides, someone like Educated Youth Meng, skipping out on work and thinking her pretty face lets her get away with flirting around—ugh, someone like her deserves to be taught a lesson before she causes trouble for the whole brigade!”

Each had their own opinion, but in the end, most kept their thoughts to themselves, waiting for some kind of drama to unfold.

Everyone knew that Lu Chen was infamous for being difficult. Usually, only the brigade leader and a few other capable men dared to interact with him. Most people avoided him altogether at the sight of his cold, brooding face.

Besides, Lu Chen not only has a gloomy personality, but also was born like that. You’d have to be out of your mind or fearless to associate with him, not afraid of bad luck!

As for Meng Yinyin, since Lu Chen didn’t say anything, she decided to stay quiet as well. She simply followed obediently behind him, waiting to see what he planned to teach her.

As they walked, though, she noticed that Lu Chen was leading them further and further off the beaten path, with fewer and fewer people around.

Finally, when he stepped into the dense bamboo forest on the mountainside, Meng Yinyin stopped in her tracks, hesitating nervously where she stood.

The Nanjiao Brigade was located in a hilly area, surrounded by mountains. There were small slopes as well as vast, sprawling mountains, with different types of plants growing on each of them.

At this moment, Lu Chen had brought Meng Yinyin to a small hill covered in bamboo.

Though it was called a small hill, it was only small compared to the other larger mountains. In reality, if Meng Yinyin had to walk into the bamboo forest by herself, it would probably take her an hour or two to find her way out.

Moreover, this bamboo forest was far from where the brigade members typically worked. Even after Meng Yinyin had been at the Nanjiao Brigade for over ten days, she had never seen anyone come here to work.

So, what exactly did Lu Chen intend to do by bringing her here?

A remote place with no one around, and with a strange, potentially dangerous man, Meng Yinyin felt as if her feet were rooted to the ground, unable to take another step forward.

Lu Chen, however, seemed oblivious to her hesitation, or perhaps he had completely ignored her. Once he entered the bamboo forest, he pulled out a machete, gripped the handle with both hands, slightly spread his legs, bent his back, and with the power of his arm muscles, swung the machete at the base of a bamboo stalk. With two crisp cracks, the bamboo fell.

Startled by the sudden sound, Meng Yinyin widened her eyes and finally realized that Lu Chen had brought her here to teach her how to chop bamboo.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, she glanced at the bamboo, which was about the same thickness as her calf. She started to feel anxious again.

Even though she had never worked on a farm, she knew that chopping bamboo was no easy task. It was definitely a job that required strength. The surface of the bamboo was smooth and elastic, and the machete was likely to bounce off the bamboo rather than cut through it. She wasn’t sure if she would even be able to leave a mark with a single swing.

Had Lu Chen overestimated her ability by deciding to teach her something so difficult right away?

Pouting, Meng Yinyin anxiously looked at her slender wrists, feeling worried again.