Chapter 3.2

Both of them were part of the new group of Educated Youth sent to the countryside. Back home, their families were well-off, so they had never lacked meat. But coming to the rural area, they realized just how deeply they craved meat.

Especially after a full day working in the fields, expending so much energy, they needed fish and meat to replenish their strength.

But sadly, they hadn’t even seen oil or meat, only wild vegetables and sweet potatoes every day. Their mouths were getting tired of it.

Yet, seeing that the older Educated Youths hadn’t complained, they felt embarrassed to keep mentioning it.

Others had been eating this way for years without complaining, and they had only been here for a little over ten days. They couldn’t afford to complain yet.

Still, despite not voicing it, the desire for meat lingered in Meng Yinyin’s mind. All she could think about was meat, meat, and more meat.

“Want to eat meat? It’s not that hard. Tomorrow, the Lu family is hosting a banquet. You can go, just join them.”

As Meng Yinyin was lost in trying to convince herself that the sweet potato porridge was actually braised pork, a half-amused, half-mocking voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up to see Lin Xiaoxia sitting opposite her, looking at her with a smile, then continuing, “Educated Youth Meng, weren’t you working with Lu Chen alone this morning? Didn’t he invite you to his cousin’s wedding banquet tomorrow?”

Meng Yinyin was confused. “Why would he invite me?”

They had only known each other for half a day.

“Ah? He didn’t invite you?” Lin Xiaoxia feigned surprise. “I thought you two were together all morning, and since you’re both young comrades around the same age, you must have become friends by now.”

Her words were heavily suggestive. She kept bringing up them being alone together, young comrades, implying that something had already developed between Meng Yinyin and Lu Chen in such a short time.

Meng Yinyin wasn’t easily upset, but she didn’t understand why Lin Xiaoxia was targeting her so many times.

Still, she wasn’t the type to tolerate unnecessary teasing. After ignoring it once or twice, she could no longer remain silent.

She slammed her chopsticks on the table, then stared at Lin Xiaoxia with a cold, emotionless face.

Her usually warm, gentle expression was now gone, replaced by an intimidating coldness that was startling.

The others at the table all held their breath, glancing at one another as if sensing the rising tension.

Then, everyone heard Meng Yinyin say, “Educated Youth Lin, instead of wasting your time worrying about me, maybe you should use it to wash your quilt, which has probably been sitting there for who knows how long. It’s starting to stink, and I can’t stand being woken up by the smell every night. It really affects my sleep quality.”

As she spoke, Meng Yinyin raised her hand and gently waved it, her delicate nose wrinkling slightly as if she could already smell the unpleasant odor.

Her tone, though teasing, had the opposite effect of annoying people. In fact, it made everyone feel sympathetic, as if they wanted to drive the bad smell away for her so she wouldn’t suffer.

It felt like letting her breathe in the stench was a crime.

Lin Xiaoxia, who had never expected such a response, turned bright red with anger, fuming as she spoke.

“My quilt doesn’t stink! It’s not as fragrant as yours, but it certainly doesn’t smell!”

She had been about to criticize Meng Yinyin for acting like a spoiled bourgeois girl, but now she was the one in the wrong.

“Meng Yinyin! You—”

“Alright, Educated Youth Lin, how about you shut up for once?”

It was Song Yue, the brigade leader, who spoke. As one of the first Educated Youth sent to the countryside, his experience was vast, and his gentle personality and scholarly demeanor gave him an air of authority. He was also the one to speak up when things were getting out of hand.

He rarely scolded anyone, but seeing Lin Xiaoxia’s actions, he couldn’t let it slide. His stern tone was unlike the usual, polite leader.

When Lin Xiaoxia heard his words, she immediately deflated, her anger turning into hurt. With red eyes, she ran off, sobbing quietly.

Meng Yinyin, who was waiting for a retort, was left stunned.

Wasn’t Lin Xiaoxia about to start a fight? Why did she suddenly stop?

Meng Yinyin was confused by the sudden change in the situation.

She was new here and didn’t know the full story, but the older Educated Youths knew very well that Lin Xiaoxia and Song Yue had been getting close. If they weren’t mistaken, they were probably dating.

So when Song Yue reprimanded Lin Xiaoxia in front of everyone, it wasn’t surprising that she was so upset.

Later, during their afternoon break, Yu Xiaoyu leaned in and whispered to Meng Yinyin, “They say Song Yue and Lin Xiaoxia broke up because of you…”

That’s why Lin Xiaoxia couldn’t hold back her anger and often targeted Meng Yinyin.

Meng Yinyin: “!!!”

What a bombshell!

“I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve spoken to Song Yue!”

Meng Yinyin felt wronged, and a strange sense of insult washed over her. She didn’t even care for someone like Song Yue!

Yu Xiaoyu, the person most familiar with Meng Yinyin at the entire Educated Youth point, knew that what Meng Yinyin said was true.

During the half-month since arriving at the Nanjiao Brigade, Meng Yinyin had been so focused on finding ways to manage her labor costs that she’d come back to the dorm every day almost in a half-paralyzed state. Sometimes, she didn’t even have the strength to talk. Where would she have time to interact with others?

Moreover, the tasks for male and female educated youth were different, so it was impossible for Meng Yinyin to use any spare moments at work to talk to Song Yue. She really couldn’t understand why Lin Xiaoxia was so inexplicably jealous.

Yu Xiaoyu curled her lips. “I know, but Lin Xiaoxia can’t control her man, and she’s not as pretty as you, so she just has to blame you.”

It was true—Meng Yinyin was so beautiful that everyone’s eyes naturally gravitated toward her once she arrived at the Educated Youth point, and even the entire brigade. Song Yue, being a man, couldn’t avoid the temptation.

As for Lin Xiaoxia, she couldn’t stop Song Yue from frequently looking at Meng Yinyin. Unable to scold him, she had to vent her frustration on Meng Yinyin.

Hearing this, Meng Yinyin snorted proudly. She touched her smooth face, sighed with satisfaction, and said, “Who told my mom to give me such a beautiful face? Lin Xiaoxia could never be jealous of me. Besides, she’s not good-looking herself—it’s not my fault. She should blame her mom.”

“Anyway, I can’t be blamed for being pretty!”

Yu Xiaoyu: “…”

For some reason, Meng Yinyin suddenly said something out of the blue.

“Although, not all men are so shallow, only staring at my face. There’s one person who isn’t like that.”

“Who?”

Yu Xiaoyu’s curiosity was piqued.

In her eyes, Meng Yinyin was the most beautiful and striking girl she had ever seen. Not to mention other men, even she occasionally found herself staring at Meng Yinyin’s face, mesmerized.

So, she couldn’t imagine anyone who could resist Meng Yinyin’s beauty.

That person, of course, was Lu Chen.

Not only did he not stare at her face, but he couldn’t even be bothered to look at her.

Thinking of this, Meng Yinyin suddenly felt a little dissatisfied. Wasn’t she beautiful enough? Why wouldn’t he look at her?

However, as soon as she thought of Lu Chen, she couldn’t help but remember what Lin Xiaoxia had said about the wedding at the Lu family tomorrow.

The brigade leader had mentioned that anyone who was free could go, so maybe she could go just to make up the numbers and attend?

There would surely be meat at the feast…

Just thinking about it made Meng Yinyin nearly drool.

But how was Lu Chen related to the Lu family who was holding the wedding tomorrow? Were they close enough for her to join them for a meal?

Meng Yinyin suddenly realized she knew nothing about the relatives in the brigade. She was about to turn to Yu Xiaoyu to ask when she saw that Yu Xiaoyu had already fallen asleep, waiting for her response.

Seeing this, Meng Yinyin didn’t wake her up.

Forget it. She’d just ask Lu Chen during work in the afternoon.