Chapter 16 If You Don’t Hate Me, You Must Like Me, Right?

Once bitten, twice shy.

This time, seeing the stir-fried beef with yellow chives from her dream appear on the desk, she wasn’t particularly panicked.

Getting out of bed and pulling back the covers, Shu Qingyao walked over and examined the steaming beef with yellow chives on the table. The small yellow beef, airlifted from Tibet, was thinly sliced and stir-fried with scallions, soy sauce, and yellow wine, emitting a steaming aroma.

She was sure it was the same dish Xie Hezhang had cooked for her in her dream.

Why was there only beef? What about the braised chicken legs Xie Hezhang had made for her? Why weren’t they transported together?

Shu Qingyao took off the jade pendant hanging around her neck and examined it carefully in the sunlight.

The jade pendant, which had emitted a faint, soft glow in the moonlight yesterday, now looked as if it had run out of energy, dull and lifeless.

At this moment, Shu Qingyao was basically certain—this jade pendant not only allowed her to be reborn in the 1970s, but it could also transport the last thing she touched in her dream to reality.

If it had been at the beginning, she might have been very panicked, but after all, it was something her mother-in-law had left her, it wouldn’t harm her.

Even something as ethereal as rebirth had happened, what was so strange about transporting things from her dream to reality?

Shu Qingyao calmly put away the jade pendant, went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, while thinking: If things from her dream could be transported to reality, then if she could control her dreams in the future, she could bring things from the 21st century here, wouldn’t that solve a lot of problems?

Food was a big problem here. If she could get a ton of rice or a few thousand eggs, she could exchange them for money on the black market.

Before she left, her father had given her several large bills, and he also sent her ration coupons and meat coupons every month. With all that money and those coupons, she could live a comfortable life in the countryside.

But now she was burdened with the responsibility of raising Xie Hezhang and Xie Xiaoqian. This amount of money was a bit tight.

For example, the things she had listed in her notebook would cost her about a quarter of her small fortune to buy once.

Although her father would send her money next month, Shu Qingyao still felt uneasy. She was thinking about how to make money when the jade pendant reminded her and gave her a big surprise.

But for now…

Shu Qingyao picked up the jade pendant, which had lost its luster, and sighed.

She didn’t know if it had used up its energy to allow her to be reborn or for some other reason, but it was clear that it couldn’t transport much now.

A few apples and a plate of beef had left it on its last legs.

Shu Qingyao shook her head. Next time, if she could bring things out, she would bring eggs.

In this era, eggs were a luxury. Even on the black market, you probably couldn’t buy too many.

*

Shu Qingyao found the cook and got four large white steamed buns. She carefully put them in her lunchbox and brought them back.

The freshly steamed buns were steaming hot. Shu Qingyao carefully used a small knife to cut them in half and then used chopsticks to stuff the beef into the buns.

Soon, a “beef bun” was ready.

Shu Qingyao followed the same method, stuffing all the stir-fried beef into the four buns. She didn’t even dare to pour out the broth. She dipped the buns in it and ate them.

After eating one “meat bun,” Shu Qingyao sat on the bed and let out a comfortable sigh.

She hadn’t eaten beef in a long time.

The educated youths started to get up and wash up one after another. Shu Qingyao tied her braids up and changed into a short-sleeved…

She put on her blue cotton dress, packed her iron lunchbox into her small cloth bag, and went out amidst the lively greetings of the educated youths.

“Shu Qingyao, you’re leaving so early, aren’t you going to have breakfast?”

“No, I’m not.” Shu Qingyao smiled.

“Shu Qingyao, where are you going?”

“To pick up a student for school.”

…

Ruan Wenhui yawned and walked out of her room. Seeing Shu Qingyao in her blue cotton dress, looking beautiful as she walked out amidst the greetings of the educated youths, she pursed her lips slightly and muttered, “Vixen.”

She remembered that the gentle young male teacher yesterday was from the same school as Shu Qingyao. He was so clean and delicate, and she thought he was an educated youth from somewhere who had come to the countryside. She didn’t expect him to be the only son of Old Jiang, the village secretary of the village government.

Because he was handsome and his father was a village cadre, Jiang Xun had been pursued by countless female educated youths. Last year, the most beautiful female educated youth, Tong Yuan, was said to be chasing him.

She didn’t know if they were together.

Now Shu Qingyao was at the same school as him. Would they get together?

Ruan Wenhui lowered her head and looked at her rough palms, which had become rough from working in the fields for several days. A wave of resentment surged through her heart.

Since she was a child, the boys she liked had always liked Shu Qingyao.

Next to Shu Qingyao, she felt like an unwanted duckling.

Why, even after coming to the countryside together, could Shu Qingyao still live better than her?

Ruan Wenhui gritted her teeth.

No, she had to do something this time.

They were both educated youths from the city. Besides her looks, she wasn’t any worse than Shu Qingyao!

*

Before the sun rose completely, Shu Qingyao, carrying her small cloth bag, appeared at the entrance of Xie Hezhang’s house.

Xie Hezhang was about to go to the village’s collective canteen for breakfast when he saw Shu Qingyao standing at the fence with a smile. He was stunned for a moment.

“Xie Comrade, I’m here to pick up Xiaoqian for school.” Then she took out an iron lunchbox from her small cloth bag and gestured to Xie Hezhang, “I brought Xiaoqian breakfast.”

“… Hmm.” The taciturn young man turned around expressionlessly and walked into the house.

“…” The sweet smile on Shu Qingyao’s face almost faltered.

She had such a good dream last night. The dog man was all over her in her dream. But back in reality, this guy didn’t even give her a glance!

What a huge difference!

The little darling pouted, a little unhappy.

When Xie Hezhang led his little sister out of the house, he saw Shu Qingyao’s lips were pouted so much they could hang a bottle.

Although she looked cute when she was angry…

But…

What was wrong with her?

Xie Hezhang looked at her silently.

Shu Qingyao seized the opportunity, “Xie Comrade, do you have something against me? It’s okay, just tell me, I’ll see if I can change.”

Xie Hezhang: “…”

Xie Hezhang: “No.”

Shu Qingyao: “Then why don’t you smile when you see me?”

Xie Hezhang was stunned and looked at Shu Qingyao in confusion. The seventeen-year-old boy didn’t have the emotional intelligence to understand why not smiling would make a girl angry.

Shu Qingyao complained pitifully, “Do you hate me? That’s why you’re always so cold to me?”

Xie Hezhang was unusually flustered.

“… No.”

“If you don’t hate me, you must like me, right?”