Chapter 30: Curiosity Won’t Help

“Ye Zhiqing, Wen Zhiqing, let’s go quickly. Why are you standing here staring?” Wang Fang tugged at Ye Siran, who was clearly lost in thought.

She thought that no matter how curious the young girl was, she shouldn’t just stare at others. The people working here were already in an awkward position, and staring like that was inappropriate.

“Ranran, are you feeling unwell? Why can’t you move once we come in?” Wen Lin asked, worried.

“I’m fine, just curious about those people working, want to take another look,” Ye Siran replied casually.

She didn’t want to tell them that she had come to the farm to look for her grandparents, to avoid dragging them into trouble.

With so many people in the farm, finding someone she had never met was like searching for a needle in a haystack. She certainly couldn’t go asking everyone, “Where are my grandparents?” Besides, she didn’t even know their names!

“Sister Wang, can we walk around freely inside the farm?” Ye Siran asked, pretending to be shy.

Ever since entering the farm, her eyes had been scanning everything like radar.

An Tao thought she was just trying to ease the awkwardness and replied warmly: “We can’t just walk around! I had to show the farm gate guards the introduction letter from the village to get in, then we can only go to the designated tea hills to pick tea leaves.”

“Then can we come to the farm to pick tea leaves anytime?” Ye Siran asked further.

“Tea picking is seasonal. You can’t come during busy farming periods, and in autumn or winter there are no tender leaves. So it’s really only two months a year.”

“Ye Zhiqing, do you like picking tea leaves?”

“I’ve never picked tea leaves before, so I can’t say I like or dislike it. I’m just curious about the people here.”

“Ranran, being curious won’t help. Those people ignore us; I tried talking to them, and they didn’t answer,” Wen Lin pouted in complaint.

When she first entered the farm, she was also curious and had asked them if they were tired, but they didn’t even glance her way.

“This place is full of mixed characters. Don’t wander off. Let’s go to the tea hill over there,” Wang Fang pointed to a lush, green, low hill path.

“Are there bad people here?” Wen Lin asked enthusiastically. She had been fearless since childhood.

“There’s a military corps stationed at the Wuyi Farm, and some young administrators like to pester pretty girls like you city youths,” An Tao explained.

What he didn’t say was that some new city youths couldn’t handle the hardships of rural labor and looked for someone to marry. It wasn’t that city girls weren’t pretty, but compared to sunburnt rural girls, they looked fairer and more appealing.

After two months of farm labor, many city girls’ appearances changed drastically. Some who were average before became indistinguishable from village girls.

Seeing that they were still walking slowly like before, Ye Siran urged, “Wen Lin, let’s go faster.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Wen Lin nodded and followed Ye Siran toward the tea hill Wang Fang had indicated.

“Big Brother An, there are already people over there. Who are they?” Xiao Zhiyu whispered to An Tao.

“They’re city youths and villagers from the neighboring village. It’s off-season now, so villagers near the farm can apply to come pick tea,” An Tao explained patiently.

Though he was thin and dark-skinned, his features were fine, and if he were fairer, one could describe him as a gentleman.

He liked the fair-skinned Xiao Zhiyu as well, and the two had become inseparable on their journey.

“Sister Wang, can I pick tea at the highest point of the hill?” Ye Siran asked casually.

“Anywhere within this tea hill is fine. Pick wherever you want, but it’s best not to go elsewhere,” Wang Fang replied.

“Oh, got it,” Ye Siran said, then pulled Wen Lin along quickly. She wanted to observe from a higher vantage point.

“Did you bring lunch with you?” Wang Fang called after them as they ran.

“No!”

“Yes!”

Wen Lin and Ye Siran answered in unison.

“Ranran, you even brought lunch? How come I didn’t know?” Wen Lin blinked in surprise.

“You were rushing breakfast, how would you know I made egg and scallion pancakes?” Ye Siran lied calmly.

“Yesterday that lady only gave two eggs. I ate one this morning. So you didn’t eat?” Wen Lin was shocked.

“I made pancakes from the eggs; it’s the same to eat them later,” Ye Siran explained. She had boiled eggs for herself earlier and wasn’t going to shortchange herself.

Her storage space had many chickens and eggs. She could make egg scallion pancakes and cook them when she got a chance to use the bathroom.

She hadn’t expected to come to the farm today, so she hadn’t brought lunch, but in her past life, she habitually drank warm water. She carried two water bottles in her canvas shoulder bag, which allowed her to sneak items from her storage space.

“Ah! You even brought lunch? I didn’t bring any. Won’t I starve at noon?” Xiao Zhiyu exclaimed, his voice rising.

“If you have money and ration tickets, you won’t starve. You can buy meals at the farm cafeteria,” An Tao said, puckering his lips.

When he first went to the countryside, he always had money, ration tickets, and the spirit of collective unity. Unfortunately, that was more than a year ago. Now, even though he woke early and worked hard, he barely had enough for each meal.

“I have money and tickets with me. Luckily, my older siblings said to always carry them,” Xiao Zhiyu said gratefully.

Ye Siran pulled Wen Lin to the top of the hill, with An Tao and Xiao Zhiyu naturally following.

Meanwhile, Wang Fang was stopped by city youths from the neighboring village: “Sister Wang, are those two newcomers?”

“Yes, they came yesterday. They don’t know farm work yet, so they’re here to learn tea picking,” Wang Fang paused.

“Where are they from? They look so pretty,” a young wife from the neighboring village asked curiously.

Wang Fang had no choice but to stop, chatting and picking tea with them: “I don’t know. I haven’t asked yet.”

“Eh! These two fresh-faced girls are scheming. They’re not here to pick tea! Surely they want a soldier,” someone whispered.

“Hah! Better to find a young, good-looking farm administrator. After marriage, they can continue as administrators,” another said.

“You talk so well, why don’t you do it yourself?” Wang Fang teased, though she knew why. She had been full of enthusiasm when she first arrived here, looking down on the farm administrators and soldiers. Later, when the farm work wore her out and she wanted to find a partner, they had already lost interest in her!

Her fair skin had tanned badly, impossible to bleach, and finding a local rough man? She wouldn’t accept it! She kept thinking she would wait a couple more years, hoping her family could help her return to the city.

“Ranran, my hands hurt,” Wen Lin complained after only half an hour of picking tea.