Chapter 45 : Breathing became heavier

In front of so many people, Liang Qingqing was startled by Fan Yanxing’s bold action, causing her heart to race. She quickly glanced around to see if anyone noticed, and upon realizing no one had, she breathed a sigh of relief and shot him a look of both embarrassment and irritation.

Fan Yanxing touched his nose and silently shifted his gaze away.

Seeing that he was also feeling embarrassed, Liang Qingqing huffed a couple of times and lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile. “It’s getting late. I’ll go wash up first.”

In the hot weather, not bathing for a day makes her feel uncomfortable all over. Besides, although the hospital’s bathroom environment is much better than at home, it still can’t compare to the comfort of being at home. After being cooped up for so many days, she just wanted to have a good, refreshing wash.

“I’ll help you fetch the water,” Liang Junqiang said naturally.

This kind of thing was usually handled by Liang Shuqiang and Liang Junqiang, the two brothers. The small bathroom at home is not far from the kitchen, but filling the tub with water still requires some effort. With Liang Qingqing’s small arms and legs, she would end up spilling more than half of it before getting very far.

Liang Qingqing smiled and nodded, playfully saying, “I knew Second Brother was good to me, hehe.”

“Just know that,” Liang Junqiang said with a smile as he rubbed the back of his head and went to the kitchen to fetch the water.

Once he left, Liang Qingqing undid the braid hanging in front of her chest. Her long hair quickly spread over her shoulders. After being tied up for so long, her originally long and straight hair had turned into large waves. Her slender, pale fingers comb through it, creating a seductive scene.

She bit the hair tie between her lips, her pink lips slightly parted to reveal her pearly teeth. Fan Yanxing’s fingers gently rubbed together as he suddenly recalled the scene from earlier that day in her room. His breath became slightly heavier.

The dim light cast a soft glow on her delicate features, giving her an indescribable allure. Her fox-like eyes slightly lifted, and she seemed to notice someone staring at her. Liang Qingqing glanced at him with a subtle, enchanting gaze that was hard to resist.

The Liang family was frugal, only lighting a single kerosene lamp after dark. The yellowish light cast on her face gave her an alluring aura.

Seeing a beauty under the lamp made her even more captivating.

Fan Yanxing wondered how long it would take before the task of fetching water would fall to him.

—

The next morning, as soon as the time arrived, Ma Xiuzhi came running to wake everyone up. Huang Shumin was already up, brushing her hair. Seeing her mother-in-law coaxing her sister-in-law at the bedside, she paused for a moment and then nonchalantly shifted her gaze away.

In the surrounding villages, everyone woke up early with the rooster’s crow to prepare for work. Only Liang Qingqing needed someone to call her, so delicate and spoiled.

Huang Shumin glanced once more and then quickened her pace to leave.

“Qingqing, get up quickly,” Ma Xiuzhi said, looking at Liang Qingqing, who was lying listlessly in bed and rubbing her eyes. Her heart softened, but given the circumstances, she couldn’t let her daughter indulge in her own way.

After what happened, it would be better for Qingqing’s reputation.

Thinking of this, Ma Xiuzhi reached out to pull Liang Qingqing’s arm and spoke firmly, “If you don’t get up on your own, I’ll have to lift you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Liang Qingqing curved her lips into a smile and chuckled, opening her large, grape-like eyes. Although they still showed signs of sleepiness, she sat up and mumbled, “Still, Mother knows how to handle me.”

With a sigh, she pretended to embrace Ma Xiuzhi and smiled sweetly, “Who else would I care about the most but Mother? I can’t bear to see you work hard.”

In response, Ma Xiuzhi gave her a light smack and said, “Stop with the sweet talk. Get up quickly. You’re assigned to Qin Zhen’s team, so just find her directly.”

“Alright,” Liang Qingqing said, feeling relieved. Qin Zhen was a pleasant person to get along with, and her team didn’t have particularly heavy tasks, so Liang Qingqing was somewhat reassured.

Returning from the county town, this was Liang Qingqing’s first day of work, and she didn’t want to be late and lose work points. She quickly followed Ma Xiuzhi’s help to jump out of bed, hurriedly washed up, and went to the kitchen to wait for breakfast.

When things finally settled down, she realized that she hadn’t seen Fan Yanxing all morning. With a quick thought, she called over Songzi and casually asked about him. Children aren’t usually very perceptive, so Songzi didn’t think much of her question and simply replied, “Uncle was just called away by the village party secretary. He said he wouldn’t be back for lunch.”

The village party secretary?

Liang Qingqing blinked, recalling that Fan Yanxing often helped the village party secretary with various tasks. She didn’t think much of it gaining real experience often involved working closely with grassroots leaders.

Nearby, Wang Xiaomei, who was cooking, listened to their conversation with a complex expression. Last time, Liang Qingqing was very anxious when she heard about Fan Yanxing’s accident and even went to the scene to help. Now, she was asking about his whereabouts again…

Could it be that Qingqing really liked Fan Yanxing?

This thought had crossed Wang Xiaomei’s mind several times. She decided to be more supportive of her younger sister-in-law.

Wang Xiaomei had never aimed high or sought wealth, especially not someone like Fan Yanxing, who seemed to be from a big city and of a different class altogether. If Fan Yanxing were to return to his family’s connections, his future would be limitless. There was no way he would be interested in their rural family.

Wang Xiaomei sighed internally. Qingqing had finally given up on Su Zhiqing and now seemed to like Fan Yanxing. If the mother-in-law knew, she might be upset.

However, if Qingqing could marry someone she liked, especially someone from a wealthy family she had dreamed of, it might not be a bad thing.

Moreover…

Wang Xiaomei took a deep breath and glanced at Liang Qingqing, who was sitting elegantly in her chair. Even after many years, she never grew tired of her beauty. It was no wonder that men who admired good looks might also be drawn to her.

So whether Fan Yanxing would notice Qingqing was uncertain.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she almost burned the shredded potatoes.

After breakfast, the family walked to the village entrance. When they saw the platform where the meetings were usually held starting to hang banners and set up chairs, Liang Qingqing realized that there would be a popular science conference in the afternoon, and all villagers must attend after lunch.

“Does that mean we don’t have to work in the afternoon?” Liang Qingqing’s eyes lit up instantly. She was more concerned about whether she had to work than the conference itself.

Ma Xiuzhi, hearing her question, smiled helplessly and said, “Yes, you don’t have to work in the afternoon.”

“That’s great.” Liang Qingqing was pleased at the prospect of not having to work.

“What’s so great?” A low, deep voice interjected. Without turning around, Liang Qingqing already knew who it was. She instinctively touched her long braid and replied, “We’re having a popular science conference in the afternoon, so we don’t have to work.”

After speaking, she turned around to look at the person. Her eyes flickered when she saw him.

Fan Yanxing was wearing a white sleeveless jacket, His strong and sturdy upper body was so attractive that people couldn’t take their eyes off him. His arm muscles were well-defined, and his black trousers covered his long legs, giving him a tall and imposing appearance.

His long hair, which had been cut off at the hospital, was now a neatly trimmed crew cut. Far from reducing his handsomeness, it added a wild, untamed charm. Dressed in typical farm attire, he looked like a rugged country man.

“You got a haircut?” She immediately noticed the change, her beautiful eyes narrowing into a radiant smile.

Fan Yanxing’s heart skipped a beat at her smile, and the warmth of her attention made his smile deepen a little. He nodded and replied, “I used the village party secretary’s razor to shave it.”

“You did it yourself? You have quite a good skill,” Liang Qingqing said in surprise, studying his head a bit more. Her words weren’t flatter they were just the truth. Fan Yanxing’s shaving skills were really good, unlike Liang Junqiang. Last time when Wang Xiaomei was not at home, Liang Shuqiang asked him to help shave his head. The result was quite something, and it was better left unmentioned.

“Thank you for the compliment,” Fan Yanxing’s eyes curved into a smile as a low chuckle escaped his throat.

Their seemingly private conversation was interpreted differently by others. Ultimately, they didn’t chat for long because the team leader had started counting heads, gave a few motivational words and then sent the team leaders off with their respective groups to start work.

This time, Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing were not assigned to the same area. Instead, Fan Yanxing and Liang Junqiang were assigned together to cut trees on the mountain. Almost all the young and capable workers in the village were assigned this task.

The recent heavy rain had left a deep impact on the village. Even though there was no money in the account, they had to grit their teeth and repair the granary and the youth station. Fortunately, preparations had been made in advance, so no grain was lost. If something had gone wrong, the situation would have been even worse.

The collapse of the youth station was merely due to the good luck of the young workers, who managed to escape without casualties.

At present, the young workers still stayed with the villagers, which was inconvenient and prone to causing conflicts. In the past few days, the number of people going to the team leader for help had been too many to count.

Liang Qingqing pulled her thoughts back and focused on her current task. Qin Zhen had already shown her how to do it, but since it was her first time, her technique was quite awkward. The rows of vegetable seedlings she planted were uneven and crooked, and she couldn’t bear to look at them herself.

Qin Zhen, who had planted a considerable distance ahead, suddenly turned around. When their eyes met, Liang Qingqing was momentarily taken aback but quickly bent back down to plant the seedlings, appearing somewhat guilty.

Qin Zhen was amused by her reaction and, thinking of her own young daughter who was similarly clumsy when making mistakes, couldn’t help but smile. She walked over to Liang Qingqing and demonstrated the process again with patience, saying, “First, dig a small hole, then place the seedling in it, cover it with soil, and press it down with your hand.”

Her movements were slow, intended to let Liang Qingqing see clearly. Liang Qingqing followed along earnestly, practicing a few times. After a moment of guidance, Liang Qingqing grasped the technique and looked at her “work” with satisfaction. She smiled at Qin Zhen and said sincerely, “Thank you, Sister Qin Zhen.”

After addressing her, it seemed like she realized something and bit her lower lip, asking cautiously, “Can I call you that?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhen was momentarily stunned. Once she came to her senses, she smiled and waved her hand, saying, “Of course you can.”

Her gaze towards Liang Qingqing softened, and she lowered her voice to remind her, “There’s no need to thank me. The most important thing is that you need to hurry up and finish this area. You have to finish planting it all today otherwise, if the team leader comes to inspect tomorrow and it’s not done, you’ll lose work points.”

After speaking, Qin Zhen quickly went back to her own tasks.

Watching Qin Zhen’s retreating figure, Liang Qingqing sighed. Making friends with good-natured people in this village would only be beneficial. She was someone who could cheer others up, so making friends wasn’t that difficult.

“Finish planting this entire area?” Liang Qingqing looked at the endless expanse of fields ahead, and her face scrunched up in dismay.

She couldn’t help but think of what Fan Yanxing had said before, that he would come help her…