Chapter 9 : Scorching

“Aunt Tian, you never used to carry an umbrella. Why are you acting like a young girl today?” Sensing the sarcasm in Aunt Tian’s words, Liang Qingqing didn’t tolerate it. As soon as she finished speaking, she tilted the umbrella back, not letting Aunt Tian get even a bit of shade.

Hmph, she kindly offered to share her umbrella and got mocked in return. Who could put up with that? Especially since Liang Qingqing was never one to let herself be wronged.

“Hey, how can you speak to your elders like that?” Aunt Tian, seeing the others around them covering their mouths to hide their laughter, felt humiliated and couldn’t help but raise her voice, trying to assert her authority over Liang Qingqing.

Liang Qingqing, seeing Aunt Tian getting more aggressive, sneered, “Elder? What kind of elder are you to me? According to the village family tree, I am one generation older than your husband.  You should be calling me ‘Aunt’!”

At this, Aunt Tian was stunned and couldn’t speak for a long moment. Being married into the village from another place, how could she remember every detail?

“How can you speak to your aunt like that? When we get back to the village, I’ll have to ask your husband how he disciplines his wife,” Liang Qingqing said, fanning herself and imitating Aunt Tian’s tone with a cold snort.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, using a woman’s husband to assert dominance was very effective in these times.

Sure enough, the next second, Aunt Tian forced a smile and said, “Oh, Aunt, I was just joking with you earlier. Please don’t take it seriously.”

Seeing that Liang Qingqing remained unmoved and expressionless, Aunt Tian gritted her teeth and pulled out a cornbread from her bag, “This is a cornbread I made this morning. Please, Aunt, have one.”

Before Liang Qingqing could respond, she found herself holding a cornbread. It seemed to be steamed with coarse grains, not a bright yellow color but relatively clean. Since she had left in a hurry and didn’t bring much to eat, this would do for now as Aunt Tian’s apology for her sharp tongue.

As for whether she was really Aunt Tian’s aunt, who knew? She had just made it up! In such a small village, most families were somehow related, and who would bother to verify the truth?

“Alright, just don’t joke with me like that anymore.”

How could Aunt Tian not agree? She wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead, seeing that Liang Qingqing was not a girl to be easily fooled, and quickly found an excuse, saying she felt dizzy and needed fresh air, then went to sit outside.

The others, who had watched the whole scene, remembered Liang Qingqing’s notorious reputation in the village. Even though the spot beside her was a prime seat, no one wanted to sit next to her.

Liang Qingqing was happy to have more space. Holding an umbrella, she curiously looked around. This was her first time riding a tractor. Although it couldn’t compare to luxury cars, it was still a unique experience.

“We’re about to start moving. Everyone, hold on tight,” the driver announced.

“Okay,” came the replies.

With a loud, jarring noise, the tractor started its journey to the county town.

The trip from Daping Village to Fujin County by tractor took over an hour. As the morning passed, the heat became oppressive. Despite having an umbrella, Liang Qingqing felt drowsy and unbearably hot.

Shrinking into a corner, she felt dizzy and suffocated, as if a giant stone was pressing on her chest. She turned her head to look at the tall trees rushing by, their green leaves providing some relief for her eyes.

She didn’t normally get carsick, but anyone would feel unwell on their first tractor ride, especially on such winding mountain roads for nearly half an hour. Just as she was about to ask the driver to stop, the tractor came to a halt on its own.

“Fan Zhiqing? Are you also heading to town? Why didn’t you wait for the bus? Walking is so tiring,” someone asked the newcomer.

“I had some business at the commune this morning, and then I had to deliver documents to the town for the village secretary, so I walked.”

Recognizing the familiar voice, the “dying” Liang Qingqing forced herself to open her eyes and look at the newcomer.

“Damn it,” she thought. What did she owe him in her past life? Why did she always run into this nemesis at her lowest moments?

Maybe he was going to do some serious work, he was dressed differently today, wearing a neat white shirt and gray trousers.

He was tall and well-built. Just his presence drew everyone’s attention. His upright posture exuded an unshakeable aura, making people think he belonged in a grand office, not on a rustic tractor.

His facial features were sharp, with cold, deep-set eyes. When he looked down, his long, thick eyelashes were noticeable. Fine beads of sweat dotted his high nose bridge, and his thin lips, pressed together, made him look aloof and unapproachable.

There’s a saying that handsome men in formal attire are like a royal flush, capable of overwhelming a group of admirers. As someone who appreciated good looks, Liang Qingqing found this to be somewhat true. She was overwhelmed, but more out of frustration than admiration.

There’s no harm in comparing he was clean and neat, while she was dirty and disheveled. Why?

As Liang Qingqing fumed, the man’s deep eyes met hers from a distance and curved into a smile.

Seeing his expression change, Liang Qingqing held her forehead, unable to figure out if he was mocking her or excited to see an old acquaintance. She assumed it was the former, since why would he have any good thoughts about her? He hadn’t openly teased her yet, which was already a courtesy.

Thinking this, Liang Qingqing shut her eyes tightly and lowered her umbrella.

“Make way, I’ll go in and sit down.” he said.

“Fan Yanxing, why don’t you sit outside? There’s a seat over there…” Someone kindly suggested, but thinking of Liang Qingqing’s past “achievements,” they couldn’t finish the sentence.

“It’s fine, I’ll sit here.”

Soon, Liang Qingqing felt a tall figure squeeze in beside her. As they moved, their exposed arms occasionally brushed against each other, the touch burning hot like fire. The close proximity made her uncomfortably edge away.

Perhaps from walking along the mountain road, he carried a light scent of sweat. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t pleasant either, lingering noticeably in the air. Liang Qingqing wrinkled her nose and moved a bit to the side. Her lips met, and she suddenly felt a strong urge to drink water to soothe her throat, but she couldn’t afford even a water bottle, let alone mineral water.

“Not feeling well?”

The deep voice reached her ears. Slightly surprised, Liang Qingqing opened her eyes to look at him and saw Fan Yanxing turning his head to look at her, his gaze concerned. Surprisingly, there was no mockery in his eyes this time.

“Concerned about me?” Oh, was this a miracle or what?

But contrary to her expectation, Fan Yanxing didn’t retort. Instead, he awkwardly cleared his throat, his eyes drifting as if unsure how to respond.

After a while, Liang Qingqing realized her words might have sounded a bit ambiguous, and a hint of redness crept up her ears. She continued, “I feel a bit carsick and could use some water.”

When someone feels self-conscious, their voice tends to drop. Coupled with her discomfort, her voice sounded weak and almost like she was whining.

Hearing her soft and gentle voice, Fan Yanxing instinctively rubbed his palm with his thumb. Then, he turned to look at her. She looked fragile, leaning weakly against the side of the tractor, a stark contrast to her usual domineering self.

Before he could think, he quickly unfastened his bag and handed her his water bottle. But as soon as he did, he regretted it. Normally, his slight germophobia would prevent him from sharing a bottle with anyone, especially a woman, as he considered it crossing a boundary.

However, now that he had handed it over, he couldn’t take it back.

Luckily, the next second, Liang Qingqing declined, “Thanks for your kindness, but I don’t need it.”

Hearing this, Fan Yanxing let out a sigh of relief and put the water bottle back in his bag. But when he looked up again, he met her suspiciously beautiful eyes. Realizing this was bad, he was about to explain but was cut off.

“I suddenly do want some water. Give me the bottle.” She hadn’t even disliked him, yet he seemed to dislike her first? If he was so concerned, why offer the bottle in the first place? To mock her?

Her fair hand stretched out before him, veins visible and fingers long and elegant—an exceptionally beautiful hand.

How had he forgotten? Liang Qingqing always liked to go against him.

“There’s no water left.” After a long pause, Fan Yanxing finally squeezed out this sentence.

“Haha, haha.” Liang Qingqing stared at him intently. Despite feeling unwell, seeing Fan Yanxing in a difficult situation made her happy. When her heart was content, her body naturally followed suit.

An awkward silence fell between them. Fan Yanxing’s hand lingered on the buckle of his satchel for a long moment, unable to open it. After a brief hesitation, he finally lowered his head and said, “I’ll buy you a soda when we get to town.”

“Two bottles.”

“…Deal.”

Hearing these words, Liang Qingqing withdrew her hand and closed her eyes again, leaning against the side of the tractor.

The tractor continued its bumpy journey, light and shadow flickering over their bodies, creating a blurry picture. Fan Yanxing couldn’t help but glance in a certain direction from time to time.

Was Liang Qingqing always like this?

Clearly, no one could give him an answer.

As they entered the county town, the road became visibly smoother, and the surrounding buildings increased. However, unlike the high-rises of later years, even two-story buildings were rare. Most structures were single-story houses.

Ever since entering town, Liang Qingqing had been feeling better, fascinated by everything she saw. But after a while, she began to feel melancholy. This  country was too poor, too backward at the time.

Not only were the streets dusty, but the people were also drab. The most common colors on the streets were black, white, and gray. The only bright colors were the big red slogans painted on the walls.

“Hey, you’re an educated youth. Where are you from?” When people get bored, they tend to find something to do. Liang Qingqing nudged Fan Yanxing’s arm with her shoulder and casually asked.