CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: SHE’S SUCH A CLEVER LITTLE FOX!

Qiao Xinyu became cautious and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"It’s our neighbor!" Xu Qinghuan pointed to the next house to the west, "When I went up the mountain today, I met Brother Jiang, he not only saved my life but also gave me half a basket of mushrooms and a wild rabbit. In short, all the ingredients on the table are from him. There’s still a lot of mushrooms left."

Yu Xiaomin originally wanted to ask about picking mushrooms, but after hearing this, she temporarily refrained and sat down to listen to what Qiao Xinyu had to say.

Qiao Xinyu held Xu Qinghuan’s hand and said earnestly, "Huanhuan, Jiang Chengxu is scum, we won’t necessarily meet him anymore now that we’ve come to the countryside, so you don’t need to think about him. But going to the countryside, we’ll still have opportunities to return to the city in the future;

We’re still young, the main task here is to work hard, protect ourselves, and wait for the chance to return to the city. Do you understand what I mean?"

These were words her mother had told her when she went into the countryside; bluntly speaking, it’s about not finding a partner in the countryside, as it would be troublesome when returning to the city.

Xu Qinghuan certainly understood this, she also knew that by the end of 1977, the college entrance exams would resume, and she planned to take part then. In this life, she wouldn’t strive so hard for achievement, but she definitely needed a diploma.

This is the passport to navigating the world.

"I know, don’t worry! I haven’t planned anything, besides, Comrade Jiang isn’t like Jiang Chengxu, that scumbag. He doesn’t even like interacting with girls," Xu Qinghuan reassured her friend.

Qiao Xinyu thought about the production team’s evaluation of Jiang Xingye, the brigade leader’s nephew, whose father died saving village property and lives, whose mother remarried, who had killed someone, and who had lived in the mountains for three or four years before coming back.

He didn’t like doing farm work, only earning ten work points during urgent planting and harvesting, usually only getting five or six work points, earning a reputation for being idle.

But no matter how bad his reputation was, he never had any rumors with any girl; he was better-looking than movie stars, yet any female member who approached him would end up leaving in tears.

Including one who was kicked into the river.

Qiao Xinyu also heard the old women in the team say that Jiang Xingye’s mother ruined her son for a wild man; he hated women because of his mother.

No matter how much Xu Qinghuan reassured her, Qiao Xinyu was still uneasy about her going alone to deliver food to Jiang Xingye, so Xu Qinghuan had to drag her along, exhausted, to the neighbor’s.

Jiang Xingye had already returned, having just washed his face, he splashed a basin of water over the vegetable garden.

He had planted quite a lot of vegetables, growing nicely, but couldn’t eat them all himself; some of them were already overgrown.

As Xu Qinghuan appeared at the door, Jiang Xingye’s gaze projected over, dark and deep, exuding a dim light as if it could suck a person’s soul in, both dangerous and alluring.

Especially upon seeing Qiao Xinyu, Jiang Xingye’s eyes sank, like a beast showing its fangs, the tips flashing a cold light.

A chill climbed up Qiao Xinyu’s tailbone, spreading throughout her body, she quickly held onto the fence, not daring to move forward even half a step.

Xu Qinghuan was oblivious, holding the lunch box as she came in, "Brother Jiang, I brought you food. Come taste it, the spicy rabbit pieces are delicious, and the mushroom soup is quite tasty too."

She also handed over six pancakes wrapped in a clean handkerchief to Jiang Xingye.

Jiang Xingye, holding the basin, had just bathed, changed into clean clothes, with water dripping down onto the firm cheekbones, splitting the water drops in two like a knife edge, his dark eyes swirling with some unknown emotion.

He didn’t reach out, instead gestured towards the house with his chin.

Xu Qinghuan was instantly delighted, the big boss was assigning her tasks, asking her to deliver the food inside, even inviting her into the house. Does this mean the boss is starting to assess her potential as a subordinate?

Xu Qinghuan placed the lunch box and pancakes on the table, with a little thought, "My friend traded for some earthenware bowls today, there’s already a bowl to serve the food in. I have three lunch boxes in total, so you don’t need to pour it out to eat."

She noticed Jiang Xingye poured out the food at noon, mixing it all together, and was afraid he’d do the same. The thought of mushroom soup mixed with spicy rabbit pieces was quite unimaginable.

Plus, by leaving the lunch box, she could come back again to retrieve it. Wouldn’t that offer another chance to... connect with the boss?

She truly is a quick thinker!

After finishing, Xu Qinghuan didn’t give Jiang Xingye time to react and turned to run out of the house. She noticed the vegetable gardens on both sides, they were indeed growing well. She wondered if the boss sold them?

"Xinyu, let’s go back!" Xu Qinghuan pulled Qiao Xinyu along for a few steps, noticing her movement seemed hindered, worried, "What’s wrong with you, are you alright?"

"I’m fine!" Qiao Xinyu’s feelings were complicated, suspecting something off in her sister’s dealings with that low-life.

But when she tried to articulate it, she couldn’t find the words. Shaking her head, she thought, never mind, she was too exhausted to even speak and starving, so she’d temporarily stop pondering these issues.

The two returned to find Yu Xiaomin actually digging in the vegetable garden.

"Xiaomin, why aren’t you eating? You worked all day, aren’t you tired?" Xu Qinghuan truly admired her, she didn’t even consider tending to the vegetable garden herself

But in this era, hiring someone for work was impossible; a slip-up could lead to being labeled capitalist, a risk with severe consequences.

"Waiting for you two!" Yu Xiaomin put the hoe down and washed up to join for dinner, "You delivered the food?"

"Yes, come on, eat. There are ten pancakes, I’ll only eat two, you both can have four each," Xu Qinghuan divided the pancakes, taking only two for herself.

The pancakes were a bit large, and with soup and meat, eating more vegetables and less staple food had always been Xu Qinghuan’s habit.

Healthy, and it helped avoid gaining weight easily.

"Huanhuan, isn’t Comrade Jiang Xingye quite fierce? Aren’t you afraid of him?" Yu Xiaomin voiced her curiosity.

Qiao Xinyu only then realized where her sense of disquiet lay and looked eagerly at Xu Qinghuan.

"Not fierce, I don’t think he’s fierce. I even think he’s quite good-natured." Xu Qinghuan bit into a pancake and drank a bit of mushroom soup, indulging satisfyingly with closed eyes,

"I’ve never eaten anything this delicious, it’s simply tastier than anything!"

The wild mushroom soup was plain, without any additives, yet the broth was so savory that even one’s eyebrows might fall off, truly a delicacy.

Yu Xiaomin and Qiao Xinyu stopped questioning, burying themselves in their food. The spicy rabbit piece was both hot and aromatic, the meat tender, and the mushroom soup fresh enough to make one want to swallow their tongue. The day’s fatigue from labor seemed soothed away.

After Xu Qinghuan left, Jiang Xingye picked up a pair of chopsticks to eat when Jiang Xingwei arrived, "Little Five, Dad asked you to come back for dinner, Mom made dumplings today."

Jiang Xingye didn’t look up as Jiang Xingwei glanced at the food before him, astonished, "Little Five, did you make this?"