CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: HOW CAN YOUR VOICE SOUND SO GOOD!

"Not going today!" Xu Qinghuan saw the children’s disappointed eyes and quickly explained, "Today’s my first day at work. I need to fully experience official labor. If I can’t manage it, I’ll apply to join you in picking pigweed. How does that sound?"

Shuanzi and the others’ eyes lit up, "Sure, fairy sister, we’ll wait for you!"

"Okay, you guys go ahead. Be sure not to climb the mountain. Stay safe!" Xu Qinghuan waved them off, hurried her steps to follow beside the big shot once more.

Once at the field, the team leader had already assigned tasks. Aunt Zhou quickly beckoned Xu Qinghuan, "Xu Qinghuan, these two rows are yours, two work points per row. It’s your first day working, take it slow, no need to rush."

Looking at the long two rows of land, Xu Qinghuan gasped, not wanting to do even one, let alone two.

Her task today was to weed the corn. The corn grew taller than a person, and the rows were also quite wide, with wild grass almost reaching waist height. She had to use her hoe to clear away all the weeds.

Not only was this a physical job, but for Xu Qinghuan, it was also a skilled task.

Last night, due to helping someone, she didn’t have the chance to take the Bone Tempering and Muscle Strengthening Pill.

Jiang Xingye was assigned a row next to hers, wider and longer than hers, worth three work points.

Xu Qinghuan didn’t know how to use a hoe. Or rather, she had never worked in the fields in either of her lives.

Farming seemed to be a genetic trait imprinted in every descendant of dragons, but it somehow didn’t apply to Xu Qinghuan.

At the very least, she’d never felt the urge to farm, despite having so much spirit field space.

Jiang Xingye noticed her constantly watching him, and his heart felt like it had fifteen or sixteen rabbits jumping, uneasy. His hoeing slowed deliberately for her to see clearly.

Xu Qinghuan watched for a while before imitating, but being inexperienced, she swung the hoe too hard, and its blade came dangerously close to her calf.

Terrified, Xu Qinghuan jumped, dropped the hoe, and leapt backwards.

Jiang Xingye was so startled by her move that his heart skipped a beat. He quickly approached her and taught her hand-in-hand.

First, he taught her how to hold the hoe, then her stance, and finally how to exert force.

He taught with great care, his voice slow and deep, like a cello, profound yet gentle, rich and mellow.

The big shot’s voice was so nice, it seemed to make people’s ears pregnant.

"Did you understand?" Jiang Xingye stared at Xu Qinghuan, who was distracted, not watching the hoe but him.

It was the first time Xu Qinghuan got caught daydreaming while learning. Her cheeks involuntarily flushed, "I... I didn’t really listen."

"Then what were you doing?" Jiang Xingye asked bluntly, yet the darkness in his eyes flickered with a rare softness.

Xu Qinghuan spoke truthfully, "I was wondering how your voice could sound so good!"

She smiled mischievously.

Jiang Xingye’s head buzzed, as all the blood rushed to his head, reddening his ears and neck. He awkwardly coughed, stating sternly, "Girls shouldn’t speak so openly!"

He glanced around and then whispered, "It’s not good if others hear that!"

"Why wouldn’t it be good? I’m just speaking the truth!" Xu Qinghuan sniffed playfully, picked up the hoe, and skillfully removed a weed.

Jiang Xingye stood by correcting a few of her non-standard moves, "When working, improper posture can easily lead to injuries."

"Understood, Teacher Jiang!" Xu Qinghuan drawled out, her deer-like eyes sparkling with golden light, cheeks flushed with the warmth, resembling ripe autumn peaches.

Jiang Xingye was overwhelmed by both the sight and sound. He escaped back to his row in the field.

Still worried about her, he advised, "Take your time, it’s okay not to finish."

Xu Qinghuan rested on her hoe, looking at him eagerly, "If I can’t finish, will you help me?"

Jiang Xingye paused, then softly said, "Mmm."

Xu Qinghuan extended her neck, checking for anyone nearby, and whispered, "Teacher Jiang, I’ve heard that around here if a male comrade helps a female worker, people would gossip that he likes her. Aren’t you afraid?"

Jiang Xingye swung his hoe, almost hitting his own leg, heart racing, thinking his little thoughts had been discovered.

Clear, bell-like laughter reached his ears.

Jiang Xingye clenched his teeth, suppressing the fluttering in his chest.

He pondered if he’d ever get a chance to punish her, and if he did, it would be three days and nights on the kang.

Just imagining it turned him fiery hot.

Xu Qinghuan, amused by him, laughed cheerfully. The big shot now seemed so innocent, unlike the gloomy, cold, and ruthless figure described in books.

In fact, she found him rather cute!

Feeling good, Xu Qinghuan hummed a tune, but after working a bit, she couldn’t hum anymore, letting out an "Ah," which startled Jiang Xingye.

He looked over to see Xu Qinghuan stretching out her hand, incredulously staring.

Jiang Xingye couldn’t help but ask, "What’s going on?"

Xu Qinghuan ran over, showing her palm, "I’ve got a blister, it really hurts!"

Jiang Xingye took a look at her tender palms, closed his eyes, pushing away the heat in his gaze, "You should take a break."

"I can’t, I still have so much to do." Xu Qinghuan glanced at her task; one row was only worth two work points. To earn six today, she had to hoe three rows.

"I’ll... help you do it!" Jiang Xingye said helplessly.

"But I can’t just sit here and wait!"

In her bones, Xu Qinghuan had a determination not to lose. She retrieved a box from her pocket—actually from her space—with ointment inside. Using her tender, white fingers, she applied some to her wound and then put on a glove.

With fierce determination, she returned to her row to continue working.

She wasn’t exhausted; it was just her skin that was a bit too delicate.

"Hey, isn’t that Xu Qinghuan? Finally worked the fields today. With your embroidery-like actions, when will you earn two work points?"

Hearing Qiu Linghua’s voice, Xu Qinghuan looked up, resting a bit as she smiled, "Aunt Linghua, are you here to inspect? Is the production team’s land all yours? Oh dear, I didn’t know; turns out I’m working for the landlord!"

The banter between the two stirred the people in the field.

Working was so dull and tedious; having some fun was a welcome reprieve. Faces appeared from behind the corn leaves, laughing at Xu Qinghuan’s words.

"Landlady Qiu, what’s up? Checking if us laborers are working hard enough?" Aunt Zaohua teased.

Qiu Linghua’s face flushed from green to white, who would dare carry the title of landlord in this era? Yet, she genuinely wasn’t working today, just saying something cheeky while passing by, and Xu Qinghuan had promptly given her a big reputational hat.

Spitting in Xu Qinghuan’s direction, Qiu Linghua opened her mouth to curse, "You little chi..."

Suddenly, a clump of dirt flew over, hitting Qiu Linghua squarely on the forehead. She looked keenly and saw it was Jiang Xingye.

Qiu Linghua dared not retaliate or continue swearing, simply shouting, "Aunt Zhou, look at your Jiang Xiaowu, he’s been bewitched by the new female educated youth, siding with her everywhere. What, he wants to marry her as his wife?"