CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 75: WHO KNEW THE BIG SHOT TOOK CARE OF HIS UNDERLINGS LIKE THIS?

Zhou Guiying doesn’t want him to keep thinking about the female educated youths, "You’re not young anymore, I’ve asked someone to find a good marriage prospect for you. You should settle down and stop hanging around the female educated youths, it doesn’t leave a good impression."

"If there’s a good match, let Fourth Brother have it first, he’s older than me!"

Zhou Guiying got anxious, but Jiang Baohua stopped her, "What’s the rush!"

As Jiang Xingye returned, he took a longer route and passed by Xu Qinghuan’s place. Inside, he heard the male educated youths talking, "So, shall we team up?"

His chest felt as though a massive stone was pressing down, so heavy that he struggled to breathe.

Today’s lunch at the educated youth point was cooked by Chen Dewen and a few others. This was the most normal meal they’ve had since they came to the educated youth point; the food was well-cooked.

After experiencing food poisoning, Chen Dewen and the others dared not eat at the educated youth point anymore. But for now, since those five hadn’t returned, they could eat at ease.

After all, cooking their own food was still the safest.

It had been previously agreed that their trio would split from the educated youth point, and thus they wouldn’t have a share in the firewood or the garden there.

Fortunately, today when they went to collect firewood, they met Yu Xiaomin, who was also collecting firewood, and proposed joining Xu Qinghuan’s trio to tend the garden.

The garden space in the front and back yards was large, and it would be impossible for Xu Qinghuan’s trio to finish all the produce. Moreover, she herself was quite lazy, why bother planting outside when she could plant indoors?

"I don’t mind, as long as you guys plant some, I should get a share to eat," Xu Qinghuan said playfully.

Yu Xiaomin was all too pleased, lightly tugging on her pigtail, "You don’t have to plant, I’ll handle it, just make sure there’s something for you to eat."

Qiao Xinyu said, "Then let’s all plant together. The plots here are much better than those at the educated youth point. You guys can plant here. Digging, tilling, and watering will be handled by you male youths, and we’ll do the planting and weeding as much as we can. If we can’t manage, we’ll ask for your help."

"No problem!" Dai Yifeng agreed readily.

Zheng Siqi, who usually maintained a reserved demeanor, also broke into a smile, "That’s good. Actually, the front yard should suffice, but for the backyard, I propose planting cabbages and some beans. A bowl of mung bean soup in summer or a bit of tofu in winter would be great."

After making arrangements, the three male educated youths left.

Their house hadn’t been built yet, but Jiang Xingye had arranged for people to help build it. With more hands, it was fast work, about a week’s time.

The trio didn’t stay there long before leaving. Xu Qinghuan and others also needed to seize the time to catch some sleep. It seemed they hadn’t slept long when the work broadcast started blaring.

If she hadn’t slept yet, she could have held on a bit longer, but once asleep, getting up without enough rest was tough. It had been ages since Xu Qinghuan felt like this, she stayed in bed not wanting to get up.

"Qinghuan, it’s time for work!" Yu Xiaomin, like a busy bee, tidied up both of their things, "I heard someone in the production team knows how to weave straw hats. We’ll go buy one later."

A hat isn’t expensive, but it can last for years. Yu Xiaomin thought it was worth the cost.

Xu Qinghuan reluctantly climbed out of bed, wrapped her head and face in a scarf, grabbed her gloves, and went to work with little energy.

Upon reaching the field, she saw Zhou Guiying standing in her assigned corn rows, looking on with a strange expression. Xu Qinghuan went over to have a peek and found herself dumbfounded as well.

"Educated youth Xu, did you come to work at noon?" Zhou Guiying noticed someone approaching and asked.

"Huh? Oh, yes!" Xu Qinghuan didn’t know how to respond, so she answered vaguely.

Thankfully, no one paid any attention to the fact that the two rows of corn she was supposed to weed in the afternoon were mostly done, leaving only a short section of one or two meters waiting for her to finish later.

If Xu Qinghuan’s row had been the only one completed halfway, she might not suspect anyone, but the long row belonging to Jiang Xingye between her rows, which had clearly been left with a chunk in the morning, was now weeded clean.

This was intriguing.

If not Jiang Xingye, who could it be?

Could a big boss really take such good care of a novice?

If Xu Qinghuan still thought this way, she wouldn’t be Xu Qinghuan but a fool.

For a moment, her feelings were mixed, and she couldn’t help but reflect on whether she’d gone too far with her jokes.

Aunt Zaohua walked past the ridge and was amazed to see Xu Qinghuan’s work almost done, "Oh dear, Educated Youth Xu, did you sneak in at noon when none of us were around?"

Xu Qinghuan smiled awkwardly, "Yes, Aunt Zaohua, my home is still short of a drying mat, two kang mats, and three straw hats. Can I come by later to trade with you?"

With business knocking on the door, Xie Zaohua couldn’t bother with joking with Xu Qinghuan anymore, "You come over, I’ll make sure you get the best deal."

"Alright, I’ll head to your house when I’m done with work."

"No need to come over, I’ll have my Huahua bring the items over to you." Xie Zaohua said.

Xu Qinghuan didn’t stand on ceremony, "Alright, then I’ll trouble you, Aunt."

With not much work left, Xu Qinghuan wrapped up, called the squad leader to verify her work points, and with four points for the day, she didn’t want to do more. She carried her hoe to the brigade headquarters to return the tools and then headed home.

At noon, she returned late, and it was Yu Xiaomin who prepared the meal. It seemed like she used pickles brought from home and boiled a pot of soup with undried mushrooms, crusted a layer of cakes on the pot edge.

Cornmeal mixed with black flour, which was a daily staple at the time, Xu Qinghuan found it revolting and reluctantly ate a cake with a bowl of the oil-less soup.

Right now, she was starving, she reached for an imported chocolate hidden in her space and ate it, feeling much less dizzy.

As she was nearing home, Xu Qinghuan saw a young man riding a Golden Deer bike at Jiang Xingye’s door, talking over a fence.

"You have so many vegetables, why don’t you sell them? You can’t possibly eat them all by yourself?" Luo Jinhao had run dry talking, yet Jiang Xingye remained resolute not to sell.

Usually, he could do as he pleased and not sell.

The issue was, when he sold the vegetables yesterday, the feedback was exceptionally positive, with taste better than those collected elsewhere.

The hotel on the other side anticipated a visit from provincial guests in a few days, mandating county purchases from this source, how could a state-run restaurant approach him, and what was he supposed to do?

Seeing Jiang Xingye not speaking, looking towards the east, his gaze transfixed, Luo Jinhao turned to look and was equally shocked.

Is there anyone born as good-looking as this in the world!

A celestial fairy could hardly be more beautiful!

Luo Jinhao felt embarrassed to show his behind to her, quickly got off the bike, turned around, and saw the girl approaching, standing by the fence, pointing a fair and elegant finger at the tomatoes.

"Comrade Jiang, can we trade some tomatoes?"

The tomatoes grown with this miraculous soil must be delicious.

Overnight, the yield in Jiang Xingye’s tomato garden increased by nearly thirty percent.

"Pick some!" Jiang Xingye said, turning to enter the house. Upon closer look, one could see his ears were red.

Luo Jinhao noticed, bent down to pick a tomato and handed it to Xu Qinghuan, "Hello, I’m Luo Jinhao, a friend of Brother Xingye, may I know your name?"

"Hello, I’m Xu Qinghuan, an educated youth who was sent down."

Seeing two large baskets hanging from Luo Jinhao’s bike seat, Xu Qinghuan couldn’t help asking, "Were you here to trade vegetables with Comrade Jiang?"