CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 76: THE FIRST TIME I WORKED FOR A FEMALE COMRADE

"Yeah!" Luo Jinhao also played along, feigning a mournful face, "Everything was fine before, but yesterday he suddenly stopped bartering vegetables. What’s he going to do with such a big garden of vegetables? He’s a loner, can he even eat it all?"

From inside the house, Jiang Xingye’s voice echoed with barely suppressed anger, "Mouse, you looking for trouble? Get in here!"

Luo Jinhao suddenly shrugged, putting on a scared expression.

Xu Qinghuan thought for a moment before following him inside. As she passed by the water tank, she scooped up some water, washed a tomato, and took a bite. It was sweet and tangy, absolutely delicious.

She took another big bite, eating a bit aggressively, and suddenly choked.

With one hand against the wall and the other holding the tomato, Xu Qinghuan looked slightly embarrassed and a bit awkward.

Jiang Xingye quickly came out of the house, handing her a clean towel, his hand lifted as if to pat her back, but it fell back, restrained.

Xu Qinghuan used the towel to wipe her face, and as she returned it to him, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at him.

Her eyes were glistening, like a serene autumn pond, her gaze bright and captivating, like a lantern guiding a lost soul home.

Jiang Xingye turned his face away, avoiding Xu Qinghuan’s gaze.

His eyes were lowered, making it impossible for Xu Qinghuan to see the expression in them.

"Comrade Jiang, can I barter some vegetables with you too?" Xu Qinghuan did some quick calculations; vegetables cost about three to five cents per pound these days, though in rural areas, no one really bought them.

But wasn’t Xu Qinghuan an exception?

"How about a dollar a month, and I’ll pick a basket of vegetables every day?" Xu Qinghuan pointed to a basket with a round belly at her feet, which could carry about three to five pounds of vegetables.

Enough for the three of them for a day.

"Alright, you can pick," Jiang Xingye said before retreating inside with the towel.

Xu Qinghuan didn’t linger; she turned to leave, borrowing Jiang Xingye’s basket to pick half a basket of vegetables on her way back.

Once Xu Qinghuan was out of sight, Jiang Xingye said to Luo Jinhao, "Weren’t you after some vegetables? Go ahead and pick them, two baskets, no more."

Luo Jinhao had a sudden realization and pointed to the east, "You’re kidding, right? You refused to sell me vegetables just because she wanted them? Seriously, how many vegetables can she eat?"

Jiang Xingye shot him a fierce glare, "Don’t talk nonsense!"

Initially, he was worried that Xu Qinghuan might need lots of vegetables daily, considering how many people were at the youth camp.

Since she only needed one basket a day, keeping extra vegetables made no sense.

But these were things he wouldn’t disclose to anyone.

Xu Qinghuan heard noises outside and quickly ran out to peek over the wall. Sure enough, she saw Luo Jinhao pedaling his big golden deer bicycle with glistening green vegetables in the back, which made her thoughtful.

For three consecutive days, Xu Qinghuan did her chores in the morning, and by noon, someone had already done her tasks for her. In the afternoon, she just worked leisurely for over an hour at the field’s edge, securing four to five work points a day usually.

She wasn’t relying on work points to live, so having four to five work points a day was enough to keep people from gossiping.

After lunch, Xu Qinghuan took a rest in her room. Once Yu Xiaomin and Qiao Xinyu were sound asleep, she put on her new straw hat and headed to the fields with a hoe.

On the way, she ran into Aunt Date Flower, who was extremely surprised, "Xu, the educated youth, it’s true you don’t take a noon break and go to the fields!"

"Yes, I have to make some time to gather some herbs on the mountain," Xu Qinghuan made up casually.

Aunt Date Flower nodded like a pecking hen, "Yes, yes, one should gather some herbs. Autumn harvest is near, and you wouldn’t want to catch a cold or get a fever and miss work!"

After exchanging a few words, Xu Qinghuan moved on.

On her way back, Aunt Date Flower praised the educated youth’s progressive thinking and enthusiasm for labor to everyone she met.

The field for today’s work was in the north. At the village’s end, Xu Qinghuan turned to the right and spotted the sorghum field.

There was no wind, but the sorghum stalks were swaying.

As Xu Qinghuan approached, she indeed saw Jiang Xingye.

He wore ill-fitting clothes that seemed even smaller as the sweat made them cling tightly to his muscular frame, exuding power.

He sported a straw hat and wielded a hoe, helping her with that afternoon’s tasks.

Xu Qinghuan decided to sit by the field and watched him for a while.

Jiang Xingye suddenly turned around. Seeing Xu Qinghuan, he froze, his whole body surging with energy and his face flushing red. Fortunately, his skin was a bit dark, making it less noticeable.

In silence, his heart was pounding nervously, making it hard to breathe.

Xu Qinghuan approached him, "I was wondering who has been helping me with my work these days. I thought someone got the location wrong, and that meant the work points were mistakenly credited to me. I can tell the team leader and return them."

It happens sometimes, where someone just mistakes the task location and ends up doing someone else’s work. The two parties would usually clear it up with the scorekeeper.

Jiang Xingye was utterly embarrassed, not daring to meet Xu Qinghuan’s gaze. His lips moved as if to deny, yet he couldn’t muster the courage to voice it.

Even if his petty, dark, and self-deprecating thoughts were seen by the other party, he wanted to hide them.

At this moment, he felt like a prisoner being publicly executed, hoping for nothing but an escape, unable to face the clear daylight.

Xu Qinghuan’s heart softened unexpectedly, feeling a pang of compassion.

Her initial intention was to latch onto a big shot, who knew she’d overdo it.

She’d thought it over these days, if Jiang Xingye misunderstood her, it was her problem too. People were naturally conservative back then, and with her constantly trying to make connections, it did seem suspicious.

If Jiang Xingye wanted a relationship, she could entertain the thought.

After all, she was the one who initiated it.

Most importantly, while others saw Jiang Xingye as a country bumpkin, she knew him too well. His future was limitless.

His looks hit all her aesthetic points, already quite alluring. His physique was undoubtedly impressive, a golden ratio, each part full of tension, stirring one’s imagination.

The future greatest tycoon he may be; conquering the world while she conquers him, how simple.

It was easier than creating wealth independently!

In this life, her dream was to live comfortably without compromising her living quality, and clutching onto a big hit was the expressway to that.

As for being a subordinate or a wife, that depended on Jiang Xingye’s personality and required long-term interaction to gauge.

Though her best friends painted Jiang Xingye in an ideal light, one man’s treasure is another’s poison; not all perfect people suit everyone.

Therefore, she had to experience it herself.

Following the rule of five, such petty conduct was something she couldn’t learn.

In the quiet cornfield, you could hear each other’s breathing.

Xu Qinghuan was waiting for an answer from Jiang Xingye.

Such matters certainly couldn’t be broached by a woman.

"You asked before, if our male members helping women with chores implied an interest..." Jiang Xingye mustered all his courage, "I can’t say about others, but it’s my first time assisting a woman!"

After he spoke, he gazed at Xu Qinghuan intently, his eyes full of hope, affection, and unease.

Xu Qinghuan raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "And then?"