CHAPTER 97: CHAPTER 97: THE SCUMBAG AND THE GREEN TEA ALSO CAME TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

Upon hearing Xu Qinghuan’s words, Jiang Xingye felt a chill in his heart, as if his mood had plummeted from heaven to hell.

He mechanically walked out the door, mechanically drove the tractor, and upon reaching the commune, was halted by Jiang Baohua, dazed and unaware to even apply the brakes.

If Jiang Baohua hadn’t run fast, he would have hit Jiang Baohua.

Seeing his nephew looking lost and dispirited, unsure of what had happened, Jiang Baohua asked with concern, "Xiao Wu, are you okay?"

Jiang Xingye snapped out of his daze, grunted in response, and glanced towards the commune’s entrance, "More educated youth again?"

"Three more have arrived," Jiang Baohua said helplessly.

Xu Qinghuan got off the vehicle to ask the post office if her package had arrived.

As it was almost time to close, Chen Shuying, while knitting, impatiently looked up at the visitor, ready to shout, but upon seeing Xu Qinghuan, she quickly plastered on a smile, "Xu Zhiqing, you’re here. Let me see, you have packages. Oh dear, two big packages, can you carry them?"

A handsome yet fierce-looking young man stepped inside, "I’ll help her carry them!"

It was Jiang Xingye. Xu Qinghuan didn’t hold back, moving aside, "Sis, don’t move. Let him carry them. He’s strong."

The packages contained quilts and cotton clothes Xu Qinghuan had shipped from Shen City, not particularly heavy, just bulky in appearance.

Jiang Xingye carried the packages away, and Xu Qinghuan and Chen Shuying thanked each other before leaving.

By this time, the tractor was already filled with people. Xu Qinghuan hadn’t had a chance to see clearly who had arrived when she heard a familiar voice, "Sis, you are indeed here."

Xu Qinghuan glanced up and saw Xu Manman, Xu Hongtu, and Jiang Chengxu, the latter looking at her with eyes full of surprise, grievance, and deep affection, "Qinghuan, I’m here. We can be together again."

Xu Qinghuan felt nauseous, as if she needed to vomit the lunch she had eaten. She couldn’t believe how small the world was, why she couldn’t seem to escape these people.

Xu Hongtu looked indifferently at Xu Qinghuan, "You’d rather sell your job than give it to Manman. Now that she’s also gone to the countryside, are you satisfied?"

Xu Qinghuan shook her head, "Not satisfied. You’re all still alive and well, not dead yet. Why should I be satisfied?"

Xu Manman’s tears streamed down instantly, "Sis, do you still not believe me? I really didn’t want to compete with you for Chengxu. You don’t know, Chengxu heard you went to the countryside and was so sad, he even gave up his job to follow you;

You can curse me and brother, but how can you curse Chengxu? How could you bear to break his heart?"

Xu Qinghuan felt her stomach churn and went up to yank Xu Manman down, slapping her face, "Xu Manman, I’ve broken off the engagement with this scum. If you continue to disgust me with these words, do you believe I’ll rip out your tongue?"

"You dare hit Manman?"

Xu Hongtu quickly got off the tractor, pushed Xu Qinghuan aside, and raised his hand to slap her, but his wrist was gripped by an iron-like hand. He turned to see a towering man, handsome but looking at him with fierce eyes.

"If you dare lay a hand, get lost!" Jiang Xingye resisted the impulse to break Xu Hongtu’s arm and pointed at Jiang Chengxu, "You get down too!"

Jiang Chengxu protested, "Why?"

"New educated youth should walk back!" Jiang Xingye said, grabbing Jiang Chengxu by the collar and dragging him off.

He placed Xu Qinghuan’s packages on the vehicle, then looked at her deeply.

Xu Qinghuan exhaled deeply, using her hands and feet to climb onto the tractor.

Xu Manman quickly chased after, "Sis, you can’t abandon us."

Xu Qinghuan paused, stomped back to the ground, and delivered another slap, "I’m not your sister. Don’t call me sister, get lost!"

Xu Manman didn’t expect Xu Qinghuan to be so heartless and cried, "My dad is your second uncle. My parents raised you for fourteen years. Why can’t I call you sister?"

Xu Qinghuan leaned close to Xu Manman’s ear and whispered, "Do you know why you went missing at three? Go back and ask your mom if we’re really cousins!"

Saying this, she gave a meaningful smile that appeared to Xu Manman like the sinister grin of a demon. Xu Manman retreated a couple of steps, "What are you saying? I don’t understand!"

Xu Qinghuan sneered, "Ask your mom, and you’ll understand!"

Then she turned and climbed back onto the tractor. Jiang Chengxu hurried over, "Qinghuan, don’t be afraid, I’ll help you!"

Before he could get closer, Jiang Xingye stretched out a leg to block him.

Jiang Chengxu clenched his fist, "Who are you? Why are you stopping me?"

Xu Qinghuan couldn’t be bothered with him and said to Jiang Xingye, "Brother Jiang, let’s go!"

Jiang Xingye took the opportunity to kick Jiang Chengxu, flipping him to the ground and throwing their belongings down.

Xu Manman shrieked and rushed to support Jiang Chengxu, "Chengxu, are you okay? How are you?"

Looking at Xu Qinghuan’s cold back, Jiang Chengxu felt a heart-wrenching pain, irritably brushed off Xu Manman’s hand, and slowly stood up, showing unwillingness, anger, and stubbornness in his eyes.

Xu Manman cried, "Chengxu, are you still mad at me?"

If not for the countryside, with the Jiang family facing such issues, Xu Manman might not cling tightly to Jiang Chengxu, but now in the countryside, if she wants to return to the city early, she has to stick with Jiang Chengxu.

Though Father Jiang had been sentenced to labor reform, the Jiang family hadn’t fallen. The starved camel is still bigger than the horse, and until she found someone better, Jiang Chengxu was the best choice.

Jiang Chengxu had resented Xu Manman. That day at the lamp factory, Xu Manman claimed to have sprained her ankle, which is why he didn’t push her away, letting people misunderstand that he was an hooligan.

But later, Xu Manman denied spraining her ankle, forcing him to admit that he was dating her.

Now seeing that Xu Qinghuan wasn’t paying him any attention, Jiang Chengxu felt a surge of anger and flung Xu Manman away, "Are you still trying to deceive me? I won’t fall for it again!"

Xu Manman cried like a rain-soaked blossom, "Chengxu, I never meant to deceive you. I never thought of lying to you. I just didn’t want to miss that opportunity. I’ve listened to you, and from now on, I’ll always listen to you!"

Jiang Chengxu couldn’t help but recall his past life. He said he couldn’t marry her, and she had said similar things, saying she only wanted to stay by his side. Every time they were in bed and he wanted to try new things, Xu Manman said the same.

He knew that, in two lifetimes, only Xu Manman truly loved him. Xu Qinghuan had loved him, but she was so cold-hearted that once she decided she didn’t love him, she truly didn’t; she rarely looked back.

And he and his second wife Lu Nianying were only bound by interests, living like acquaintances. After so many years together, he didn’t know her preferences and didn’t need to.

Xu Manman’s words moved Jiang Chengxu, he eventually accepted Xu Manman’s help, and she helped him up from the ground.

Jiang Baohua came over and saw this scene, his eye muscles twitched, too glaring to watch, he turned away, "Let’s hurry up and leave!"

Xu Hongtu stepped forward and asked, "Squad leader, what about our luggage?"

Jiang Baohua asked, "What about luggage? Didn’t you just put it on the tractor?"