The Educated Youth Who Changed His Mind (2)
Xu Qing was proud of the good excuse she had found. How could she be so smart?
She sipped the water in the bowl, secretly peeking at the youth from the corner of her eye.
When she accidentally met Jiang Zhe’s gaze, she was shocked and panicked, hurriedly looking away. She lowered her head, not daring to look around again.
Jiang Zhe laughed in his heart, turning around to put the hoe down, before taking a basin of water and washing his face.
Xu Qing listened to the sound of the water behind her, and her ears gradually became red.
Xu Qing: “Jiang, Jiang Zhe, what are you doing?”
Jiang Zhe deliberately teased her. “I'm washing up. These few days have been very hot*. In just half a day, there is a lot of sweat.”
Xu Qing’s face was red. Wash, washing up!!
How could Jiang Zhe be like this? She was still here, how embarrassing would it be if people saw it.
Xu Qing's eyes fluttered and she stuttered: "Jiang Zhe, you, quickly, quickly wear your clothes, wear your clothes properly, if not, others will misunderstand if they see it."
In the middle of her words, Jiang Zhe walked in front of her, "What would others misunderstand?"
Xu Qing: “!!!”
Xu Qing: “Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!!”
Jiang Zhe froze, “What’s wrong?”
Other people also quickly pushed open Zhi Qing courtyard's door, taking a look at what happened.
Xu Qing subconsciously moved in front of Jiang Zhe to block him and screamed vigorously: "What are you doing, go out, don't see, don't see."
Jiang Zhe: "See what?"
Xu Qing closed her eyes and pushed him back. "Jiang Zhe, quickly go in, don’t let them see you.”
However, her hand touched a piece of cloth. En, cloth?
Xu Qing opened her eyes. Jiang Zhe's clothes were still on properly.
Others looked at her curiously. “What were you just shouting about?”
“Yeah, scared me to death, I still thought something happened to you.”
“Really, don't make a fuss over nothing in the future. I still have a lot of work to do.”
The people dispersed.
Xu Qing was very embarrassed. Rubbing her face with both her hands, she buried her head into her chest and ran out.
Jiang Zhe caught her, and due to inertia, she ran into his chest.
Xu Qing: o (*////▽////*) q
Xu Qing shyly said: “Jiang Zhe, are you alright?”
Jiang Zhe resisted the urge to laugh, massaging his chest, “Hitting it once is fine, if you hit it more then it won't be fine.”
Xu Qing blamed him. “You're so naughty.”
After saying that, she rushed out quickly.
Jiang Zhe was shocked. Why did he feel that Xu Qing was cold and quiet?
Sure enough, it was because he hadn't seen meat for a long time, becoming muddle-headed.
Xu Qing left Zhi Qing courtyard and returned to her home, skipping the whole way, extremely happy.
When she got home, she saw three black faces.
Xu Zhi Hong: “Where did you go?”
Xu Shou Yi: “Did you go looking for Jiang Zhe?"
Xu Shou Ren: “Do you still need to ask? Younger Sister must have gone to find Jiang Zhe that pretty boy. If nothing's happening still, just pay for him instead.”
Xu Qing was not happy. She caught her second brother’s hand and bit, “Don't talk about Jiang Zhe like that.”
Xu Shou Ren cried out loudly in pain, "Dad, Mom, Brother, see how Younger Sister treats this brother of hers. For a man, she can harden her heart to bite her own brother’s hand.”
Xu Qing loosed her grip: “Who told you to call Jiang Zhe a pretty boy."
Xu Shou Ren: “We haven't even matched your eight-characters. You're currently treating him this way, if you really got married with him, wouldn't you completely turn towards him and away from your own family.”
Xu Zhi Hong's face sank, “Qing Qing, apologize to your second brother.”
Xu Shou Ren looked at her gloatingly.
Xu Qing pushed him away and ran into the inner room.
Xu Shou Ren's wife: “Dad, Mom, you also saw it. Qing Qing is becoming less and less considerate of us. Today, for an outsider, she bit her second brother's hand. In the future, if she really got married, she might even help her husband's family to go against her family.”
Mother Xu couldn’t sit still, and smiled coldly: “Old Second's wife is right. Our Qing Qing isn't much, but she's still better than someone who treats their husband's family as a treasury, desperately pulling money over to their family."
Old Second's wife: "Mom, what are you talking about?"
Mother Xu: "What am I talking about, I'm talking human words. Since Old Second's wife is too free every day, go to the field tomorrow. The work in the warehouse, the Eldest's wife and Qing Qing are enough.”
Old Second's wife was anxious: “Mom!!!” Saying so, she pulled on her man’s sleeves.
Xu Shou Ren: “Mom, is that really necessary?”
Mother Xu: “Necessary. I haven’t died yet, yet your wife dared to ruin you sibling's relationship in front of me. When I die, will she still have to go to heaven?”
Xu Shou Ren: “Mom, don’t, don’t be like this. My wife, she is just saying things without meaning it, nothing else.”
Xu Shou Ren: “Dad, Big Brother, you also say something.”
Xu Zhi Hong grumbled for a while, “Just do as your mom says.”
Xu Shou Ren: “No, dad, dad, dad.”
Mother Xu: “Enough, what are you all dazing out for. Do you have too little to do, and are bored to death?”
It was another chaotic day for the Xu family.
Jiang Zhe remained ignorant about it, going to work on time every day, and going back to the house when it gets dark.
Lying on a wooden bed at night, he looked at the yellow-brown stained roof above his head. He sighed, got up from the bed, put on his thin coat and pushed open the door.
“Jiang Zhe, where are you going?”
“You're not going up to the mountain to catch wild animals again, are you?”
Jiang Zhe: “No. It's just very stuffy in the room. I'm going out for a breather.”
“Indeed, this small broken house is cold during winter and hot during summer. There is never a comfortable time during the whole year.”
“Aiya, don't say anymore. If others heard this, don't know if they would have any weird ideas.”
The others saw that Jiang Zhe was really only resting in the courtyard and no longer cared about him. They were all people who worked the whole day. Who didn't want to instantly sleep when they laid down in bed.
There was a light breeze blowing, dissipating a lot of heat. Jiang Zhe comfortably breathed out and walked back to the house to lie down, sleeping until the next day.
He followed the other educated youths to eat, and carrying the hoe, went back to work.
On the way, passing by a cowshed, he saw an old couple. The man was lame in one leg, and he was extremely hunchbacked, but his eyes were especially calm. When he saw Jiang Zhe looking at him, he even nodded at him.
Jiang Zhe replied with a faint smile, but his heart was filled with a little sadness.
He was clearly a noble teacher, but had been made into his current situation by people. Really, a pearl covered in dirt.
Really hope that the higher ups can be enlightened sooner, so that this dark age can be over faster.
Jiang Zhe took back his gaze and suppressed his thoughts. He invested himself in a new round of work.
Not long after, Xu Zhi Hong came and gave the group a touching speech. Everyone raised their fists and shouted the farmer's slogan: Fighting hard, persisting without rest.
Jiang Zhe stood in the middle of the crowd with a few educated youths from their courtyard. He watched other people’s emotions swelling up, their skin a rare shade of red.
The system cheaply ran out to find a sense of existence: “Host, you can’t do this. You can't be too attached. How will you get past the other worlds in the future?”
Jiang Zhe’s eyelids didn't even blink.
System: Suddenly angry.
Xu Zhi Hong finished motivating the workers and watched the excited crowd below, extremely satisfied.
Today’s autumn harvest, as long as everyone guarantees this momentum, there would be no worries that they couldn’t collect enough food. After handing in the required amount to the higher ups, there would be a lot left, enough for everyone to have a full meal.
The sun gradually climbed into the sky, and at noon, everyone could finally rest.
Jiang Zhe's previous workpoints had been mostly deducted. These few days of work relied heavily on the courtyard's people help, so he took the initiative to prepare lunch.
In this era, there was a shortage of everything. Jiang Zhe took some ready ingredients and made sweet potato porridge. En, most of it was sweet potato, with a little water and a pathetic amount of porridge.
Put the cabbage in the water and add some salt to cook.
The food was served on the table. Everyone ate the food tastelessly with no fluctuations in their expressions.
Jiang Zhe's face distorted for a moment, but he still picked up his chopsticks and ate his portion.
He used to think that he was an innocent and desire-free Sadhu, that he could be indifferent to any kind of delicacies placed in front of him.
Now, he understood. He was indifferent before, only because he hadn't suffered enough.
Sweet potato and vegetables would cure his hypocrisy.
Everyone ate quickly in large bites. The earlier they ate finish, the earlier they could start work. After lunch, they briefly washed the dishes in clean water.
After eating, washing the dishes, and laying down in the bed, they waited for the team leader's broadcast before starting work again.
Jiang Zhe was in urgent need of workpoints. Though he was exhausted in the afternoon, he only dared to take a short break, taking a breather. After that, he continued doing his work.
“Jiang Zhe, how are you doing? Don’t struggle to work, take a break.”
“Yeah, if you continue on, you'll fall ill from exhaustion and become unable to continue working. Your workpoints will be similarly deducted.”
“Yes, Yao Yao is right. Jiang Zhe, go sit by the field for a short while."
They were in the second production team of the construction commune. There were a total of nine educated youths, three women and six men, of which three were of age and had married locals and moved out. The remaining one woman and five men were colder and more united.
Yao Yao was the only girl in the remaining educated youth. She had sweet and beautiful looks, with a self-important and self-confident attitude. Many bachelors in the village had chased her, but they were all rejected.
At first they thought that Yao Yao didn’t want to date and marry. Later, when they saw her eyes lingering on Jiang Zhe, it dawned on them.
This was also why in the original world, after Jiang Yu fell into dire straits, so many people came to insult and bully him. It was all out of jealousy.
But Yao Yao, who caused all of this, just lightly said a line “I'm not familiar with Jiang Zhe” and washed herself clean.
Jiang Zhe couldn't accept it, but also had no strength to do anything about it.
So he just said calmly: “Thank you for your kindness, I have my own calculations in my heart.”
Yao Yao: “But you…”
The oldest educated youth stopped her, “Alright, Jiang Zhe is an adult. And we are observing from the side, there's no need to worry.”
Yao Yao finally stopped: “Okay.”
Just that, her eyes seemed glued to Jiang Zhe, unable to be pried off.
Such behavior undoubtedly brought a lot of hatred to Jiang Zhe.
Jiang Zhe: I'm tired (emotionally).
In fact, he didn't understand what Yao Yao saw in him. The original soul's parents had passed away, and he was a lone son struggling to live. Other than his face, there was nothing else he was good for.
As for education? Now, the professors were all being beaten and criticised by everyone. Who would dare to expose their knowledge before the national examinations?
Therefore, considering the various factors, Jiang Zhe found it incomprehensible.
………
Night fell, and the sky gradually darkened. The people of the second production team had worked a full day, going home in groups to eat dinner.
Jiang Zhe was exhausted in body, but his spirit was still in good condition. He even had the mood to calculate how many years it would be before the national examinations resumed.
It was now in autumn. Considering the months, there was a full two years left.
Two years!
Jiang Zhe sighed.
Yao Yao came over and asked concernedly: “Jiang Zhe, what’s wrong with you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
The other educated youth also looked over, some mocking, some interested, and some jealous.
Xiang Cheng smiled, asking: “Yao Yao, why are you so concerned about Jiang Zhe?”
“Yeah, we are also exhausted from a full day's work. But I don't see you, this big beauty, coming over out of concern.”
Yao Yao blushed, daintily tapped her feet, and bit her lips: “You are too bad. I don’t want to walk with you, I will go back first.”
“Hey, hey, don’t go, we are joking.”
Xiang Cheng: “Jiang Zhe, you aren't chasing?”
Jiang Zhe rebutted: “Why should I chase?”
Xiang Cheng thought for a while, “But Yao Yao, she"
Right, at this time, Xiang Cheng finally remembered. Other than Yao Yao's occasional flirty gaze, there was actually nothing between them.
Jiang Zhe saw that he had figured it out, and stopped saying more.
Silence reigned the whole way.
At night, Jiang Zhe was lying on the bed and suddenly heard a cuckoo outside the courtyard.
Jiang Zhe's face darkened: How courageous of that girl.
Jiang Zhe put on his coat and used the old excuse of taking a breather to go out.
He lightly closed the courtyard door, and suddenly there was a strange “Psst” sound from close by.
Jiang Zhe: ………
He accepted his fate, and walked over.
Xu Qing emerged from behind the tree, a big smile on her face, “Surprised?”
The reality in front of him coincided with his memory of middle school. Jiang Zhe really couldn’t be angry with her.
He vented by pulling on her cheeks, helplessly saying: “What would you do if people saw?”
Xu Qing was still slightly unfamiliar with his closeness, her heart beating unusually quick.
Xu Qing: “It, it won't happen. I can run fast, and I'm the team's ace at climbing trees. If someone else came out, I would quickly slip away. If I can’t run, I can still climb up the tree. If you don’t believe, I can climb one for you right away.”
Jiang Zhe didn't know to laugh or cry, and quickly stopped her, whispering: “It's so late, why are you coming to find me?”
Xu Qing handed over a package wrapped in leaves, “Last time, I ran into you. I feel very sorry, this is my apology to you.”
Jiang Zhe: “No need, I'm not angry with you.”
Xu Qing didn't care, “I ask you to take it so you should take it, why do you talk so much.”
As her words fell, her stomach growled.
Jiang Zhe: “You didn’t eat?”
Xu Qing stubbornly gave a fake laugh: “How could that be, I ate before coming out.”
During this period, food was more expensive. Xu family's father and mother loved Xu Qing and probably wouldn't say anything, but what about the Xu family's other members?
Jiang Zhe didn't expose her, opening the leaves, and split it into two. Xu Qing gave in a little, receiving it with a sweet feeling in her heart.
Xu family’s living standard was good. This time's autumn harvest was the most laborious time, so the food was very sufficient.
After a few days, Jiang Zhe once again ate meat, and actually felt fortunate.
He quickly scattered this illusion, and reluctantly ate finish his food.
Xu Qing sat next to him, both hands supporting her chin, smiling widely, “Jiang Zhe, you look good when you eat.”
Xu Qing: “If I look at you every day, I can eat two bowls of rice.”
Jiang Zhe: …………
He coughed lightly, his face serious: “There is a saying, the kindness of a drop of water will be repaid with a spring of water. Friend Xu, the kindness of this meal is worth much more than water. I have nothing on me, I'm afraid that I can only repay your kindness with my body. I don't know if Friend Xu will accept it."
The smile on Xu Qing's face froze.
Xu Qing: “What did you just say?”
The dark clouds dispersed, revealing the big bright moon. The bright moonlight sprinkled on the treetops and on the youth's head. The silver moonlight seemed to coat his body with a layer of silver light, extremely beautiful.
And now, this youth asked her “Using my body to repay, do you accept?”
Heavens, she must have not woken up yet.
Jiang Zhe stretched out his hand and waved it in front of her, pretending to be depressed: “It seems that Friend Xu is not interested in me, then forget it, another day.”
“Wait!” Xu Qing stretched out her arm, blocking the youth's path, her face solemn: “You can rest assured, I will be good to you in the future.”
Jiang Zhe: ………
Somehow not very grateful ==
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*These few days have been very hot (秋老虎厉害得很) - 秋老虎 aka "Autumn tigers" describes autumn afternoons that are exceptionally hot, exceeding 35℃. I don't have much experience in this because I'm from a tropical country that's hot throughout the year (except monsoon seasons).