Su Fang looked utterly confused. “I… my name is Su Fang.”
“How are you still alive?!”
Everyone else: … That’s such a rude thing to say.
Song Wei stared at Zhao Yuyin with a thoughtful expression. Something’s off. There’s something very wrong with this person.
Su Fang’s face darkened slightly. “You sound disappointed that I’m still alive, Zhao Zhiqing.”
Zhao Yuyin snapped back to her senses and waved her hands hastily. “No, that’s not what I meant!”
But she didn’t explain further—she couldn’t.
At this moment, Zhao Yuyin’s face was pale, and her mind was screaming wildly.
This isn’t right. Why is everything different?!
The male and female protagonists were supposed to be assigned to the Ping’an Brigade during this round of rural deployment. But among the group of educated youths heading to Ping’an Brigade, the protagonists weren’t here.
Lin Zhen shouldn’t have a fiancée. She could reluctantly convince herself that maybe she’d overlooked something while reading the novel.
But Su Fang? Su Fang was supposed to be dead.
Although Su Fang didn’t have much presence in the novel, Zhao Yuyin was sure about this part.
Su Fang’s fate was sealed—she was killed by a wild boar and later miscarried, which led to her death.
This event happened after the male and female protagonists arrived at Ping’an Brigade. The tragedy was brought up in the educated youth dormitory as a cautionary tale about marrying local villagers, further discouraging the female educated youths from considering rural marriages.
But now, Su Fang was standing right in front of her, alive and well.
Maybe… maybe it’s just a coincidence. Perhaps she’s just someone with the same name. After all, the protagonists didn’t show up here either, possibly because her presence in the novel caused a butterfly effect.
While Zhao Yuyin was busy comforting herself, everyone else had already finished their introductions.
Zhao Yuyin decided to settle down first and investigate whether this Su Fang was the same Su Fang from the book.
She also needed to figure out how to win over Lin Zhen.
“What’s up with Zhao Yuyin? She’s acting really strange.”
The older educated youths huddled together, their expressions all a bit complicated as they discussed Zhao Yuyin.
“Yeah, she seemed almost like… she thought Su Zhiqing…”
Liu Linlin didn’t finish the sentence. It was too ominous to say aloud.
“Su Zhiqing, do you know her?”
Su Fang shook her head. “Never met her before.”
“By the way, Song Zhiqing, when are you and Comrade Lin getting married?”
Song Wei and Lin Zhen’s relationship was so natural and harmonious that everyone assumed they were already married.
Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they’d been a couple for years.
Hearing this question, Zhao Yuyin, who had been retrieving something nearby, froze. She quickly hid behind the door, eavesdropping intently.
“Soon, by the end of this year.”
The end of the year was the least busy season, and her older brother should be able to get leave.
Hearing this, Zhao Yuyin nearly dug her fingers into the doorframe.
No way they’re getting married. Something bad will definitely happen to Song Wei.
There wasn’t even any mention of Song Wei in the book! Where did she come from?
At this moment, Zhao Yuyin deeply regretted not memorizing the entire book before getting pulled into it. Now, she was entirely at a disadvantage.
The next day, Song Wei left the educated youth dormitory to head to the fields. For breakfast, Lin Zhen had brought her meat buns and a hard-boiled egg.
As for himself, he ate coarse-grain pancakes, cornbread, and sweet potatoes.
Song Wei, holding two meat buns, shoved one directly into Lin Zhen’s mouth and took a cornbread roll for herself.
There were too many people in the fields. If they ate too well every day, it would attract gossip and unnecessary trouble.
To avoid that, Lin Zhen always brought a mix of fine and coarse foods. The coarse foods looked just like what everyone else ate, but the only difference was that Lin Zhen brought enough to ensure they were full.
The finer foods were always saved for Song Wei. As a result, many people envied Song Wei, wishing they could be in her place.
Watching her nibble on a piece of cornbread, Lin Zhen remarked, “That’s not very good.”
“I think it’s alright. Next time, let’s bring some mushroom sauce and spread it inside. It’ll taste even better.”
The two of them sat side by side, eating breakfast in a peaceful, harmonious manner.
Unfortunately, there’s always someone who doesn’t know how to read the room.
“Comrade Lin…”
The voice was soft and sweet, dripping with a deliberate, coquettish tone that instantly drew attention from everyone nearby.
Zhao Yuyin stood there in a tailored Dacron blouse. The blouse had a cinched waist, accentuating her slender figure, and her pants were form-fitting, showcasing her long, slim legs.
Her hair was styled into a slightly voluminous braid, giving her a fashionable, sophisticated look.
Though not a stunning beauty, Zhao Yuyin’s fair complexion and curvy figure, coupled with her stylish attire, made her stand out. Several of the younger men in the fields were openly gawking at her.
But Lin Zhen wasn’t among them.
“Comrade Lin, I made these boiled eggs as a thank-you for your help yesterday.”
Song Wei rolled her eyes. So, she was deliberately forcing this interaction.
Yesterday, Lin Zhen had simply fulfilled his duty by helping with the collective effort. Not only had he not singled her out, but even the brigade leader had been involved in helping her.
Yet, the way she spoke made it sound as though Lin Zhen had gone out of his way to help her.
Lin Zhen replied flatly, “I’ve already eaten.”
“Oh, come on, you’re a grown man. You couldn’t possibly be full from that little bit of food. Please take them. It would make me feel better.”
The brigade leader, who was smoking nearby, raised an eyebrow. So, I’m invisible, huh?
Aunt Xinghua, standing beside her husband, pinched his waist.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“What’s up with that female educated youth?”
Aunt Xinghua’s reaction was even more intense than Song Wei’s, as if Zhao Yuyin was trying to steal her own daughter’s man.
In truth, Aunt Xinghua already thought of Song Wei as part of her family. Song Wei was close to them, and she genuinely liked the capable and sensible young woman.
The brigade leader grumbled, “She’s one of the new educated youths who arrived yesterday. The girl’s head seems a bit off. I helped her with her luggage when she got off the truck. Why isn’t she thanking me?”
“Two boiled eggs, even with added sugar,” he added.
Aunt Xinghua rolled her eyes. “Why would she waste her energy on you? Even if you were younger, she wouldn’t be interested.”
“What does that have to do with anything? If she’s giving thanks, she should do it properly, shouldn’t she?”
Aunt Xinghua snapped, “Are you blind? Can’t you see that girl is interested in Lin Zhen?”
The brigade leader was stunned. His pipe almost fell from his mouth.
“That can’t be right. Lin Zhen’s already with Song Zhiqing. She introduced herself yesterday.”
Aunt Xinghua sneered. “That doesn’t seem to matter to her. She knows Lin Zhen is with Song Wei, yet here she is, still trying to cozy up to him.”
Well, let’s see how Lin Zhen handles this.
Song Wei rested her chin on her hand, curious about how Lin Zhen would deal with the situation.
Lin Zhen refused her three times, but Zhao Yuyin seemed determined to make him accept.
“Are you worried Sister Song might misunderstand? I really don’t mean anything by it. It’s just a token of gratitude.”
Finally, Lin Zhen took the eggs. “Alright, then, thank you.”
Zhao Yuyin shot Song Wei a smug, triumphant smile.
But in the next second, her smile froze.
Lin Zhen turned and handed the eggs to Song Wei.
“She’s thanking us. You have a big appetite, so you should eat them. Eggs are nutritious.”
Song Wei gave Zhao Yuyin a sweet smile.
“Oh, that’s so thoughtful of you! Since you insist, I’ll gladly accept.”
After all, if someone’s offering, it’d be a shame not to take it!
Leave a Reply