Seeing the slightly twisted and unpleasant expression on Lin Zhen’s face, Jiang Wenyong thought something was wrong.
“I’m fine,” Lin Zhen said, suppressing his frustration.
But deep down, he was screaming: Why don’t you guys ask me again if I want to join you for dinner?
Unfortunately, neither brother thought to ask further. After showing some concern, they simply left.
Gone…
Lin Zhen scratched his head and sighed.
“Brother, if you don’t try harder, and Sister Song doesn’t like you, what am I supposed to do?”
Heidan sighed in distress as well.
The two brothers, one big and one small, sat side by side—elbows on knees, hands propping up their chins—identically troubled.
Lin Zhen: “What did you say?”
Heidan repeated himself, sharing the overheard information and his worries.
When he mentioned Aunt Xinghua’s thoughts, Lin Zhen suddenly grinned, baring his teeth. “So, Aunt Xinghua thinks Song Zhiqing and I look good together?”
Heidan nodded earnestly. “But, brother, your leg won’t get better. I feel like you’re not good enough for Sister Song. She’s so pretty and capable…”
The little rascal went on enthusiastically, listing all of Song Wei’s admirable qualities.
Lin Zhen chuckled. “Don’t worry. My leg will heal just fine. I guarantee it won’t be an issue when I walk later.”
He’d even consulted an old Chinese medicine practitioner. The leg could definitely recover—just not to the extent where he could overexert himself.
“But Sister Song liked that Luo Zhiqing before. What if she doesn’t like someone like you?”
Even a child could tell that Lin Zhen and Luo Zhiqing were opposites in every way.
Lin Zhen felt slightly uneasy. “That’s impossible. I’m a real man!”
Song Zhiqing must have been blind to fancy that Luo guy, a pale-faced weakling who couldn’t even stand up to a woman like Wang Xiaohua.
As for becoming someone like Luo, Lin Zhen dismissed the idea entirely. He neither liked it nor thought he could pull it off.
“I’ll give you a task: stick close to Sister Song. If you see any man getting too close to her, come back and tell me.”
Heidan hesitated. “And then what? You’ve got to make her like you.”
Lin Zhen flexed his fingers. “Then I’ll give those guys a warning. Nobody’s allowed to make a move on her until my leg heals.”
Heidan nodded, then paused. “Brother, you do like Sister Song, don’t you?”
Lin Zhen shot him a side glance. “Why? I can’t?”
“It’s fine, but you’d better work harder. In the end, I’ll go with Sister Song’s choice. Her happiness is what matters most.”
Lin Zhen: …Do I even need a brother like this?
Heidan continued rambling about Song Wei, her strength, her knack for gathering wild edibles in the mountains, and even her inability to cook.
“Brother, you’ve got to step up your game. I’m heading over to Aunt Xinghua’s house for chicken.”
And with that, the kid dashed off, leaving Lin Zhen staring wistfully after him.
He sighed. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?
At the brigade leader’s house, the chicken had been simmered into a fragrant stew. Everyone’s eyes lit up as they stared at the dish on the table.
The chicken stew included soft, tender potatoes soaked in the rich broth, making them flavorful and delicious.
Once the chicken was mostly eaten, the broth was used to cook other dishes, including the bamboo fungus Song Wei brought and a few other mushrooms, along with four wild eggs.
Though each person didn’t get much chicken, the broth and the accompanying dishes made the meal extremely satisfying for everyone.
“Sister Song, are you going to the mountains tomorrow? I want to go too.”
The two little children in the brigade leader’s family stared at her expectantly.
Song Wei shook her head. “I don’t think so. I have to go to town tomorrow.”
“You’re going to town? I need to buy some yarn to knit these two kids some sweaters. Let’s go together.”
“Sure,” Song Wei agreed.
The next morning, several people were preparing to head to town, including Song Wei, Gao Le, Zhao Su, and Bai Yunjiao.
The two male educated youths were heading to town to collect packages.
As they were getting ready, someone knocked on the door of the educated youth dormitory.
Gao Le went to open it and was startled by the height of the person standing there.
“You’re Heidan’s brother?”
Hearing the voice, Song Wei, who was packing her basket, looked up.
Lin Zhen glanced briefly at Gao Le before meeting Song Wei’s gaze and flashing a wide grin.
“Comrade Lin, are you here for Heidan?”
“No, I’m here for you.”
Everyone in the dormitory turned to look, particularly Luo Yecheng, whose expression grew increasingly gloomy.
The way Luo Yecheng stared at Lin Zhen and Song Wei seemed almost venomous.
Song Wei & Lin Zhen: “Keep staring, and I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
They spoke in unison, their words identical, their threatening glares making Luo Yecheng flinch and take two steps back.
When he realized how he looked, his face turned red with embarrassment, but the scene only made him more convinced that there was something going on between them.
Even Song Wei and Lin Zhen were surprised by their synchronized reaction.
“That was oddly in sync,” Song Wei remarked.
“Perfectly synced,” Lin Zhen agreed.
“I need your help with something,” Lin Zhen said, handing her over fifty yuan and some food stamps.
The others were stunned.
Even Xu Laidi, who had been brushing her teeth, quickly rushed over, her eyes glowing as she stared at the money.
“Can you help me buy some medicine? It’s for my leg. And some grain. I’ve got grain coupons in here too.”
Lin Zhen explained that he ate a lot and didn’t have enough grain to last through the winter.
Song Wei replied, “If you trust me, I’ll handle it for you.”
“Of course I trust—”
“I can help too!” Xu Laidi interrupted, her eagerness showing as she even reached out, attempting to take the money.
Lin Zhen immediately withdrew his hand, giving her a look full of disdain. “Who are you?”
Xu Laidi quickly wiped her hands and, ignoring his disdainful expression, said, “I’m one of the educated youths living here, just like Song Zhiqing. I’ve even taken care of Heidan before. If you let me handle it, I’ll make sure everything is perfect.”
The other educated youths exchanged glances.
Heidan’s face turned red with anger. “When have you ever taken care of me?”
Lin Zhen rejected her firmly. “No need. I only trust Song Zhiqing.”
Song Wei pulled Xu Laidi aside. “Step aside. Honestly, is there anyone in this dormitory who would trust her with money?”
The other educated youths: They weren’t stupid.
Xu Laidi stiffened. “You’re slandering me! I’m such a good person. Why wouldn’t they trust me?”
Gao Le: “I really wouldn’t.”
Zhao Su muttered, “Giving her money would be like throwing meat buns to a dog.”
Liu Linlin loudly mocked, “Xu Laidi, you’d better stop. Lin Zhen is Heidan’s brother. Why on earth would he choose you over Song Zhiqing?”
Fuming, Xu Laidi cursed under her breath, her frustration growing as Lin Zhen handed the money directly to Song Wei.
Her heart ached as if that money had been hers.
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