Jiang Yihua paused, then glanced at her. The furrow between his brows didn’t smooth out—in fact, it deepened. He nodded. "I remember. You’re that little girl who wet our carpet back then, right?"
Chi Yun’er...
She ground her teeth. "You have such a great memory, Brother Hua!"
Jiang Yihua just grunted. "It’s nothing. I just happened to step right in it. It left a deep impression—the kind you never forget."
Chi Yun’er followed his train of thought and couldn’t help but purse her lips in a smile. "I must have been very little back then. You haven’t been holding a grudge this whole time, have you?"
She quickly changed the subject. "Brother Hua, Zishu went to work in the fields. Is it something urgent? Do you want to wait for him here until he gets off work, or should I give you directions to find him?"
Jiang Yihua considered this for a moment, then asked, "Chi, what’s this about Zishu and Comrade Bian?"
"I’ve already heard rumors at the farm. If I remember correctly, weren’t you and Zishu courting?"
Chi Yun’er blinked, not quite understanding what he was getting at.
’Is he sticking up for me?’
A tickle rose in Chi Yun’er’s throat, and she couldn’t stop herself from covering her mouth with a handkerchief, coughing for a long moment. Her face was flushed and her eyes were moist. "I’m sorry, Brother Hua. As you can see, my health is just too poor. I can’t possibly give Zishu the happiness he deserves."
"I’ve only been a burden to him all this time. Now that Zishu has someone to marry, and I can see they get along well... it’s a little bittersweet, but mostly, I’m just relieved for him."
"I’m sure you’ll be pleased with Comrade Bian when you meet her, too."
"Comrade Bian may be the village chief’s daughter, but she’s also beautiful, educated, and has a job. She’s warm and generous. Building a family with her... Zishu will be very happy."
Jiang Yihua raised an eyebrow at her.
’For her to admit someone else is beautiful, just how good-looking must this person be?’
He nodded. "Well, that’s good then." As he spoke, he lifted his arm and hung a bamboo basket outside her window. "Here’s some stuff I foraged from the mountains. Take it and build up your strength. You don’t need to save any for Zishu."
"And your farm is responsible for Mongolia, right? A long trip after the autumn harvest... isn’t that what you meant, Brother Hua?"
Jiang Yihua studied her for a moment but saw no signs that she was lying. He nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "That’s right. Chi, is there anything you need me to bring back for you?"
"Mongolia has a thriving livestock industry. Pelts, jerky, and cheese are all plentiful. It’s just that their grain yields are low and not very diverse, which is why we have this mutual aid arrangement."
Chi Yun’er lowered her head, pretending to think. In truth, in her previous life, something terrible had happened to her just a few days before Jiang Zishi and Bian Yumin’s wedding.
She had finally gotten a chance to run to the Educated Youth Point to beg Jiang Zishi for help, but there was no sign of him.
People said Jiang Zishi had gone back to the Capital City for a funeral. His older brother, who had gone to Mongolia to deliver grain, had run into a gang of vicious bandits on the road. The truck was destroyed and everyone aboard was killed. Their bodies weren’t discovered until a month later!
Some ten strong, able-bodied young men... not a single one survived.
’She could barely protect herself, yet here she was, thinking about how to help the man in front of her escape his deadly fate. She found her own kindness laughable. In fact, letting Jiang Zishi lose the older brother he was so proud of... wouldn’t that be a form of revenge in itself?’

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