Chapter 14

The summer night in the countryside was quiet, with frog calls and insect chirps coming from the river from time to time.

The river surface was sparkling under the moonlight, shining with fine, beautiful light.

Pei Huaiye and Su Qianqian sat on the stones by the river, talking in low voices while watching the river water.

The two were very close, and his thick, powerful arm would occasionally touch her slender, soft arm, the place where they touched burning like fire.

Su Qianqian moved to the side quietly, and Pei Huaiye moved closer domineeringly.

His Adam's apple rolled, his voice low, "Buns brought especially for me?"

Su Qianqian touched the canned fruit, "Yes, bought at the state-run restaurant. Eat quickly."

She tilted her head, her peach-blossom eyes full of smiles, her gaze clear, her red lips slightly curled.

"Canned oranges must cost a yuan, right?"

Pei Huaiye admired this woman's beauty almost greedily, "Not expensive. If you like it, I'll buy it for you again in the future."

After finishing his mission, he rushed back in a hurry. Seeing a colleague buy a few bottles of canned oranges for his wife, he didn't know why, but he immediately thought of Su Qianqian.

Pei Huaiye paid the money, grabbed a bottle, and ran.

Even though he hadn't eaten for half a day, his heart felt as sweet as if it had been filled with honey, and his whole body was full of strength. Only now, seeing the meat buns, did he feel hungry.

Pei Huaiye wolfed down the buns, but his eyes never missed a single expression of Su Qianqian, as if he could never see enough.

Su Qianqian smiled sweetly, "Are you a soldier? Did the hooligans you caught last time confess anything? Why did I hear you work at the county machinery factory? Why do you live alone?"

Pei Huaiye wiped his mouth clean, his expression changing from surprise to playfulness. He leaned over, raised his eyebrows, and said teasingly, "Concerned about me, huh?"

The tips of their noses almost touched.

Su Qianqian's beautiful eyes were slightly stunned, and her cheeks turned red instantly. She turned to the side angrily, her tone carrying a familiarity she hadn't realized, "I'm talking to you about serious business!"

Seeing that her delicate and cute ears were red, Pei Huaiye didn't dare to tease her anymore.

He sat up straight and composed his expression, "Comrade Su, please swear to the Chairman that you will not leak my work secrets!"

Su Qianqian's little face was serious as she raised three fingers, "Comrade Pei! I swear to the Chairman, and I guarantee with my personality, that I will never leak a single word of the secrets you told me today!"

Pei Huaiye began, "I am a special forces soldier; I cannot tell you my specific position and work content yet.

I need to disguise my identity and work at the machinery factory every day. Please keep it secret for me! You must not leak it out, including to my family."

"The two hooligans caught that day were originally to be interrogated by us, but due to jurisdiction issues, they were handed over to the Capital Base.

Those two were sentenced to ten years and are currently locked up, so don't be afraid!"

Su Qianqian was a little disappointed; she thought that matter had something to do with Su Qianqian.

Pei Huaiye didn't tell Su Qianqian that someone was behind it because the case was confidential and involved many people; he didn't dare to leak much, and he was also afraid that if there were no results, it would make Su Qianqian worry and feel disappointed.

"What about you? You're not used to coming to the countryside, are you? Do your hands still hurt?" Pei Huaiye looked at Su Qianqian's delicate appearance; she didn't look like someone who could do heavy work.

"I'll get used to it slowly. My—"

Plop!

A stone hit the river, splashing water everywhere.

Su Qianqian was so scared she fell silent.

Pei Huaiye held Su Qianqian loosely and said in a breathy voice, "Go, go back quickly. After the mission is executed next week, I'll find you to talk about something very important. Wait for me!"

Su Qianqian wanted to say something but stopped, afraid of being seen, so she crouched down and went home.

Pei Huaiye thought to himself, how could she do farm work when she was so delicate?

Knock, knock, knock!

The knocking on the door was constant, so Xiang Jianming had to get up, cursing, "Who is this?"

"Captain Xiang, it's me."

Pei Huaiye pulled Captain Xiang to a remote place, "Arrange some lighter work for Su Qianqian in the future. I will offset the work points she lacks in other ways."

Captain Xiang was full of question marks, glaring at Pei Huaiye angrily without speaking.

Su Qianqian, relying on her father being a Capital Chief of Staff, had brought a gift today and ordered him to arrange lighter work for her.

Captain Xiang was so angry he chased her away. If all the educated youth followed her example and were lazy and slippery, when would the Shuangshui Brigade ever get to be an advanced brigade!

"Tell me first, how will you offset it?"

"Work that earns ten points a day is too tiring; she can't do it. Arrange tasks that earn three or four points. I will hunt a wild boar every week to exchange for thirty points to offset it."

Captain Xiang calculated that it was a sure profit, "Deal. But, kid, have you taken a fancy to her?"

Xiang Jianming shook his head, "That girl came from the city, delicate and arrogant. I heard she wants to eat meat at every meal. Can you afford to support her in the future?"

Xiang Jianming had heard gossip more than once that Su Qianqian and Zhou Wenfang exchanged money and coupons for meat and grain with villagers every day. With such a girl who didn't know how to live, Pei, with his monthly salary of twenty-something yuan, was afraid he couldn't afford to support her.

Pei Huaiye thought of Su Qianqian's delicate, obedient appearance as she ate meat, and his heart softened into a mess, "Captain, don't worry about the rest."

"Pei, be careful. If she doesn't agree, stay away, don't end up with nothing."

"I'm going, I have a sense of proportion."

The village broadcast sounded loudly every morning as usual.

The educated youth carried hoes in twos and threes to reclaim wasteland. Captain Xiang stopped Su Qianqian, "You don't need to hoe the ground anymore; go to the flat land and pick wheat ears."

Su Qianqian was overjoyed, thinking her words from last night had worked, "Thank you, Captain Xiang. I will definitely write to my parents and tell them you are a good captain."

Xiang Jianming shook his head; if it weren't for Pei Huaiye being willing to hunt wild boars, he wouldn't bother with Su Qianqian.

Zhou Wenfang looked envious, "Qianqian, why is only one person going? What about me? What should I do?"

Su Qianqian looked troubled, "Wenfang, the Captain said he would arrange it slowly. After all, so many people are watching us."

Zhou Wenfang was unhappy but helpless. Here, the only person she relied on was Su Qianqian.

In the flat fields, the villagers were all harvesting wheat, and Su Qianqian was wearing gloves, picking wheat ears.

She had told the village head that she had found a job in the county and would come to earn work points when she was free.

Su Qianqian was arrogant after getting the task of picking wheat ears. Her daily work was much easier, and she planned to find Shen Xunbao after finishing work at noon.

But she saw Su Qianqian and Shen Xunbao standing together talking about something. After Su Qianqian finished speaking, Shen Xunbao was excited and actually wanted to hug her, but was pushed away by Su Qianqian.

Su Qianqian was burning with anger and trotted over, "Su Qianqian, what are you doing?!"

Several aunts in the fields were looking over here.

Su Qianqian turned her head, "None of your business!" Before leaving, she said to Shen Xunbao, "Consider my proposal."

Shen Xunbao's expression was dim. In the days since he came to the countryside, he had indeed not cared about Su Qianqian. No wonder she wanted to break off the engagement.

He didn't know where Qiao Wang had gone. He said he would help him with work, but he hadn't appeared yet. He didn't know if something had happened.

His hands and feet were blistered and calloused. He lived in the dilapidated boys' dormitory all day, smelling strange odors, and couldn't sleep well at night.

The food was always coarse grain; he could only eat fine grain occasionally, and that was still made for him secretly by Su Qianqian.

"Shen Xunbao, what's wrong? Did Su Qianqian bully you?"

"You are just too good to her! That's why you get bullied. If you ask me, she is not worthy of you at all!" Su Qianqian was indignant.

Shen Xunbao looked at Su Qianqian thoughtfully. His gaze was like water, his voice gentle, "Then who is worthy of me?"

Su Qianqian's eyes lit up, and she lowered her head shyly, "You—you'll know slowly."

She stuffed the chicken cake and milk candy wrapped in a handkerchief into Shen Xunbao's hand and turned to run.

Several aunts watched the show with great interest.

"Why are they both pulling and tugging with Shen Xunbao?"

"Educated Youth Shen looks good, but he's delicate; what's the use?"

"That has to be asked of Su Qianqian and Su Qianqian; they are both rushing to find him."

Su Qianqian stopped and thought about Shen Xunbao's attitude today. Her eyes rolled, "Aunts, to tell you the truth, I have had a childhood engagement with the Shen family."

"But after I returned to the city, Su Qianqian still occupied Shen Xunbao."

"Shen Xunbao and I came to the countryside together, loving each other. I didn't expect that after Su Qianqian returned to the village, she wouldn't let go, finding him to argue, saying he didn't care about her..."

Su Qianqian added fuel to the fire, reversing black and white, saying Su Qianqian had snatched her fiancé.

Several aunts frowned upon hearing this, cursing Su Qianqian as a fox spirit who didn't know what was good for her.