268

At noon, young soldier Li Yunzhong made boiled fish, a whole pot full. He Tiantian made braised fish chunks, a large plateful. Huo Yingjie found a smaller carp and made West Lake Vinegar Fish. It was a feast of fish, a truly abundant meal.

Grandma Qi cooked a pot of rice, and the lunch was even more lavish than during the Chinese New Year.

The weather is too hot to keep them for long, so Grandma Qi pickled and dried the remaining four or five big fish to eat later.

Huo Yingjie had been here for a few days. Although he couldn't spend much time with He Tiantian, which made him a little regretful, the fact that they were together every day made him happy, and he hoped it could always be like this. Deep down, Huo Yingjie didn't want to leave; however, things in this world rarely go as planned.

There are some things that cannot be left undone.

At the same time, his current comfort is a sacrifice of future peace, so he cannot do that.

In this life, he not only wants to protect He Tiantian, but also her family. He wasn't confident before, but with the help of the little turtle, he can now act with confidence.

Huo Yingjie's arrival caused a sensation in Qijia Village.

Qi Jianguo used to be known for his good looks in the surrounding villages.

But seeing Huo Yingjie now, I have to say, comparisons are odious!

No wonder He Tiantian looks down on Qi Jianguo. Look at him, not only is he good-looking, but he also has soldiers protecting him. This is the kind of treatment only leaders get!

Those who used to say He Tiantian framed Qi Jianguo are now silent. She has someone like that in her life; there's no need for that!

Qi Zhenzhen got a temporary job in the county town. Hearing people in the village talking about it, she wanted to see Huo Yingjie, just to see what would happen.

But one look was all it took; I fell in love with it immediately.

Qi Fangfang was fetching water when she noticed Qi Zhenzhen's flushed face and cautiously asked, "Cousin, are you sick?"

It was obvious she was in love, but Qi Fangfang pretended not to notice.

"You're the one who's sick!" Qi Zhenzhen said angrily, ignoring Qi Fangfang, and swayed her slender waist home.

Although Qi Shuli treated Qi Jianguo well, his two daughters always felt that their father favored boys over girls and looked down on them. So, from the time Qi Zhenzhen and Qi Fenfen were old enough to understand, they disliked Qi Jianguo and Qi Fangfang.

When Qi Jianguo got into that mess, they were initially worried, but later they saw that their father was disappointed in Qi Jianguo, and they felt very relieved.

Qi Fangfang watched her cousin's retreating figure and sneered inwardly.

Since her eldest brother went to a labor camp, their family's reputation in the village has plummeted. Their popularity, reputation, and standard of living are all incomparable to what they used to be.

The hardships of life made her miss her older brother even more.

She doesn't know when her older brother will come back; she hopes he can still be there for her.

Last time, Qi Fangfang overheard Qi Zhenzhen saying that her older brother deserved to be locked up. From then on, Qi Fangfang hated Qi Zhenzhen.

I just saw He Tiantian's boyfriend and I got all horny! Doesn't he even know that man has He Tiantian? How could he possibly be interested in a country bumpkin like her?

The thought of He Tiantian made Qi Fangfang even angrier!

Grandma was right, He Tiantian is a seductive vixen. If it weren't for her, my older brother wouldn't have done such a thing. This year's university spot definitely belongs to my older brother, there's no way it would go to that idiot Qi Ergou.

It's too late to regret it now!

Qi Fangfang has regretted more than once that she didn't stop her older brother. If he hadn't had that accident, he would be a college student now, and she would be his younger sister. With her aunt's family connections, she could have found an easy job in the county town.

But now there's nothing left!

She could only live such a miserable life, shouldering the heavy burden of supporting her family.

I'm so tired and I'm still not full!

No, she's in this state because of He Tiantian, she can't let He Tiantian get away with it.

Why is it that He Tiantian has such an outstanding man who likes her?

Why is He Tiantian so beautiful?

Why does He Tiantian receive so much praise?

The happier He Tiantian is, the more her unhappiness seems to shine through!

Everything is so unfair!

However, she wouldn't act impulsively like her older brother, who ended up ruining himself without achieving his goal. Now that that man has caught the eye of someone like Qi Zhenzhen, she'll just watch the show from the sidelines.

After returning home, Qi Zhenzhen sat on a chair by the window, sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning.

Qi Fenfen asked slyly, "Sis, what are you laughing at?"

Qi Zhenzhen was startled and said, "When did I chuckle? Don't talk nonsense. Who's like you, sneaking around like that? Tell me, weren't you strolling around the county town with one of the educated youths from our village a few days ago?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fenfen nervously said, "No, no, no, you must have seen wrong."

Qi Zhenzhen pinched Qi Fenfen's ear and said, "I didn't see it myself, but someone saw you and told me. It was that educated youth named Li Mingkai, who's very active in the county town!"

"Sister, what do you think of Li Mingkai?" Qi Fenfen knew that there was no point in arguing. Thinking about what Li Mingkai had said to her a few days ago, Qi Fenfen still felt like she was dreaming.

Qi Zhenzhen looked at her younger sister Qi Fenfen with a half-smile and asked, "He's not bad looking, but he's not good at work. He's with the propaganda team now, and he's doing a good job. Do you like him?"

Qi Fenfen nodded and said, "Yes, I like the way he plays the piano, he's so handsome."

"Hehe." Qi Zhenzhen chuckled, "It's not enough for you to just like them; you also have to see if they like you back."

"He...he confessed his feelings to me in the county town that day. I'm scared, I need to think about it," Qi Fenfen said shyly. "I don't dare tell Dad, sister, what should I do?"

Qi Zhenzhen was shocked. She never expected that her plain-looking younger sister would have someone pursuing her, especially Li Mingkai, a good-looking educated youth.

“If you like it, go tell Dad,” Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile. “Qi Fangfang used to like Li Mingkai too. If you don’t act quickly, Qi Fangfang might force herself on you. Then, when Qi Fangfang and Li Mingkai get married, you’ll have nowhere to cry.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Fenfen was startled and said, "Yes, how could I forget about this? I'll tell Dad when he gets back. Thank you, big sister. I almost forgot about this if you hadn't told me. If Qi Fangfang does something bad, like her brother, then Li Mingkai will definitely suffer."

“Who says otherwise!” Qi Zhenzhen said, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “If a man knows that a woman has lost her virginity, will he still like her?”

That evening, Qi Fenfen told Qi Shuli about her relationship with Li Mingkai.

Qi Shuli hesitated at first, but then he thought that Li Mingkai was also a high school graduate, and he was good-looking. He was now familiar with the commune's propaganda team, so he could become successful as long as he had the opportunity!

“Alright, I agree. Go talk to Li Mingkai tomorrow. If he wants to marry my daughter, he can't just leave without any gesture,” Qi Shuli said. “First, he has to write home. It would be better if someone from his hometown could come, but it doesn't matter if they can't. Just reply that you agree to the marriage. Second, although the old-fashioned dowry isn't common now, he still can't leave without any gesture. Third, just tell him directly that I, Qi Shuli, have no sons. If he's willing to marry into the family, he'll definitely get all the benefits he can. If he doesn't want to, that's fine too. I won't bother scheming for him.”

Qi Zhenzhen was shocked and asked, "Dad, you think so highly of Li Mingkai?"

"It's alright," Qi Shuli said. "I only have two daughters. If I don't think about you, who else should I think about?"

"Dad!" Qi Zhenzhen was moved and understood that the reason her father was so good to Qi Jianguo was because both of them were married and her father would have someone to rely on in his old age.

"Alright, that's enough," Qi Shuli said. "I used to think that any man with ambition wouldn't become a live-in son-in-law. You're too ambitious, you definitely wouldn't agree. Since Fenfen has taken a liking to the educated youth, then I agree. In my little corner of the world, Li Mingkai can't cause any trouble."

"Second sister, what do you think?" Qi Zhenzhen asked. Ever since her father spoke, her second sister hadn't said anything, which meant she disagreed.

Qi Fenfen nodded and said, "I agree. Although it will be unfair to Li Mingkai, we are good to him, and I believe he will understand."

“That’s right,” Qi Zhenzhen said. “Second sister, think about it. He didn’t go home for the New Year. Either his family is very poor or something happened, or he’s not well-liked at home, so his family isn’t doing well either. Here, with Dad’s help, if he’s shrewd and really likes you, he’ll agree.”

Qi Fenfen wasn't stupid; after thinking it through, she asked, "What if he gets better in the future, goes back to the city, and doesn't want me anymore?"

Qi Zhenzhen smiled smugly and said, "Hehe, don't want you? I'm afraid Li Mingkai doesn't have the guts!"

“Yes, you have all the proper matchmakers and a marriage certificate, he wouldn’t dare. I’ve trained him, and if he dares to leave you, I’ll report him to his workplace,” Qi Shuli said. “So you should worry about this. But you’re a young woman, you can only get married when you have a marriage certificate, don’t let him get away with it.”

Qi Fenfen blushed and nodded, "I understand, Dad."

After calming her sister down, Qi Zhenzhen focused all her attention on her own plans.

Last time, Niu Dajun was outmaneuvered by Qi Xiaoyan.

This time, perhaps it's an opportunity!

Even if it wasn't an opportunity, Qi Zhenzhen wanted to see a good show and make He Tiantian feel disgusted. Recently, because of He Tiantian and Qi Jianguo's situation, her father had worried a lot and used all his connections without success.

Do you think that being good-looking is enough to charm everyone?

Do you think that just because you have good interpersonal relationships you can get whatever you want in Qijia Village?

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

In the blink of an eye, Huo Yingjie had been in Qijia Village for four days.

Although I can play with He Tiantian on the mountain every day, there are so many people around, so even holding hands has to be done secretly.

Every time He Tiantian saw Huo Yingjie's mournful little eyes, she secretly chuckled to herself.

However, she was also quite disappointed. She actually missed Huo Yingjie's embrace, and... his passionate kisses...

"Brother Yingjie!" He Tiantian whispered to Huo Yingjie, "There's more grass over there, let's go cut some."

Huo Yingjie looked at He Tiantian's blushing face and nodded, saying, "Okay!"

Upon seeing He Tiantian, Huo Yingjie went over, followed closely by Zhang Aijun and Li Yunzhong.

"Ahem..." Huo Yingjie coughed twice. "Could you guys move back a little?"

What kind of mess is this?!

This isn't a perk! This is two super light bulbs, the kind that stay on all day!

"I'm sorry, Comrade Huo, this is our mission." Zhang Aijun refused. Although it wasn't entirely satisfactory, it was the mission. Besides, the two would be husband and wife in the future, and they would avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Li Yunzhong tugged at Zhang Aijun and whispered, "Aren't we being a little heartless?"

“Comrade Li Yunzhong, this is a mission,” Zhang Aijun emphasized. “What you’re doing now is a violation of discipline, do you understand?”

Li Yunzhong was innocent and dared not say anything more.

This is discipline, this is a mission, right?

Alright!

Then don't blame him for unleashing his ultimate move!

Huo Yingjie pulled He Tiantian to the other side. Aunt Liu saw this but didn't think much of it. After all, there were so many people around; He Tiantian wouldn't be in any danger.

"Little Turtle, quickly freeze these two third wheels," Huo Yingjie thought to himself, extremely annoyed.

"A light bulb?" The little tortoise crawled out of Huo Yingjie's pocket, scratching its head. "Is it one of those things in the county town that lights up at night? This is in the mountains, there aren't any light bulbs here."

Huo Yingjie was both amused and exasperated, blaming him for not understanding the other meaning behind the little tortoise light bulb.

“It’s those two,” Huo Yingjie said. “We need to make sure they can’t hear us, and we can’t let anyone else see us.”

Knowing why its master was so restless these past few days, the little tortoise nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, the little tortoise understands."

After speaking, the little tortoise cast a spell, and Zhang Aijun and Li Yunzhong's eyes changed. They picked up sickles and began cutting grass. From a distance, they looked very busy. But upon closer inspection, it was clear that Zhang Aijun and Li Yunzhong's movements were exactly the same, without the slightest difference.

He Tiantian asked in surprise, "Brother Yingjie, what's wrong?"

Huo Yingjie didn't answer He Tiantian, but instead hugged her and kissed her.

The little tortoise was amazed; its owner was still so direct and eager!

To pretend she didn't know the little tortoise was up to something, she struggled a couple of times as a gesture.

The two were breathing heavily, holding each other tightly, and Huo Yingjie was groping them all over!

Knowing they were afraid of being seen outside, the tense atmosphere made them even more sensitive! Every pore on their bodies opened, releasing the heat from their bodies.

Seeing that things were spiraling out of control, Huo Yingjie stopped.

He couldn't let his sweetheart suffer; on their wedding night, he wanted a better environment, not this place!

After a while, Huo Yingjie calmed down.

He Tiantian blushed and nestled in Huo Yingjie's arms, refusing to come out. She had also touched Huo Yingjie inappropriately earlier.

Oh my god, how embarrassing!

"By the way, you haven't told me how things are between the two of them yet?" He Tiantian asked, feigning curiosity. If she didn't ask, Huo Yingjie would become suspicious!

Huo Yingjie briefly explained the matter of the little tortoise to her so that she would have a general idea.

Huo Yingjie did not want to hide this from He Tiantian.

"Oh dear!" He Tiantian covered her mouth. "No wonder! This little spiral turtle came to our village, and we found an underground river and it even rained. It was all thanks to it!" (To be continued.)