Chapter 81 Wang Xueying Takes a Finger's Eye on Peng Fei

It was late at night, and Xia Qianqian noticed that Lu Zheng hadn't returned yet. She guessed that he had probably gotten into a drinking session with his friends and had fallen asleep there.

So she took the two children to bed.

The mattress was fragrant and soft, and Er Ya didn't want to get out of bed once she was on it. Xia Qianqian took out the box of face cream from the cabinet, scooped out a little, and applied it to Daya and Er Ya's little faces. The fragrance of the face cream filled the room, and the three of them smelled wonderful.

The two children nestled happily in Xia Qianqian's arms. Er Ya pressed her little face against Xia Qianqian's chest and said in a soft voice, "Mommy, shall we sleep together every day from now on?"

Xia Qianqian couldn't help but laugh, thinking: If she really slept with the child every day, Lu Zheng would probably be jumping up and down in anxiety.

However, seeing how much the children depended on her filled her heart with sweetness.

Er Ya was so excited that she couldn't fall asleep because it was the first time she had slept in the same bed with Xia Qianqian.

Xia Qianqian thought for a moment, then said softly, "Let me tell you a story."

Her voice was gentle and soft, and Daya and Erya listened obediently, their eyes gradually becoming hazy. Before long, the two children drifted off into a sweet dream.

Even in their dreams, their little hands clung tightly to Xia Qianqian's clothes, as if afraid she would suddenly leave.

Xia Qianqian looked at the two children sleeping soundly, gently kissed each of their foreheads, then gently pulled the blanket over them and covered them up before slowly closing her eyes herself.

Early in the morning, Xia Qianqian was awakened by a series of clattering sounds.

"Where is that sound coming from?" She rubbed her eyes groggily, looked around, and realized that the two children beside her were nowhere to be seen.

She hurriedly got up, slipped on her shoes, and rushed out the door.

A bustling scene unfolded in front of the house, with tents being erected in what was once an empty space.

Lu Zheng's brothers were all working with great enthusiasm, some carrying logs, some hammering nails, and they were extremely busy.

"Mom, you're awake!" Daya's voice came from the side. "Breakfast is just ready, come and eat."

Xia Qianqian patted Daya's head, thanked her softly, and then turned to find Lu Zheng.

She walked over to Lu Zheng, looked at him covered in sweat, and asked with concern, "How long are you going to work today?"

Lu Zheng stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and said with a smile, "With the help of the brothers, I estimate we can finish in a day."

Looking at the mountain of materials and the shed being built, Xia Qianqian knew that this was no easy task.

She said to Lu Zheng, "I'll cook something delicious for lunch today to help everyone recover."

Lu Zheng smiled and shook his head, waving his hand and saying, "We're all brothers, no need to go to such lengths."

Peng Fei chimed in, "Sister-in-law, we rough men may not know how to do much else, but we're strong. This little bit of work is nothing. As long as we can have a full meal at noon, that's fine."

"No way!" Xia Qianqian refused. "Anyway, I bought a lot of things last time, and they're still under the bed. If they stay there any longer, they might go bad. I'll just take them out for lunch today and give everyone a better meal."

Lu Zheng wasn't sure how much Xia Qianqian had bought, but assuming she was telling the truth, he nodded in agreement.

Xia Qianqian secretly planned that she must show off her skills today and let everyone see that she is no longer the same as before.

Thinking of this, she made an excuse, saying she needed to clean up the river clams, and headed towards a secluded spot. After confirming that no one was around, she had a sudden thought and entered Peach Blossom Spring again.

As soon as she stepped into Peach Blossom Spring, Xia Qianqian walked quickly to the vegetable garden and skillfully filled a basket with green vegetables.

Next, she went to the chicken coop, selected two plump roosters, and put them into a bamboo basket next to her.

She caught several more large carp. Finally, she walked to a big tree and picked half a basket of mushrooms before leaving Peach Blossom Spring, completely satisfied.

"So heavy!" Xia Qianqian shook the full bamboo basket in her hands with all her might, muttering to herself.

As she struggled to carry her things back, her mind raced: If she said she encountered someone selling fish on the street, they should believe her, right?

Before she even stepped into her house, her gaze was drawn to a familiar figure—it was Li Aiqin.

Xia Qianqian was slightly taken aback. Just as she was about to go forward to greet them, she caught sight of Wang Xueying out of the corner of her eye. At that moment, Wang Xueying was standing with Lu Zheng's brothers, laughing heartily.

Li Aiqin felt a little guilty for having eaten at the Lu family's house. So, she specially picked a large basket of mushrooms to give to Xia Qianqian.

Even if you can't finish them all at once, you can dry them into dried mushrooms and eat them slowly. It's a small token of your appreciation.

Who would have thought that before Li Aiqin even left the youth center, Wang Xueying would follow her like a persistent leech.

It turned out that after the educated youth returned from the Lu family, they boasted about the delicious food they had eaten there, which made Wang Xueying very envious.

Knowing that the Lu family's meals were so lavish, she would have definitely gone to mooch a meal there. So when she saw that Li Aiqin was going to the Lu family again, she refused to let the opportunity slip by and insisted on going with her.

Wang Xueying followed Li Aiqin to the Lu family's house and immediately saw a group of strong young men busy setting up a tent in front of the Lu family's house.

The moment he opened his mouth, his accent didn't sound like someone born and raised in the countryside; it sounded more like he was from the provincial capital. This immediately perked Wang Xueying up.

Those who can stay in the provincial capital and avoid going to the countryside now are basically people with connections. Wang Xueying immediately started making plans: if she could marry one of them, wouldn't she be able to go straight back to the provincial capital?

By then, she would be able to escape the hardships of this poor, remote village. Now, not to mention the rustic villagers of Willow Tree Village, she even looked down on the male educated youth who had come to the countryside with her.

In her eyes, those people were like ugly gourds and cracked dates; not one of them could catch her eye. She vowed that once she married into the provincial capital, she would make them all regret it!

With that thought in mind, Wang Xueying immediately abandoned her usual reserve and deliberately put on a generous and easygoing demeanor, taking the initiative to chat with the young men.

When Peng Fei heard Wang Xueying mention knowing Xia Qianqian, he didn't think much of it. Under her deliberate flattery, he found the girl's personality quite likable. The two chatted back and forth, quickly becoming friendly.

Wang Xueying subtly ascertained Peng Fei's background in just a few words, and after listening, she became even more satisfied with her judgment.

Unfortunately, she was so happy that she didn't realize that Peng Fei had no romantic feelings for her at all.

In his eyes, Wang Xueying was just an ordinary friend he could talk to.