Chapter 42: Itchy Skin

Her waist is the area with a ticklish spot, and she can't stand any touch. When Su Xiaojuan was a child, she loved to poke and tease her.

Su Xia couldn't help but shrink back, and because her reaction was too exaggerated, she lowered her head and pretended to be dead.

His hands are so cold.

-

The village where the research and study base is located is in the southern mountainous area of ​​the neighboring province.

Originally it was mainly engaged in tea picking and farming, but it has only started to develop tourism in the past two years. Unlike the mature commercial ancient towns around Jiangcheng, it has a natural and unpretentious beauty.

After coming down from the scenic spot parking lot, the guide led the students to the farm where they were staying to put their luggage.

The air was moist and fresh, and the bamboo sea was surging among the mountains in the distance. A few farmers were carrying bamboo baskets and walking across the ridges of the fields, startling a few egrets behind them.

Dried bamboo shoots from several farmers' homes were spread out on bamboo trays, glowing amber in the sunlight.

The farmers' households assigned to the fourth class were next to each other, all of which had newly built brick houses. The one with better conditions was given to the girls, and the remaining one was given to the boys.

As soon as I saw the true appearance of the courtyard, two mothers-in-law came out to greet me.

The dialect was so obscure that Su Xia struggled to make out the words "clean up" and "wait for you to come", but she couldn't understand the rest at all. The other girls were in the same boat.

The old woman from the village was simple and honest, and she felt a little embarrassed in front of a group of city children. She tried to speak for a while, but no one responded, and soon the room quieted down. Seeing that Su Xia was trying hard to listen and nodding from time to time, she pulled a plum still covered in frost from her cloth bag, wiped it vigorously on a white towel, and handed it to her.

"Girl, eat it. Wash it."

The stone road winds up the mountain. Su Xia stands at the front, and can see everything he says and does.

The girl following behind him immediately frowned and whispered to the person next to her, "My mother said that the food given by the villagers needs to be rinsed again before eating. The hygiene conditions are poor and eating it will give you diarrhea."

Su Xia was actually hesitant.

But he still took the plum, took a small bite, and curled his lips, "It's so sweet."

Only then did the mother-in-law smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes looked relaxed.

Maybe her chubby appearance is what pleases the elders and makes her look blessed.

When she came to study in her previous life, this mother-in-law also gave her plums, but Su Xia was like other girls at that time. She felt they were dirty, so she politely said no. At the time, she didn't think it was rude, but she tossed and turned at night, regretting it the most.

Finally, there was a chance to untie this knot in her heart. Su Xia was also happy and breathed a sigh of relief while eating plums.

There is a saying that it is impossible for a person to have both youth and the feeling of youth at the same time.

When Su Xia came here that year, she only felt that there was no internet and no air conditioning. Eight people squeezed into one room and slept on a large bunk bed. It was pure suffering, and she counted the days until she wanted to go home.

This time when she revisited the old place, her seventeen-year-old body was tireless and she felt comfortable everywhere.

We drew the curtains and had fun changing clothes with the girls, covering each other's bodies. The farm meals cooked by my mother-in-law were also delicious.

Even though it rained in the afternoon and my shoes were covered in mud and water, I still found the canyon rafting very interesting.

Su Xia was particularly enthusiastic in catching fish. She grabbed He Miao's little arm and took eighty photos under the waterfall. She tried hard to open her eyes against the dense rain and laughed at herself.

After completing the nearly four-kilometer hike and returning to the village, it was almost five o'clock.

Teacher Ding’s hometown is in this province, and she gets along particularly well with her mother-in-law who cooks.

It was almost time for dinner, and smoke was curling up from the village. Teacher Ding waved his hand and divided the students into six groups according to their dormitories. If they wanted to eat meat, they could go to the hillside to catch chickens. If they couldn't catch any meat, they could only catch the small fish when traversing the river.

They are all at the age of growing up, with good appetite and metabolism. After walking for an entire afternoon, who wouldn’t want to eat a few bites of meat?

The boys set off first and chased each other enthusiastically on the gentle slope where chickens were raised.

Someone yelled out a curse filled with resentment, and laughter suddenly broke out, so noisy that the cumulus clouds in the sky drifted away.

"The squad leader is amazing, hahahaha. He ran away but his shoes are still stuck in the mud."

"Shit, once you've laughed enough, bring your dad the shoes."

"No, no, no, lululu!"

…

It had just rained and the soil on the slope was soaked with water.

Pheasants run fast and fly high. They can fly far away with a flap of their wings. Their agility is not affected at all, but people fall into a pit wherever they step.

A little girl in the same group fell down, and several of her companions were persuaded to leave. They brought a small stool back to help their mother-in-law pick vegetables. Among the girls who were still catching chickens, only He Miao and Su Xia were left soon.

Su Xia also fell several times, and not only his buttocks, but even his elbows were covered with half-dried mud.

The gentle slope was covered with flowers and plants, but there were also gravel of various sizes hidden underneath. Su Xia pulled the water pipe to rinse her arms, and the blue and purple patches were particularly eye-catching against her snow-white skin.

"Does it hurt, Xia Xia?"

He Miao gasped, "Why don't we go back and have some fish soup? Pan-fried river fish is also delicious. We don't necessarily have to eat chicken."

"I get marks easily, but they just look scary, not painful."

Su Xia rolled up her sleeves again and rolled up her trouser legs to her calves. Her face was rosy and full of life. "You come from the left, and I'll surround you from the right. Together we can drive the chicken into the nest and get it out in one go."

This is the experience she summed up after struggling for half an hour:

When a chicken is anxious, it runs to its nest, which is like walking into a trap and leading to its death.

But theory and practice are two completely different things.

The two girls were busy working with their backs bent, and even requisitioned the big broom that their mother-in-law used to sweep the yard. The chickens were driven into the coop, but their eyes were bright and they hurt people when they bit them.

When he met those moving eyes, He Miao's legs felt weak, "...or maybe just forget it."

Su Xia was also afraid, but she was unwilling to go back empty-handed after falling so badly. She gritted her teeth and squatted down, "I'll do it."

The girl's arms were white and tender. She stared at the little rooster in the nest, muttering something to coax it, and reached out with trembling hands.

"Be good, don't be afraid...sister will take you home."

As soon as I touched the wings, before I had time to be happy, the prey under my hand raised its butt and flew away from the small window on the other side of the chicken coop.

The joy in the girl's eyes instantly died out and turned into a sigh.

It’s so difficult, this is the closest I have ever been to success.

When Xu Jiqing came down from the height, he saw this scene:

The sun was about to set. The girl was squatting in front of the chicken coop with her knees hugged. Her arms and ankles were as white as lotus roots. She was obviously so tired that her eyes were dazed. When she heard the creaking sound, she stood up with the help of the tree and looked back. There were spots of mud on her little face.

Seeing that it was him, Su Xia seemed very happy, and her beautiful almond eyes lit up.

Looking at him, then at the chicken he was holding, I felt admiration and envy, and unconsciously pouted, "That's great... We haven't caught it yet."

Xu Jiqing lowered his gaze and didn't respond. "There are a lot of mosquitoes in the mountains. Put down your trouser legs."

Su Xia had just gotten rid of the state of being controlled by him a few years ago, and she was used to being controlled by him again. She didn't think it was a big deal, so she squatted down obediently, loosened her trouser legs, and pulled them down.

He Miao on the side stared with his eyes wide open and forgot to close his mouth.

The atmosphere between these two people...

That's too weird.