The final conclusion made him both laugh and feel sad: there was nothing there, not even bird droppings would land on his barren land, let alone weeds.

"Oh my gosh~ Someone's been hurting me." Ruan Xianxian wasn't afraid of Chu Li.

She looked him up and down and said, "Don't think that just because we've known each other longer I'll side with you. If you're capable of attracting women but not of handling them, you're either doing it on purpose or you're just incompetent."

Knowing you're attracting attention, why don't you just cover your face with a cloth? What's with this aloof and detached attitude? You're just letting your partner pick out unwanted suitors for you and take the blame for you.

Uncle Chu, if you keep going like this, you'll never be able to find a wife.

Just like in his past life, he's still single at 28.

After saying all this, I thought Chu Li would be angry, but I saw that he was just deep in thought. After a moment of silence, he reached out his big hand and touched the top of the little girl's head.

"Uncle understands, it won't happen again."

As he said this, his gaze was fixed on Mu Xia, and a silent ambiguity permeated the space between them.

Ruan Xianxian's face turned bright red after being patted on the head, and she angrily shouted, "Get away from me, you lecherous scoundrel!"

An empty, clean plate was placed silently outside the tent.

Once the group members were all present, Ruan Xianxian couldn't help but let her mischievous thoughts surface. Using the light from the kerosene stove, she began rummaging through her luggage.

After a while, he found three rolls of gauze and a bottle of mercurochrome prescribed by the county hospital, and then...

Hehehe!

Chu Li and Chen Zhaodi were both completely bewildered.

Only Mu Xia, who shared her telepathic understanding, sighed; she didn't want to understand instantly!

The appointed person took the gauze, squeezed some barely noticeable red medicine onto it, and began to tie it to Ruan Xianxian's little fist.

Not forgetting to ask, "Is it this hand that's injured?"

"Yes, yes, yes." Ruan Xianxian nodded hurriedly, "Catching a hoe with your fist can cause serious injuries. You must be badly injured too."

And Zhao Di, we helped you back, didn't you sprain your ankle? Let's bandage each other up later!

Seeing her small hand quickly wrapped in bandages, Chu Li couldn't bear to look and finally couldn't help but ask, "Did Commander Ruan teach you this way of shirking your duties?"

This really wasn't something Old Man Ruan taught her. Ruan Xianxian tilted her head. She wasn't some kind of silent heroine in a tragic novel. She could ruin her reputation herself, but she would never tolerate being slandered by others.

"Uncle Chu, this is a misconception."

When I arrived last night, the river dam had breached. Despite the torrential rain and a high fever, I didn't shirk my duty for a moment, because my country needed me then, and even if it was just a drop in the ocean, I couldn't refuse.

She crossed her legs and chuckled smugly, "Now that the breach is plugged, you want me to go pick out earthenware pots again? Sorry, I can't do that!"

Chu Li: ...

"Well said, but don't say it again!"

He silently took the gauze and began to wrap it around Mu Xia's neck. Finally, the three of them worked together to tie Chen Zhaodi's ankles.

Looking at the little bit of gauze left in her hand, she asked Chu Li with a grin, "Uncle, should I put it on your mouth?"

Everyone: ...

The next morning, the captain, who had just returned from the brigade and heard that the three troublemakers had gotten into another fight, hurriedly saw three rice dumplings wrapped in gauze.

His hand trembled as he pulled out a cigarette, remaining silent for a moment before asking, "Should we notify the family to come and claim the body?"

Just as he was about to utter a vulgar curse, an even more piercing roar suddenly erupted from behind.

Where are my corn kernels?

Where is my husband?

"Where did my 55 cents that I saved up for three months go?"

"Ah! Ahhh!"

With a whoosh, the three girls turned around in unison to look at the big black goose that had curiously poked its head out but then shrank back in fright.

Ruan Xianxian hissed and raised her little fist, which was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, "My son actually knows how to hide money!"

A moment later, Shen Meihua came running over with disheveled hair, looking at the three women as if they were her father's killers. "Tell me, did you steal my grain and money?"

Ruan Xianxian tilted her head and asked sincerely, "Why would I steal your grain and money when there are so many people around? You must have misunderstood, Auntie."

Shen Meihua's mind was buzzing, and the words slipped out, "Isn't it because you took a bowl of batter and a cutting board of shredded potatoes from me last night? You're just retaliating on purpose."

"You actually stole my batter and shredded potatoes?" Ruan Xianxian turned pitifully to Hongjun, "Captain, you heard her steal my food with your own ears!"

We implore the battalion commander to make this decision.

Shen Meihua's breath hitched, and she realized what a stupid thing she had said. Just as she was about to run away, the captain grabbed her by the back of her collar. His face was gloomy, and his voice was like chewing ice shards.

"Give it back!"

"Wh-what?" Shen Meihua stubbornly refused to give an answer, trying to get away with it.

The brigade leader was furious: "Shen Meihua, has the brigade skimped on your food or drink? How dare you, with no shame, steal a few educated youths' food?"

Otherwise, you and your man can stay here and work on the river until the things are returned.

Shen Meihua rarely saw the captain speak so sternly, and she was truly frightened. "I'll pay, I'll pay."

Then, pointing to the three women, he said, "But they must also return the money and things they took from me."

Mu Xia smiled, "No, Auntie, you must have misunderstood!"

The people nearby finally understood: Shen Meihua had taken the food meant for the educated youth, and this was retaliation.

She almost blurted it out, but the educated young intellectual was much smarter and managed to get the information out of her in no time.

Tsk tsk, Shen Meihua has lost both her wife and her army!

In the end, Shen Meihua had no choice but to grit her teeth and pay back three potatoes and half a pound of flour. She sat dejectedly in front of the wooden shed and was even warned by the brigade leader.

There are so many production teams along this riverbank. If she dares to embarrass herself in front of outsiders again, we'll send her back to carrying manure for a year.

After getting rid of the troublemaker, only these three in front of me are the most worry-free.

He sat on a rock in front of the tent with a half-smile, his eyes crinkling as he looked the three of them over. "Are you injured?"

Ruan Xianxian's keen intuition, like that of a small animal, left her in a dilemma, feeling that there were things she couldn't say, yet she couldn't figure out why.

Finally, she chose a compromise, looking cautiously at the captain, "Minor injuries, they're all minor. We can't do heavy physical work, but we can still help out."

My gut feeling is that this old man's smile is too sinister; it's better to be cautious than to make a big mistake.

The captain clicked his tongue, thinking to himself, "With this brain and keen insight, wouldn't it be better to do some human affairs?"

"Oh, is that so!" After whetting the appetites of the three, he slowly said, "It's nothing serious."

Last night, I received a call from the provincial capital saying that I had arranged with Comrade Ruan to ask you to come to the provincial capital to help out.

I was planning to call you back today to start preparations, but seeing how badly you're injured, it's highly likely you won't be able to go.

Ruan Xianxian was dumbfounded, never expecting this to be the case, and the other two women were also stunned.

If they can go back to the brigade today, then what about the gauze they wasted last night?

After regaining her senses, Ruan Xianxian spoke faster than she thought, "Contributing to the organization is the duty of us educated youth. I can take up my post despite my injury."