The two returned home before sunset that evening.

Aunt Chu had already steamed the buns and was waiting for them to come back.

She made mutton and carrot fillings, and used the leftover mutton to make mutton soup. Lin Yuan liked this combination very much, and ate six big buns and drank two bowls of mutton soup.

Zhao Huanhuan was stunned. She had no idea he loved mutton buns so much.

Her stomach could only hold two steamed buns and half a bowl of mutton soup.

Seeing her surprised expression, Lin Yuan smiled sheepishly, "Don't worry, I eat a lot. I'll go for a run in a bit, I won't gain weight."

Zhao Huanhuan coughed lightly, gave him a look that said "who cares if you're fat or not," and lowered her head to drink the mutton soup in her bowl.

Lin Yuan chuckled softly and continued eating.

Aunt Chu and Uncle Lin both smiled; the young couple had a good relationship, and they were happy too.

After dinner, Zhao Huanhuan wouldn't let Lin Yuan go for a run, but told him to walk around first to digest his food.

Lin Yuan then took her out for a stroll in the village.

They went to the school together and saw Tao Shize cleaning the school by himself.

The two of them helped him tidy up for a while longer.

Zhao Huanhuan asked Tao Shize about the start date of school. Tao Shize said that there had been no notification from above yet, and he planned to go to the commune tomorrow to inquire and pick up the new books.

"How many books can you bring by yourself? Do you need me to come with you?" Zhao Huanhuan asked.

Tao Shize shook his head, "No need, my dad is going to the commune too, he'll be driving our oxcart."

After the New Year, he heard from his mother that rumors were circulating in the village about him and Zhao Huanhuan. Tao Shize was furious; these people really dared to say anything.

He remembered now; no wonder when he ran into Zhao Huanhuan and Lin Yuan on New Year's Day, Zhao Huanhuan told them to talk while she went inside first.

Tao Shize felt that he should be more careful in the future and avoid causing trouble for the young couple.

While Zhao Huanhuan was tidying up in her office, Tao Shize told Lin Yuan that he had only recently learned about the rumors circulating in the village, and he explained them to Lin Yuan again.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "I know what kind of person the girl I chose is. As for the two of us, we grew up together. Don't overthink it. I know about this, but I haven't thought much about it."

Tao Shize sighed, "The mouths of these villagers are truly terrifying. Before the Lunar New Year, because of Hu Doudou's incident, a group of them almost got into a fight with the educated youth. I still feel scared when I think about it now."

“I don’t know what they were thinking. During the day, they were still learning to read and write Chinese characters with the other educated youth!” Tao Shize said, his heart filled with disappointment.

Lin Yuan patted his shoulder, "So, you have a heavy responsibility to strive to educate our next generation into people who are worldly-wise, polite, and knowledgeable about the law!"

Tao Shize nodded, "Yes, that's what we teachers think too, so we must continue to run this primary school."

Lin Yuan nodded and hummed in agreement.

"By the way, Lin Yuan, Teacher Zhao told me that she wasn't officially hired, did you know that?" Tao Shize couldn't understand why Zhao Huanhuan would say that to him.

Zhao Huanhuan's point at the time was that if their primary school had quotas and opportunities for permanent positions, she and others should be transferred first, and she shouldn't be assigned to it yet, as she said she didn't want to be transferred at the moment.

Although getting a permanent position is difficult, who knows? If an opportunity comes along, these elementary school teachers would still want to seize it.

Lin Yuan asked in surprise, "Did Huanhuan tell you this herself?"

He didn't know about this, and Zhao Huanhuan hadn't told him either. He figured she must have her own plans. He didn't intend to ask rashly, and waited for the day Huanhuan would tell him her thoughts.

Seeing Lin Yuan's expression, Tao Shize figured she was unaware of the situation. He silently turned to glance at Zhao Huanhuan's office door and whispered nervously, "Did I do something wrong?"

Lin Yuan shook her head. "It's okay. She mentioned it, but I didn't expect her to actually think that way. So just do as she says. If there's a chance to become a full-fledged employee, give it to someone else first. You should also work hard and try to become a full-fledged employee as soon as possible, so that you can have more power to lead our village primary school further in the future."

Tao Shize nodded, "Yes, I know. That's what Teacher Zhao and Principal Qiu told me."

Zhao Huanhuan opened the door and came out to empty the dirty water; she had just wiped down the desks, chairs, and cabinets in the office.

Lin Yuan quickly went over and took the basin, saying, "I'll pour it out!"

Zhao Huanhuan didn't stand on ceremony with him, handed it to him, and went back inside to wash the floor.

After tidying up, the three of them locked the door together and left the elementary school to head home.

Lin Yuan walked in the middle, with Zhao Huanhuan on one side and Tao Shize on the other. The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked through the village.

When people encounter these three people, they stop to look at them and greet them.

This immediately dispelled all the rumors circulating in the village.

After returning home, Zhao Huanhuan washed up, while Lin Yuan went to his parents' house for a short talk to explain that he would be leaving the next day.

After that, he went out for a run twice, worked up a sweat, and then came back to his room to wash up.

Zhao Huanhuan heated the room until it was nice and cozy, and Lin Yuan took off all her clothes, leaving her only in a vest and shorts.

Seeing his clothes steaming by the stove, Zhao Huanhuan was speechless. "How many kilometers did you run?"

"It's about five or six kilometers," Lin Yuan replied while washing up.

Zhao Huanhuan handed him shampoo while she was washing her hair.

She put on a record and listened to the songs, lying on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and swinging her feet, admiring Lin Yuan's figure.

It has to be said that people with good figures must be self-disciplined. Thinking about myself, I'm not exactly a sporty person. I wonder if I'll slowly become fat?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!