Chapter 29

Gu Yuanzhou somehow managed to negotiate with the postman to have all the educated youth's packages sent to their designated post station, so they wouldn't have to travel all the way to the commune anymore.

After finishing work in the evening, the educated youth hadn't even had a chance to rest when the postman arrived on his old bicycle, ringing his bell. There were several packages in the mailbag on the back of his bicycle.

Gu Yuanzhou was the first to hear the bell. Knowing that the postman had arrived, he immediately went out to greet him, taking the packages from the postman one by one and placing them on the ground.

The postman handed over the last package. "There are four packages in total. They're all here. One is for you, two are for He He, one is for Cheng Sulin, and one is for Li Baiyun. Call them over to sign for them."

Gu Yuanzhou took out a box of Double Happiness cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to the postman, lit it for him with a match, and then tucked a cigarette behind the postman's ear.

"Thank you for making this long journey."

He was respectful in his dealings with the postman and would casually offer him high-end cigarettes like Double Happiness. The postman had a very good impression of Gu Yuanzhou.

Although the journey required traveling a long distance, the kickbacks weren't free; there were also expensive cigarettes to smoke on each trip. What postman wouldn't be happy?

The postman took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled a puff of stale air, and felt pleased, but he didn't show it. "Your advance team has difficult roads, and taking a longer route is tiring, but it's all as it should be."

Gu Yuanzhou sneered inwardly, "What a piece of trash! He's only being given a kind word, and he's already taking advantage of it."

However, the postman couldn't be offended, as they would still need him to deliver the packages in the future. Gu Yuanzhou smiled apologetically, "Yes, the road here is a bit difficult to travel. Without you, Brother Wang, our packages would be hard to carry. We are so grateful to you."

After He He and the others came out to sign for the package, Gu Yuanzhou also said some kind words to see the postman off.

Of the five parcels, He He's was the largest and heaviest.

Gu Yuanzhou asked, "Do you need me to help you carry it?"

He He refused, saying, "No need, just have Cheng Sulin help me carry it in."

She held a thin envelope in her hand, giving instructions to Cheng Sulin.

Cheng Sulin obediently helped her carry it inside, saying, "Alright, you can go and take it apart now."

He He was always excited when she received the package. It meant her living expenses had arrived, and her grandparents had sent a lot of delicious food.

He He first opened the letter sent by He Zhongguo, which contained money and a letter. She didn't read the letter, but tossed it aside and carefully counted the money to see if there was enough.

She was only satisfied when the money was enough. Last month it wasn't enough; she was short five yuan, which she had requested extra. She wrote back home and complained bitterly. With interest, she ended up with fifteen yuan more this month.

She carefully put the money away before slowly opening the package sent by her grandparents.

Apart from a large sum of money, everything else was delicious, some bought from the supply and marketing cooperative and department stores, and some homemade.

She opened a packet of glutinous rice strips, which were sweet and crunchy. After eating them herself, she shared some with the other educated youth.

Just as she finished distributing them, she heard Gu Yuanzhou call out to her, "Xiao He, the chocolate wafer biscuits you asked me to buy for you last time have arrived, I brought them to you."

He He rushed to the door and took the two bags of cookies from Gu Yuanzhou's hand. "You're here so quickly! Thank you."

She looked at it carefully and then placed the cookies on the table next to her.

Gu Yuanzhou hadn't left yet, and He He thought he wanted to eat glutinous rice strips, so she handed him the glutinous rice strips in her hand, "Glutinous rice strips, do you want some?"

Gu Yuanzhou didn't stand on ceremony and took a glutinous rice strip from the bag He He handed him.

Seeing that he had taken too little, He He pushed the rice strips in her hand and said, "Take more, don't be shy."

Gu Yuanzhou: "You eat it, I'll just taste it."

He He hadn't finished the previous one when she stuffed another one into her mouth, her right cheek puffed out. "It's so delicious, won't you have a few more?"

Seeing how much He He loved the glutinous rice strips, Gu Yuanzhou wondered if he hadn't tasted them before, since the glutinous rice strips in He He's mouth tasted delicious.

Unable to resist, he was persuaded and took a few more.

"Okay, thank you. I'll try more today and see if it's as delicious as you say."

"Try it. My grandma buys the best food in the provincial capital. You'll know once you try it."

Before Gu Yuanzhou could finish speaking, a cold, hard voice interrupted him.

"Dinner is ready, everyone go and eat."

It's Chen Jingbai's turn to cook tonight.

He was standing just a few steps away from Gu Yuanzhou, and He He didn't even notice when he arrived.

Upon hearing the word "meal," He He's already starving stomach finally came to life. She first looked past Gu Yuanzhou, who was blocking the door, and then looked at Chen Jingbai, replying, "Coming right away."

She turned back and called to the others in the room, "Dinner's ready, dinner's ready!"

After saying that, she straightened up and was about to leave when she saw that Gu Yuanzhou was still there. She waved her hand and said, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Eat." Gu Yuanzhou made way for him.

After He He walked out, Gu Yuanzhou followed beside her.

Unaware that she was focused on Chen Jingbai standing there, she walked over to his side.

Chen Jingbai glanced sharply at Gu Yuanzhou.

It's such an eyesore, such a nuisance.

His gaze lingered on Gu Yuanzhou for only a moment before he quickly focused his attention on He He, his gaze softening completely, devoid of the barely perceptible sharpness he had displayed just moments before.

He He naturally handed the rice strips in her hand to Chen Jingbai, saying, "Hold this for me, give it back to me after you finish eating."

She walked quickly with Chen Jingbai, gradually leaving Gu Yuanzhou at the very back.

Gu Yuanzhou noticed their subtle movements and suddenly understood what was going on, but he quickly smiled again.

During dinner, he deliberately switched seats with Zheng Xinxin and sat next to He He. He then glanced at Chen Jingbai and carefully observed Chen Jingbai's changes.

Sure enough, he saw Chen Jingbai's displeased expression.

A long-lost sense of pleasure rose in Gu Yuanzhou's heart.

Ever since discovering the unusual relationship between He He and Chen Jingbai, Gu Yuanzhou has been constantly appearing in front of He He, spending much more time standing by her side than before.

Unconsciously, He He also noticed Gu Yuanzhou's strangeness.

One evening after harvesting peanuts, He He couldn't help but ask Gu Yuanzhou, "I've noticed you're always hovering next to me?"

Now, it seems that Chen Jingyi's identity has become hers.

Gu Yuanzhou's changes made He He realize that what the book said could be changed, and that as long as she changed herself, the tragic ending the book gave her would not happen.

But all of this is too strange. Why did Gu Yuanzhou end up with her instead?

He He didn't understand, but the change seemed to have started when Cheng Sulin and Chen Jingyi got together before Gu Yuanzhou went to the countryside.

Not only did the two of them get together, they also told all the educated youth about their relationship.

No one among the educated youth knew that the two of them were together. On the first night that the newcomers Gu Yuanzhou and Wang Huihui ate together, they were jokingly told that there was a couple among the educated youth and asked to guess who it was.

The two didn't guess correctly, but Cheng Surin openly admitted that it was him and Chen Jingyi.

Gu Yuanzhou no longer had the competitive opportunity he had in the book. After all, Chen Jingyi and Cheng Surin were already together, and causing trouble would be considered interfering in their relationship, which was unreasonable and illogical.

But Gu Yuanzhou no longer likes Chen Jingyi, so why has his target become her? Does he have to find someone to get close to?

He He knew that she and Chen Jingyi were very different, both in personality and appearance.

Can a person's preferences be so different?

He He looked at Gu Yuanzhou with hesitation.

Gu Yuanzhou raised an eyebrow: "Is that not allowed? Because I've noticed that you and I are the only two people I'm really familiar with right now."

"Really? I saw you and Sun Jiabao getting along quite well." He He was even more puzzled.

Gu Yuanzhou: "His way of speaking is nowhere near as interesting as yours."

"Really? Am I really that funny? This is the first time someone has said that to me. Can you tell me how funny I am?" He He was completely distracted by Gu Yuanzhou, her attention completely diverted by him saying she was funny.

Gu Yuanzhou smiled and said, "It's all very interesting. Listening to you talk always makes me feel happy involuntarily. I like this feeling." However, it's not just this kind of happiness; there are other things that bring even more joy.

He He's eyes widened, her face filled with excitement and joy. "Really?"

This is the first time someone has said they are happy because of what she said. Her words can actually make people happy. In the past, people said that what she said was unpleasant and made them unhappy.

No one dislikes hearing nice things, and He He, who loves to say things that make people unhappy, is no exception.

Gu Yuanzhou: "Really? I consider you a good friend. Don't you want me to get close to you?"

He He felt relieved. "No, I also consider you a good friend."

So he considered her a good friend. It's all Chen Jingbai's fault for saying all sorts of nonsense, always saying that Gu Yuanzhou had ulterior motives, which made her misunderstand.

"Could you ask your family to buy me some Daoxiangcun pastries next time? I love them too."

Gu Yuanzhou maintained his smile, "Of course, I'll write home in a bit."

He He: "Thank you, I'll go back to my room now."

"Don't mention it, we're good friends."

That evening, He He hooked her arm around Chen Jingbai's and lured him to the grove.

As soon as they stopped, He He punched Chen Jingbai in the chest. "It's all your fault! Gu Yuanzhou didn't mean it that way at all. She just sees me as a good friend. Tell me! Are you jealous that I have a friend?"

"He said I'm funny, you know what I mean?"

“That’s not what I meant. I’m just worried that he’s not as good as you think, and that you don’t need to consider him a good friend in such a short time.”

Chen Jingbai held He He's fist, which was clenched and pounding on his chest. He knew that this matter was not going to be explained. Gu Yuanzhou's approach, which was neither too close nor too far, was exactly the kind of force that would make He He lower her guard.

Therefore, he never directly said that Gu Yuanzhou had feelings for He He. Even if he didn't at first, later on, it was a blatant provocation to him.

He He couldn't see it, but as a man, he could easily discern Gu Yuanzhou's wolfish ambitions from the perspective of his own kind.

He He pouted, dissatisfied. "Look, you're talking badly about Gu Yuanzhou again. Do you believe I'll tell him you're talking badly about people behind their backs?"

Chen Jingbai sighed and reached out to ruffle He He's fluffy head. "I know you won't say it. We're the best of friends, aren't we? I'll try my best not to say anything bad about him from now on, okay?"

He He felt a little itchy from being rubbed, and slapped Chen Jingbai's hand away, saying, "Aren't your hands dirty? I just washed my hair. Don't touch me without washing your hands."

“It’s very clean. I just washed my hands before coming here, so I didn’t get your hair dirty.” Chen Jingbai held out both hands in front of her, turning them over so she could see them carefully.

Under the moonlight, the slender, bony hands were clean, revealing the prominent veins on the back of the hands and the thin calluses on the web between the thumb and forefinger.

He He compromised, saying, "Alright, then don't speak ill of Gu Yuanzhou anymore. That's not good."

Chen Jingbai had just lowered his hand from between his legs when he clenched it again. It seemed that Gu Yuanzhou was truly shrewd. When had He He ever cared about who spoke ill of behind her back?

"Of course, I will try my best."

He forced a smile, bent down and hugged He He, burying his head in her neck, and said in a low, muffled voice, "But I'm your boyfriend, and I don't want to see you getting too close to other men."

"You can care about his feelings, but you should also allow myself to be unhappy, shouldn't you?"

He He thought Chen Jingbai made sense, "Okay, then I'll be more careful in the future."

Feeling an itch on her neck, she patted Chen Jingbai's head. "Could you please get up? Your hair is making my neck so itchy."

"I don't want to get up. Let me lean on it for a while longer. I'm very tired today."

Chen Jingbai's voice sounded tired, and He He felt a little guilty because she had asked Chen Jingbai to dig sweet potatoes for her again today.

After he finished digging for his work points, he also had to help her dig.

After the peanuts were harvested, it was time for the sweet potatoes to ripen. The educated youth were assigned to dig sweet potatoes, which were an important staple food with high yield and short growth cycle. The Qianjin Brigade planted about ten acres of sweet potatoes.

Basically, once the sweet potato season arrives, the whole team has to go dig them up. But the hoes are heavy, and you can't break the skin of the sweet potatoes buried in the ground, so sweet potatoes are the hardest to dig up.

He He hated digging sweet potatoes, so after a day she didn't want to do it anymore and dumped the work on Chen Jingbai.

"Then lean on me." Chen Jingbai didn't put his weight on her. If Chen Jingbai wanted to lean on her, she could hold on for quite a while.

However, Chen Jingbai didn't stay close for long. After closing his eyes and sensing He He's presence for a while, he stood up straight.

"Let's go back."

As is customary, when they come to the grove, Chen Jingbai would ask her to kiss him, but not tonight.

He He sensed that Chen Jingbai was not in a good mood tonight, probably because of Gu Yuanzhou. She didn't know what to say. She had clearly said that she would pay attention to the boundaries with Gu Yuanzhou, but he was still not satisfied.

She was already unhappy with Chen Jingbai's malicious speculation about others, and now he's doing this again. He He doesn't know how to coax people, and she also thinks Chen Jingbai is stingy. All she wants is to make friends, so why does he have to restrict her from making friends?

Does she not even have the freedom to have male friends just because she's dating him?

He He didn't know what Chen Jingbai, who was walking behind her, was thinking, but she knew what she was thinking: she was sulking.

Chen Jingbai is really going too far. He lost his kiss over such a trivial matter as Gu Yuanzhou.

He He stomped her feet hard on the ground; she decided to leave Chen Jingbai out for a few days.

No matter how many times Chen Jingbai asked her to go out at night, she would never come.

When it was time to leave, He He didn't say goodnight to Chen Jingbai as she always did. She walked quickly and returned to her dormitory in one go.

Chen Jingbai, who was left far behind, was also angry.

The night sank in, each carrying their own anger.