Only after Gu An'an's figure disappeared from the ground did Xiao Yuheng turn his gaze away and bury himself in his work, moving even faster than when Gu An'an was there.

"Qiuju, has Xiaoheng taken a liking to Gu Zhiqing?"

The village chief's wife looked at her old friend and said, "You just realized that? Otherwise, why would I have advised you not to make a move on Aheng? Although he is filial, he is very opinionated about important matters like marriage. Even his uncle and I can't change his mind. If we interfere, it will only hurt Tingting in the end."

That's the truth, and Zhou Xiulan can only lament that her granddaughter didn't have that kind of luck.

"That's not right! You were already treating this Gu Zhiqing differently before Aheng came back. Could it be that you introduced Xiaoheng to Gu Zhiqing? If you really did that, I'll have to settle accounts with you."

The village chief's wife rolled her eyes at the other person. "Do you think I'm that kind of person? These two kids are destined to be together. They met before Gu Zhiqing even arrived. Not only that, Aheng specifically asked us to take good care of them."

Knowing that the other party wasn't one to gossip, and in order to completely dispel her idea, the village chief's wife had no choice but to explain things more clearly.

As expected, Zhou Xiulan lost her temper immediately upon hearing that the two had such a connection.

"Never mind then, but if you meet any good young men in the future, you should keep an eye out for our Tingting. A girl's marriage is a second chance, so it can't be taken lightly."

"Okay, we're like brothers. Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I find someone suitable."

Xiao Yuheng was completely unaware of the gossip circulating nearby. After finishing his work, he found the scorekeeper to record his work points before happily going home.

Thinking that he didn't know when Gu An'an would return, Xiao Yuheng simply started a fire and cooked. Although his cooking skills were not as good as Gu An'an's, they were much better than those of other men.

While cooking, Xiao Yuheng's mind was filled with how Gu An'an prepared the dishes. By the time the village chief's family finished work, he had already cooked three dishes.

"Aheng, you can cook?"

Xiao Yuheng said modestly, "It was just something I made haphazardly, but it's edible."

The village chief's wife sang a few lines, and her eyes immediately lit up.

This isn't just edible, it's clearly quite good, but looking at the oil in the dish, I'm not so surprised.

Everyone in the countryside knows the principle that more oil won't spoil the vegetables, but people like Gu An'an and Xiao Yuheng who are willing to use more oil are still a minority.

However, she didn't say anything. Anyway, the food was for her family to eat, so it was worth it as long as it was in their stomachs.

"Aheng, you are really amazing. Whoever marries you will be so lucky."

"Auntie, please don't praise me."

The more he was praised like this, the more he wanted Gu An'an to taste his cooking. His hand unconsciously picked up another plate from the stove, on which three dishes were neatly arranged. "Aunt, I'm going out for a bit."

He took long strides, preoccupied with his thoughts, and nearly tripped the village chief who had just returned home as he left the hospital.

Where is this child going?

The village chief's wife hummed a tuneless little tune, "What else could he possibly do?"

After saying that, he gestured with his chin toward the direction of the educated youth compound, and the village chief immediately understood.

"Good lad, he has the style of his uncle back in the day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was met with a glare from the village chief's wife.

Gu An'an had just arrived at the post office on her bicycle when she eagerly dialed back Director Li's number. "Uncle, were you looking for me?"

Hearing the cheerfulness in her voice, and thinking back to Gu An'an he had seen before, Director Li suddenly felt a pang of sadness. "Yes, yesterday I invited two friends over for a meal. We ate the things you sent me; they both wanted some."

Gu An'an smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits. Although the last two orders weren't as large as what Factory Director Li wanted, they still added up to a considerable sum.

"Uncle Li, you really are my uncle."

Factory Director Li couldn't help but laugh when he heard the childish words. "Looks like you're doing well over there."

Gu An'an thought about the recent days and realized that things hadn't been bad at all. "I have plenty to eat and drink, and the village chief takes good care of me. Uncle Li, don't worry."

Knowing that the child was doing well, Director Li was relieved. "By the way, there are many good things in the Northeast. If you get anything, let me know."

The wild ginseng she harvested a couple of days ago has been planted in her space and is growing well. She doesn't want to sell it, but since Factory Director Li needs it, Gu An'an definitely has to keep an eye out for it.

"Okay, Uncle Li, just tell me what you need and I'll keep an eye out for it."

Factory Director Li mentioned several things, which Gu An'an noted down one by one.

Factory Director Li alone certainly couldn't get all those good items, but he has many friends, so there must be others who want them; there's no need to ask further.

Gu An'an arrived at Xiao Wang Village at breakneck speed with the good news. She went to the village chief's house first, returned the bicycle keys to Xiao Yuheng, and started talking to the village chief before he could even speak.

"Really? You're not lying to me?"

As she was speaking, the village chief grabbed her shoulder. Not only that, Gu An'an felt that the other party wanted to shake her forcefully to express his excitement.

Fortunately, Xiao Yuheng rescued her.

"Uncle, Comrade Gu just made a trip to the commune and is very tired. Please take it easy on him."

Upon meeting his nephew's gaze, the village chief realized his actions were inappropriate and immediately apologized.

"It's alright, everything I just said is true. I've written down the types and weights, so you can prepare accordingly."

Looking at the neat numbers on the paper, the village chief was extremely excited. "Good, good, good! Gu Zhiqing, you are a hero of our village. Don't worry, I will record all the work points you are owed at the end of the year. I will definitely not let you work in vain."

Since it was something she was entitled to, Gu An'an naturally wouldn't refuse. "Then thank you, Uncle Village Chief. I'll go back for dinner now."

Xiao Yuheng saw the person out of the courtyard. "I cooked a few dishes and sent them over to you. Try them when you get back, and let me know if there's anything that needs improvement."

Gu An'an raised her eyebrows in surprise. Xiao Yuheng was already incredibly outstanding in everyone's eyes, but that was only because she hadn't shown off her cooking skills.

Of course, it's not that his cooking skills are like those of a master chef, since she hasn't tasted it yet. But these days, men thoroughly embody the concept of "a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen," and even in the village, there aren't many men who cook. Xiao Yuheng stands out in this regard.

Whether they do a good job or not doesn't matter, at least they're willing to do it.

"I didn't expect you to have this skill."

Xiao Yuheng smiled, pursing his lips. Gu An'an was praising him, wasn't she?

"It might not be very well made, but please make do with it. I'll learn how to make it better next time."

Although his uncle's family praised the dishes he prepared for dinner, he cared more about Gu An'an's opinion.

"Okay, I'll tell you how it feels tomorrow."

Xiao Yuheng: ...Is she asking me out?