"Want to hear the truth?"
"Or do you want me to hear a lie?"
Zhou Mingli smiled in the darkness and said, "To be honest, from the first day we recognized each other, I knew you would be picky about your environment. You wouldn't have a good place to live, good food, or good things to use. Without the entertainment you used to have, your life would be dull and boring. I even thought you might try to commit suicide to see if you could go home again."
Zhou Mingli's earlier suggestion to abandon his two children and leave was not just his own idea.
The sadness of those two children losing parents who didn't like them can certainly not compare to the pain of Jiang Ci's parents losing their only beloved daughter.
If Jiang Ci's parents saw her suffering in such a place, they would surely be heartbroken and cry.
He couldn't persuade a pampered young woman to lower her status and transform from an ethereal fairy into an ordinary person who cooks and cleans the house just because he had experienced such hardship himself. Zhou Mingli was unwilling and didn't want to.
So when he saw Jiang Ci endure the filth and chaos, get up early in the morning to work in the fields, surround a group of rural women, and even proudly bundle a beautiful bundle of wheat, Zhou Mingli was almost speechless with shock.
Zhou Mingli's Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he said, "The lie is that I accepted your change very easily."
Jiang Ci glanced at him and said, "That's because you don't understand me at all."
So what if they're husband and wife? Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli don't see each other often, except in bed, at banquets, and when they meet their parents.
Jiang Ci would never proactively ask Zhou Mingli out in private.
Jiang Ci never considered Zhou Mingli when it came to enjoying her vacations and private time. Zhou Mingli's life was even more monotonous; he worked hard, started businesses to make money, and work occupied eight-tenths of his life. Where would he find the time to be alone with Jiang Ci?
Zhou Mingli knew less about Jiang Ci than even her friends did.
Jiang Ci slowly said, "You don't know how charming and lovable I am. Everyone who gets to know me thinks I'm a good person, and so on. Just like I didn't know before that you were a good cook, had good handicrafts, could fish, and that a grown man like you was afraid of snakes, insects, and rodents."
Zhou Mingli: "..."
He wouldn't say who was afraid of bugs.
He listened patiently to Jiang Ci's words for a long time before speaking, "So we're only just starting to get to know each other now, right?"
“Yes.” Jiang Ci patted his shoulder. “Zhou Mingli, I think you are more outstanding than I imagined.”
Zhou Mingli's smile grew wider and wider.
"I hope we can cooperate in the future."
The smile on Zhou Mingli's face gradually disappeared.
She yawned and asked again, "Really no bugs crawled in?"
Zhou Mingli's expression shifted rapidly, eventually settling into a helpless "No."
He really wished a little bug would crawl in and onto Jiang Ci's body; she would definitely be in a panic.
The hero rescuing the damsel in distress is a clichéd yet incredibly effective way to build rapport.
hateful.
So much mugwort was burned that there weren't even any mosquitoes around, let alone insects!
They slept outside listening to the frogs croaking all night. As dawn broke, Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli got up and started cleaning the house that they hadn't cleaned the night before.
After putting everything else away, Zhou Mingli made breakfast. After the family of four ate, Jiang Ci rode her bicycle to deliver food to the old man, while Zhou Mingli took the two children to the Yu family's house. Dazhu and Erzhu played with Zhou Yang and Zhou Miao, while he went to work with Brother Yu.
Jiang Ci arrived early, before Liu San was fully awake. Hearing the noise, he reluctantly got out of bed. "Are there any eggs inside?"
Jiang Ci opened the lunchbox. "Yes."
Liu San: "Then you can leave the eggs for me... no, never mind, just send them all to him, don't disturb my sleep."
Jiang Ci unexpectedly glanced at Liu San twice.
Unexpectedly, Liu San actually believed what she deliberately said yesterday.
Jiang Ci nodded, "Okay, then I'll deliver the food and go straight back to work."
Liu San waved his hand dismissively and went back to sleep.
Jiang Ci closed the lunchbox and walked inside.
Before even reaching the innermost room, Jiang Ci saw the old man standing under the shed. This time, he wasn't writing anything. His tall figure was thin and bony, barely able to support his clothes. Yet, the old man's back was straight, and he pulled his clothes neatly, as if he were waiting for a distinguished guest.
Jiang Ci paused slightly, stepped forward, and placed the lunchbox there.
As before, she didn't say much and turned to leave.
"Cheng Yehan, that's my name," the old man said politely.
Jiang Ci stopped and looked at the old man in surprise, then politely returned the greeting, "Hello, my name is Jiang Ci."
Cheng Yehan nodded, pointed to the house over there by Chen Conghe, and said in a wise and clear voice, "He seems to have something to discuss with you."
Liu San hasn't woken up yet, so they can still chat briefly. But if Liu San discovers Jiang Ci, Shen Conghe, and Cheng Yehan talking, he might lock her up too.
Jiang Ci nodded to the old man and walked out unhurriedly.
The door to Shen Conghe's room was locked from the outside, with only a small window open, allowing only a sliver of morning light to reach his eyes.
His eyes were bloodshot, heavy, and filled with sorrow. The intense negative emotions seemed like a thick black fog, tightly enveloping him, preventing even the slightest bit of morning light from penetrating the dense darkness.
Shen Conghe didn't say anything, but raised his hand and threw a small paper airplane out the window.
With a perfect gliding trajectory, the paper airplane landed precisely in Jiang Ci's hand.
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