Chapter 10: Giving Her a Way Out
A hint of smugness flashed in Gu Mansheng's eyes, but she choked out, "I'm sorry, Comrade Lu, it's all my fault for breaking the bracelet and making your family pay twenty yuan in compensation... I should pay that money..."
"It's none of your business!" Lu Huaiyuan interrupted her irritably. "She actually had the nerve to accept twenty yuan for a worthless bracelet, showing no mercy whatsoever! Perfect, it also lets me see her true colors!"
Before he could finish speaking, he turned his head and saw Liu Zhixia carrying a basket.
Upon seeing the basket of eggs, Lu Huaiyuan's face instantly lit up with a smug "as expected" expression, his chin practically strutting up in the air.
"Oh, isn't this Liu Zhixia? Regretting it now? Trying to make peace with just a few eggs? Too late!"
Gu Mansheng immediately stepped forward, adopting a kind and magnanimous demeanor: "Comrade Lu, please don't say that. Comrade Liu is probably just trying to save face. Since she has come to apologize, please give her a way out."
Lu Huaiyuan's temper flared even more: "Just because she cares about her pride doesn't mean I don't! She thinks a few broken eggs will make me come back to her? Dream on!"
His loud voice instantly attracted the attention of many villagers, who stopped what they were doing and prepared to see how Liu Zhixia would humbly try to salvage the marriage.
To everyone's surprise, Liu Zhixia didn't even bother to look at him, and coldly asked, "Are you done?"
Lu Huaiyuan, hands in his pockets, looked superior: "This isn't over! If you want things to reconcile, your parents have to come to my house and apologize first! As for these eggs, you have to leave them as an apology to Gu Zhiqing!"
As he spoke, he looked at Gu Mansheng tenderly: "Gu, I'm here to make the decision for you today. You must accept these eggs."
Gu Mansheng nodded shyly: "Um... I haven't had breakfast yet, thank you, Comrade Liu."
Lu Huaiyuan reached out to grab the basket with a smug look on his face.
Liu Zhixia took a step back, dodging his hand, her eyes as cold as knives, and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth: "Get out of the way."
"Liu Zhixia, don't push your luck!" Lu Huaiyuan was completely exasperated. "I'm only accepting your apology because I'm giving you face! Don't think that I..."
Liu Zhixia was disgusted by his attitude and sneered, "Lu Huaiyuan, who gave you the nerve to think these eggs are for you?"
He scoffed, "If it's not for me, who else would you give it to?"
Liu Zhixia was too lazy to waste any more words and simply stretched out her hand—
"Get out of my way!"
She gave him a sudden shove, and Lu Huaiyuan lost his balance and fell into the nearby field with a thud, getting covered in mud.
Gu Mansheng, who was blocking the way, was so frightened that she screamed and made way for him.
Just then, Shen Yi came out of Lu Kai's house and witnessed this scene.
When Liu Zhixia saw him, the frost on her face melted instantly, and a faint smile appeared: "Comrade Chen, is your injury better? My mother asked me to bring you some eggs."
Shen Yi's gaze swept over her, then landed on Lu Huaiyuan, whose face was ashen, and he immediately understood.
He took the basket naturally, his voice steady: "Thank you. We were just worried about not having breakfast. Besides, my injury is all healed now."
From inside the house behind Shen Yi came the enthusiastic voice of an older woman: "Young man, don't go, let me boil you an egg!"
The next second, the aunt ran out of the house. When she saw the basket in Shen Yi's hand, she was stunned and turned to Liu Zhixia with a puzzled look.
Liu Zhixia smiled and said first, "Auntie, I'm sorry, I went first."
Upon hearing this, the auntie immediately laughed: "Alright! Come to my house for dinner next time! You've been a great help, young man; this firewood will last for quite a while!"
Shen Yi shook his head and declined, "Auntie, it's nothing. My friend is waiting for food, so I have to hurry up the mountain."
"Hurry up, hurry up, don't delay the important business!"
The two turned and walked up the mountain.
Behind them, the middle-aged woman watched their retreating figures and muttered to herself, "Hey, they really are a good match."
These words reached Lu Huaiyuan's ears without missing a single one, and his face instantly darkened, a nameless anger rising within him.
How dare Liu Zhixia?
How could a woman he dumped find someone better than him? Shameless! She barely got dumped before hooking up with a soldier!
Since he is the son of the brigade leader, he must correct this unhealthy trend!
Lu Huaiyuan grew angrier the more he thought about it. He suddenly stood up, not even glancing at Gu Mansheng beside him, and strode after her.
"Comrade Lu, where are you going!"
Gu Mansheng was startled by the sinister look in his eyes, her heart tightened, and she quickly followed.
On the mountain road, Liu Zhixia followed Shen Yi one in front and one behind, remaining silent the whole way, creating a somewhat subtle atmosphere.
Shen Yi walked quite a distance before suddenly realizing that he was walking too fast. Just as he was about to slow down, he noticed that Liu Zhixia was following behind him at a leisurely pace, without even breaking a sweat.
He stopped in his tracks.
When he suddenly turned to look at her, Liu Zhixia's heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong?"
"It's alright," Shen Yi's gaze lingered on her for a moment, "Are you tired? Do you want to rest?"
Liu Zhixia turned around and saw the two people chasing after her, panting heavily. Her good mood instantly vanished. "No need, let's go."
"Okay." Shen Yi also saw the two people, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Liu Zhixia caught a glimpse of the smile on his lips and thought to herself, "This guy doesn't seem so cold after all." But when she thought about his future identity, she subconsciously wanted to distance herself.
"Comrade Shen, what brings you up the mountain today...?"
A deep, magnetic voice rang out: "The work in the fields is finished. Because of what happened yesterday, the brigade leader won't let us help with the work in the fields. My two comrades couldn't stay idle, so they came up the mountain for a stroll and picked up some firewood for the villagers down the mountain."
Liu Zhixia was somewhat doubtful: "Just...gathering firewood?"
Shen Yi touched his face awkwardly and mumbled an "Mmm".
We can't exactly tell her that someone got addicted to eating meat yesterday, and since the supply and marketing cooperative didn't have any meat, they insisted on going hunting in the mountains today, can we?
Seeing his guilty look, Liu Zhixia knew he wasn't telling the truth. She didn't point it out, but followed him up, and the answer was revealed naturally.
Soon, the two reached a clearing halfway up the mountain.
The firewood was piled up like a small mountain, and a bonfire was burning nearby, but the frame on the fire was empty.
Lu Kai was squatting on the ground fiddling with firewood when he heard footsteps behind him. Without looking up, he shouted, "Chen Yi, what are you dawdling for? It's taking you so long to get something?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked up and saw Liu Zhixia behind Shen Yi. The words caught in his throat, and he stood up abruptly: "Xia, what are you doing here! It's dangerous on this mountain!"
Liu Zhixia quickly waved her hand: "It's alright, there are always plenty of people coming here. Before the autumn harvest, the brigade leader even organized a trip up the mountain, hoping to catch some meat, but they only caught a few rabbits. Back then, this place was used as a transit point, and wild animals know to avoid it, so it's safe here!"
Hearing this, Xu Zhigang, who was not far away, couldn't hold back and ran over: "I knew it! I've been squatting here for half a day and haven't even seen a single rabbit hair. It turns out you guys have already plucked them clean!"
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