The sunset glow on the horizon was tinged with red.
On the dusty country road, the man walked quickly and steadily, his smart black clothes making him appear even more aloof.
Liu Xiu, who was riding a bicycle, was stunned.
"ah."
Liu Xiu wasn't watching where he was going, and he and his cart fell into the ditch.
"Liu Xiu, are you alright?" Li Fenfang quickly went down to pull her up, but saw that Liu Xiu didn't move, her gaze fixed on the figure that was getting closer and closer.
The man was so handsome that Li Fenfang felt embarrassed to look at him for long and quickly lowered her head, while also tugging at Liu Xiu.
Reminded by Li Fenfang, Liu Xiu suddenly realized what was happening. He pushed her away and shouted at the figure, "Comrade, comrade, I've fallen down. Can you help me? Hey, the comrade in black."
Li Fenfang opened her mouth in surprise and stopped her: "Liu Xiu, are you crazy? This is the village entrance, people come and go. You're calling a man over to pull you away? Don't you care about your reputation?"
Liu Xiu was determined to get involved with this man, regardless of her reputation. Unfortunately, the man seemed not to hear her cries.
He walked away without looking to the side, his steps steady, and without turning his head.
They walked incredibly fast!
Liu Xiu: "..."
Li Fenfang: "..."
Liu Xiu stared at his retreating figure with resentment: "Is he deaf?"
Li Fenfang recalled the man's appearance and looked regretful: "No wonder I didn't hear you call him. Which village is he from?"
"No one in the village has that kind of demeanor," Liu Xiu shook his head. "Look at him, he's definitely not from the village. He's probably on business."
…
Wang Qing walked out of the meat stall, circled Li Xian twice, and kept clicking his tongue.
As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a decent set of clothes makes one look so elegant that it's hard to look away.
Wang Qing gave a thumbs up: "Brother Li, you are now the most handsome man in the surrounding villages."
Li Xian rarely showed a smile in front of others, and gently stroked his clothes with his fingertips, as if he were taking great care of them.
But his brows immediately furrowed again.
He had never paid attention to village affairs before and didn't know what the educated youth dormitory was like. In the afternoon, he went to find Duan San, who said, "It's a large communal dormitory. There are rats and bugs at night, but which family doesn't have them? It's normal."
Wang Qingjian and Li Xian frowned and asked, "Brother Li, what are you doing here at this time?"
Li Xian walked towards a small hut at the very back of the black market without turning his head: "To buy something."
"Oh, right," Li Xian said, turning to ask as if he'd just remembered something, "Is your boyfriend here too?"
Wang Qing paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes."
About half an hour later, Wang Qing came back with the things, panting: "My girlfriend said it's all here, things like insect repellent and mosquito repellent, but why would a grown man like you buy all this?"
Li Xian didn't answer, bought the things and left. Wang Qing looked suspicious, and the more he thought about it, the more something seemed wrong.
…
Even at 8 p.m., the dormitory for educated youth was still unusually lively.
Xu Nuo is not only beautiful, but also witty, humorous, and knowledgeable. She quickly became familiar with everyone in just one night.
We chatted until after 8 p.m., when someone yawned, and everyone dispersed to wash up.
Xu Nuo was the last one to wash.
Other educated youth found boiling water troublesome, so most of them would wash their feet, wipe their faces and heads, and then go to bed.
Even worse, some people, like Wang Ting, sometimes don't even wash themselves.
But Xu Nuo was used to taking a bath every day, so she waited until the last one.
Li Hong, the class monitor, was a decisive and efficient person. She volunteered to boil water for Xu Nuo and poured it into the bucket in the kitchen.
After putting out the fire in the stove for her, Li Hong turned around and said, "Xu Nuo, you can wash here. Come in when you're done. I'm going to read a book first. I think I've forgotten the question you just told me about."
Xu Nuo hugged her change of clothes, her eyes wet with steam, and nodded like a cute little animal.
Li Hong said worriedly, "Should I wait for you at the door? It's a short walk from the kitchen to the dormitory."
Originally, the kitchen was an abandoned house next to the educated youth dormitory. After the educated youth moved in, they found that there was no place to boil water, so the production team repaired the dilapidated house and turned it into a kitchen.
It's not far, but it takes a few steps.
Xu Nuo shook her head and pointed to the mosquito bites on Li Hong's body: "You go back first, I'll go back after I've washed up."
Reminded by her, Li Hong felt itchy, reached out and scratched her arm, and said, "Okay, then I'll go back first, hurry up."
Xu Nuo nodded, saw her out, closed the kitchen door, quickly washed herself, and changed into her own long clothes and trousers.
Thinking of the bedbugs and mosquitoes that filled the dormitory for educated youth, Xu Nuo put on her shoes with a bitter face.
Although she applied floral water to keep mosquitoes away, it still made people uncomfortable to look at her.
Moreover, the dormitory for educated youth was a large communal sleeping area where everyone slept together. Just thinking about Wang Ting's sticky hair made Xu Nuo feel a bit nauseous.
She put her things on the chair in the kitchen and picked up the basin to pour out the water.
…
The kitchen was located behind the educated youth dormitory, and the kitchen door opened on the side facing away from the dormitory, so people standing in the educated youth dormitory could only see the back of the kitchen.
There is a large banyan tree in front of the kitchen. It has been there for many years and is full of lush foliage. Under the tree, there is a tall figure hidden in the darkness.
The shadowy figure moved the moment Xu Nuo opened the door.
She was startled and almost dropped the basin in her hand. Luckily, the person who came was quick-witted and the two were not far apart, so they rushed over and caught it.
Upon seeing the person clearly, Xu Nuo became even more nervous. She quickly looked around and pulled him into the kitchen.
Li Xian locked the door, and as soon as he turned around, a soft and fragrant body rushed towards him. His heart softened, and he caught her.
Xu Nuo wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged his neck, asking in a low voice, "Why are you here?"
Li Xian sighed, his eyes filled with worry as he looked at her: "I'm worried about you."
Xu Nuo was like a spoiled child. She wouldn't cry when no one was comforting her, but as soon as someone did, she would throw a tantrum. She pitifully whimpered on his shoulder, looking extremely aggrieved: "Li Xian, there are bugs and rats in the educated youth dormitory. I'm scared."
She was so scared that Li Xian wished he could take her back right now.
Li Xian picked her up and sat her down on the chair, letting her nestle in his arms. He gently patted her back and whispered, "I brought something."
Xu Nuo asked him curiously, her eyes wide, "What?"
Li Xian picked up the small cloth bag that had been lying on the ground and took out the contents one by one.
A small jar of green peppermint oil.
"This is for insect repellent."
Xu Nuo leaned her head against his chest and sweetly hummed in agreement.
A silver flashlight.
"The lights in the educated youth dormitory will be turned off; you can use them when you get up at night."
A mosquito coil.
"There are mosquitoes in the mountains, but lighting this won't disturb your sleep."
A packet of powder wrapped in yellow paper.
"This is bed bug powder. Don't apply it to your body. Sprinkle it at the head or foot of your bed so the bugs won't crawl there."
Finally, he took out a bag of candy, and Xu Nuo immediately perked up: "White Rabbit candy."
"Mmm." Li Xian peeled off the outer paper and fed the candy to her mouth, his voice as firm as metal: "If you're scared, eat the candy."
Xu Nuo pressed her hand against his chest, listening to his slightly rapid heartbeat. It was their first time meeting, and Xu Nuo said that eating candy would make her less afraid.
So he remembered everything.
"Are you sleepy?" Li Xian looked down at her when she didn't speak.
Xu Nuo shook her head, her soft fingertips poking his hard chest: "No, you bought too much."
Li Xian grasped her small hand; it was a little cold.
He frowned, covered her mouth with his hand, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I...I don't know what to buy either, so I asked Wang Qing to ask her boyfriend."
Xu Nuo sat up straight, raised her head and kissed him on the chin, her voice as sweet as honey: "Hehe, my boyfriend is so thoughtful."
Li Xian's hand trembled, and his stone-carved face immediately turned red. However, his eyes followed her intently, and his voice was seductive: "Nuonuo, say it again."
Xu Nuo smiled, leaned closer, and whispered, "My... boyfriend."
After saying that, she gave him a wink and a slap in the face.
This was undoubtedly a bombshell, sending a surge of heat through Li Xian's heart.
He cupped the back of her head with his large hand and lowered his head.
After a while, the man lowered his head tenderly and gently kissed her long eyelashes, which were still damp with moisture, saying again and again, "Nuonuo, my Nuonuo."
…
When Xu Nuo carried the wooden bucket into the room, the whistle to turn off the lights had already sounded, and the lights in the room were off, with only the light from Xu Nuo's flashlight shining through.
She wrapped the things Li Xian had given her inside her clothes, and they weren't discovered.
Li Hong was next to Xu Yan in her bunk, and the two of them let Xu Nuo sleep in the middle. Xu Yan asked softly, "Nuonuo, why did it take so long?"
Li Hong also said, "I was all ready to go find you."
Xu Nuo quietly climbed up, slipped into Xu Yan's blanket, and whispered, "I take longer to wash."
Xu Nuo was awakened by Lu Xueyun's scream at night.
"Ah, it's on my bunk! Ahhhhhh, it crawled up to my feet!"
Lu Xueyun was like a monkey in a play, screaming and jumping around on her bunk.
The noise woke everyone in the room. The people next to Lu Xueyun quickly jumped off the bed to prevent the rats from running onto them.
Xu Nuo rubbed her eyes and sat up, her big eyes looking confused. Wen Xuyan asked, "What's wrong?"
Xu Yan whispered, "There are rats near Lu Xueyun's place."
mouse!
Xu Nuo was so frightened that her face turned pale. She kicked her feet and was about to jump off the bed when Xu Yan pulled her back: "Don't go down, there are some on the floor too."
Xu Nuo was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to get up or not. She curled up in the blanket, wishing she could wrap herself into a ball, which made Li Hong, who was already in a bad mood, burst out laughing.
The shop across the street was in complete chaos, with rats scurrying around, but none of them came this way. Li Hong said in surprise, "How strange, it seems like all the rats are on their side today, and even the bedbugs don't seem to be crawling towards us."
"Stink bug...?" Xu Nuo stiffened her neck, stuck out her little head, and asked pitifully, "Did you used to crawl here?"
“Yes, we caught some just the day before yesterday,” Li Hong said naturally. Xu Nuo then blankly let go of the blanket, hugged her knees, and shifted her little bottom around as if afraid of sitting on a spot where bedbugs had crawled.
"Ah!" Wang Ting exclaimed.
Xu Nuo turned her head and saw the rat hanging on her chest, swinging back and forth.
"Ugh." Li Hong almost vomited.
It turned out that the rat, driven away by the crowd, had nowhere to go, so it climbed up the shelf. Unexpectedly, Liu Xiaomei swept it with a broom, and the broom landed right on her greasy hair.
Perhaps because its hair was too oily, the rat couldn't stand still, its feet slipped, and it slid down Wang Ting's head, brushing past her face, its claws hooking onto the hem of her shirt.
Liu Xiaomei swept the rat up with her broom, sending it rolling heavily to the ground, where it was covered by a cover by the educated youth who were waiting there.
In those days of hunger and cold, even the rats were so starving that they were skin and bones, scurrying around in their red plastic enclosures, making pitiful "squeak squeak squeak" noises.
Wang Ting's face turned pale, her body went limp, and she sat down with a thud. Before she could even sit properly, someone kicked her.
Lu Xueyun looked disgusted and said, "Don't sit on my bed."
Wang Ting's face twitched, a hint of embarrassment crossing her somewhat blank expression. In the end, she didn't say anything, but forced a smile and asked, "Xueyun, can I use your soap tomorrow?"
"Why haven't you bought it yet?"
Wang Ting smiled and said, "I forgot."
It's always like this. It's been three months and they still haven't bought it. Lu Xueyun said angrily, "Fine, go change your clothes, or don't climb up here."
Wang Ting nodded, changed her clothes, and everyone went back to sleep.
Xu Nuo couldn't fall asleep; this whole farce had completely woken her up.
She lay on her side, covered with her own clothes, with the insect repellent oil Li Xian had given her beside her pillow. She listened to the sounds of snoring and teeth grinding until dawn broke before she gradually fell asleep.
After a short nap, the educated youth gradually got up.
"Good morning." Xu Nuo also sat up, her black hair was a little messy, her face was sleepy, fair with a pinkish tinge, and her black grape-like eyes were covered with a thin mist.
When the beauty awoke, even Li Hong, a woman herself, was somewhat stunned.
Xu Yan patted her head, and Xu Nuo snuggled up to her and rubbed against her shoulder. Xu Yan asked, "Nuonuo, not going to sleep anymore?"
Class started two hours later than work, so Xu Nuo didn't need to get up as early as them, but she shook her head: "I'm not going to sleep, or I'll oversleep."
"Then come with us to the commune canteen for lunch?"
"No, thank you." Xu Nuo shook her head. The commune canteen distributed food on a per capita basis. Xu Nuo was not a member of the production team, so if she went there, she would only be able to get Xu Yan's breakfast.
Moreover, she puffed out her cheeks and winked playfully like a little goldfish.
Li Xian would bring her breakfast.
After getting ready, Xu Nuo and the educated youth went out together. Li Hong locked the door, the educated youth headed towards the fields, while Xu Nuo headed towards the Great Wilderness Mountain.
After walking over a hillside, she saw Li Xian waiting there.
Li Xian saw her too, stood up and strode over.
At this time, everyone has gone to work in the fields, and besides, the only family from the educated youth dormitory to the foot of the mountain is Li Xian's family, so no one will pass by here.
Xu Nuo opened her arms to him, pouted, and said in a wronged tone, "Hug me."
Seeing her pale face, Li Xian knew she must not have slept well last night. His heart sank. He slipped one hand under her legs and gently supported her back with the other, carefully lifting her up. He stroked the back of her head and asked softly, "Are you scared?"
Xu Nuo draped her entire weight over him, rested her head on his shoulder, and let out a weak "woof": "There were rats in the educated youth dormitory last night, which woke me up."
Li Xian patted her back and walked towards the house, gently patting her back again: "Get some sleep. I went to the brigade leader's house to fix the windows today, you should be able to move in tonight."
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