Although the matter of stealing public grain had not yet been resolved, Song Guangming still came from house to house with a dark face to call people when it was time to go to work in the afternoon.
Several families didn't sleep at all during the midday break; they were so engrossed in talking about the Sun family's affairs that they were wide awake.
Upon seeing Song Guangming, he approached and asked, "Captain, how are we going to resolve the issue of the Party Secretary's family stealing public grain?"
Song Guangming was already annoyed by this matter, and with a raised eyebrow, he said, "Don't meddle in things that aren't your business. Hurry up and take your things and leave! You're not allowed to go home until you finish your work."
The man, feeling slighted, pursed his lips, turned around, picked up his weeding shovel and sack, and followed them outside.
The fields became even more lively.
A group of people were shouting and chatting across the ground. One person would shout and another would yell. People with bad eardrums could easily be deafened by their loud voices.
Although the theft of public grain had happened in other production brigades, this was the first time it had happened in Qingshan Brigade.
The level of discussion surrounding it is also unprecedented.
As a result, no one paid much attention to Xu Yan and Xie Zhuo's situation anymore.
Except for... Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo had already quickly finished weeding the plot of land that the brigade leader had assigned to him. The brigade leader had previously said that whoever finished their assigned work could leave first.
He bent down and stuffed all the grass into a sack.
He then went over and pulled a handful of thin reeds from the edge of the field, quickly twisted them into a thin rope, tied the opening of the burlap sack, and then carried the sack out of the field.
"Third Brother!"
Liu Mancang was almost done with his team, with about ten meters to go. He looked up and saw Xie Zhuo, so he called out to him.
However, Xie Zhuo was lost in thought and didn't hear it.
"Third Brother!"
Liu Mancang's voice grew louder.
Xie Zhuo then pushed back the tattered straw hat that was blocking his view, and lazily glanced at him.
"Come here," Liu Mancang beckoned to Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo really didn't want to talk to him; Liu Mancang talked too much nonsense!
but……
Thinking of what happened at the educated youth settlement, he still walked towards Liu Mancang.
"It has to be my third brother, he's so quick and efficient!"
Liu Mancang immediately praised, "With your efficiency, I think even if you had a few more plots of land, you could probably work faster than those cowards at the educated youth settlement!"
After saying that, she looked at Xie Zhuo with earnest eyes.
Xie Zhuo didn't say anything.
Just when Liu Mancang thought that he had expressed his meaning too subtly and that his third brother had not understood, he decided to be more explicit.
Xie Zhuo glanced at him, then threw the shovel in his hand five meters away.
Liu Mancang: "..."
Fine, if you're not going to help, then don't.
He didn't have much left anyway, just this little bit, and he could finish it in ten minutes at most.
He just wanted Xie Zhuo to help him move the spatula a few times, and then the two of them could walk together.
"Hey, Third Brother," Liu Mancang didn't mind, quickly shoveling weeds as he changed the subject, "Tell me, when did this young educated youth, Xu, start liking you?"
"You can't usually tell."
"I saw her running after Han Xiaoyu."
Xie Zhu didn't say anything, but squatted down to the side, holding a small white, trumpet-shaped wildflower back and forth in his hand.
"Hey!" Liu Mancang suddenly exclaimed in surprise, startling Xie Zhuo, who was lost in thought, so much that he almost jumped up.
"What's wrong with you?" Xie Zhu frowned and slapped him on the back of the neck.
“Third Brother, do you think it’s possible?” Liu Mancang said excitedly, “This little Xu educated youth has liked you for a long time. He follows Han Xiaoyu around every day just to catch a glimpse of you.”
"Normally, it's just you and Han Xiaoyu who get to talk to each other from time to time at the educated youth settlement..." Liu Mancang's voice trailed off.
"Don't be impulsive, put your hand down," Liu Mancang said.
Xie Zhuo stared at Liu Mancang for a few more moments before lowering his raised hand.
“Then when do you suggest?” Liu Mancang said.
“She doesn’t like me,” Xie Zhuo said in a low voice as he plucked the stamen of the pure white flower.
"How could that be?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Mancang instinctively retorted, "If she didn't like you, how could she say in front of so many people that she wouldn't marry anyone but you?"
Xie Zhuo didn't know either.
“Besides, you know how important a girl’s reputation is,” Liu Mancang continued to analyze.
"If she doesn't like you, and she still says things like that, how is she going to get along in Qingshan Brigade? Will she ever be able to get married?"
This was also what puzzled Xie Zhuo.
Although Xu Yan said she liked him twice, Xie Zhuo still didn't believe her.
After all, he really didn't have anything that would make girls like him.
If the purpose is really just to provoke Han Xiaoyu, then the price is far too high.
Besides, there are so many people in the Qingshan Brigade, why did she single him out instead of talking about others?
“I think she likes you,” Liu Mancang said, his gaze sweeping over Xie Zhuo.
"You're tall and strong, so it's perfectly normal for me to like you!"
"What good is being good-looking these days? You can't eat or drink it. If it weren't for our brigade leader being a decent person, would Han Xiaoyu have been able to get full work points with his skills?"
"I don't know where he got the nerve to compare himself to you the other day—"
"If I asked you to be the stepfather of those two children," Liu Mancang was interrupted by Xie Zhuo before he could finish speaking, "would you be willing?"
Liu Mancang: "..."
ah?
Third Brother wants him to marry her—bah, marry a widow?
Putting aside whether he's willing or not, if his mother finds out, she'll beat him to death.
Widow Chen from the brigade was a year younger than his mother.
Moreover... he's still young, only nineteen years old, less than half a year older than Xu Yan.
His mother had been trying to find him a girlfriend a few days ago, but he felt he was still young and not in a hurry.
If he really reaches the point where he can't find a wife and has to become someone else's stepfather, then he might as well stay a bachelor for life.
If that's the case, then young Xu, the educated youth...
She has no trouble getting married, is quite beautiful, rich, and supposedly comes from a very good family...
Liu Mancang sighed heavily.
"Third Brother, didn't you ask her why she wanted to marry you?" After a long while, Liu Mancang finally asked this question.
Xie Zhuo pursed his lips.
He was afraid that the words Xu Yan had said to him might suddenly slip out of his mouth unexpectedly.
Of course it's because I like you!
The female educated youth had a clear, melodious voice, soft in tone, like she was being coquettish, or perhaps...
Xie Zhuo couldn't describe it, but it was the kind of feeling that would give you goosebumps just by hearing about it.
Thinking of this, Xie Zhuo suddenly stood up.
The dust kicked up covered Liu Mancang's face.
However, he dared not lay a hand on Xie Zhuo, so he could only turn his head and spit on the ground a few times.
When he felt the earthy taste in his mouth had lessened, he looked up and saw his third brother walk a few steps forward, bend down to pick up the shovel that had been thrown away, go to the edge of the field, pick up the sack, throw it on his back, and walk away.
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