Seeing the expression on Xu Keke's face, Wu Wanyi didn't say a word. Even if Wu Wanyi had spoken up to persuade her, Xu Keke wouldn't have listened.
Seeing that Xu Keke insisted on going out, Chen Hong couldn't stop her and could only follow behind. She glanced at Wu Wanyi, who had also come out, and whispered in Xu Keke's ear...
“Bai Lu, the reason I didn’t let you come out is because the rumors in the village today are really nasty. They’re saying that Chen Xichun didn’t go to work because he went up the mountain to look for you. They’re also saying that when you two were doing *that*, you hit your head on a rock and passed out. The more I tell them it’s not true, the nastier the rumors get.”
Seeing that Xu Keke remained calm and composed after hearing her words, without showing any surprise or fear, Chen Hong was somewhat unsure. "Gao Jie said that Chen Xichun's bad reputation in the village stems from his poor family background, but if you look closely, he's actually a decent person. She said..."
Fortunately, the place where the educated youth lived was not far from the old village chief's house. Xu Keke was forcing herself to stay awake. She didn't have the energy to argue with Chen Hong, and she didn't want to listen to her nonsense.
Upon entering the old village chief's house, the old village chief was feeding chickens in the yard, leaning on his cane. Seeing Xu Keke walk in, he threw the bowl of chicken feed he was holding onto the ground.
Turning her head, she asked, "I heard from Jianguo that he arranged for someone to take care of you in your courtyard, so why did you run out on your own?"
The words were meant to be caring, but the serious expression and tone made them sound more like a reprimand. Xu Keke didn't seem to care.
Fortunately, although it's cold, the sun is shining brightly, making it feel warm and cozy on the skin.
Xu Keke saw the long bench in the yard and plopped down on it. "Do you have any food? I'm starving."
The old village chief knew these educated youths often cursed him behind his back, and they all trembled at the sight of him like mice before a cat. Hearing Xu Keke speak to him like that, he paused for a moment, then smiled. Leaning on his cane, he went to the stove and pulled out a roasted sweet potato.
"Here, this is for my grandson. You eat first."
Xu Keke swallowed, picked it up, tore off a piece of skin, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Slow down, be careful not to burn yourself. Why are you in such a hurry, kid?" The old village chief was even more anxious than she was, slapping his leg with his hand that wasn't on his cane.
Watching Xu Keke eat, the old village chief was relieved to see how much she was eating. She held a piece in her mouth for a long time before swallowing it.
Xu Keke glanced at the old village chief's legs, swallowed the sweet potato in her mouth, and offered him her stool. "Please sit down, I'll go get some water myself."
The old village chief smiled. When these educated youths first came to the village, they were all like little roosters, heads held high and chests puffed out, full of vigor and high spirits. But as time went on, with the same work and the same things every day, they all drooped their heads and lost their energy.
He works in the fields with the villagers every day, but he just doesn't fit in with the people and things in the village. Especially in recent years, his mind is no longer in the village. He doesn't work diligently, and he always seems to be leaving. He makes a scene for two days at the slightest provocation.
It's rare to see this child suddenly become so clever today. He speaks and acts just like the villagers, without any airs, which makes him easy to watch.
The old village chief sat on a stool, took out his pipe, stuffed it with tobacco, lit it with a match, and took a puff. He waved to Chen Hong and Wu Wanyi, who were standing outside the courtyard, "You came together, right? Come in. Let's talk."
Chen Hong and Wu Wanyi exchanged a glance, and after dawdling for a while, they finally entered the courtyard.
Xu Keke came out of the house, carrying a bowl in one hand and a half-eaten roasted sweet potato in the other.
The old village chief, with a pipe dangling from his lips, looked at the three men and said, "Speak, what do you want from me?"
“Yesterday I had someone hit my head on the mountain. I came to find you today. Either you help me find the person, or I will go to the police station to report the case and let the police investigate.”
This educated youth named Bailu was never one to talk much. When others caused trouble, she would just follow behind without getting involved. It seemed she had been bullied badly. The old village chief pointed his pipe at Xu Keke.
"You've got some nerve, kid, daring to threaten me. Do you know who I am? I..."
Xu Keke hurriedly said, "I know, you joined the army at the age of ten and fought against the Japanese. You were a reconnaissance soldier, and you have made so many merits that you can't count them on two hands. When you killed Japanese, you didn't even blink, and you did it like chopping cabbage, one cut after another."
There are several sets of such words, and the old village chief will say them even more often in a few years. "I know this, which is why I came to you first instead of reporting it to the police directly."
Seeing Xu Keke make the old village chief laugh, Wu Wanyi and Chen Hong were so surprised that their eyes widened considerably. Not only was Bai Lu different from before, but even the old village chief had changed. Was this still the same old village chief who was strict with them, showed no mercy, and always caused them trouble?
“I heard from someone that you tripped on a rock yesterday and Chen Xichun carried you down the mountain.”
Xu Keke glanced at Chen Hong beside her. How dare she say that she and Chen Xichun carried her down? Chen Hong guiltily looked away.
There were six educated youths in Chenjia Village: four women and two men. The production team leader was Chen Jianguo, the eldest son of the old village chief. Perhaps annoyed by them, he sent all six of them to the mountains to cultivate new land after spring plowing began.
In her past life, Bai Lu also suffered a head injury and was carried down the mountain. She remembered being hit on the head by a heavy object and fainting. However, Chen Hong and the others said that she fell to the ground and hit a rock.
Because the educated youth in their village had always been very close-knit and had good relationships with each other, Bai Lu never imagined that someone would try to deceive her with something like this. So she remained vague, assuming she had simply misremembered.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
