Chapter 28
After the newly arrived educated youth had settled in for a while, the autumn harvest arrived, and the Qianjin Brigade began collecting grain in full swing.
He He and other female educated youths were assigned to harvest peanuts.
Pulling peanuts is a physically demanding task, requiring a certain amount of strength to pull the peanuts and their roots firmly attached to the ground.
He He originally wanted to slack off, but when she thought about how tired Chen Jingbai had been lately and how to avoid troubling him, she changed her mind.
Getting three or four work points would be good enough; doing it slowly wouldn't be so tiring. Thinking this, He He regained her energy to bend over and pull peanuts.
She was strong; with a gentle grab at the base of the peanut, the peanut came out.
She glanced at Zheng Xinxin beside her, who was panting heavily. She had been doing this all morning and afternoon, and Zheng Xinxin looked quite disheveled. Her hands seemed to be trembling, and she even leaned backward while doing the extractions.
"Xin Xin, are you alright?"
Zheng Xinxin was so tired that she didn't even have the strength to speak. Her lips were pale, and she shook her head at He He to indicate that she could still hold on.
"Xin Xin, do you want to go and rest for a while?"
Zheng Xinxin shook her head again. She wanted to try her best to get work points, so she had to work hard to pull peanuts.
He He knew she couldn't persuade him, so she glanced at Chen Jingyi nearby, who seemed to be doing alright.
She tossed aside the peanuts she had just pulled out, slipped over to where they had put their water bottles, picked up her own bottle and took a sip, then picked up Zheng Xinxin's and Chen Jingyi's water bottles.
She gave them the water bottle and then took out two milk candies from her pocket for Chen Jingyi and Zheng Xinxin.
Very secretly, He He only wanted to give it to the two of them, and didn't want to give it to anyone else.
Zheng Xinxin and Chen Jingyi both understood immediately. They were already very happy that He He was willing to give it to them, and they both showed genuine smiles to He He.
He He also popped a piece into her mouth and muttered, "The sun is so strong this afternoon. If you're tired, take a rest. Don't push yourselves too hard."
Satisfied with the affirmation from Chen Jingyi and Zheng Xinxin, He He left and went to rest in the side.
As evening approached, the scorekeeper called out that it was time to call it a day.
As soon as He He heard the end-of-work bell, she was the first to drop the peanuts, pick up the stack of peanuts on the ground, and take them to the scorekeeper to weigh them.
She didn't harvest much this afternoon, not even as much as she did this morning; she finished moving everything after three or four trips.
After the weighing was completed, the scorer recorded three work points for her. He He stood aside happily, and from a distance she saw Chen Jingyi struggling to carry the load, so she ran over to help Chen Jingyi carry it.
He He always remembered to cultivate a good relationship with Chen Jingyi and stick close to her.
He He just lifted the other side of the peanuts that Chen Jingyi was carrying.
Chen Jingyi: "Xiao He, you can go and rest. I can do it myself. You don't need to bother."
He He refused, saying, "It's okay, I'm very strong, I'll help you."
She smiled broadly, and Chen Jingyi was unwilling to dampen her enthusiasm.
Chen Jingyi looked at He He gently and smiled, "Okay, then let's move it together."
After moving things one trip after another, He He helped Zheng Xinxin move things again.
After the scorekeeper counted the points, the work was officially over, and everyone returned to the educated youth settlement together.
It was Zhao Dechuan's turn to cook today. He came back a little late, and by the time everyone finished eating, it was already quite dark.
He He was a little sleepy and originally wanted to go back to rest, but Gu Yuanzhou called out to her, "Hey, wait a minute, my family sent me some chocolate wafer biscuits, I'll go get them and share them with everyone."
Gu Yuanzhou's package arrived in the evening. No one knew how he bribed the postman, but whenever he had a package, the commune postman would make a trip to the Qianjin Brigade.
Gu Yuanzhou had only been in the countryside for less than a month when his family received three packages.
He He thought Gu Yuanzhou was really capable, with so many packages, including many novelties from the capital that she had never seen before, making her seem like a country bumpkin.
Upon hearing that there was something delicious to eat, He He immediately stopped and returned to her seat, replying happily, "Great! Great!"
Chocolate wafer biscuits sound delicious, and it's a brand unique to the capital, so it must taste even better. I just don't know if it's as good as the ones from the Friendship Store in the provincial capital.
She had eaten chocolate once; it was sweet and bitter, with a very unique flavor. Her teeth turned black after eating it, but the taste was really good.
She had only tried it once, and she still vividly remembered the taste of the chocolate.
Chocolate is only produced in major cities like Shanghai and the capital, and due to the long distances involved, it is rarely transported to the south.
It's difficult to buy chocolate in either the largest department store in the provincial capital or the Friendship Store, which caters specifically to foreign guests.
He He was so excited about the chocolate wafers that Gu Yuanzhou was bringing that she didn't even notice Chen Jingbai's frequent glances at her.
Gu Yuanzhou was a generous person. As soon as he entered, he handed a whole piece to He He, who was closest to him, saying, "Here you go, try it, I know you'll like it."
The chocolate wafer biscuit is about half a finger joint thick, about the width of a thumb, and about two fingers long. It has a dark exterior covered with a layer of chocolate.
He He was stunned; it was the first time she had ever seen anything like it. "Is the outside all chocolate? And there's a cookie inside?"
Gu Yuanzhou smiled and said, "Have you eaten it before? You're right. It has a layer of chocolate, a layer of wafer, and several layers inside."
He He raised her chin and said, "I've never eaten it before, I'm just guessing."
She took a bite, and just as Gu Yuanzhou had said, there were several layers of filling inside, crisp and crumbly, like a wafer biscuit that crumbled easily.
Gu Yuanzhou: "Very impressive."
He then handed out one piece to each person.
Zheng Xinxin carefully took the cookies. "Thank you. These cookies are so beautiful. I don't want to eat them."
Almost everyone was reluctant to eat it.
Chen Jingbai was the last to receive the chocolate wafer biscuits. He said thank you, glanced at Gu Yuanzhou, and then looked at the biscuits in his hand, feeling a little uneasy.
He looked up and through the crowd toward He He, who was biting into a biscuit with a look of joy on her face.
He He had never eaten anything like this before. The aroma filled her mind, and all she could think about were these chocolate wafer biscuits.
She called out to Gu Yuanzhou through several people, "Gu Yuanzhou, could you buy some for me next time? I'll pay you, plus a kickback! Any price is fine, it's really delicious."
Gu Yuanzhou propped himself up on the table with one hand, turned his head to look at He He, and smiled: "It's okay, just tell me if you want to eat. With our relationship, there's no need for any kickbacks."
"I have some more here, do you want more now? I'll give you another one."
He He quickly replied, "Okay, okay."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yuanzhou passed the last cookie in his hand, along with the packaging, to He He.
He He was overjoyed to see another cookie in her hand, and she peeked out at Gu Yuanzhou with a smile, "Gu Yuanzhou, you're such a nice person."
Cheng Surin knew that He He would do this for a treat. He didn't like sweets, so he broke the biscuit in half and handed one half to He He.
He He was somewhat surprised, "Oh, for me?"
"Otherwise what?"
"It's really not easy for you to still think of me."
Cheng Surin wanted to take back the cookies she had given away. "Do you still want them? If not, give them back to me. I'll give them to someone else."
"Yes!" He He dodged Cheng Surin's outstretched hand.
Gu Yuanzhou ate a piece himself, and noticing that Chen Jingbai's cookie was still untouched, he asked, "Aren't you going to eat one?"
Chen Jingbai: "I just finished dinner and I'm still very full. I can't eat anymore."
Since last month, his family's situation has improved a lot, and he and Chen Jingyi have also earned a lot of money. They can now have the same amount of food for dinner as everyone else, instead of sharing a meal between the two of them.
Gu Yuanzhou nodded knowingly: "That's true."
He ignored Chen Jingbai.
He He finished her cookie, sealed the remaining one and a half in a bag, and planned to save it for tomorrow.
He He didn't invite Chen Jingbai to the grove behind the house tonight. When she finished showering and wanted to go back to her room, Chen Jingbai stopped her and asked her to come with him to the back of the house.
He He had just finished showering, and her drowsiness had been washed away. She was wide awake and followed along without much thought.
The two walked one after the other, maintaining a distance that would not arouse suspicion, and arrived at the back of the house.
As soon as she reached the back of the house, He He was handed something hard and long before she could even ask what it was.
Then Chen Jingbai said, "I don't like the cookies Gu Yuanzhou gave me, but you can have them."
He He's eyes lit up instantly, and the corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably. "Brother Jing Bai, you're so kind. Thank you."
Chen Jingbai deliberately slowed his speech, his voice colder and deeper than usual: "How much better? Better than Gu Yuanzhou?"
She praises people without thinking, repeating the same sentence over and over again, saying the same thing to different people. It's so insincere.
He He didn't notice Chen Jingbai's change and innocently said, "Ah, why do you want to compare yourself to Gu Yuanzhou? In my heart, of course you're the best!"
Chen Jingbai: "So you used the same words you used to praise him to praise me?"
He He realized that Chen Jingbai was jealous.
She hopped up to Chen Jingbai, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "You're different from him. After I compliment you, I'll kiss you."
Chen Jingbai's jaw tightened, and his well-defined knuckles reached for He He's lips. "Not enough, kiss me here."
He lowered his hand, waiting for He He's next move.
He knew she would do as he was told.
He He had no choice but to do as Chen Jingbai asked, standing on tiptoe again and bringing her lips to his moist lips.
After a while of dry, sticky pressure, she couldn't stand up straight. As her body swayed slightly, a large hand moved faster than her feet, grabbing her waist and stabilizing her.
The kiss was thus deepened.
After an unknown amount of time, when the two parted, their lips were still entangled in a sticky residue.
Both of them blushed, He He's blushing even more.
She was still being held by Chen Jingbai, who was leaning slightly forward, with her feet touching the ground.
Chen Jingbai turned his head, brought his mouth close to He He's ear, and said in a soft, gentle, and seductive voice, "Do you only like me?"
The sticky, warm embrace made He He feel hot and flushed all over. She couldn't tell what was going on or think. She could only agree with Chen Jingbai's words.
Chen Jingbai let out a short laugh from deep in his throat and nasal cavity, causing his chest to vibrate.
His eyes were like dry firewood, which would ignite with a single spark, intense and profound.
"Will you only ever love me?"
Chen Jingbai's hot breath fell on He He's ear and neck, and she sensitively shrank her neck. "I only like you."
"To speak of forever."
"I will only ever love you."
"And what about Gu Yuanzhou?" Chen Jingbai was still not satisfied and continued to press for answers.
His voice was very soft, like silk being slowly drawn out of a cocoon and then wrapped around a new vessel, gradually enveloping He He completely.
Until she was completely enveloped, making it impossible to see what was inside.
"What's wrong with Gu Yuanzhou?" He He asked, puzzled.
“Unimportant person.” Chen Jingbai let out a very soft laugh.
He He didn't notice the laughter, but felt a heavier breath hitting her earlobe.
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Author's Note: I've been so tired these past few days that I just collapse into bed and fall asleep immediately, and then I caught a cold. I haven't updated for several days, so I'm so sorry, my little ones! [Please][Please] I managed to write some tonight, and I'll try my best to update this week when things aren't so busy. I'll see if I can finish this morning! [Exaggerated]
I'm definitely going to get up early tomorrow and write half of it first, then continue writing during my lunch break [angry]. I refuse to believe I can't finish it [lemon].
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