Chapter 5
Chen Jingbai was hard of hearing and his attention was completely focused on harvesting rice, so he didn't notice anyone coming over.
He only realized someone was beside him when He He's soft hand touched his arm.
She's still a woman.
He didn't know which girl was so bold. He subconsciously tried to shake her off, but before he could shake off the hand holding his forearm, he heard He He's shy voice, accompanied by the gentle breeze of her breath, swirling into his ears.
His ears were tickled by the breath he was exhaled, but he clearly realized it was He He, who deliberately leaned close to his ear to speak.
Realizing what she had said, Chen Jingbai's pupils dilated sharply. He quickly straightened up, walked to the left, and shook off He He's hand.
Reason brought him back to his senses quickly.
The distance between them was too dangerous; if someone saw them, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves.
Chen Jingbai's long eyelashes fluttered up and down, and his relaxed expression was now somewhat serious. He said to He He, "Comrade He He, I think you misunderstood. I'm not angry. You don't need to care so much about what just happened. Anyone standing here who saw you in danger would have spoken up."
"Life is important. It's good that you know the dangers. You've been here for two years now. There are many dangerous places, and many farm tools don't care about safety. Just be careful."
He didn't want any educated youth to get into trouble here.
Chen Jingbai lost his grandparents when he was young, so he values life very much.
His grandparents were criticized and exiled to the harsh Northwest during that movement because of their background of studying abroad and returning to China.
Even though they had started participating in railway construction during the War of Resistance against Japan and held important positions in the Ministry of Railways after the war, their lives were forever frozen at that time because of a fabricated charge of colluding with foreign countries.
He was twelve years old that year. It was a sunny morning. His grandparents went to work and did not return until night. His parents came home very late, with a look of worry on their faces that he had never seen before, almost like dark clouds.
They said that Grandpa and Grandma were sent to a very, very far place, and they might never see them again in their lifetime, or they might come back soon.
At the time, they didn't know what had happened, but they had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
Sure enough, during that period, everyone on the streets was on edge, and students with red armbands were patrolling everywhere.
From that day on, the house was shrouded in darkness, with people wearing red armbands and with menacing faces frequently turning the house upside down.
The grandparents lived with their family, and the group of people were looking for evidence that the grandparents had contact with foreigners, or other railway records.
Even though Mr. and Mrs. Chen had respectable jobs in the municipal government, they dared not stop the group of people wearing red armbands. If they did, they would be accused of being accomplices of their grandparents.
Even with such cooperation, his parents were both persuaded to leave the country three years after his grandparents were sent to the far northwest.
The old mayor was a kind man. Fearing that Mr. and Mrs. Chen would not be able to survive without jobs, he arranged for them to work cleaning the streets.
This constant vigilance continued until Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi were sent to the countryside at the age of eighteen.
Even though his grandparents only stayed in Northwest China for five years before passing away, and his parents had long since become cleaning workers, the group of people in red armbands continued to search their home.
Even Uncle Chen's family was affected by Grandpa and Grandma, and lived a life of hardship just like them. Aunt Chen's second pregnancy also ended at this time.
Therefore, Chen Jingbai cherishes life.
He He nodded earnestly, "I know! I will protect myself."
Chen Jingbai: "If you have nothing else to do, go back to work and don't forget what you said at noon today."
Chen Jingbai moved slightly away from He He, bent down, and continued cutting rice.
As He He watched him walk away, she leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Hey, don't walk so fast, I have something good for you."
Chen Jingbai felt He He's clinginess once again. He turned to face He He and saw her red lips clearly. He could make out what she was saying: "No need. You can keep the good stuff for yourself. Say what you have to say all at once. Don't talk so close to my ear. Next time you're about to speak, you can pull me back a little. Don't get so close. It's not good for you."
"Oh, I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of?" Afraid that Chen Jingbai would refuse, He He stuffed the candy directly into the pocket under his clothes. "It's candy, it's very delicious."
He He lowered her head, and Chen Jingbai couldn't see her lips or hear what she was saying. He could only see the whorl of her hair and her fingers that were tightly clenched in his pocket before loosening.
He He's hands were very white. Even though they worked together and were exposed to the sun together, she didn't seem to get tanned. Instead, her hands became whiter and whiter. When her fair hands touched his dusty clothes, they didn't become dull but became even brighter.
Chen Jingbai's hand trembled slightly, and he instinctively moved away, saying, "Don't put anything in my pocket."
The candy He He was holding had already fallen into Chen Jingbai's pocket before he moved, so that it wouldn't fall to the ground when he moved.
He He watched him walk away, then looked up, her bright face showing a hint of annoyance. "Why did you suddenly walk away? You almost dropped the candy on the ground."
He He only reached his neck. When Chen Jingbai spoke to her, he would subconsciously lower his head, his gaze fixed on He He's moving lips, and he could not help but see her white little rabbit teeth that she occasionally revealed when she spoke.
He took the candy out of his pocket; it was a White Rabbit milk candy with a rabbit printed on the packaging. He wanted to return the candy to He He.
But He He ignored him and left directly, as if she knew he didn't want her. She even turned back and waved at him, then put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.
Chen Jingbai could understand what she meant.
The small candy landed in his large palm.
But he couldn't understand what He He meant by giving him the candy, or why she was suddenly being so nice to him. He had already gotten used to He He's confrontational gaze.
Now, he felt even more lost and afraid that He He might be using a new way to torment him.
Chen Jingbai put the candy back in his pocket, planning to return it to her when he got home that night.
Before I could even get back to work, Sun Jiabao walked over mysteriously. "Jing Bai, when did you and He He become so close? Didn't she always boss you around and give you a sour look? But today she's so nice to you, all smiles. I thought she'd had a sex change."
Sun Jiabao put his arm around Chen Jingbai's shoulder and said, "And at noon today, I was really worried for you, thinking she was going to take her anger out on you again."
It wasn't uncommon before. He He loved to nitpick Chen Jingbai's cooking, saying that it was so bad that even pigs wouldn't eat it. Then she would throw down her bowl and chopsticks and start cooking for herself.
She has a lot of backbone, but she's also very sharp-tongued and unforgiving.
Chen Jingbai couldn't understand what He He was trying to do either. He shook his head, not wanting to smear He He, "Maybe she suddenly realized her mistake and became kind."
Chen Jingbai's comment about He He's kindness made Sun Jiabao burst out laughing; the word "kindness" was completely unrelated to He He.
Sun Jiabao tried to make Chen Jingbai realize the truth, saying, "Jingbai, don't be fooled by her innocent face. He He will only be nice to you for one day, and you'll change your mind about her."
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