Chapter 2
This was the first time He He had ever felt so difficult to say, so nervous waiting for someone to give her the answer she was hoping for. In the past, she had never cared whether others liked or disliked her.
Right now, although she still finds Chen Jingbai annoying, she has to care about his opinion of her in order to have a good life in the future.
Feeling that wasn't enough, He He added, "I've thought about it, and I'll do my own work this afternoon, so you don't need to bother me."
He He puffed out her cheeks, her face flushed from the emotional turmoil.
The sun is so strong in the afternoon, I don't know how tiring it will be to do the work myself.
Hearing He He's words, Chen Jingbai finally gave her a look. He frowned as he looked at He He, who was hanging her head and not looking at him, her face slightly red. He had stayed there for a long time and was now regretting it. He wondered what He He was up to now.
However, upon seeing He He's expression for the first time, Chen Jingbai had a strange feeling.
Chen Jingbai blinked his indifferent dark eyes, and changed the subject he was about to say: "I don't dislike it."
Chen Jingbai didn't know why He He suddenly asked that question. Was she suddenly worried that after scolding him, no one would help her with the work in the afternoon? She was using a feigned retreat to probe first, and then achieving her goal of slacking off.
If you don't help me, I'll report you and your sister for your profiteering activities.
Chen Jingbai still remembers her smug expression and her lips that were practically pointing to the sky.
Does he hate her? To be honest, yes, but not much. At most, it's like how he felt before the incident at his house, when his second uncle's chubby five-year-old son, Pengzai, sneaked into his room and smashed the little attic he had spent several days putting together.
He He is like a little animal that can get angry at any moment; as long as you smooth her out, everything will be fine.
So whenever He He asked him for help with something, he would try his best to agree, otherwise He He's persistent nature would annoy him.
In fact, helping He He with her work meant he could get food from her, which made He He a benefactor to him and his sister who were starving.
But every time He He called him deaf and threatened him with speculation and profiteering, Chen Jingbai wanted to tear her mouth apart.
He doesn't like being called deaf.
He can hear it, but it takes a very loud sound for him to hear it.
Chen Jingbai saw He He immediately jump for joy because of his words.
He He's tone was filled with joy: "Really?"
Chen Jingbai was surprised that she could control her emotions so easily. He raised his eyebrows in astonishment and said, "I don't dislike you. I'll help you with your work this afternoon."
He He thought that Chen Jingbai was willing to help her even after being angry because of the pastries that evening. After hesitating for a while, she said, "Chen Jingbai, I will give you the lotus flower pastries again tonight. I can go by myself this afternoon."
Since He He had said so, Chen Jingbai replied, "Okay."
Chen Jingbai didn't know why she was suddenly being so kind, but he didn't want to argue or have time to guess what He He was thinking.
He let He do whatever she wanted, and he didn't even think about the pancake that night.
After taking the first step to establish good relations, He He left the woodshed, which was filled with the smell of smoke, with light, quick steps.
After preparing lunch, Chen Jingbai took the food to a separate dining area outside the woodshed.
The other educated youths weren't there, so He He was the only one at the table, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes darting around. When she saw Chen Jingbai coming over, her dimples reflected a smile.
"Chen Jingbai, you've finally finished! I'm starving."
After saying that, He He pretended to arrange the stir-fried vegetables and sweet potato porridge that Chen Jingbai had casually placed on the wooden table neatly.
Chen Jingbai's slightly stiffened body, which was bent over. He He was acting strangely all day. The last time she treated him so kindly was when he first arrived.
Chen Jingbai straightened up, said abruptly, "I'll go call them to come eat," and left in a hurry.
Before long, all the educated youth that Chen Jingbai wanted to call had arrived. There were currently eight educated youths in Qianjin Brigade, four men and four women, with an even distribution of men and women in Qianjin Brigade.
After everyone took their seats, the previously empty seats were instantly filled with people.
At the rectangular dining table, He He sat at the far end. To her right was Zheng Xinxin, the educated youth with whom she had the best relationship, and opposite her was Cheng Sulin, her nephew whom she was unwilling to acknowledge.
Chen Jingbai sat diagonally opposite her, furthest away, with Chen Jingyi to his right.
He He didn't think it was wrong before, but now she only regrets that she is too far away from Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi, making it difficult to communicate with them.
He He stuffed a mouthful of slightly sweet sweet potato porridge into her mouth, wondering how she could get closer to Chen Jingbai and Chen Jingyi when eating in the future.
The positions were tacitly fixed at some point, and if she suddenly changed her position, others would definitely suspect something. How could she move to the position closest to the siblings without making a sound?
He He was a person who wore her heart on her sleeve. Cheng Sulin, who was sitting opposite her, saw her preoccupied expression and thought that He He was not feeling well, so he immediately asked, "What's wrong?"
The voice wasn't loud, but the dining table wasn't big either, so everyone present could hear Cheng Surin's question clearly. Given the close relationship between Cheng Surin and He He that everyone had witnessed, they all understood that Cheng Surin was asking about He He.
Everyone pricked up their ears, curious about what was wrong with this young lady. Could it be that Chen Jingbai's cooking was so bad that He He couldn't stand it?
He He usually bossed Chen Jingbai around. The educated youth sympathized with Chen Jingbai, but were also afraid that he would upset the young lady again.
He He paused for a few seconds, looked up at Cheng Sulin, thought of what the book said, and glanced at Chen Jingyi. Coincidentally, she saw Chen Jingyi's hand holding the chopsticks pause for a moment.
His gaze shifted to Chen Jingbai, who slowly picked up a piece of green vegetable, seemingly unconcerned about what had happened.
He He suddenly lost her appetite and glared at Cheng Sulin with her round eyes.
Why are you so concerned about her? It's made her the villainous female supporting character in the novel who interferes in Chen Jingyi's relationship.
You, as the male lead, can still live happily ever after with Chen Jingyi no matter how much you court death. It's just a pity that she died so young.
He He said irritably, "What's wrong with me? I'm poor. If you have money, you can give it to me to spend."
What use is Cheng Surin, this nephew, besides making her seem senior? According to her grandmother, this boy has liked to snatch her things since he was a toddler, and he also likes to scratch and hit her.
Now look what's happened! She treats her aunt like a tool in her love life. She has a mouth but doesn't even bother to explain their relationship to Chen Jingyi in private. She's ruined Chen Jingyi's life by preventing her from getting into university. Doesn't she know how to respect her elders? No wonder she and Cheng Surin have never gotten along since childhood.
Did Cheng Surin actually listen to his grandfather and take good care of his aunt after going to the countryside?
Cheng Surin was clearly surprised that He He would suddenly ask him for money, and didn't react immediately: "Oh, you're out of money so soon? It's only the beginning of the month!"
His grandfather and father sent him money every two months. Two of the bills were extra money they gave to He He in addition to his living expenses. They were afraid that He He would spend money recklessly, so they gave him this money and told him not to tell He He. This was so that if He He needed money, they could give him money whenever she asked.
However, last month, Chen Jingyi urgently needed money, so he borrowed some to scrape together fifty yuan for her. Now he only has five yuan left to keep him alive, and he simply can't afford to give He He twenty yuan.
During these two months of busy farming season, He He didn't ask him for money. He was so busy that he forgot that he had to give her the money at the end of each month if He He didn't ask him for it.
When Chen Jingyi's family member was sick and asked him for money, the situation was urgent. Cheng Sulin counted the money and forgot that twenty yuan belonged to He He. He lent it all out in a big way. He originally planned to save the money and give it to He He after his family sent it over at the end of the month. He didn't expect that He He would ask him for money now.
Moreover, He He's family sends her money at the beginning of each month, and she ran out of money in just a few days?
Even if you eat like a glutton, you can't eat this much, and besides, He He hasn't been seen going to the county town much during the busy farming season.
He He was still angry. It was just a casual remark, but Cheng Sulin was still asking questions. He was worried that Chen Jingyi might misunderstand it later.
So He He said fiercely, "If you're not going to give it to me, then don't ask. Eat your food and mind your own business."
Seeing that He He was angry, Cheng Sulin didn't dare to provoke her any further. Everyone knew that his aunt had a bad temper, and if she got angry and wrote a letter or sent a telegram to the Cheng family, he would be finished.
Cheng Surin sighed, wondering why her aunt, who looked so cute and had a doll-like face, had such a volatile temper.
However, the family dotes on this little aunt. After all, since the grandfather's generation, there have only been two girls in the family, the great-aunt and the little aunt. Compared to a group of tough, thick-skinned men, how could they not spoil such a cute girl?
My great-aunt passed away when my aunt was so young. She was surrounded by her fierce adoptive sister and stepmother. If the Cheng family hadn't protected and pampered her, who knows what my aunt would have become. Given the chaotic atmosphere of the He family, it's a miracle that my aunt turned out this way. So what if she has a bad temper? You can tolerate her just by looking at her face.
He just couldn't tell anyone here that He He, who was the same age as him, was his aunt. With outsiders around, he couldn't bring himself to call He He "aunt." Fortunately, He He felt the same way.
The other educated youth knew that He He was definitely not poor; in fact, she was very wealthy, the richest among them, and never lacked food, drink, or entertainment.
Seeing He He fire off Cheng Sulin like a firecracker, everyone secretly covered their mouths and laughed.
Cheng Sulin has run into trouble. It's nothing for the easygoing Cheng Sulin to get scolded; she's tough. As long as it's not Chen Jingbai, it's fine. Chen Jingbai is already in bad enough with his hearing problems, and if he gets bullied by He He on top of that, it'll be even worse.
They were genuinely worried that He He was going to scold Chen Jingbai, because the two of them didn't get along very well, though strictly speaking, it was He He who disliked Chen Jingbai.
It wasn't easy for the educated youth to gather here from different places. In a place where they knew no one, it was better to make friends than enemies, so the educated youth had a pretty good relationship.
Chen Jingyi and Chen Jingbai, siblings, have been working in the countryside for four years. They are both quiet but kind people, and they are always willing to help each other. Starting last year, Chen Jingyi led them to pickle the sour plums that no one wanted on the mountain into spicy and sour plums, and then sell them at the commune market.
The spicy and sour plums sold very well, which brought them some income. Their meals improved, and they no longer had to go for more than half a month without any meat, which made them look emaciated.
He He was unaware of everyone's lively thoughts. After finishing her porridge, she ran back to the girls' dormitory for a midday rest.
He He climbed onto the large communal bed, lay down, and stared at the roof beams with her eyes open.
Everything inside the house was old and dilapidated. The walls were in a terrible state, and in many places, layers of newspaper were used to cover up the dilapidated state. Only the windows, which were blown apart by a typhoon last year, were relatively new.
He He was quite satisfied that there were no cobwebs on the crisscrossing roof beams because she cleaned them frequently; she didn't have to worry about a spider falling down while she was sleeping.
The bed next to He He sank in, and Zheng Xinxin leaned her head close to He He's pillow, asking softly, "What's wrong with you today? Are you unhappy?"
Zheng Xinxin was the girl with the best temper and gentlest personality in the entire educated youth settlement. Only someone like her could get along best with He He and patiently comfort her.
Because they were best friends, He He treated her well. However, because she couldn't let others know what she had seen in the woodshed, He He concealed the truth and said, "I'm just a little homesick."
I really miss home. I want to go back to my grandparents' house. I don't want to stay in this place where there's nothing and I eat sweet potato porridge every day.
She also wanted to go back and see how He Shuying became her substitute, working tirelessly by Ye Minglang's side to please him.
He Shuying's biological father is not her father, and He Shuying's biological mother is not her biological mother.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com