"When I can’t see you, that’s when I feel terrible. Are you willing to let me suffer like that?"
Such a flirtatious tone, very different from the pretentious attitude he had when facing Ji Xiulan!
Ji Xinhe was shocked as well. She parted the bushes and carefully took a peek, making sure it was Gao Zhiru. She couldn’t help but open her mouth wide, as it was actually Gao Zhiru and Wang Er Ya?!
Didn’t Gao Zhiru always look down on these countryside "wild girls"? Thinking them vulgar, rude, and uneducated? Now even someone like Wang Er Ya could catch his eye!
Wang Er Ya giggled charmingly: "You’re so annoying, knowing that I can’t bear it, yet you deliberately say that to make me embarrassed."
Gao Zhiru directly reached his hand into Wang Er Ya’s clothes and laughed lightly: "How dare I?"
Ji Xinhe’s jaw almost dropped in surprise. Was this really Gao Zhiru?!
Although she had only met Gao Zhiru a few times, her impression of him was that he was pedantic and rigid. Now it seemed that she could only secretly admire how well Gao Zhiru could act!
Wang Er Ya snorted softly and grabbed the hand that was wandering inside her clothes: "Now you know how to coax people. Did you also sweet-talk Ji Xiulan like this when you went to see her?"
Gao Zhiru spat: "Those worn-out shoes? I wouldn’t want them even if they were given to me! She really thinks I’m a fool about her affair with Pork Three? Only you, Er Ya, are genuinely good to me."
Wang Er Ya was very pleased to hear this and smiled: "So are you really going to sever ties with her?"
Gao Zhiru immediately said: "Of course! Good Er Ya, just give in to me. These past few days at school, I’ve been missing you so much!"
As he spoke, he impatiently began to strip Wang Er Ya’s clothes.
Wang Er Ya only pretended to struggle a bit at the beginning, and then it seemed as if she knew the ropes, easily giving in. The two of them fell to the ground in the grass, rolling together.
Ji Xinhe quickly covered Xiao Bei’s eyes and carried him away quietly.
Fortunately, those two were so absorbed in their moment that they didn’t notice them. It wasn’t until Ji Xinhe carried Xiao Bei out of the woods that she let out a sigh of relief.
Ji Xinhe then told Xiao Bei: "Not a single word about today’s incident must be let out, understood?"
Xiao Bei looked a bit confused: "Why?"
"This matter isn’t as simple as it seems. We should avoid getting involved if we can." Although Ji Xinhe was still happy to watch the drama unfold, when it came to Ji Xiulan and Lady Ding, she didn’t want to get involved at all, lest she didn’t know how she’d end up covered in filth later.
Xiao Bei blinked innocently and asked: "So can’t I say that Gao Zhiru kissed Er Ya, or that Gao Zhiru touched Er Ya?"
"You can’t say either!" Ji Xinhe’s face turned dark.
Looking back, Ji Xiulan was still daydreaming about marrying Gao Zhiru and becoming an official’s wife. Not mentioning Gao Zhiru skipping school every day to mess around, it would be a miracle if he became a scholar. Also, Gao Zhiru seemed to have no intention of marrying Ji Xiulan. How important is a good reputation for a woman? Everyone in the village knew about Ji Xiulan’s scandal with Pork Three, yet she still hoped that Gao Zhiru would willingly marry her?
As for Gao Zhiru, it seems Ji Xinhe had underestimated him before!
Ji Xinhe decided not to take that path again, afraid of encountering another such scene. She took Xiao Bei on another route up the mountain to see if there were any wild grapes left to pick.
"Last time I went up the mountain with my brother, we picked a lot of grapes. Most of the grapes here have been picked, so it doesn’t seem like we’ll find much now."
Ji Xinhe thought that was true. In fact, the more important reason was that she encountered such an eye-popping scene on the way up the mountain and was now a bit restless, not in the mood to keep searching. She was about to give up and simply stroll around and go back when she suddenly felt her foot kick something. She stumbled and almost fell.
"Sister, be careful. The path on the mountain isn’t easy to walk." Xiao Bei quickly ran over to support her.
Ji Xinhe regained her composure, looked down at the thing she had just tripped over, and her eyes suddenly lit up: "Isn’t this a bamboo shoot?"
Ji Xinhe hurriedly squatted down and looked at a small tip poking out of the ground.
Xiao Bei tilted his head and said: "Bamboo shoots are bitter and astringent. I can’t eat them. I don’t like them."
Ji Xinhe was overjoyed, as it seemed that people here didn’t know how to prepare bamboo shoots properly yet! No wonder such good things were left forgotten in the mountains. It would be a pity not to dig them up!
Ji Xinhe took a small hoe from her basket backpack and quickly began digging.
After digging up a few patches of soil, she unearthed a clump of wild bamboo shoots. Ji Xinhe was so delighted that her eyes sparkled, and she immediately continued digging. Since there was one clump here, it meant that there must be more in this area! It seemed that today’s trip to the mountains was a great one!
Seeing Ji Xinhe dig, Xiao Bei also started digging. Over the past few days, he had become more and more trusting of his sister. As long as his sister said it was good, it must be good!
After working for half a day, the two dug up all the bamboo shoots in the area, filling a basket backpack. Seeing that the sun was about to set, they finally headed down the mountain.
"Sister, are these bamboo shoots really delicious?" Xiao Bei ran downhill while holding Ji Xinhe’s hand.
"They are! I’ll cook them for you tonight. These bamboo shoots, when cooked well, are fragrant and crispy, and very delicious!" Ji Xinhe laughed.
"Oh, that’s great!" Xiao Bei jumped happily. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
Ji Xinhe patted his head: "Little Bei, be good. When your sister earns a lot of money, I’ll buy us a new house, fertile land, and let Bei go to school! How about that?"
Xiao Bei’s eyes sparkled: "Really? Can I go to school too?"
"Of course! Do you want to go to school?" Ji Xinhe smiled.
"Yes!" Xiao Bei shouted loudly: "I want to go to school and become a scholar like Gao Zhiru. Everyone in our village respects him, and they also have a high regard for his family. So, I want to become a scholar too."
Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but laugh: "Silly child, you must not take him as your goal. Little Bei will definitely be better than him!"
Xiao Bei’s eyes sparkled like stars, full of hope. He nodded heavily: "I will definitely not disappoint Sister!"
Just as Ji Xinhe and Bei were about to enter the courtyard, they heard a chatter from inside.
It was Ji Xiulan.
"Brother Zhiru is studying in school today. How do you want me to talk to him? Should I go to school to find him? That would make me look so impatient. Brother Zhiru hates that kind of person the most."
Ji Xinhe paused for a moment, suddenly recalling Gao Zhiru’s flirtatious behavior towards Wang Er Ya. She smirked inwardly; it seemed that your Brother Zhiru did like that kind of person after all.
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