Chapter 11 The First Signs of Good Fortune 04 I Want to Take Him With Me
To teach Yu Xingzhou massage techniques, Lin Tingyue first gave him a full-body massage.
The man was sweating slightly from being pressed down, and his cheeks were also a little red from lying face down.
"Have you learned it?"
"...More or less."
Lin Tingyue patted the man's shapely buttocks, gesturing for him to get off. "It's okay, you can massage it however you like."
Yu Xingzhou blushed at the gesture, but ultimately said nothing.
Since she didn't have any essential oils on hand, Lin Tingyue had to use almond honey as a substitute.
She was lying on the bed, letting the man's large hands rub her back, buttocks, and thighs.
Lin Tingyue has a good figure. Yu Xingzhou didn't dare to look at her openly when they were doing business before, but now he had no choice but to look.
He used considerable force, deliberately holding back as he massaged the woman's back, and when he pressed on certain spots, he could hear her groan.
While brainwashing himself into believing he hadn't heard anything, Yu Xingzhou worked diligently as a massage assistant.
Fortunately, Lin Tingyue fell asleep after whimpering for a short while. The man continued to massage her legs and feet without complaint, and then turned her over to face up, quickly pulled off the blanket and stuffed her back inside.
This busy life lasted for almost half a month. Finally, she was able to rest for a day and didn't have to go to work. Lin Tingyue spent almost the entire day lying in bed sleeping until Yu Xingzhou came home from school.
"What would you like to eat tonight?" The man's large, freshly washed hands touched her face, feeling cool.
"Can you have it whenever you want?"
"Hmm... I can learn."
Just as Lin Tingyue was about to mention the recipe, there was a knock on the door.
"I'll go check, you go back to sleep." Yu Xingzhou said, then went out to open the door. As soon as he opened it, two strange men stood in the doorway. One of them was taller and stronger than him, with a blank expression; he looked like he could kill him with a single punch. Yu Xingzhou instantly tensed up. "Who are you two looking for?"
Another person, who seemed friendly but whose smile gave off a dangerous vibe, said, "We are Lin Tingyue's brothers."
Lin Tingyue was lying leisurely in the room, but as soon as she heard the word "brother," she immediately jumped out of bed, put on her shoes, and rushed to the front door.
"Big brother, second brother... what brings you here?" Lin Tingyue chuckled awkwardly, subtly pulling Yu Xingzhou behind her.
One brother frowned as he watched the young couple holding hands, while the other squinted his eyes in displeasure.
"Come in and sit down and rest for a bit." Yu Xingzhou led Lin Tingyue back a step to make way for the two of them.
Lin Tingyue turned around and went into the kitchen to make two cups of sugar water. She had just brought them into the main room when she saw that only her second brother, Lin Jinwen, was sitting there. Her eldest brother, Lin Jinwu, and Yu Xingzhou were not there, which made her feel relieved.
Her two older brothers are eight years older and five years older than her. The eldest brother's stern and unsmiling demeanor is just like the leaders she had in her past life...
"They went next door to talk. They'll be back after they've finished asking their questions. You can leave it there for now," Lin Jinwen gestured to the spot next to his desk.
"Oh, okay."
Lin Jinwen raised an eyebrow, feeling that something was off.
"By the way, how is Mom's health now?"
Lin Jinwen picked up the cup and took a sip, only to find that it was sugar water, which made him feel even more uneasy.
"Nothing serious, but is there any other reason behind your sudden marriage? Tell me honestly."
That day, because it was a crowded and noisy place like the post office, there were some things that couldn't be said. But the thought of bringing up the original owner of this body, the instigator, again would surely get her a scolding.
"Well... I'm afraid you'll get too angry if I tell you..."
Lin Jinwen was so angry he laughed. "Come on, tell me."
Lin Tingyue knew that she couldn't hide it from her family either, and since they were being interrogated separately, she might as well just be upfront. At least the Lin family would be able to see Xu Xingyi for who he really was and stop using him as a stepping stone for the male lead.
As Lin Jinwen listened, his face grew increasingly gloomy, and he looked like he was about to burst into tears.
"No wonder Xu Xingyi made that inexplicable phone call home earlier..."
Lin Tingyue asked, puzzled, "What did he say?"
“Just complaining.” Lin Jinwen said, pulling out a bulging envelope. “You got married so hastily in the countryside, without even having a banquet, right? This is two hundred yuan and some tickets that my older brother and I scraped together for you. Take it and use it first.”
"So much... we don't need it."
"You took five hundred from home when you left, don't you think that's too much?"
"..." Lin Tingyue was speechless. She had only focused on the important plot and hadn't paid attention to these details. No wonder the original owner could buy Xu Xingyi such an expensive watch. "You have to spend money on your round-trip tickets and meals. Buy some supplements for my parents when you go back."
"Just take it. You don't need to worry about us." Lin Jinwen finally understood what was strange about his sister. She was so sensible now, completely unlike her previous willful and shrewish self, and had become much more well-behaved.
His aura was also quite different from before, somewhat like that of an older brother who had been in the military for many years.
Another thing is that I'm not as close to them as I used to be.
But aside from all that, Lin Tingyue's current personality is actually more in line with her former personality. After meeting Xu Xingyi, her temperament changed drastically, and she stopped listening to anyone.
Just in case, Lin Jinwen still wanted to confirm whether the person had been switched.
"Hands out."
Lin Tingyue didn't know what he was going to do. She stretched out both hands and placed them flat on the table, like a well-behaved puppy listening to a lecture. She watched as Lin Jinwen held her right wrist and carefully examined it in the light that came in, confirming that the faint scar was still there.
"Was your marriage to Yu Xingzhou voluntary?"
Lin Tingyue nodded, "Yes, although the reason for our marriage wasn't ideal, he's a very good person, and we get along well."
"So you plan to spend the rest of your life with him in this village?"
"Of course not. If I have the chance to leave here, I will take him with me."
Outside the door, Lin Jinwu and Yu Xingzhou, who had just finished their conversation, happened to hear this, which instantly disrupted the rhythm of Yu Xingzhou's heartbeat.
He never imagined that anyone would be willing to pull him out of the mire.
Lin Jinwen, who was inside the house looking at Lin Tingyue's serious expression, was also quite surprised. "Taking him with you? You're quite daring."
Of course she dared to dream, after all, there was an intention to reinstate the college entrance examination in July 1977, followed by the reform and opening up. Not to mention the two of them could walk, Yu Xingzhou's father could also walk.
But she couldn't say these things.
"Because I believe that day will come." Perhaps it was because Lin Tingyue's tone was too confident and relaxed when she said this that the Lin brothers inside and outside the door seemed to sense something.
Because the Lin brothers still wanted to settle scores with Xu Xingyi and wanted to observe their younger sister and Yu Xingzhou more closely, they decided to stay here for a couple more days.
The young couple were preparing dinner at home when the two brothers went directly to the former educated youth settlement and happened to see Xu Xingyi washing clothes in the yard.
Xu Xingyi was a little stunned when he first saw the two of them, but after realizing what was happening, he immediately wiped his hands and stood up, "Brother Jinwu, Brother Jinwen, long time no see..."
Lin Jinwu interrupted him directly, "No need for pleasantries, we just want to talk to you about how you framed Xiaoyue."
Xu Xingyi swallowed nervously, his gaze instinctively shifting to the side. "No, how could this be a setup? I just wanted to calm Xiaoyue down..."
Hearing his sophistry, Lin Jinwen couldn't help but sneer, "So you just let her spend the night in a room with a strange man to calm down?"
"No, brothers, you can't just listen to Xiaoyue's side of the story!"
“We’re not going to listen to her, are we going to listen to you, an outsider?” Lin Jinwu inherited his father’s fierce look, and his cold face was terrifying. “We can forgive the money Xiaoyue spent on you in the past, but you used her money to support other women, so you have to pay her back.”
Lin Jinwen stepped forward, unfolded his notebook, and clearly recorded every penny he had lent to Xu Xingyi since he went to the countryside.
Although it was said to be a loan, Xu Xingyi never paid it back.
Xu Xingyi's parents both have formal jobs and won't skimp on his living expenses. However, he wanted to give Song Xue a watch for her birthday, so he saved his money and didn't spend it. He would often ask Lin Tingyue for ten or twenty yuan to take Song Xue to the county town to watch movies, eat at state-run restaurants a few times, buy some daily necessities and clothes, or buy some supplements like malted milk powder.
You don't realize how much you spend when you're spending it, but when you add it all up, you find it's close to a hundred.
Xu Xingyi dared not not pay back, but if he paid it all back at once, he wouldn't be able to buy Song Xue a gift, and he would have to live on air until his family sent him living expenses next month.
"Can I pay back part of it first?"
Lin Jinwen nodded. "Okay, we'll call your parents later and ask them for the rest."
Xu Xingyi dared not speak out in anger, gritted his teeth and turned to go back into the house.
The two brothers stood like gatekeepers at the entrance of the educated youth settlement, and only left after Xu Xingyi took out ten ten-yuan bills.
However, it wasn't the road to the Yu family's house.
Lin Jinwu asked, "Aren't you going back for dinner?"
"No rush, let's go to the brigade office to borrow a phone first."
"Didn't he pay it all back?"
"Yes, but I didn't tell his parents about the money he borrowed and didn't pay back. He met a girl in the countryside, so we should reciprocate and tell his parents too."
"..."
So when it was time for dinner at the educated youth settlement, Xu Xingyi hadn't even had a chance to sit down before the brigade leader called him away to answer a phone call from his family. His parents were strongly against him dating Song Xue.
"I can't break up with her, I've made up my mind about her!" Xu Xingyi even regretted that Song Xue couldn't hear his sincere words.
"Are you crazy? Yueyue is such a good child, why do you have to marry a village girl?!" Mother Shuerqin was so angry that her heart ached. She should have forced her son to get engaged to Lin Tingyue first. With the Lin family's connections, getting a job would have been a piece of cake. There was no need for him to go to such a remote mountain village to be an educated youth.
"Whether Lin Tingyue or the Lin family is better, you know in your hearts. Anyway, I won't be with someone I don't like."
"Then you can be with the person you like. Don't call us anymore, and we won't send you any more money." After saying that, Xu Jianjun, the father, hung up the phone. No matter how many times Xu Xingyi called back, the other party wouldn't answer.
The young couple were busy cooking in the kitchen, with Yu Xingzhou in charge of the cooking and Lin Tingyue assisting.
Because there were many people, I made three vegetarian dishes and one meat dish: braised eggplant, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cucumber salad, and stir-fried pork slices.
The staple food was flatbread, and Lin Tingyue, worried that her two older brothers wouldn't have enough to eat, also cooked a pot of corn and egg drop soup.
The Lin brothers' eyelids twitched as they watched.
"Do you guys usually eat this well?" Lin Jinwen seriously doubted that Yu Xingzhou could afford to support his sister.
Lin Tingyue said speechlessly, "How is that possible... We only cooked so many dishes because you came."
On ordinary days, we eat one meat dish and one vegetable dish. Sometimes we'll trade eggs with our neighbors for pickled vegetables or sauerkraut, which are also very appetizing.
Lin Jinwu picked up his chopsticks first to taste the dishes and found that they tasted pretty good. When he looked at Yu Xingzhou, his eyes were filled with admiration.
None of the four were talkative, so they ate quietly and finished all the food.
The two brothers offered to wash the dishes, and Lin Tingyue didn't refuse. She and Yu Xingzhou went to the west room to make beds and tidy up the room for them.
There wasn't much entertainment to do that evening, and the two brothers had been rushing to catch trains all day, so they finished getting ready and went to their room to rest early.
The two in the main house had finished washing up and were lying on the bed. Yu Xingzhou turned slightly towards his wife and fanned her with the fan in his hand.
"What did my older brother say to you?" She was too busy cooking to ask then, but now that she had some free time, she became curious again, and her hands and feet started to wander. One hand was placed on the man's waist, while her thigh was bent and pressed against his leg, and her toes rubbed back and forth on the man's calf with her small stretches.
The man had no choice but to put the fan aside and grasp her fleshy, smooth thigh with his large hand to relax her leg muscles.
"They asked how we got together, and I told them the truth. Then they asked about my family situation and future plans." Yu Xingzhou was still quite afraid of Lin Jinwu, but Lin Jinwu didn't scold him. However, he demanded that he behave himself, and that he not be allowed to hit anyone during arguments. Even if Lin Tingyue hit him, he couldn't fight back...
Lin Tingyue was particularly concerned about the last question, because it concerned whether she could retire peacefully in the future: "So what are your plans for the future?"
"I don't know. I've been here since I came from Beicheng, and I don't know if I can ever go back." As he said this, the man's mood visibly dropped.
"You grew up in the North City too?"
Yu Xingzhou nodded. "My father returned to China and settled in Beicheng the year I was born."
"We might have met when we were kids. Do you have any photos from when you were little?"
"Yes, I'll go look for it."
Beicheng is not Donghe Village. Even if you meet someone in the vast sea of people, you might not notice them. Lin Tingyue just wanted to divert his attention. After all, she couldn't say that this turbulent year would end.
However, on the other hand, Yu Xingzhou's class background did not prevent him from taking the college entrance examination in 1977. I don't know why he didn't go in the original book, but instead went directly to the business path.
Lin Tingyue looked at the person rummaging through photo albums in the cabinet and asked, "If there were a chance to take the college entrance exam, would you want to go?"
Yu Xingzhou paused, then suddenly looked up at her, remembering what she had said during the day, his eyes revealing surprise and longing.
"I want to go."
"Then be prepared at all times. Opportunities are for those who are prepared." Lin Tingyue said as she walked over and hooked the hem of the white vest with her finger. "But for now, you should do your safety preparations first."
Yu Xingzhou didn't understand what he meant at first, but after a moment he realized and asked with a blush, "Do we still want to look at the photos...?"
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