Chapter 71 Jealousy She didn't seem like anyone who possessed a water-filled doll...
The grass is lush and green, and the water flows swiftly.
Yu Jing walked upstream along the river, her eyes wide with surprise. "Why has the Ganlin River's current increased so much? But at least we don't have to worry about the conversion of water into electricity."
Following behind her, Zhong Ying looked at the sky and said, "Hmm, it's probably because of the flood season. There was a heavy rain just yesterday."
“Strange…” Yu Jing frowned, muttering to herself with a belly full of doubts, “I clearly learned that only southern rivers might have a flood season that lasts until October, while the flood season in the north usually ends in September…”
Zhong Ying looked down at the ground again and lightly stepped over the head of a crawling snail.
Yu Jing sighed to herself, "Indeed, 'reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.' We still have to learn through practice!"
Zhong Ying rubbed her arms, then guiltily changed the subject, "It's true what they say, 'one autumn rain brings one chill,' the temperature dropped today. Yu Zhiqing, aren't you cold wearing so little?"
Yu Jing shook her head. Her heart was burning with passion, and she couldn't feel the chill outside. Besides, she was wearing long sleeves and trousers, so she wasn't actually wearing a lot.
"Thank you for your concern," Yu Jing turned to Zhong Ying and smiled slightly. She stopped in her tracks. "Let's start taking measurements from here."
Han Yanqun and Yang Tongjie followed behind to help. They each inserted flower poles into different positions in the river according to Yu Jing's instructions, and then set up a self-made connecting pipe level in the middle to measure the river's drop.
The measuring tools were mostly homemade.
"Flower sticks" are long, straight wooden sticks with horizontal lines painted in red and white, spaced ten centimeters apart. The sticks are a gift from nature, provided by the children of the Tonggan Production Team. Of course, they had a lot of fun in the "who can find the longest and straightest stick" competition.
The "connecting tube level" consisted of two glass bottles connected by a thin rubber tube, filled with water. The material originated from discarded medical supplies brought back from the commune's medical school by Nie Jinlong and Yao Dongxiu, a married couple who had attended a medical training course there.
There were also "measuring ropes" made of hemp rope, "measuring rods" with red cloth strips tied to the top... all of which were homemade. Only the tape measure was a tool available in the production team.
Yu Jing went to the countryside to pursue a man, but unexpectedly it turned into building a hydroelectric power station. She didn't bring any tools, but she did bring several sets of clothes. So much so that at night she talked in her sleep regretting that she "didn't bring what she should have brought, and brought so many things she shouldn't have brought."
Fortunately, the homemade tools, though rudimentary, did not affect their usability.
"Han Yanqun, hold the flower stem at the end of the connecting pipe steady and read the number," Yu Jing said loudly.
"The water level is at the 1.82 meter mark," Han Yanqun counted crisply.
Yu Jing turned to look at Yang Tongjie on the other side. Just as she was about to speak, Yang Tongjie quickly answered first.
Yang Tongjie raised his voice, "I'm 1.65 meters tall."
Having obtained the data, Yu Jing quickly wrote down the calculated elevation difference in her notebook.
Then it involves moving to a more downstream position and repeating the measurement process repeatedly, like hopscotch...
As the amount of data she obtained increased, so did the amount of calculation. Yu Jing became increasingly obsessed with numerical calculations. After filling up a whole sheet of paper, she tore it off and handed it to Zhong Ying, who was helping her. "Can you help me recalculate it? Just use the formula. It's not difficult."
Zhong Ying, who was helping to hold the measuring rope, looked at the paper that was shoved under her nose and felt a little dizzy from the numbers.
Why would an art student like her want to hang out with these STEM students?
If it's drawing blueprints, Zhong Ying is confident she can draw them beautifully, but when it comes to calculations... please have mercy.
"I'll find someone who can do math to help you!" Zhong Ying said and then slipped away.
A short while later, Yu Jing saw Zhong Ying return with a boy who was about half a head tall.
“This is my brother, his goal is to become a future accountant.” Zhong Ying, displaying the spirit of “better to die than to die,” pushed her younger brother forward, “Go, go help your sister Yu with the math.”
Zhong Xin, who had been pulled from the field by his sister, looked completely bewildered.
"You stay here and help out. I'll go back to the fields and continue your work." Zhong Ying patted her younger brother's shoulder firmly, gave him a word, and then slipped away again.
Zhong Ying took over her brother's job of weeding and fertilizing in the fields. She worked for about two hours when, unfortunately, it started raining again.
Whether they are people by the river or in the fields, they can only stop working today.
Zhong Ying ran home, went straight to her bedroom, and pushed open the door.
Brown Sugar rushed over to greet her, and Zhong Ying patted its dry head, saying, "You didn't get wet at all while you were inside, but I'm soaked to the bone."
As she spoke, she mimicked a dog's gesture by shaking her hair, causing water droplets to fly from the ends of her hair.
Zhong Ying walked to the wall, picked up the towel hanging on the rope, untied the hair rope, and while drying her hair, looked at the bed, "Are you feeling better?"
The figure on the bed turned over, half-lying on the pillow. Li Linshi's eyes were slightly narrowed, and a rare look of weariness and nonchalance appeared on his body. This was indeed the first time he needed to rest since his death.
Controlling the water of an entire river was no easy task for Li Linshi.
After all, his initial ability was simply to return to the Ganlin River by using water as a medium. Since he died in the river, the river water had a natural tolerance for him, and that was all.
Later, after losing a bet with Zhong Ying and having to wash the dishes, Li Linshi began to learn how to control the water flow and practiced repeatedly.
Since then, Li Linshi has mastered the technique of stirring and mixing water to change the water temperature... and now he has mastered the even more difficult technique of controlling the flow rate of the Ganlin River.
He exhausted almost all his "strength" for this, which is why Li Linshi was not by Zhong Ying's side for the rare occasion of resting at home.
Li Linshi raised his arm and pressed it against the pillow. Zhong Ying's figure gradually approached in his pupils. His gaze followed her, and at the same time, he could feel that the pillow and quilt beneath him carried her scent. The scent surrounded him, and he liked being wrapped up like this, completely sealed off.
Zhong Ying, without bothering to change her rain-soaked clothes, went to the bedside and carefully observed Li Linshi's expression.
Hmm... his skin has always been so pale and bloodless, it's really hard to tell if it's gotten any better.
However, Li Linshi did look better, and Zhong Ying breathed a sigh of relief. "Your swaying and staggering appearance after you were exhausted really scared me."
Zhong Ying turned around and rummaged through drawers and cabinets to find clothes, then said, "But it really is thanks to you that the river surveying work has already begun under Yu Zhiqing's leadership."
Li Linshi kept his gaze on her. He didn't move, just watched Zhong Ying look for her clothes. He spoke lazily, but his gaze gradually deepened, "Is that all? I've helped so much, and there's no reward at all?"
Zhong Ying had just pulled a blue-gray spring/autumn versatile shirt out of her dowry chest when she heard this and looked at Li Linshi. Their eyes met, and she quickly understood what Li Linshi wanted.
Li Linshi knew she understood what he meant, and with a slight smile, he said only two words, "Come here."
He rolled over and lay flat, waiting quietly.
Li Linshi waited a while before the weight pressed down on him. He reached out to support Zhong Ying's waist, and with his other hand, a curtain of water rose up beside the bed, the flowing water rippling and completely blocking the big black dog's bewildered and inquisitive eyes.
Zhong Ying finally took off her wet clothes that made her uncomfortable.
Li Linshi made no further moves, simply admiring her silently. His gaze, like a tangible caress, lingered on Zhong Ying's face, shoulders, and neck, slowly moving downwards, before being drawn to her movements.
Zhong Ying sat on his lean waist and abdomen, raised her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, but as she leaned down, her long black hair fell down again, leaving a thin water mark on Li Linshi's face.
Li Linshi couldn't spare any attention, only focusing on feeling the warmth falling on his lips.
Zhong Ying placed her hand on Li Linshi's cheek and gently pressed down, causing him to lift his chin slightly, making it easier for her to kiss him.
After only a few moments of hesitation, she got straight to the point and stuck out her tongue.
Li Linshi obediently opened his mouth, letting her entice him. He felt an unprecedented joy; this was the "reward" he wanted.
He wanted Zhong Ying to take the initiative, to lead him into a state of debauchery.
Li Linshi knew he probably wouldn't get the same level of response from Zhong Ying as he did from her.
After his death, his world consisted only of Zhong Ying; but her world was vibrant, containing not only him, but also her family, her career, and the people and events that constantly appeared in her life...
But it doesn't matter, Li Linshi thought, as long as he can feel that some of Zhong Ying's love falls on him.
Li Linshi wrapped his arms around Zhong Ying's waist, as if embracing a unique and precious piece of warm jade.
Zhong Ying looked up, taking a quick breath to replenish her oxygen supply during the brief moment of separation, and then tenderly kissed the corner of Li Linshi's lips. The kisses continued to flow downwards, her ears filled with his barely suppressed breaths.
She still managed to get the chance to enjoy the man's panting all to herself.
Zhong Ying didn't dare to use force, but gently nibbled at the Adam's apple in front of her like a small animal showing affection. Her fingers deftly unbuttoned the shirt. The shirt was one she had drawn, a dark brown collared shirt, and now she was unbuttoning the buttons one by one...
Zhong Ying couldn't help but get excited, feeling like she was unwrapping a gift.
The gloomy sky made the indoor lighting dim, as if a gray mask had been added, making everything hazy and ambiguous.
The unbuttoned clothes parted to reveal a beautiful body wrapped inside, with smooth and firm muscle lines. Li Linshi's skin had lost its color, so even his nipples were a pale color. For the first time, Zhong Ying felt that the words "beautiful," "cute," and "sexy" could be combined into one.
She couldn't help but reach out and touch it; the cool skin relieved the heat that was urgently needed to be released from her body.
Li Linshi lowered his gaze to the lingering movements of her hands, and as if remembering something, his voice was low and husky, "You like big ones?"
"I like you exactly the way you are," Zhong Ying replied, feeling that she had handled this potentially disastrous question between couples quite cleverly.
Li Linshi looked at her with his deep, dark eyes and understood.
So Zhong Ying watched in disbelief as the pectoral muscles in front of her visibly expanded and grew larger, like a water balloon being inflated, transforming from perfectly thin muscles into a robust, classically sculpted form. She stared in shock.
"I can make any part of your body bigger if you want it to be," Li Lin said meaningfully. This was one of the gains he had made after exhausting himself, as his control over water had reached a new level.
When Zhong Ying's gaze shifted to Li Lin's face, her shock turned into speechlessness. "...You're so perverted, it makes me seem perverted too."
Owning a water-filled doll made her feel like she suddenly wasn't a good person anymore.
Despite saying that, Zhong Ying couldn't help but reach out and pinch it. Hmm, it didn't seem bad at all. She got to experience big pectoral muscles.
But soon, Zhong Ying regretted it.
A big chest can be considered a cute feature of a male mother, but if it's anything else... well, that's terrifying! Zhong Ying straightened up abruptly, afraid to sit down again. She was afraid she might accidentally sit down again. Zhong Ying was so scared that she kept hitting Li Linshi's arm, "Why did you fill this up with water and make it bigger? If you want me to die, just say so!"
Li Linshi felt no pain; he frowned only because of his confusion. "Don't you like it? Didn't you say... it's as thick as a child's arm?"
"I was just saying it casually! I didn't say I wanted that kind of thing!" Zhong Ying pinched and twisted his arm angrily. "Change back! Change back now!"
Li Linshi had no choice but to comply.
"Make it a little smaller."
“It can’t be smaller…” Li Linshi said through gritted teeth, “This is the original size.”
Li Linshi couldn't wait for Zhong Ying to take the initiative, so he grabbed her waist, flipped her over, and kissed her lips.
——
"This is the preliminary plan for the hydropower station. Various data have been statistically analyzed and calculated. I have created a rough calculation table of water output, which will make it more intuitive. Subtracting the water demand for farmland, we can calculate the amount of usable hydropower through the calculation of head and flow rate, and then extrapolate it to the power generation..."
Yu Jing spoke excitedly, but the expressions of the other members of the production team who had also gathered around her gradually became stiff, blank, and dizzy.
The method of multiplying the water flow area by the hydraulic radius, dividing by two, and then multiplying by the gradient yields the river flow rate; the peak flow rate is calculated using the Manning formula...
Everyone felt as if the river water had flowed into their brains, otherwise why couldn't they understand anything?
Yu Jing's slender figure appeared increasingly tall in people's eyes.
She can actually explain these things so clearly and logically?
The crowd was shocked, but they were also more confident in building the hydroelectric power station because they had the knowledgeable and professional Yu Zhiqing!
Yu Jing placed the completed blueprints and data analysis tables on top and explained them one by one. It took her a long time to finish. She looked intently at the production team leader and said, "As long as you report to the commune leaders in this way, showing that we are ready, the higher-ups will definitely approve our construction of the hydroelectric power station!"
Li Ming looked away, coughed lightly, and turned to Zhong Ying, "Yingnier, you were the one who started this, so why don't you take full responsibility and report it to the commune?"
All that talk about traffic and formulas went in one ear and out the other. Nothing was left in his mind. How could he possibly repeat it?
Zhong Ying didn't take much of what she was saying. "Then let Yu Zhiqing come with me. You explained it most fluently."
She can't do it alone!
Finally, Li Ming made the decision: Zhong Ying would take the application form with all the commune members' red fingerprints, and Yu Jing would take all her hard work; the two of them would go to the commune together.
The next morning, Li Ming took out his bicycle. He had lent it to Nie Jinlong and Yao Dongxiu for the past few months so they could travel to and from the commune. Now that the four-month medical training course was over, the production team's only bicycle was free again, so he gave it to Zhong Ying and Yu Jing, the two girls, to use when they went to the commune.
When Zhong Ying went to university, only bicycles were allowed on campus, so she knew how to ride one. However, at that time, bicycles were old-fashioned and mostly ridden by men. Even though Zhong Ying was considered one of the tallest girls in the production team, she still needed Li Linshi to help her get on the seat without looking awkward or ridiculous.
"Can you ride it? Don't fall on the road again." Deng Xia looked at her daughter and the metal-framed bicycle under her with concern. "If it's really not possible, maybe you should walk."
Zhong Ying stepped onto the pedals and tried to ride forward. Li Ming, who was holding onto the back of the bicycle to maintain balance, let go at the right moment.
"Yingni'er picked it up really quickly!" Li Ming said in surprise. "She can ride it already."
After trying it, Zhong Ying felt confident. Although the old bicycle was tall and it was a bit difficult for her to get on, she had no problem riding it once she started pedaling.
Zhong Ying stopped, stretched one leg out on the ground, and beckoned to Yu Jing, "If you trust me, come on up, I'll give you a ride."
“What’s there to distrust?” Yu Jing smiled and sat on the back of the bicycle without hesitation. “We’ll fall together anyway.”
Zhong Ying then looked at Li Lin.
Li Linshi nodded slightly, and then his figure disappeared.
Zhong Ying felt the wooden plaque hanging around her neck was damp and cool against her skin.
"Be careful on the road, you two young ladies, it's not that safe outside..." Liu Hongyan shared the same concern.
"Mom, don't worry." Zhong Ying seemed a little carefree, but she didn't say the rest of her sentence that she had swallowed back: Your son is also worried, so he came along on purpose.
Zhong Ying waved to the crowd who had seen her off at the village entrance, half-stood up, stomped on the pedals, and rode off on her bicycle.
Yu Jing sat on the back of the bicycle, watching the faces of the Tonggan production team disappear around a bend. Yellow leaves drifted down from the trees on both sides of the country road. She held the papers in her arms tightly with one hand and grabbed Zhong Ying's clothes at the waist with the other. The cool autumn wind ruffled her short hair.
Yu Jing recalled her confrontation with Qiu Yucai a few days ago, and she learned that he had deliberately spread the information she had kindly revealed to comfort her.
"Yes, I'm jealous! I'm jealous that you're all so capable!"
Yu Jing wondered, if Li Linshi were still alive, would she also turn into such a hideous face out of jealousy if she saw Zhong Ying beside him?
In that case, since they are rivals in love, they probably wouldn't get close to each other, let alone work together to build the hydroelectric power station.
Yu Jing suddenly cherished the autumn breeze and the warm sunshine that were brushing her face. Everything brought her peace of mind. She took a deep breath of the cool air and gripped Zhong Ying's clothes in front of her even tighter.
Although it was a very immoral thought, Yu Jing still felt a sense of relief for a moment because of the fact that Li Linshi was no longer there.
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Author's Note: Li Linshi: ? ? ? Speak up for me?
(Voiceover: So the male lead has to die. I refuse to accept any kind of competition between women for a man.)
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