Chapter 22, Repaying Kindness
After Wang Li and Zhao Lan left, Lin Qingqing said helplessly, "I'm sorry you had to see this."
Xie Wei shook his head, ate a couple of bites of rice, and asked, "Have you considered changing dorm rooms?"
"Change dorms?" Lin Qingqing was surprised that Xie Wei would bring this up, but she quickly remembered Zhao Lan's introduction and shook her head, saying, "I'd rather not change. Wang Li... she's actually not bad, and the other people in the dorm are all very nice to me. Speaking of which, I even borrowed this lunchbox from the team leader."
Xie Wei's gaze fell on the lunchbox in Lin Qingqing's hand. The lunchbox looked very old; its original white color had turned somewhat black, and the handle was probably broken and had been removed.
"Hmm." Xie Wei looked away, not asking Lin Qingqing why she didn't buy a lunchbox, but he felt a little regretful.
If they had known she would need to buy everything again, they should have asked the Lin family for some money today. But money coupons aren't like grain; you can easily estimate how much you need, so asking the Lin family for the remaining grain would be reasonable. Money coupons are different; they can be spent on all sorts of things. The Lin family just said they were all gone, and they couldn't really argue with them.
Besides, although Lin Qingqing had fallen out with the Lin family, she had been adopted after all, so she still had to be careful in her actions.
Xie Wei thought about all this, but didn't show it on his face. After finishing his meal, he washed the dishes and prepared to leave. But Lin Qingqing stopped him before he left, saying, "Let me get you the blanket."
Xie Wei didn't answer, but asked instead, "Didn't you bring back the blankets today to wash?"
"I do need to wash it, but the weather's nice today. If I wash it now, it might be dry by tonight," Lin Qingqing said, pointing to the bright sun overhead.
"You can cover it up first. The weather changes quickly in winter, and clothes don't dry easily." After Xie Wei finished speaking, seeing that Lin Qingqing didn't say anything, he took a step back and said, "How about this, I'll come back to pick it up tomorrow morning."
"Wouldn't that mean you'd have to make another trip?" Lin Qingqing felt it wasn't appropriate, but seeing his insistence, she said, "How about I deliver it to you?"
"No need, I'll get it myself." Xie Wei said as he got onto the oxcart, waved his hand, and said, "Go back."
Helpless, Lin Qingqing could only say, "Alright then." But instead of turning back as Xie Wei had suggested, she stood there and watched him drive the oxcart across the stone bridge before turning around.
When she returned to the dormitory, Wang Li was leaning against the bed reading a book. When she saw her come in, she closed the book, snorted, stuffed the book under her pillow, and went to sleep.
Seeing her like this, Wang Fengxia asked, completely bewildered, "What's wrong?"
Wang Li pretended to be asleep and didn't answer, while Lin Qingqing didn't want to.
When it came to Wang Li's affairs, he only asked Wang Fengxia, "Can you lend me a basin?"
"You want to wash the quilt, right?" Wang Fengxia understood immediately. She walked to the bucket and basin against the wall, took out an iron basin and handed it to Lin Qingqing, then asked, "Do you want laundry soap?"
As she asked this, Wang Fengxia, without saying a word, put the laundry soap into the basin and handed it to Lin Qingqing.
"Thank you." Lin Qingqing quickly took the basin and soap, then disassembled the quilt she had brought back, put it all into the basin, and took it to the river outside to wash clothes.
The quilt that Lin Qingqing brought back originally belonged to Grandma Lin. Although it was made of homespun cloth, the material was particularly thick. Even though Lin Qingqing had gained a lot of strength after transmigrating, she still found it difficult to wash.
It took Lin Qingqing nearly an hour to make and dry the two quilts. The educated youth settlement became lively again as they rushed to get to work. When Lin Qingqing returned to the room, Wang Fengxia and the others had already left. Her back ached terribly, so she piled the quilts she had brought back at the foot of the bed, lay down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep immediately.
...
With food available, Lin Qingqing stopped being stingy with her food like Tou. She ate a sweet potato and a bowl of porridge in the morning, and her belly was quite round from being so full.
Feeling better after a good meal, Lin Qingqing returned to her room and folded the blankets Xie Wei had brought her with a smile.
Wang Fengxia was about to leave when she saw her folding the quilt and asked, "Are you going to change this quilt back?"
"Yes, my quilt was almost dry yesterday. I'll air it out for another day today, and I should be able to use it tonight," Lin Qingqing replied.
Li Juan was braiding her hair when she heard this and turned around: "So, are you going to the Xie family?"
Wang Li, who had just entered the room with a lunchbox in her hand, paused, glanced at Lin Qingqing, pursed her lips, and stuffed the lunchbox into the drawer. Lin Qingqing was busy and didn't notice Wang Li's actions, replying, "Comrade Xie said he'll come and get it later."
Wang Fengxia had no interest in such gossip. She was dating a male educated youth from the team, who was waiting for her outside. He said goodbye and hurriedly left.
"So that's why you were so happy this morning! It turns out Comrade Xie is coming!" Li Juan joked, recalling the scene of seeing Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei yesterday.
The two were talking and standing quite close to each other; it was impossible not to have wild thoughts about such a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
Lin Qingqing was taken aback when she understood what she meant, and quickly denied it, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. I'm just feeling at ease because I have food stamps in my pocket, so I'm happy."
"Really?" Li Juan only made a joke, and when she didn't admit it, she let it go.
After tying her hair tie, she went to work.
The room fell silent as soon as Li Juan left. Wang Li sat down in the spot where Li Juan had been sitting and looked at Lin Qingqing in the mirror on the desk, but remained silent for a long time.
Lin Qingqing wasn't unaware that Wang Li was scrutinizing her, but she didn't intend to pay any attention. She simply knelt on the bed and tied the neatly folded quilt with a rope. After tightening the rope, Lin Qingqing let out a long breath, raised her hand to smooth her drooping hair, and got off the bed.
As she was putting on her shoes, she heard Wang Li call out, "Lin Qingqing."
Lin Qingqing looked up at Wang Li, hummed in response, but didn't ask "What is it?"
Wang Li waited for a while but didn't hear her speak, which made her even more annoyed. She thought the woman was too difficult, but she had no choice but to speak first: "What exactly is your relationship with Commander Xie?"
Lin Qingqing tied her shoelaces, straightened up, and raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"
Lin Qingqing wasn't a particularly enthusiastic person, but she knew that it was always good to smile at people, so she always had a slight smile on her face when talking to others. But when facing Wang Li, her smile faded, and her expression became somewhat cold.
Wang Li saw this coldness as evidence of Xie's duplicity and dishonesty, and her expression grew even colder: "You've been here at the educated youth settlement for the past two days, and Commander Xie has been helping you with everything. How can you be so shameless?"
"Why would I feel embarrassed?" Lin Qingqing asked, amused. "Comrade Xie said he would be happy to help."
Although Lin Qingqing felt a little embarrassed for making Xie Wei run around so much, she wouldn't admit it in front of Wang Li, even if she lost face.
Not only did she deny it, Lin Qingqing also looked Wang Li up and down and said in a disdainful tone, "But I'm quite curious, Comrade Xie didn't seem impatient at all when he helped me, so why are you so bothered?"
It would have been better if Lin Qingqing hadn't brought up yesterday's events. The moment she did, Wang Li's face turned pale with anger. She truly couldn't understand why Xie Wei would treat someone like that differently. But before she could vent her anger, hearing Lin Qingqing's next sentence made her feel uneasy. She forced herself to say, "I just can't stand your shamelessness!"
After saying this, Wang Li was stunned for a moment, then nodded in her heart and continued, "That's right, I just don't understand how there can be such a shameless person like you. Commander Xie helped you because of the battalion commander, but what did you do? You never stop asking for blankets and food. He came over yesterday, but you didn't even return the cup to him. You had to make him come back again today."
As Wang Li spoke, she sensed something was amiss and looked at Lin Qingqing with a judgmental gaze: "You should..."
"Could it be... that they have other intentions?"
Lin Qingqing still suspected Wang Li had ulterior motives and immediately opened her mouth to retort, but Wang Li suddenly stood up, her face gradually turning red, and shouted angrily, "Don't even dream about it!"
When Wang Li thought about Lin Qingqing trying to use Xie Baoshan's arrangements to get in touch with Xie Wei, she felt that Lin Qingqing was like a toad trying to eat swan meat!
Who is Xie Wei?
He joined the army at eighteen, but instead of going to the battlefield, he accumulated numerous merits and became a deputy regimental commander at a young age. Now, three years later, he has been promoted to regimental commander. It can be said that Xie Wei is the most promising person in Xingfeng Brigade! In addition, Xie Wei is tall and handsome, so there are quite a few girls in the educated youth team who are interested in him.
Even so, few people in the team dared to take action, partly because they were shy, and partly because they were afraid of being rejected by him.
And what about Lin Qingqing?
She never spoke of being orphaned or having her whole family die. The Lin family raised her for over ten years, but she cruelly reported Old Lady Lin and her daughter, causing them to be sent to a farm for reform through labor. How could she be worthy of such treatment?
When Wang Li first said she was after Xie Wei, she just found it funny. But when she heard Wang Li's questioning, her eyes turned completely cold.
She was well aware of the gap between herself and Xie Wei. Xie Wei had attended high school and was a regimental-level cadre with a bright future ahead of him. As for her, she had no education, no job, and a bleak future. So when He Xiaoli teased her about Xie Wei, she directly shook her head and said it was impossible.
But it's like believing that if the conditions are too different, it's fine to just say it's not suitable, and everyone can get along peacefully. But to be met with a disdainful look and tell someone to stop dreaming is infuriating… Especially since Lin Qingqing had never even considered it, yet she was being looked at with eyes that said, "You're a toad trying to eat swan meat." Even with her good temper, Lin Qingqing was furious: "How do you know I'm dreaming? Are you a mind reader for Commander Xie, able to know everything he's thinking?"
After saying that, Lin Qingqing gave a cold laugh.
Wang Li's face turned pale with anger, but she still retained some rationality and knew what she could and couldn't say. She sneered, "Do you think Commander Xie has been so busy with all this because he's taken a liking to you?"
Without waiting for Lin Qingqing's reply, Wang Li said, "You're dreaming! He's only helping you because he feels sorry for you. If he knew what you were thinking, he definitely wouldn't talk to you anymore! I advise you to use your brain and put your mind at ease, otherwise you'll make a big scene and be the one who can't stay in Xingfeng Brigade anymore. By then, there won't be another Xingfeng Brigade for you to settle down in."
Not content with this, Wang Li continued, "Do you really think you're living in a youth settlement, carrying around elementary school textbooks and recognizing..."
"Just because you know a few words doesn't mean you're on par with us. Don't you even know your own limitations? You dare to try and take advantage of Commander Xie?"
"I can't make a move on Comrade Xie, but you can?" Lin Qingqing retorted.
Wang Li's face immediately flushed red, but when she glanced at Lin Qingqing, her expression turned cold as she said, "Anyway, I'm not as clueless as you!"
"So you were so angry when Comrade Xie helped me. It turns out you were thinking about him! But..." Lin Qingqing scoffed and said, "You're being a bit too nosy. If Zhao Lan hadn't introduced you yesterday, would Comrade Xie even know you? Oh, by the way, even Zhao Lan is quite the social butterfly. She came over to our table and only exchanged a few words with Comrade Xie."
Lin Qingqing's words weren't sharp, but every sentence pierced Wang Li's heart, making her tremble with anger. She glared at Lin Qingqing, stabbing her in the eye: "You, you..."
“You think you’re better than me and worthy of Comrade Xie, so you can make your eyes on him, but I can’t. But I have to remind you,” Lin Qingqing pointed to herself and said, word by word, “I was the one who ate with Comrade Xie yesterday; I’m the one he’s looking for at the educated youth settlement today; I’m the one he knows by name and can say a few words to.”
"And you, who are worthy of him, can only vent your dissatisfaction here by taking advantage of my good temper." Lin Qingqing lowered her hand and looked coldly at Wang Li.
Wang Li was so angry that her eyes were bloodshot. She rushed forward to hit Lin Qingqing, but Lin Qingqing grabbed her hand and pushed her to the ground.
Just then, someone outside called out, "Comrade Lin, Commander Xie is looking for you!"
"Okay!" Lin Qingqing responded loudly, stood up from the bed, looked down at Wang Li, and said with a smile, "Comrade Xie has come to see me."
After saying that, Lin Qingqing turned around, picked up the quilt that was tied up on the bed, and took it out.
...
Stepping out of the room, Lin Qingqing immediately spotted Xie Wei standing outside the female educated youth dormitory. Although he was waiting for someone, he still stood ramrod straight, only his posture was more relaxed than a military stance. When he turned his head and saw Lin Qingqing, his eyes softened, and he took a step forward and said, "Comrade Lin."
Lin Qingqing strode up, and as soon as she reached the door, Xie Wei took the blanket and placed it on the back of his bicycle. Lin Qingqing helped him hold the bike, watched him tie the blanket tightly, and asked, "Have you had breakfast?"
"I ate before coming," Xie Wei said. "Are you going to see Director Yang today?"
"Okay, I'll be there in a bit."
Do you know where to find Director Yang?
"Aren't we going to the brigade headquarters?" Lin Qingqing asked, puzzled.
“
"We're going to the brigade headquarters. Are you going now?" Xie Wei paused, then coughed lightly and said, "I meant it's on my way. Do you want to come with me?"
Lin Qingqing was also stunned. She only came to her senses when Xie Wei said "never mind" and smiled, saying, "Okay, then wait for me."
As she spoke, Lin Qingqing turned and walked towards the dormitory. Wang Li had already gotten up from the floor and was sitting on the edge of the bed, exuding a gloomy aura. Seeing Lin Qingqing enter, she stubbornly said with red eyes, "Commander Xie won't be interested in you!"
Lin Qingqing had completely forgotten about it, but hearing Wang Li bring it up brought it back to mind, which annoyed her. However, she was also a bit stubborn, and the more Wang Li said this, the more resentful she became, saying, "Whether he likes me or not is up to him; what you say is irrelevant!"
After saying that, Lin Qingqing locked the cabinet and left.
...
Before leaving the house, Lin Qingqing was seething with anger, but when she saw Xie Wei, that anger suddenly disappeared, and instead, the thought of how to thank Xie Wei took hold of her mind.
She remembered that Xie Wei hadn't accepted the eggs she'd given him before, but he hadn't refused when she invited him to dinner yesterday. Although Lin Qingqing didn't know if it was because of the different methods or because they had been spending more time together and had become more familiar, she figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
Lin Qingqing thought that now that she was settled, Captain Xie probably wouldn't arrange for Xie Wei to help anymore, and she couldn't very well go to Xie Wei's house, otherwise others would think she had feelings for him. Although Lin Qingqing wasn't afraid of gossip, she preferred to avoid trouble, so she wanted to settle things today.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Qingqing tentatively asked, "Comrade Xie, are you back on vacation this time?"
"Um."
"When will your leave end?"
"I'm going back to the unit after the New Year."
"Oh, so are you busy at home on your vacation?" Lin Qingqing said, turning her head to meet Xie Wei's gaze. Feeling a little guilty, she turned her head to look ahead and said, "I mean, I'm sorry to have troubled you with all this running around. Will it take up your time?"
Xie Wei immediately thought of what happened yesterday, frowned and said, "No, I'm on vacation at home and nothing's happening."
Lin Qingqing was secretly delighted: "Are you free for the next few days?"
"fine."
"Oh." Lin Qingqing lowered her head.
Having said that, Xie Wei guessed that Lin Qingqing had something on her mind and asked, "What's wrong?"
“I was thinking that without your help, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to leave the Lin family so smoothly, settle down in Xingfeng Brigade, and even get the grain back from the Lin family, so I was thinking…”
As Lin Qingqing was talking, she stopped walking, and Xie Wei stopped as well. The two turned to look at each other.
Xie Wei was tall, so Lin Qingqing had to look up to see him. The sunlight fell directly on him, casting a soft halo around him.
Lin Qingqing was dazzled by the halo of light. Suddenly remembering Wang Li's words, the words she was about to say took a turn and became: "I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. How about I repay you with my body?"
Xie Wei was stunned. Under the halo of light, his eyes flickered: "Okay."
"Huh?" Lin Qingqing was stunned.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, Xie Wei had seen Lin Qingqing in many different ways.
When I'm holding back a lot of energy, when I'm relaxed, when I'm crying, when I'm feeling anxious, when I feel embarrassed or ashamed...
At those times, she was very clear-headed, unlike now, when she's confused and dazed.
Xie Wei curled his lips and repeated, "You said you would repay me with your body."
Lin Qingqing's expression froze, a blush creeping up her face from her chin to the tips of her ears. She had initially been staring at Xie Wei's eyes, then nervously glanced to the sides, before finally giving up and looking down at her toes, stammering, "I...I didn't mean that, I meant to say..."
"I agree."
Author's Note: Tentatively scheduled for nine updates per day, with the first update at 6 PM and the second at 9 PM. Any absence of updates will be announced in advance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
