Xu Qinghe, on the other hand, was completely unaware of Wang Song's little thoughts. She just felt that his overly warm smile made her feel uncomfortable.
She quickly planned a way to escape in her mind, and suddenly, an idea popped into her mind.
She slowly walked towards Wang Song, a perfectly composed smile on her face, and whispered, "Wang Song, you've come at the perfect time. I was just worried about finding the right person to handle something. How about this? First, go to the village chief to get some activity funds, then go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some hats and aprons that match our work clothes. Remember, the style and color must be coordinated and appropriate. This is a matter of great importance to our entire team's image!"
After saying that, she cleverly assigned a seemingly simple task that actually required going out to Wang Song, thus buying herself some time alone.
The sunlight shines through the sparse clouds, dappling onto the simple cottages.
"Time flies, Wang Song, you have to hurry up. It's getting late and the mountain roads are difficult to travel. We don't want to delay other more important work because of this little thing."
She added, a hint of urgency in her tone.
When Wang Song heard this, a trace of surprise flashed across his face. He had thought that he could take this opportunity to improve his relationship with Xu Qinghe, but he didn't expect to receive such a task.
He secretly calculated that the round trip would take at least half a day on foot, and he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.
But then he thought that perhaps completing the task would win her favor, so he plucked up the courage to make his request.
"Comrade Xu, there are so many things going on in the village. If I were to walk, I'd probably waste quite a bit of time. Could you lend me a bicycle? I promise to set off immediately and return quickly upon completion of my mission. This way, I can save time and continue to serve the village."
Wang Song's eyes were full of anticipation, but he only saw Xu Qinghe's eyes turn slightly, revealing a hint of surprise and determination.
"That won't do. That bicycle is a gift from my husband for our wedding. It's incredibly meaningful and can't be lent out casually. Besides, it's a women's bike, and its design isn't suitable for you. Safety first, you'd better just walk over."
Xu Qinghe was secretly delighted. Her goal was to keep Wang Song away from her, so she would not compromise easily.
In that era of material scarcity, bicycles were precious possessions, especially as gifts carrying special emotions, and they were not something that outsiders could easily borrow.
Wang Song's expression suddenly darkened. He asked in disbelief, "I'm doing this purely for business reasons. Are you really unwilling to lend it to me?"
Xu Qinghe frowned slightly, his tone tinged with displeasure. "Everyone is busy working for the village. If you find it inconvenient, you can ask the village director for a replacement. Do you think that besides you, there is no one else capable of doing this simple job?"
In Xu Qinghe's eyes, there was nothing unfair in the task assigned to Wang Song. If he was dissatisfied, he could just go and talk to the village director.
She was puzzled by Wang Song's overly enthusiastic attitude just now. Why did he seem so evasive when it came to specific matters? Did he really think that this was a place where he could give orders at will?
In order to prevent the misunderstanding from deepening, Xu Qinghe chose to maintain an appropriate distance.
Seeing this, Wang Song realized his own misstep. He suppressed his discontent and tried to explain, "I didn't mean anything else. I just thought it would be more efficient to use bicycles. After all, there's still a lot of work to be done in the village."
Xu Qinghe smiled softly after hearing this: "It's okay, your task today is to buy the necessary items. Once you're done, take a good rest and don't worry about anything else."
Wang Song's words were stuck in his throat, and his face turned red. Finally, he could only turn around helplessly and prepare to go to the village director to get funds and try to borrow a car again.
Although the village director did not have a bicycle at home, as an elder in the village, he knew that as long as he stepped forward, there would always be someone in the village willing to lend a helping hand. Of course, the prerequisites behind this are self-evident.
The village director's experienced eyes swept back and forth between Xu Qinghe and Wang Song, and he saw everything clearly in his mind.
He understood Xu Qinghe's subtle attitude towards Wang Song and had also heard about the subtle frictions between the two.
In the eyes of the old village chief, although Wang Song is a passionate young man, he lacks the ability to read people's expressions.
The village chief's hands, which were covered with traces of time, gently waved, and his tone was relaxed and easygoing: "Anyway, there is nothing urgent in the village, so just complete this task. The sooner you complete it, the better, and be quick and efficient."
As he spoke, the village chief gently patted Wang Song's strong shoulders with his broad palm. His eyes flashed with the kindness and encouragement unique to an elder, and a warm smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Young man, you are in your youth and strong. Walking more and stretching your muscles is very good for your body and mind."
Wang Song muttered to himself, and although he didn't say anything, his slightly furrowed brows revealed a hint of helplessness and a bitter smile: "My legs...ah, really!"
He knew that this journey would not be easy, but he could only accept the arrangement silently and prepare to embark on the long journey to the city on foot.
However, things are unpredictable, and fate always seems to give people surprises inadvertently.
Just as Wang Song was about to step out of the village with heavy steps, feeling dissatisfied, an unexpected opportunity came quietly.
Under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, Su Qifen was busy registering work points for the villagers. The sunlight shone through the gaps between the leaves and fell on her focused face, making her look particularly gentle and lively.
Wang Song, with his handsome appearance and elegant temperament from the city, has long been the focus of attention in this small village.
He was willing to spend a "huge sum" of three yuan every month to rent a house in Sun Youfang's house. This generosity made many people, including Su Qifen, secretly speculate that he must be a talented young man from a wealthy family who had no worries about food and clothing.
Ripples appeared in Su Qifen's heart.
Although her life in the Yin family was comfortable and comfortable, she was bored with the monotony of day after day and the uncertainty of the future.
The Yin brothers had not yet separated, and the family expenses were shared equally. Even if she worked hard, after paying her share of the wages, she could only barely save a little.
Once the family splits up, the future will be even more worrying - the dependence of the Yin brothers, Yin Xiangyang's honesty and Jiang Xiaohua's extravagance, all of this makes her feel suffocated.
Therefore, escaping from this seemingly peaceful but actually heavily restricted small mountain village and looking for opportunities of her own in the wider world outside became Su Qifen's strongest desire deep in her heart.
Wang Song's feelings for Xu Qinghe had long been an open secret in the village, and Su Qifen naturally knew it too.
She couldn't help but wonder if Wang Song's affection for the married Xu Qinghe was due to some special preference?
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