CHAPTER 101: 099 SECLUDED FOREST

Zhou Zheng asked eagerly, "Yingzi, so what kind of songs does this Deputy Secretary like to listen to?"

"Well..." Chen Ying replied, "Probably something simple and sincere, not too trendy."

"Yingzi, what other hobbies does the Deputy Secretary have? Tell me about him, I want to know more about him..."

Chen Ying hesitated, "Zhou-ge, what are you planning to do?"

Zhou Zheng gazed at her deeply and said tenderly, "It’s for our future. I hope your family can like me more, so I want to learn about them. Come on, Yingzi, help me out. It’s not right to gossip about the Secretary, but you can talk to me about your uncle-in-law. Stripped of his title, he’s just your uncle-in-law. Don’t you want your uncle-in-law to approve of me?"

Zhou Zheng’s pitiful but desperate gaze etched itself into Chen Ying’s heart. After a brief struggle, she gave in. Yes, she was only talking about her uncle-in-law, and Zhou Zheng was merely asking to understand her uncle-in-law better. Besides, she knew her uncle-in-law was a principled man, someone who wouldn’t give Zhou Zheng special treatment just because he was her boyfriend. Still, she decided to support Zhou Zheng.

...

The small grove.

A few wisps of gray clouds floated in the night sky.

"Tiantian, help me think about what songs we should sing. When the time comes, you sing one, I sing one; that way, we have double the chances. Maybe the Deputy Secretary will end up liking us, and then I could get promoted. Maybe your position at school could even be reinstated." Zhou Zheng placed his hand excitedly on Tian Tian’s shoulder.

"The Deputy Secretary likes listening to people sing?" Tian Tian frowned inwardly. "Azheng, is your information reliable?"

"It’s reliable. Chen Ying said so. It’s her uncle-in-law, after all. We’ve been waiting so long just to see her uncle-in-law, haven’t we?"

Tian Tian frowned even more deeply. "If you two had gotten married earlier, even if you didn’t prepare for this, her uncle-in-law would still have to meet you by name. But you? You’re so hopeless. Makes me wonder if Chen Ying truly likes you. If she liked you, why does she guard against you as if you were a thief? A few years ago when those educated youths were here, how many of them got pregnant before marriage? Even those city folks—the educated ones—weren’t as uptight as Chen Ying. So why is it that Chen Ying..."

"Tiantian!" Zhou Zheng shouted, grabbing her in a tight hug. "Do you like me, or do you guard against me the same way? You criticize Chen Ying for being prudish, but aren’t you the same?"

"Azheng, stop messing around." Tian Tian struggled half-heartedly, her eyes widening slightly. "Every girl is prudish and cherishes her dignity. If I were to give everything to you and you later found someone like Chen Ying out there, where would I even go to cry then?"

"Tiantian, I swear, you’re the only woman for me in this life. I’ll only ever like you." Zhou Zheng raised one hand solemnly, his demeanor gentlemanly.

For a fleeting moment, Tian Tian sneered coldly in her heart. The more anxious he seemed, the more desperate he was, and the more he swore. Believing him would make her a fool. If he wanted her to give in, she’d need to see a bright future, a real chance to leave for the city. Just then, she thought about Chen Ming again—everything about him was good, except for his lack of ambition. Coming around with little tokens of affection every day, as if that could win her over. Didn’t he realize that while she appreciated those gestures, what she truly desired was to go to the city? She loathed staying in this small village. She wanted to live beautifully and gracefully. Why couldn’t Chen Ming understand? Why didn’t he see that?

"Alright, Azheng, you know that’s impossible. I’ll wait for your success." Tian Tian parted her delicate lips and spoke coyly, "I’ll think about it when I get back. Let’s meet tomorrow afternoon at the abandoned house."

"Tiantian, at least give me a little taste now, won’t you?" Zhou Zheng wouldn’t let it go, his eyes burning as he abruptly kissed her and pinned her against the tree. Compared to Chen Ying, he definitely favored a beauty like Tian Tian.

Tian Tian pushed against him a few times to no avail, eventually reaching out to embrace him back. Zhou Zheng was quite handsome, and honestly, he wasn’t bad in any aspect. In fact, she rather enjoyed these flirtatious games.

Suddenly, there was the sound of faint footsteps.

"Who’s there?" Zhou Zheng and Tian Tian quickly pulled apart, hastily adjusting their clothes and cautiously scanning their surroundings.

The moonlight cast a pale glow over the dirt ground, with cicadas chirping in the background. The empty grove was filled with longan trees, and nothing else.

"Let’s go." Zhou Zheng reassured her, taking her hand. "It must’ve just been some animal."

"Mm." Tian Tian nodded. Late at night, who could it possibly be? Around here, the grove often had stray cats, dogs, or even wild animals wandering about. Thinking of it made her feel it really was quite dangerous.

After they left, a figure emerged from the pitch-black shadows. The moonlight draped over her gave away that this wasn’t an animal, but a person.

Tian Sangsang smiled faintly. So it truly was a night made for secret rendezvous. She had only come out for some fresh air, yet she stumbled upon such a grand show and even caught wind of some explosive gossip. "Singing, huh? We’ll see..." She hadn’t forgotten the original grudge. Going back to the city—you want that, Zhou Zheng? How naive!

In high spirits, Tian Sangsang leisurely made her way home, humming softly to herself, "I, have, a, pen; I, have, an, apple; ah; apple, pen."

"Mama, you’re back." Meng Shuyan walked up to her and nuzzled her leg.

"Yes, I am." Tian Sangsang ruffled his hair and squinted her eyes. "Mama’s going to make you all some midnight snacks now." The weather today was really nice, and so was her mood.

"Wait a second, Tian Sangsang!" Zhao Chun’s eyes flashed with fervor as he asked shakily, "You... you can speak English?"

"Was I singing in English?"

Zhao Chun: "...It was English! What song is this? The rhythm feels so... extraordinary." As a progressive young man, hearing this kind of rhythm left him incredibly enthusiastic. He thought to himself how nice it’d be to have his musician friends listen to it too.

As for the songs Tian Sangsang had been humming over the past few days, if they could be turned into complete compositions, they’d definitely become chart-topping hits. He’d struck gold—she was a genius!

"I don’t know, I just made it up." Tian Sangsang shrugged. "I think I heard the educated youths discussing it in the fields long ago, so I pieced it together. But I only dare hum it at home—anything more might spell trouble. By the way, what does it mean?"

Society was in a state of unprecedented upheaval, with people burdened by repression, lost, and impulsive.

Every generation had its own struggles and joys. Everyone was merely being pushed forward by the tides of their era. But people from that time truly had it rough. Tian Sangsang recalled an older relative who had been of that generation. In old age, a myriad of ailments plagued them—all from the backbreaking labor of their youth. Working in the fields, planting seedlings in the water—it left them with lasting ailments. Their legs, always in pain, never healed no matter the treatment. She sometimes pondered it and felt profound sorrow. But what could she do? What kind of ailments would her generation inherit? Surely they wouldn’t be much better off. Yet without a doubt, her generation was luckier. They didn’t have to repeat the mistakes of the past or carry such heavy burdens. After all, how many decades does one have in a lifetime?