CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42: WANTS TO LET HER STAY FOR FREE

The team leader was fuming. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Second son!"

Jiang Xingyong was weeding in his garden patch at the back. Hearing the call, he dropped his hoe and came over, "Dad!"

"Take control of your wife!" After saying that, the team leader stood up and went into his room.

He Yuzhen shivered all over. Jiang Xingyong gave her a menacing look, "That house belongs to the fifth son, and you still have ideas about it? If you think this house is too small, then go back to your mother’s home!"

He Yuzhen mumbled, "I’m only thinking of your son!"

She dared not speak loudly.

Jiang Xingwei arrived at Jiang Xingye’s doorstep and called out, "Fifth son!"

Jiang Xingye was chopping wood in the yard, bare-chested, wearing only a pair of pants. His broad shoulders stretched out like a mountain range, muscles bulging. Sweat trickled down his bronze skin, gathering on either side of the V-lines, either dripping down or merging into his waistline.

"Come in!"

He turned his head slightly, and the last streak of sunset’s orange-red glow happened to spill on his face, handsome like a deity.

"Why chop so much wood?"

Jiang Xingye didn’t respond to him. Jiang Xingwei sat down on a large rock next to him, "Just now the new female educated youth came to find dad..."

Jiang Xingye threw the axe and the half-chopped firewood to the ground, kicked it into the pile, and asked impatiently, "What’s the matter?"

"Asked if the house next door to you is for rent, two yuan a month..."

"Not renting!"

Saying that, he went inside, took out a tattered towel, scooped a ladle of water from the bucket next to the well, poured it into the pump and pumped out half a bucket, lifting it to pour over himself.

Water rolled down his firm, lightly muscled skin. His eight-pack abs were distinctly outlined, his thin pants clung to his long legs, and an unending strength seemed to be ready to burst forth at any moment.

Jiang Xingwei felt a bit helpless, "Not renting, yet you’re not living in it either, just leaving it there, repairing it every year, getting more rundown every year, eventually it’s going to fall apart."

A house not lived in doesn’t absorb the human energy that keeps it from deteriorating.

"Who wants to repair it? Let it fall apart if it does!" Jiang Xingye furrowed his brows, his tone fierce.

Jiang Xingwei got up, "Alright, I’ll go back and tell Dad. You don’t know, the newly arrived female youth said that she doesn’t get along with the other two and wants to move out alone. If not possible, she was going to build a place herself to live!"

He walked to the gate and unexpectedly heard Jiang Xingye ask, "Which female youth?"

"The one with the surname Xu." Jiang Xingwei was quite surprised, "Do you know her?"

"I don’t!" Jiang Xingye replied, "How much?"

"Ah?" Jiang Xingwei thought he misheard and asked, "What did you say?"

"What’s the rent?"

"Two yuan a month, but if you think that’s too low, you can negotiate." Jiang Xingwei quickly replied, as if afraid he’d change his mind.

"One yuan, rent it to her!" Jiang Xingye said, then returned straight to the house.

Jiang Xingwei looked at the sky. The last streak of sunset was indeed in the west. Today’s east-rising and west-setting sun wasn’t incorrect, so what was wrong? He couldn’t figure it out.

Xu Qinghuan didn’t expect a landlord to voluntarily lower the rent. She and her sisters returned to the educated youth spot where Yu Xiaomin went to boil water.

Xu Qinghuan sorted out a piece of cloth, tied two corners with ropes, intending to hang it on the west wall when she bathed to cover a hole that couldn’t be blocked.

Once ready, she went to the kitchen and saw Yu Xiaomin standing angrily by the water tank. Upon closer look, the tank had only a shallow puddle of water, and the ladle couldn’t even scoop up water.

Before they left, the tank was full of water, enough for the whole educated youth spot to use without running out.

It was apparent someone did it on purpose.

"I’ll fetch water!" Xu Qinghuan didn’t say much, grabbed two buckets, and headed to the courtyard.

There was a well there, though not a pump well. The bucket had to be lowered in and retrieved with some skill.

Xu Qinghuan called Qiao Xinyu to come along.

She was afraid that while fetching water, someone might come and push her in.

After some effort, Xu Qinghuan finally grasped the technique. With considerable strength, she hoisted up two buckets of water and didn’t draw more, carrying them to the kitchen.

"Let me help!" Qiao Xinyu moved to take the bucket from her hand.

"No need!" Xu Qinghuan avoided it, "I can handle it!"

Seeing her like this, Qiao Xinyu felt a bit uncomfortable. No one is born skilled at chores; it’s clear what kind of hardship her friend endured in the Xu Family.

"Huanhuan, I think coming to the countryside isn’t all bad." Qiao Xinyu was also comforting herself as she said this.

"Yes, I came here for you. I heard from Lanlan that you came to the countryside, so I decided to come too. Aunt Lin arranged for me to come here to be with you." Xu Qinghuan laughed.

Yu Xiaomin had already lit the stove. Xu Qinghuan poured over half a bucket of water into the pot.

The weather was still a bit warm, and the evenings were not cool, so one didn’t need very hot water for a bath.

Once the water was heated, Qiao Xinyu went to bathe first as she needed to work tomorrow.

Originally, she was supposed to work today but took a day off to greet Xu Qinghuan.

It wouldn’t be good to take another day off tomorrow.

"Wait!" Xu Qinghuan grabbed Qiao Xinyu, handing her the curtain she’d just prepared, "I’ll go and hang it up with you."

Qiao Xinyu looked at her in surprise, full of questions, as she and Xu Qinghuan went to the side room.

Xu Qinghuan pointed out the hole to her. Realizing what was going on, Qiao Xinyu was furious and whispered, "Do you think it’s someone from the educated youth point?"

"Who knows!" Xu Qinghuan reassured her friend, "If there’s no light in there, it’s mostly hidden from outside view, so don’t take it too hard."

Qiao Xinyu wasn’t one to dwell on things. "It’s okay; I usually hang clothes over it, so it’s always covered, and no one can see from outside."

"Yes."

Yu Xiaomin, seeing what was going on from the door, was equally shocked. Once Xu Qinghuan came out, she grabbed her hand, "Qinghuan, is it true?"

Xu Qinghuan "shushed," glancing towards the male educated youth’s side, "Just remember, and I’ll leave this cloth for you, just be cautious each time."

She quietly sneaked outside, nearing the side room but saw no one outside.

It seemed that the peeping maniac wasn’t around all the time.

Once Qiao Xinyu finished, Xu Qinghuan let Yu Xiaomin go first, telling her to scoop more hot water, "I won’t need much hot water, you take more."

Xu Qinghuan scooped a large ladle of water into the basin.

Yu Xiaomin hadn’t brought a basin, so Xu Qinghuan lent her an old enamel washbasin she had, while she used the wooden basin she bought.

When Yu Xiaomin finished, Xu Qinghuan finally warmed some water with the wooden basin, took it to the side room, and securely closed the door. Without turning on the light, she pulled the curtain, making it pitch black with nothing visible.

Xu Qinghuan slipped into a space.

She swam a lap in a hot spring, quickly washed her hair and body, and didn’t linger long before coming back.

Qiao Xinyu waited without hearing anything for a long time, worried something happened, called out.

Xu Qinghuan replied and made the water sound like it was splashing. After a while, she came out with Qiao Xinyu and Yu Xiaomin waiting for her outside.