CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 98: XU QINGHUAN HAS SO MUCH

Xu Hongtu took the opportunity to complain, "We put our luggage on the car, but the person driving the tractor threw them off again. Captain, I want to report this barbaric behavior."

Today, an ox cart was originally arranged to pick up the educated youth, but who would have thought they arrived late, and the ox cart couldn’t wait here.

The people from the production team also came to the market and needed to return. The captain let the ox cart take the members back, while he waited for Jiang Xingye’s tractor to take the educated youth back on the way.

Of course, the captain wouldn’t speak about his nephew’s actions, took a puff of his cigarette, and walked ahead, "Then you take your luggage and follow me!"

The summer night in Northeast gets dark around seven, and it’s just past four now, still early.

The captain knew it was hard for these city kids to walk, and each had so much luggage, so he walked slowly.

But after walking less than a mile, the three of them couldn’t walk anymore. More than half of Xu Manman’s luggage was carried by Jiang Chengxu and Xu Hongtu, while she wore a pair of little leather shoes, and every step on the gravel road was torture.

Thinking about Xu Qinghuan sitting on the tractor going back to the production team, the more she thought about it, the sadder she got, and she started crying softly, which turned into loud sobbing.

Jiang Baohua walked ahead as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Undoubtedly, these three must have unknowingly offended his nephew. Otherwise, his nephew wouldn’t have refused to help with their luggage. These newly arrived educated youth had their heads in the clouds, usually having to walk back themselves, to learn some hardship and reality.

This time, even carrying their own luggage was something they brought on themselves.

Xu Hongtu felt incredibly sorry for his sister, thinking the country people were really too much, "Captain, how far is it? My sister can’t walk anymore, can you help us think of a way?"

Jiang Baohua didn’t even turn his head, "If there’s an ox cart or a tractor passing by later, you guys figure out a way to get them to help take you to the team, I have no other way."

Jiang Chengxu didn’t care about money, but it was obvious they were being targeted, he asked, "Are you saying that the last time Xu Qinghuan came, she also had to walk back herself?"

Jiang Baohua chuckled, "Xu Qinghuan and Yu Xiaomin went back on the tractor, and the rest of the educated youth walked back themselves."

Xu Manman was even more upset when she heard this, "Why does my sister always get to sit on the tractor? Could it be she has some sort of relationship with the person driving it?"

If there was a relationship, it wouldn’t be a proper one.

Jiang Baohua turned and gave Xu Manman a deep look, "You’re also Xu Qinghuan, right? No matter what you were like before, now that you’re here with the Shangjiang Team, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t speak recklessly, do you understand?"

Jiang Baohua’s eyes were sharp, and Jiang Chengxu glared at her disapprovingly too. Xu Manman was inevitably scared and hurriedly said, "I... I said something wrong, I care about my sister, I didn’t mean anything else."

Jiang Baohua wouldn’t believe Xu Manman, this woman clearly didn’t seem like a person to behave herself.

Halfway through the walk, Xu Manman really couldn’t walk anymore, and Jiang Chengxu and Xu Hongtu couldn’t worry about anything else. Both of them were already tired, but had no choice but to carry the luggage and drag Xu Manman along.

Jiang Chengxu’s face was dark enough to drip water.

Xu Manman cried, "My sister has been here for many days, she must know a lot of people, but as soon as I come, she’s so against us, she doesn’t even care for us a bit?"

Xu Hongtu was also tired and irritable, "Don’t mention her anymore!"

Xu Manman said to Jiang Chengxu, "Chengxu, it’s all because of me, I’ve dragged you down, causing such big misunderstandings between you and my sister. We’ll be together from now on, and I’ll take the chance to explain to my sister properly, so she won’t blame you anymore."

Jiang Chengxu didn’t say anything, but it was clear he very much wanted Xu Manman to do that.

Xu Manman lowered her eyes, hiding the resentment within them, towards both Xu Qinghuan and Jiang Chengxu.

She believed there was nothing she lacked compared to Xu Qinghuan. She too was devoted to Jiang Chengxu, but Jiang Chengxu only had eyes for Xu Qinghuan, never noticing her.

How could she not hate?

She hated Xu Qinghuan for having so much already: her background, looks, even a mother planning for her, an outstanding fiancé, and a job.

Yet she herself had nothing, and Xu Qinghuan would rather go to the countryside than give her the job, how could she not resent this?

She truly wanted to take Jiang Chengxu away, but hadn’t she failed to do so by now, hadn’t she almost become a touchstone for their love, and yet Xu Qinghuan showed not a shred of gratitude, only such cruelty towards her.

Twelve or thirteen miles, the three of them walked for over three hours, with the sky getting dark before they finally reached the Shangjiang Team.

Xu Qinghuan arrived around five o’clock, with Jiang Xingye helping her bring the packages and baskets home, and then he left. Xu Qinghuan was exhausted from the day, and it was Yu Xiaomin who made dinner.

She had gathered plenty of mushrooms today, washing them clean and setting them aside. Once Xu Qinghuan and the others returned, she started cooking, warming buns, and making mushroom soup.

"Xiaomin, cook a bit more. Chen Dewen and his friends are coming over for dinner." Qiao Xinyu handed a piece of pork belly to Yu Xiaomin, "Chen Dewen gave it to us, they’ll be joining us for meals these two days."

"Great, finally some meat to eat!" Yu Xiaomin was also delighted. She had gained a decent harvest from the mountain today, collecting lots of wild delicacies which she could sell dried for some money too.

Xu Qinghuan said, "The supply and marketing cooperative in the county surprisingly didn’t have any sewing machines in stock. I paid, but it’ll take a week or two before they have any."

Yu Xiaomin replied, "Don’t worry, I heard that in at most ten more days they’ll start harvesting, starting with potatoes, followed by wheat and sorghum, then rice and soybeans, and finally corn. The harvest lasts until the end of October, two full months, and it’ll take a toll on everyone."

Just then, Chen Dewen and their group arrived. Zheng Siqi asked, "What takes a toll?"

Yu Xiaomin answered, "We were just talking about the harvest. Starting next month, it’ll be a full two-month battle."

Everyone felt the pressure, knowing the harvest would be a tough fight, challenging their endurance.

"For the last few days, let’s eat well and build up our strength," Xu Qinghuan seemed relaxed, taking Bone Tempering and Muscle Strengthening Pills daily, which had significantly improved her body.

Her strength had noticeably increased, and her muscles and bones were more resilient.

"Xu Qinghuan is right. Tomorrow, let’s go up the mountain and see if we can catch any wild game. If we have any meat tickets, we’ll buy some meat and build up our strength," Chen Dewen suggested.

Everyone agreed.

Yu Xiaomin finished cooking, and everyone sat down to eat together.

The mushroom soup with pork belly was fragrant, and the meat buns were mouthwatering. Xu Qinghuan’s specially ordered meat buns were thin-skinned and stuffed with meat, with juice flowing out with every bite, incredibly satisfying.

"The buns Xu Qinghuan bought taste better than the ones I bought!" Qiao Xinyu was quite puzzled.

Yu Xiaomin ate just one bun but wouldn’t eat any more. Xu Qinghuan handed her another, "Then should we not eat your mushrooms either?"

Yu Xiaomin held onto the meat bun, feeling very conflicted. Even at home, she never got to eat delicious food. Any delicacy would be saved by her mother for her brothers, and she never got a chance.

Yet in the countryside, with her companions, they never fussed about who ate more or less, but she couldn’t take advantage of her friends forever.