Chapter 114: Good Sister, Good Girl
Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Good Sister, Good Girl
Zhao Nuan Yang knew his sister treated him best, so he had to listen to her.
"Uh-huh, I remember." Zhao Nuan Yang nodded. "Nuanyang will be good. I’ll come with you, not by myself."
Zhao Nuanyue was overjoyed to hear her brother’s words. Even though he wasn’t quite like other people, she knew that once he made a promise, he would keep it. He would never lie to her.
While Zhao Nuan Yang drew nearby, Zhao Nuanyue foraged for wild vegetables. After a whole winter of eating little more than radishes and cabbage, they were sick of it. The crisp taste of wild vegetables was a welcome change.
Zhao Nuanyue didn’t take everything back with her. She planned to come back that evening to cook a good meal for the old folks, so she stashed a basketful in another cave to make vegetable pancakes with later.
Hua Yusen had some free time, so he came over to help Zhao Nuanyue. He cherished every minute with her; it was wonderful, blissful, and sweet.
After gathering enough wild vegetables, the two of them sat on the ground. The grass was soft beneath them. They gazed up at the drifting white clouds against the vast blue sky. Then, they gazed into each other’s eyes, seeing their own reflections.
"Look how focused Nuanyang is. Uncle He said before that if he keeps this up, he’ll have a great future as a painter." Hua Yusen watched the absorbed Zhao Nuan Yang, a trace of envy in his heart. ’He has a sister who dotes on him, and such an enviable ability to concentrate...’
Zhao Nuanyue beamed when Hua Yusen mentioned her brother. "Yes, he is!" she said with a smile. "When things get better, I want to give Nuanyang a better environment. I’ll get into a university, and I’ll make a lot of money. I’ll build him a studio and a gallery so he can paint freely, without a single worry."
"Nuanyang is so lucky to have a sister like you to look after him," Hua Yusen said with envy. "It’s true that fortune favors fools. I suppose this is his blessing."
"Heh, well, I’ll do my best to help and care for you, too," Zhao Nuanyue chuckled. "I’m just a girl without much power, so I’m sure I seem silly. But I will try my best."
Perhaps Hua Yusen thought she was only joking, but Zhao Nuanyue alone knew how serious she was when she said those words.
Hearing this, Hua Yusen turned to look at Zhao Nuanyue and said earnestly, "You’ve already helped me so much. Without you, I don’t know how I could have improved the old folks’ meals so discreetly. Even though we can’t eat with them, their nutrition is excellent. That, combined with Sun Haoran’s treatments, has gotten everyone back in good health. Spring plowing is starting soon, so they should be able to go out and work."
"Time flies. Spring plowing is about to start!" Zhao Nuanyue replied. "When we get back tonight, we should have them write their ideological reports. A good attitude is much better than a bad one. At the very least, it gives Miao Cunzheng something to show, so he has an easier time reporting to his superiors."
"Yes, I’ll talk to everyone tonight during the book reading," Hua Yusen nodded. The new year had begun, and he didn’t know what new hardships they would face.
’Luckily, I have her by my side. We can overcome things together,’ he thought. ’No matter how great the difficulties, I believe we can get through them together.’
Sitting on the ground, the two drew closer and closer, until Hua Yusen could no longer resist pulling Zhao Nuanyue into an embrace and kissing her forehead.
’I can’t think too much about this,’ Zhao Nuanyue told herself as she closed her eyes, savoring Hua Yusen’s kiss. ’Thinking too much will only bring me pain. This man isn’t mine. What I’m doing is wrong.’ Yet, she couldn’t stop herself.
The taste of love was too wonderful, and Zhao Nuanyue found herself addicted.
Hua Yusen didn’t dare to think too much either. Too many distracting thoughts would bring feelings of immorality and guilt, tainting the bliss of this romance.
’I really hope this mission ends soon,’ he thought. ’I need to go find her and make things clear. This can’t continue. This constant turmoil only makes things harder on me, and I feel guilty toward both Nuanyue and the woman far away in Jincheng City.’
Hua Yusen had no idea that in the distant Jincheng City, the very woman for whom he felt such guilt was busy flirting with another man. She was living a carefree life while hatching a shocking conspiracy to frame Hua Yusen and his entire family, intending to use the Hua family as a stepping stone to climb even higher.
March arrived, and with it, spring. The mountains and fields were cloaked in green, dotted with wildflowers of every color. The beauty was breathtaking.
The villagers took out their fishing nets, tidying and mending them in preparation for the year’s labor.
The men of the village began tilling the fields with plow-oxen, while most others used shovels to dig and turn the soil for planting vegetables. Many of the women were in the wheat fields, pulling weeds.
Among the weeds was plenty of shepherd’s purse, and everyone would pick the tender shoots to take home for salads, stir-fries, or vegetable pancakes. These wild greens held the very essence of spring—so incredibly fresh.
Zhao Nuan Yang was digging alongside Hua Yusen, but he would often straighten up and get lost in thought, gazing at the beautiful scenery in the distance.
Hua Yusen was well aware of Zhao Nuan Yang’s limitations, so he would quietly take on some of his work. Because of this, the other villagers couldn’t say much.
As for the old folks from the Dragon King Temple, Miao Cunzheng assigned them to sort the village’s various animal feeds, as well as feed the pigs and other livestock.
The work was a bit dirty, but not too strenuous—perfect for the older people. He Qiang, being younger, handled the heavier tasks, like moving the sorted feed.
Since the livestock pasture was at the foot of the mountain, Sun Haoran was always able to gather various medicinal herbs while collecting fodder. He would process them and turn them over to the village.
Miao Dahai took these herbs to the procurement station and, to his surprise, sold them for a good price. He then assigned Sun Haoran to focus solely on gathering herbs, as it brought more benefit to the village than his work with the livestock team.
It was all labor, so of course, they should choose the option that was most beneficial to the village. As a village cadre, Miao Dahai understood this. This way, at the end of the year, the villagers could get a larger share of the profits.
Old Madam Qian’s condition had improved. Though she still had moments of confusion, she was lucid most of the time and was able to work. Mr. Qian was immensely grateful that his wife had recovered this much.
Gu Qingyu was nearly sixty, but he was strong, so the manual labor was no problem for him. Working during the day and receiving food secretly prepared by Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen at night replenished their energy, and their spirits actually improved day by day.
Zhao Nuanyue felt at ease entrusting her brother to Hua Yusen, which allowed her to focus on her work in the fields with the other village women.
Zhao Nuanyue wore a straw hat she had woven herself from tender willow branches. It was a bit heavy, but it shielded her from the sun.
Wang Yuan’s face was flushed from the sun. Seeing Zhao Nuanyue’s hat, she smiled. "Nuanyue, could you weave one for me later?"