When She Stops Being Dramatic

From the corner of her eye, Chi Yun’er glanced at the door, and her heart skipped a beat.

She could actually tell who it was just from the sound of their footsteps!

’But what was Jiang Yihua doing here so late?’

’Why did he come to the door but not enter, then leave so silently?’

The faint light of a summer dawn filtered in. Wisps of cool wind, carrying the scent of grass and earth, swept away most of the stuffy heat inside the room.

Chi Yun’er woke up feeling content. Her body felt a comfort she had never experienced before. For someone frail who had spent years with a heavy chest, whose every step felt like dragging a bag of cement, it was truly a novel and joyous experience!

Her eyes curved into crescents. Even though she had lived through such an unbearable and miserable life, at this moment, she didn’t feel much resentment or hatred.

She would get justice for her former self, but she wouldn’t let it become the main theme of her life, nor would she allow herself to be consumed by it.

Her beautiful life was just beginning, and she had so many things she’d missed out on that she was now determined to accomplish...

In the courtyard, people were already up, fetching water, chopping firewood, and making breakfast.

She carried her things and ambled to the kitchen, mixed some warm water to wash up, and carefully tidied herself.

In the kitchen was a female educated youth with the surname Wang. She had just finished boiling water and was about to cook. Seeing Chi Yun’er, she smiled and asked, "We’re having chicken soup with multigrain noodles later. Chi, would you like to join us?"

Chi Yun’er thought of last night’s bowl of chicken soup, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. She smiled lightly and said, "Thank you, Wang, but my stomach is weak, so I prefer something light in the morning. But do you need any help?"

Wang shook her head. "No need. I just have to wait for the water to boil, add the noodles, pour in the chicken soup, and sprinkle some scallions on top. So, Chi, are you making your own food later?"

Chi Yun’er hummed in agreement. Recalling what Jiang Zishi had said, she replied, "I’m staying home and waiting for Brother Zishi to arrange a job for me. I can help by making some mung bean soup to send over. It’ll help you cool down."

’I wonder what kind of scheme Jiang Zishi is cooking up this time, ’kindly’ arranging a job for me?’

Wang gave her a surprised look. "That would be wonderful! Thank you so much, Chi. You have no idea how hard the work in the fields is. The main thing is the heat. No matter how much water we bring, we finish it in no time."

"The problem is, even drinking it doesn’t help. Sigh..."

As the one with free time, Chi Yun’er just smiled with crescent eyes and didn’t reply, returning to her room after she finished washing up.

After the educated youths got up, except for the two on duty, the rest all rushed off for the early morning shift. They would come back for a meal and then head out again, shouldering their tools to continue working.

These days, the educated youths, men and women alike, were all dark and thin. Where was any trace of their city-dweller appearance? Some, without family support and unaccustomed to the high-intensity labor, had grown so gaunt they were unrecognizable, looking even worse off than the locals.

The exceptions, however, were Chi Yun’er, who had rarely worked in the fields; Jiang Zishi, whom she had kept sleek and well-fed; and the highly capable Jiang Yihua. They hadn’t been affected much.

After everyone had left, Chi Yun’er brought some things out of her room. She cooked a bowl of thick rice porridge, accompanied by two eggs and a small dish of pickled cucumbers that had been blanched in hot water.

By the time she finished eating, the mung bean soup on the other stove had boiled until the beans burst.

She put out the fire and carried her washbasin and dirty clothes to the small river.

During the busy farming season, this place was usually filled with little girls around ten years old, dragging heavy basins to wash clothes for their families.

Chi Yun’er blinked and spotted He Miao, the little girl who had brought her the steamed egg custard yesterday.

Little Hemiao smiled and waved at her, dragging her basin over from beside her friends. "Chi, you came to do laundry?"

Chi Yun’er smiled and nodded. She subconsciously felt her pocket, and, avoiding everyone’s gaze, slipped two milk candies into the little girl’s hand.

Little Hemiao’s eyes darted around. She smiled and put the candies away, whispering, "Chi, since I took your candies, I’ll bring you a basket of river shrimp later."

"The river shrimp are especially delicious right now. Whether you stir-fry them, deep-fry them, or boil them, they taste great..."

Chi Yun’er’s eyes sparkled as she nodded.

Seeing the two of them whispering and laughing together, the other little girls were curious, impressed, and envious. They grew careless with the clothes they were washing.

Little Hemiao continued to whisper in Chi Yun’er’s ear, "My grandma says that Uncle Jiang—the Educated Youth Jiang from the farm—is the older brother of the Educated Youth Jiang at our station!"

"Uncle Jiang came by early this morning. He left two egg-laying hens at my house, and even left feed for them. He asked my grandma to help raise them for you, to help you get your strength back."

"Our chicken coop is really hidden, so no one will find out we have two extra hens."