When She Stops Being Dramatic

Jiang Zishi clenched his fists and asked in astonishment,

"How is that possible?"

"My brother came, and he left without even seeing me?"

"He heard about my engagement, such a major life event?"

"If he heard about it, why didn’t he make time to attend?"

"I specifically scheduled it for after the autumn harvest..."

He turned the embarrassment of being slighted into a display of grievance.

A fine, outstanding man was suddenly painted as someone who neglected his family and was indifferent to them, while he cast himself as the poor, pitiful younger brother who idolized him!

Chi Yun’er tilted her head. "Brother Hua spoke with me for a bit and even gave me some nourishing food. He was in a hurry to get back to work, so he asked me to let you know."

"If I had known you would react so strongly, Zishi, I would have insisted that Brother Hua stay, no matter what."

"Come to think of it, you’ve never really talked to me about Brother Hua before, Zishi, so it’s hard for me to guess what you’re thinking."

"But Zishi, I promise I’ll pass on a message for you the next time I see Brother Hua."

At this, she put on an all-knowing look. Seeing Jiang Zishi’s smile stiffen, she kindly continued to interpret the situation for everyone.

"You men, you find it so hard to say what’s on your mind. A lot of conflicts happen just because you keep things bottled up instead of expressing them. But if you don’t say anything, how is anyone supposed to know what you’re really thinking?"

"I’m sure Brother Hua is the same way. As soon as he heard about your engagement, he couldn’t even wait for you to tell him yourself. He rushed right over to personally ask me to give you a message..."

"Brother Hua said that as soon as the autumn harvest is over, he has to immediately follow a convoy to Mongolia to deliver grain. He definitely won’t be able to make it to the engagement party for you and Comrade Bian."

"But he said he absolutely wouldn’t miss your wedding."

The crowd was already dizzy from her long-winded explanation, but they did catch that Jiang Yihua wasn’t as indifferent to his family as Jiang Zishi had complained.

Rather, he was very busy. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak; he couldn’t take care of both the collective and his own family.

Jiang Zishi’s hands, hidden behind his back, clenched into tight fists as he nodded. Internally, he knew this was his brother’s way of expressing dissatisfaction with him.

Ever since Jiang Yihua saw Chi Yun’er follow him down to the countryside, his older brother, with his overflowing sense of justice, had privately warned him more than once to be sincere and responsible toward people.

’Hah, Jiang Yihua was stupid enough to give up his own job, only to get dumped by the person who came looking for him. He’ll probably be stuck on this farm for the rest of his life.’

’What right or position does a failure like him have to lecture me?’

’Every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost. Chi Yun’er was chasing after me relentlessly. I couldn’t bear to break a woman’s heart, so I responded a little. I didn’t even take her virginity. That was polite enough. What more could anyone want?’

"Fine, I understand," he said, nodding dejectedly. "My brother always puts the collective, other people, and his own reputation first. His own family always comes last."

"I’m used to this kind of disappointment..."

The crowd couldn’t help but console him one after another. An engagement is important, but a task assigned by the organization cannot be delayed. There would be plenty of time in the future; family members should be understanding of one another...

A small smile played on Chi Yun’er’s lips. Jiang Zishi was an expert at hiding his true colors. Beyond his exceptional grasp of human psychology and his ability to sway others’ opinions, he was also skilled at mixing truth with lies, making it even easier to deceive people’s perceptions and emotions.

Just as Chi Yun’er was about to close the window, someone called out to her.

The person didn’t say what they wanted with her, but instead gave Jiang Zishi a meaningful look and said in a low voice, "Jiang, we all support you. It’s better to talk about swapping rooms sooner rather than later. That way, we can still come back and tidy up a bit each day after work."

"Who knows when we’ll be able to go home? Since you and Comrade Bian are getting married, you’ll definitely need to have a set of furniture made and put it in the room ahead of time..."

Jiang Zishi put on a reluctant expression, but the crowd all nodded, encouraging him and cheering him on.

He took a deep breath and waved Chi Yun’er over.

"Chi Yun’er, come here. I need to discuss something with you."

It wasn’t like Chi Yun’er was deaf. Quite the opposite. Ever since she woke up from that dream she couldn’t tell from reality, her body had undergone significant changes.

Before, there was always a heavy, dull feeling in her chest, ranging from deep to shallow. A single cold and fever could lead to a cough that lasted for one or two months. But now, she could clearly feel that the itchy sensation was much lighter. Moreover, the uncomfortable pressure that had squeezed her heart for years was mostly gone!

From the moment she woke up until now, she had felt no discomfort after boiling water, cooking, or bathing. And her five senses were much sharper; she could clearly hear every word spoken by the people in the courtyard through the doors and windows.