Fortunately, the night passed without incident.
Early in the morning, Yu Nian’an locked the door and double-checked that nothing was amiss before leaving home.
Security wasn’t great these days, so she only carried part of her money on her, leaving the rest hidden in the stash she had prepared.
The Yu family brigade had always ranked high in productivity, so the commune had assigned them a tractor. On market days, it served as a convenient means of transport.
Using it back and forth saved over an hour, and more importantly, it carried some prestige.
When Yu Nian’an reached the road outside the village, she noticed a crowd had already gathered. Everyone wanted to get there early to secure a good, clean spot.
Yu Nian’an greeted a few familiar faces and then stood aside, listening to their chatter.
The conversation was mostly about what to buy at the market, who had some new produce or goods, and some were talking about sending vegetables to children who worked in the county.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone calling her name.
Turning around, she saw Aunt Chun Xing, carrying a basket of vegetables.
“Annie, good thing you didn’t leave.”
Aunt Chun Xing caught her breath and handed the basket over. “I was supposed to deliver some vegetables to my son today, but I can’t go myself. Just right you can help me by taking them there.”
She didn’t explain why she couldn’t go, but Yu Nian’an understood and took the basket without a word.
It was just ordinary leafy greens, still covered in dew, obviously picked fresh from the fields that morning.
“Don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll make sure they get there,” Yu Nian’an said with a smile, then asked, “Once I get to the county, where should I take them?”
“The tractor will be parked outside the county. When you get off, go straight down the street to the left, and you’ll see a sign for a food factory. Just leave the vegetables at the guard’s office by the gate.”
“Got it food factory. I’ll remember,” Yu Nian’an said, waving her hand.
At that moment, the sound of the tractor could be heard from afar. The people around fell silent in their chatter, growing restless everyone wanted to get to the front.
As soon as the tractor stopped, Yu Nian’an clutched the basket of vegetables and followed the crowd forward. Before she realized it, someone behind her gave a sudden push, and she ended up sitting in the spot with the best view.
Once her feet were steady, Yu Nian’an realized it had been Aunt Chun Xing giving her a boost from behind.
You could do that?
Seeing that Yu Nian’an was safely seated, Aunt Chun Xing waved at her and then turned back toward the village.
By now, most of the spots on the tractor were filled, leaving only the areas beside the metal rails. But those spots kicked up too much dust from the road, so almost no one wanted to sit there.
With almost everyone aboard, the tractor driver was ready to leave.
“Wait! Someone’s still coming!”
A familiar voice made Yu Nian’an turn around it was Guo Shen, accompanied by his two educated youth friends.
“Almost didn’t make it,” Ye Xiao panted, reaching the tractor first. He looked around and frowned at the empty spot by the metal railing.
The two men could manage, but Lin Zhi sitting there didn’t feel quite right.
But now wasn’t the time to be picky if she didn’t sit, she’d have to walk to the county, a two-hour journey no one wanted to endure. Besides, there were so many villagers already waiting on the tractor.
Not dwelling on it, they decided to make do and get up earlier next time.
Just as they were about to help Lin Zhi onto the tractor, Yu Nian’an shifted slightly and said, “Let her squeeze in with me. We’re both girls; there’s room.”
The three of them froze for a moment at her words.
By now, the tractor had started with a loud rumble. Yu Nian’an quickly urged, “Hurry and get on!”
Lin Zhi hesitated for a moment, but Ye Xiao reached out first and helped her up. He and Guo Shen then settled against the side rail, back-to-back, bracing each other to stay stable.
Once everyone was settled, the tractor began moving.
The ride was bumpy, and Yu Nian’an kept sneaking glances at Guo Shen to make sure they were okay. Seeing no problems, she turned her attention back to the road ahead.
This was her first time leaving the village since arriving. Even a simple, dirt road made of yellow clay felt entirely new and fresh to her.
A breeze blew up ahead, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
Yu Nian’an quickly turned her head to shield herself and ended up face-to-face with Lin Zhi sitting beside her.
“Thank you for earlier,” a soft voice said.
The tractor’s rumbling almost drowned it out, but when Yu Nian’an caught the words, she waved her hand casually. “It’s nothing.”
Honestly, she didn’t even know why her brain had acted on impulse, letting Lin Zhi squeeze in beside her.
Maybe it was the thought of two big men with a girl between them—the rail wasn’t stable, and body contact was almost inevitable.
And the villagers would love to gossip about this, turning it into more material for the educated youth rumors.
She knew all too well how deadly rumors could be her previous self in the book had experienced it firsthand.
As the tractor slowly moved forward, Yu Nian’an remembered that Lin Zhi had been present the day she had confronted Aunt Chun Xing in the field. Back then, she had assumed Lin Zhi was as sharp and untouchable as the other villagers but today, she realized the girl wasn’t as unapproachable as she had seemed.
So Yu Nian’an took the initiative to start a conversation.
“Comrade, my name is Lin Zhi. What about you?”
Hearing this name, Yu Nian’an’s heart skipped a beat.
How could it be the female lead!
In the original story, this character had always been paired with her childhood friend.
But this clearly added an extra person to the group totally inconsistent with the original setup. Yu Nian’an realized that’s why she hadn’t suspected anything about the main couple so far.
Seeing Yu Nian’an stay silent, Lin Zhi thought she hadn’t heard and repeated it, this time louder.
Yu Nian’an snapped back to reality, meeting Lin Zhi’s gentle gaze, and as if enchanted, she spoke, “Yu Nian’an.”
In this countryside, girls’ names were usually inspired by flowers, plants, or fruits simple and straightforward. Her name, however, was unique.
Lin Zhi didn’t hold back her praise: “Your name is really beautiful.”
She smiled as she spoke. Yu Nian’an, looking at her, couldn’t help but momentarily forget her second survival plan.
The tractor ride had lasted nearly an hour before they finally arrived.
It was still early, but the county was already bustling with people. The area was mostly single-story houses, with one or two low-rise buildings scattered in between.
Yu Nian’an didn’t forget Aunt Chun Xing’s instructions. After getting off the tractor, she started walking toward the left street, but Lin Zhi called out to her.
“Comrade Yu, there are too many people here. As a young girl, wouldn’t it be inconvenient for you? How about we go together?”
“No, I have something to do,” Yu Nian’an said, shaking her head and gesturing at the basket in her hand.
Earlier, being together had been unavoidable. Now that they had arrived, it was better to separate if possible not because she disliked Lin Zhi, but as the book’s female lead, many events would inevitably revolve around her. Yu Nian’an simply didn’t want to get caught up in unnecessary trouble.
“Alright, see you later then?” Lin Zhi didn’t push further when she saw this.
Once Yu Nian’an walked off, Ye Xiao, who had been watching their conversation, casually remarked, “This young comrade seems really kind-hearted.”
Lin Zhi smiled and nodded. Indeed she realized now that her previous judgment of Yu Nian’an had been narrow-minded.