The moment she said that, the air around them went silent. Perhaps stunned by her bold words, Liu Guihua didn’t manage to say a single thing for a long moment.
Auntie Chunxing, however, was the first to react, nodding in agreement. “Annie, that’s a good idea.”
Yu Nian’an gave her a slight smile, then turned to Liu Guihua. “Auntie, why don’t you move aside a bit? I need to get back to work.”
Her well-meaning matchmaking attempt had backfired, and now she had even been made fun of. Liu Guihua stomped her foot and turned to leave.
Once everyone had gone, Auntie Chunxing advised her, “Annie, don’t pay attention to Liu Guihua’s nonsense. If you really want to find someone, I actually have a good choice for you.”
Yu Nian’an frowned in curiosity.
Auntie Chunxing smiled and explained, “A new batch of educated youth will be coming soon. Those cultured folks they’re far better than Liu Guihua’s nephew.”
Educated youth were coming?
Suddenly, Yu Nian’an remembered something and looked up. “Auntie, let’s not talk about that for now. Do you happen to know if there’s a bricklayer or mason in the village?”
Hearing this, Chunxing frowned. “Girl, are you planning to build a house?”
Yu Nian’an nodded.
“The kitchen at home has some lingering smells, so I’m thinking of moving the shack to a different spot.”
She didn’t want anyone to know she planned to expand the house yet, so she used this as an excuse. She could bring in the workers first and worry about the details later.
Luckily, Auntie Chunxing didn’t overthink it and confidently promised, “Girl, if you leave it to me, I’ll take care of it. My husband does this kind of work.”
That was convenient.
The two agreed on a time and then went their separate ways to continue their work.
After finishing work, Yu Nian’an returned home, her mind already turning over the news about the incoming batch of educated youth.
With Yu Dingguo dealt with, her house was now secure. As for Lin Zhi, with the female lead’s “aura,” she would inevitably find somewhere else to stay.
The next step was to follow the second rule of her plan: stay far away from the main characters.
The house would be rebuilt, and once the environment changed, she could rely on her knowledge to advance her career. In the 1970s, a time full of opportunities, life would definitely have prospects.
Because of last night’s incident with Yu Dingguo, Yu Nian’an hadn’t slept well. After eating a simple meal to fill her stomach, she returned to the kang to catch up on sleep.
By the afternoon, she woke refreshed.
Thinking about the 200 yuan soon to be in her hands, all the discomfort from labor seemed to fade.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. That day, as Yu Nian’an returned from the field, she saw Yu Dingguo crouched in the corner of her yard, clutching a paper package.
Was he here to pay her back?
Hearing the movement, Yu Dingguo immediately stood and walked over. Seeing no one else around, he shoved the package into her hands.
Yu Nian’an opened it and, sure enough, it was the repayment. Counting the money no more, no less it was exactly 200 yuan.
Tucking the money away, Yu Nian’an looked at him with a faint smile. “Earlier you said you couldn’t gather it. What, a beating made you obedient?”
“Enough talk. You’ve got the money give me back the IOU!”
Yu Dingguo’s face twisted with ferocity, showing none of his usual pretentious airs.
Yu Nian’an didn’t mind; after all, she wasn’t the original owner.
Calmly, she pulled the IOU from her pocket. Yu Dingguo snatched it and tore it to pieces in a few swift motions, then turned to glare at her with murderous intent.
Yu Nian’an felt a warning bell go off she knew this man wasn’t harmless. But she wasn’t one to back down either. She struck first: “What are you planning to do? Planning to make a hole in my head?”
Her words had the desired effect. Yu Dingguo froze, a sharp pain shooting through his head in response.
He had no idea that the timid, cowardly Yu Nian’an from before could be so fierce when provoked.
Seeing that he had been successfully intimidated, Yu Nian’an pressed her advantage and delivered another sharp warning:
“Right now, I’m just an orphan. I’ve got nothing to lose. If you dare touch me, at worst, it’ll be fish or cut net we’ll both go down!”
The threat had its effect. Yu Dingguo saw the resolve in her eyes it was not fake and hesitated for a moment.
After some consideration, he decided it was better to retreat. A mere girl wasn’t worth putting himself at risk.
Besides, she was right there; there would be plenty of opportunities later to deal with her.
As for the money, he could always find a way to get it back.
Watching him leave, Yu Nian’an held the paper bundle of cash and felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Thinking of Yu Dingguo’s skill at prying doors open, she walked around the house to find the perfect hiding place for her money. After that, she headed over to Auntie Chunxing’s house to discuss moving the shack.
The Yu Family Brigade had a tributary flowing from the Jiang dam. It was now flood season, and the water level was rising.
Auntie Chunxing’s house was on the east side of the tributary. To get there from Yu Nian’an’s house, she had to walk around the river.
Under the sun, Yu Nian’an wore a straw hat woven from willow branches and slowly made her way to the riverside. As she neared the embankment, she suddenly heard someone shouting for help from below.
Squinting, she saw a man struggling in the river.
Yu Nian’an looked around. There was no one else there if she did nothing, he would surely drown.
Seeing that a life was at stake, she ran down the embankment, her feet sinking into the soft mud, and reached out toward him.
But she had underestimated the distance, and there was no handy tool on the bank.
The river was carrying him farther and farther away, and the man’s struggles in the water were growing weaker. Yu Nian’an gritted her teeth, tossed her hat aside, and plunged into the water.
With a loud “splash,” the noise caught the attention of the man in the river.
Gu Shen struggled to open his eyes and saw someone swimming toward him. From the strands of hair floating in the water, he could tell it was a woman.
By now, he had swallowed a lot of river water and was struggling to breathe.
It was a hot day, and after walking all morning and sweating plenty, he had thought to cool off by the river at noon while everyone was resting at home. But unexpectedly, the muddy riverbank gave way, and he had fallen in.
Fortunately, someone had heard his cries for help.
Before long, he felt the person swim up beside him and reach out. Driven by his survival instincts, he instinctively clutched her, gripping her clothes tightly.
Yu Nian’an froze for a moment, then used all her strength to lift him out of the water.
He was a young man she didn’t recognize. His shirt was soaked and clung to his body, revealing the shape beneath. His face was strikingly fair, almost luminous in the sunlight.
Almond-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge.
Really handsome.
Gu Shen, now having escaped death, realized how close they were and reflexively pushed her away but in doing so, he fell back into the water.
Yu Nian’an sighed, seeing that he was so good-looking, and dived in again to pull him out.
After two bouts of choking on water, Gu Shen had no strength or means left to resist. He allowed her to bring him to shore.
The sun was blazing, but the fall into the water hadn’t caused much damage. Yu Nian’an tugged her own clothes forward to cover the more awkward areas.
Gu Shen lay nearby, turning his head to look at the person who had saved him.