“I’m asking you. Do I look good or not?”
When Lu Shiyan remained silent, Su Wanqing moved even closer. Tilting her face up, she looked at him with crescent shaped eyes.
Lu Shiyan lowered his gaze to her fair, rosy face, her curled eyelashes, and her lips that seemed to have something glossy applied to them.
His throat tightened, and he looked away.
“You look good.”
Su Wanqing was satisfied. She smiled, revealing her small white teeth.
“That’s more like it.”
She stepped back and looked him up and down, then frowned.
“Look at you. You’re covered in sweat. You’re filthy.”
Lu Shiyan lowered his head and looked at himself.
There were mud stains on his undershirt, dust on his pant legs, and dirt from work still clung to his hands.
“When you’re working in the fields, how clean can you possibly stay?” he said.
Su Wanqing curled her lips.
“Even so, you should clean yourself up a bit. Look at Erhu. His clothes are much cleaner.”
Lu Shiyan’s face darkened immediately.
Erhu?
That brat?
“Erhu?” His voice sank. “Why are you bringing him up?”
Su Wanqing failed to notice the jealousy in his tone and continued talking.
“Brother Erhu taught me all morning today. He was really enthusiastic. He even helped me move the table and stool and kept running around helping me.”
Lu Shiyan tightened his grip on the hoe handle.
Brother Erhu?
She was calling him quite affectionately.
Su Wanqing continued, “Oh right, my table is a little too short. My back hurts from sitting there. Find me a taller one later. It’d be best if you could get me a chair with a backrest too. Sitting on that little stool all day is tiring.”
Lu Shiyan looked at her.
This girl certainly knew how to order him around.
She used to avoid him whenever she saw him. Today she smiled at him and even moved closer to talk.
For a moment, he had thought the sun was rising in the west.
Turns out she only wanted someone to run errands for her.
“Did you hear me?” Su Wanqing pressed.
Lu Shiyan tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I heard you.”
“And another thing,” Su Wanqing continued. “My pencil is almost used up. Do you have any more? Get me two more. And an eraser too. I keep making mistakes and need to erase them.”
“Fine. Anything else?” Lu Shiyan asked patiently while listening to her demands.
Such a delicate little thing.
“And…” Su Wanqing thought for a moment. “I don’t want to eat at the Zhiqing (Educated Youth) point at noon. The food is terrible. Get me something good to eat and bring it to me tonight.”
Lu Shiyan looked at her, amusement appearing in his eyes.
“Anything else?”
Su Wanqing tilted her head and thought.
“That’s all for now. I’ll tell you if I think of anything else.”
Lu Shiyan nodded.
“Alright, little ancestor. I’ll get everything for you.”
Satisfied, Su Wanqing waved her hand.
“Okay then. Go back to work. I should head back too.”
She turned to leave.
Lu Shiyan stepped forward and blocked her path.
Su Wanqing looked up.
“What?”
Lowering his head, Lu Shiyan leaned close to her ear. His voice was low and slightly hoarse.
“The usual place tonight.”
The warm breath against her ear instantly turned the tips of her ears red.
She stepped back and glared at him.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Lu Shiyan straightened up. Looking at her reddened ears, he curled his lips slightly. The sour feeling that had been bothering him finally disappeared.
Su Wanqing scolded him.
“Pervert. Shameless.”
After saying that, she turned and left. Her braids swung back and forth behind her.
Lu Shiyan stood where he was, watching her walk away. The smile at the corner of his mouth never faded.
Meanwhile, beneath the shade of a nearby tree, several women taking their midday break had watched the entire scene from beginning to end.
“Oh my goodness, did you all see that?” Aunt Wang slapped her thigh. “What was Lu Shiyan saying to Su Wanqing just now? He got so close to her!”
Aunt Li cracked sunflower seeds as she spoke.
“I saw it, I saw it. Who knows what kind of spell that girl cast on him? Normally he ignores anyone who talks to him. But today he stood there talking to her and even smiled!”
“He smiled?” Aunt Wang’s eyes widened. “Lu Shiyan can smile? Ever since that boy was sent down to our Village, I’ve never seen him smile once!”
“Exactly! But I really saw it just now!” Aunt Li swore confidently.
A young married woman nearby lowered her voice.
“Su Wanqing’s got some nerve too. She orders Lu Shiyan around like he’s her own husband. Her mouth just kept moving without stopping. And Lu Shiyan stood there listening without arguing once.”
“You’re right,” Aunt Wang said in amazement. “Last time my husband asked him to help carry a sack of grain. He rolled his eyes and walked away. My husband came home cursing him for half the day, saying the boy was no good. But look at this. Su Wanqing orders him around, and he obediently stands there listening!”
Not far away, several female Zhiqing (Educated Youth) were also secretly watching.
Liu Weihong nudged Zhang Hongying’s arm.
“Hongying, look over there. Su Wanqing is talking to Lu Shiyan.”
Zhang Hongying had been squatting down during her break. Hearing that, she glanced over and curled her lips.
“What’s there to look at?”
“No,” Liu Weihong said quietly. “Look at Lu Shiyan. Normally he barely responds when people talk to him. Why is he talking to Su Wanqing for so long?”
Zhang Hongying looked over and felt a little uncomfortable.
Lu Shiyan really was handsome.
Which young woman or young wife in the Village didn’t secretly take a few extra looks whenever they saw him?
But his temper was equally bad.
He always wore a cold expression around everyone. Last time a girl from the Village brought him water, and he did not even look at her. He simply said, “No need,” and walked away.
The girl cried for several days afterward.
After that, nobody dared approach him anymore.
But now?
Su Wanqing stood in front of him, talking nonstop.
Lu Shiyan lowered his head and listened. They stood so close together, and he had even leaned over to speak into her ear!
Zhang Hongying threw away the blade of grass she was holding.
“So what if she’s a little prettier? Who cares?”
Liu Weihong glanced at her but said nothing.
Inside, however, she thought:
You don’t care? Then why are you always looking over there?
Su Wanqing returned to the record table, packed up her notebook and pencil, and prepared to head back to the Zhiqing (Educated Youth) point for lunch.
Just as she finished gathering her things, she looked up and saw Erhu running over again.
“Comrade Su, finished work?” Erhu scratched his head. “Um, are you coming back this afternoon?”
“Of course,” Su Wanqing replied. “Don’t I still have records to keep this afternoon?”
“Right, right, you do.” Erhu nodded repeatedly. “Then… then when you come back this afternoon, sit here again. If you need anything, call me.”
“Okay. Thank you, Brother Erhu.”
Erhu blushed once more and stood there awkwardly, unsure what to say.
Seeing his expression, Su Wanqing could not help smiling.
“Do you need something else, Brother Erhu?”
“N No, nothing!” Erhu shook his head quickly. “Then go eat lunch. See you this afternoon!”
After saying that, he turned around and ran off at top speed.
Su Wanqing smiled and shook her head before walking away with her notebook.
Halfway back, she ran into several young women from the Village carrying baskets. She had no idea where they were headed.
When they saw her, they all stopped and glanced at her.
Su Wanqing did not recognize them. Since they had stopped to look at her, she simply nodded politely and continued walking.
She had barely passed them when she heard murmuring from behind her.