At the small primary school courtyard, Shen Lingkang was tending the fire, Lin Qiuman was stir-frying meat, and Shen Linghua was clearing land in the vegetable plot, sowing seeds one by one according to Lin Qiuman’s instructions.
For a moment, the warm and harmonious scene immersed all three of them. No one wanted to break the peaceful beauty of the moment.
Lin Qiuman occasionally turned to look at the two brothers, her face glowing with a happy smile.
“Teacher Lin, I brought some vegetables.”
Li Wenbin hadn’t dared rest all morning. Though exhausted, he still managed to haul and unload a thousand bricks.
He couldn’t show weakness in front of Lin Qiuman. Shen Linghua had a sharp tongue—so even if he worked himself to death, he had to save some face.
After the morning’s labor, he was covered in sweat. He deliberately went home to wash up and change into clean clothes before coming over, worried that if he ate at the same table as Teacher Lin, he might leave a bad impression.
“Then help wash them. I’ll stir-fry the vegetables later.”
The peaceful moment was broken. Lin Qiuman sighed softly but didn’t show it too obviously.
Shen Linghua glanced at Li Wenbin but said nothing, continuing to work under the blazing sun.
Last night they had eaten stewed chicken. This time she made braised chicken.
The chicken pieces were cut small, with one chili pepper and two potatoes added, so it wouldn’t taste too greasy.
Originally, she had planned to prepare white-flour steamed buns for the two brothers. But now there was an extra person…
So Lin Qiuman made flatbread mixed with cornmeal and white flour.
The cornmeal from her space was different from the flour ground in this era—it wasn’t rough on the throat when eaten.
Before long, the meal was ready.
Lin Qiuman deliberately sat down last, taking the seat between Shen Linghua and Shen Lingkang.
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of Shen Linghua’s lips, Lin Qiuman couldn’t help smiling as well.
“Oh? You’re already eating?”
The person who arrived was the village matchmaker. She knew all the young men and women in the surrounding villages. Since she had come, she was clearly here to arrange a match.
Pretending not to know her, Lin Qiuman stood up with a smile and asked, “Auntie, who are you looking for?”
“Teacher Lin, I’m looking for you.” The matchmaker smiled brightly and spoke warmly. “Before coming, I even went to consult the village chief. You’re the young person he values most in our village, so of course I have to introduce you to a good match.”
“Auntie, I’m afraid you came for nothing. The village chief gave me such a good job. For now, I only want to expand the primary school and make it official. I’m not thinking about dating or getting married.”
Lin Qiuman knew that with talkative matchmakers like this, the best way was to refuse directly.
“You silly girl, getting married won’t stop you from working.” The matchmaker patted Lin Qiuman’s arm with a smile that said I’m doing this for your own good. “The man I want to introduce is—”
“Auntie,” Lin Qiuman interrupted before she could continue. “I really have no plans to marry right now. I’m sorry you made the trip.”
“I say, Aunt Wang, aren’t you being a bit ridiculous? She’s already made herself so clear. Are you pretending not to understand?”
Shen Linghua spat out a chicken bone and mocked her. “How much did you get paid as a matchmaker to work this hard?”
“Heh, heh…” The matchmaker forced an awkward laugh while silently cursing Shen Linghua.
“Well then, Auntie, I won’t see you out,” Lin Qiuman said, glancing at the table, clearly not intending to continue the conversation.
Shen Linghua stared at the restless Li Wenbin for a moment and then said with a smile, “Wenbin, don’t you think so? Teacher Lin doesn’t want to get married, yet Aunt Wang keeps making things difficult for her. That’s a bit shameless, isn’t it?”
“Heh… Aunt Wang just talks a lot usually,” Li Wenbin nodded. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He glanced guiltily at Lin Qiuman and finally kept quiet.
When the matchmaker had asked Lin Qiuman earlier, countless scenes had played out in his mind. He had thought that since Lin Qiuman knew about his feelings, she would surely agree.
He had even wondered whether things would be awkward between them afterward.
But who knew Lin Qiuman wouldn’t even give the matchmaker a chance to speak? Did she truly not know the proposal was for him—or did she simply not think much of him?
“After I finish eating, I’ll go talk to the village chief.”
Shen Linghua put down his chopsticks and told Shen Lingkang, “If you don’t want to go home to write at noon, just rest in the classroom.”
Who knew whether Li Wenbin might linger around? Leaving Kangkang here was the safest choice.
…
“Maohua, you came at the right time. The township sent word this morning that the county got hold of an old machine. They want you to check whether the parts can be used for the farming machine.”
The village chief set down his chopsticks and spoke excitedly. “I heard the county leaders value the farming machine you made. Work hard! If you get the chance to meet them, don’t forget to mention our sand excavation project.”
“I’m not doing it.”
Shen Linghua snorted and pulled over a stool to sit down. “I’m not the village chief. If it’s not my responsibility, I’m not dealing with it.”
“You—!” The village chief muttered, “Did you take the wrong medicine today?”
“Didn’t you tell me to make bricks to build a house? I haven’t finished yet.”
“Didn’t Li Wenbin help you…” The village chief stopped mid-sentence, suddenly understanding. He stood up with a grin. “Ah, I see now. No wonder you’ve been speaking so strangely.”
“That’s not it.” Shen Linghua waved his hand.
“Haha, I didn’t say anything. What are you denying?” The village chief chuckled. “Looks like you’ve taken a liking to Teacher Lin. Let me tell you—you don’t really have any advantage compared to her. Since you like her, you’d better act quickly.”
Shen Linghua scratched his ear and stood up to leave.
“Maohua, listen to my advice. Teacher Lin just arrived in our village and doesn’t know your family situation yet. If you wait too long and someone whispers bad things about you in her ear, you’ll really lose your chance.”
The village chief stared at Shen Linghua’s back for a long while before sighing.
“If those two ended up together, they’d truly be a perfect match.”
“What are you mumbling about?” the village chief’s wife called from the kitchen. “Teacher Lin is a good girl, but the Shen family is a pit of fire. No matter how much you admire Maohua, you have to think about those two cannibal-like sisters-in-law of his!”
“You women only think about that kind of nonsense. There are so many technicians at the county agricultural machinery station, yet none of them are as capable as Maohua. If someone could guide that boy properly, his future would be limitless.”
The village chief didn’t want Shen Linghua to leave the village. He wanted him to contribute to the village.
After some time, he even planned to help him join the Party.
If before retirement he could arrange for Shen Linghua to take a position in the village committee, then everyone would be satisfied.