Several elderly villagers sat under the large tree at the village entrance, fanning themselves with homemade cattail-leaf fans while chatting idly.
Suddenly, an unusual rumbling sound approached from the distance, shattering the village’s tranquility.
“What’s that noise?”
Someone stopped fanning, stood up in confusion, and shielded their eyes with a hand to peer toward the outskirts of the village.
Soon, a small car kicking up dust came into view.
A car!
The elders were stunned.
“Good heavens, what’s this iron contraption doing in our village?”
“Is some high-ranking official coming? Should we go find the brigade leader?”
“What high-ranking official? What would they want here?”
“How should I know? Hurry and fetch the brigade leader.”
“I’ll go. My legs are still nimble. Let me.”
A slightly younger old man immediately set off running toward the brigade headquarters.
Just then, the car slowly came to a stop in front of the group. The window rolled down, revealing a young man in the driver’s seat.
Someone craned their neck to look inside the car but saw no one else, their eyes flickering with suspicion.
This official looks awfully young.
Regardless of why he was so young, they still had to greet him properly.
“Sir, please wait a moment. Someone has already gone to fetch the brigade leader. He’ll be here soon.”
Lu Yikang glanced at these old men dressed in patched clothes, a flicker of disdain flashing in his eyes.
“Do you know how to get to Yao Yunzhen’s house?”
After waiting in vain for Yao Meimei these past few days, he could no longer sit still and decided to investigate on his own.
Whether his eyes were open or closed, his mind was filled with the girl named Zhenzhen. He had lost his appetite and couldn’t sleep well.
He had only one thought: he must have her.
The Lu family’s influence in the county ran deeper than Yao Meimei had imagined. In just two days, they had thoroughly investigated the Yao family.
Once he had the exact address, Lu Yikang didn’t hesitate. Using his father’s connections, he borrowed a car and drove straight over.
“Yao Yunzhen? Who’s that? Is there such a person in our village?”
“With the surname Yao, she must be from the Yao family, right?”
“I know, she’s that lazy daughter of Yao Sheng’s.”
“Oh, it’s her.”
Few recognized the name, but mention “the lazy daughter,” and everyone knew who it was.
Yao Yunzhen’s laziness was notorious in Baiyang Brigade.
A girl her age, doing nothing all day, just wandering around the village idly—she was the subject of endless gossip.
Many said the Yao family spoiled their daughter too much.
She was just a money-losing burden, yet they raised her like a landlord’s young lady. It was outrageous.
Hearing this, Lu Yikang brightened and looked at the speaker. “You know where she lives?”
What does this official want with that girl?
Some wondered silently, but they still diligently gave directions. The others followed behind the car, trotting along toward Yao Yunzhen’s house.
Women doing household chores inside their homes heard the commotion and hurried out to see what was happening.
Children also ran alongside the car, chasing it back and forth.
“What’s going on? Why is there a car?”
“I heard they’re looking for Yao Sheng’s daughter.”
“Looking for his daughter? Is this…”
An auntie noticed the young man in the driver’s seat and couldn’t help but speculate.
“Don’t jump to conclusions. That girl must have gotten into some trouble when she went to the city the other day.”
Who would ever fancy a girl like Yao Sheng’s daughter?
They say she wouldn’t even lift a fallen oil bottle at home, and even her own clothes are washed by her mother.
The crowd swarmed around the small car, whispering incessantly the whole way, with all sorts of speculations rising one after another.
The Yao family’s house was near the village entrance, where the road was relatively wide. Guided by a group of onlookers, Lu Yikang smoothly drove the car to the Yao family’s doorstep.
An old man loudly called out Yao Daqiang’s nickname: “Daqiang, there’s a leader here to see your lazy… Zhen girl.”
It was Zhen girl, right?
These old men were much older than Yao Daqiang himself. Usually interacting only with the heads of households, they weren’t very familiar with the names of young girls in the village.
A younger auntie chimed in: “Uncle Daqiang is at work. The whole family is working—I saw them leave when I was watering the vegetable patch. Only Zhen girl should be home now.”
Lu Yikang overheard the villagers’ discussions and realized they had reached their destination, making him even more excited. He promptly pushed the car door open and stepped out.
He had somehow gotten hold of a black Zhongshan suit to wear, paired with leather shoes, his hair slicked with wax—the whole ensemble giving him quite an impressive air.
The villagers had never seen anyone like this before, dressed even better than the commune leaders. They were instantly awestruck, stepping back several paces to make room and falling silent, no longer daring to whisper among themselves.
The scene quieted down immediately.
Ignoring these shabby villagers, Lu Yikang straightened his collar and called out loudly:
“Is Comrade Yao Yunzhen at home?”
Houses nowadays weren’t soundproof. Yao Yunzhen had long heard the commotion outside and had secretly cracked open a window to peek out.
Once she realized the man who had arrived in the small car was there to see her, Yao Yunzhen grew somewhat flustered.
She didn’t know him at all—why would he be looking for her?
Yao Yunzhen wasn’t sure whether she should respond.
After waiting a moment without hearing any reply, Lu Yikang frowned. He turned to the people who had guided him and coldly demanded:
“Are you sure this is Yao Yunzhen’s home? There’s no mistake?”
The questioned individuals grew anxious, afraid of angering the leader, and urgently replied:
“Absolutely, this is her home. We’re from the same village—how could we get it wrong?”
“Yes, we’re all from the same village. No mistake here.”
“Zhen girl, come out quickly! Zhen girl, a leader is here to see you—come out now!”
One of the older aunties simply raised her voice to shout, banging loudly on the courtyard gate for emphasis.
A leader? Here to see her?
Yao Yunzhen was very puzzled. After hesitating for a moment, she still pulled open the door, remembering to put on her face mask before stepping out.
She didn’t dare go outside, standing just in the doorway as she raised her voice to ask, “What do you want with me, leader?”
Seeing Yao Yunzhen, Lu Yikang’s eyes immediately lit up.
Although Yao Yunzhen was dressed very plainly and wore a face mask, he recognized her at a glance.
Those sparkling, expressive eyes were unforgettable to him.
She was the fairy-like girl who had captured his heart and occupied his dreams.
Suppressing his excitement, Lu Yikang cleared his throat: “Let me introduce myself. I’m Lu Yikang. My father is the Revolutionary Committee Director, and my mother is the deputy director of the Women’s Federation. I’m their only son, so everything in our family will be mine someday.”
“So he’s not a leader? Then what’s he doing in our village?”
“Are you stupid? Can’t you tell? This young man must have taken a liking to Zhen girl.”
“With such excellent qualities, would he ever take a liking to a country girl?”
“…”
The quiet crowd once again buzzed with whispers.
Separated by the courtyard, Yao Yunzhen couldn’t quite make out those murmurs clearly. She only felt puzzled and confused.
“Why are you telling me all this?”