Lin Wanwan stared blankly as the man walked toward her.
His tall figure only made her seem even smaller. The masculine aura unique to a man rushed toward her.
Suddenly, she felt the weight in her hands disappear.
By the time she came back to her senses, the two suitcases beside her and the backpack she had been carrying were all in the man’s hands.
Feeling much lighter, she blinked and followed behind him to the ox cart.
A layer of dried straw had been spread across the wooden platform of the cart. Even so, there was still a foul smell lingering on it. Who knew what had been transported there before?
“Can’t get up?” Lu Ye finished placing the luggage down and turned around. Seeing the young woman staring at the ox cart with her features scrunched together, his fingers tightened slightly against the wooden plank.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke in a cold voice.
“Do you need help?”
“No, thank you.”
The smell coming from the cart made the discomfort in Lin Wanwan’s chest even worse.
Her brows knitted together. Wiping away the sweat that had appeared at her temple, she gritted her teeth and stepped onto the cart.
Forget it.
At worst, she would just throw away this outfit afterward.
She comforted herself inwardly.
Unfortunately, her legs felt weak. She failed to plant her foot firmly on the plank, and it slipped out from under her.
She immediately pitched forward.
Lin Wanwan’s eyes widened. Her rosy lips parted slightly, but she was so startled that no sound came out.
Help!
Just as she was about to crash onto the foul-smelling wooden platform, a large hand suddenly reached out from beside her and grabbed her arm.
The warmth of his touch passed through the fabric and reached her skin.
Then another warm sensation appeared around her waist.
The scenery around her abruptly flipped.
Everything happened so quickly that before Lin Wanwan could react, the man had already released her.
And she found herself standing steadily on the ox cart.
His movements had been so swift that it almost felt like an illusion.
Yet Lin Wanwan could clearly feel a faint pain coming from the arm he had grabbed.
Her waist hurt too!
“You…”
Lin Wanwan widened her beautiful peach-blossom eyes and looked at the man beside her.
Meeting the young woman’s moist, expressive gaze, Lu Ye felt as though the softness from their brief contact still lingered in his hands.
His fingers twitched slightly.
Pressing his lips together, he lowered his voice and said,
“No need to thank me. It was only right.”
Lin Wanwan: “???”
“…”
Fine.
She really should thank him for preventing her from making intimate contact with that foul-smelling wooden plank.
But!
Were this man’s hands made of sandpaper or something?!
Her arm and waist hurt so much.
A burning pain.
There was definitely a large red mark by now!
Unable to think of anything else to say, Lin Wanwan could only glare fiercely at him twice before huffing and finding a relatively clean spot to sit.
She removed her scarf and placed it beneath her before sitting down.
The pain in her arm and waist distracted her so thoroughly that she failed to notice something.
The stuffy discomfort in her chest had suddenly disappeared!
One after another, the others climbed onto the ox cart as well.
Fang Yun sat down beside her and whispered,
“Wanwan, you really scared me just now. I thought you were going to fall. Good thing that comrade caught you.”
“Maybe I’ve been sitting on the train for too long. My legs were a little weak, so I lost my footing.”
Lin Wanwan replied gloomily.
After everyone had boarded, the square-faced team leader finally spoke.
“Sit tight, everyone! The road’s a bit bumpy, so don’t fall off!”
The handrails on either side of the cart were thin and only reached waist height.
If someone wasn’t careful, it would indeed be easy to fall off.
The square-faced team leader and Lu Ye sat at the front of the cart so they could guide the ox.
Lin Wanwan happened to be sitting directly behind Lu Ye.
Rubbing her still-aching arm, she frowned and glared at the man’s broad, upright back.
Her gaze traveled upward.
Then she noticed that the tips of his ears were bright red.
So red that they looked as if blood might drip from them at any moment.
Pah, pah!
Lin Wanwan wrinkled her nose and quickly looked away.
The ox cart moved leisurely along the country dirt road.
The lush green grass and trees on both sides were refreshing to look at.
Lin Wanwan was in excellent spirits and chatted quietly with Fang Yun.
As they talked, Fang Yun suddenly said,
“The journey’s kind of boring. Let’s sing together!”
“What should we sing?”
Sun Cheng, seated nearby, immediately became interested.
After thinking for a moment, Fang Yun said,
“How about I Love My Motherland’s Blue Sky?”
“Sure! I’ll start us off!”
Sun Cheng grinned, straightened his back, and cleared his throat.
“I love my motherland’s blue sky,
Clear skies stretch for thousands of miles, sunlight shining brightly~”
“White clouds pave a broad road for me,
The east wind carries me forward.
Golden morning clouds dance beside me,
Beneath my feet lies a magnificent land of rivers and mountains, ah ah…”
Encouraged by Fang Yun and Sun Cheng’s enthusiastic singing, the others gradually joined in as well.
Their melodious voices drifted far down the country road.
The lush vegetation around them swayed gently, as though dancing along with the song.
“Heh, young people really are full of energy.”
The square-faced team leader chuckled.
Hopefully they would have this much energy when it came time to work.
Lu Ye said nothing.
His expression remained as cold and stern as ever.
Yet the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
A faint fragrance lingered around his nose.
Very faint.
The same scent also clung to his hands.
Lowering his gaze, Lu Ye looked at his rough, callused palms.
In his mind appeared a pair of beautiful, moist eyes filled with emotion.
He slowly closed his hand, his thumb unconsciously rubbing against his fingertips.
A quiet chuckle escaped his throat.
The wind carried it away before anyone could hear.
The ox cart traveled for nearly two hours before finally arriving at Hongxin Brigade.
The road had indeed been extremely bumpy.
The wooden platform was hard as well.
Lin Wanwan felt as though her entire body had nearly been shaken apart.
The moment the cart stopped, she hurriedly got down and stretched her slightly numb legs.
“It’s getting late.”
The team leader glanced at the darkening sky and clasped his hands behind his back.
“I’ll take you to the Educated Youth Residence first. Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to the villagers.”
“My surname is Li—Li Changsheng. You can call me Team Leader Li, or Uncle Li.”
“Come on. I’ll take you there.”
Just as Lin Wanwan bent down to pick up her suitcase, a large hand reached out beside her.
Someone lifted both of her suitcases before she could touch them.
At the same time, he also picked up one of Fang Yun’s bundles and strode ahead.
“That comrade is such a nice person. He’s even helping us carry our luggage.”
Fang Yun praised Lu Ye’s departing figure.
“Mm, I guess.”
Lin Wanwan’s agreement sounded rather weak.
She rubbed her still-sore arm again, wondering just how much force that man had used.
Following behind Team Leader Li, the group headed toward the Educated Youth Residence.
The sky had already grown completely dark.
Without any light, it was difficult to see the road ahead, and everyone stumbled along awkwardly.
Xu Wen had it especially hard.
She was carrying a large pile of belongings herself, and nobody was helping her.
As she walked, she viciously cursed people in her heart.
If Xu Zhishuang hadn’t suddenly gotten married, would she have ended up in this godforsaken place?
It was all Xu Zhishuang’s fault.
And all Lin Wanwan’s fault too.
Those two bitches deserved to die!
The moment she finished cursing them, something suddenly caught her foot.
She lost her balance and rolled straight into the ditch beside the road.
The fall was spectacularly miserable.
Xu Wen sat there in a daze for two seconds.
Then the pain hit.
“Waaah—!”
She burst into tears.
Team Leader Li turned back to look at her, his face full of disdain.
“Can’t even walk properly? What’s there to cry about?”
“I’ll carry your luggage. Hurry up and get out of there!”
Still crying, Xu Wen climbed out of the ditch.
Her white dress had turned into a filthy brown mess and was giving off an unpleasant smell.
Team Leader Li had no intention of comforting her.
After helping carry her luggage, he lowered his head and continued walking toward the Educated Youth Residence.
The others had no mood to comfort her either.
They had been exhausted from traveling for days.
All they wanted was to reach their destination, rest properly, and get some sleep.
The surroundings were pitch black.
Xu Wen did not dare throw a tantrum.
She could only continue crying as she followed the group.