Before Song Cili could speak, Chu Xiao quietly said from the side, “What are you going to trade with? She wants snacks.”
It felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over Shen Jianyang’s burning enthusiasm. His face immediately fell.
“Brother Song, can you lend me some snacks?”
“You still haven’t paid back what you borrowed last time,” Song Cili replied expressionlessly.
“Comrade Song, do you still want it?” Su Meier asked. Carrying the rabbit was getting tiring. “As long as the snacks are roughly equal in value, I’m fine with it.”
Song Cili looked at the heavily injured gray rabbit. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
“You hunted this with a bow and arrow?”
Once might be luck.
Twice might still be luck.
But a third time was definitely more than luck.
This rabbit had been killed with a precise shot straight through the heart. Yet another had been shot in the hind leg and left alive. Either she had a natural talent for it, or she had learned it somewhere before.
“Comrade Song has sharp eyes!” Su Meier praised sincerely. “I made the bow myself. I didn’t expect it to work so well.”
She admired him. Not only was he exceptionally handsome and refined, but his insight was remarkable as well.
He frowned thoughtfully for a moment.
“I’ll take this gray rabbit. I don’t have time to return to the educated youth residence right now to get snacks.
After dinner, around eight o’clock when it starts getting dark, I’ll wait outside your house and bring the snacks to you.”
Su Meier’s eyes immediately lit up.
Success!
Her late-night snacks were secured!
“Alright, I’ll wait for you to bring them.”
Her tone was filled with anticipation for the snacks.
She handed him the gray rabbit.
“Here!”
After Song Cili accepted it, Shen Jianyang grew anxious.
“Little Sister Su, I may not have that many snacks…”
“But I have plenty of strength. Do you think I can trade labor for that dead rabbit?”
As he spoke, he flexed the muscles on his sturdy frame.
Su Meier nervously took a step back.
H-He…
What did he mean by that?
Was he really willing to sell himself just for food?
“Comrade Shen, there’s no need to go that far. It’s only a bit of food. Why degrade yourself like this? Besides, I don’t need that.”
Her face instantly turned bright red.
Shen Jianyang looked confused.
“How do you not need it? Judging by your work today, you wouldn’t even finish drying that row of rice stalks if you skipped dinner.”
Earlier that morning, they had noticed from afar that her area was piled high with white sacks and progressing the slowest. He and Chu Xiao had even joked about it.
“You mean helping me dry rice?”
Only then did Su Meier realize what he had meant.
“What else would I mean?”
The innocent young man had absolutely no idea about the misunderstanding she had just had.
“Sure.”
She agreed readily.
After all, keeping one rabbit for her family was enough.
“What? You agree?”
Even Shen Jianyang could hardly believe it.
He had been preparing to borrow snacks from Song Cili, yet now snacks weren’t even necessary.
“Little Sister Su, don’t worry. Any work you can’t finish in the future, I’ll handle it for you.”
Overcome with excitement, he proudly patted his muscular chest.
“It’s fine. Just help me whenever you have free time.”
Su Meier was a reasonable person.
She couldn’t expect him to leave his own work unfinished just to help her.
“Alright, it’s a deal!”
His eyes remained fixed on the rabbit in her hands.
Su Meier handed it over.
“Here.”
“Miss Su, would it be possible for me to see the bow you use?”
Song Cili suddenly spoke from the side.
Su Meier thought about it.
The design came from modern knowledge, and he wasn’t in the same profession. Even if he saw it, she wasn’t worried he could replicate it.
Besides, there wasn’t enough time now.
If they kept talking, none of them would make it home for dinner.
“Sure!”
She agreed without hesitation.
“But not now. I still need to go home and eat. Tonight, I’ll bring it out for you to take a look.”
Before anyone could respond, she turned and ran off.
“See you tonight!”
Having successfully traded away two rabbits, her steps were incredibly light.
But no matter how fast she ran, she was still destined to be late.
“She hasn’t even eaten dinner yet?”
Shen Jianyang looked at the rabbit in his hands, then at the pink-clad figure disappearing into the distance.
“Brother Song, she’s pretty interesting. Much more fun than the girls from the city.”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Song Cili withdrew his gaze and said coldly,
“Have you figured out what to do with your rabbit yet?”
Right.
They still had work that afternoon.
The rabbit would need to be stored back at the educated youth residence.
“How about I head back? Brother Song, I can bring your rabbit too—as long as you forgive the snacks I borrowed from you before.”
To Shen Jianyang, being late was practically routine.
Losing half a work point was no big deal.
“Fine.”
The deep voice carried a hint of indifference.
Nearby, Chu Xiao silently watched the rabbits in their hands.
A trace of envy and jealousy flashed through his eyes.
“Good brother, we’ll eat together tonight!”
Shen Jianyang slapped him on the shoulder generously.
Although Chu Xiao was also from Kyoto, his family circumstances seemed even poorer than Shen Jianyang’s.
He was physically weaker as well, and Shen Jianyang had often helped him.
Faced with the choice between pride and rabbit meat, Chu Xiao shamefully chose the rabbit meat.
“Jianyang, you earned this through your own labor. How can I just enjoy the benefits?”
Shen Jianyang thought for a moment.
“It’s fine. If I get too busy, you can help me give Little Sister Su a hand.”
Chu Xiao froze slightly.
He clearly hadn’t expected that response.
“Al-Alright.”
Meanwhile, Su Meier sprinted all the way home.
By the time she arrived, she was exhausted and panting heavily.
“Mom, I’m back!”
“Meier, you finally made it home!”
Mother Liang set down the bowl in her hands.
“If you hadn’t come back soon, I was about to bring dinner to you myself.”
“Mom, if I’m late next time, just wait a little longer. No matter how late I am, I’ll come home to eat.”
Su Meier felt it was necessary to tell her seriously.
What if she came home even later next time?
They might end up missing each other entirely.
“Alright, Mom understands.”
Mother Liang nodded.
“How was your first day of work?
It’s alright if you can’t finish everything. At worst, you’ll earn fewer work points. Our Su family can afford to support one daughter.”
After only one day of labor, her daughter already looked noticeably more worn out.
It was all that rotten boy’s fault for suggesting such a terrible idea!
“Mom, I know my limits. I won’t push myself too hard.”
Working overtime was absolutely out of the question!
She proudly waved the large white rabbit in her hand.
“The reason I came back late today was because I went hunting in the back mountain.”
Along the way home, several villagers had noticed the rabbit she was carrying.
Every one of them looked at it with envy.
Many asked where it had come from.
Since she was in a hurry to get home, she simply told them she had hunted it herself.
Whether they believed her or not was another matter.
Only then did Mother Liang notice the rabbit.
Her eyes widened in shock.
“Meier, where did this come from?”
“I caught it myself, of course. I’m amazing!”
Su Meier declared confidently.
“You’ve really grown capable! Truly capable!”
Mother Liang’s face was filled with pride.
“My daughter can actually hunt and bring home such a big rabbit!”
Who said daughters were inferior to sons?
Her daughter had beauty.
She had education.
And now she even possessed impressive skills.
Those people who used to mock her could envy her all they wanted now.
Mother Liang set the rabbit on the ground and carefully looked Su Meier over from head to toe.
“You didn’t get hurt anywhere, did you?”