Yan Tingfeng was completely captivated by Mu Mianmian’s brilliant smile.
How could he possibly have time to argue? His tall figure, standing at one meter eighty five, was being led along by the petite girl who was barely one meter sixty.
Wei Qiang, an old educated youth, drove the village’s only three wheeled vehicle and brought all the educated youths to the educated youth residence.
Kaoshan Village was not considered wealthy, and the living conditions at the educated youth residence were not particularly good either. Everyone slept on shared platforms, which immediately drew all kinds of complaints from the newly arrived female educated youths.
“What kind of awful place is this? We came here to help build the new countryside, not to suffer here!” A female educated youth wearing an elegant dress threw her bag heavily onto the ground, her face full of resentment.
The others were just as dissatisfied.
“Doesn’t the village have any better houses?”
“Don’t tell me so many of us are going to live together? I’ve had my own room since I was little. I’m not used to sleeping with other people.”
“We spent several days and nights on the train just to get here, and we’re exhausted. Now we have to live in a place that looks like a cowshed.”
Wei Qiang was among the first group of educated youths to arrive at Kaoshan Village, so he had always been in charge of matters at the educated youth residence.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “What are you being so fussy about? You came here to go to the countryside and help with construction, not to enjoy yourselves. If you think there are too many people here, you can spend your own money to build a house. Also, your food rations have to be exchanged with work points you earn from working.
Don’t even think about slacking off.”
The brigade leader arrived with Mu Mianmian and the others at that moment.
“What are you all arguing about?” The brigade leader stood with his hands behind his back, looking quite imposing.
Wei Qiang had been here for several years and was already very familiar with him.
“Uncle Mu, these young masters and young ladies think the conditions here are too poor. I think if they have money, we might as well let them build their own houses. That would also give everyone at the educated youth residence a little more room.”
Mu Mianmian arrived shortly afterward with Yan Tingfeng in tow. Her curious gaze swept over everyone, and she immediately spotted the male lead from the original novel, Gu Jianwen.
White shirt, suit trousers, leather shoes. Among everyone there, only he could be considered particularly handsome, and his bearing was also noticeably different from the others.
Mu Mianmian remembered that Gu Jianwen was also from Kyoto in the original novel. Although his family was not as powerful as the Yan family, they were by no means an ordinary household. He had come to the countryside this time because something had happened to his family, so he had come out to avoid trouble. Once the situation settled down, he would return.
There was only one problem with this man. He was always indecisive when it came to relationships, which was why the romantic storyline in the original novel became so complicated. If one really traced everything back, it was all because of this man who treated every woman warmly and gave everyone hope.
Mu Mianmian really could not understand why the female lead and all those supporting female characters had fallen for a man like him.
The brigade leader had already expected something like this.
“Sure. However, you have to pay for the construction yourselves, and you will also have to find your own red bricks and other materials.”
Why would he object to having several more houses built for the village?
Several educated youths immediately fell silent.
Most of them had been sent to the countryside either because they were not favored at home or because they had caused trouble themselves. They did not have much money on them. If they spent all of it on building houses, would they not end up with nothing to eat later?
Gu Jianwen smiled and placed his suitcase to the side.
“I think this place is quite good. Everyone came here from different parts of the country to work in the countryside together, so this is fate. Living together will also give us more opportunities to get to know one another.
Besides, Brother Wei Qiang just said that we came here to support construction. We should not indulge in pleasure.”
The other female educated youths immediately changed their attitudes and began agreeing with him.
Along the journey, they had already secretly fallen for Gu Jianwen. How could they bear to separate from him?
The brigade leader also took another look at Gu Jianwen.
Hmm, he was a handsome young man, and his way of thinking was also quite respectable. But who was he looking at?
The brigade leader turned around and saw his own precious granddaughter standing behind him.
Sure enough, it was her.
From the moment Gu Jianwen saw Mu Mianmian, he could no longer take his eyes off her.
He had never expected to encounter such a beautiful, adorable, and lively girl in such a remote and impoverished village. Could she also be an educated youth from the city?
Her smile was truly beautiful.
But why did she seem to have a hint of disgust in her eyes whenever she looked at him?
Yan Tingfeng’s powers of observation were exceptionally sharp. The moment he noticed Gu Jianwen’s thoughts, he immediately took Mu Mianmian’s hand.
“Mianmian, it is time to eat. Let’s go home and have lunch first, otherwise Grandma and the others will be waiting for us.”
His voice was gentle and full of affection. If the soldiers who had once been frightened out of their wits by him heard him now, they would probably suspect that something was wrong with their eyes.
With one sentence, he successfully declared his claim while also drawing Mu Mianmian’s attention back to himself, making her look only at him.
“Mm, okay.”
Mu Mianmian looked up at Yan Tingfeng and smiled at him. This smile was even more radiant than the one she had given earlier.
She turned around and called out to the brigade leader as well.
“Grandpa, since Brother Wei Qiang has already settled everyone in, let’s go home and eat.”
“All right. We will do whatever my little girl says.”
The brigade leader finally smiled and followed his granddaughter and future grandson in law home.
Only then did everyone realize what their relationship was.
So that little girl was the brigade leader’s granddaughter.
For the entire day, Gu Jianwen’s mind kept flashing with Mu Mianmian’s smiling face.
Although Mu Mianmian was from the countryside and her family background was somewhat lacking, she was obedient and beautiful. If he could get closer to her, life during his time in the countryside would certainly become much easier.
If she was sensible enough, bringing her back with him when he returned to the city would not be impossible either.
The Mu family courtyard was lively once again.
“Mianmian, have some meat.”
Most of the time, Yan Tingfeng was busy putting food into Mu Mianmian’s bowl.
Since courtesy should be returned, Mu Mianmian also picked up a piece of rabbit meat and gave it to Yan Tingfeng. She even brought it directly to his mouth.
“Brother Tingfeng, this spicy rabbit meat gets more fragrant the more you chew it. Hurry and try it.”
There was a glimmer in her expectant eyes that made it impossible for him to look away.
Yan Tingfeng instinctively opened his mouth and ate it.
“Is it fragrant?” Mu Mianmian leaned closer and asked with a smile.
In Yan Tingfeng’s eyes, there was nothing but Mu Mianmian.
“It is.”
But it seemed that his wife smelled even better.
However, he could not say that out loud. They were not married yet. He could not frighten his wife and ruin her reputation.
Having received the answer she wanted, Mu Mianmian smiled even more happily. She then put a piece of meat into each of Li Fengjiao and Mu Changhe’s bowls.
“I know Grandma made this herself. Grandma’s cooking is still the best.
Your cooking is definitely even better than the master chefs at the state owned restaurant.”
Li Fengjiao was delighted by her words and burst into laughter.
“My little girl really knows how to make people happy. Come on, eat more.”
Mu Mianmian did not forget the younger cousins sitting at the table either.
“Fubao, Nuanbao, Qingbao, you should all eat more too. From now on, with your aunt here, I guarantee that you will have meat to eat every day.”
The three children liked their aunt even more now.
“Thank you, Aunt.”
The several sisters in law were also increasingly satisfied with this little sister in law.
Although she was a little lazy and a little greedy and never went down to the fields to work, she always managed to find good things for the family.
She also treated all their children equally, which made her much better than the troublesome little sisters in law from other families.
In the afternoon, everyone else went to work, while Mu Mianmian picked up a carrying basket.
“Grandma, I’m going up the mountain.”
The original owner often went up the mountain too, so this behavior did not seem unusual at all.
Yan Tingfeng was worried about her.
“Mianmian, I will go with you.”
Li Fengjiao looked at the two children standing together, and the more she looked, the more suitable they seemed for each other.
“All right. Then I will trouble you to take good care of my little girl, Tingfeng.”
“Mm, Grandma, don’t worry. With me here, I absolutely will not let anything happen to Mianmian,” Yan Tingfeng said firmly.