Zhou Yinghuai took a deep breath, shook his head, and collected his thoughts before returning to work.
He operated the excavator, its cold mechanical claw digging into the mountain. In the blink of an eye, he had carved out a large opening. Then, he transported the soil, rocks, branches, and other debris into the truck bed. He repeated this action countless times, until finally, it was time to clock out.
Jumping down from the excavator, Zhou Yinghuai locked the driver’s seat door and walked toward the educated youth point alongside Zhao Zhigao, who had come looking for him.
Zhao Zhigao had an energetic personality, his mouth never stopping the entire way. Zhou Yinghuai responded absentmindedly here and there, and before long, they arrived.
As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, a rich aroma of food filled the air. Zhou Yinghuai instinctively looked toward the kitchen. The others had also smelled it, and one after another, they rushed toward the kitchen, scrambling to be the first.
“Why do these people act like they haven’t eaten in eight lifetimes?” Zhao Zhigao grumbled even as he joined the food-grabbing brigade. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to urge Zhou Yinghuai, “Brother Huai, hurry up and follow, or there’ll be nothing left for you!”
Hearing this, Zhou Yinghuai couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement before stepping forward to follow.
As soon as he entered the room, he bumped into Cheng Fangqiu, who was carrying a dish toward the dining table. The two made eye contact. When she lifted her head and saw him, her originally calm expression immediately changed. Her eyes lit up with joy as she called out, “Comrade Zhou.”
That sweet call made Zhou Yinghuai’s heart suddenly skip a beat before pounding wildly, as if it was about to leap out of his chest the next second. He had never reacted like this upon seeing her before—what was different about today?
“Comrade Zhou?” Seeing that he was merely staring at her in a daze without saying a word, while a group of people nearby were also watching, Cheng Fangqiu had no choice but to call out again. She even reached up to touch her own face, half-jokingly asking, “Do I have something on my face?”
“No.” Her words successfully pulled him out of his thoughts. He quickly stepped forward and took the large bowl from her hands. “Be careful, don’t burn yourself.”
Only after making sure he had a firm grip did Cheng Fangqiu release her hold. Tilting her head slightly, she smiled and said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Zhou Yinghuai shook his head. After placing the bowl down, he sat beside Zhao Zhigao. Only when he picked up his chopsticks did the others, who had been eagerly waiting, finally begin their meal with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Cheng Fangqiu and He Shenghui sat by the courtyard gate, chatting. Once everyone finished eating, they began tidying up the kitchen. When the cleaning was almost done, it was about time to head home. He Shenghui’s eldest son came to pick her up.
“There’s not much left to do—I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Alright then, thanks!”
After He Shenghui left, Cheng Fangqiu also finished her tasks a few minutes later. She washed her hands and, just as she stepped out of the kitchen, saw the technicians carrying their change of clothes, heading toward the river to bathe. Zhou Yinghuai was among them.
A thought crossed her mind, and she called out, “Comrade Zhou!”
A group of people turned their heads in unison to look at her. Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, she showed no trace of nervousness and directly said, “You injured your arm, so it’s best not to go into the river. If the wound gets infected, that would be troublesome.”
“Is it that serious?” Zhao Zhigao scratched his head and glanced at Zhou Yinghuai’s arm. His sleeve covered part of it, making it hard to see. But Brother Huai hadn’t even gone to the clinic, so it couldn’t be a big injury.
The village’s river was crystal clear—it looked pretty clean, so how could it cause an infection?
Besides, they were all men. Small cuts and bruises were common, but they still bathed in the river without issue. Brother Huai was stronger than all of them; he definitely wouldn’t be bothered by something like this.
Boiling water for a bath was troublesome anyway—washing up in the river was much more convenient.
But since Comrade Cheng was just offering a kind reminder, and Brother Huai was shy and wouldn’t outright refuse, Zhao Zhigao decided to thank her and politely decline on his behalf.
With that thought in mind, he grinned and began to say, “Thank you, Comrade Cheng, but—”
“I’m not going, then.”
Before he could finish his sentence, another voice interrupted him.
Zhao Zhigao’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Zhou Yinghuai obediently turn around and walk back.
Was this still his Brother Huai? Where was the man who hated trouble and preferred to get things done quickly?
And—was it just his imagination?
Why did it seem like Brother Huai’s lips had curled up slightly?
But when he looked again, Brother Huai’s face was as calm as ever, without a trace of emotion.
It must have been his imagination. Yes, that had to be it. Otherwise, why would Brother Huai be secretly pleased?!
“I’m heading home first. See you tomorrow.” Cheng Fangqiu waved at Zhou Yinghuai.
As if compelled by some unseen force, he raised his hand and waved back.
Only, the way he did it looked completely stiff and awkward—nothing like the natural and adorable motion she had made.
Cheng Fangqiu stifled a couple of giggles, withdrew her hand, turned around, and left. Soon, her figure disappeared from everyone’s sight.
Zhou Yinghuai retracted his gaze from her departing figure. Just as he was about to return to his room, he met Zhao Zhigao’s complicated expression. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “It’s getting dark. What are you still dawdling around here for?”
“R-right, we’re leaving now.” Zhao Zhigao quickly responded, snapping his jaw shut before it could fully drop in shock.
Zhou Yinghuai nodded and paid him no further attention. He headed straight back to his room. Once inside, he sat down on his bed and immediately noticed a handkerchief placed beside his pillow. The plain fabric was stained with an abrupt and striking red, making it stand out glaringly.
The moment he saw the handkerchief, he couldn’t stop himself from recalling everything that had happened in the mountains—how she had thrown herself into his arms, trembling with fear, yet still managed to look at him with reddened eyes, full of concern, as she bandaged his wound…
His breath hitched for a moment. Stepping forward, he picked up the handkerchief, rubbing it lightly between his fingers. The blood had long dried, leaving a deep crimson stain that was probably difficult to wash out. He might as well buy a new one and return it to her.
Last time, when he visited the commune’s supply and marketing cooperative, he hadn’t seen any handkerchiefs for sale. It seemed he’d have to go to the county town to find one. He’d make the trip on his next day off.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Over the past few days, Cheng Fangqiu had successfully blended in with the technicians, even managing to memorize almost everyone’s names. At the same time, her relationship with Zhou Yinghuai had grown increasingly delicate.
Looking at the man who hurriedly averted his gaze every time they made eye contact, Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes sparkled with amusement. But before she could even smirk in satisfaction, a crisp and lively female voice rang out from outside the courtyard.
“Brother Huai! Where are you? I’m here!”
Everyone at the dining table paused mid-bite.
“Did I just hear Xiao Lian’s voice?” someone asked in confusion.
“I heard it too.”
With a few others echoing the sentiment, it was clear that this was no hallucination—it was real!
Realizing this, the crowd, who usually treated mealtime as the most important event of the day, simultaneously set down their bowls and rushed out of the kitchen as if a tornado had swept through.
In an instant, only three people remained in the room: Cheng Fangqiu, Zhou Yinghuai, and He Shenghui.
They exchanged looks, wide eyes staring at each other.
In the end, curiosity won out. Cheng Fangqiu was the first to turn to Zhou Yinghuai, her tone laced with puzzlement. “Who’s calling you?”
She had always thought she was the only one in the village bold enough to call him “Brother Huai” so casually, following along with the men without hesitation. But now, here was another woman calling him the same way? And from the sound of it, she seemed quite familiar with him.
A sense of unprecedented crisis rose within Cheng Fangqiu, triggered by nothing other than pure female intuition.
Zhou Yinghuai frowned, about to reply, when a figure in pink suddenly appeared at the kitchen doorway.
Behind her trailed a group of technicians eagerly helping carry her luggage, their enthusiasm making her look like a high-and-mighty little princess.
And calling her a little princess wouldn’t be inaccurate—both her appearance and attire clashed starkly with the village’s modest surroundings.
She was petite, dressed in a pink blaji with a square neckline adorned with delicate white lace. The design accentuated her fair skin, making her appear even more delicate. Her neatly cut student-style short hair had a small flower-shaped hairpin clipped at her bangs.
While this outfit might have seemed outdated and rustic in later years, at this time, it was undeniably at the forefront of fashion.
Her small, oval-shaped face bore a pair of bright, grape-like black eyes, framed by long, fluttering eyelashes that couldn’t conceal the tall figure reflected in her gaze.
She had rushed to the kitchen doorway in a whirlwind, only to suddenly grow shy, hesitating to take another step forward. After a long pause, as if mustering all her courage, she finally approached the dining table cautiously and called out once more in her sweet voice:
“Brother Huai.”
The moment he saw her, Zhou Yinghuai’s frown deepened further. His voice turned low and heavy as he asked, “Why are you here?”
His tone was far from warm—if anything, it carried a hint of displeasure.
Hearing this, Shen Xilian’s eyes immediately reddened. She bit her lower lip, her voice carrying a trace of grievance as she explained, “Didn’t you all need extra people here? My dad told me to come help.”
The truth was, she had overheard her parents discussing the situation at home during her break. She had volunteered herself, but her father had refused at first. It had taken her persistent pleading before he finally relented.
Of course, she couldn’t say that outright.
“You’re not even an official employee of the factory. If they needed extra hands, it shouldn’t have been you.”
His words were blunt and unreserved, even carrying a trace of criticism toward her father.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense, heavy with an unspoken awkwardness. No one dared to speak.
Sensing the situation, Zhao Zhigao forced himself to step forward and mediate. “Brother Huai, Xiao Lian won’t be a burden. If the factory director let her come, there must be a reason. Maybe they’re just too busy to send someone else?”
The excuse was weak. Everyone knew it was just a pretext, but no one dared to expose it.
Zhou Yinghuai shot Zhao Zhigao a cold glance, but ultimately, he couldn’t refute the fact that Shen Xilian wouldn’t be a hindrance.
She had grown up in the factory and was now studying a related field in university. Her knowledge was even more extensive than that of some of the regular technicians.
But having her stay here was more trouble than help.
So Zhou Yinghuai kept his face cold and indifferent. “Everyone here is male. Where would you, a female comrade, stay? It’s too inconvenient. You should—”
“The brigade leader said I can stay at his house. I definitely won’t be a burden! Brother Huai, please don’t drive me away, okay?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xilian’s eyes reddened, looking as though she was about to cry at any moment.
Cheng Fangqiu, watching from the side, was stunned. Goodness, this woman could act even better than her!
“Exactly! Xiao Lian’s already here, and it’s late. You can’t possibly send her back now, can you? There’s no transport at this hour.”
“Brother Huai, aren’t you being a bit too harsh? Xiao Lian is about to cry! Besides, this was the factory director’s order.”
Some people, eager to curry favor with Shen Xilian, chimed in one after another to defend her. But to their surprise, the person in question suddenly turned red with anger.
“Don’t badmouth Brother Huai! He’s only thinking of everyone’s best interests!”
The people who had just spoken up were left speechless—attacked for defending her. Yet, they didn’t dare argue back. After all, she was the factory director’s daughter. Offending her would only bring trouble.
Zhou Yinghuai coldly watched the farce unfold but remained silent. By not refuting her, he had essentially agreed to let Shen Xilian stay.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Shen Xilian’s face broke into a smile once more. She plopped down onto the seat beside Zhou Yinghuai without hesitation, giggling, “I was so focused on traveling that I haven’t eaten yet. I’m starving! Who made this food? It smells amazing.”