Chapter 13

"Linxin, why did you come over? Were you worried about me? Sigh, I didn't expect that Yuan Zhiqing to be such a malicious person," Jiang Manzhu said with a smile as she carried the wooden box and walked alongside Li Linxin.

A bit mischievous, a bit sweet, how much did you hear? Tell me quickly!!! Did you hear my declaration? My declaration of independence!!

"Mm." Li Linxin responded indifferently, as if acknowledging her but also saying nothing, causing Jiang Manzhu to purse her lips. Where's your eloquence? Why aren't you talking?

"Mm what? Can't you just speak?" Jiang Manzhu didn't tolerate his vague responses. Not to the point of acting spoiled, but if they could have a proper conversation, why play this guessing game?

In the sunlight, her delicate, fair face seemed to glow, her wide, lively eyes full of vitality, reflecting his image entirely.

Li Linxin stayed silent for two seconds. "I was worried you couldn't carry the wooden box. Mom asked me to come help."

He had only overheard the part where she said, "If I die, I'll die as a ghost of the Li family," and the subsequent, "Have you fallen for the third son of the Li family?" But he didn't intend to discuss this with Jiang Manzhu.

"So, did you hear what I said?" Jiang Manzhu subtly hinted to Linxin, did you hear my declaration? It's all true, after all, I'm your good sister-in-law!

"Mm." Li Linxin's dark, abyss-like eyes flickered, like a vortex that could pull someone in.

Jiang Manzhu didn't notice; she only heard his "mm," feeling as if the cloud hanging over her head had cleared!

Yes, this means that the conflict between her and the male lead is resolved.

I'm not cheating on your brother!

It's not that she was lowering her own status or looking down on herself. The key was that she was living in the Li family home and relying on their resources. Why should they support her?

Why can modern women dare to stand up to men? Because they can earn their own money!

"You have to believe me when I say I have no improper relationship with Yuan Zhiqing. That greedy man only wanted to trick our Li family out of money, and I gave him a good beating."

Jiang Manzhu felt she needed to emphasize it once more, thinking it was better to settle this issue now so that in the future, if they accused her again, she'd smack them on the head.

Her bright, expressive eyes conveyed her thoughts to Li Linxin. Her straightforward mind was easily seen through by him.

Li Linxin raised an eyebrow slightly. "So, should I compliment you?"

"If you want," Jiang Manzhu said casually. But if you insist on praising me, it's not something I'll refuse.

Li Linxin glanced at her, ignoring her words, walking ahead with a cool and composed demeanor.

His once refined and scholarly face had darkened quite a bit, likely from working in the fields under the blazing sun recently.

"Linxin, you've tanned a lot. You're no longer that fair, scholarly youth," Jiang Manzhu shook her head. Your refined, cultured look is gone!

"If we swapped jobs, I'd still be that fair scholar," Li Linxin said calmly, though Jiang Manzhu suspected he might be eyeing her pigweed-cutting job.

Immediately, she rejected, "No way!"

Jiang Manzhu wasn't a "beginner" anymore. In the village, the lightest tasks were cutting pigweed or weeding. Of course, the easiest job was guarding the warehouse or being a scorekeeper, but that required connections.

"I actually think you look more manly now. A pale, tender man looks like a white-cut chicken, like a sissy!"

Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of you, but for the sake of my sacred pigweed-cutting job, I had to say it!

Jiang Manzhu changed her tone quickly. A moment ago, she was regretting his tan, but now she was praising his manly physique.

Li Linxin let out a faint chuckle, his long, straight legs moving ahead, making Jiang Manzhu have to take two quick steps to keep up.

So annoying!

As they passed through a bamboo grove, they heard a gentle male voice tinged with frustration, "Qianqian, it's all my fault. I'm not as good at farming as them, I only know how to read and study…"

"Don't say that, Zhiqing. In my heart, you're better than them. Not everyone knows how to read," the woman's voice sounded anxious with concern.

The man laughed bitterly, "What's the use? With the little work points I earn, I can't even support myself."

"That's not true! You're just not doing the work you're good at. You'd be great as a scorekeeper or teacher!" the woman anxiously reassured him.

"I… I'm just a countryside youth; how could I do those jobs…"

Hearing the man's dejection, the woman interrupted him, panicked as if afraid he'd refuse, "You have me, don't you? I can help you…"

As Jiang Manzhu and Li Linxin passed by, hearing the name "Qianqian," they immediately knew who it was. So, was this guy trying to scam her?

Neither of them intended to alert the pair, walking by calmly before Jiang Manzhu spoke softly, "Linxin, should we tell the village head about this?"

A naïve girl was being deceived, and she wanted to offer her assistance. After all, she had to maintain her "kind sister-in-law" image.

"You don't recognize him?" If Linxin recalled correctly, that man was one of the countryside youths.

"I do, but knowing someone and interfering in their business are two different things… Besides, if I meddle in their relationship, it'll only backfire," Jiang Manzhu had seen enough examples of friends trying to break up couples, only for the couple to reconcile and blame the meddler.

She once had a good friend who was with a scumbag, and she worried herself sick, hoping they'd break up.

In the end? Her friend distanced herself, and they never spoke again.

But she later heard that her friend was scammed out of over 20,000 yuan…

"You think the village head doesn't know what he's up to?" Linxin saw Jiang Manzhu's worried face and didn't understand why she was so concerned about other people's business. What did it have to do with her?

Hearing this, Jiang Manzhu looked up at him in surprise, her clear, bright eyes blinking. "Really? Then… then I won't say anything…"

Other people's family matters… Well, anyone who could become a village head wouldn't be naive. Maybe they already had a way to deal with it?

"Susu's temper isn't good, especially Su Qianqian's. If she finds out, she'll definitely give you trouble. If you plan on telling the village head, be careful. You might not be able to beat her."

Li Linxin's cold voice carried a hint of warning.

Jiang Manzhu getting beaten wasn't a big deal. What mattered was that if she cried about it at home, Xiao Bei might act impulsively and confront the Su family, leading to him being bullied too.

"Moreover, what if Jiang Manzhu gets beaten and comes back crying, looking for him with teary eyes? That would be annoying!"

Jiang Manzhu listened to Li Linxi's advice, her expression suddenly turning serious as she nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right!" Jiang Manzhu wasn't particularly high-minded, and she quickly brushed off the issue. "Linxi, you're not young anymore. Mom's still waiting to have grandchildren."

Having resolved her previous misunderstandings with the main male character, as the eldest sister-in-law, Jiang Manzhu felt it was her duty to look after Linxi's affairs.

In the village, most young men got married at fifteen or sixteen. As for whether the law required a marriage certificate? Who bothers with that nowadays? It's too much trouble!

She had previously speculated whether Linxi had a young girl in mind, a lasting, unforgettable love.

Later, she discovered that Linxi was just secretly washing clothes. "Linxi, if you have someone in mind, there's no need to hide it. Look, Mom is so nice. You two would get along well. Now is a good time to get married. Xiao Bei and I have time to help take care of the child…"

As a good sister-in-law, Jiang Manzhu was determined to plan for her brothers' lives and futures, ready to eventually rely on them and their spouses!

Jiang Manzhu was thick-skinned and didn't find it shameful at all; she was currently living off her parents.

Hearing her crisp voice promoting herself, Li Linxi glanced at her smiling face and couldn't help but think about what Yuan Zhiqing had said earlier.

"I have no such intentions." Li Linxi firmly refused, his expression still cold. No matter how much he was persuaded, his stance remained unchanged. "Also, I remember telling you before that this matter is none of your business."

Jiang Manzhu didn't mind Li Linxi's warning at all, continuing to smile sweetly and playfully. "Yes, yes, I forgot. What can I say? Mom and I are both concerned about your lifelong affairs."

Li Linxi ignored her. Marriage pressure? He could hardly care less.

Soon, they returned to the Li family home. Xiao Bei was sitting on a stool, eagerly watching as things were taken out of a large sack and placed on the dining table—pastries, candies, and cakes.

Liu Jumei was busy with the newly bought chicks and ducklings next to the wooden fence.

Hearing the voices outside, Xiao Bei rushed over. "Sister-in-law, Third Brother, you're back!"

"Mom said the meat buns need to wait until noon to be eaten with the congee…" Xiao Bei secretly complained, expressing that he wanted to eat the meat buns right away.

"If you want to eat, then eat," the generous Third Brother said, waving his hand dismissively, indicating that Xiao Bei could eat if he wanted.

"Yay!" Xiao Bei immediately clapped his hands and jumped up, cheering for Third Brother.

Jiang Manzhu casually placed the wooden box she was holding aside. Oh dear, it's so tiring and hot. Was this thing really something the original owner gave to Yuan Fengxin?

Food? If she remembered correctly, there had been meat jerky and candies given before… but she didn't believe Yuan Fengxin could have kept it for so long.

Moreover, Yuan Fengxin seemed like the kind of person who was stingy and petty. It had been over half a month since the money was returned; how could he afford so many things?

For a moment, Jiang Manzhu couldn't remember exactly what was sent, so she opened the box directly.

As soon as she opened it, Jiang Manzhu's expression became hard to describe.

Xiao Bei, who was sitting on the stool munching on a meat bun, looked surprised at the wooden box. "Wow, sister-in-law, what is this?"

To Xiao Bei, if the wooden box was opened in front of them in the living room, it meant there was no problem.

Then Jiang Manzhu saw a bunch of yellow flowers…

Not flowers, just the kind of wildflowers you find everywhere?

Sure enough…

"So many flowers? I didn't know you liked flowers, sister-in-law?" Xiao Bei squatted beside her, looking astonished. "And they're packed so nicely?"

"Ah, so you like this stuff?" Li Linxi, who was nearby, watched the scene with a hint of unnoticeable mockery in his tone.

Jiang Manzhu suddenly remembered that she had said there were some things left at the youth point when she was using the tractor.

But she had been at the Li family home for so long. How could the flowers from the youth point still be so fresh?

Oh no, just as she had cleared up the misunderstanding with Li Linxi, now she was backtracking!

She quickly turned to Li Linxi, who, as expected, was sitting on a high stool, looking at her with a cold gaze—a deathly stare from the main male character!

What's going on?

Did I offend you? Is our male lead someone who values female virtues this much?

Your brother is dead!

I can remarry if needed!

With innocent eyes blinking at him, filled with a mist of grievances and a hint of playful anger, Jiang Manzhu's expression made Li Linxi's gaze darken even more.

His clear and handsome face showed a hint of curiosity, especially when he saw the fresh flowers in the wooden box, his expression growing increasingly strange.