With something weighing on his mind, Chen JianShe's work slowed. He was just waiting for Leng Yuan.
After waiting for a while, there was finally some movement in the cornfield. Chen JianShe looked back, and sure enough, it was Leng Yuan.
He couldn't hold back any longer and immediately asked, "Brother Leng, what's going on? Feng Ergou said you married Gu Jiaojiao. Is that true? If it's not, I'm going to go beat that brat up for spouting nonsense..."
Chen JianShe looked righteously indignant, waiting for Leng Yuan to speak. The moment he said it was false, Chen JianShe would go give Feng Ergou a beating.
"It's true."
Leng Yuan replied softly, then pulled on his gloves and started picking corn.
The gloves were a perk of being a teacher, worth fifty cents a pair! Ordinary people couldn't get them.
Normally, Chen JianShe would have been eyeing Leng Yuan's gloves with envy, but he couldn't care less right now. "Brother Leng, how could you marry Gu Jiaojiao? She... she..."
He stammered for a long time but couldn't finish his sentence. His Brother Leng had already registered his marriage with Gu Jiaojiao. What was the use of saying anything now?
He just didn't have high hopes for Brother Leng and Gu Jiaojiao's life together.
'Just what kind of person was Gu Jiaojiao?'
'A spoiled young lady from the city who couldn't do a lick of work. Even though his Brother Leng had a salary and could support her, there wasn't a soul in the entire Qingshan Team who didn't know she was in love with Yun Hao.'
'His poor Brother Leng, what a bitter fate!'
"Get back to work, or we'll be finishing in the dark."
With that, Leng Yuan started picking corn.
They had been assigned their section that morning. Their task was to pick all the corn in the plot, load it into baskets, and get them onto the tractor. Only then would their job be done.
Chen JianShe watched Leng Yuan work, his heart aching with sorrow. 'Poor Brother Leng! His life is so hard!'
'It was all that Gu Jiaojiao's fault. She just had to go and pester his Brother Leng.'
'He had to help Brother Leng by keeping an eye on Gu Jiaojiao. He would make absolutely sure she didn't get entangled with Yun Hao again.'
Leng Yuan was incredibly fast. By the time Chen JianShe was done daydreaming, Leng Yuan had nearly disappeared from sight. Chen JianShe finally snapped out of it and hurried to catch up.
As for Feng Ergou, he was a total slacker, working for a bit and then resting for a bit. On a good day, he might earn five work points. But since he'd gotten two deducted for gawking and gossiping earlier, he'd only end up with three for the day.
Leng Yuan, on the other hand, earned the maximum for farm work: twelve work points.
Because it was Qiushou, the maximum was two work points higher than usual.
A little after five in the afternoon, Leng Yuan had already finished his share of the work. He reported his work points and headed home.
Many onlookers were filled with envy.
'He's handsome, a hard worker, and a teacher on top of it all. How could he have been ruined by someone like Gu Jiaojiao?'
Still, when it came to their life together, not a single person in the entire Qingshan Team thought it would last.
Yun Hao also saw Leng Yuan leave. He had been assigned to a different plot of land, and Leng Yuan happened to be passing by on the adjacent path.
The two didn't really know each other, and their paths had never crossed. But because of Gu Jiaojiao, Yun Hao couldn't help but give Leng Yuan a second glance.
Beside him, Hu Ziqiang couldn't resist nudging Yun Hao with his elbow. "Well, that's that," he said in a low voice. "Gu Jiaojiao's married. She won't be coming to bother you anymore."
Hu Ziqiang and Yun Hao were from the same hometown. They were already good friends and had been sent down to the countryside together, so he knew every detail of how Gu Jiaojiao had pestered Yun Hao.
Now that Gu Jiaojiao was married, he was happy for Yun Hao. He was finally free of her.
As for Leng Yuan, marrying that pampered miss Gu Jiaojiao meant he had his work cut out for him. Looking at Leng Yuan's retreating figure, Hu Ziqiang felt a great deal of sympathy.
Still, when he thought of Gu Jiaojiao's beauty, he couldn't help but lean closer to Yun Hao and ask, "You really don't regret it?"
Gu Jiaojiao might not be able to do farm work, but her looks were flawless. She was like a swan, breathtakingly beautiful. No one in any of the surrounding villages could compare to her. Even Hu Ziqiang, a city boy himself, had to admit that Gu Jiaojiao was absolutely stunning.
And yet, Yun Hao had rejected such a beautiful girl without a shred of mercy. It was truly cruel of him.