In such cold weather, An Xiaolu abruptly blushed because of this sentence.
She even felt a little nervous heat on her back.
She dropped her eyes in embarrassment and opened her mouth to say something, but then remembered that she couldn’t speak now, and pursed her lips as the loss flickered in her pretty eyes.
Ji Changze directly stepped forward, put the handful of flowers he carefully selected into An Xiaolu’s hand, looked at the medicine in her hand, and asked with a smile:
“Did you just come back from town?”
An Xiaolu held the flower and nodded blushingly.
Ji Changze: “I just got back from the city, too. What a coincidence.”
One came back from the town, the other from the city. Where was the coincidence?
But An Xiaolu didn’t feel anything was wrong.
Ji Changze showed her the meat in his hand. “I heard that your family opened a kitchen by themselves. I’ll eat at your house tonight, and bring this meat with me.”
An Xiaolu slightly widened her eyes and hurriedly waved her hand.
Right now, meat was expensive. How could she shamelessly accept such a bowl of meat?
The fiancé in front of her, who was about the same age as her, saw this and immediately showed an injured expression on his face: “Xiaolu, don’t you want me to go to your house for dinner?”
He looked a little aggrieved and muttered: “Actually, I don’t eat much.”
An Xiaolu froze for a moment, and then quickly waved her hand in anxiety, saying that he was not unwelcome.
She just… just thought that if Ji Changze brought meat, she was taking advantage of him.
She wasn’t mute since she was a child, and had never learned sign language. She didn’t know how to express her true thoughts. She only pointed to the meat in Ji Changze’s hand, and then shook her head.
It stands to reason that this action was fairly straightforward.
It so happened that Ji Changze looked down at the meat in his hand with a blank face, and suddenly realized: “Oh, I see, you mean I brought too little? No problem. I’ll go home and get some more.”
Seeing that her fiancé is going to run after he had finished speaking, she subconsciously reached out and grabbed Ji Changze’s arm.
Ji Changze looked back with a smile on his face: “What’s wrong? Xiaolu, don’t you want me to go home and get the meat?”
The smile on Ji Changze’s face grew bigger: “Let’s go to your house.”
An Xiaolu was afraid that he would misunderstand her meaning and run to get the meat, so she quickly nodded her head.
As she walked, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
What she meant should have been pretty obvious just now.
Did Changze do it on purpose?
The pretty girl turned sideways to her fiancé.
In the not-so-sunny winter sun, Ji Changze saw her looking over and smiled at her.
Ji Changze’s skin tone was very good. After all, among a group of villagers who either do farm work with a stocky figure, or get dark skin in the sun, or eat badly without nutrition and have a yellow face; He’s a well-fed, well-drunk person who finds an opportunity to lazily pretend to be sick, which was raised white and clean ah…
Coupled with good facial features, clean clothes, a straight body, and such a smile, he seemed as beautiful as a dream.
Ji Changze: “Xiaolu, what’s wrong?”
An Xiaolu, who had doubts in her heart, subconsciously returned a smiley. Smiling, she shook her head, indicating that it was fine.
Never heard of it, never seen it.
The two of them are also quite a topic of conversation in the village.
But one was a positive example — smart and sensible An Xiaolu
The other was a negative example — slacker Ji Changze.
Now that they were looking to get married, the topic had increased a lot.
Now that the two were walking together, and many who saw it couldn’t help but gather up.
“Don’t tell me. ” Someone muttered to the person next to him: “Ji Changze and An Xiaolu are quite matched when they walk together. How does that saying go? The ‘talented man and beautiful woman’.”
(TNote: 郎才女貌 [láng cái nǚ mào]/ talented man and beautiful woman = ideal couple)
“Their appearance match, but their temperament couldn’t. ” The person next to him looked unimpressed.
That was something the man agrees with. After all, Ji Changze had many misdeeds, and the whole village knew it. It couldn’t be faked.
“I don’t think An Xiaolu can do anything. Her father broke his leg, and her mother is ill again. She has to lay in bed and take medicine every day. She became mute too and needs money to buy medicine. Besides finding someone to marry, what else can she do? Otherwise, she wouldn’t marry Ji Changze.”
Others were discussing normally. The words from a young man who previously liked An Xiaolu and disliked Ji Changze, was little bit sour:
“To say the least, An Xiaolu’s grandmother is also cruel, not helping out when her own son’s family is like this. She doesn’t help them, but she would also make trouble at their door every day. If she was willing to give a hand to An Xiaolu’s family, she won’t get married to get money. But yeah, she is mute, except for that face. Except marriage, there’s no way to get money.”
Ji Changze has sharp ears and could hear what these people were saying.
He looked at An Xiaolu again and found that she was also aware of these whispering people were talking about them.
The girl who had just smiled shyly now lowered her eyes slightly. Her long fingers on both sides clenched, showing embarrassment on her face.
However, what the man said was indeed the truth.
Originally, she had always been the pride of her family and even the village. She suddenly fell into the mud and was poked by others; how could she not feel bad in her heart?
Seeing this, Ji Changze directly took An Xiaolu and walked forward. When those people saw them coming, they immediately shut their mouths. He suddenly amplified his voice and used the ‘you can definitely hear it as long as you are not deaf’ volume. He spoke to An Xiaolu with a face full of shame:
“Xiaolu, I’m so sorry. I’m just a worker now. When we get married, I will go to work in the city during the day, so I may not be able to accompany you often.”
He also specially emphasized the word ‘worker’.
The others who were ‘looking at the sky, not at the two of them’ snapped to attention. They immediately stared at them sharply.
“That’s right, I’m going to work tomorrow.”
Seeing their shock, Ji Changze looked nonchalant and waved his hand at them, “It’s nothing, it’s just a worker, isn’t it?”
The young man who just said An Xiaolu was mute and couldn’t marry a good family, didn’t give Ji Changze face at all. He sneered:
“Ji Changze, is that how you brag? What kind of virtue do you have to be a worker?”
“Yes, my virtue is better than your Zhang Laosan, but who made me kind? Eh, I accidentally saved a factory director. The factory director thanked me and let me be a worker.”
(TNote: Laosan = Third Brother; This does not mean their brothers, this guy is the third child of the Zhang family, and Change is just trying to act like they are friendly.)
Ji Changze continued: “Don’t believe it? Just wait, I’ll get paid next month, 20 yuan a month.”
Speaking of talking nonsense, if Ji Changze claimed to be second best, no one would dare to claim first place. His confident appearance really made the few people feel uncertain in their hearts.
Is it possible that Ji Changze really became a worker?
Ji Changze, however, didn’t look at them and only focused on making Zhang Laosan angry.
This Zhang Laosan of course wasn’t really called that, but his surname is Zhang, and he is the third in his family. Like Ji Changze, he was also the youngest in his family.
Similarly, his parents were also very biased towards him.
But he wasn’t as lucky as Ji Changze, his two elder brothers above aren’t honest people like Ji Changguang. It wouldn’t end well if the younger brother wanted to take advantage of them.
Third Brother Zhang was spoiled by his parents and wanted to be lazy, but his two brothers weren’t willing to spoil him. Every day, he felt like he was the most miserable person in the world.
He was loved by his parents, and his eldest brother was a simpleton. He would give him everything he wanted to eat and drink. When he gets married, his brother would give him money to buy things. Every day he’s just eating and drinking, being lazy and pretending to be sick.
Every day, he worked while Ji Changze lay at home pretending to be ill.
He was scolded by his two brothers, but Ji Changze enjoyed the dried sweet potatoes brought by Ji Changguang.
His parents would say that he was lazy, Ji Changze was carefully cared for by his Father Ji and Mother Ji.
Same situation, different status.
Third Brother Zhang was simply so jealous that he wanted to kick this envious guy to death.
However, he liked An Xiaolu before.
Of course, after An Xiaolu became mute and her parents became a burden at home, although he still liked the An Xiaolu’s beautiful face, he didn’t want to marry her.
Ji Changze actually wanted to marry An Xiaolu.
When Third Brother Zhang found out, he was so jealous, he almost vomited blood.
When he knew that Ji Changguang had sent a bicycle for Ji Changze’s wedding, Third Brother Zhang had become so angry that he was delirious.
Why should all the good things under the sky be taken up by Ji Changze?!
Where is this brat better than him?!
Now, every time people gossip in the village bout the two, he would definitely fight in the front line by discrediting Ji Changze.
As a result, the smear hit its rightful owner back.
Third Brother Zhang firmly disbelieved that Ji Changze could be a worker.
Him? A worker? What a joke!
“Ji Changze, don’t lie to people just to save face. You’re a worker? Who would believe it? Just you, scoff.”
Ji Changze: “I don’t believe it either, but who allowed me to be one? Third Brother Zhang, you said that I have become a worker, but you aren’t a worker, are you inferior to me in some way?”
Ji Changze touched his chin: “Speaking of, workers really don’t have much to gain, just a more stable job, higher wages, better communication, and more convenient when shopping, right? Eh, I really didn’t want to go, but they insisted I go. They were afraid I wouldn’t go, and even gave me 10 yuan in advance.”
He clapped his hands: “You tell me. I’m a man of integrity, could I not go? That’s why I ‘had’ to become a ‘worker’.”
It was as if Ji Changze wrote the words ‘good for nothing’ on his face.
Unfortunately, they just couldn’t beat him.
Ji Changze: “Eh, looking at your expressions you’re also feeling sorry for me. I can’t help it, who made me so popular? By the way, Third Brother Zhang, I heard that you wanted to go to the city to find a job. Did you find one?”
As he spoke, with a friendly expression: “Otherwise, I’m also working as a worker in the city now, so come see me the next time you go looking for work in the city.”
Third Brother Zhang: “… What do you want? You’ll help me find a job? Are you that kind?”
The others also looked at Ji Changze with a ‘that’s impossible’ expression on their faces.
Who doesn’t know that these two don’t get along?
Ji Changze looked confident: “But I can cheer you on and applaud you while you’re looking for a job.”
He sighed: “I am so kind.”
As he spoke, he looked to An Xiaolu who was listening quietly beside him, “don’t you think so, Xiaolu?”
An Xiaolu hadn’t actually listen to him talk about the worker thing before, and she has always been a simple student. The man who said this was her ‘savior’. When Ji Changze asked her, she nodded her head with a face full of admiration.
Changze… was really good at repaying evil with good.
Third Brother Zhang, who was about to be enraged from jealousy: “…”
The others who were forced to eat a mouthful of dog food: “…”
(TNote: dog food = euphemism for public display of affections in front of ‘single dogs’.)
They could have left things at this point. Although Ji Changze wanted to, he could anger the breathless Third Brother Zhang to death.
But he was kind and didn’t really intend to piss anyone off.
He was preparing to withdraw, but when he looked up, he happened to see Third Brother Zhang’s eldest brother coming.
Ji Changze came up with a passing comment: “By the way, I went to the city today, and brought stuff over, it made my brother very happy. He kept boasting that I was the best brother in the world. By the way, Third Brother Zhang, I heard that you have some money in your hands, and your two brothers are good to you. Aren’t you going to give them something in return?”
Third Brother Zhang looked at Ji Changze’s proud eyes. He was so jealous that it could propel him to high heaven.
He angrily said: “You think it’s just you two brothers who are close?! My brothers and I are very close! I’m going to town today to buy cloth and bring it back for my eldest brother and second brother!”
From behind them came Eldest Brother Zhang’s surprised voice.
He turned his head with a stiff neck, and saw his Eldest Brother standing behind him with a happy expression on his face.
He tried rescue it: “No … that, actually, brother …”
Ji Changze decisively grab the words:
“Yes! It’s true. I heard that Third Brother Zhang was always beaten by you. I thought you had a bad relationship.”
Third Brother Zhang was reminded of the past scenarios, thinking of the scene where he was beaten up every time he cheated his two brothers, and gulped down his saliva.
Ji Changze asked him this time: “Third Brother Zhang, tell me, is it true?”
Third Brother Zhang looked at his Eldest Brother’s strong biceps and nodded stiffly: “Really, true.”
“Look at him, smiling so much.”