Help others? It's better to help yourself - Chapter 51
Zhang Mingyang, who had planned to just say goodbye and return, was stopped by people from the youth station.
By the time he left the youth station and hadn’t yet reached his house, he saw a firelight flickering from a distance near his home. As he got closer, he could hear a lot of voices.
“Xu Jianshe—come out!”
“God damn it! He’s hiding!”
“Really?” “What’s going on?” “Not sure.”
“It’s been a while, but no one has made a sound.”
“Is he not home?”
There was a lot of chatter among the crowd.
Zhang Mingyang pushed through the crowd, saying, “Make way, make way,” and the crowd parted automatically when they saw it was a fellow youth.
“Auntie, what are you all doing here?” He had been busy all day and was just waiting to go back and rest.
Grandma Sun, who had failed yesterday, felt dissatisfied and came back today. “Yesterday, my daughter Lingling fell into the water…”
Zhang Mingyang immediately realized something was wrong and quickly interrupted her, “Auntie, you’re too late! Xu Jianshe has already left.”
“You…” Grandma Sun’s words were cut off before she could finish.
“What? He left? Where did he go?” Sun Lingling, hearing this, stopped pretending and raised her head.
The crowd of about ten people all turned to look at Zhang Mingyang, waiting for his reply.
Zhang Mingyang took a deep breath and said, “Yes, he left this afternoon. He’s gone back to the city! This house is now mine.” As long as they didn’t say everything, there was still room for maneuver in this matter.
“This—” Grandma Sun was at a loss for words. She didn’t know how to continue the act and was caught off guard.
“Did he really leave?”
“That quickly?”
“So, what about the Sun family?”
The crowd was buzzing with chatter, and some onlookers were eagerly waiting to see the Sun family’s embarrassment.
The entire Sun family had come over with a clear intention. Today, they were putting on this show because they were determined to achieve their goal. But no one had expected Xu Jianshe to leave. Everything was in place, but the wind had shifted! Now, what were the Sun family going to do?
Grandma Sun, who had originally planned to blame Zhang Mingyang, swallowed her words. Now, she was actually grateful that he had interrupted her in time.
“Yesterday, Lingling accidentally fell into the water, and it was Xu Jianshe who came to call me. I just thought I should bring the whole family to thank him!”
“We’ve been calling for a long time, and no one came out or made a sound. I thought maybe the city folks looked down on us! I got a little anxious.”
“This is my fault. As I get older, my temper has gotten worse.” Grandma Sun, having lived long enough, quickly shifted the conversation.
“I always said Xu Jianshe was a good person. Otherwise, why would he kindly call us? It was our misunderstanding.” Sun Lingling tried to explain fervently.
To marry Xu Jianshe and get the benefits was what really mattered—what did face and reputation matter in comparison? But now that Xu Jianshe was gone and there was no more profit to be made, all their hopes had been dashed. The only thing left to do was minimize the damage and avoid leaving any room for gossip. The Sun family cared about their reputation, and Sun Lingling still wanted to get married.
“Don’t worry about small matters. It’s getting late, everyone should go home and rest!” Zhang Mingyang started urging everyone to leave.
When the crowd saw that the Sun family was leaving, and there was no more excitement to watch, they also began to disperse. After a long day’s work, everyone was tired.
Zhang Mingyang let out a sigh of relief. From now on, there would be no more news about Xu Jianshe in Cao Village. After all, life had to go on.
…
Xu Jianshe had no idea that his quick departure had helped him avoid trouble.
He was just about to board the train when he noticed the girl sitting across from him seemed somewhat familiar.
Yuan Zhenzhen was also a little surprised to see Xu Jianshe. “Isn’t this the man who was on the train last time, the one who was jealous and envious of her?” She had felt that his gaze had been a bit strange, and only later realized that he had been envious.
Many people, especially those of the same gender, would say things that seemed rude or like they didn’t think much of her, but in reality, they were envious and jealous. Now, even the men were starting to feel envious of her? Had she really reached such a height?
Xu Jianshe observed the “sea king” across from him: wearing a half-worn military uniform, her hair clearly dry and yellowed; her skin had become darker and rougher; and when she drank from her tea cup, he could clearly see the calluses on her hands.
Two years had passed, and the hard life in the countryside had inevitably left its mark on Yuan Zhenzhen.
It was evident that she hadn’t had it easy. The “fishing” game might work in the short term, but after a while, everyone would see through it. Moreover, they were living in the same youth point, and over time, anyone paying attention could easily see the true nature of people.
Everyone has their own way of surviving, and Xu Jianshe didn’t comment. They were both adults, and everyone had to take responsibility for their actions and words.
Xu Jianshe sat with his feet resting on a burlap sack, his arms crossed, his head leaning against the train compartment as he closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.
After seeing that Xu Jianshe had fallen asleep, Yuan Zhenzhen quietly relaxed. Although they hadn’t spoken a word, for some reason, she felt like the person across from her seemed to know everything.
The kind of gaze seemed to see through everything Yuan Zhenzhen had worked so hard to hide.
Yuan Zhenzhen took a mirror out of her pocket and examined her face closely for a long time, trying to find the signs. Life in the countryside was hard; that was a shared understanding. But what made it obvious to anyone who had seen her was the expression on her face, or more precisely, her eyes. Her eyes no longer radiated that bright, clear look.
In the past few days, Yuan Zhenzhen had been adjusting her expression when holding the mirror. When she got off the train, she grabbed her luggage, squeezed through the crowd, and her gaze had already returned to the way it used to be.
Xu Jianshe watched the change in the girl across from him and smiled. He wished her all the best in her future life.
After another long day, Xu Jianshe finally arrived at his familiar hometown. He grabbed his belongings and quickly took a ride home.
…
Xu mother had been eagerly anticipating her son’s return and was overjoyed, though she dared not show it outwardly.
She had planned to transfer her work when Xu Jianshe came back for a visit, but she didn’t know that the fourth child hadn’t been granted a family leave during his first year in the countryside.
Moreover, with Xu Jianguo and his wife moving to the northwest, the Xu family became a typical case, and the scrutiny on them had increased. Xu parents were even more cautious and didn’t dare to make any hasty moves.
When Xu Jianshe finally arrived home, it was already 10 a.m. His room was spotless, and the packages that had been sent to him were neatly placed in his room by his mother.
Xu Jianshe quickly put his things in order and even prepared lunch. When Xu mother returned from work at noon, she was so happy to see her son after two years that she couldn’t speak.
After lunch, before she had a chance to clear the dishes, Xu Jianshe reflexively cleaned up the bowls and took them to wash.
Seeing her son work so efficiently made Xu’s mother feel both proud and heartbroken.
In the afternoon, Xu mother took Xu Jianshe to transfer his work and handle his household registration. Once everything was settled, Xu Jianshe could finally relax.
Starting tomorrow, he would return to his old life and become a worker once again.
In the evening, Xu father came home from work with three grandchildren, and the family joyfully celebrated.
Every day, Xu mother would take the grandchildren to and from school, buy groceries, cook, and busy herself with finding a match for her youngest son.