People who eat melon are in 70 - Chapter 53

Apart from Jiang Yutao, another person holding it in and desperate to go to the bathroom was Li Yunying. When she saw that Zhao Yonglan and Zhao Rongguang were endlessly dragging things out, she couldn’t care about being embarrassed anymore and rushed outside.

Seeing someone take the lead, Jiang Yutao also bolted towards the restroom.

Never in her life did Jiang Yutao think she’d face the risk of wetting her pants as an adult.

After Jiang Yutao, Zhang Huihui and Wang Shanxi also ran out. Everyone had been holding it in for too long.

This left Zhao Yonglan and Zhao Rongguang red-faced, as if their cheeks had turned into monkey butts.

By the time the others returned, Zhao Yonglan had already gone back to the dormitory.

When Jiang Yutao came back, Gu Nianwei had already finished preparing breakfast, and Xu Manqiu had eaten early and gone up the mountain.

While eating, Jiang Yutao asked, “Wei Wei, do you know how Yonglan and Zhao Rongguang ended up liking each other? There wasn’t any sign before!”

The last time they’d had a bit to drink, they were too busy joking around and teasing to ask how the two of them had hit it off. But just now, Jiang Yutao had seen the whole thing—Zhao Rongguang spoke to Zhao Yonglan, but from start to finish, he didn’t give her any real promises.

All he said was that he’d come back on weekends. How is that a promise?

Gu Nianwei was equally baffled. “I have no idea!”

The two exchanged a look. “Could it be she’s been tricked into another relationship?”

Zhao Yonglan was too naive. Back then, Su Zhengtang had won a lot of her goodwill with just one egg. Could Zhao Rongguang have tricked her too? At the time, Jiang Yutao had only thought that the two families were well-matched and hadn’t thought much deeper.

“How about we ask her about it tonight?”

The matter was settled. After breakfast, the two headed to the county together, where they once again split up tacitly.

Jiang Yutao took out the remaining half of her disguise pill from last time, swallowed it, and carried a sack of sunflower seeds to the cinema.

Zhang Dezhen happened to be cleaning and was so excited to see her that she dropped her broom.

“Little Ying, you finally came! I’ve missed you so much!” Zhang Dezhen grabbed Jiang Yutao and pulled her towards the office in the cinema.

Once inside, she closed the door tightly and let out a deep breath. “Little Ying, you’re finally here. If you hadn’t come, I’d have been scolded to death!”

Jiang Yutao was slightly taken aback. “What happened?”

“Your sunflower seeds are just too delicious! Everyone who’s bought them keeps coming back for more, running to the cinema every couple of days. We’ve been out of stock for ages, and since they can’t buy any, they’ve been cursing me out!”

The sunflower seeds she bought from Jiang Yutao last time sold out in less than a week. It’s been almost half a month now, and there’s still no new stock. Not only was Zhang Dezhen anxious, but even the cinema management was getting restless. Every time they saw her lately, their first question was always, “Have you gotten in touch with the seller yet?”

Jiang Yutao knew her sunflower seeds sold well, but she hadn’t expected them to be this popular. Still, it made sense when she thought about it—it was a unique product, almost like a limited edition. Once sold out, even money couldn’t buy it.

Before Jiang Yutao could say anything, Zhang Dezhen continued, “Sis, how much sunflower seeds did you bring? I’ll take them all. I’ll even raise the price for you—six cents per tael.”

The leadership at the cinema suspected Jiang Yutao might have thought the original price was too low, so they instructed Zhang Dezhen to offer her a price increase if she returned, up to six and a half cents per tael, but no higher, to ensure the cinema still made a profit.

Five cents per tael was already a high price, and Jiang Yutao wasn’t greedy. “We agreed on five cents per tael before, so let’s stick with that. I brought 50 pounds this time, and there’s a new flavor: caramel. Try it.”

Zhang Dezhen tried a seed. Besides the sweetness, it had a rich, unique aroma she couldn’t quite describe. “Sis, what’s caramel?”

The question stumped Jiang Yutao. She thought for a moment before replying, “Do you make caramelized sugar syrup when you stew meat?”

Zhang Dezhen’s family did. Her mother was particular about cooking and always caramelized sugar with some water when making stews. “Yes, we do.” She added, “It makes a world of difference in flavor when you add it.”

“Well, that sugar syrup is what caramel is.”

Understanding dawned on Zhang Dezhen. She popped another seed into her mouth and decided to ask her mom to make some caramel syrup later to see if it tasted the same.

“Little sis, these 50 pounds won’t last long at all. Do you have more? I’ll take it all—I’ll clear you out.”

Fifty pounds wasn’t a small amount, and Zhang Dezhen wasn’t picky about flavors. Any flavor of Jiang Yutao’s sunflower seeds sold out quickly. But remembering how Jiang Yutao often disappeared for long stretches, she thought it was better to stock up.

Jiang Yutao shook her head. “Just the 50 pounds this time.”

Seeing that Jiang Yutao wouldn’t budge, Zhang Dezhen didn’t push further. She worried that being too insistent might upset her, and then she’d lose her supply altogether.

Fifty pounds were weighed, with no shortage or excess. It was a straightforward transaction: cash for goods. Zhang Dezhen handed Jiang Yutao 25 crisp yuan bills.

Before leaving, Jiang Yutao assured Zhang Dezhen that from now on, she would deliver some sunflower seeds to the cinema every Sunday, no matter how much or how little.

Zhang Dezhen, brimming with warmth, personally escorted Jiang Yutao out of the cinema.

Jiang Yutao deliberately walked toward crowded areas. After walking for over ten minutes, she slipped into a deserted alley. When she emerged, her appearance had completely changed.

She walked openly back toward the main road, passing two young men in their twenties.

As they brushed past her, she overheard their conversation:
“Second brother, you were supposed to keep an eye on her. How could you lose her? How are we going to explain this to Brother Xiao now?”

“Why are you blaming me? You didn’t watch her either! And honestly, what’s the big deal? It’s just sunflower seeds! Every village has piles of them during harvest season. They’re worthless. Why does Brother Xiao care so much?”

“Do you think you can casually criticize Brother Xiao?”

The two argued as they walked away, leaving Jiang Yutao frowning deeply. She had always known the county’s black market was controlled by a group of people, but she never thought it would have anything to do with her.

After all, she didn’t lack food or money and rarely dealt with the black market. Her only business was trading sunflower seeds. As the man said, sunflower seeds were common and insignificant—harvested in large quantities in rural areas. The black market operatives were bold and focused on big trades. Why would they set their sights on her?

Could it be because of the variety of flavors in her sunflower seeds?

Other than that, Jiang Yutao couldn’t think of another reason. Were they after the small batches of seeds she sold or the secret recipes for the flavors?

Jiang Yutao’s footsteps paused ever so slightly.

On her way back to the meeting spot she had arranged with Gu Nianwei, Jiang Yutao resolved to be more cautious if she continued selling sunflower seeds in the future.

Gu Nianwei had been waiting for her for quite some time. Beside her were two brand-new 26-inch women’s bicycles, each with a license plate.

“That one’s yours,” Gu Nianwei said, pointing to the bike next to her.

“Thanks, Wei Wei,” Jiang Yutao said, hopping onto the bike and adjusting the handlebars. “Let’s go home.”

She led the way, pedaling off, while Gu Nianwei smiled faintly and followed.

The two took turns chasing each other along the way, riding hard enough to work up a sweat by the time they reached Liushu village.

In this era, owning a bicycle was as rare and enviable as owning a luxury car would be in the future. As soon as they entered the village, they attracted a crowd of curious onlookers.

Xu Dazui, now a leading figure among the village women, clicked her tongue in admiration. “Yutao, Wei Wei, these bikes are really something! They’re much better than Luo Xueming’s old one.”

Luo Xueming used to have a bicycle when he was the village team leader, but after he fell from power, Zhao Xiaotao sold the bike to fund her eldest son’s house construction.

Now, their family lived extremely low-key lives in the village. From the adults to the children, they avoided leaving the house unless absolutely necessary. They stayed away from any village events, as though the shrewd and calculating woman of the past existed only in Jiang Yutao’s imagination. She was so unremarkable now that if Xu Dazui hadn’t mentioned Luo Xueming, Jiang Yutao might have forgotten them entirely.

Jiang Yutao patted the back seat of her bike. “Auntie, want me to take you for a spin?”

Xu Dazui blushed with excitement. “You sure? I’m heavy; I’d hate to break your new bike.”

Xu Dazui had ridden in ox carts, donkey carts, and buses in her life, but never a bicycle.

“Auntie, what are you saying? Bikes are made for carrying people. Hop on, I’ll take you for a ride!”

Xu Dazui didn’t hesitate. She climbed on without another word. Meanwhile, Fourth Aunt Jiang watched with envy, turning her gaze expectantly toward Gu Nianwei.

Gu Nianwei: …

“Fourth Aunt, come on, I’ll give you a ride,” Gu Nianwei said.

Fourth Aunt Jiang didn’t hesitate and quickly climbed onto the back seat of Gu Nianwei’s bike. Once both women were seated securely, they pedaled away, disappearing into the distance with a group of children chasing behind them.

At the village entrance, a group of gossiping women looked on with envy. A few of the more sharp-tongued ones turned to Aunt Zhang.

“Suqin, I see you’ve always been pretty friendly with that Jiang educated youth. Why didn’t she offer you a ride?” one of them remarked.

Aunt Zhang lifted her eyelids lazily and glanced at the speaker. “A bike can only carry one person on the back. Are you blind? What, do you expect me to sit on the crossbar? I still have my dignity, you know.”

“How do you know Yutao won’t give me a ride?” Aunt Zhang smirked. “Just wait and see. Once she drops off Big Mouth, it’ll be my turn to go for a spin.”

Having spent enough time chatting with Jiang Yutao, Aunt Zhang understood her well.

That girl was someone who made sure to offend no one, treating the three of them equally. She would never let anyone take advantage or gain more favor than the others.

Sure enough, just as Aunt Zhang predicted, after Jiang Yutao dropped off Xu Dazui, she took Aunt Zhang for a ride around the village. When she returned, Aunt Zhang held her head high, proud as could be. After all, among the women in the village, who else besides the three of them had ever gotten to sit on a bicycle and parade around the village?

On their way back, Xiao Shitou and Xiao Sizi ran to the roadside, eagerly waiting for them. Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei stopped and let the two boys hop onto the bicycles. As they pedaled, the children shrieked with joy, their excitement filling the air.

This moment fully satisfied Jiang Yutao’s vanity. She felt like she was more impressive than driving a Rolls-Royce.

Not long after, they ran into Lin Weihong and the Lin brothers.

Lin Weihong averted her gaze, pretending not to see them, while the Lin brothers stared at Jiang Yutao’s bicycles with bitter envy.

Gu Nianwei had built a house in the village, bought a bicycle, and now worked as a teacher at the commune’s middle school. Her life was flourishing. The Lin brothers couldn’t help but think, ‘If only Gu Nianwei had really become our stepmother back then… Everything she has now would belong to us.’

It would be ‘them’ riding bicycles around the village in style.

The brothers’ hearts burned with jealousy.

At the educated youth dormitory, Xiao Shitou and Xiao Sizi ran home hand in hand. Later that evening, as Jiang Yutao and the others were about to eat, the two boys returned, bringing Xiao Hua with them. They held a large bowl containing pancakes and vegetables—Xu Dazui’s thank-you gift.

Jiang Yutao took an empty bowl, transferred the food from Xu Dazui into it, and placed it on the table. Gu Nianwei added some of their dishes to the bowl and handed it back for the kids to take home.

Tonight, they were eating a hearty stew made of ribs, beans, potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes. The rich, fragrant broth filled the room, and the children’s eyes sparkled as they stared at the food.

Jiang Yutao smiled and said, “You three can stay a little longer. Have some food with us before heading back.”

The two women had their suspicions about each other’s backgrounds and had gradually stopped paying attention to the finer details of their daily lives. For instance, today’s ribs were high-quality pork ribs, and when Gu Nianwei took them out to cook, they were still frosted. Jiang Yutao didn’t even know where to start with her remarks.

They stewed a big pot and invited Manqiu from next door to join them. They even sent some to the educated youth living in the front. However, Zhao Yonglan and Zhao Rongguang were inseparable the entire time, leaving no chance to ask about the morning’s events.

Even after splitting some with Xu Dazui and her family, there was plenty left in the pot—enough for Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei to have for two more meals. Since the little kids didn’t eat much, it didn’t make much of a dent in their portions.

While Jiang Yutao was chatting, Xu Manqiu had already served herself a bowl of food.

They were eating millet rice that day. While millet was excellent for porridge, as a dry dish, it had a coarse texture, similar to cornmeal, and could feel scratchy going down. However, once soaked in the rich pork rib broth, this issue disappeared entirely. The broth coated the millet grains, making every bite flavorful and smooth—a dish so good it made one want to lick the bowl clean.

The kids, who had never tasted anything this delicious, hesitated to take any meat. Only when Jiang Yutao served them did they dare eat it. They also devoured a lot of the vegetables. By the time they carried the dishes back home, their bellies were so full that they could barely walk straight.

When they didn’t return for a long time, their families grew worried and came looking for them. Xiao Sizi’s father, Liu Yaoxing, found them walking slowly, carrying their bowls, and was instantly furious.

“You little rascal! Don’t you know to come home on time? Everyone’s waiting for you to eat!”

Xiao Sizi clutched a big bowl of stew, its aroma wafting through the air and making everyone’s mouths water. Even though he was already full, the smell tempted him to eat more. It was impossible to resist.

Xiao Sizi shoved the bowl into Liu Yaoxing’s hands. “Dad, this is from Sister Yutao and Sister Wei Wei. They said it’s a thank-you gift. The meat smells amazing. Take a sniff…”

“You little rascal! I sent you to deliver things to Educated Youth Jiang, and you come back with more? What have I taught you? You don’t remember a thing! Just wait, your grandma is sure to spank you when we get home…”

Though Liu Yaoxing grumbled, he didn’t return the food to Jiang Yutao. It was already dark, and as a grown man, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to visit the educated youth’s dorm. He might not care about gossip, but Educated youth Jiang’s reputation mattered!

“Uncle, we also ate at Sister Yutao’s place. We had millet dry rice soaked in meat broth—it was so delicious.”

Hearing this, Liu Yaoxing nearly collapsed from worry. He was already unsure how to repay them for the pork ribs stew, and now he discovered they had also eaten millet dry rice! Even during the New Year, his family hadn’t had such a feast!

After escorting Xiao Shitou and Xiao Hua home, he dragged Xiao Sizi back to their house. “Just wait until your grandma gets ahold of you.”

Xiao Sizi covered his backside, defiantly saying, “I’m not afraid. I ate meat! You all say eating something nourishes the corresponding body part. With all this meat, my backside’s got to be tougher now. Grandma won’t hurt me anymore!”

From the shadows near the Lin family wall, Lin Wenping, who was gathering firewood, overheard the entire conversation. So, they had gone to the educated youth’s place, and the educated youth had fed them meat—something called ‘yiguochu’ stew.

Lin Wenping had never tasted it. That night, he even dreamed about what it might taste like. In his dream, he had a vague sense that he ‘had’ tried it before but didn’t like it because it wasn’t flavorful enough and didn’t have enough meat.

That same evening, the homes of Xu Dazui, Aunt Jiang, and Aunt Zhang were as joyful as if they were celebrating the New Year.

The next morning, before Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei had left for school, the three families brought over delicacies they wouldn’t even touch during the holidays—cured chicken and duck.

Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei tried to decline but had no chance to refuse.

Today was also the day Zhao Guangrong and his group were scheduled to report to the canning factory. Early in the morning, Zhang Huihui and the others left. Zhao Yonglan watched the figures of Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei disappear into the distance and sighed while leaning against the doorframe.

Li Yunying came over and patted her on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go study. Opportunities are for those who are prepared. We lost because we weren’t ready.”

Zhao Yonglan agreed. She felt she wasn’t cut out to be a teacher and worried it would harm the students. But working on an assembly line at a factory? Surely she’d qualify for that. Failing at the first hurdle left her feeling deeply unsatisfied.

What troubled her even more was Zhao Rongguang. When he left this morning, he hadn’t said a word to her. That silence weighed heavily on her.

The Middle School wasn’t large, designed in the style of a northern courtyard.

Entering through the main gate, the eastern wing housed the teachers’ offices. The main building in the center served as the classrooms. The round flowerbed in front of the classrooms was bare. The western wing was the dormitory for the on-duty teachers, and a shed had been built between it and the courtyard wall to store miscellaneous items and a few locked bicycles.

After locking up their bikes, Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei walked toward the principal’s office. Another group of new teachers who had taken the exam on the same day had also arrived.

There were two men and one woman, all relatively young. Upon seeing Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei, the two male teachers’ eyes lit up.

One of them, a young man with a middle-parted hairstyle, stepped forward and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m Gong Xubo, a sent-down youth from the Four Gatehouse Brigade, originally from Hunan Province.”

The Four Gatehouse Brigade was in a completely different direction from the their Brigade. It was unsurprising that they hadn’t met before, even during the usual social gatherings among sent-down youths.

Jiang Yutao and Gu Nianwei both frowned slightly.

Although they came from the future and had seen all sorts of things, it was still uncommon in non-business settings for a man to insist on shaking hands with a woman during a first meeting. Politeness usually just involved exchanging names and hometowns.

Moreover, the glint of frivolity in Gong Xubo’s eyes made it clear that he intended to take advantage of the situation.

Jiang Yutao scoffed internally. Another guy like Zhou Zhenfeng—a total creep.

This kind of man is usually full of confidence, but everything about him, even a single strand of hair, exudes a sleazy aura. “Sorry, we’re not used to shaking hands,” Jiang Yutao said coldly.

She never indulged sleazy men; she had encountered many like him before. They had no real skills and only sought to take advantage of women in any way they could. Zhou Zhenfeng at least looked like he had some sense of decency compared to this guy.

Jiang Yutao didn’t even look at Gong Xubo. Instead, she turned to the other two and said, “We’re also sent-down youth, working in the Liushu village. My name is Jiang Yutao.”

“I’m Gu Nianwei,” Gu Nianwei didn’t even spare Gong Xubo a glance.

“I’m Shen Jiahui, from the Zhaoxiang Commune. I just graduated from high school this June.”

“We’re classmates. I’m Zhen Geping.”

At this point, they had all introduced themselves. Shen Jiahui had walked up to them, and when Gong Xubo had tried to shake her hand earlier, she had a shy nature and agreed to it. However, when they pulled away, Gong Xubo had made an inappropriate move by touching her hand.

This disgusted Shen Jiahui, and Jiang Yutao firmly rejected Gong Xubo, making Shen Jiahui feel immensely relieved.

Principal Huang soon arrived, and after he came, the other teachers gradually followed.

After a few introductions, Principal Huang began assigning tasks.

“Jiang Yutao, you’ll be responsible for Chinese in Class 1 of Grade 7. Gu Nianwei, you’ll handle mathematics in Class 1 of Grade 7.”

“Shen Jiahui, you’ll be responsible for Chinese in Class 2. Zhen Geping, you’ll teach mathematics. As for Gong Xubo, you’ll teach geography for the entire Grade 7. Teacher Zhang, please give them their schedules.”

Teacher Zhang was a man in his thirties, wearing glasses. He taught mathematics for Class 1 of Grade 8. After the new teachers left the stage, they would be responsible for the subjects of the Grade 7 students.

“Alright, time’s getting late. Everyone, go to your classes. The Grade 7 students have already missed several days of lessons.” When Principal Huang assigned the main subjects to everyone except Gong Xubo, he felt a sense of frustration.

He felt that Principal Huang was looking down on him. He was a man, and being assigned a secondary subject was nothing; he should be teaching the main subject and serving as a class teacher!

After leaving the principal’s office, Teacher Zhang led them to their office. After giving them the class schedule and textbooks, she hurriedly left.

The first class was Jiang Yutao’s. She grabbed the books and headed to Class 1 of Grade 7.

At that time, people were poor, and the school was no exception. The desks were homemade by the school, and they were quite basic. There were about twenty students in the class, with boys making up the majority and girls being the minority.

The students sat upright, looking at Jiang Yutao on the podium with curiosity.

Jiang Yutao had tutored students while in university, so she had some experience teaching children. She wasn’t nervous at all. She picked up the chalk from the podium and neatly wrote her name on the blackboard.

“Students, remember my name. From today on, I’ll be your Chinese teacher. Can anyone tell me about your current study progress?”

The students eagerly raised their hands, and the classroom atmosphere was light and friendly. As Jiang Yutao was about to leave the classroom, she bumped into a young woman with a gentle appearance. The woman was wearing a white shirt and had her hair tied in a princess style.

Just as they brushed past each other, the “Melon-Eating” system gave a prompt.

[Ding~ The Melon-Eating system is at your service.]

[Detected the fourth female lead, Lin Manrou.]

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