Chapter 46: Accidental Gossip, Forced to Eat Melon
Once the troublemakers left, the entire wheat warehouse quieted down, and everyone got back to work seriously.
The people in this warehouse were all diligent and efficient. In no time, they had taken all the wheat from the three storage rooms and spread it out to dry.
The first group, who had been harvesting wheat on the hillside, returned carrying the freshly cut wheat. They had already transported the bundles of straw to the threshing ground — a separate open area right next to where they were drying the grains.
Ning Xiyue went over to the threshing ground and carefully observed how the others were drying the wheat, then copied their method step by step.
It was actually quite simple: they untied the bundles of harvested straw and spread them out evenly on the ground to ensure every stalk could be exposed to the sun.
Ning Xiyue worked alongside the aunties, and once the wheat was spread out, they moved on to drying the rice.
The first batch of rice had already ripened, so the team was also in the middle of harvesting it.
That meant the drying area was even busier than before.
All morning, Ning Xiyue hadn’t had a single sip of water, nor had her feet stopped moving. She was like a brick of socialism — wherever she was needed, she went.
As noon approached, most of the commune members began to finish work for the morning. But for those in the drying group, this was their busiest time — and the drying area was at its liveliest.
Members of the commune came by with ox carts, flatbed carts, wheelbarrows, or carrying baskets of grain they had harvested throughout the morning.
Seeing all that grain, Ning Xiyue continued laying out the wheat straw. There was quite a lot of wheat brought back today.
While she was working at the threshing ground, Ning Xiyue ran into some people from the youth camp.
Wu Guifang came over carrying four bundles of wheat straw. “Xiyue, help me with this.”
“Sure. Put it down slowly, I’ll help you.” Ning Xiyue quickly stepped forward and grabbed one end of the carrying pole, helping her unload the bundles.
Together, Ning Xiyue and Wu Guifang spread out the four bundles evenly on the ground.
Wu Guifang wiped the sweat from her forehead with the towel around her neck and said as she walked away, “Thanks, Xiyue. I’m going back to cook. You keep working.”
“Alright, go ahead. I’ll be heading back soon too,” Ning Xiyue waved, wiping the sweat from her own face as well.
The noon sun grew more and more scorching, and Ning Xiyue had already soaked through two towels from working all morning.
She was extremely grateful that when she’d signed in to the system, she had received several towels — all identical, plain white ones without a single pattern, like they had been bought wholesale.
Aunt Yangliu was using her straw hat to fan herself as she called out to Ning Xiyue, “Xiyue, you can clock out now. Just go register with Uncle Anguo and you’re free to go.”
“Got it, Auntie.”
Ning Xiyue picked up her water bottle and straw hat, went to register, and then headed back to the youth dormitory.
Today was Chen Yechu’s turn to cook, so Ning Xiyue didn’t need to rush. She strolled leisurely toward the dorm.
On the way back, she noticed a man and a woman arguing heatedly not far ahead at a bend in the road — and they were standing exactly where she needed to pass.
Although she had been feeling tired and sluggish from working all morning, Ning Xiyue immediately perked up, her eyes sparkling with gossip energy. She even walked a little faster, eager to see what juicy drama was unfolding.
Whether the pair was too caught up in their argument or simply didn’t notice, they still hadn’t realized she was approaching even when she was almost there.
To avoid embarrassing them, Ning Xiyue stopped just around the corner — though, truthfully, it was mostly because she wanted to eavesdrop. And she wasn’t sneaking; she was openly and righteously standing there listening.
She heard the girl shouting fiercely, even trying to grab the guy:
“Li Jiandang, did you hear me? You’re not allowed to help Ning Xiaoxiao with work! You’re not allowed to like her! And you’re not allowed to help that new female educated youth surnamed Chen either! I like you!”
Secretly munching on melon seeds, Ning Xiyue thought: Whoa — this involves both Ning Xiaoxiao and Chen Yechu. That’s a big melon, a HUGE melon. There’s definitely more to this story.
The man, Li Jiandang, stepped back a few times, avoiding her grasp, and said irritably:
“Wu Xiuli, can you stop pestering me? I’ve told you so many times — stop bothering me. I don’t like you. Our families don’t even get along, so leave me alone. Who I like is none of your business. I’m leaving, and don’t come looking for me again.”
Ning Xiyue was enjoying the show, but when she heard the man say he was leaving — and saw that he was heading in her direction — her heart skipped a beat.
Oh no… if we bump into each other face-to-face, that’ll be mortifying.
She quickly scanned her surroundings and spotted a haystack not far away. She rushed toward it — almost tripping over a rock in her haste — and ducked behind it just in time, crouching low and turning her back inward while peeking out to observe the situation.
But in that split second, she felt herself bump into something behind her. Just as she was about to turn around to see what it was, she heard a tiny whisper, almost inaudible:
“Ow… my butt…”
Ning Xiyue turned her head — and locked eyes with a stranger, a young woman hiding there too.
At that exact moment, the man walked past the haystack. Ning Xiyue and the other girl immediately clamped their hands over each other’s mouths to stop any sounds from escaping.
Their reactions were perfectly in sync. They held their breath, tense and still, closely watching the situation outside the haystack.
The man walked straight past without noticing anything unusual — let alone that two people were hiding there, eavesdropping and peeking.
As for the other protagonist — the angry girl — she didn’t notice them either. She stomped her foot angrily, stormed a few steps forward, then turned and walked off in another direction.
Once both “main characters” were gone, Ning Xiyue and the girl beside her let out a huge sigh of relief at the same time. They both sat down heavily on the ground, staring at each other in wide-eyed silence.
