Chapter 86: Gossip at the Educated Youth Institute
The two siblings agreed to meet the next morning at the spot between the first and second peaks of Da Qi Mountain.
Before leaving, Ning Xiyue pulled out a small jar of green ointment and handed it to her brother.
“Brother, this is a repellent for snakes, insects, mice, and ants. I made it following a recipe in a book. Take it and apply some before we go tomorrow — the mountain mosquitoes are poisonous. One bite and you’ll swell up like crazy.”
“Alright, I’ll definitely use it. I’ll head back now — no need to see me off. Let’s meet tomorrow.”
Ning Qingyuan accepted the ointment, waved, and walked toward the gate of the educated youth Institute.
Only after watching her brother disappear down the road did Ning Xiyue turn back into the courtyard.
Liu Yao ran over the moment she saw her return. “Xiyue, I didn’t expect your second brother to be so handsome — and he treats you so well. I’m so jealous that you two were assigned to the same area.”
Ning Xiyue chuckled. “Jealous of me? Your cousin is in the same educated youth Institute as you, and Yu Zhiyu treats you more than well — he’s always thinking about you. I haven’t even said I’m jealous yet, and you’re already complaining. That’s just blatant showing off. If my brother and I were stationed at the same place, we’d definitely compare who’s more attentive.”
“Hehe, true. My cousin really is great. If it weren’t for him taking care of me here, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Liu Yao realized she was also the one others might envy, and she giggled, singing her cousin’s praises.
“My cousin may not talk much, but he always helps silently behind the scenes. He makes sure everything is arranged perfectly for me — I can feel it. I wonder who will be lucky enough to become my sister-in-law someday. I’m really curious.”
At those words, Ning Xiyue instinctively glanced at Chen Yechu, who was sitting nearby washing clothes.
The corners of Chen Yechu’s lips curled slightly into a soft smile — clearly in a good mood. It was obvious she had heard Liu Yao’s words.
Interesting. She probably didn’t even realize she was smiling.
Sometimes love makes people change subconsciously — the person themselves might not notice, but any onlooker could see it clearly.
Ning Xiyue smirked mischievously and deliberately asked, “So, what kind of girl do you think your cousin would want as a wife?”
Sure enough, the moment she asked, Chen Yechu’s scrubbing hands slowed down, and the sound of the washboard grew faint — her ears were clearly perked up.
“I think my cousin likes someone generous and sincere, not too overbearing. She’d definitely have to like reading, just like him — that way, they’d have things in common. Of course, she must also be filial and get along well with me.”
As Liu Yao listed each trait, Ning Xiyue watched Chen Yechu from the corner of her eye. With every characteristic mentioned, the curve of Chen Yechu’s smile shifted slightly.
Although her head was down, hiding her face, the subtle changes in her lips betrayed her thoughts. It was clear that Yu Zhiyu still held a special place in Chen Yechu’s heart.
Ning Xiyue wondered how long it would take before they reached that classic “we both like each other but neither of us dares to say it” stage.
Watching other people’s love stories unfold was the most entertaining thing in the world.
Just then, Wang Mengmeng butted in curiously. “Xiyue, how many years has your second brother been in the countryside now? Has he found you a sister-in-law yet?”
Ning Xiyue shot her a strange look. “My second brother doesn’t care about that stuff. All he thinks about is filling his stomach. And besides, our family’s strict — they wouldn’t allow it.”
She paused, then added casually, “Mm, and maybe his feet smell a little too.”
Wang Mengmeng was left speechless and quietly exited the conversation.
Liu Yao laughed. “Anyone’s feet would smell a bit after walking all day. It’s not a big deal.”
Ning Xiyue didn’t respond. That comment was mostly meant for Wang Mengmeng anyway.
Speaking of smelly feet, she subtly glanced over at Li Yang, who was sitting beside a pile of drying shoes.
Seriously? Of all places to sit, you pick next to a pile of shoes — are you here to sniff them or what?
An unwanted image popped into Ning Xiyue’s mind: Li Yang, eyes closed, blissfully inhaling the scent of a shoe. She instantly felt nauseous.
Ugh. Disgusting.
She needed to clear her mind. Crouching down, she grabbed Little Gray and hugged him tightly — that helped a little.
Liu Yao, confused by her behavior, crouched down too and gently petted the dog’s back before pulling her hand away with a satisfied smile.
That evening, while Ning Xiyue was having dinner in the kitchen, she heard loud arguing coming from the front of the educated youth Institute.
Her gossip radar instantly activated. She shoveled the rest of her rice into her mouth, locked the kitchen, and sprinted toward the commotion.
When she arrived, she saw Wang Mengmeng, furious, confronting Li Yang:
“Explain yourself right now! Why did you have my shoes? Were you trying to steal them?”
Li Yang sighed helplessly. “No, I saw your shoes fall on the ground, so I picked them up for you.”
Xia Zhipeng, standing nearby, tried to mediate. “Mengmeng, maybe this is a misunderstanding. Why would Comrade Li steal your shoes? It’s not like he can wear them.”
“Shut your filthy mouth. What does this have to do with you?” Wang Mengmeng snapped, glaring at him. “I saw Li Yang holding my shoes with my own eyes! Don’t give me that ‘they fell on the ground’ nonsense!”
Well, well, thought Ning Xiyue, I was just thinking about Li Yang earlier today, and now this happens tonight. The drama’s unfolding fast — he’s already been caught red-handed. It won’t be long before he’s completely exposed.
“Tell me — what exactly were you doing?”
Just the thought of a grown man touching her shoes made Wang Mengmeng’s skin crawl. If it weren’t for the fact that they were her favorite pair of leather shoes, she would’ve thrown them out immediately.
Oho, Ning Xiyue thought, is her neat-freak side kicking in? I can’t wait to see her face when she learns the truth.
She pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from her pocket and started cracking them open while watching the show.
“I’ve told you several times already — I was just picking them up for you,” Li Yang said, wearing the frustrated expression of an innocent man being wrongly accused.
Wow, Ning Xiyue muttered to her system, I didn’t think Li Yang was such a good actor. You’d never guess he’s a pervert.
The other educated youth, including the older ones like Wu Guifang and Wang Fenglan, all seemed to think Wang Mengmeng was overreacting.
To them, Li Yang looked like nothing more than a kind, honest man being unfairly accused.
“System, don’t you think Li Yang’s been hiding it pretty well? They’ve lived with him for years and still haven’t noticed.”
Little Turtle: “Mm, aside from you, host, he’s the best actor in this place. His ‘honest man’ image is deeply ingrained.”
Ning Xiyue, grinning: “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment. When do I get my Oscar, huh? Solid gold, please — I won’t complain.”
She glanced at Chen Yechu again. Yup, the heroine knows the truth. Looks like this scene really does happen in the original plot.
Liu Yao, seeing her bedmate so insistent, started to believe her and decided to help. “Mengmeng, don’t rush. Tell us exactly what you saw just now.”
