Ning Yan glanced at Fan Dahu and smiled, "It is quite a coincidence." You went to all that trouble, and still have the nerve to say it's a coincidence?
After speaking, she continued to pull weeds. In the afternoon, the sky started to become overcast. An old man who could read the weather said there should be heavy rain tonight. Ning Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; just half a day more, and she could rest tomorrow.
Summer was indeed the rainy season.
Mid-way through the work, a young man ran over with a cup, "Ning Zhiqing, this is the egg and sugar water my mother made. Drink some to replenish your energy."
Ning Yan: ...Big brother, who are you, coming up to me and offering food?
She looked up and behind the young man, and sure enough, saw an aunt glaring at her angrily!
"Sorry, I don't need it. You drink it yourself."
A look of disappointment appeared on the young man's face, but then he quickly became resigned, "Then, then you stay busy, I'm leaving."
Fan Dahu had already run to the very front to work, but he hadn't failed to notice the commotion here.
Half an hour later, Fan Dahu walked back and squatted beside Ning Yan to help her pull weeds.
"Comrade Fan, are you helping me with my work? You don't have to. I can do as much as I can myself. I eat little and can't consume much grain. You should go back to your own work."
At noon, she ate food from her spatial dimension. If anyone asked, she would say she ate snacks she brought from home.
"I've finished the plot of land assigned to me." After saying that, he remained silent and just focused on his work.
Ning Yan: ...In this era, helping someone of the opposite sex with work implies an intention to pursue them. So, this man is interested in her?
Thinking of something, she couldn't help but scrutinize Fan Dahu. He was tall and strong, which indicated what? He didn't lack food.
When she first started working, she heard others tease him, saying he never used to come to work. That meant he had other ways of making money.
Moreover, judging by his practiced way of bullying children, this man likely had a bad reputation.
A bad reputation was good. With Xu Xuejuan and her brother around, she believed it wouldn't be long before the news of her being a capitalist young lady spread throughout the village. Good people wouldn't be able to protect her; only bad people could.
In these times, at the slightest sign of trouble, people would be dragged out for criticism. She didn't want to suffer that!
As for other things, they weren't important.
Before it was time to finish work, raindrops suddenly began to fall from the sky. Fan Dahu had just finished all of Ning Yan's work. "Ning Zhiqing, hurry back to the educated youth point. It's going to rain, and you'll catch a cold if you get wet."
Ning Yan stood up and smiled at the man. She hadn't noticed before, but now that she looked, the man's face was quite presentable. Aside from his fierce gaze, he had a square face, and his features were all in their proper places, quite in line with the aesthetics of this era.
"Well, thank you very much today. You should also go back quickly."
Not far away, Li Xiuhua watched her silly son happily. Fat Aunt, looking at Ning Yan and then at Fan Dahu, couldn't help but make a snide remark: "I say, Second Sister-in-law, your Dahu wouldn't be interested in the new female educated youth, would he?
What is he thinking? Ning Zhiqing is so pretty, how could she fancy your big bully? Don't dream!"
Li Xiuhua's face instantly changed, "When did our family's affairs become your business? If you talk nonsense again, believe it or not, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Fat Aunt was known as the village shrew, and her reputation was on par with Li Xiuhua's in the village. The two immediately started fighting at the slightest disagreement.
As soon as Fan Dahu saw his mother being bullied, his eyes found Fan Shitouran hiding in the crowd. He swung his fist and went to beat him. Fan Shitouran cried out in pain, "Fat Aunt, I'll curse your ancestors, aren't you going to stop? Do you want to see your man die?!"
Fat Aunt lost focus for a moment after being cursed, and Li Xiuhua's hand twisted hard on her, pulling out a lock of hair. "Old hag, you dare to play dirty with me, I'll fight you to the death!"
At this time, Fan Erniu and Fan Sangou's wives ran over, grabbing Fat Aunt and starting to tear at her and curse: "Do you really think our old Fan family has no one? How dare you lay hands on my mother-in-law, we'll beat you to death!"
On one side, Fat Aunt was being beaten by Fan family's two daughters-in-law, and on the other side, Fat Aunt's husband was being beaten by Fan Dahu. Not a single spectator dared to step forward to help.
It wasn't until the Captain arrived that this chaotic battle ended. "Did you eat too much lunch? If you don't want to go home, then work in the rain!"
Fan Dahu released Fan Shitouran, "Uncle Shitouran, I'm sorry. I just thought it was better to hit you than to hit your wife. Your wife wouldn't learn her lesson even if she felt pain, otherwise she wouldn't have been so foul-mouthed towards my mother. I hit a bit hard, please bear with me.
However, if she acts up again next time, I'll still beat you!"
Captain: ...Good heavens, this brat even dares to threaten people in front of him!
Why doesn't anyone put him in a sack and beat him up?
No, he had forgotten what kind of person Fan Dahu was. That guy was the one who, when his nephew and a few children got into a fight and lost, ran to the other family's house and beat up every male there. It was good enough that he didn't put others in sacks; who would dare to provoke him?!
At this moment, the raindrops grew heavier. Fan Dahu supported his mother and walked home. As he walked, he suddenly froze.
Then he quickly looked back, but the petite figure was long gone.
It's over, it's over, it's over. He had just lost face at noon, and in the afternoon, he hit someone in front of her. His own mother and Ning Yan were no better. Could she still think highly of him?
When she returned to the educated youth point, the older educated youths were telling the new educated youths stories about Fan Dahu, the village bully. "You female comrades must be careful and stay far away from him, otherwise, if he latches onto you, it's over.
This man does everything except proper work: snatching food from children, beating gossiping old women, running to other people's houses to steal food and then threatening the whole family... He's done countless outrageous things.
Who in Hongshan Great Brigade isn't afraid when his name is mentioned?!
The women in the brigade all avoid him, fearing he'll cling to them!"
Xu Xuejuan couldn't help but ask, "Is there no one who can control him? If worse comes to worst, you can report him!"
Meng Changqing wished he could cover her mouth. "Never say that outside the educated youth point! Do you know what surname Hongshan Production Brigade has? It's Fan!
Fan, as in Fan Dahu! If you report him today, as long as he doesn't die, he can kill your whole family tomorrow!
How many lives do you have for him to take?
And that family of theirs, they're all extreme characters, especially his old mother. She can curse people into submission. All his brothers follow Fan Dahu's lead; wherever Fan Dahu points, they hit. The three daughters-in-law, who were originally good people, have all learned bad habits from their mother-in-law.
If anyone dares to say a single bad word about Fan Dahu and they hear it, they will truly gang up on that person!
Who dares to provoke such a family?"
Ning Yan listened to the stories about Fan Dahu, and her resolve grew stronger. She returned to her room, closed the door tightly, entered her spatial dimension to get some food to fill her stomach, and then bathed in the spiritual spring water. Soon, all her fatigue disappeared.