Chapter 25: Good Intentions

Chapter 25: Good Intentions

Ye Xiaoxiao eventually went out with Ye Changning, using the excuse of getting to know the village roads.

Even though the village didn't have many households, it was pretty big.

The courtyards of each household were quite far apart, so at night, one definitely couldn't hear the commotion next door.

Ye Changning carried the lunchbox, watching Ye Xiaoxiao struggle to walk beside him, and couldn't figure out why she'd come out to suffer in this freezing weather.

When the two of them were not far from the production team's yard, someone suddenly called out Ye Changning's name from the roadside.

"Ningzi, over here!"

Ye Changning saw who it was and, for some reason, handed the lunchbox to Ye Xiaoxiao.

"See that dirt wall up ahead with the red writing? That's the production team's yard. Go on in."

Ye Xiaoxiao remembered that in the original story, Ye Changning had been betrayed and killed by his own best friend, so she asked nervously, "Where are you going?"

Ye Changning: "I'm just gonna talk to my buddy for a sec."

Ye Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, "Then come find me quick. I'm scared walking alone."

Ye Changning waved his hand, "Got it."

Girls are such a hassle.

If it were a younger brother, he'd have left him here ages ago.

Ye Changning left with his friend, and it was clearly more than just a quick chat.

Ye Xiaoxiao walked toward the production team, lunchbox in hand.

As she reached the entrance, she bumped into someone coming out.

Li Deshu's eyes lit up. "Xiao Xiao, what brings you here?"

Ye Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, "I'm here to drop off some food."

Li Deshu stopped her, "Who's the food for? Let me give you a hand."

He reached out to grab her as he spoke.

Ye Xiaoxiao dodged his hand, "No thanks, I've got it."

Li Deshu, used to being pampered by his friends, had never been treated so coldly. Feeling aggrieved, he became even more eager.

With a face like hers, it was hard to stay mad.

Li Deshu asked, "Xiao Xiao, have I offended you? Why do I feel like you never look at me properly? How about we become friends?"

Ye Xiaoxiao replied coldly, "I don't like making friends."

Seeing that Li Deshu was still blocking her way, Ye Xiaoxiao kicked him.

"Ouch!"

While Li Deshu was holding his foot, she ran into the yard.

There were only a few rooms here, so it was easy to spot where people were.

As soon as Ye Xiaoxiao entered the room, she saw Lu Hanchuan.

This was an office with old, shabby tables and chairs, and no stove.

It was freezing, like a cellar.

Lu Hanchuan asked, "Why are you here?"

Ye Xiaoxiao replied, "My mom sent me to bring you some food."

Lu Hanchuan stood up. "Let's go eat at your place."

It was too cold here to stay for long.

Seeing that they were about to leave, Zhang Rengui in the room immediately assured, "Don't worry, Officer Lu, I'll make sure to keep an eye on things here."

Lu Hanchuan nodded and left with Ye Xiaoxiao.

When they reached the yard entrance, Li Deshu was still there.

But he didn't dare approach again.

Lu Hanchuan's presence was like a sharp sword—no one dared test its edge.

As they passed Li Deshu, he even took a step back.

Lu Hanchuan, without even looking that way, suddenly asked, "Is he waiting for you here?"

Ye Xiaoxiao replied, "I don't know."

Lu Hanchuan gave her a glance.

On the way back, Lu Hanchuan walked ahead, and Ye Xiaoxiao followed behind.

He always managed to block some of the wind.

As they neared the Ye family's house, Lu Hanchuan added, "The Ye family isn't wealthy, and this place is far from the county town. From what I know, the only high school in the entire county is in Baichuan County. If you want to go to school, you'll have to live on campus, and it'll be tough."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked up at him, puzzled as to why he suddenly brought this up.

Lu Hanchuan said, "I can help you transfer to a school in the capital city. Even if you don't want to go back to your old school, you can pick any other one, and it'll still be better than the environment and teaching quality here."

Ye Xiaoxiao finally asked, "Are we really that close?"

Lu Hanchuan smiled, "I'm just kind-hearted."

Ye Xiaoxiao refused, "There's no need to go back to the capital. I think it's fine here as it is."

Truth be told, she was a bit uneasy too. Back in her time, student accommodations were already quite good.

And she had only lived on campus for the first time during college, when her roommates were all adults.

But now... Ye Xiaoxiao couldn't imagine the hardships.

Lu Hanchuan knew. In the freezing cold, students living on campus might not even have hot water.

For someone like Ye Xiaoxiao, who clearly grew up pampered, enduring half a year like this would not be easy.

"Then take some more time to think about it."

Lu Hanchuan was sure that the other person would eventually come to him for help.

Although he hadn't received any response for a month after giving out his phone number, he remained confident.

After exchanging a few words outside, they were both freezing, and only warmed up once they got back inside.

There was a warm kang (a traditional heated bed) in the house, but it was only warm on the kang itself.

Without a heating stove, the rest of the house was very cold.

Iron stoves were too expensive for ordinary families to afford.

The winters here were tough to get through.

Ye Xiaoxiao still wore her padded cotton clothes even at home.

Lu Hanchuan, however, was fine; he found it cold but was no stranger to hardship.

But he had already decided to send over some practical items once he could leave Baishi Village.

Ye Changning didn't return until almost dark, by which time the family had already eaten dinner.

His sister-in-law, Zhang Xue, had saved some food for him.

Zhang Xue asked, "Why are you so late?"

Ye Changning smiled sheepishly, "I lost track of time while hanging out with friends."

Zhang Xue said, "You're just messing around. Dad's going to scold you again soon."

Ye Changning pouted, "With guests at home, Dad probably won't have time to scold me."

Ye Xiaoxiao came out from the east room, "Dad might not have time to scold you, but Third Brother, you broke your promise. You said you'd come back with me."

Ye Changning had completely forgotten about Ye Xiaoxiao.

But he had never seen anyone so fussy in the village; going home alone shouldn't be a big deal.

"I was handling important matters, and you found your way home anyway."

Ye Changning grinned, "Once I make some money, I'll buy you something nice."

Ye Xiaoxiao immediately got suspicious and asked pointedly, "Third Brother, what kind of important matters could you possibly handle?"

"It's about making money. I'll tell you in secret. After the New Year, I won't be working at the lumberyard anymore. I'm going to see what's out there."

As Ye Changning spoke, Zhang Xue came over and gave him a light knock on the head.

"Stop talking nonsense. If Dad hears this, he'll definitely give you a beating."

"Sister-in-law, you can't tell on me."

Zhang Xue said, "I won't get involved. Hurry up and eat, then do the dishes."

Ye Changning knew that no one in the family believed he could strike it rich, but this time he meant it.

Gangzi had told him that he had relatives who were doing business in coastal cities and had made a fortune.

There were no opportunities in this small mountain valley; he had to see what was out there.

Ye Xiaoxiao decided to ask more questions: "Third Brother, what kind of money-making are you talking about?"

Ye Changning had indeed started making a lot of money, so this trip should go smoothly, and there was no need to worry too much.