C18 An Unknown Hidden Disease!
Qingqing seemed to be complimenting Xinrann, but she actually gave her a look as if she were a fool, then went back to pulling weeds. Xinrann smiled innocently, playfully stuck out her tongue, and quietly followed alongside Qingqing.
Also walking with them was Shaoqiang. He hadn't intended to listen to the sisters' conversation, but the breeze carried their voices to him. What could he do? It seemed the three sisters from the Faang family were indeed different now. In the past, when they saw him, they would immediately lower their heads and scurry past as if he had the plague. Ever since he had let them out of the coffin a few days ago, their gaze had changed.
Thinking about this, Shaoqiang couldn't help but chuckle. Xinrann noticed this and was a bit slow to realize. Why was it him again? Last night, it was him eavesdropping and peeking, and today he's eavesdropping and chuckling. This man, who appeared tall and strong, might have some hidden ailment, she thought. The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she turned her back to Shaoqiang.
By turning away, her slender waist and well-proportioned curves were fully displayed to Shaoqiang. Feeling awkward, Shaoqiang quickly turned around. Why didn't this woman pay attention to her behavior? Wasn't she just giving people an opportunity to take advantage? Feeling like he'd done something wrong, Shaoqiang's face turned slightly red. He scratched his closely cropped hair, coughed awkwardly, and, seeing no one was watching, hurriedly sped up his work to mask his embarrassment.
Usually found teaching at school, Lee Chang'an was miraculously in the wheat field today. Carrying a hoe, he stood on the ridge and, spotting Xinrann's slender figure, made his way over. Xinrann was busy and sweating profusely. Squatting to pull weeds was tricky; too low and she might crush the wheat, too high and her back ached.
The sun was blazing overhead, and Xinrann could feel the heat scorching her back.
"Breaking my back under the noonday sun, sweat falling into the soil; who knew the food on our plates came from such hard work... Come on, little darlings, let me clear these weeds for you. Grow tall and yield plenty of crops."
Xinrann was trying to find joy in the hard work, embracing the rural life, and softly talking to herself as she pulled weeds.
Coincidentally, her murmurs were overheard by Lee Chang'an.
"Xinrann..."
Lee Chang'an didn’t care about the judgmental looks from others. Everyone in the village knew about him and Xinrann, and he wasn’t afraid of gossip. Once he married Xinrann, who would dare to talk behind their backs? Besides, the old-fashioned ideas were on their way out. The whole country was now advocating for free love and marriage, so why couldn’t he openly be with Xinrann?
"Why are you here again? You should leave. I don’t want people gossiping about me," Xinrann said, glancing up slightly. She saw Lee Chang'an dressed in a crisp white shirt, cargo pants, a shiny watch on his wrist, and polished shoes, looking like an official on a rural inspection, standing straight beside her.
In contrast, Xinrann wore a modified, loose-fitting, old navy-blue men's work jacket, black pants, and mud-stained cloth shoes. At first glance, their attire was a stark contrast—one reaching for the sky, the other grounded in the earth.
