After the frail beauty went to the countryside, she went crazy with scientific research.

Chapter 226, Episode 0234: Without experiencing the harsh realities of life
"...Mom, why are you here?"

Leng Xingran was completely stunned when he saw his mother. Although he knew he would see his mother when he arrived in the Northwest, the psychological trauma Zhang Hongying had inflicted on him was too great. Leng Xingran's feelings towards Zhang Hongying were not just about being close to home, but also about avoiding her whenever possible.

It's not that there's anything wrong with the mother and son's relationship, but rather that Leng Xingran was extremely naughty when he was young and was often beaten by Leng Zhi and Zhang Hongying; although he stopped being beaten after growing up, his parents started pressuring him to get married again.

That's why I'm traumatized!

Although Leng Xingran tried his best to hide it and his performance seemed commendable, as if he were surprised to see his mother, Lin Yuexi still sensed something was wrong from his reaction.

Her brother seems a little afraid of their mother?

Zhang Hongying gave Leng Xingran a half-smile. "What's wrong? Can't Mom come see you?"

"How could that be? I'm so happy you're here, Mom." Leng Xingran immediately showed her survival instincts and quickly stepped forward to hug Zhang Hongying's hand.

This shameless attitude has never changed since I was a child.

Zhang Hongying poked his forehead in annoyance, then turned and told Xu Shan to put the two large baskets he had brought on the table.

Being ridiculed by his own parents didn't embarrass Leng Xingran at all. He had experienced this kind of thing countless times since he was a child, and he was used to it.

Having already smelled the aroma emanating from the basket, he rushed forward and opened the basket lid without Zhang Hongying having to say anything.

Seeing that there were indeed big meat buns inside, he grinned and showed off his bright white teeth, "Mom, I knew you cared about me and knew I liked this kind of food."

Zhang Hongying stepped forward and slapped him away in disgust. She had already divided the buns in the basket into small bags before she came, and handed them to Xu Zhichuan and the others.

"These are sauerkraut and pork buns I made. I don't know if they'll suit your taste."

Since it was an elder's gift, none of them could refuse, and they gratefully accepted it.

"It must taste delicious. My mouth is watering just from the smell."

"Thank you, Auntie. The buns smell delicious, and I'm sure they have all the flavors."

"Aunt Zhang, your steamed buns are famous throughout the compound. I'm so glad I got to eat them."

The three children were all incredibly sweet-talking, making Zhang Hongying's eyes crinkle into crescent moons with laughter.

The happier she was, the more generous she became. She opened another basket, took out the baked goods that were also divided into bags, and gave one bag to each person.

“Being an educated youth here is different from other places. Sometimes there may not be time to cook, especially since you have just arrived and are not used to it yet. These baked flatbreads do not spoil easily, so we keep them. When there is no time to cook, we just break off some and soak them in hot water.”

The group was so touched by Zhang Hongying's thoughtfulness that their eyes welled up with tears.

Regardless of the reasons for going to the countryside, these educated youth could only rely on themselves after arriving. The labor in the fields was physically exhausting, and the villagers' xenophobia was mentally exhausting. Being strong and able to handle things was something they had no other choice.

Zhang Hongying's parental concern touched their most sensitive spot.

Zhang Hongying knew that the educated youth had a hard time, and seeing the children looking like they were about to cry made her feel sad, but there was nothing she could do to change it, so she could only look away and pretend she didn't see it.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat somber.

At this moment, Lin Yuexi asked Leng Xingran, "Third Brother, did something happen to you at the Red Star Brigade?"

Leng Xingran understood her sister's meaning and replied cooperatively, "Indeed, some things happened, it's a long story." Lin Yuexi raised an eyebrow, "Then make it short."

Leng Xingran: "..."

He's just laying the groundwork.

Helping Zhang Hongying, who was also becoming curious, to sit down, Leng Xingran began to tell her story in a concise and detailed manner after seeing her younger sister sit down as well.

The story begins with Xu Zhichuan almost being forced into bed.

The newly arrived educated youth, Wan, became pregnant after being deceived by a scumbag. With the help of educated youths Xiao Kong and Xiao Zhang, she plotted to climb into Xu Zhichuan's bed and frame him for the child in her womb.

Li Bin accidentally stumbled upon the plan, and not only did it fail, but it was also only at the stage of not even being able to pick the lock.

As the saying goes, to catch a thief, you need to steal the illicit goods; to catch a woman in bed, you need to be in bed!
In other words, because Li Bin discovered it, Xu Zhichuan and his group had no concrete evidence to prove that Wan Zhiqing and the others were guilty.

Of course, if Li Bin hadn't caught them in the act, Xu Zhichuan and his group might not have been able to produce concrete evidence to prove Xu Zhichuan's innocence.

After all, in these kinds of situations, women always seem to be at a greater disadvantage. The general consensus is that women would not risk their own reputation to frame someone else; people would only think that men are the ones in the wrong.

In addition, the educated youth in Hongxing Brigade had a bad impression on the villagers. No matter whether the male or female educated youth had problems, as long as any stain on the educated youth settlement was exposed, the villagers would only have a worse impression of them, which would only do harm to the educated youth.

Besides, once such a thing starts circulating, it will spread like wildfire, and nobody knows how it will end up.

For various reasons, Xu Zhichuan and his group did not cause trouble for Wan Zhiqing and her friends. Instead, they quickly moved back to Leng Xingran's house to avoid them.

After returning home and learning the truth, Ren Yan could only feel angry and frustrated. However, for the sake of the bigger picture, she did not go looking for trouble with Wan Zhiqing and the others.

Well, none of them had experienced the harsh realities of society, so they were too soft-hearted for the pitiful experiences of the educated youth.

At first, Wan Zhiqing and the others were a little worried, which could be seen from their efforts to avoid meeting Ren Yan.

Perhaps it was because Ren Yan didn't cause them any trouble that emboldened them, or perhaps they were simply not good people to begin with.

"About two weeks ago, the village hired someone to show a movie. During the movie, a child came to Ren Yan and said that someone was looking for her."

Leng Xingran glanced at Ren Yan, whose expression was displeased. Ren Yan immediately understood. She had nothing to be ashamed of and couldn't say anything, so she took over the conversation and said:
“Niu Dan came to find her and said that Yu Zhiqing had fallen and twisted her ankle, and Yu Zhiqing had told him to come to me.”

She curled her lip in disdain. "Although Yu Zhiqing often sends pastries to their home because you helped them, even after you left, she still does. But in terms of closeness, Yu Zhiqing is closer to Qian Zhiqing than to me. If she really twists her ankle on the way, she would only ask someone to call Shen Zhiqing and Qian Zhiqing. Besides, there's her husband, Li Bin. She would never ask me to help her."

Moreover, Niu Dan has been corrupted by Granny Hua's teachings; he's completely unprincipled as long as he's given a little benefit.

So she didn't believe Niu Dan's message at all, and naturally didn't follow Niu Dan.

“Niu Dan got anxious when he saw that I was ignoring him. The more I realized that something was wrong, the less I paid attention to him.”

"Later, Niu Dan realized he couldn't fool me, so he ran away in a hurry."

Ren Yan immediately followed Niu Dan after he ran away, and then saw Niu Dan talking quietly with Wan Zhiqing and a few others at the corner. Xiao Zhang Zhiqing also gave Niu Dan a handful of fruit candies and a dollar.

Having spent some time by Lin Yuexi's side and had considerable contact with Xu Shan and others, Ren Yan is no longer the naive and simple girl she used to be. She is no longer impulsive and knows how to be patient and analyze the pros and cons of things.

Ren Yan was naturally furious that the person who had schemed against her man was now also trying to get back at her. However, instead of impulsively rushing in to confront them like a fool, she silently left and told Xu Zhichuan and Leng Deran about the incident.