Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 108 Applying for Homestead Land

As soon as she entered the room, Xia Mingyue was drawn to the much larger bookshelf and walked up to it as if she were bewitched.

As she lovingly stroked the covers of these books, Xia Mingyue became even more hesitant and conflicted.

She thought she only needed to bring back the few books she had picked out last time, but she didn't expect Wang Chengpeng's bookshelf to be restocked so quickly that she felt overwhelmed.

This was a feeling she had never experienced at her home in the city.

Thinking of this, Xia Mingyue subconsciously asked, "Comrade Wang, where did you get all these books?"

She then realized she shouldn't have asked that question, since everyone has their own secrets.

Wang Chengpeng, on the other hand, didn't care and said, "I know a friend in town who has a collection of books at home."

"Seeing that I liked it, he gave me quite a few books."

"Anyway, I can't read that many books all by myself at once. If you need any, Xia Zhiqing, just ask me to borrow them."

While this explanation, which omits key information, is not entirely wrong, it leaves no trace and is essentially meaningless.

Since he had borrowed books from Xia Mingyue before, and she was also a book lover who cherished books, Wang Chengpeng was willing to lend her the book.

Moreover, the other party came specifically with An Qiuyun to comfort her, so she couldn't refuse, both emotionally and logically.

Upon receiving Wang Chengpeng's promise, Xia Mingyue visibly became happier and said:

"Comrade Wang, someone who loves reading as much as you must have a deep love for life. I believe you have definitely moved on from this incident."

"I am deeply grateful and will not thank you enough. If you need any help in the future, please feel free to ask me."

"I, Xia Mingyue, will absolutely not refuse to do what I can."

Talking about money is really too vulgar, and the other party may not even accept it.

After thinking it over, Xia Mingyue finally made a promise to help.

Often, these seemingly insignificant promises are more valuable than real money.

Having chosen the books she wanted to borrow, Xia Mingyue didn't dare linger in Wang Chengpeng's room. She made up an excuse about going back for dinner and left with a large pile of books.

Although Wang Chengpeng wanted to see him off, he ultimately didn't say anything.

Offering to stay for a meal is out of the question, and delivering it by bike is even more impossible.

A lone man and a lone woman riding a bicycle together—it won't be tomorrow; it'll be the headline in Wangjia Village tonight.

……

It must be said that although Xia Mingyue looks like a delicate female intellectual, she has worked in Wangjia Village for so long that her body has been well-trained and she is not as fragile as she appears.

Even carrying a stack of books, she returned to her room with ease.

However, as soon as she put down the book, Xia Mingyue saw a scene that shocked her to no end.

An Qiuyun, who is usually carefree, was hiding under the covers like a quail, not even showing her head.

What's going on? Is this still the An Qiuyun I know?
Thinking of this, Xia Mingyue directly pulled off An Qiuyun's blanket and immediately found An Qiuyun with a flushed face.

Only then did she realize something was wrong and asked:
"Qiuyun, what exactly did you see outside when you went out just now?"

"Judging from your situation, it's definitely not as simple as just a rat."

If only it were a rat, I could see white, shiny, firm meat.

Not only that, Wang Chengpeng later gave him a flower. Didn't he know what giving flowers meant?

She snatched the blanket away and continued to play the fool, burying her head in the sand.

Instead, Xia Mingyue helplessly comforted her best friend, saying:

"Although sending flowers does carry a slightly different meaning, I don't think Comrade Wang meant it that way at all." "He just picked the flower for you because you liked it; it wasn't really about expressing affection."

"You, who are usually so carefree and seem to care about nothing, are acting like a simple-minded fool now."

"Get up quickly, it's almost time to eat."

"If you miss dinner tonight, you'll really be crying under the covers."

For a foodie like An Qiuyun, missing dinner was extremely devastating. She immediately pushed back the covers and said:

"Dinner, where is dinner?"

She realized that she had misunderstood Wang Chengpeng, and she finally felt a little better.

At the same time, he was also a little puzzled. Wang Chengpeng usually looked thin and weak, but he didn't expect that he had such a good figure hidden under his clothes.

Those firm muscles must feel really nice to the touch.

For no apparent reason, under Xia Mingyue's gaze, she noticed that An Qiuyun's face had become even redder.

With a sigh, Xia Mingyue went outside to fetch a basin of water and washed An Qiuyun's face, which made her look a little more normal.

Fortunately, there were only two female educated youths at the settlement, so they could easily find an excuse to get away with it.

……

After the two women left, and after a little more work, Wang Chengpeng's family began to eat dinner.

Although it was the same dinner, Wang Chengpeng's family's dinner was much more lavish than the dinner ordered by the educated youth.

Not only are there many dishes, but they are also of high quality. Even the staple foods look much more refined.

While munching on his steamed bun, Wang Chengpeng noticed that everyone had almost finished eating and immediately offered his opinion, saying:

"Dad, Mom, I think we should find a piece of land and build a house that belongs to us."

"Living here all the time isn't a good solution; it just feels a bit cramped."

"A study, a studio, and a place to live—I feel like I need at least three rooms."

In response to Wang Chengpeng's suggestion, Liu Chunhua joked, "Oh, son, you're getting picky."

“Study rooms and studios are things only city people do; we don’t do that in our village.”

Faced with Liu Chunhua's teasing, Wang Chengpeng said helplessly, "Mom, I really don't have enough room."

"You've been to my room before, it's so crowded you could barely find a place to step."

"It's only because Dongzi doesn't mind that I would feel embarrassed to invite him to my house to study."

"Plus the pile of books in my room, it's really inconvenient not having a study."

"As for the studio, you know that I have all my stuff piled up all over the place."

"What if my future wife sees this and runs away in fright?"

When the words "future daughter-in-law" were mentioned, Liu Chunhua's expression indeed became more serious.

It's really not appropriate to use this borrowed house for my son's wedding.

Before, it was because we didn't have the money, there was nothing we could do.

But now that we have some money available, we can't let our future daughter-in-law suffer.

Thinking this, Liu Chunhua asked, "My husband, what do you think about this?"

(End of this chapter)