Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

"It's nothing, just some sour talk from jealous people." Roland didn't want to elaborate, lest her sisters at home get angry too. "Hasn't Xiangyang come back yet?"

Just then, the courtyard gate rang, and Liu Xiangyang walked in.

"Xiangyang is back!" Zuo Qingqing went up to him and took his clothes.

Liu Xiangyang noticed that Luo Lan's expression was not good and asked, "What's wrong? Who upset my sister Lan?"

Roland briefly explained the situation. After listening, Liu Xiangyang's expression changed, and he said, "Leave it to me, I'll handle it."

The evening wind, still carrying a lingering chill, blew into Liu Xiangyang's yard.

Roland sat in front of the stove, adding firewood absentmindedly, the firelight flickering on her face.

At the dinner table, Zuo Qingqing was still indignantly repeating the gossip from the educated youth settlement, especially Zhang Weiguo's sarcastic remark about "clinging to someone powerful." Xue Bingbing gently tugged at her, gesturing for her to look at Luo Lan's expression.

Roland forced a smile: "It's alright, young people can't keep secrets."

Liu Xiangyang sat in the main seat eating his meal. After listening to Zuo Qingqing's retelling, he said to Luo Lan, "Leave it to me. I'll handle it. Don't worry about it."

At night, Roland lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring at the roof beams in the darkness.

Zhang Weiguo's disdainful and lewd gaze, and his words "What did you betray?", burrowed into her heart like a venomous snake.

Why is Xiangyang so calm? Does he think this matter is too trivial to warrant his attention? Or... does he actually not care that much about being wronged?

The thought clenched in her chest, but she quickly suppressed it. No, Xiangyang wasn't that kind of person. He must have his own plans. Roland turned over, forcing herself to close her eyes.

The next day, Liu Xiangyang did what he always did: he went to the clinic to see Dr. Han, he did his patrols, and he even went to the home of production team leader Wang Lixin in the afternoon to discuss the allocation of labor and the arrangement of educated youth for the spring plowing season.

Roland's initial expectation gradually turned into doubt, and a hint of barely perceptible disappointment. Was it really just going to end like this?

Unbeknownst to her, Liu Xiangyang, while drinking coarse tea at Wang Lixin's house and finishing their business, casually remarked, "Captain Wang, the Third Team is really pushing hard with spring plowing preparations. I passed by this morning and saw that Zhang Weiguo and the other old educated youths were quite enthusiastic."

Wang Lixin, smoking a cigarette, chuckled, "That's right. With spring here, nobody dares to slack off. It's just that Zhang Weiguo is a bit careless when he works; we have to keep a close eye on him."

Liu Xiangyang nodded: "Being a little impulsive is fine, as long as they're willing to work. However, you need to assign them some tasks that require patience and meticulousness to temper their temperament, otherwise they're prone to making mistakes."

He took out a cigarette and handed it to Wang Lixin, then lit it for him, exhaling a puff of smoke: "I heard that the commune requires all brigades to thoroughly clean the irrigation canals before spring plowing, especially the silt and weeds in the branch canals and main canals. This work is meticulous and tedious, so this is perfect."

Wang Lixin was a shrewd man. Upon hearing this and seeing Liu Xiangyang's calm expression, he immediately understood what was going on.

He had also heard rumors about the conflicts at the educated youth settlements and knew that Liu Xiangyang had sent a message through him.

"Cleaning the irrigation ditches..." Wang Lixin clicked his tongue. "This job is meticulous and requires a certain sense of responsibility. Okay, I think Zhang Weiguo is quite suitable. I'll arrange for him to do this tomorrow. He should bring one or two people and thoroughly clean the sections of the branch ditches that the third team is responsible for. He's not allowed to do anything else until they're all cleaned up."

"I heard that Zhang Weiguo and Deng Kai are quite close."

"I think so too. They hang out together every day, so let them be," Wang Lixin said, exhaling a puff of smoke and glancing at Liu Xiangyang through the smoke.

Liu Xiangyang smiled, and after saying that, he didn't continue the topic and changed the subject.

That afternoon, Wang Lixin summoned Zhang Weiguo and Deng Kai to the village office.

"Spring plowing is about to begin, and the organization has a task for you. Do you have the confidence?"

The two looked at each other, wondering why they had been assigned a task alone, but still replied, "We will definitely complete the task."

"Okay, then before spring plowing, you guys go and clean up the three sections of branch canals that our team is responsible for, from the old locust tree to the brick kiln."

"The requirements are to clean the silt from the bottom of the canal, clear away the weeds and thorns on both sides, and remove any debris and stones. The commune will inspect it. If you don't do it well and delay the spring planting and irrigation, I will hold you accountable!" Wang Lixin said sternly.

Cleaning irrigation ditches is a common task before spring plowing, but it is usually done in shifts.

Now that he was being assigned to do it alone, Zhang Weiguo and Deng Kai exchanged a glance, knowing that this was Roland's revenge.

As the two walked out of the village office, Zhang Weiguo said, "Is that all that bitch is capable of?"

"Should we ask Xie Zhiyong to talk to her and make peace?" Deng Kai felt that he had been completely innocent in this disaster, so he wondered if there was any way to salvage the situation.

"Have you forgotten about Xie Zhiyong and Luo Lan fighting over the quota? Going to talk to him would just be adding fuel to the fire, wouldn't it?" Zhang Weiguo said.

"So you're just going to accept it like that?"

"It's just work, who's afraid of who? We'll just dawdle and see what the village can do. We'll talk about it when we get back."

In early spring, the canal water is icy cold, the mud smells foul, and weeds and withered branches entangle your hands.

While cursing and swinging his shovel, Zhang Weiguo said to Deng Kai, "That bitch Roland definitely can't get Wang Lixin to do anything? Is it because of Liu Xiangyang?"

"It must be him, otherwise why would he arrange for us to come to Qingshui Canal right after you and Roland had your argument?"

"Damn, this water's freezing cold."

Deng Kai's agreement only fueled his anger. It must be Liu Xiangyang pulling the strings behind the scenes! That kid won't show his face himself, but he's instigating Wang Lixin to get back at me! He's fucking insidious!

But he had no evidence, so he could only vent his anger on the mud and weeds.

The work took two whole days. Zhang Weiguo was exhausted, his back ached, his hands were covered in blisters, and he was splattered with mud. His resentment towards Liu Xiangyang deepened, but at the same time, a distorted judgment began to form in him: Liu Xiangyang's only skill was this; he didn't dare to do anything himself, so he just used Wang Lixin to assign him some hard work. He really wouldn't dare to do anything to me!

Roland soon heard about Zhang Weiguo being sent to clear the canal.

Zuo Qingqing had overheard it from outside and was telling it to everyone as a joke: "Hahaha, did you know? Captain Wang sent Zhang Weiguo to clean the stinky ditch! He'd been bent over in the canal for two days, looking like a mud monkey! Serves him right!"

The women all laughed, and Xue Bingbing smiled too. Roland smiled as well, but her heart was filled with mixed emotions. Was this... Xiangyang's doing? Through Captain Wang? If so, was this the beginning? But this punishment seemed... too lenient. Clearing the canal was tiring and dirty, but it was normal farm work; once it was done, it was over.

The disappointment in her heart crept up on her like creeping vines.

She began to wonder if she had set her expectations too high. Perhaps in Xiangyang's eyes, making Zhang Weiguo do dirty and tiring work for two days was already considered to have vented her anger. The verbal grievances she had suffered might not even be a big deal in his mind.