Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

(224 cards have been approved. I'll release this one first while I go revise the text.)

Zhao Xiaoman looked at Zhou Zhiming. His smile was gentle, and his eyes were gentle too. He even told her that his smile was gentle, but she always felt that he had ill intentions.

Zhou Zhiming took half a step forward, getting closer to her: "I see from your file that you're from Harbin. If you stay in the city, you'll have a salary, and it'll be closer to home, so you won't have to suffer in the countryside."

He paused for a moment, then said, "You're a smart man; you should know how rare this opportunity is."

Zhao Xiaoman took a half step back. "Teacher Zhou, what do you mean?"

Zhou Zhiming looked at her, smiled, and sized her up: "What I mean is, you need to perform well, and I'll help you get opportunities."

He paused, his gaze lingering on her face for a second: "Of course, some things require your cooperation."

Zhao Xiaoman finally understood what Zhou Zhiming meant. He wanted to sexually harass her, and she guessed that the two nurses she met at the movie theater and the high-ranking official's building were forced by him.

Her mind went blank, and she gripped the notebook tightly in her hand.

"Teacher Zhou, thank you for your kindness." Her voice was a little harsher than before.

"I'm here to learn skills. After I've learned them, I'll go back to where I belong. Chairman Mao taught us..."

Zhou Zhiming's smile faltered for a moment.

He looked at Zhao Xiaoman without saying anything. After a few seconds, Zhou Zhiming smiled.

"Okay, then think it over yourself. This is a one-time opportunity, don't regret it if you miss it."

He picked up the lecture notes and walked out, but when he reached the door, he turned back and glanced at her again.

"Zhao Xiaoman, think it over carefully. You know which one to choose: the city or the countryside."

The door closed, and Zhao Xiaoman stood there, her hand gripping the notebook trembling violently.

She stood there without moving.

The classroom was empty, and the sunlight streaming in through the window slanted down onto the floor, making it very bright.

The lecture notes that someone in the back row forgot to put away were rustling loudly in the wind.

She slowly loosened her grip, her fingers covered in red marks from her earlier clenching.

Zhou Zhiming's last words were still echoing in my mind:

"City or countryside, you know which one to choose."

Which one to choose?

Of course she knows.

She wants to go back to the city! She dreams of it! Her family is there, and everything she knows is there.

I've been in the countryside for two years now. The earthen bed at the educated youth settlement gets cold in the middle of the night. Every day, I get up before dawn to go to work and don't finish until it gets dark.

She's only 20 years old and has been pampered by her family since she was little. No matter how tough it was during the two years she was sent to the countryside, she never complained to her family.

Now the opportunity is in front of her.

If she just nodded and cooperated with Zhou Zhiming, she could stay. She would get a salary, live close to home, and never have to go back to that awful place, crammed into a bed with seven or eight other people, or work in the fields day and night.

"What a wonderful thing!" Zhao Xiaoman smiled, but the smile was more like a grimace.

She suddenly remembered the nurse Li she had seen at the movie theater the day before yesterday, and Tang Xiaohong from the high-ranking official building.

Were they also manipulated by him in this way? Did they also think that as long as they endured it, they could get what they wanted?

But what did they get in return? Zhou Zhiming's playthings?

Even if Zhao Xiaoman wanted to return to the city, she wouldn't debase herself to that extent.

What's more, Liu Xiangyang's face suddenly popped into her mind.

She recalled the first time she saw him, how her heart raced, and how she took the initiative to approach him.

Zhao Xiaoman walked back to her seat, her eyes filled with thought.

Upon seeing the lecture notes left behind by Liu Xiangyang, he opened them and stroked the words that the two men had just written on them, his expression shifting uncertainly.

Liu Xiangyang, who was riding his bicycle to Chen Jie's house, had no idea that his house was almost robbed.

He was humming a song, with Chen Jie's favorite steamed rice cake hanging on the handlebars.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Chen Jie was hanging clothes to dry in the yard.

She turned around and saw him, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"You're back?"

Liu Xiangyang parked the car, picked up the rice cake, and walked over.

"I brought this for you."

Chen Jie took it, glanced at it, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"Caozi cake? How did you know I wanted to eat that?"

Liu Xiangyang smiled.

"Just a guess."

Chen Jie rolled her eyes at him, but the smile in her eyes was unmistakable.

She put the rice cakes inside the house and came out to continue hanging up the laundry. Liu Xiangyang didn't go inside; he stood in the yard watching her.

The sunlight fell on her, softening her profile. She stood on tiptoe to hang the clothes, her body forming a beautiful arc.

Liu Xiangyang walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

Chen Jie was stunned for a moment, then went limp in his arms.

"What are you doing? Hanging the clothes out to dry?"

Liu Xiangyang rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You can do your airing, I'll do mine, it won't interfere with your work."

Chen Jie pushed him away, and let him hug her as he hung up the clothes one by one.

After hanging up the last item, she turned around and faced him.

The two just stared at each other without saying a word.

Then Chen Jie stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.

Liu Xiangyang looked down at her.

Chen Jie's face flushed slightly, but her eyes were bright.

"I miss you."

Liu Xiangyang smiled.

"Me too."

He lowered his head and kissed her.

In the evening, Liu Xiangyang took out the scooter he had made last week and continued to polish it.

Chen Jie sat on the threshold, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.

Rolls of wood shavings fell to the ground, yellowish-white and so thin they were translucent.

Liu Xiangyang lowered his head, focusing intently on polishing each wooden strip, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

Chen Jie watched for a while, then suddenly laughed.

Liu Xiangyang looked up at her.

"What are you laughing at?"

Chen Jie shook her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"It's nothing, I just feel that life is really good like this."

Liu Xiangyang looked at her.

The sunlight shone obliquely, warming her face.

She sat there, her hand supporting her chin, her eyes bright, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

He lowered his head and continued polishing.

After a while, Chen Jie suddenly spoke:

"Towards the sun."

"Um."

Do you prefer boys or girls?

Liu Xiangyang paused for a moment.

He looked up at her.

Chen Jie felt embarrassed by his gaze, lowered her head, and spoke softly:

"I was just asking casually..."

Liu Xiangyang smiled.

"I'll love any child you have, whether it's a boy or a girl."

Chen Jie raised her head.

"All right?"

"Yeah. The boy looks like me, and the girl looks like you, isn't that great?"

Chen Jie was stunned for a moment, then blushed.

She lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth were turned up high.

In the evening, Chen Jie cooked four dishes.

Liu Xiangyang ate quickly, so she sat beside him and watched, occasionally putting a piece of food into his bowl with her chopsticks.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

With his mouth full, Liu Xiangyang mumbled, "I've been eating in the cafeteria for a week now. If I don't fight over your cooking, I'll be doing my stomach a disservice."

Chen Jie rolled her eyes at him, but the smile in her eyes was unmistakable.

After finishing their meal, Liu Xiangyang leaned back in his chair while Chen Jie cleared away the dishes.

She was carrying a bowl toward the kitchen when he grabbed her arm as she passed by him.

Chen Jie turned to look at him.

Liu Xiangyang looked at her, his eyes shining.

"Boil the water in a bit."

Chen Jie was stunned for a moment, then blushed.

She gently patted his hand away.

"The dishes haven't been washed yet."

"Then let's boil water while washing the dishes."

Chen Jie rolled her eyes at him, picked up her bowl, and left.

The sound of running water came from the kitchen.

Liu Xiangyang leaned back in his chair, listening to the voice, a smile playing on his lips.

The moonlight shone in through the window and fell on the ground, looking white.