When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 367: Chapter 135: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (22)

Jiang Yihua gazed at the young woman, her eyes filled with absolute trust in him, and his heart blazed with warmth.

He had always believed that with great ability comes great responsibility.

He was prepared to dedicate his life to the organization, his heart as calm as still water, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Only Chi Yun’er had given him a taste of a different kind of life.

It was as if a long-silent lake had finally thawed, its waters reflecting the brilliant colors of spring. Suddenly, his life was full of richness and something to look forward to.

She was such a slender, delicate young woman, yet he felt as if he bore the weight of the universe on his shoulders, unable to tolerate even the slightest harm coming to her.

The driver’s seat of the tractor wasn’t wide, and they sat with their arms pressed together.

A late June evening in the countryside carried a hint of a chill. They were both in shirts, and through the thin fabric, they could feel the warmth of each other’s skin.

The man was like a furnace, blazing with a power that could scorch the heavens and earth, while the woman was as cool and gentle as water, her softness effortlessly fanning the flames.

Jiang Yihua, banking on the darkness to hide them from view, brazenly intertwined his fingers with hers in a tender, intimate gesture.

A faint blush colored Chi Yun’er’s cheeks, more beautiful than the twilight glow in the sky.

The tractor rumbled its way into the village, stopping in the alley beside the village chief’s house. A dozen or so youths hopped down from the back.

Village Chief Bian and Jiang Zishi, who had come out to greet them at the sound of the engine, exchanged a look, their faces momentarily strained.

However, the youths simply smiled at them, greeted Jiang Yihua, and then left with the village’s party secretary.

”Brother, thank you,” Jiang Zishi said, his eyes red with emotion. He patted Jiang Yihua’s shoulder, then turned to Chi Yun’er. ”Chi Yun’er, welcome! We’re so used to seeing you around the courtyard every day. It was so sudden when you moved out; everyone’s still not used to it.”

”It feels like the whole sent-down youth housing is a little less lively without you.”

A smile played on Chi Yun’er’s lips as she held up her open palms. ”Zishu, you don’t mind us coming empty-handed, do you? I already told you to just take two yuan out of the money you borrowed from me.”

Jiang Zishi’s smile froze. ”Of course not. Just having you here is enough. You think I’m worried about a little gift money?”

With that, he led the pair into the courtyard. He had Chi Yun’er sit with the other sent-down youths, while Jiang Yihua, as a figure of seniority, was seated at a table with the Bian family’s close relatives.

He had separated the couple quite naturally. Jiang Zishi then went back to the entrance with a smile to continue welcoming guests.

He glanced over at the two tables, watching as the pair were pulled into conversation. A hidden excitement flickered in his eyes. ’Perfect people and things are meant to be admired, then destroyed—especially Jiang Yihua and Chi Yun’er, who outshine me.’

The guests at Jiang Zishi and Bian Yumin’s engagement party were all relatives of Village Chief Bian. They lived close by, most of them in the same village.

So it wasn’t long before everyone had arrived, and dishes were brought to the tables one after another.

Autumn was the season of harvest, and they lived by the principle of ”if you live by the mountain, you eat from the mountain.” The wild game was plump this time of year—rabbits, pheasants, roe deer, and more. A short trip into the woods would yield a bountiful hunt.

The village chief had organized a day-long hunting party specifically for this engagement banquet.

The sent-down youths’ table had a few chaperones. After they finished helping out, two women happened to sit down on either side of Chi Yun’er. One was the wife of the village’s party secretary, and the other was Village Chief Bian’s sister-in-law.

”Aunt Chun Gui, this table is full of our village’s sent-down youths. As the head of the women’s committee, I know them all quite well. I can keep them company. Why don’t you go to that table over there? It’s less crowded...”

The party secretary’s wife smiled and took Chi Yun’er by the arm. ”This table really is packed. We can barely squeeze in. Come on, Chi, come sit with me somewhere else.”

”Now, hold on, Aunt Chun Gui,” the other woman said, quickly grabbing Chi Yun’er’s sleeve. ”Chi rarely leaves her house. Who does she know here?”

”It’s better if she sits with the other youths. They’ll have more to talk about.”

Aunt Chun Gui sighed. ”Caogen’s wife, you know how my husband is. He found out Chi is Mr. Jiang’s fiancée and got worried she’s a slow eater and wouldn’t get any food. He insisted I look after her properly.”

”You know my husband. If someone lends him a needle, he’ll feel like he has to pay them back with an iron bar.”

”And he’s so stubborn. If I don’t sit right next to Chi and look after her every second, he’ll nag me to death tomorrow!”

Hearing this, the woman—Caogen’s wife—smiled. Everyone knew the party secretary was a stubborn mule, but a genuinely good man. Otherwise, the whole village wouldn’t have elected him without him spending a single cent.

Caogen’s wife said no more and instead began eagerly piling food onto Chi Yun’er’s plate.