Back to the Countryside

Chapter 6: approach (coming closer) 

A handsome face, a tall figure, when he meets people,he will somewhat smiling on his face, a graceful face with tolerance, understanding of how to advance and retreat. It was hard not to notice such a person.

    In the past few days, the young girls and gers in the village have been talking about him even his eldest aunt had been talking to He Zhen all day long about how good he is, wait for them to meet and let him seize the attention of the other side. 

    He Ling had heard too many remarks about this person in the village recently!

    "So you have heard of me!" Qi Yue looked down at him with a smile. 

  He Ling's figure is very petite, only reaching his shoulders ,he was wearing what appeared to be someone's old clothes, which were a little too big, and from his angle, he could just see the other man's collarbone, which was exposed in the slightly wavering collar, and was very small and delicately shaped.

He turned his gaze away slightly, and stopped looking, "I will plant seedlings later, but I really don't understand this matter. I see you are very good at planting seedlings. Can you teach me a few?"

    He Ling was determined to refuse, but didn’t know how to refuse, look at his behavior, he know that he do not know how to farm.It’s normal to learn from others, just why is it...me? 

    "Could it be... any inconvenience? Am I made it difficult for you?" Seeing his hesitating appearance, Qi Yue pretended to be disappointed and said: "If this is the case, then that's it!"

    "No, not ...difficult." He Ling is not good when dealing with others, seeing him look disappointed, he feels a little panicked.

    "Then, Thanks a lot!" Qi Yue face him, salute him with his hand. 

    As a result, there was really no way to refuse. He Ling had to pick up a seedling seed from the shallow basket in his hand, and while bending down to plant it, he said to him: "That's it, keep your hands steady, do not plant it crooked, it will affect the growth of the seedlings. Don’t plant them too densely. A little distance is best...”

   He Ling taught him how to plant seedlings very seriously, but Qi Yue focused his attention on the hand of the other party planting the seedlings, somewhat fair skin and long fingers. Although because of working all year around,made his hands callused and rough, but it didn't affect the beauty of his hands.

    His gaze moved to the little calf soaking in the water again, and there was a lot of muddy water on it, which made people feel a pity. Such a beautiful pair of legs should not be soiled in this way, they should be treated more carefully and tenderly. 

     Qi Yue felt that it was not completely unreasonable for the villagers to say that He Ling was "Hu Mei zi".There was indeed no place in this person that was unattractive, and the most attractive is the person himself not knowing its own beauty. 

     He never felt that he looked better than others, and even felt a little inferior because of the misfortune brought to him by his appearance.

    He didn't know that the girl and gers hated him because by standing in front of him made them feel ashamed*, and the guys stayed away from him because they couldn't resist his attraction.

[自惭形秽:[zìcánxínghuì] :feel ashamed of one's ungainly appearance; ashamed of own unseemliness/ unworthiness ]

    Qi Yue smiled lightly. People are selfish. They used to loathe him and stay away from him to prove that they didn't care about him at all, but never thought about whether he would be hurt?whether he would be sad?

    After He Ling planted a few trees to show him, he took one and handed it to him, "Do you want to try?"

    Qi Yue reached out and took it, "Naturally!"

    Although he has never planted land, however he is very good at planting medicine. Therefore, he has a quick comprehension when it comes to manipulating plants. After planting a few plants, he basically mastered the essentials and became proficient in his movements.

    He Ling felt that this man didn't seem like a person that will live in the village at all. he is doing farm work, but he also gives people a kind of elegant air of attending flowers and plants.

    He didn't understand why this person wanted to settle in the village and be a countryman, by this, he seemed to be suffering a little. 

   Two of them,one teach one learn, 

Unconsciously, after planting the rest of these acre of land, Qi Yue straightened up and rubbed his sore waist, "I want to thank you for teaching me this. If I go back to work in my field, I will be fine. "

     "No, I want to thank you!" Although he was teaching him, He Ling felt that the other party had helped him.

"No no no, you let me use your family' land to practice, You helped me. In order to express my gratitude, I treat you to eat something! "

Qi Yue didn't wait for him to speak, after he finished speaking, he walked to the edge of the ground and brought the basket he had put down before and handed it to him."Give this to you!"

     He Ling put his hands behind him, and took two steps back, "I can't have it!"

     Qi Yue took a step forward, pulled his arm, and stuffed the basket into his hand, "If you don't eat, then throw it away ba!"

    He didn't say much, and then left the ground. He knew that based on the other party's character, he would never do things like wasting food.

    After ploughing the remaining half acre of land, Qi Yue greeted Lin Sheng and took the cow home. He Ling was no longer in that land, so he should have gone to work in other fields.

    When he returned home, he led the cow to the cowshed and tied it up. Qi Yue patted Mu Yan who was eating the grass leisurely. "I seem to be, not like my usual self..."

    Mu Yan snorted, chewing on the fodder. Whether if it understand or not, could not be known. 

    Qi Yue dropped his hands behind his back, with some self-deprecation on his face, sympathy, for such a thing, he didn't have it. There are many miserable people or things he had seen, and even some were come out of his hands. These things have never touched his deep heart.

    But facing He Ling, he did have a soft heart, with some thoughts he didn't quite understand. This is very strange. He has only been here for three days, and the number of times he has seen each other can be counted with one hand, but every time he sees him, his heart will soften by a point.

The number of beauties he had seen was countless, and some were even more beautiful than He Ling,most of them were of noble status.

There are many admirers of him, but there had never been one that made Qi Yue treat the other differently.

Why is it that...i feel soft hearted toward this timid and inferior country ger who couldn't even dress up? 

    But Qi Yue is Qi Yue. Even if there are a lot of things he can't figure out, he won't let him restrain himself because of this. If he wants to get close, then get close. since can't let it go, then don't let it go. He never escaped. In the past, it used to be a pharmacological problem, but now, it just changed into a person!

    When He Ling returned home, he went into his room and put the basket in his hand in an inconspicuous position. When he found an opportunity in the future, he had to return the basket to that person.

    A dish of sauced meat, two steamed buns and a bamboo tube of white porridge. This is the best meal he has ever eaten. Just teaching people to plant rice is not worth these at all. That person is a good man!

"He Ling! What are you doing hiding in your room when you're back and not cooking?Are you trying to starve us to death?" Qian's shouting came from the courtyard, He Ling hurriedly retracted his thoughts and went out into the stove room.

"All you know is to be lazy all the time" Qian scolded him again before she turned back with satisfaction to her baby ger and said, "Zhen'er, you must remember what mother told you, go and talk to that Qi Yue more to get close to him.You have to catch him!"

    "I know, mother!" He Zhen nodded and answered, and then lowered his head somewhat shyly, "I think it's not that he doesn't have that intention to me, you see how nice he smiled at me in the field today!"

    "That right, our family's Zhen'er is so good, Which man see you and wouldn't like it!" Qian patted his hand, as if she remembered something, her face was a bit annoyed, "If it wasn't for that Lin Sheng, you guys could talk a few more words, and this case might just work out!"

"Mother, if this man is really interested in our Zhen Ge er, that Lin Sheng could he hinder it? You don't have to be angry with him!" Qian's eldest daughter-in-law, Liu, came over after feeding the chickens, patted the crumbs off from her body, and sat down beside them.

    "Hmph, this Lin Sheng why did he help He Ling speak every day? He must have been hooked by him, is he not afraid of his wife making trouble with him!" 

Think about Lin Sheng today in the field, give her 'no face*' (Chinese culture really put important on its image on public, not giving face means not respecting the person) . There is fire in her stomach*. (She is angry, not literally there is fire in her stomach, lol) 

    "In the end, it's He Ling's fault, could only seduce men!" He Zhen said and glared at the direction of the stove room, her face was full of disdain.

    When he was young, he didn't like this uncle's ger. The boys in the village surrounded him and gave him things! He looked at his face all day long, very bored, but it was a pity that his grandma was still alive at that time, so bullying him can only be done secretly.

    In fact, when He Ling first came, his two older brothers also liked him very much and always gave him delicious food. Later, relying on his young age, he kept telling his brothers that He Ling bullied him, grabbed his snacks,eat it, and said that he was ugly and didn't want to play with him.

    In addition, the mother always told them that He Ling's mother was not good, and over time, the two older brothers started to bully He Ling along with him. 

    Later, after his grandma passed away, rumors began to circulate in the village that He Ling was a 'broom star*'. 

[扫把星 : bearer of ill luck]

He Zhen knew that it was spread by his mother, but it was also a fact. Whether it was He Ling's parents or grandmother, it was indeed after his existence that they passed away one after another. Coupled with his gorgeous facial features as he grows older, he really looks like a seductive 'fox hooker' (Hu Mei ze). 

    Seeing that no one in the village came to play with him anymore, He Zhen couldn't be more happier. What's the point of being better-looking than him? Moreover he is already eighteen and don't even get married yet! When He Ling gets older, mother will find a rich old man to let him fill the house and collect a large amount of bride price and He Ling, his entire life will never have any happiness at all. 

    What about himself? He Zhen again thought of the man who was smiling like a spring breeze* 如沐春风 at him today, and remembered his handsome face, straight tall body shape and elegant manner, he couldn't help but feel hot. That man would be his home!

[ 如沐春风 :a breath of fresh air / so delighted just like bathing in the spring wind]

    He Ling was setting up the fire to cook the food in the stove room, felt a little guilty in his heart, only for helping himself, he has provoked a grudge toward 'Lin Sheng Da Ge'. 

    "It's Okay, do not mention about the 'broom star' anymore, Zhen'er, the first thing you need to do is to put your mind on that Qiyue!" Once her ger is married, no matter how much money the man has in his hands, it will still be her own.

    "I Got it!" He Zhen nodded.

    He Ling threw the cut vegetables into the pot, and took the spatula on one side to stir.

    He didn't think that person would have any thoughts about He Zhen. A man like him should be attracted to a beautiful and gentle woman, as elegant and warm as that man, by only standing together, they would look really good. There was no hope for the people in the village.