Chapter 29: Do You Even Need to Ask Her?

Wen Wan wore a white dress, and even her voice was gentle: "Brother Zhou, are you heading to the market? Could you give me a ride? I left home a bit late today, and I'm afraid if I arrive too late, the mutton won't sell well. In this heat, it'll spoil if it isn't sold."

Her voice was naturally gentle, not forced, making one feel as if they were being bathed in a spring breeze.

Zhou Chenglei glanced at the mutton on her iron cart and hesitated.

Normally, as neighbors, he would have helped.

But he was afraid Jiang Xia wouldn't be able to stand the smell of the mutton. She already suffered from motion sickness on tractors, and with the heavy, gamey scent of the mutton, she would find it even harder to bear.

He turned back to ask Jiang Xia, "Are you afraid of the smell?"

Wen Wan: "..."

Did he really need to ask her that?

Was he implying that if Jiang Xia was afraid of the smell, he wouldn't let her on the tractor?

What happened to the idea of soldiers serving the people?

Jiang Xia wasn't afraid of smells; she had grown up in vegetable markets. How could she be afraid?

Sensing Zhou Chenglei's hesitation, she said, "I'm not afraid."

Only then did Zhou Chenglei say to Wen Wan, "You can come."

Zhou Chenglei wasn't surprised by this answer; she had changed a lot over the past two days.

Zhou Chenglei stepped down from the driver's seat. Still worried about Jiang Xia, he said to her, "The mutton has a strong smell. Why don't you sit in the front driver's seat with me?"

"That works."

The driver's seat at the front of the tractor was quite long and could accommodate two people; most importantly, it had a roof to provide shade.

Jiang Xia gave an affirmative nod and prepared to get off the tractor bed.

As she jumped down from the cargo bed, Zhou Chenglei reached out to steady her.

The tractor bed was high, and he was afraid she might sprain her ankle when jumping down.

Wen Wan glanced at Zhou Chenglei. Without a doubt, he was an incredibly considerate man—he could take such good care of a woman who had cuckolded him.

But when would the two of them divorce? Could Jiang Xia really endure that dilapidated house?

Would they divorce today?

After helping Jiang Xia down from the tractor, Zhou Chenglei went to help Wen Wan load the mutton onto the vehicle.

Coming to her senses, Wen Wan hurriedly said, "Don't trouble yourself, Brother Zhou, I can move it myself."

Just as Zhou Chenglei's hands gripped the wooden tray, Wen Wan's hand happened to reach out and grasp his.

Her face flushed as she pulled her hand back. "I—I'm sorry."

With an expressionless face, Zhou Chenglei loaded the tray of mutton onto the tractor, then moved the iron cart onto the vehicle as well. He found two stones by the roadside river to prop up the wheels of the cart and then washed his hands.

He said to Wen Wan, "Remember to hold the cart steady when the time comes."

His voice was cold, carrying a sense of "do not approach."

Having said that, he went straight back to the driver's seat.

Wen Wan felt that Zhou Chenglei had become even colder and gave a muddled response.

She felt a bit wronged; wasn't it normal to accidentally touch someone? It wasn't intentional!

Wen Wan then thought of the dream she had last night, where he saved her from being swept away by the waves.

In the dream, as she drifted in the waves thinking she was doomed, he had fearlessly plunged into the sea to pull her into his arms.

The scene felt very real—it was after a typhoon, and she had gone scavenging for seafood. She felt it was an omen, and at that time, Jiang Xia had divorced him.

The typhoon wasn't far off! Thinking of this, Wen Wan climbed onto the tractor happily.

The tractor bed was somewhat high, and since she was wearing a skirt, her movements were a bit ungraceful as she climbed up. Both Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia happened to look back at her.

Her face turned a deep shade of crimson.

Zhou Chenglei took one look and turned back.

Wen Wan glanced at Jiang Xia, feeling as though Jiang Xia was mocking her.

Just now, when Jiang Xia got off the tractor, Zhou Chenglei had supported her. When she climbed onto the low driver's platform, Zhou Chenglei had also reached out to protect her head.

In comparison, Wen Wan felt particularly unloved.

But a good man like this wouldn't be cherished by Jiang Xia; he would be hers sooner or later.

With a blushing face, she said to Zhou Chenglei, "Brother Zhou, I'm settled."

Zhou Chenglei did not respond to her. He turned his head to Jiang Xia and said, "Sit tight, I'm starting the tractor."

Seeing that she hadn't climbed up for a while, Jiang Xia looked back. Hearing him, she turned and sat properly. "Alright, let's go!"

The tractor "putt-putt-putted" its way along the bumpy dirt road.

Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei sat side by side. Because the road was so uneven and the tractor shook violently, their shoulders inevitably bumped into each other.

Jiang Xia quietly shifted her hips toward the edge.

She somewhat regretted sitting next to him, fearing she might accidentally bounce off.

She reached out and gripped the handles on the tractor roof tightly.

Zhou Chenglei was both afraid she would fall off and afraid she would get motion sickness. "Sit closer, be careful not to fall."

Jiang Xia didn't move. "I won't, I'm holding on tight."

The driver's seat had no cabin. Wen Wan sat in the cargo bed behind them, watching their invisible intimacy over the low partition. She felt a sense of unease and wanted to break the tension.

She laughed and said loudly, "Sister Jiang Xia looks like someone who is used to riding in cars. And since Sister Jiang Xia is from the city, you city people probably aren't used to tractors, right?"

She knew Jiang Xia took pride in being a city person and looked down on rural folk.

Jiang Xia countered, "Does every household in the village have a tractor?"

Wen Wan: "How is that possible? In our village, only one family and the village committee have one."

Jiang Xia: "Exactly."

Wen Wan: "..."

Exactly what? Wen Wan was bewildered.

Suddenly, she realized what Jiang Xia meant: since not every household in the village had a tractor, it wasn't just city people who weren't used to them; rural people weren't used to them either.

Wen Wan no longer wanted to talk to Jiang Xia. This woman spoke in riddles and was so condescending!

She hated how city people acted so superior.

In her past life, one of the dormitories where she worked in the city was occupied by a local who acted like her eyes were growing out of her forehead.

Wen Wan lived on the top bunk, and that person lived on the bottom. If Wen Wan even sat on her bed, the woman would act disgusted, looking down on her for being from the countryside.

Jiang Xia looked like that kind of person.

*Bah! If you look down on the countryside, then get back to the city!*

Wen Wan turned to speak to Zhou Chenglei instead, testing the waters: "Brother Zhou, are you going to the market or somewhere else?"

Since Wen Wan was sitting on Zhou Chenglei's side, she knew he was deaf in one ear. She leaned her head close to the front partition. The partition wasn't very high, so she could see the back of his head.

She asked, pressing close to the back of his head.

Zhou Chenglei had been leaning against the partition, but he straightened his back, moving a distance away from it, and gave a faint "Mm."

"Mm"? What did that mean? Going to the market? Wen Wan asked again, "What are you planning to buy? I go to the market often to sell mutton; I know who has good goods and fair prices."

"Buying things."

Wen Wan: "..."

"Brother Zhou, is your house repaired yet?"

"Mm."

"I heard there might be a typhoon in a couple of days. The waves will be big, so remember to secure your boats and don't go out to sea."

"Mm."

"Brother Zhou, roughly what time do you go out to sea every day?"

"..."

"Brother Zhou, roughly what time do you come back? Do you hire people to clean the fish? I want to earn some money for school tuition."

"No need to hire."

"That's okay. When you do need someone, remember to hire me. I'm very good at cleaning fish."

"Brother Zhou..."

...

Wen Wan talked incessantly about this and that.

Zhou Chenglei was a man of few words; he had never felt the trip to town was so long!

He somewhat regretted bringing her along.

Couldn't she just sit quietly like Jiang Xia?

Finally, Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but snap, "You are too noisy!"

Wen Wan: "..."