Chapter 46: Ulterior Motives

“Oh, you finished digging the well already?”

As Xiao Ye entered the courtyard, he immediately noticed that the well opening had been sealed with cement. He squeezed the pre-installed PPR pipe; from the outside, it looked like an ordinary plastic pipe.

Hearing movement from the side of the house, he walked over. “The well is done so quickly. Don't tell me you didn't go back last night?”

“What are you doing here?”

Leng Hui was slightly stunned; she hadn't expected Xiao Ye to come by again today.

She stopped her wall-plastering and stood up to look at the newcomer. He was wearing a simple T-shirt and trousers, both in military green and washed somewhat pale.

It seemed he had specifically changed into old, easy-to-wash clothes to help with the work today.

Xiao Ye looked around. “Didn't we agree yesterday that you'd ask for help today if you were free? Didn't Little Brother Jiang come today?”

Leng Hui shook her head. “Actually, I can handle the rest of the work by myself.”

His entire aura and attire suggested he was no ordinary person. What right did she have to ask a big shot to do her chores?

Xiao Ye took the spade from Leng Hui's hands. “Did you not get enough rest last night? I'm here to help, so go sit aside and rest for a while.”

Leng Hui looked down at her empty hands, feeling a bit helpless. In truth, working in such a safe and quiet environment was a kind of enjoyment.

Xiao Ye's arrival had broken that tranquility, forcing Leng Hui to pull herself together to deal with him.

Xiao Ye looked at the newly patched mud on the wall. Against the mottled surface, it was clearly visible, like brilliant yellow flowers; at a glance, it looked ugly, but upon closer inspection, it possessed a unique aesthetic beauty.

He turned his head and asked, “Why aren't you going to rest?”

Leng Hui's lips twitched into an unnatural, stiff smile as she nodded, then turned around the corner toward the house entrance.

Having moved in today and worked all morning, she only now remembered that there was no drinking water in the house.

She emptied the two tin buckets she had brought from home. Lacking a shoulder pole, she found a tree branch as thick as a baby's arm to use as one. She tied ropes to the buckets and prepared to carry them to the well outside to fetch two buckets of water for household use.

The public well in this area was called Qingting Well. It was named after the barren mountain behind it, which was formerly known as Qingting Mountain.

Qingting Well was a century-old ancient well with clear, crisp, and sweet water. Most nearby residents who didn't have their own wells relied on this well for drinking water.

As Leng Hui finished drawing water at the well, she looked up and inadvertently noticed Qin Baiqiu washing clothes there.

Qin Baiqiu naturally noticed her as well. She quickly wrung out the last piece of clothing, placed it in her bucket, and then hurried after Leng Hui, carrying her own bucket.

“Young lady, why have you come to fetch water? Is it for cleaning?”

Leng Hui held the shoulder pole easily and replied with a smile, “Auntie Qin, my mother and I moved in today. We'll be living here from now on.”

Qin Baiqiu looked at the water buckets in surprise. “You moved in today? If I remember correctly, your house isn't even repaired yet. How can anyone live there?”

“Having a few tiles for shelter is enough; it's better than sleeping on the street.” Leng Hui didn't want to say much about her family situation, so she changed the subject. “Auntie Qin, I see this well water is very cold and clear. It's a good well.”

Qin Baiqiu froze for a moment, suppressing her curiosity, then followed her lead with a chuckle. “Of course. This well has been here for a hundred years and has never run dry. Even using this water to brew tea tastes better than tea brewed with water from other wells.”

Thinking of how Leng Hui had come to her house yesterday to ask for boiled water, Qin Baiqiu said, “In my house, only I am used to drinking boiled water. My two sons grew up drinking this well water and never drink my boiled water. They complain that my boiled water is lukewarm and not thirst-quenching; they say drinking this well water, ice-cold and refreshing, is the real treat.”

As they passed the entrance to the Qin family home, Qin Baiqiu pulled Leng Hui aside. She looked left and right, and seeing no one else, she dragged Leng Hui a few steps to the side.

Leng Hui was a bit bewildered by her behavior. “Auntie Qin, why are you being so mysterious? What do you want to say?”

Auntie Qin gave a dry laugh and whispered, “They promote getting rid of feudal superstitions nowadays, but there are some things I'll only tell you. You mustn't tell anyone else.”

“What is it?” Leng Hui couldn't help but ask curiously. Could it be about her courtyard again?

“Last night, my second son got up in the middle of the night and seemed to hear a scream coming from the direction of your courtyard. Did you notice anything unusual when you entered the courtyard today?”

Leng Hui shook her head. “It was the same as usual. I didn't notice anything unusual.”

She wondered if a thief had actually broken in last night.

“Nothing? That's strange.”

Auntie Qin felt uneasy. Her second son had clearly said that last night, while getting up, he had accidentally kicked a wooden bucket in the courtyard. It seemed he had frightened the ghost in that dilapidated courtyard, causing a scream that gave him quite a fright.

“My second son said the scream was so shrill it cracked; it sounded terrifying.”

“There was such a thing?”

Leng Hui was a hundred percent certain that a thief had entered her courtyard last night.

If she hadn't tucked the bricks and tiles into her space, wouldn't she have discovered that many things had been stolen when she came here today?

As for explaining it to Auntie Qin, explaining was out of the question.

Because it couldn't be explained clearly.

Rather than saying too much and making mistakes, it was better to let outsiders misunderstand.

Qin Baiqiu nodded. “My second son is the most honest person; he definitely wouldn't lie. Since you've moved in, you should stay alert during the nights these next few days.”

Leng Hui nodded solemnly. “I will. Don't worry.”

It seemed as if that courtyard was a dragon's den or a tiger's lair.

Qin Baiqiu patted her shoulder and sighed softly. “Hurry back then.”

Xiao Ye was already repairing the front outer wall. Seeing her carry water in, he asked, “Did you go to fetch water?”

“Yes, there's no water to drink at home, so I went to get some. This is water from a century-old well; it's very clear. The neighbor said it can be drunk directly. If you're thirsty, come over and drink some.”

Xiao Ye glanced at the water bottle hanging on the bicycle and nodded. “Okay, thanks.”

Leng Hui met his deep gaze. Unable to withstand the scrutiny of his eyes, she gave an awkward smile, picked up a hoe, and went to clear weeds nearby.

She had done a rough clearing of the weeds yesterday, but the weeds growing right against the ground still had to be removed one by one with a hoe.

After finishing the repairs on the outer wall, Xiao Ye carried a bucket of mud into the house. Noticing the bed and the wooden chests for daily necessities in one of the bedrooms, he realized belatedly that Leng Hui and her mother had moved in.

Coming out again to mix the yellow mud, he asked Leng Hui, “Did you and your mother move in today?”

“Yes, it's quiet living here.” Leng Hui's hands never stopped swinging the hoe.

Xiao Ye nodded, said nothing more, and took another bucket of mud into the house.

After finishing work, Tang Lin hurriedly rode her bicycle toward the dilapidated courtyard, having grabbed food from the canteen.

Although the courtyard was a bit broken, it gave her a deep sense of belonging.

In her heart, she believed this was the true home for her and her daughter.

Upon entering the courtyard, she called out to Leng Hui, who was weeding, to wash her hands and come eat.

However, as she carried the lunch box into the house, she realized something was wrong.

Why was there a handsome guy in the house?

Seeing the tall and handsome Xiao Ye, she was initially startled.

She then turned a questioning gaze toward Leng Hui, who had followed her in, her eyes asking: *Who is this?*

“Xiao Ye, a friend of Jiang Jingtao's cousin,” Leng Hui introduced him, then turned to Xiao Ye. “This is my mother, Ms. Tang Lin.”

“Hello, Auntie Tang.”

“Good, good, good. You're a very hardworking young man.”

Tang Lin responded with a smile and handed him one of the lunch boxes. “You worked hard today. Go wash your hands quickly and come sit and eat with us.”

With two lunch boxes and two portions of food, the mother and daughter had originally intended to eat together.

Since an unexpected guest had appeared, Tang Lin could only give her portion to Xiao Ye and eat the buns she had bought in the morning.

With four buns left, eating two would basically fill her up.

Once Xiao Ye went to the courtyard to wash his hands, Tang Lin immediately dropped her smile and asked, “Who is he?”

“I just said, a friend of Jiang Jingtao's cousin.”

“I heard the relationship clearly. I'm asking you, why would a friend with no connection come here to work so hard to help you?”

Tang Lin only knew Jiang Jingtao; she didn't know his cousin, let alone the cousin's friend.

She only knew that unsolicited kindness usually comes with ulterior motives!

If she hadn't seen from Xiao Ye's demeanor that he was likely a veteran rather than an active-duty soldier, she would have chased him out long ago.

Anyone who dared to eye her daughter must have impure motives.

“You shouldn't ask me that; you should ask the person involved.”

Leng Hui opened her lunch box: sorghum rice with potatoes stewed in lard and salted vegetables with boiled bamboo shoots.

The meal was quite good, better than the food at the Leng family's house.

Hearing this, Tang Lin could only stare blankly. Before a man had made his intentions clear, how could she ask such a thing?

Xiao Ye washed his hands and came in. Leng Hui handed him a pair of chopsticks and asked, “Is your food enough? If not, I can share some of mine; I haven't eaten yet.”

Xiao Ye shook his head and sat down on a wooden chest. Noticing Tang Lin sizing him up, he awkwardly handed the lunch box to her. “Auntie Tang, you should eat it. I've almost finished repairing the inner and outer walls this morning. I'll go back to eat at noon, and I probably won't have time to come help again this afternoon.”

Tang Lin pushed the lunch box back. “You eat it. We can't just let you work without eating.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ye's mouth twitched; it seemed she was feeling a bit resentful.

Seeing that he wouldn't pick up his chopsticks, Tang Lin took out the four remaining buns from the morning. “Eat heartily, I still have some here.”

Xiao Ye glanced at Leng Hui, who was eating the lard-stewed potatoes with great relish, and nodded before he began to eat.

After the meal, Xiao Ye helped clear weeds in the courtyard for another hour before taking his leave.

Watching his departing figure as he rode away, Tang Lin asked Leng Hui, “Why didn't you go to see him off just now?”

Leng Hui continued weeding without looking up. “You were staring at me so vigilantly just now, how would I dare?”

That look made it seem as if she were a pure little white rabbit about to be kidnapped.

Leng Hui found it quite tiresome.

Tang Lin picked up another hoe to help. “This Xiao Ye has good looks. How much do you know about him?”

Leng Hui helplessly planted her hoe in the ground and turned to stare at Tang Lin. “While we were eating, weren't you constantly prying into his background? If we're talking about knowing him, you know more than I do.”

“Also, Ms. Tang Lin, I have no plans to date at the moment. So, you don't need to guard against the opposite sex like you're guarding against a wolf.”

Tang Lin gave a sheepish smile. “I'm not against you having a boyfriend; it's just that good men are too rare in this world. I'm afraid you'll be tricked by a scoundrel.”

“If I don't meet one, I just won't date. It's no big deal. If people date just for the sake of dating, and they happen to meet a man like Comrade Leng Yongkang, how would I even live?” Leng Hui shook her head.

“You still have to date eventually. If you don't find a man for your whole life, won't you become a nun? I'll help vet this Xiao Ye today and see if he's reliable first.”

“I don't have those feelings for him, so don't bother.”

Leng Hui frowned. Like all young people, she disliked parents controlling her life.

Tang Lin simply acted as if she hadn't heard. Whether Leng Hui wanted to date was her business. As a mother, she had a responsibility to vet any man who tried every possible way to get close to her daughter and examine whether they were suitable to be Leng Hui's man.

Note that she cared about whether they were suitable to be Leng Hui's man, not whether they were suitable to be her son-in-law.

In the afternoon, Leng Hui cleared all the weeds in the courtyard. In the evening, when Tang Lin returned from work, the mother and daughter worked together to set up the pillar for the hand pump and install the pump itself. Once the cement hardened, the well would be ready for use.

The next day, Leng Hui spent another day clearing the wild grass and shrubs outside the courtyard wall.

Once the weeds and shrubs outside the wall were cleared, the entire courtyard looked less desolate, making it easier to build the wall next.

The day after, Leng Hui checked the hand pump. The cement had hardened, but because the pillar was cast thick, it wasn't completely dry yet; it would have to wait until tomorrow to be usable.

Since she couldn't build the wall today, Leng Hui planned to turn over the soil in the adjacent yard to use for planting vegetables.

In this era, everything bought in the city required coupons; even getting some green vegetables wasn't easy.

The large area of the courtyard made it convenient for her to plant vegetables.

“You've borrowed my bicycle for several days; were you planning not to return it if I didn't show up?”

Leng Hui looked at Jiang Jingtao, who walked in swaggering, and felt that the courtyard gate was a problem that needed immediate addressing.

“Tsk, I haven't seen you in two days, and your courtyard is looking quite decent. What are you doing? Digging soil?” Jiang Jingtao looked around, and finally, seeing Leng Hui turning the soil, he couldn't help but ask.

Leng Hui laid the hoe on the ground and sat directly on its handle. Catching her breath, she said with disdain, “You ask so many questions the moment you arrive. I've been turning soil all morning and I'm exhausted. Go get me a bowl of water.”

She even had the nerve to boss him around so confidently.

Jiang Jingtao laughed in exasperation, but his gaze swept over the sweat on Leng Hui's forehead. Ultimately, he said nothing and turned to get the water.

He handed the bowl to Leng Hui. “I say, aren't you tired of making the courtyard so clean?”

“Why don't you try it?”

Leng Hui stood up and stepped aside, handing him the hoe.

With the mindset of "might as well try," Jiang Jingtao picked up the hoe and began to turn the soil.

At first, he did it quite well, but after less than half an hour, he began to lose strength.

“I say, Leng Hui, why is turning soil so hard? How can a girl like you manage to turn such a large area?”

Suppressing a laugh, Leng Hui snatched the hoe from his hands. “I say you lack exercise and are too weak. You didn't believe me before, but now you believe me, don't you?”

Jiang Jingtao blew on his stinging palms; the blisters from digging the well two days ago were acting up again.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I haven't done farm work since I was a child; you can't make fun of me for that.”

“Yes, yes, yes. You're the best at eating, drinking, and playing.”

“Hey, I can't win against your sharp tongue.” Seeing the hand pump in the courtyard, Jiang Jingtao asked, “The well is done so quickly? Did Brother Xiao help you?”

“I did it myself.” Leng Hui wanted to ask about Xiao Ye, but decided against it.

“Our family has been busy with my cousin's wedding these past two days, so I haven't been able to come here to help.”

Jiang Jingtao explained why he hadn't been around.

“Your cousin is getting married?”

“Yes, my cousin specifically took wedding leave to come back for it. The day after the wedding, he and his comrades rushed back to the unit.”

Leng Hui nodded. It seemed Xiao Ye had left as well; he had helped for two days, but she hadn't had the chance to thank him.

“Thank you and Xiao Ye for helping me. You two are the first people to reach out and help us since we moved out.”

Jiang Jingtao scratched his head with a grin. “No need to be polite between friends. If you have any difficulties, just come find me directly.”