16: Chapter 16 Village Girls in the 1970s (7)

Upon hearing Jiang Wan's words, Fang Zhiyuan was suddenly enlightened. That's right, he could go back first!

After returning, he would go to his workplace first to secure his job. Once the work was on the right track, he would have a proper talk with his parents about Jiang Wan, and then return to pick up Jiang Wan and Grandpa Jiang to leave together.

Just like that, Fang Zhiyuan decided to return first. Before leaving, he repeatedly promised Jiang Wan to wait for him, assuring her that he would come back to pick her up very soon.

As for the person who drugged him, Fang Zhiyuan had also found them. He hadn't expected that someone who usually stayed quietly in a corner would actually have such thoughts about him, which thoroughly disgusted Fang Zhiyuan.

After learning about it, he proposed that from then on, after meals were cooked, food could not be served until everyone had arrived.

Furthermore, it had to be served in front of everyone.

Otherwise, it was very unfair to others that some people who had contributed less food rations still received so much.

Moreover, he no longer used the bowls in the Educated Youth Courtyard, using his own lunchbox instead. Also, after washing his lunchbox each time, he would lock it in his own cabinet, giving others no chance to touch it.

He even dared not drink the water from the vat in the Educated Youth Courtyard, being extremely cautious.

If it weren't for the lack of evidence and the fact that he wouldn't be staying here much longer, he would have definitely moved out.

Therefore, he didn't tell the people in the Educated Youth Courtyard about his return to the city this time; they were just acquaintances anyway.

When handling the paperwork, he also troubled the Captain not to speak of it before he left. In exchange for that catty of brown sugar, the Captain agreed.

After everyone else had gone to work, he bid farewell to Jiang Wan and Grandpa Jiang, gave most of the money and coupons he had on him to Jiang Wan, and then Fang Zhiyuan left quietly.

Jiang Wan watched Fang Zhiyuan's receding figure and heaved a sigh of relief.

This person had finally left!

Go, just go! After returning, he would meet more girls, and in this way, he would soon forget about her, a country girl.

Xiao Lingdang: "Wanwan, are you really not regretting this? What if he doesn't come back?"

Jiang Wan had just finished counting the money Fang Zhiyuan had slipped to her; it totaled one hundred and fifty yuan, plus some coupons, which was quite a lot.

Jiang Wan accepted the money with peace of mind. If Fang Zhiyuan didn't return in the future, this money would be his compensation to her.

Besides this money and coupons, Fang Zhiyuan had previously bought her quite a few things: clothes, shoes, facial cream, and malted milk extract.

Not to mention the meat he bought and the dishes he brought back from the state-run restaurant.

Fang Zhiyuan also said that once he started working, he would send her money every month, though she didn't know if she would be able to receive it.

Jiang Wan: "Regret what? Do you think if I went back with him, he wouldn't regret it? His family members warned him before he came not to start a family in the countryside. Tell me, if I went back with him, what kind of disaster would be waiting for me?"

"City household registrations get food rations every month, but I don't. At the beginning, he might feel he can afford to support me, but as time goes by, he will definitely be dissatisfied."

Xiao Lingdang was speechless: "You're overthinking it. Fang Zhiyuan isn't that kind of person!"

Jiang Wan: "He might not be, but his family is! Every time they collect food rations, they would drag me out to lash out at me. I don't want that! It's so good here! I don't have to suffer grievances; I'm free and at ease. I'd have to be out of my mind to go back with him and squeeze into that city house."

I heard that living in those tube-shaped apartment buildings is very stifling.

Here, as long as she says no, Grandpa won't force her. After enduring for three years, she can go to college.

Isn't this better than going to the city and having to look at people's cold expressions?

When the people from the Educated Youth Courtyard returned at noon and saw that Fang Zhiyuan's bed was empty, they anxiously went to find the Captain to report the matter.

Everyone thought something had happened to Fang Zhiyuan.

Fang Zhiyuan had already left, so there was nothing the Captain couldn't say.

"Oh, Youth Fang! He returned to the city; his family members asked him to go back."

Only then did everyone realize that Fang Zhiyuan had already left.

The one who regretted it the most was Liu Min. After her failure last time, she had been thinking of finding another opportunity to act again.

Unexpectedly, before she even had a chance to buy the medicine, Fang Zhiyuan had left without any warning!

And he had kept it from everyone; this secrecy was truly well done.

She had thought that the incident last time had paved the way for another woman, and she wanted to know who had saved Fang Zhiyuan. But after looking around, she didn't find that Fang Zhiyuan had been close with any girl in the village.

He only often ran to Dr. Jiang's place. Dr. Jiang did have a granddaughter, but that girl was unremarkable and didn't look close to Fang Zhiyuan at all. Liu Min didn't think it was this girl who saved him.

Fang Zhiyuan, on the contrary, had a good relationship with Dr. Jiang. Liu Min felt that perhaps Dr. Jiang had saved him.

After all, Dr. Jiang's medical skills were quite impressive; besides treating people, he sometimes also worked as a veterinarian.

After the villagers learned the news of Fang Zhiyuan's departure, they all felt it was a pity. It was a pity they hadn't introduced the eligible girls in their families to him earlier; otherwise, the girls in their families could have gone to the city with Fang Zhiyuan to enjoy a good life.

Grandpa Jiang also muttered: "In the future, no one will come to chat with him anymore."

Fang Zhiyuan had also told him when he left. He knew it, but he still felt it was a pity!

Fang Zhiyuan was gone, and Jiang Wan's life returned to peace. Sometimes she didn't even go to cut pig grass herself; she would take out two candies and let the village children cut it for her.

And as for herself? She would run up the mountain to pick medicinal herbs.

She wanted to pick a bit more and then put them into her space, to avoid running out of medicine next time.

These were wild medicinal herbs, and their efficacy could not be compared to those cultivated medicinal herbs.

Jiang Wan had planned it out: after the college entrance examination was restored, she would go to university to study medicine and become a doctor in the future.

With her such great talent and the family's scholarly tradition, if she didn't study medicine, what would she study?

She had spent her previous life in leisure; this life, she wanted to do something meaningful.

Now, this mountain was Jiang Wan's paradise.

Good heavens, this was a natural medicinal garden!

The medicinal herbs here were not picked by anyone, and some even grew in patches. Jiang Wan picked them with great delight. Sometimes it was only when Xiao Lingdang reminded her that she would go down the mountain; otherwise, Grandpa would be worried.

Most of the medicinal herbs were put into her space, and she only carried back a little bit each time.

Grandpa Jiang told Jiang Wan to be careful when going up the mountain and not to go deep into the mountains, as there were black bears deep in the mountains, which was unsafe.

Jiang Wan agreed readily, but every time she went up the mountain, she did as she pleased.

Do you think Jiang Wan was bold? No, that was because she had a cheat, and Xiao Lingdang was her best compass.

Reminding her to avoid dangerous areas and accurately telling her what medicinal herbs were over there—of course, Jiang Wan had to seize such a good opportunity.

Jiang Wan was busy, and Fang Zhiyuan, who had returned to the city, was also very busy now.

After returning home, he learned that the job his family had found for him was in the transport team of the steel mill. He was now busy learning to drive from his master!

He hadn't forgotten Jiang Wan, but he hadn't established a firm footing yet, so he could only temporarily put this matter aside. He would talk to his family about Jiang Wan after he had established a firm footing.

Before he came back, he had called his mother to ask, doing so in a joking manner. His mother had said that if he dared to marry a country woman, she would break his legs.

Therefore, the matter of Jiang Wan could not be rushed. Once his job was stable and he had the ability, he would then bring up the matter of bringing Jiang Wan over to his family.

By then, even if his family didn't agree, he would have his own job and could still bring Jiang Wan over.

If it weren't for the strict crackdown on speculation and profiteering in the city right now, Fang Zhiyuan would have wanted to resume his old business. Otherwise, without money, many things couldn't be accomplished.

Where do you think his house came from? It was picked up as a bargain when he was selling things in the past!

At that time, Fang Zhiyuan met an old man who said that it was too chaotic here and he was going to Hong Kong to join his relatives.

He wanted to sell his house to get some money. Since Fang Zhiyuan had traded with him a few times, he asked Fang Zhiyuan first.

Fang Zhiyuan looked at the old man's house; although it wasn't too big, it was a detached house with its own courtyard. Thinking that his family had many siblings and there definitely wouldn't be enough space at home after they got married, he agreed.

Just like that, Fang Zhiyuan secretly purchased a house for himself.

Fang Zhiyuan had always been glad that he had prepared the house in advance; otherwise, when he was kicked out of the house by his parents in the future, he wouldn't have had anywhere to go!

When Jiang Wan received the letter from Fang Zhiyuan, she was still a bit dazed. This person actually wrote her a letter?

Although he didn't send money this time, Fang Zhiyuan detailed everything that happened after he returned to Jiang Wan.

He was learning to drive from his master every day. Because he was an apprentice, his salary wasn't very high. He would send it to Jiang Wan when he had saved up a bit more.

He told Jiang Wan to wait for him, and he would soon come to pick her up.

After reading the letter in her hand, Jiang Wan didn't know whether she should reply to him.

The little person on the left said: "He is thinking of you so much, just reply to him."

The little person on the right said: "You have already decided not to be in contact with him, so follow through with it; don't give him hope."

Jiang Wan didn't know what to do for a moment, so she shoved it into the drawer, out of sight, out of mind.