Ji Zhaoxi usually just listened on the side, while Qin Du was always working, and neither of them spoke much.
Ji Zhuxin saw Qin Du fixing a basket and quickly gave her a push: "Go help your Brother Qin Du, don't just sit there like a fool."
Mother Qin hurriedly said: "The little sister doesn't know how to do it, don't let her touch it, she might hurt her hands."
Ji Zhuxin waved her hand and continued cracking melon seeds: "Leave her be, she can't sit still anyway, it's a good chance for her to do some work."
Ji Zhaoxi awkwardly squatted next to Qin Du, but she didn't know how to do it either. She hesitated and said: "Brother Qin Du, let me help you."
Qin Du ignored her completely.
Ji Zhaoxi choked a bit and looked eagerly inside. She wasn't her sister; she didn't know how to start a conversation.
Qin Du stood up and suddenly walked towards the house. Ji Zhaoxi saw him bring out a low stool and place it behind her.
"It's fine, Brother Qin Du, you can sit on it."
Ji Zhaoxi eagerly placed the stool behind Qin Du.
Qin Du didn't even give her a glance.
Ji Zhaoxi: ...
She had no choice but to pull it back and sit on it herself.
After a while, Qin Du brought her a cup of water. Ji Zhaoxi paused for a moment and took the water: "Thank you, Brother Qin Du."
She took a small sip. It was sweet!
Ji Zhaoxi's eyes instantly lit up.
Ji Zhuxin turned her head and saw Qin Du squatting there fixing the basket, while Ji Zhaoxi was sitting leisurely on the stool holding a cup of water. The veins on her forehead bulged.
"Ji Zhaoxi!"
Ji Zhaoxi was startled and cried out in grievance: "Brother Qin Du got it for me!"
Mother Qin quickly held Ji Zhuxin back: "Oh my, oh my, it's fine, let the child play by herself."
Ji Zhuxin sighed: "This sister of mine, she was always sick when she was little, and I spoiled her. Now that she's grown up, I'm used to it, but acting like this outside will eventually draw gossip."
Mother Qin smiled: "That's how it is raising kids. It's fine here, this isn't exactly outside."
The children in the village were very noisy, and the dogs barked along with them. Every afternoon, the village was filled with their voices.
Ji Zhaoxi hadn't hung out with Chen Yiping and the others for a long time. Her foot hadn't healed for a while, and after she refused a few times, Chen Yiping couldn't be bothered to come. Unexpectedly, Chen Yiping came again today and insisted on dragging her along.
"One piece for everyone, you won't miss out if you follow me."
Chen Yiping was distributing candy to his underlings. Every time he handed out a piece, the underlings would shout: "Thank you, Boss!"
When distributing to Ji Zhaoxi, Chen Yiping paused for a moment and gave her an extra piece.
Li Ergou immediately noticed: "Boss, you accidentally gave her an extra piece!"
Chen Yiping said impatiently: "Forget it, making a fuss over one piece, so petty."
Li Ergou looked at Ji Zhaoxi jealously. Ji Zhaoxi picked up a stone and was about to throw it at him. Li Ergou shrank his neck and fell silent.
"Thank you, Boss!" Ji Zhaoxi also shouted along.
Every day, Chen Yiping would go provoke Qin Du, and then casually mock the people in the village with bad reputations. If his father wasn't the village chief, he would have been beaten to death long ago.
When Chen Yiping and the others were cursing Qin Du, Ji Zhaoxi hid behind them, moving her mouth without making a sound, and then continued to collect Chen Yiping's candy.
After slacking off like this for a few days, the next time they went to provoke Qin Du, Li Ergou discovered Ji Zhaoxi's secret.
"Boss, Ji Zhaoxi isn't making a sound!" Li Ergou jumped up excitedly.
Chen Yiping immediately got angry and questioned: "Ji Zhaoxi, why aren't you cursing?"
The others surrounded her. Ji Zhaoxi's face and neck turned red: "My throat is uncomfortable."
Li Ergou jumped out again and accused her: "Liar, liar, you just don't want to curse Qin Du, right? You betrayed us!"
Chen Yiping became even angrier, his brows tightly furrowed: "You go curse Qin Du right now."
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi remain silent, he started to pull her, and the other children around also started to push her. Ji Zhaoxi's eyes instantly turned red.
Chen Yiping impatiently clicked his tongue and slapped the others' hands away: "Who told you to touch her?"
He stared fixedly at Ji Zhaoxi: "If you curse Qin Du once, I'll forgive you. If you don't curse him, don't even think about playing with us anymore."
Ji Zhaoxi still didn't make a sound. After a long time, she finally opened her mouth: "But he helped me."
"So what?" Chen Yiping didn't understand.
It was just helping once.
"Ji Zhaoxi, you were the one who begged to join us back then. How long have we known each other? And just because Qin Du helped you once, you're going to betray us?"
Chen Yiping was so angry that he could hardly breathe.
"Are you going to curse him or not?"
Ji Zhaoxi lowered her head and didn't speak.
Chen Yiping laughed out of anger: "Fine, Ji Zhaoxi, from now on you're no longer one of us. The next time we see you, you'll be our enemy, just like Qin Du!"
The other children immediately echoed: "Enemy!"
With no peers to play with, Ji Zhaoxi could only go to the pond on the mountain to catch fish for fun.
Halfway through her play, Chen Yiping led a group of people rushing past, and not a single person spoke to her.
She looked at Qin Du not far away. He had been burying his head in his work. At this age, everyone else was still playing, but he was like an adult, not slacking off at all.
The sunset glow reflected on the water surface, casting a halo over the water in the pond. Ji Zhaoxi snapped back to reality and quickly climbed up.
Qin Du had just packed his things and was preparing to go down the mountain.
Ji Zhaoxi carried a fish in her hand and followed behind him. Qin Du slowed his pace a bit, and their shadows gradually merged together.
The youth courtyard was very lively. These educated youths always had things to do for entertainment.
But Lin Yitang's mood wasn't very good. She was still thinking about Qin Du, who had saved her that day.
A male educated youth ran over with a handful of candy: "Yitang, this is for you, I just won it."
Lin Yitang shook her head and refused. The male youth kept pestering her: "Just take it, Yitang. I specifically picked the ones you like."
Seeing Lin Yitang not speaking, he placed the candy on her and ran off.
Lin Yitang only felt annoyed.
She wanted to go find Qin Du and make things clear, but this male youth followed her around every day, almost to the point of never leaving her side.
It wasn't until the next morning, when the male youth was called to the village chief's house, that Lin Yitang finally had some time.
She suddenly felt a bit nervous. She really went too far that time.
Lin Yitang looked at herself in the mirror, hesitated, and still applied the vanishing cream that Ji Zhuxin had bought for her.
She waved her hand in front of her, and a faint fragrance spread out. Only then did Lin Yitang take a book and leave the house.
She saw Qin Du halfway there. He was carrying a hoe on his shoulder and walking up the mountain. Lin Yitang quickly called out to him.
"Qin Du!"
Seeing the person in front not stopping, Lin Yitang shouted again.
"Qin Du, wait a moment!"
