Chapter 20: The Spirited Girl of the Seventies (20)

Moreover, this was the person Li Xiangwang liked; no matter what, she couldn’t let someone else snatch him away.

“You’re good-looking, kind-hearted, and your family background seems decent as well. So it’s inevitable that some people might have ulterior motives, wanting to get something from you.”

Li Xinxin felt that since she was older than Liu Suisui, she knew a bit more and ought to impart some wisdom.

“I know you’re all educated youth, but you can’t just judge people by their surface status. You haven’t been here long and probably haven’t mingled much with everyone. Yang Zhiqing’s affection is a bit shallow.”

Such superficial liking felt very insincere.

Liu Suisui tilted her head, looking at the protagonist’s earnest expression, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Though I’m young, I’m not naive. Besides, I don’t actually like him—he’s too ugly.”

Yang Zhiqing was average-looking but had a popular appearance: honest, simple, and with a hint of scholarly charm. He seemed good-natured, but his recent outburst of anger suggested he might resort to violence later on.

Li Xinxin recalled his looks—not really ugly, just not very attractive.

Looking at the young girl, who was like a celestial being, it was understandable she wouldn’t fancy him.

If they walked together, he would indeed look like a monster by comparison.

“Having high standards is a good thing; it helps you avoid being deceived.”

Many in the village had arranged marriages with little pre-marital contact, only to discover flaws after marriage.

Women often suffered the most in such situations. Once married, there was little they could do except muddle through.

“Then what do you think of Li Xiangyang?” she suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

Liu Suisui looked at her in confusion. Did people here really speak so bluntly? Weren’t people in this era supposed to be more reserved?

Li Xinxin thought for a moment and said, “Li Xiangyang is good-looking, diligent, and has a nice personality. He is caring. Though his background… uh, I might have said too much.”

At first, she hoped that helping her partner find a match might earn her some favor.

Since she didn’t hold all the cards, it was natural for her to try to plan for herself.

But the moment she thought of his background, she immediately felt discouraged.

To the world, he was condemned as if he deserved death, even though he had done nothing wrong.

“What’s wrong with his background? Is he not even human?” Liu Suisui asked in surprise.

Now it was Li Xinxin’s turn to freeze.

“How could he not be human?”

“Then what’s wrong with his background?” she pressed.

“You educated youth probably care a lot about that, right?” Such things weren’t spoken of openly.

“Did he commit murder or arson? Or do something unforgivable? If not, then what’s the problem with his background?”

Besides, in a couple of years, such backgrounds wouldn’t even matter.

“You really are different from other educated youth. Though you’re young, you seem more perceptive.”

Liu Ruonan smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m no naive fool. I know who treats me well and who doesn’t.”

“Mm, mm, okay.”

Li Xinxin nodded repeatedly, then found herself at a loss for words.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward.

“By the way, where are you headed? Are you going to find Li Xiangyang?”

Upon hearing this, she suddenly remembered why she had gone out.

“I want to trade with the villagers for some eggs. I want to boil an egg for breakfast, but the quantity might be a bit much.”

At the educated youth camp, there wasn’t much food in the morning since no one wanted to get up early to cook. So, besides the noon and evening meals taken care of by the duty officers, everyone was responsible for their own breakfast.

Some ate biscuits to fill their stomachs, others made pancakes the night before to eat the next day.

Liu Suisui’s appetite was small, so one egg and a cup of malted milk powder sufficed.

But the problem was, no one raised chickens at the camp, so there were no eggs. Buying from the commune wasn’t cost-effective, and the bumpy road risked breaking the eggs.

“Trading for eggs? Leave it to me, I’ll help you get them!” Li Xinxin patted her chest, deciding to take on the task.

Since Li Xiangyang liked this educated youth, it was better to curry favor with her—it might bring unexpected benefits.

After all, she needed favors too.

“Really? There are thirty days in a month. Help me get thirty eggs first. I’ll give you some money now and pay the rest later.”

Liu Suisui immediately reached into her pocket and took out some money.

She wasn’t quite sure about the local prices, so she handed over a full yuan.

Li Xinxin couldn’t help but marvel at how generous city folks were, casually giving a whole yuan.

“That’s more than enough. One yuan for thirty eggs is too much. Each egg costs only three cents; thirty eggs total just ninety cents,” she explained.

“Then can I owe you for now? I’ll need to order eggs next month too,” Liu Suisui scratched her head awkwardly.

She trusted the protagonist’s ability, believing if anyone could get the eggs, it would be her.

“Pfft! Aren’t you afraid I’ll cheat you?” She had thought Liu Suisui was sharp, but now she seemed so innocent.

“No, I believe you’re not that kind of person.”

Faced with such trust, Li Xinxin was momentarily stunned.

At that moment, she suddenly recalled her childhood. Her cousin and cousin sister were playing and accidentally broke a bowl, but she had seen the cousin sister break it.

When the adults found out, they blamed her, even though she tried to explain.

No one listened; they firmly believed the siblings’ story. She was beaten and forbidden from eating dinner.

Back then, she felt wronged; now thinking back, it was rather laughable.

They didn’t care about the truth; they just wanted someone to vent their anger on.

“Since educated youth Liu trusts me so much, I definitely won’t let you down. Do you need anything else? I’ll get it for you.”

Liu Suisui raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant by that, but still shook her head.

“Not for now. I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”

This comfortable distance made Li Xinxin like her even more.

“Alright.”

After settling the trade, the two parted ways.

Li Xinxin held the yuan in her pocket, took a deep breath, and turned toward the edge of the village.

She was going to find Li Xiangyang to talk about some matters and perhaps have him do a favor.

With Liu Suisui as the topic, he probably wouldn’t refuse.