Chapter 45 Lin Xiaodou Is Disdained by the Brigade Leader

Chen Guang began to lavish his attentions on Lin Xiaodou, eager to help with anything she did, volunteering at every turn. He even wanted to accompany her to the restroom.

“You’re too beautiful,” he said, “I’m worried someone might try something.”

Lin Xiaodou sneered inwardly, thinking the one most likely to try something was him. “No need. Let me be clear—I’m not interested in you, and I don’t want to date anyone.”

She didn’t waste words, rejecting him bluntly. Yet, like a stubborn patch, he clung to her without pause. Now, on the train, Lin Xiaodou couldn’t make a scene. Otherwise, she really would have liked to slap him into the wall. People like him only get more persistent the more attention you give them.

So, Lin Xiaodou simply ignored him, closing her eyes and pretending to nap. This tactic worked. Chen Guang assumed she was tired and left her alone, turning instead to curry favor with Chu Ling. After all, she was his golden ticket—he wasn’t about to let her go.

“Don’t come near me. Do you think I’m blind? I won’t pick up someone else’s discarded trash!” Chu Ling snapped at him, anger flashing in her eyes.

Part of her was furious about how he’d treated her in their past life, and part was simply incensed. Though she’d resolved to make life difficult for Chen Guang, seeing him fawn over another woman still left her uncomfortable. She was possessive like that: she could treat a scoundrel with cold indifference, but she refused to be anyone’s consolation prize.

Chen Guang’s face darkened at her words. Back in the capital, this woman had obeyed his every word, but on the train she’d changed drastically, now meeting him only with sarcasm and icy disdain. If it weren’t for the fact that he’d need her family to send money and supplies once they were in the countryside, he would have lost his temper long ago.

“Ling Ling, don’t say things out of spite. You know how I feel about you,” Chen Guang tried.

Chu Ling replied, “Disgusting.”

Chen Guang was speechless.

Zhang Lian’s eyes glinted, and she suddenly spoke, “Comrade Chen Guang, I’d like some hot water—could you fetch it for me?”

Chen Guang smiled, “Of course.” Clearly, he still had his charm.

He got up, and as he passed Lin Xiaodou, he whispered, “Comrade Lin, I’m going to get some hot water. Would you like some?”

Lin Xiaodou kept her eyes shut, ignoring him. She was busy, using her mind to harvest grain from her space. When she’d first arrived in this era, she’d harvested some grain from her space.

After collecting the grain, she’d planted again that very day. Now, a month later, her second crop of grain and vegetables had ripened. Having mastered the process the first time, she harvested with her mind, more adept than ever. In less than a morning, she finished the task.

Once done, Lin Xiaodou used her mind to check her assets: mainly, she arranged the money and ration coupons usable in this era. Three hundred from her job, fourteen hundred taken from Old Lin’s family, over fifty thousand seized from the male lead, and more than forty thousand in secret stashes and hidden compartments at the Lin family home—altogether, nearly a hundred thousand yuan, plus over two hundred coupons. These were her current resources.

Compared to arriving in this era with nothing, she was much better off. Lin Xiaodou planned to gradually earn more on the black market. For now, the key was adapting to rural life, so her days ahead could be carefree.

After five days and nights of travel, the train finally arrived in Jinshi County, Guizhou Province. As soon as she stepped off, a cool breeze greeted her. Truly, the famed “Cool Capital” of China lived up to its name.

At the train station exit, staff received the educated youth. Hearing that Lin Xiaodou and the others were headed to Red Star Commune, they hurried to give directions. “Walk straight ahead a hundred meters, then turn—there’s the bus station. Take the bus to Red Star Commune.”

“Thank you,” Lin Xiaodou and the others replied.

At the bus station, after paying fifty cents for tickets, everyone boarded the bus. Lin Xiaodou deliberately chose a seat in the back corner. Chen Guang tried to sit beside her but shrank back when she shot him a cold look. As he hesitated, a matron rushed in and plopped down next to Lin Xiaodou, leaving Chen Guang to find a seat further up.

The journey from Jinshi County to Red Star Commune took more than two hours. Feeling drowsy, Lin Xiaodou leaned back to rest. Halfway through, she felt the matron beside her tapping her shoulder.

“Wake up, young comrade,” said the matron, her round face smiling.

“You’re an educated youth headed to the countryside, aren’t you? You’re so pretty—like a fairy from a painting.”

“Thank you,” Lin Xiaodou replied.

“Well, I’m the women’s director at Red Star Commune’s textile factory. I have a nephew about your age—he’s promising and handsome, working at the factory too. Would you be interested in meeting him?”

Lin Xiaodou was speechless. It was only her first day in the countryside, and someone was already trying to matchmake her.

“No need. My family has already arranged a fiancé for me—I’ll return to the city to marry him,” she replied with the excuse she’d prepared over the past two days.

On the train, so many people had tried to cozy up to her amid the chaos, she’d responded casually. Knowing she’d face more such situations, she needed a firm reason to keep people at bay. An arranged engagement was the perfect excuse.

In this era, an engagement was nearly as binding as marriage; few would persist once they heard it. As expected, the matron sighed, “What a pity—I was hoping to introduce you to my nephew.”

Up ahead, Chen Guang, Chu Ling, and the others glanced at each other in confusion. Lin Xiaodou hadn’t mentioned an engagement on the train—was this just her way of fending people off?

Chen Guang smiled, undeterred. No matter what, he was determined to win Lin Xiaodou.

Two hours later, the bus finally arrived at Red Star Commune. Outside the station, several rural men in patched vests were shouting for the arriving educated youth.

“Those going to Jinshi Village, come this way! I’m the village leader!”

“Here, here—those for Black Stone Village, follow me!”

Lin Xiaodou and her group were heading to Black Stone Village, so they hurried over with their luggage. Besides their four, there were others from different cars and trains—about ten people in all, half of them women.

Seeing the situation, the brigade leader Liu Zhenghe pulled a long face, grumbling internally in dialect.

“What’s this? Why so many girls? With those frail bodies, they’ll be crying for home in no time. And that short-haired girl—so striking, all the boys keep staring at her. How can anyone work like this? Annoying!”

Lin Xiaodou didn’t know it, but from the first glance, the brigade leader disliked her. Even if she had known, she wouldn’t have cared—she had her own powers and would turn the tables soon enough.

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Side Scene.

After Lin Xiaodou arrived in the countryside:

At first, the brigade leader was full of disdain: “Troublesome, useless girl.”

Later, he applauded with a smile: “Delightful! Bring me more girls just like her!”