Chapter 46: Suspecting Lin Xiaodou of Mocking Her

The Red Star Commune (town) consisted of about ten villages in total. The one Lin Xiaodou was headed to, Black Stone Village, was the poorest among them. Surrounded on all sides by mountains, the landscape stretched as far as the eye could see, covered in lush green forests. All the villagers and the educated youth lived within these mountains.

Clearing land and farming in the mountains was far more arduous than ordinary fieldwork. It consumed more time and effort—those lacking strength could hardly accomplish much. Small wonder the brigade leader was so dismissive.

Once everyone had loaded their luggage onto the ox cart, most of the space was already taken. At best, the cart could seat five or six people, which meant at least half of the educated youth would have to walk back on foot.

Someone asked, “Brigade leader, how far is Red Star Commune from our village?”

The brigade leader replied, “A little over ten kilometers, all mountain roads. If you walk briskly, three hours will get you there—not far at all.”

“What? That’s not considered far?” All the educated youth present began to grumble.

Chen Guang suggested, “Brigade leader, how about letting the female comrades ride the ox cart? We men are strong and can stand a bit of hardship.”

At his words, several female educated youth cast grateful looks his way. Only Lin Xiaodou and Chu Ling remained unmoved—the former out of disdain, the latter because Chu Ling, the heroine, had been reborn.

She remembered that in her previous life, no one got to ride the ox cart at all. Everyone not only walked to the village but carried their own luggage as well. The reason was...

“Brigade leader, Old Huang is shaking his head and throwing a fit again. He absolutely refuses to move,” called Old Li, who drove the ox cart, his face anxious.

Old Huang was the only old yellow ox in Black Stone Village. It was used for plowing fields, hauling goods, and carrying people. The village treasured it dearly, and usually, it was never used to carry people unless a fee was paid. The old ox had just finished plowing the fields in the past days and was exhausted, meant to rest for a day or two. But today, it had to pick up the educated youth coming to the countryside, and stubbornly refused to budge. Old Li, frustrated, had already whipped it several times to get it moving to the commune. Now, with all the luggage loaded, it started throwing another tantrum.

Unable to do anything, Old Li sought out the brigade leader. Hearing this, the brigade leader frowned, “What should we do? Everyone’s waiting to go back. Try giving it a few more whips.”

Old Li agreed, “Alright!” He cracked the whip several times.

The old yellow ox not only refused to move but let out plaintive mooing cries. Old Li’s heart ached, “Old Huang, please move! If you move, I won’t whip you anymore.” The ox, still unwilling, even tried to butt him with its horns. Old Li grew anxious, raising the whip high and preparing to strike again.

Just then, a clear voice rang out, “Uncle! Wait!”

Lin Xiaodou hurried over. Old Li asked, “Girl, what are you doing?”

“Please don’t whip it anymore. It’s feeling unwell right now.” As Lin Xiaodou raised her hand, the previously agitated ox immediately calmed down, lowering its head. Lin Xiaodou stroked its head, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here to help you.”

The brigade leader stared at her in astonishment. Goodness, how did this girl manage that? Normally, when Old Huang threw a fit, no one but Old Li dared approach. Who would have thought this girl was so capable and brave?

The brigade leader asked, “Do you have any idea? Old Huang is sometimes just lazy and stubborn.”

Lin Xiaodou replied, “Brigade leader, it’s not laziness—it’s sick.”

When the ox mooed earlier, Lin Xiaodou had heard its cry for help, which was why she rushed out to assist.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Old Huang isn’t sick! What do you know, girl?” Old Li was displeased. He was the one who usually helped the brigade care for Old Huang. If anything happened to the ox, it would be a grave offense on his part.

The brigade leader trusted Old Li more, looking at Lin Xiaodou skeptically, “Do you really have a solution?”

Before Lin Xiaodou could answer, Zhang Lian, standing nearby, laughed, “Brigade leader, Comrade Lin just loves to show off. Why not let her try?”

Another unfamiliar female educated youth quickly added, “Now isn’t the time for personal display. If Old Huang ends up even less willing to walk, how will we get to the countryside?”

The others remained silent, clearly not approving. Chu Ling crossed her arms, amused and waiting for drama. Chen Guang walked over to advise, “Comrade Lin, some things shouldn’t be handled recklessly...”

Before he finished speaking, Lin Xiaodou had already squatted down. To everyone’s surprise, the old yellow ox voluntarily lifted its left forehoof. Lin Xiaodou took hold of it, bowing her head as if searching for something.

Zhang Lian secretly rolled her eyes.

Pretending, how laughable.

But in the next moment, Lin Xiaodou pulled a wooden splinter from the ox’s hoof. As soon as it was removed, the old yellow ox exuberantly mooed, even spinning with joy.

Seeing this, everyone understood at once. The ox had been pricked by a splinter in its forehoof, making it too painful to walk, hence its refusal to move.

The brigade leader, delighted, shook Lin Xiaodou’s hand, “Comrade Lin, thank you so much! How did you notice?”

Lin Xiaodou gave a vague answer, “I’ve studied veterinary medicine on my own before. I’m quite familiar with animals...”

“Oh, is that so? You’re amazing.” The brigade leader’s gaze grew warmer toward her. Their village needed such talent—finally, the higher-ups had assigned someone useful.

[Lin Xiaodou: Who was it just now disdaining my arrival?
Brigade leader: No, no, not me—you must have mistaken!]

Old Li came over, embarrassed, to apologize, “I’m sorry, Comrade Lin, I almost misunderstood you.”

“No worries, it’s nothing,” Lin Xiaodou continued, “But in the future, you should be more attentive. If Old Huang doesn’t obey, he might be feeling unwell somewhere. It’s important to check carefully. Luckily I found it early this time—if it had been left a few days, his forehoof might have become infected and inflamed, and then it would be hard to cure.”

Upon hearing this, Old Li was even more alarmed and nodded hurriedly, “Yes, I understand.”

The educated youth watching nearby wore complicated expressions. Moments ago, they truly thought Lin Xiaodou just wanted to show off. After all, she was so beautiful—like a delicate vase, needing only care, who would have expected her to be so competent?

Lin Xiaodou deliberately walked up to Zhang Lian, smiling sweetly, “Comrade Zhang Lian, thank you for speaking up for me just now. You’re really quite a good person.”

Zhang Lian: ...

Why did that sound so odd? She strongly suspected Lin Xiaodou was mocking her! But she had no proof.

So infuriating!