Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 94 - 93: That Hemp Rope

Chapter 94: Chapter 93: That Hemp Rope

"Old man, are you serious? Was it really Comrade Xiao Su who found the construction team for us?"

Upon returning home, Aunt Li couldn’t wait to ask.

Li Dahe nodded, lifted the teacup to take a sip of water, then spoke while sucking on his teeth, "I think Comrade Xiao Su treats Miss Lin a bit special... Look at our school building, how many days have we been at it? Just yesterday he came to help Miss Lin for an afternoon, and look, today the construction team arrived."

Aunt Li climbed onto the kang bed, folding the newly purchased fabric as she spoke, "It’s a pity though, Miss Lin is still young, completely clueless. I see her interest in those veggies of her field is even greater than her interest in Comrade Xiao Su."

Li Dahe chuckled and casually asked, "How’s her vegetable patch coming along?"

Once the topic arose, Aunt Li became enthusiastic, "Well, don’t mention it, I saw it the other day, her patch was planted a few days late, but the growth looks really good! I bet she hasn’t spared any effort in tending it."

"It’s just that the plot is small; otherwise, she’d be stuck there all day long." Li Dahe curled his lip, showing his disdain for Lin Nianhe’s farm work.

Aunt Li slowed her fabric folding, pondered for a long while, and then hesitated to ask, "Old man, with this act from Comrade Xiao Su... should we maybe secure a teacher’s position for Miss Lin?"

Li Dahe’s eyes widened in disbelief, "Secure what? Wasn’t it agreed that there’d be an exam? If she can’t do it, should I take the exam for her?"

Aunt Li replied, "Then she’s even less likely to pass."

Li Dahe smacked his lips, looking at Aunt Li, his eyes brimming with grievance.

Aunt Li folded the two pieces of red fabric back and forth, but in the end, couldn’t help but ask, "Really, there’s no way?"

"Really, no way," Li Dahe shook his head. "You didn’t see, after the construction team arrived today, all the girls and Mu Tou at the Educated Youth Corps were acting as if the sky had fallen. If we now..."

Li Dahe didn’t finish, but the implication was clear, it was impossible.

Seeing Li Dahe’s stance, Aunt Li knew there was no hope for change and sighed, "Still, you really need to figure something out, lately those kids are all preoccupied and not focused on work. Studying by lamp, they better not ruin their health."

"Um, I’ll think about it..."

Li Dahe frowned in contemplation.

...

The sky over the Educated Youth Corps was indeed about to collapse.

Because the comrades from the construction team announced today that the school could be completed in about half a month.

This added urgency to the already insufficient time for review.

When Lin Nianhe returned to the Educated Youth Corps, the front courtyard was silent, eerily quiet.

Previously they would discuss problems with each other, but today no one uttered a word, as oppressive as a classroom just before the university entrance examination.

Lin Nianhe saw everyone occupied with their tasks and was about to return to her own room when she heard Wang Xue ask, "How is Hongqi doing? Is her health any better?"

As Lin Nianhe glanced at Wang Xue, she caught Wang Shumei rolling her eyes.

She raised her eyebrows in response and replied, "Not bad."

She continued walking without stopping her steps, heading straight to the backyard.

"Wait a second."

Wang Xue put down her pencil and stood up.

She looked at Lin Nianhe and said, "Yu Xiangqin and I talked it over, it’s quite exhausting to travel back and forth to the town like this every day, and since Hongqi originally stayed in the same room as us, plus we’re older than you all, we’re more capable of taking care of her."

"Now that there’s no need for night shifts, from now on, Yu Xiangqin and I can take turns caring for Hongqi every other day."

Lin Nianhe raised her eyebrows.

It had been a long while since Wang Xue jumped up in front of her like this.

Such a sudden offer today was obviously aimed at securing a spot at the clinic to study properly.

After all, educated youth taking prolonged leave without working would have it noted in their records, which could be detrimental to returning to the city.

Wang Xue wanted to review properly and didn’t want to tarnish her record, so she had to opt for this approach.

Lin Nianhe glanced at Wang Shumei and Wen Lan.

Wen Lan had stuffed her ears with two chunks of paper and didn’t hear what they were talking about; she might not even be aware that Lin Nianhe had returned.

She really wanted the teaching job because it came with not only points but also a subsidy.

She wanted to go home for the Chinese New Year.

Wang Shumei shrugged indifferently, making it clear she really couldn’t be bothered to go to the clinic.

In fact, taking care of Comrade Tiechui was no easy task; sitting on the clinic’s small stool all day was exhausting, and reading or writing required lying on the hospital bed.

By the end of the day, her back and waist ached.

Wang Xue looked nervously at Lin Nianhe, licking her somewhat dry lips.

She knew it was a bit abrupt to say these things, but she had no choice.

She and Yu Xiangqin had graduated from high school four years ago and had long forgotten what they had learned; picking it up again in such a short period of time was too difficult.

So, she couldn’t worry about that now.

Several male Educated Youths, including one as thin as a bamboo pole, turned to look at them.

Lin Nianhe suddenly laughed.

"Actually, you could have just told us directly that you wanted to go to the clinic to review. We wouldn’t really fight you for it... Okay, let’s do as you said. But let me be clear, since you’ve taken this on yourselves, don’t change your minds later."

Wang Xue’s face turned red and then white; if Lin Nianhe hadn’t agreed in the end, she would have been furious enough to faint.

She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth: "Fine, we definitely won’t..."

Before she could finish, Lin Nianhe had already walked away, as if too lazy to listen to her go on.

Wang Xue felt choked up, unable to spit the words out or swallow them, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

What she felt, Lin Nianhe couldn’t care less.

After she returned to her room, she rummaged through her space and finally found a box of small light bulbs.

Relieved, she took the flashlight, disassembled it.

These days, disassembling a flashlight was very simple; even someone with minimal manual dexterity could replace the bulb.

Within five minutes, Lin Nianhe had switched the flashlight to a bulb slightly higher in wattage.

She put in two new batteries, tried it out, and it worked.

Relieved, Lin Nianhe took the flashlight and headed to the front yard.

It was already getting dark, and the lighting in the yard wasn’t good.

Lin Nianhe called out: "Sister Shumei, Sister Lan, come in here for a moment."

Wen Lan, as usual, did not hear and was still solving problems.

Wang Shumei, however, looked up, stood up, and said, "Talk to me, Xiao Lan’s obsessed with studying."

"Hahaha..."

Taking advantage of Wen Lan’s inattentiveness, Lin Nianhe laughed unrestrained.

She dragged Wang Shumei back into the room and handed her the flashlight: "Here, you and Sister Lan hang the flashlight up and use it like a lamp."

"Ah?" Wang Shumei quickly waved her hand, "No, no, no, you use it yourself, we’re doing okay with our review."

Lin Nianhe lowered her voice: "I’ve finished my review too, and... Sister Lan really still needs this job."

After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Shumei accepted it: "Okay, if you read at night, come to our room. Don’t ruin your eyes."

They found some twine and hung it from the beam...

Lin Nianhe looked at the twine thoughtfully, "Sister Shumei, does this thing seem a bit... eerie to you?"

After watching for a while, Wang Shumei shuddered: "Maybe... we shouldn’t hang it?"

"And read holding it in our hands?"

"That really would be troublesome."

They hesitated, unsure of what to do.

It had finally turned completely dark, and Wen Lan had no choice but to pack up her books and return to the room.

As soon as she entered, she was stunned.

"Planning a double suicide?"