Volume One, Chapter 16: Lending a Hand with the Work

Not sure if it was because she was used to working with Lu Xiuyi’s devilish speed, but now facing Chen Xiangxiang’s snail-like pace, Jiang Yuan was so furious she just wanted to curse.

Being scolded, Chen Xiangxiang felt helpless. She usually didn’t do much work, so she really couldn’t keep up.

Trying to appease Jiang Yuan, she said, “Jiang Yuan, don’t be mad, okay? My brothers will come help after they finish their work. We’ll definitely get it done.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan’s anger eased a little, but her pace didn’t slow.

Soon after, Chen Xiangxiang’s brothers were supposed to come help their sister, which had nothing to do with Jiang Yuan, so Jiang Yuan still had to finish her own share.

The sun gradually climbed higher, and an hour passed in the blink of an eye. Jiang Yuan straightened up and wiped the sweat from her brow. Her shirt was soaked through at the back, clinging uncomfortably to her skin.

Jiang Yuan looked around, frowning slightly. The field was full of people bent over their work, but nowhere did she see the brothers Chen Xiangxiang had promised would come help.

“Chen Xiangxiang, where are your brothers?” she asked.

Called out, Chen Xiangxiang poked her head out from the pile of wheat stalks, glanced left and right, and said with confusion, “They’re not here yet?”

She clearly remembered her brothers promising to help before they left.

Now that no one was in sight, Chen Xiangxiang grew flustered and hurried over to explain to Jiang Yuan.

“Jiang Yuan, I’m not lying to you. Please wait here for me a moment.”

No sooner had she spoken than she set down her sickle and hurried away.

Jiang Yuan’s face was lined with fatigue. She saw that Chen Xiangxiang’s help was unreliable and sighed helplessly.

This was all her own doing.

Ignoring what Chen Xiangxiang intended, Jiang Yuan bent her head and continued working hard. This patch of field had to be finished, or their work points would be deducted.

After a while, Jiang Yuan heard Chen Xiangxiang coming back, whining.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yuan looked up.

Tears and snot streaming down her face, Chen Xiangxiang sniffled and poured out her grievances.

“My eldest and second brothers were supposed to come help me, but their wives wouldn’t let them. And then they actually agreed to stay home.”

At this point, Chen Xiangxiang stomped her foot angrily. Having been spoiled since childhood, she had never felt such injustice.

Jiang Yuan was speechless.

She thought Chen Xiangxiang’s sisters-in-law hadn’t done anything wrong. Why should their husbands go help their sister-in-law instead of their own wives?

“Let’s get back to work,” Jiang Yuan said after a long pause.

“I’m definitely going to complain to Mom and Dad when we get home. Let’s see if they still dare to bully me.”

Opposite her, Chen Xiangxiang was still fuming.

Because no one came to help, Chen Xiangxiang’s slow pace meant they couldn’t keep up. While everyone else finished their morning’s work and rested, the two girls were still quietly cutting wheat.

“Phew—” Finally done, the scorching sun overhead, Jiang Yuan breathed a long sigh of relief.

She leaned on her waist and limped as she walked—she was exhausted.

Chen Xiangxiang wasn’t much better. Feeling guilty, she shuffled over to apologize to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan waved her off and told her to go eat and rest first, then come early in the afternoon to start work ahead of time.

Right now, anything other than working was pointless.

“Yuan, why are you just getting back now?”

At the Lu family home, everyone had been waiting for Jiang Yuan. After finishing their meal and clearing the table, Li Lianhua, wearing a worried expression, saw her appear and approached.

Jiang Yuan slumped heavily onto a stool, signaling for a moment’s rest. She didn’t want to say a word.

Li Lianhua understood and didn’t press further.

After a while, when the soreness and fatigue eased a bit, Jiang Yuan slowly spoke.

“I didn’t finish the work, so it took a little longer than expected.”

Lu Xiuyi’s brows involuntarily furrowed. He remembered that Jiang Yuan’s assigned work this morning wasn’t that much.

Li Lianhua, unaware of the details, thought Jiang Yuan was complaining about being given too much work.

“It’s only the first day. Are they trying to work her to death?”

“Did you help Chen Xiangxiang with her work?” Lu Xiuyi suddenly blurted out.

Jiang Yuan nodded at Lu Xiuyi.

Li Lianhua’s eyes widened.

“Yuan, how could you work with Chen Xiangxiang? No matter how close you are, you have to pick the right time.”

Everyone in the village was rushing harvest, and no one had little to do. The whole village knew Chen Xiangxiang was spoiled and couldn’t work well. Anyone stuck with her was doomed.

“There was no choice. She was working hard too. Let’s just see how it goes,” Jiang Yuan sighed, feeling helpless.

But if no one wanted to work with Chen Xiangxiang, she would be assigned a full workload alone, which would be even more exhausting. By then, Chen Xiangxiang probably wouldn’t agree to it.

Jiang Yuan hadn’t expected Chen Xiangxiang’s poor work ability. She had only heard rumors before, but actually working together showed the truth.

Li Lianhua brought out the food saved for Jiang Yuan and said as she watched her eat, “It’s only the first day. There’s still a long time ahead. You can’t always help her.”

“No,” Jiang Yuan shook her head. “Someone should come help her this afternoon.”

Judging by Chen Xiangxiang’s attitude, she would probably go complain to her parents. Given how spoiled she was at home, someone would definitely come to help her.

Li Lianhua said, “I hope someone really comes to help.”

After Jiang Yuan finished eating, washed the dishes, and went inside, she found Lu Xiuyi sitting on a stool facing the door, seemingly waiting for her.

“Husband, aren’t you resting yet?”

Although it was surprising and pleasing that Lu Xiuyi waited for her, after a morning’s hard work, Jiang Yuan didn’t even have the energy to flirt.

Lu Xiuyi lifted his eyelids and said the first thing, “Don’t worry about the family work points. If you can’t finish, don’t push yourself.”

He had never demanded Jiang Yuan do anything for the family.

Jiang Yuan forced a smile and said, “Husband, what are you saying? If I don’t work, how will I earn points? I need to eat too.”

“Or maybe—” Jiang Yuan stopped mid-sentence, her hopeful eyes fixed on Lu Xiuyi, wanting to hear something like, “I can support you.”

After all, only when they were officially a couple could he say that.

But Jiang Yuan was disappointed again. Lu Xiuyi went to rest after saying that, ignoring the rest of her words.

Jiang Yuan rubbed her nose sheepishly. She still had to work hard.

After lying down for barely half an hour, Jiang Yuan got up. She had to go work.

Although she had spoken confidently to Lu Xiuyi’s mother, she couldn’t guarantee anyone would come help in the afternoon, so she prepared by starting work early.

Fortunately, when Jiang Yuan arrived at the field, Chen Xiangxiang was already there ahead of her, which comforted her somewhat.

Seeing Jiang Yuan, Chen Xiangxiang brightened and immediately stood up.

“Jiang Yuan, I went home at noon and complained to my parents. Someone will definitely come help this afternoon. Let’s rest first.”

Originally, Chen Xiangxiang hadn’t planned to come, but since Jiang Yuan had promised her, she still showed up.