Li Chunhua was just waiting for Jiang Heng to be reported—ideally, she hoped he’d even end up in jail.
Let’s see how he dares show his head after that!
Zhao Zhengwen couldn’t contain his thoughts. He tossed and turned in bed at night, excited and impatient, waiting for morning to come so he could write a report to the commune.
How long would that brat Jiang Heng be able to gloat?
Maybe he’d even be forced to beg.
As night deepened, the darkness thickened. A light mist hung in the air. At dawn, with faint sunlight and the rooster’s crowing, Yangling Village woke up just like any other day. The villagers got up early and went to work.
Jiang Heng was at the well, drawing a bucket of water.
Since it was still the height of summer, the nights were somewhat stifling, and he would sweat even if he woke early.
His vest clung to his skin with sweat, so he usually splashed himself with a bucket of water before going out.
He scooped up a handful of water and flung it onto his face, rubbing it vigorously. Droplets dripped wildly from his eyebrows, forehead, and hair.
He finished washing his face roughly.
Jiang Heng removed his yellowed white vest, revealing a broad back.
Wide shoulders, narrow waist, and well-proportioned side muscles—he had a model-like physique.
“Splash—”
A bucket of water poured over him from head to toe.
Water ran across his body and dripped down. His abs rose and fell with each breath.
Long eyelashes were wet, clumped together, making them look even denser. His black pupils were slightly tired, but to Su Jin, there was an inexplicable allure.
In plain terms, his eyes were sharp hooks—they could trap anyone.
His lips moved slightly, opening and closing as a drop of water slid from the center of his brow down the bridge of his high nose, landing perfectly on the ground.
He wore ordinary gray drawstring shorts.
The wet fabric clung to his thighs, showing off long legs. The calf muscles weren’t overly pronounced, but they looked powerful for bursts of strength. Certain aspects of him were also very noticeable.
Su Jin watched through the window and thought it would have been perfect if the shorts were white too.
Her husband was flawless, with not a single flaw!
Jiang Heng shook his head a few times, flicking water off his hair, grabbed a towel to dry it, and as he stretched, the muscles in his arms became even more defined—truly sculptural.
Su Jin wiped her drool away. To achieve a body like that, daily workouts and protein powder weren’t enough—it also required natural talent.
Her husband was a treasure, and she needed to cherish him.
Su Jin leaned on her hands, wondering what she could do to show her appreciation.
“Open the wooden box and bring me some clothes.”
The sudden spray of warm air hit her face, making her cheeks flush.
He had appeared at the window without her noticing, hands resting on the sill, calm as ever.
Su Jin finally realized it and opened the box. The clothes were gray, nearly matching the deep blue of his request. Jiang Heng took the clothes and went to the washroom to change.
Su Jin grumbled, “Why do you have to go all the way to the washroom?”
Jiang Heng replied, leaving the house after telling her to stay home.
Once he left, Su Jin hopped out of bed in a flash.
“Then I’ll cook first!”
Feeling she hadn’t done much housework before, Su Jin decided to make a warm meal for Jiang Heng.
She grabbed a small broom and swept the accumulated ash from the stove, only to get a face full of dust.
Reaching for firewood, her hands found nothing. “Hey, where’s the wood?”
She brushed the ash off her clothes and determinedly said, “Fine, I’ll go chop some wood!”
Following her memory of Jiang Heng’s tools, she slung a bamboo basket over her back and held a sickle in her left hand.
Though she could use either hand, she was more comfortable with her left.
To an outsider, she looked delicate and dainty, struggling with the large basket.
Some sharp-eyed village women noticed Su Jin, and the gossip started immediately.
“Look at Su Jin, she’s going to the mountain to chop wood?”
One woman sized her up disdainfully. “That delicate little thing? How much wood can she possibly carry? If she brings back a few sticks, that’s already impressive! That basket is far too big for her.”
Another covered her mouth, giggling. “Look at her, she’s even holding the sickle in her left hand. My ten-year-old daughter could do better!”
“Back then, I even recommended my cousin’s daughter—smart, capable, and obedient—but he didn’t even look at her. Now he marries a delicate wife just to pamper her?”
One sneered, “And she talks so much too! Watch out, she might hear you and report you.”
Everyone laughed, waiting to see Su Jin come down empty-handed.
The news of Su Jin heading up the mountain to chop wood spread quickly, almost everyone in the village knew.
Feng Baoru, hearing this, grew mischievous.
She told people that Su Jin claimed she could carry fifty jin of wood back.
The villagers nearly laughed themselves silly.
Fifty jin? Su Jin barely weighed over ninety jin herself—fifty jin of wood was more than half her body weight!
Sitting under a tree with a straw hat, fanning himself, sweat running down his face, one villager said, “That’s not how you brag. Be careful not to brag to the sky!”
“Ha ha ha! Tonight’s going to be entertaining,” said others, eager to watch Su Jin struggle.
Su Jin, unaware of Feng Baoru’s scheme, was already navigating the mountain path.
Though physically strong, the blazing sun was harsh.
Where was the wood?
She swept the dry leaves into a pile for kindling, noticing that the front part of the mountain had already been scavenged by villagers.
She had to venture deeper, where the paths became more rugged.
As she entered the forest, she made markers along the way.
She realized that the deeper she went, the more winding the paths became, making it easy to get lost.
Whenever she stepped into thick grass, she first tossed a stone to check for traps, aware that past hunters might have dug pits for animals.
Each turn looked similar, trees blocked her view, and it was easy to get disoriented.
“Wow—”
Su Jin reached a flat clearing with sparse grass and lots of fallen branches.
She found a dead tree and confirmed the core was rotten—no longer able to grow.
She tossed down her sickle and used her material purchase system to acquire a chainsaw.
“Vrrr—”
She used the chainsaw to clear branches and split the trunk into firewood. Each tree provided dozens of jin.
She chopped, organized, and stacked the wood neatly, satisfying even her perfectionist tendencies.
Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Heng had only just learned that she had gone up the mountain.
