Yunyi dropped what she was holding, ready to rush over and save her, but she was a step too slow. Cheng Hongjun, who was chopping firewood on the mountain not far from Geng Erhong, caught her and pulled her into his embrace. Yunyi looked at their expressions, and a smile touched her lips. Looks like something’s going on between these two. After Geng Erhong regained her senses, she hurriedly pushed him away, her face blushing as she said softly, "Thank you." Quite a few pine cones had fallen from her basket, and Cheng Hongjun squatted down to help her pick them up. "You need to watch where you’re going on the mountain. What if you fall and get hurt?" Geng Erhong just stood there, watching Cheng Hongjun help her, her ear tips turning red. This confirmed it; there was definitely something between them. No wonder Cheng Hongjun had been chopping wood nearby, keeping an eye on them. The most update n0vels are published on novel-fire.ɴet After everything was gathered, Cheng Hongjun whispered a few more words of caution before leaving. Yunyi waited until he was some distance away before approaching Geng Erhong with a smile. She nudged Geng Erhong, who was still lost in a romantic daze, with her shoulder. "Alright, spill. What’s the story?" Geng Erhong rubbed her face. "Ah, it’s just as you think, but we haven’t told our families yet." Yunyi noted her shy demeanor. "When did it start?" Geng Erhong was a bit embarrassed. "It hasn’t been long, it’s just..." She spoke hesitantly, but Yunyi recalled when Geng Erhong had sprained her ankle, and Cheng Hongjun had carried her back. Could it have started then? She teased with a smile, "It wasn’t just because he carried you once that you gave your heart away, was it?" Hearing this, Geng Erhong looked a little guilty and said defensively, "Of course not!" Alright, that look on her face confirms it. It wasn’t her place to meddle in others’ affairs. Besides, Shi City wasn’t far from Tianjin. If things really worked out between them, she wouldn’t be too far from home. Still, she advised, "Marriage is a big deal. You need to get to know him well—not just him, but his family too." Geng Erhong was embarrassed but knew Yunyi meant well. She nodded. "We’ve agreed to date for a year. If we’re still together by next New Year, we’ll go home and meet each other’s parents." Hearing this, Yunyi’s smile deepened. She said, as if offhandedly, "When you have time, read more books. If you get a chance to return to the city, you’ll still have to pass exams, whether it’s to work in a factory or a public institution. You can’t neglect your studies." Geng Erhong nodded. "My family said the same in their letters. They told me to come back as soon as there’s an opportunity and to read more when I’m free. They also said that opportunity favors the prepared." As they talked, they headed down the mountain. The paths for going up and down the mountain were different. This was Yunyi’s first time taking this particular path down. At the foot of the mountain, Yunyi noticed a few small thatched cottages nearby and asked, puzzled, "Why are there houses built here?" Geng Erhong glanced in that direction. "Ahead is Nanbai Village’s sheep farm. The people who clean the sheep pens live in those houses." Yunyi had heard before that the sheep herd of Nanbai Village was tended by sent-down personnel and that a wolf attack one night had resulted in the death of an elderly man. While they were talking, they encountered the new brigade leader’s wife, Ai Xiutao, who was also heading up the mountain. "Chu Zhiqing, Geng Zhiqing, you went up the mountain too?" They both smiled and nodded at the brigade leader’s wife. The brigade leader’s wife, Ai Xiutao, smiled at Yunyi. "Chu Zhiqing, my husband gave you a hard time today, didn’t he?" Yunyi offered a faint smile. "It was alright." Ai Xiutao looked somewhat embarrassed. "You might not know the situation in our village. When your uncle took over, the village account only had one hundred and fifty yuan. He was just trying to save the village some money, so that’s why he made things difficult for you."