"Finished the watering already? Honestly, you can sleep knowing that, can't you? We'll have to wait until autumn if you're expecting corn right now."

Ning Shixuan brushed the dirt from her trousers and stood up. "I said we should rotate—let her water for a bit—but she wouldn't agree. What was I supposed to do when you wouldn't let me sleep? I barely closed my eyes last night."

I slapped my forehead. "I completely forgot about that. My apologies, my apologies. How about this: you can keep sleeping when we get on the bicycle later. I promise I won't 'kidnap' you to some other place."

Ning Shixuan laughed. "You’d need the skill for that. You probably wouldn't know where to take me even if you tried. You're not familiar with the terrain here. Come on, let’s say goodbye to Xiao Yao."

"Xiao Yao?" I questioned.

Ning Shixuan pointed to the girl finishing the last bucket of water. "That’s her. I managed to ask her during that minute you spent hauling water. She’s a villager from Baiyun Village up above. She only said her name was Xiao Yao. She seems quite withdrawn; she won't even say an extra word."

Just as we were speaking, Xiao Yao finished the last bucket and approached us. She remained silent, and I didn't know what to say either. I certainly couldn't just open my mouth and thank her. Ning Shixuan piped up, "Xiao Yao, we're leaving now. You should head home for dinner too. It's terribly hot; watch out for heatstroke. And try not to water the fields around midday in the future; it’s not good for the crops."

The girl named Xiao Yao, whose dirty, messy hair hung loosely around her face, nodded but still said nothing. However, she stood directly in front of me, completely blocking the path. I didn't understand what she wanted. Finally, I resorted to saying, "Comrade, we are cadres sent from the county for poverty alleviation. Rest assured, the face of this place will change soon, and everyone will live a comfortable, well-off life!"

Pfft. It was Ning Shixuan, stifling a giggle beside me. She was probably 'stunned' again by my grand pronouncements and Great Leap Forward ideals.

"Who are you?" Xiao Yao finally spoke.

I replied, "Although doing good deeds requires no name, there’s no harm in telling you. My name is Zhao Qian—Zhao from Zhao Qian Sun Li, Qian from Zhao Qian Sun Li. Make sure you don't mistake it for looking for money; I haven't lost any, so I won't be looking around for it. I’m a cadre from the County Propaganda Department, here specifically to inspect the development project for Maiquan. When this place is built into a beverage factory someday, you can come work here and won't have to toil in the fields anymore."

The girl seemed to be staring intently at my face through her messy, long hair. After a long moment, I heard her say heavily, "I believe you! You are a good person!"

I don't know if Ning Shixuan was moved by the scene or simply dizzy from the sun, but this time she didn't laugh. She tugged my arm down the ridge before murmuring, "Two strange people. One is naturally well-built but insists on looking like a beggar. Someone does half a morning of hard labor for her, and all she says is, 'You are a good person'! You’re even stranger. I won't elaborate on precisely how strange you are, because there are simply too many ways you're odd."

I shot back at Ning Shixuan, "You're even stranger."

"How am I strange? How am I strange?" Ning Shixuan pressed.

I had only said it casually, and for a moment, I couldn't think of anything strange about her either. I could only swing onto the bicycle and say, "Lead the way! I'm starving. Today's lunch budget needs an extra two steamed buns for County Magistrate Zhao."

Ning Shixuan, still on the back of the bike, kept chattering. "I should have told her not to neglect her appearance, right? It’s not a disaster for a girl to be a little plain, but she needs to cherish herself! How is she ever going to get married looking like that?"

I pedaled irritably. "Listen here, Miss Ning. Why do I feel like you're still a child? Did you see how ugly she was? Besides, if you told her to spend an hour putting on makeup every morning, would she still have time to farm? No matter how beautifully she paints herself, once she’s out in the field, hit by the sun, washed by sweat—wouldn't she just look like a painted opera face?"

Ning Shixuan argued back, "You don't get it. Although I peeked when she was watering, and she wasn't exactly beautiful, a village girl should still have the demeanor of a village girl! I mean a simple, honest, and naive style. The way she presents herself, even as a woman, I can't agree with it. Even with limited means, you shouldn't erase a girl's inherent nature. The desire for beauty is innate in women; is she not a woman?"

I couldn't be bothered to discuss it with Ning Shixuan. Her life was already reduced to that level; what was the point of dressing up? If she wasn't starving to death, that was a blessing.

On the way back, I pedaled the bicycle furiously because I knew lunch hour was nearly up. If I missed the government canteen, I’d probably go hungry. After half a day of hauling water, I certainly needed to replenish my nutrients.

With the gates of the government compound finally in sight, Ning Shixuan finally released her grip on my waist. "Oh my god! I’m never letting you give me a ride again! My bones feel rattled, but more than that, I was terrified! Have you ever been in a bicycle rally?"

I grimaced and pedaled harder. "You said that wasn't fast enough before! The road is good here, I can go even faster!"

Snap! Screeeech! A shriek followed by a harsh scraping noise as the rear wheel jammed, bringing the bike to a halt against the pavement. "What happened? What is it?" Ning Shixuan jumped off the carrier rack and called out.

I turned to look. "The chain snapped. It got wedged right between the crankset and the spokes. Your bike quality is terrible."

Ning Shixuan pounded my back. "Zhao Qian, you're awful! You rode like a rocket the whole way. If I gave you a rocket, you'd probably break that too! I don't care—you have to pay to fix my bicycle."

It was a stroke of luck that it broke at the finish line; if it had broken back in Maiquan, that would have been disastrous. I hoisted the bike onto my shoulder. "It’s fine; I’ll find a repairman to reconnect the chain. Do you have ten yuan on you? Lend it to me for now."

Ning Shixuan looked confused. "Why do you need money?"

"To fix the bike. I'll pay you back when I get my salary."

Thump! Whack! Ning Shixuan gave me another round of alternating punches and kicks. "Zhao Qian! You're shameless! You break my bike and then expect me to pay for the repair! I don't believe you don't have ten yuan on you. You have such a nice phone—who are you trying to fool? You're just stingy, a real miser!"

I put on a pathetic face. I didn't want this good phone myself. I needed it to access the internet for company affairs and to contact my wives. If it weren't for that, I would have left it at home along with my bank cards and work ID.