Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 44 Gritting Teeth
To make dishes taste good, the selection of ingredients cannot be taken lightly.

Especially for a novice like Xia Mingyue, choosing a simple dish can raise the minimum standard of the finished product.

From this perspective, Xia Mingyue's choice to stir-fry shredded potatoes with meat was extremely clever.

After all, potatoes are delicious whether fried, steamed, or boiled; it takes some skill to make them taste bad.

Wang Chengpeng didn't bring chopsticks, and he wasn't too particular about it. He grabbed a handful of shredded potatoes and stir-fried meat and stuffed them into his mouth.

It's crisp and refreshing, with a hint of salt and meat flavor. The taste isn't amazing, but it's definitely not bad either.

After all, Xia Mingyue had tasted her own cooking before serving it to Wang Chengpeng, so it was impossible for her to serve any unusual or bizarre dishes.

If Wang Chengpeng were to make this dish, he would have five hundred ways to make it even tastier.

Of course, Wang Chengpeng should still encourage Xia Mingyue's good intentions.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng nodded with feigned satisfaction and said, "The taste is really good."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Xia Zhiqing. I'll treat you to something delicious next time if we have the chance."

Seeing Wang Chengpeng's "sincere" praise, Xia Mingyue couldn't help but smile.

That smile was like the most beautiful flower in spring, bright and radiant.

With her curved eyebrows and eyes, Xia Mingyue looked even more beautiful.

In an instant, Wang Chengpeng felt that the cornbread in his hand seemed to have become even more delicious, perfectly illustrating what it means to be visually appealing and appetizing.

……

While Wang Chengpeng was enjoying his meal, a figure in the distance watched the two chatting and laughing, but gritted his teeth in disgust.

With the intention of picking a fight with Wang Chengpeng, Shen Wei came over during his lunch break as usual, but he didn't expect to be hit with a bomb right from the start, leaving him completely stunned.

Xia Mingyue, whom he had been pursuing so desperately but who had shown him no affection, was now chatting and laughing with Wang Chengpeng. How could this not drive him mad with jealousy?

Especially after seeing the brand-new Forever 28 bicycle next to Wang Meiyan, Shen Wei was so jealous he wanted to go crazy.

Such a fine bicycle is being wasted on the Wang family; it's a complete waste.

The thought of Liu Yanran getting engaged to Wang Chengpeng on April 1st made Shen Wei feel increasingly depressed.

Wang Chengpeng is just a little more handsome than me, so why does he always get things that I can't?
A sudden, wicked idea popped into Shen Wei's head as he looked at the brand-new Forever 28-inch bicycle.

This idea, like wildly growing weeds, became unstoppable as soon as it sprouted.

Shen Wei glared at Wang Chengpeng, then left angrily with the words "You'll see."

……

Thanks to Wang Chengpeng's hard work, they finished work early again today.

However, just as Wang Chengpeng was about to get home, he noticed several suspicious figures hovering around his door, seemingly observing something.

Sensing danger, Wang Chengpeng immediately shouted:

What are you guys doing there?

They left behind only the words, "Just passing by, we're just passing by," and then the group scattered and disappeared without a trace.

Although he realized something was amiss, Wang Chengpeng could only be more vigilant and could not report such unfounded rumors to the village.

Back in his room, Wang Chengpeng continued to work hard during his free time, unaware that a storm was brewing because of him.

...In another work area, Liu Yanran was resting against a tree trunk, glancing occasionally at the people working in the fields, as if labor had nothing to do with her.

Indeed, this was the case; Liu Yanran was basically in a state of going through the motions but not putting in any real effort.

If it weren't for her uncle Zhou Guoping being the team's scorekeeper, she wouldn't be living such a leisurely life.

After a short rest, Liu Yanran's good friend Wang Guifang seemed to have noticed something and suddenly walked towards Liu Yanran.

Before she even reached Liu Yanran, she had already started shouting at the top of her lungs:

"Yanran, I really envy you for finding such a great partner."

"It's all my parents' fault for giving me such an old-fashioned name like Guifang. My fortune is not as good as your stylish name."

There's a story behind the name Liu Yanran, which seems completely out of place in a rural setting.

The Liu family went to great lengths to name their daughter, believing that a good name would bring good fortune. They even went to the city before finally settling on the name Liu Yanran.

As if the facts were to prove this point, Liu Yanran grew into a graceful and beautiful young woman from a young age, and was also very fortunate.

Now that she's found someone like Wang Chengpeng, whom everyone envies, how could Wang Guifang not be envious?
Liu Yanran, who was resting, never expected to hear Wang Chengpeng's name so suddenly. Her brow furrowed instinctively, and she said:
"Guifang, what are you saying?"

"Why are you suddenly envious of my boyfriend? He's just like that, nothing special."

Seeing Liu Yanran's expression of complete ignorance, Wang Guifang assumed she was feigning ignorance and said:

"Yanran, this matter has spread throughout the entire Wangjia Village, and you're still pretending to be stupid."

"It must have been yesterday. Comrade Wang bought a Forever 28-inch bicycle, and today his sister rode it over to deliver his meals. It's quite a sight."

"You know what, more expensive bicycles are just different. They look really cool and stylish."

"If I find a partner in the future, I'll ask their family to buy me a car, so it will be much more convenient for me to go wherever I want."

"I wish my partner would take me for a drive at night. Just thinking about it makes me feel so good."

Wang Chengpeng bought a car?

The news shocked Liu Yanran so much that she stood up abruptly and said, "How is this possible? He didn't tell me about this at all."

Seeing that Liu Yanran's expression seemed genuine, Wang Guifang asked in surprise, "What? Comrade Wang didn't tell you before buying it?"

"But it's alright, that's a Forever 28 model bicycle, everyone who sees it has nothing but praise for it."

"I suppose Comrade Wang thought you would definitely like it, so he didn't tell you."

"This might even have been a carefully prepared surprise for him, but he didn't expect the news to spread so quickly and so widely."

Wangjia Village is only so big, so any news can spread quickly throughout the village, let alone something as important as Wang Chengpeng buying a car, a nice car.

Wang Meiyan simply rode her bicycle to the village to deliver lunch, and within just a few hours, the story had become the talk of the town, and everyone who knew about it was envious.

However, Liu Yanran's face showed no surprise, only shock.

Wang Chengpeng, you bastard! You didn't even consult me ​​about something as important as buying a car. You wait, I'm coming to find you right now.

Thinking this, and disregarding her earlier request that Wang Chengpeng not look for her, Liu Yanran casually left a message saying "I'm leaving first" and headed straight for Wang Chengpeng's house.

She moved so fast that she had completely lost her former demeanor as a well-bred young lady.

(End of this chapter)