Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

The next morning, the village came alive again as the work bell rang.

After Liu Xiangyang finished washing up, fed the rabbit some hay and changed its water, he walked out of the yard and saw Xue Bingbing waiting for him.

Liu Xiangyang looked around and reached out to hold Xue Bingbing's hand. "Bingbing, have you rested enough?"

Xue Bingbing smiled sweetly at Liu Xiangyang and said, "You've rested well. You were the one who kept watch all night, Liu Xiangyang. What about you?"

"I'm perfectly healthy, haven't you already proven that?" Liu Xiangyang said with a wicked grin.

"Ugh, we're outside, someone might hear us."

Just then, Leqi's voice came from the courtyard, "Yaoyao, hurry up, we're going to be late."

"Here it comes!"

Then, Leqi and Leyao walked out of the courtyard gate. Leyao still had a mouthful of cornbread in her mouth.

Seeing Liu Xiangyang and Xue Bingbing waiting for her, Le Yao swallowed her cornbread forcefully and said, "Good morning, Liu Xiangyang; good morning, Bingbing."

Liu Xiangyang exchanged a glance with Le Qi, who was looking at him, and said, "Good morning, Le Qi and Le Yao. Let's go, or we'll be late."

Upon arriving at the village office, Zhang Tiejun and Li Jianjun had not yet returned. Wang Lixin, as the production team leader, gave everyone a pep talk and assigned tasks for the day.

After everyone received their tools, they went to the fields. Along the way, apart from the villagers who were already familiar with Liu Xiangyang, everyone gathered around to ask about the details of last night.

Liu Xiangyang repeated what he had told Zhang Tiejun the night before.

The older educated youth looked at Liu Xiangyang with envy, and some of them said sarcastically, "He just got lucky, what's there to be so proud of?"

Le Qi: "As soon as Comrade Liu Xiangyang arrived in our village, he went to the first team as a main force in labor and made contributions to grain production. Now he has also caught two spies, which is an even greater contribution to national security."

"And you, hanging out with a bunch of old women in the second team, always slacking off and dragging your feet. Your work points can't even match Comrade Liu Xiangyang's, and you're useless in defending the motherland. How dare you speak ill of Comrade Liu Xiangyang!"

When Le Yao and Xue Bingbing saw Le Qi stand up and scold the old educated youth, they joined the fray and unleashed a barrage of attacks.

"Le Zhiqing is right, some people really have no shame."

"Exactly, they can't even do things as well as they can as people, they're really a disgrace."

Seeing the villagers and older women also speaking up for Liu Xiangyang, the old educated youth was so embarrassed that his face turned bright red and he couldn't say a word.

Liu Xiangyang simply ignored him and went to work with the others.

Around noon, a jeep and a truck arrived at the village office. Lu Dajun and Zhang Tiejun got out of the jeep, and five policemen got out of the truck to take over the warehouse where the spies were being held.

Zhang Tiejun asked a child playing at the village office to go to the fields and call Liu Xiangyang over, and then took Lu Dajun to the village office.

"Uncle Zhang, you were looking for me."

"Xiangyang, come in quickly, your Uncle Lu is here too."

When Liu Xiangyang entered the village office, he saw Lu Dajun looking at him with a mixture of relief and satisfaction.

"Uncle Lu, it's you here? I thought at least the bureau chief would be here," Liu Xiangyang joked.

"You little brat, you're asking for it, but I really have to thank you for this. You've given me a huge credit this time."

"Old comrade, why don't you ask Comrade Liu Xiangyang about the situation? I'm going to the restroom first." Zhang Tiejun said, handing over the village office to Liu Xiangyang and Lu Dajun.

Seeing Zhang Tiejun leave, Liu Xiangyang sat down next to Lu Dajun and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Lu, are you finally able to move around this time?"

Lu Dajun smiled and didn't deny it, "You're a shrewd little devil, you'll get your share of the benefits later."

"Your contribution this time should earn you a job opening. Think about where you want to go."

"Uncle Lu, things are too complicated out there now. I was thinking of hiding here for a few years to have some peace and quiet."

"Besides, I've only been here for a month and I'm going back now. It wouldn't sound good if people talked badly about me."

Lu Dajun: "The fact that you can think of these things shows that you've matured. I called your uncle this morning, and he also told you not to go back yet."

"My idea is that you can sell this quota. After I get up here, I'll arrange a job for you as a commune inspector①. That way you won't have to work in the fields and you'll be more free. What do you think?"

"What exactly does Uncle Lu, the inspector, have to do?"

Lu Dajun: "Every month, I would patrol around the production teams in your commune. I was responsible for household registration, public security, civil mediation, and counter-espionage. I was also provided with a gun and a horse, and I received a salary of 25 levels, which was 38 yuan a month. That was much higher than what I earned back then."

"That's great, then I'll thank Uncle Lu in advance."

"You slippery fellow, you go back first. Remember to find good workers to hire. I'll take those two treasures back with me now."

"Uncle Lu, please have some food before you leave."

"There are six of us here, all of us with big bellies. Okay, I'll say goodbye to Zhang Tiejun and then I'll be leaving."

"Tiejun, Zhang Tiejun, where the hell have you been? Come over here and sign the handover form."

"What are you yelling about? I have to be rushed to take a dump," Zhang Tiejun said as he came out of another office.

Liu Xiangyang saw Lu Dajun and the others off: "Xiangyang, are you going back?"

"Uncle Zhang, I'm not leaving."

Zhang Tiejun nodded, understanding Liu Xiangyang's thoughts, and said, "Xiangyang, since you call me uncle, then I'll take the liberty of making one request of you regarding this matter: the quota must be given to the people of Dongsheng Village."

Seeing Liu Xiangyang's troubled expression, he said, "Don't worry, we won't make things difficult for you. Whatever conditions others offer, our village will offer the same conditions."

"Uncle Zhang, since you've said that, I'll definitely side with our village."

After they parted ways, Liu Xiangyang returned home and saw Xue Bingbing, Le Qi, and Le Yao eating outside his yard. It was clear they were waiting for him.

"Liu Xiangyang, you're back! We saw you weren't home, so we cooked your meal. Come and eat!" The three women said in unison, then realized they were saying the same thing and smiled at each other.

"Then I'll take advantage of you today and get a free meal."

"I just love being taken advantage of by Liu Xiangyang." As soon as Le Yao said this, she blushed and covered her face as she ran into the house.

Liu Xiangyang chuckled to cover up his embarrassment.

"Liu Xiangyang, is your food still warm? Come in and eat quickly." Xue Bingbing and Le Qi welcomed Liu Xiangyang into their courtyard.

At this moment, Xue Bingbing led Liu Xiangyang to her room, and Le Qi also led Liu Xiangyang to her room.

After the two discovered this, they smiled at each other, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding, and then took Liu Xiangyang to the kitchen to eat.

During the meal, Liu Xiangyang told the three of them about Lu Dajun's suggestion to sell the work quota.

"I don't recommend that the three of you take this job quota. There are three reasons. First, I am very close to all three of you, and there is only one quota. I don't want to lose any of your feelings because of this."

"Secondly, I'm confident I can find you three easier jobs in a while."

"Third, Village Chief Zhang just told me that he wanted to help the village get this quota. He automatically matched the highest price, so if it is given to any one of you, the other two will be targeted."

When the three women heard Liu Xiangyang say that he didn't want to lose any of them, Xue Bingbing and Le Qi immediately blushed, while Le Yao said nonchalantly, "I don't care about this quota. I just want to be with you all."

①: The prototype was a special police commissioner, but the name was changed to this to avoid failing the censorship.