After Yi Shi discovered this information, she pestered Yu Heng as if she was on steroids and asked about his well-being. However, she had only read a few chapters of that novel and had no idea how Yu Heng had walked out of this remote ravine and made a fortune. Now that she heard that a rich young lady had come, her intuition told her that something was wrong and she planned to investigate.
Yi Shi changed her clothes and filled the kettle with water before setting off. The road to the village entrance would pass by Yu Heng's family's rice field. If Yu Heng was working, she could still deliver water. She wouldn't let go of any opportunity to gain his favor.
When she passed by the field, Yi Shi slowed down and saw a figure weeding. Yi Shi called out softly, "Yu Heng!"
The figure heard the voice and stood up straight. Under the sunlight, the young man's muscles were clearly visible. Sweat dripped down his chin, and he looked tired. "Is it Sister Shi? What's the matter?"
Yi Shi handed the kettle over, and Yu Heng didn't refuse. He unscrewed the cap and drank a few mouthfuls. He had already worked for a day, and there was no labor force in the house other than him.
His father had injured his spine two years ago and had been paralyzed since then. His mother's health had always been poor, and after giving birth to his siblings, she was seriously ill and bedridden. When her condition was good, she could do some needlework to support the family. His younger siblings were only in junior high school and needed someone to take care of them. The burden of life was so heavy that he could not breathe. He could only work hard to numb himself.
"Today, a young lady from the city came to our village. Helping her carry things would get 200 yuan. Why didn't you go?" Yi Shi looked at him and asked.
"I can't leave the fields. It takes more than three hours to go back and forth. I'm the only one in my family who can work. If we delay the growth of the crops, my family won't have any food in the winter." Yu Heng lowered his eyes and walked back to the field.
Of course, he knew that he could earn 200 yuan per move, but 200 yuan could not buy their family's food for the winter, his mother's medicine, and his sister-in-law's tuition fees. Yu Heng could only plant crops first. If he grew well, he could sell them for more money in the autumn.
Yu Heng forced himself to focus on his work, but the noise of the people became louder and louder. He could clearly hear the cheers of the crowd mixed with the words of the villagers. "The people in the city are indeed different! That must be the eldest daughter from the city!"
Yu Heng couldn't suppress his curiosity and looked in that direction. However, it wasn't as glamorous as he had imagined. He only saw a girl holding a suitcase. She was sweating profusely and her clothes were stained with mud.
"You call yourself the eldest daughter of the city? You're not as pretty as our village's Sister Shi!" When Guo Fei passed by and heard the villagers discussing, she was so angry that she rolled her eyes.
Yi Shi also heard these words. She smiled subtly and walked forward to greet Guo Fei. "Are you that young lady?"
Guo Fei walked for almost two hours on the mountain road and was so tired that she was in despair. She originally thought that she could rest after entering the village, but she did not expect to be surrounded by people.
Yi Shi's question hit Guo Fei right in the face. Guo Fei put down her luggage angrily. "Are you blind? When did I tell you that I'm a young lady? A good dog doesn't block the way. Get out of the way!"
Yi Shi didn't expect to recognize the wrong person. She awkwardly took a few steps to the side to make way.
Yi Ke, who was at the back, slowly touched up her makeup before riding into the village. Although the road in the village had been urgently tidied up, it was still bumpy. Yi Ke did not want to suffer.
When Yi Ke entered the village, the surrounding crowd fell silent for two seconds before erupting with even louder cries. The village chief's youngest daughter picked a few wild flowers and handed them to Yi Ke. She praised with a red face, "Sister, you're so beautiful."
Yi Ke accepted the flowers with a smile and even gave the little girl a packet of cotton candy. "Thank you. You're very cute too."
Yi Shi looked at Yi Ke on her horse, and her sense of superiority disappeared. She realized the huge gap between her and the people in the city. Whether it was her family background or her looks, she was not a thousandth as good as Yi Ke.
Yi Ke took advantage of her height advantage on the horse to see everyone's expressions. Naturally, she also saw the inexplicable shame and jealousy on Yi Shi's face.