Volume One, Chapter 12: An Accidental Encounter with the High School Belle

What is the whole team worth? The entire village has shown me kindness, and before I decide whether to stay or leave, I must find a path to prosperity for everyone.

Lu Yang calmly counted the cloth and tobacco coupons, totaling 208 yuan.

“Let’s buy some more cloth and tobacco to take back. Once we sell them at the township market, we can make some money.”

This money was also everyone’s capital; Lu Yang naturally would not embezzle it. Even if he did, Lu Yongguo and Lu Yongchun wouldn’t object, because this was what a small village head deserved. They only worried that such a distant trip might be difficult to manage.

Lu Yang said, “Everyone’s tired today. Let’s take the township tractor back!”

Though the township was poor, it had three hand-pulled tractors allocated by the city government. Each trip to the county market cost just three jiao per person. Yet for the two men, it was their first time riding one, and they became excited.

“Little village head, I knew following you was the best choice!”

The three arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative. Lu Yongguo and Lu Yongchun felt shy about entering the store and waited outside while Lu Yang went in alone.

“Clerk, please get me 68 yuan worth of tobacco and 140 yuan worth of cloth,” Lu Yang said.

The clerk, dressed in work uniform with a bob haircut, was examining her nails. Hearing the word “clerk,” she sneered coldly.

“Hmph, country bumpkin!”

Lu Yang frowned slightly, suddenly recalling that in this era, supply and marketing cooperative employees were not mere shop clerks. Teachers and doctors were considered stable public servants, but these clerks held coveted, secure positions. They enjoyed work freedom and high incomes and could obtain scarce goods others could not. Ordinary people had no chance to enter.

Not only a country bumpkin, even factory workers had to show deference to them.

“I’m sorry, miss,” Lu Yang said cautiously.

The woman instantly bristled, raising her head with a face dotted with freckles.

“I’m only 28, so don’t call me ‘missus’! Hmph! Where did you come from with no manners?”

“Get lost! This is the county supply and marketing cooperative, not the village one. If you want to buy something, go back to your village!”

The village cooperative had fewer varieties and higher prices. Otherwise, Lu Yang wouldn’t have come here to buy goods and resell them for a profit. The woman’s haughty attitude clearly showed she didn’t want to serve him.

“Zhang Jie, what’s wrong?”

At that moment, a beautiful young woman approached. She wore a bright red blouse, her long black hair braided into two plaits that shimmered under the sunlight. Her eyes were clear and bright, devoid of impatience or disdain, always wearing a patient smile.

Zhang Jie didn’t even glance at Lu Yang, continuing to look at her nails.

“Hmph, just a country bumpkin wanting to buy 68 yuan of tobacco and 140 yuan of cloth! What a joke! Obviously poor, just here to mock us clerks.”

“I’ll handle this,” the young woman said softly, stepping forward with a gentle smile.

“Sir, do you really need this much?”

Lu Yang had been angry, ready to argue, but seeing her kind and pleasant demeanor—like his own granddaughter—he softened.

“Oh, here are the coupons. Take a look.”

He placed all the coupons on the glass counter, pushing them forward.

The young woman counted them skillfully, gathered all the coupons, and pressed them flat with a board.

“Follow me to the back; this might be a bit heavy. Hehe, I might need some help.”

She opened the partition, and the two walked through the sales floor into the back courtyard.

Curious, Lu Yang asked, “May I ask, is it just the two of you running such a large supply and marketing cooperative?”

She stopped, surprised to see Lu Yang’s openness. As a clerk in the county cooperative, she met many people daily—from the county and surrounding towns. Most became reserved around her, but this was the first time she had met a farmer so naturally generous, kind, and polite.

After thinking for a moment, she smiled lightly. “My name is Song Ru. There are two other young men here, but they’ve gone to the city for a meeting.”

“You said ‘young men’—are they recent graduates?”

Song Ru blinked and looked Lu Yang up and down with bright eyes.

“Are you a recent graduate too?”

“Yes, I studied at County No.1 High School. How about you?”

She tilted her head slightly, surprised.

“I’m also from County No.1 High School! Which class are you in? I don’t remember seeing you.”

Lu Yang had wanted to say he didn’t remember her either, but then recalled that the boys in his class often talked about a particularly beautiful girl, who had held the title of school belle for two years and came from a family with a strong background. As a rural student focused solely on studies, he never dared to think of a city girl and hadn’t paid attention. But he had heard her name—Song Ru.

“Oh, I remember now. You’re in Class One, right?”

Song Ru nodded gently. “Yes, yes, Class One.”

Suddenly, she frowned a little.

“No, wait! Why am I the one asking you? You’re the one who knows my name and class.”

Her playful expression wasn’t arrogant but rather endearing. In modern terms, she was adorably naive.

Lu Yang’s interest was piqued, and he smiled softly.

“That’s because you’re famous, and I’m just an ordinary high schooler.”

Song Ru seemed to realize she’d said something wrong. She relaxed her brow and stared at him wide-eyed.

“Are you… angry?”

Having lived two lives, Lu Yang had never met such a girl—beautiful yet considerate of others’ feelings. He was just an ordinary customer; one could imagine how kind she was to friends and family.

He smiled inwardly. “No, no. I just remembered something that touched me.”

He extended his hand politely. “Oh, by the way, my name is Lu Yang. I’m in Class Seven.”

Song Ru shook his hand, thought for a moment, then suddenly giggled.

“Alright, alright! I know who you are! You’re the top student in Class Seven who got admitted to the prestigious university in the provincial capital, right?”

Lu Yang smiled sheepishly. “Has the school posted the list already?”

“Mm-hmm. Haven’t you seen it?”

“No.”

Song Ru looked surprised. “Why not? Everyone else runs to school to see it every day.”

“Oh, I don’t want to go to university anymore. It’s no use looking.”

Song Ru’s eyes softened. “Why? Is it because of money?”

Lu Yang didn’t want to explain and just smiled. “Not really. I just want to start working early to ease my family’s burden.”

His smile tried to hide his resignation, but to Song Ru, it appeared as a bittersweet acceptance.

She thought for a moment. “Hmm… Tell me, will you come back here again?”