Go back to the past to plant trees

After having lunch in the cafeteria, the group went to the nursery to check out the situation there. However, since it wasn't spring yet, there wasn't much to see. They just looked at the location and size of the nursery.

The group traveled in a large procession, looking around here and there. Around 3 p.m., they headed towards the farm headquarters.

Qin Xuemei wanted to see them off, but they refused. They already knew the way back, and if Qin Xuemei wanted to see them off, she would have to walk back again later.

Qin Xuemei watched their figures disappear from sight before turning back to her dugout.

"Is anyone gone?"

When Ji Xiurong saw Qin Xuemei come in, she casually asked a question.

"gone back."

"It's good to go back. There were too many people and it was too noisy."

Meng Yue said with a bit of a headache that she had been staying in Bashang for a long time and liked a lively atmosphere, but too much liveliness was not good, especially since she had to take care of this family when they came over, which was really troublesome.

"Xuemei, don't let them come next time. It's fine if they come, but don't let so many people come."

Qin Xuemei said with a wry smile, "How could I refuse? They're all classmates, and some of them even still know us."

Shen Mengyin said, "It doesn't matter if you come, but don't bring too many people. Three or five is enough. It will be lively and easier to entertain. Like today, more than twenty people came all at once. I don't even know who is who. I can't greet them all or keep an eye on them all."

"Moreover, when there are many people, things get chaotic. Look at the food in the cafeteria, a lot of it has been messed up. It's just that there are no valuables there. If there were more, someone might steal it."

The girls all treated the campsite as their home in Bashang. They had built everything themselves, so they were naturally unhappy to see others ruining it.

"Then I won't bring them next time. They've only just arrived at the dam and are just curious. I doubt they'll come again next time, and even if they do, there will probably only be a few of them."

Meng Yue said, "Those who came this time probably won't be coming. It's mainly for the next batch of students. We're expecting several batches of students to come. It wouldn't do if every single batch came to visit."

Qin Xuemei looked at her three roommates with an innocent expression: "Then what do you suggest we do? If they tell me they want to come, I can't just refuse!"

"Xuemei, I think you should talk to Secretary Yu and ask him to cancel the student reception."

"This...it can't be that serious, can it? You'd put your work aside just for this?"

Meng Yue crossed her legs and looked at Qin Xuemei with a serious expression. "Xuemei, don't you know that several boys in this batch of students are asking about you?"

Qin Xuemei was a smart woman, and she understood what Meng Yue meant as soon as Meng Yue said those words.

Shen Mengyin said, "Two boys came to me asking for your information, but I didn't give it to them."

"I have one too."

Ji Xiurong smiled and said, "Our Xuemei is beautiful and gentle. She is loved wherever she goes."

Meng Yue shook her head slightly: "Being too popular isn't always a good thing."

"Xuemei, do you remember Li Jing?"

Qin Xuemei nodded, "I remember."

Meng Yue glanced at Shen Mengyin and Ji Xiurong and said, "Li Jing is from the same school as us. She is very beautiful and popular with boys. Many boys are pursuing her, but she has not agreed to any of them. Many boys approach her under the guise of studying, and chat with her, and she does not refuse them."

“Normally, this wasn’t a big deal, but for a while, a lot of rumors suddenly started circulating about her, like how she was doing this and that with this guy, how she went shopping with that guy, or how a male classmate gave her a gift. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but as these rumors spread, two male classmates suddenly got into a fight over it.”

"And then?" Ji Xiurong immediately asked when Meng Yue stopped.

"Then, then suddenly a lot of rumors about her started circulating in the school. Everyone said she was a vixen, that she was promiscuous, fickle, and so on. There were no good things to say about her. After a few days of this, some teachers couldn't stand it anymore and went directly to the school leaders to report to them and ask them to expel Feng Jie."

"Did the school expel him?"

Qin Xuemei interjected, "How could the school expel just one student because of these rumors? If Li Jing really had character issues, that would be fine, but she's innocent too. However, the school also considered the serious impact of her case. Many students and teachers suggested that the school deal with her. In the end, the school leaders discussed it and decided to let her graduate early and arrange for her to work in the south."

Shen Mengyin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. If she had really been expelled from school because of this, her life would have been ruined."

“But that was at school,” Meng Yue said in a deep voice. “We’re at work, so the situation is completely different. At school, no matter how much trouble you cause, it’s fine. Once you leave school, nobody will recognize you. As long as it doesn’t go into your personnel file, it won’t affect you. But at work, it’s different. We can’t transfer jobs, so if we really encounter something like what happened to Li Jing, we’re ruined. We’ll be talked about for the next few decades.”

"Xuemei, you're pretty much facing this situation now. Out of these sixteen boys, three or four like you. And that's only because they asked you first. They're a little shy and not so proactive. How many boys do you think have feelings for you?"

“I felt something was off these past two days, so I took the opportunity to whisper to those guys that you and Feng Cheng were dating. Coincidentally, you two have been spending a lot of time together these past few days, so they all believed it.”

"But this is not a long-term solution. You and Feng Cheng haven't officially started a relationship yet, so you'll eventually have to admit it."

"Of course, you should try your best to establish a relationship with Feng Cheng during this period, then everything will be fine."

"Don't talk nonsense," Qin Xuemei said, flustered after her thoughts were exposed. "I don't have that idea yet."

Ji Xiurong exposed her without hesitation: "Come on, you're just fooling yourself. You even call out Feng Cheng's name in your sleep at night."

Qin Xuemei shook her head decisively, "Impossible, I never talk in my sleep."

"How do you know you don't talk in your sleep? You're asleep."

"I've studied for so many years and lived in dormitories with so many classmates, and no one has ever said that I talk in my sleep."

Ji Xiurong felt a little disappointed that she hadn't managed to trick her.

Meng Yue changed the subject back to Xue Mei, "You know how powerful rumors can be, so I think you should stop doing this reception work. Talk to Secretary Yu and ask him to find someone else to do it. It just so happens that the preparations for the new nursery are about to begin, so you can take over the job."

"It's not just Xuemei, Mengyin, Xiurong, you all are the same. Rumors hurt us girls the most, so you must be careful."

Ji Xiurong said, "I'm not afraid. If anyone dares to spread rumors about me, I'll just block their door and yell at them. I'm not afraid of arguing with the auntie across the street at home. I'm afraid of them."

Shen Mengyin sighed and said with worry, "This situation will never happen to me. As long as they know my family background, they will definitely avoid me like the plague. I have experienced this before."

"If you ask me, you should go find Sui Zhichao. He has never minded your background and has always liked you."

Shen Mengyin shook her head, sighed deeply, and remained silent.