Reborn at 60: I Helped My Sister Get Rich Starting from Hunting

"What's different?" Lin Qiushui asked, sounding somewhat anxious.

Zhang Yang hadn't expected her to react this way, and retorted, "Isn't it good to be different from others?"

"No!" Lin Qiushui said in a serious tone, "I've finally caught up with the villagers, but you say I'm different from everyone else. Doesn't that make me seem even worse than them?!"

Zhang Yang burst into laughter at her words, "You really want to be a country bumpkin that much?"

“That’s right!” Lin Qiushui said confidently.

Zhang Yang couldn't help but become even more curious about her. "What's so good about being a country person? They toil in the fields, generation after generation, digging for food in the land."

"Comrade, your idea is wrong! This idea is very dangerous!"

Lin Qiushui was a little angry. Her face, red from the cold, was full of seriousness and solemnity, indicating that she was going to re-educate Zhang Yang.

"The villagers earn a stable and secure life through their hard work and down-to-earth efforts. What's wrong with that? The land shapes its people, and they should shine wherever they are born!"

When she said this, she was like a little tiger, fierce as she was, yet also very childlike.

It can scare people, but that's all it takes to intimidate them.

How simple must one's mind be to be like Zhang's, finding everything good?

Zhang Yang didn't understand.

But he thought it was kind of cute!

Especially compared to those sophisticated egoists like Du Shujun.

Lin Qiushui was so pure that she was like a fairy who saved all living beings.

"Comrade Zhang Yang, you are now the captain of the militia squad. You can think about some things yourself, but you can't spread these bad ideas to others!" Lin Qiushui admonished.

Zhang Yang was about to nod when he saw Lin Qiushui shake her head.

She even carefully corrected the words she uttered: "No! You can't think like that! You should love this land and be grateful for the opportunity it gives everyone to work!"

Zhang Yang nodded repeatedly, "Teacher Lin is right... By the way, I heard from Uncle De that your knowledge team plans to teach the children in the village next spring, is that true?"

"Of course! I was the first one to sign up!"

A happy smile returned to Lin Qiushui's face; her rosy cheeks and smiling lips silently spoke of her inner joy.

"I've interacted with most of the children in the village, and they're all very smart! They're clever, eager to learn, brave, and hardworking—good students indeed!"

As they were talking, they happened to pass by Zhao Dong's house.

Sister Cuilan had just returned with water, and her two sons, Daming and Xiaoming, were helping to scoop the water into a vat for storage.

Zhang Yang noticed this when he came to repair their fence last time: Cuilan's family didn't have a well, and they had to fetch water from other people's houses or go to places further away, which was very inconvenient.

He was just thinking of talking to Zhao Dong again later, asking him to help out more, when Da Ming and Xiao Ming saw them first and happily ran over.

"Uncle! Teacher Lin!" Da Ming and Xiao Ming called out cheerfully.

Zhang Yang patted the two little ones on the head and, following their words, asked, "Did this older sister teach you your lessons? Why do you call her 'teacher' right away?"

Xiao Ming answered quickly: "Yes, I did!"

Da Ming explained, "Teacher Lin taught us math! Three chickens plus four chickens equals seven chickens!"

Xiao Ming added in his childish voice, "Five cents plus five cents equals one mao!"

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "It seems she really did teach you. Teacher Lin is very capable; you all must learn diligently from her from now on!"

Lin Qiushui was surprised that Zhang Yang would praise her, and her face suddenly turned red.

Seeing this change, Da Ming was astonished. "Teacher Lin, why did your color change?"

Lin Qiushui quickly turned around!

This child!

Is it a tiger?

Why do you keep saying whatever comes to mind!

But Zhang Yang continued to joke along with the child's innocent words.

"See? I told you your teacher Lin is amazing! She has so many skills, not just math and face-changing, but many, many more."

Lin Qiushui was too embarrassed to stay any longer and quickened her pace to leave.

Da Ming and Xiao Ming were stunned. "Why did the teacher leave?"

Zhang Yang said goodbye to them, "The teacher and I have some things to do, so we'll be leaving now. You two stay home and help your mothers. I'll come back later to teach you how to exercise!"

"Yes!" The little ones nodded emphatically.

Zhang Yang quickly caught up with Lin Qiushui.

Seeing that she hadn't noticed the small bump in front of her, and anticipating that she might slip again, he quickly reached out to steady her.

Lin Qiushui almost lost her balance and stumbled!

Fortunately, Zhang Yang caught her, preventing her from falling again.

"The roads in the village are like this, bumpy and uneven, you have to concentrate on walking," Zhang Yang said calmly.

Lin Qiushui's face flushed again.

This time, even the half of her ear that was sticking out of her cotton hat was so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

Seeing how easily she was teased, Zhang Yang couldn't help but become more talkative.

“When you were being bullied by Du Shujun and the others, you weren’t this spineless. I didn’t say anything, so you don’t need to feel bad,” he reassured you.

When Du Shujun was mentioned, Lin Qiushui's smile faded, and she returned to a serious and earnest expression.

"I didn't have a chance to thank you when we were at the clinic. If it weren't for you speaking up for them, I don't know how much trouble they would have caused."

Zhang Yang didn't think it was a big deal, "just a small favor."

But considering that so many people were present at the time, Du Shujun and the others became increasingly arrogant and overconfident.

Who knows how this educated youth team will bully Lin Qiushui behind closed doors?

He took a deep look at Lin Qiushui's back, feeling a pang of unease.

"Lin Qiushui." He suddenly called out to the girl walking ahead of him.

Lin Qiushui turned around, her clear eyes sparkling with innocence.

A burning passion suddenly ignited in Zhang Yang's heart.

“Remember this carefully, this is the road that leads to my house.”

"If anyone in the educated youth team bullies you again, come to my house."

"Anytime, anytime, is fine."

Lin Qiushui paused, then blushed again. "Okay...it'll be fine...but thank you anyway, Zhang Yang!"

After saying this, the atmosphere between the two became somewhat awkward.

Everyone walked forward with their heads down, and no one started a new topic.

And so we walked back to Zhang Yang's house.

Zhao Dong was still there, holding a hard, dried sweet potato in his hand, which he was drying in the yard.

Seeing Zhang Yang return, he jumped up from the small stool. "You're finally back! My sister was just saying that I should hurry up and relieve you so you can get some rest... The days are short, and it'll be dark again soon, and I'll have to go patrol the mountain again!"

Zhang Yang pretended to be angry and glared at him, "Then why don't you go? Why haven't you moved? I saw you sitting in the yard eating leisurely."

Zhao Dong, ashamed, scratched the back of his head, still chewing the dried sweet potato in his mouth, "I, I was thinking of going after I finished eating..."

"Yangzi, you're back? Come in and have some hot soup!" Li Huifang greeted him. "I've boiled some white radish on the stove, and Mom put in a few slices of wild boar meat. It smells delicious!"