Chapter 780 - 776: Something to Say

When Jiang Baishu returned, he had mentioned having over a month of leave. But factoring in the travel time, he only had about two days left.

Fang Ziyin had arrived over ten days ago and hadn’t left, staying the entire time at the guesthouse in the County Town.

She would come to the village to find Jiang Baishu during the day and return to the guesthouse at night. The young woman was certainly persistent, coming rain or shine.

Jiang Baishu, however, was hard-hearted. He never showed her a pleasant expression, and the young woman left with red-rimmed eyes every day.

But as the deadline drew nearer, Fang Ziyin grew more and more anxious, and Gu Jiaojiao noticed.

Jiang Baishu’s leave was almost over. If he didn’t return on time, the consequences would be severe. Even if he regretted his decision, there would be no going back.

The County Town Guesthouse.

Fang Ziyin hung up the phone, her face etched with anxiety.

She still hadn’t told her father the truth. She had only said that Jiang Baishu’s family was dealing with some issues, promising to explain everything when she got back and guaranteeing that she would bring Jiang Baishu with her.

But to this day, Jiang Baishu’s attitude hadn’t softened in the slightest.

Over this period, Fang Ziyin had come to understand the root of Jiang Baishu’s stubbornness.

He had been away from home for five years while his parents passed away one after the other. He had left behind a younger brother and sister who almost perished as well, if not for Gu Jiaojiao and Leng Yuan saving them.

Emotionally, Jiang Baishu’s decision to stay wasn’t wrong.

Logically, it made even more sense for him to stay.

But her heart ached at the thought of the country losing such an outstanding soldier. He was clearly meant for bigger and better things, a place where he could truly shine.

Fang Ziyin wandered along the road by herself. She knew the only way to get Jiang Baishu to return was if Gu Jiaojiao agreed to continue raising his two siblings.

But she couldn’t bring herself to be so selfish as to ask Gu Jiaojiao to do that.

Fang Ziyin had been agonizing over it for days, unable to resolve herself to go and find Gu Jiaojiao.

With only two days left, Fang Ziyin cast aside her hesitation, borrowed a bicycle, and rode to the Qingshan Team.

She arrived at Leng Yuan’s house and knocked on the door.

In the courtyard, Gu Jiaojiao was picking grapes.

Bunches of deep purple grapes looked just like brilliant, translucent jewels, dotting the green leaves that swayed in the breeze. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

Fang Ziyin had only knocked twice on the gate when it opened, and her eyes immediately landed on Gu Jiaojiao, who was picking grapes.

Fang Ziyin gasped and rushed forward to steady the stool.

Gu Jiaojiao was certainly being reckless. The grape arbor was quite high, so she had simply stacked two stools on top of each other and was now standing on them.

’One wrong move and she’ll take a nasty fall.’

Gu Jiaojiao smiled at Fang Ziyin. "You’re here. Perfect timing. I’m picking grapes. You can try some in a bit—I grew them myself."

Gu Jiaojiao had picked a lot. She was planning to make some wine to set aside for herself to drink whenever she pleased.

Once Gu Jiaojiao had filled several large basins, Fang Ziyin couldn’t help but blurt out, "That’s so many! You can’t possibly eat all of these!"

Only then did Gu Jiaojiao stop. "The rest are for wine."

The first crop of grapes is always the sweetest, perfect for making the best-tasting wine. The second crop is always tarter; you can still make wine with it, but the flavor won’t be as rich and mellow as the wine from the first harvest.

Fang Ziyin looked at Gu Jiaojiao’s pretty face, and all the words she had prepared to say were swallowed back down.

Gu Jiaojiao pretended not to notice and put Fang Ziyin to work.

Fang Ziyin: ...

’She came from a good family and was a star performer in the song and dance troupe. When had she ever done this kind of manual labor?’

"What do I do?"

"Wash the grapes first. The water is in the well."

Fang Ziyin: ...

Resigned to her fate, she carried the grapes over to the well to wash them. But when had a pampered young lady like her ever done such work? She lost her footing for a second and nearly tumbled into the well.