Chapter 114 - 114: Doesn’t Look Like a Village Girl
Perhaps it’s because children are easier to nurture, but even though they all eat the same food and drink the same water, Jiang Gu’s health is far better than Jiang Xia’s.
Jiang Gu, tired of being pinched by Jiang Xia, complained to Zhou Lan, “Mother, sister is bullying me.”
Seeing her little girl being picked on, Zhou Lan promptly took Jiang Gu from Jiang Xia’s arms and then… continued pinching Jiang Gu’s face.
Zhou Lan’s actions stunned Jiang Xia. Then, she burst into laughter, attracting the attention of the others.
With a frustrated look on her face, Jiang Gu wondered, couldn’t her sister be more ladylike? After all, she always tells her not to learn martial arts and to be knowledgeable, gentle, and obedient, and this is the result?
During their time in the mountains, Jiang Gu learned many new words from her parents and sister. Jiang Xia would also teach her to read in her spare time. Now, Jiang Gu could write quite a few characters and recite ancient poems. However, she preferred farming and studying seeds over learning from her sister, but she just wouldn’t voice it out.
Jiang Gu looked at Jiang Xia again. Did her sister really not look at Shen Mo just now? She also saw Shen Mo looking at her sister, but since her sister wouldn’t admit it, she decided not to tell her.
On Jiang Xia’s side, there was constant laughter as she played with Jiang Gu, while the atmosphere at Shen Mo’s side was much more gloomy.
Suddenly, Jiang Xia’s laughter interrupted their conversation.
All eyes turned to Jiang Xia, and the man with the satchel, putting down his pen, asked, “Is this the village girl who reports on the situation?”
“Yes.” Wang Wen replied with a smile.
This young girl had a kind of magic that would draw attention to her unknowingly. Listening to her hearty laughter, he felt like he was being infected too.
“This little girl doesn’t quite seem like a village girl, she’s more like a pampered city girl.” The man with the satchel looked at Jiang Xia again, and sensing his words were somewhat inappropriate, he added, “I mean, in terms of her manners and demeanor.”
In the countryside, regardless of gender or age, everyone must engage in farm work, and they rarely have time to groom themselves, so their manners are not very refined. However, from the moment he first saw this young girl, she carried herself with a straight posture, and spoke with grace and ease, exhibiting the demeanor of a well-bred young lady.
“You feel the same way, don’t you!” Wang Wen said with a chuckle.
“The first time I saw this girl, I was also drawn in this way. She was sitting on the platform opposite the Shen family, chatting with another girl, with a few people gathered around them. I got curious and wanted to hear the lively conversation. Unexpectedly, I heard so much, and here we are because she brought me here.”
Shen Mo listened to their conversation and fixed his gaze on Jiang Xia. When Wang Wen visited his home that day, he told him about the situation, sharing much more than he was now, including his high praise for Jiang Xia. Apart from the women in the capital city who were either in the military or engaged in scientific research, Wang Wen seldom praised anyone so highly. This made him curious about this country girl.
He had to admit that when he first met Jiang Xia at the restaurant, he was a little disappointed. This girl would avoid his gaze like everyone else, so he doubted whether Wang Wen’s words had been embellished.
After a period of time, because Wang Wen was interested in the girl, he often sought out the people she had mentioned could contact her to inquire about her. The more Wang Wen found out, the more he knew.
From the girl leading the villagers to discover the wild vegetables and sharing the location with everyone, to building a good relationship with the private purchasing station and helping the villagers to exchange goods for grain storage, and wanting to expose those who falsely reported grain production for political gains, every event amazed Shen Mo. He couldn’t understand how Jiang Xia, who seemed so young, could think of so much.
“This young girl is a promising talent. Given the right conditions, she has the potential to serve the country in the future,” Wang Wen concluded.
The man with the satchel nodded slightly after some thought, and commented that the young girl is impressive.
As for why Wang Wen was so interested in Jiang Xia, it had a lot to do with his temper. He was more angered than most when he found out about corruption in government agencies.
In Wang Wen’s eyes, whether it was the state or the leadership class, the interests of the people should be given top priority. They shouldn’t use their official positions to wield power for personal gains and oppress the people. Jiang Xia’s words earned his respect, which was why he spoke so highly of her..