Chapter 5: The Stoic Tycoon Struck by Cow Dung

The morning dew still clung to the young wheat shoots as Su Yao took the three children to the fields to gather firewood.

Lu Shihan carried a small bamboo basket, hopping along behind, her eyes glued to the wildflowers lining the path. Every now and then, she would bend down to pick a flower and tuck it behind her ear. Lu Yuxuan held a stick, poking at the grass along the roadside as he walked, searching for dry twigs suitable for burning. Lu Xingchen walked at the front, clutching a slingshot and vigilantly scanning the surroundings like a little guardian.

“Slow down, don’t fall,” Su Yao cautioned, watching Lu Shihan run happily ahead.

“Got it, sister!” Lu Shihan called back with a smile, her cheeks flushed rosy.

Su Yao smiled and shook her head. The child had eaten meat yesterday and was unusually energetic today. She kept her head down, carefully searching for firewood, occasionally swinging her firewood knife to chop off dry branches.

Ever since Uncle Wang’s leg healed, no one in the village openly sought medical treatment from her, but there were always people lurking around the doorstep, casting strange looks. Su Yao decided to take the children out to gather firewood, both to avoid those gazes and to stockpile more firewood—killing two birds with one stone.

“Sister, look! A butterfly!” Lu Shihan suddenly pointed ahead and exclaimed.

A colorful butterfly had landed on a yellow flower, its wings shimmering in the sunlight. Lu Shihan tiptoed toward it, trying to catch it.

“Don’t run too far,” Su Yao warned.

Lu Xingchen also noticed the butterfly, his eyes brightening as he followed closely. Lu Yuxuan hesitated but then joined the chase as well.

Su Yao smiled helplessly and continued picking firewood. Just as she bent to pick up a dry branch, she heard a sudden “Ah!” followed by a loud rustling, as if something had toppled over.

Her heart tightened, and she hurried forward. “What happened?”

When she arrived, she froze.

A man in a crisp military uniform stood on the ridge of the field, but his back was smeared with a large clump of cow dung, green and sticky, with bits of straw stuck to it, making him look utterly disheveled. A bamboo basket lay overturned beside him, with cow dung scattered on the ground.

Lu Xingchen and Lu Shihan were so frightened they hid behind a big tree, peeking out timidly. Lu Yuxuan stood nearby, clutching his stick tightly, his face pale as a sheet.

“This… what happened?” Su Yao quickly ran over, pulling the three children behind her, her heart pounding.

The man looked about thirty, tall and upright. Even with cow dung stuck to his back, his commanding presence was unmistakable. His face was expressionless, his sharp eyes like those of an eagle, fixed on Su Yao and the children. Though silent, his gaze was chilling.

“S-sorry, comrade, the children didn’t mean to,” Su Yao stammered, already calculating how to smooth things over. Soldiers held high status these days; offending one could be serious.

The man said nothing and slowly turned around. His uniform was immaculate, without a wrinkle; his collar buttoned tight. Beneath the brim of his cap, his eyes were deep and calm, as if the cow dung had missed him entirely.

He glanced down at the mess on his back, then looked up at Su Yao. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment before settling on her eyes—mud-smeared yet clear and bright.

“Are you a newly arrived educated youth?” he asked in a low, steady voice, revealing no emotion.

Su Yao was taken aback by the question but nodded. “Yes, I’m Su Yao. I arrived last month.” Seeing the cow dung on his back, she felt apologetic. “Comrade, I’m really sorry. The children didn’t know better… Would you like to come to my place to wash? We have soapberries that can clean it off.”

The man looked down at his uniform, then at the three trembling children behind Su Yao. After a few seconds of silence, he nodded. “Alright.”

Su Yao hadn’t expected him to be so agreeable and breathed a sigh of relief. “Please, this way,” she said, stepping aside to lead him home.

The atmosphere was awkward all the way. Su Yao wanted to speak several times to ease the tension but didn’t know what to say. The man remained silent, following quietly, the cow dung on his back swaying gently with each step, occasionally dropping a little.

Lu Xingchen and Lu Yuxuan stayed close to Su Yao, while Lu Shihan was cradled in her arms, burying her head in Su Yao’s neck and too afraid to look at the man.

Near their home, the man suddenly asked, “Is your house just ahead?”

“Yes, that old shack over there,” Su Yao pointed to the dilapidated house nearby.

The man glanced in that direction but said nothing further.

At the doorstep, Su Yao first led the children inside and told them to stay there. Then she turned to the man. “Comrade, please wait here. I’ll heat some water.”

He nodded and stood in the yard, removing his military cap to reveal short black hair with a few bits of straw caught at the ends. He brushed them off casually and adjusted his collar.

His gaze then fell on the collar of Su Yao’s shirt. She wore a faded blue cotton shirt, its collar worn at the edges, but embroidered with a small magnolia flower, the stitching delicate and the color subtle, standing out against the plain fabric.

His eyes flickered with a trace of surprise.

Su Yao brought out the hot water and noticed him staring at her collar. She felt a bit shy. The shirt belonged to the original owner of this body, who was said to be a refined young lady skilled in needlework.

“Comrade, here’s the water,” Su Yao said, placing the basin on a stone in the yard and handing him a blackened soapberry. “Use this to wash. It’s not great, but it can remove grease.”

The man took the soapberry, glanced at it and the hot water, and nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, it’s no trouble,” Su Yao hurriedly replied. “You wash, and I’ll find you some clean clothes to change into. I have some old clothes I used to wear. They’re women’s clothes, but clean…”

“No need,” the man interrupted. “I have spare clothes myself.” He pulled a military green bundle from his backpack and opened it to reveal a clean uniform and underwear.

Su Yao felt slightly embarrassed. “Well… then I won’t bother you. Take your time washing,” she said, turning to go inside.

Leaning against the doorframe, Su Yao patted her chest, her heart racing. The man’s commanding aura had made her nervous.

“Sister, will that uncle be angry?” Lu Shihan whispered, tears still in her eyes.

“No, he’s a good man,” Su Yao stroked her head. “It’s our fault for dirtying his clothes. After he’s done washing, we’ll apologize properly.”

Lu Xingchen nodded. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have chased the butterfly.” He had run too fast and knocked over the cow dung basket by the roadside, causing the dung to land on the man’s back.

“It’s okay. As long as you know better now, be more careful next time,” Su Yao said, patting his head.

Lu Xingchen nodded seriously.

Water splashing sounded in the yard. Peeking through the door crack, Su Yao saw the man bending to scrub. His movements were efficient, and though the cow dung was difficult to clean, he showed no impatience.

Su Yao was curious. This man didn’t seem like an ordinary soldier—more like an officer sent to inspect agricultural affairs. What was his true identity?

Just then, the water stopped. Su Yao quickly withdrew her gaze and pretended to tidy the children’s clothes.

After a while, a knock sounded at the door. “Educated Youth Su, I’m done washing,” the man’s voice called.

Su Yao hurried to open the door. The man had changed into a clean military uniform; the cow dung was gone. His hair was still damp, but he regained his upright, dignified presence.

“Um… let me wash your dirty clothes for you?” Su Yao offered, noticing the soiled uniform in his hand.

He glanced at the clothes then at Su Yao and shook his head. “No need. I can take care of it myself.” He paused, then added, “Today’s incident was not the children’s fault.”

Su Yao hadn’t expected his understanding and relaxed. “Thank you so much, comrade.”

“My name is Lu Zhanye. I was sent by the military district to the countryside to inspect agriculture,” the man suddenly introduced himself.

“Lu Zhanye…” Su Yao repeated the name silently, feeling it familiar yet unable to place where she had heard it. “I’m Su Yao, as I said earlier.”

Lu Zhanye nodded, his gaze sweeping over the sparse furnishings of the house before settling on the three children, who still looked somewhat fearful. “Are these your children?”

Su Yao hesitated, then quickly explained, “No, they are distant relatives’ children. Their parents aren’t around. I’m taking care of them.” She didn’t want to reveal their true relationship to avoid trouble.

Lu Zhanye asked no more and nodded. “They seem quite sensible.”

Su Yao smiled faintly. “They’re alright.”

“I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now,” Lu Zhanye said.

“I’ll see you off,” Su Yao quickly offered.

“No need,” Lu Zhanye waved her off. “Thank you for the hot water and soapberries.” He paused, his gaze lingering for a few seconds more on the magnolia embroidery on her collar before turning away.

Watching his departing figure, Su Yao felt a strange sensation. This man named Lu Zhanye was both dignified and gentle, yet hard to read.

“Sister, he’s gone,” Lu Shihan whispered.

“Yes, he’s gone,” Su Yao nodded, closing the door. “It’s alright now. Let’s keep gathering firewood.”

The three children finally relaxed, smiles spreading across their faces.

Su Yao looked at them and felt lighter inside. The matter had been resolved without trouble.

Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that Lu Zhanye’s gaze on her collar had been unusual. Was the magnolia embroidery not pretty? She glanced down and thought it quite lovely.

No matter. He was gone now. Worrying was pointless.

Grabbing her firewood knife, Su Yao said, “Come on, let’s keep collecting firewood. If we gather enough, I’ll make sweet potato cakes for you tonight.”

“Yay! Sweet potato cakes!” The children cheered, the earlier unpleasantness forgotten.

Watching their happy faces, Su Yao smiled. No matter what challenges lay ahead, as long as she could keep these children happy, that was enough.

Unbeknownst to her, Lu Zhanye did not head straight to the agricultural inspection. Instead, he stood on a nearby hillside, glancing back at Su Yao’s humble home with a deep look in his eyes. His hand lightly touched the spot where the cow dung had hit him, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

This educated youth named Su Yao was… interesting.

Suddenly, a system voice echoed in Su Yao’s mind: [Witnessing an unexpected event, trigger melon-eating reward: five jin of pork, ten jin of fine grain.]

Su Yao blinked in surprise. Really? She checked the system panel and indeed found five jin of pork and ten jin of fine grain added to her storage.

She looked at the panel and couldn’t help but laugh. Looks like today wasn’t so bad after all.

With this meat and grain, she could improve the children’s meals.

Su Yao looked up at the sky—sunlight just right, a gentle breeze blowing. Holding the hands of the three children as they walked along the ridge, her heart felt heavy yet bright.

No matter what difficulties the future held, she was confident she could lead these children to live well.