Rural Beauty No. 2, Chapter 02: Liu's Widow "Lu Yun, come down now. It's only a few hundred meters from the school. If other students see us, they'll surely talk." Lu Xiaoying stopped the car, wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, and said to Lu Yun. Lu Yun nodded. "Thank you, Xiaoying. You wait for me at the school's convenience store, and I'll treat you to an ice pop." "See you soon." Xiaoying waved and quickly disappeared. Lu Yun watched Xiaoying's retreating figure, then chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. "Women change as they grow—more beautiful with every passing year. This girl has already started transforming so early. What will she be like when she grows up?" Pushing the worn-out iron bicycle, wobbling steadily, he headed toward the school. The convenience store was right next to the school gate. When Lu Yun arrived, it was bustling with people—more women than men, all rushing in to buy things or simply trying to get inside. Why? Because whenever the crowd gathered, some shy guys took the opportunity to make advances. Lu Yun attended Fuli Town Middle School, a modest town school with average teaching quality, but it had one standout feature: an unusually high number of beautiful, well-proportioned girls. The convenience store and the canteen were well-known hotspots for such romantic overtures, and Lu Yun had certainly experienced his share of awkward moments there. With only ten minutes until class, Lu Yun set his iron horse down and didn’t even bother to deliver half a bag of wheat to the canteen. Instead, he scanned the crowd, eyes wide, searching for Lu Xiaoying’s figure. — Love Corner —Read— Love Corner — "Lu Yun, I'm right here!" Lu Yun spotted a girl waving at him and recognized her as Xiaoying. He immediately pushed his way through the crowd. "Xiaoying, you go ahead first—be careful not to get approached. I’ll pick up your bag and bring it to you." "There were so many people—Lu Yun struggled for a while before finally making it through. Lu Xiaoying heard this and blushed deeply, nodding. 'Then, hurry up,' she said. Lu Yun chuckled. 'Don't worry,' he replied, 'with my build, just a little push and they'll have to step aside. Now, go on—get out quickly. If you're late, don't blame me.' Lu Yun wasn't exactly a charming type, but under his third uncle's careful training, he was quite skilled. Still, Lu Xiaoying was one of the most admired beauties at school. He hadn't even managed to taste a single piece of tofu, let alone have it served before others. As Lu Xiaoying turned to head out, she suddenly stopped, pulled out a one-yuan note from her pocket, and handed it to Lu Yun, blushing. 'My uncle's family isn't wealthy,' she said, 'so let me treat you.' She insisted and pushed the note into his hand before stepping out. 'This girl really cares for others—maybe she's already taken a liking to me?' The thought just arose—then he remembered his father, the village party secretary. Good heavens! Even if Xiao Ying had taken a fancy to him, her father simply wouldn’t see him as anything but a match. —Love Corner—Read—Love Corner—Third aunt, what can you possibly say to that old stick-in-the-mud about our little squabbles? Lu Yun, by nature, is open-minded and never lets the fact that he was bought into the family weigh on him. Bought? What’s so special about being bought? Does that make a bought child any less human? This dull, lifeless village—unless there were more women than men, it would be a real treat to just catch a glimpse of some beautiful girls. I’d have left long ago. “Clear the way! Clear the way!” Lu Yun bellowed as he stormed into the convenience store, shouting, “Meng Sister, bring me two popsicles—one for fifty cents, one for twenty cents. This content is the text from Chapter 02 of the series 'Rural Beauties.'” A male acquaintance, watching him in surprise, murmured, “When did this guy become so generous? Eating a popsicle for fifty cents?” "Lu Yun didn't care about them at all. She stretched her neck and pushed her way through the crowd, whether they were men or women—right now, Xiao Ying was the priority. You all just step aside." "Xiao Yun, can't you move a little slower? These are all my guests. If you push them away, you'll lose them," the convenience store owner scolded, seeing Lu Yun break through the crowd and come close. "What's up? Today you must have earned some money—don't you owe me five yuan yet?" - The Love Pavilion -reads- The Love Pavilion -kankankan8 In the early years, she was quite respectable, but with so many single men in the village, she gradually became entangled—eventually earning a reputation as one of the most well-known flirtatious spinster wives. According to Lu Yun’s hearsay, Liu’s widow has been having an affair with the headmaster of the town’s middle school. Otherwise, how would she, a widow, have secured such a lucrative position running a convenience store at the school? Lu Yun chuckled, “Mistress Liu, don’t make me laugh—how could you not know our situation? The five yuan will wait until another time. This time, I’m actually buying it for someone else. You know little Ying, the village chief’s daughter, don’t you…hehe.” The affair between the village chief and Liu’s widow was nearly common knowledge throughout the village. As Lu Yun kept talking, growing more and more unseemly, Liu gave him a solid punch and smiled, “You young fool—when did you dare start teasing me like this? Fine. Since it’s the village chief’s daughter who’s buying, I won’t take your money anymore. "Ms. Liu, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the village head." Lu Yun happily accepted the two popsicles, and before she left, she didn't forget to wave and say goodbye. But what she got in return was Ms. Liu's scolding: "Oh, by the way, Lu Yun came over after class to help me—myself, I'm nearly overwhelmed!" Lu Yun nodded and hurried out with a flurry of excitement. "How come it's taken so long? Didn't you notice Ms. Liu having trouble walking?" Lu Xiaoying, watching Lu Yun rush in, head drenched in sweat, couldn't help but complain. "There were just too many people—how could I possibly manage? You know well enough how terrible our school's 'wolves' are." Lu Yun shook her head vigorously, shouting her innocence, and as she handed Xiaoying the popsicle, she also slipped her one yuan note into her hand. "I specifically said I'd treat you, didn't I? How come you're spending so much on your own? Your uncle has been supporting your education all this time—how can you keep spending?" Lu Xiaoying looked visibly displeased. Lu Yun smiled proudly, "I know how hard my uncle has worked to raise me since childhood—how could I possibly waste money? Let me tell you the truth: these two popsicles didn't cost me a cent—they were given to me by Aunt Liu." Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaoying suddenly dropped the popsicle she had just about to take to her mouth, threw it to the ground with a huff, and said firmly, "Come with me. I'm not going to class tonight. You come with me." Lu Yun couldn't understand what had gone wrong with the lady of the Imperial Court's household—she simply followed obediently behind Lu Xiaoying, walking into a grove outside the school. "Lu Yun," she sat down on the grass and asked with growing irritation, "Aunt Liu is so frugal—how come she gives you things?" "Well... I've often helped Aunt Liu manage her business. You know, she's been widowed entirely because of my father. So helping her is really just something I should do." "Lu Yun spoke the truth—his unlucky father not only brought misfortune upon himself, but also left the village with several beautiful, young widows. Even as a child, Lu Yun felt a certain sense of guilt. 'Is that really true?' Lu Xiaoying looked up at the sturdy Lu Yun. 'I promised you I'd be buried in a dog's den, struck by lightning, or bitten to death by a dog—I've practically recited every possible curse I could think of!' Lu Yun had gone through every dark vow he could imagine. Yet Lu Xiaoying remained silent, not speaking for a long time. Lu Yun's heart began to race, his thoughts racing as he couldn't figure out what she was thinking. He couldn't help but ask, 'Xiaoying, it's almost time for class. I'm not particularly worried, but you've always been one of the teachers' favorites...' 'Lu Yun,' Xiaoying suddenly stood up and looked straight into his eyes, 'Tell me—do you have an improper romantic relationship with Liu Aunt?' 'Xiaoying, I'm only thirteen! How could I possibly have such a relationship with Liu Aunt? What's wrong with you? Why keep asking me these... well Lu Yun is now completely at a loss, wondering when on earth this young lady had linked himself with Liu's wife again. Lu Xiaoying remains silent, simply lowering her head and walking deeper into the woods. With no choice, Lu Yun follows her closely—this dark, dense forest could easily send out a rogue if he were to step out, and the delicate Xiaoying would surely be frightened. He can't even think about what might happen next. The rural beauty update 02, Liu's widow—completed!