Chapter 38: Wear Mine

"What does it matter if I didn't bring a swimsuit? No one can see me anyway!" Annie Huo kicked off her crystal sandals, dipping her delicate feet into the water and splashing about with delight.

Da-bao Chen stole a glance, then quickly looked away.

Annie's feet were exquisite—palm-sized and impossibly dainty. Each toe was shaped like a cardamom pod, soft and fair, and her crimson-painted nails added a touch of playfulness to her sexiness. With her high arches and porcelain skin, her feet were truly a gift from the gods. In the hands of someone with a penchant for such things, one could admire them for a year without ever growing bored. Combined with those long, fair legs, it was enough to make anyone lose their focus.

Women from the mountains are like tigers, and Annie Huo was a tiger that could devour a man whole.

Noticing Da-bao’s furtive gaze, Annie gave a proud smile and intentionally called out, "Da-bao, come over and join us!"

"Ahem!" Da-bao nearly choked on his own spit. He hurriedly declined, "Sister Annie, the supply of strawberries is increasing, and I need to go hire some help to pick them! Sister Ya, you two go ahead and play. I’ll go arrange the picking and come back later!"

With that, Da-bao turned and hurried away without looking back. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back.

"Tch, all talk and no guts!" Annie puffed out her chest proudly and curled her lip.

"Alright, we know you’re well-endowed; no need to flaunt it!" Chen Ya said with mock dissatisfaction.

"Oh, what’s the matter? Don't want me teasing your little lover?" Annie gave a mischievous smirk and suddenly splashed water at Chen Ya. The water soaked through Chen Ya’s dress, making her graceful figure visible through the wet fabric.

Chen Ya, not to be outdone, ignored Annie’s shriek and pushed her directly into the Black Dragon Pool. Seeing that Da-bao had wandered far off, she simply took off her own dress and dove into the water with elegant grace. The two beauties looked like two fair mermaids frolicking in the pool, their laughter ringing out like silver bells.

Da-bao dared not look back, fearing it would disturb his peace of mind. He quickened his pace to the village and, after a moment’s thought, knocked on a villager’s gate.

"Auntie Aihua, are you home?"

"Who is it?" A middle-aged woman dressed in simple clothes came to open the door. "Oh, Da-bao, what is it?"

Zhang Aihua looked at him with confusion. She wasn't close with Da-bao's family and only knew that he hadn't been "simple-minded" lately.

"Auntie Aihua, I’m looking to hire some help to pick strawberries. Two to three hundred pounds a day, and I’ll pay a hundred yuan. Would you be interested?" Da-bao asked directly, skipping the pleasantries.

"A hundred a day?" Aihua’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! I'll do it!"

"That's settled. Here is a hundred yuan—take it as today's wages. Come with me, and I’ll show you how to pick them!" Da-bao handed her the money, then led her to grab a dozen large baskets and went to hire one more helper from the village.

The three of them headed to the back of the village, where Da-bao pointed out the patch of strawberries. "Auntie Aihua, Auntie Liu, just pick from this section. Don't touch the others. Five hundred pounds total between the two of you, and you’ll each get a hundred yuan. Is that a problem?"

Da-bao had brought them to a patch where he had used his spirit-gathering technique.

"What problem could there be? Don't you worry, Da-bao. We’ll do exactly as you say!" Aihua and Cuihua Liu nodded quickly.

Da-bao had chosen them because they were honest, hardworking women, not the kind to cut corners. They were thrilled with the arrangement; picking two hundred pounds of strawberries would take them at most two hours, and earning a hundred yuan for that was a great deal. During the busy farming season, they’d spend a whole day transplanting rice seedlings for only a hundred and twenty yuan—work that was far more grueling.

"Alright then, if anything comes up, give me a call!" After watching them work for a bit, Da-bao headed back toward the Black Dragon Pool to tell Annie to send someone to pick up the harvest.

The pool was about two miles from the back of the village. From a distance, he saw their clothes on the bank, but the two women were nowhere to be seen—they must have gone for a swim.

Just as Da-bao was about to call out to avoid walking in on anything inappropriate, he heard cries for help from the direction of the pool.

"Help! Help!"

He recognized the voice immediately—it was Chen Ya. Was she drowning? He sprinted toward the water.

"Annie, let go! If you don't, we’ll both die!"

"Just let go, I’ll pull you up!"

In the middle of the pool, Chen Ya was struggling desperately, trying to keep both herself and Annie above water. They had been swimming fine, but Annie had suddenly suffered a cramp. In her panic, she had grabbed onto Chen Ya, making it impossible for Chen Ya to swim. Both of them were beginning to sink.

*Splash!*

At that critical moment, Da-bao leaped into the lake and swam toward them with powerful strokes. Just as Chen Ya was on the verge of losing consciousness, he wrapped a strong arm firmly around her waist. With one arm supporting Chen Ya and the other grabbing Annie, he kicked with all his might toward the shore. Even though he had grown up by the Black Dragon Pool and prided himself on his swimming ability, it took every ounce of his strength to drag both women to the bank.

"Da-bao, save Annie!" Chen Ya lay on the ground, pleading weakly. She had swallowed a lot of water but was still conscious; Annie, however, was not.

"Oh no, no heartbeat!" Da-bao checked Annie’s chest, his expression shifting instantly. She had stopped breathing, and her heart had ceased to beat. He quickly laid her flat, tore open her camisole, and began CPR.

Having received training in college, Da-bao performed dozens of compressions followed by rescue breaths. After several repetitions, Annie finally stirred.

"Cough, cough!"

She coughed violently, spitting out mouthfuls of water, and began to breathe heavily before slowly opening her eyes.

"Annie, are you okay?" Chen Ya asked anxiously.

"I'm fine. Da-bao, thank you!" Annie regained her senses, and realizing how exposed she was, she hurriedly covered her chest and thanked him sincerely. If not for him, she would have drowned today.

"Sister Annie, wear my shirt for now," Da-bao said, awkward and not knowing where to look. He quickly took off his top and handed it to her.

Seeing his well-defined abdominal muscles, Annie’s breath hitched, and a lovely, vibrant blush spread across her beautiful face.