Accidentally Marking The Vicious Female Lead After Transmigrating Into A Period Novel - Chapter 7

Amateur life in the evenings of the 1970s was so barren it bordered on tedious. There were no cell phones, no tablets, not even a television. Generally, after seven or eight o’clock, every household turned off their lights.

In an era where electricity had only recently reached the countryside, power was a luxury. Most families saved wherever they could. Especially now, in the depths of winter, the weather was biting, crawling into the covers early was the best way to stay warm.

After washing her feet, Li Chunmei sat on the kang bed, watching the small bulb still glowing above her head. Her brow twitched several times before she finally couldn’t resist jumping down.

“Lighting a kerosene lamp won’t stop you from listening to stories! I’ve never seen you this serious about your schoolwork, yet here you are keeping the light on to listen. Does electricity not cost money?”

With a loud clack, Li Chunmei pulled the light cord. She slammed a kerosene lamp onto the table and harshly scolded Li Can, who was pestering Lin Yishu for stories.

“If you ever applied this curiosity to your studies, I wouldn’t have to worry about you!”

Li Can’t pout was so deep you could have hung an oil bottle from her lip. But when it came to the topic of school, she didn’t dare argue, she could only grumble privately.

Old-fashioned. Her mother was just too old fashioned! Everything always came back to studying.

In truth, the fact that Li Chunmei constantly mentioned education was due to her eldest daughter’s influence. Although the current educational environment was poor, her eldest had told her that the College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) would eventually be reinstated. Li Chunmei was too old for it, but her youngest daughter was the perfect age, so her studies couldn’t be neglected.

This was why, while other children were prioritized for chores during the holidays, Li Chunmei prioritized her youngest daughter’s homework and reading. Though she didn’t know why her eldest was so certain about the Gaokao returning, her predictions had never been wrong. Besides, learning more knowledge was always a good thing.

“Yishu, if you’re tired, just go to sleep. Don’t mind her,” Li Chunmei’s voice instantly softened as she turned to Lin Yishu. “You’re thin-skinned and she’s thick-skinned. If you don’t speak up, this child will surely pester you all night. Don’t be polite with her, if you’re sleepy, just say so.”

Even though the bulb was low wattage, the sudden transition from incandescent light to a kerosene lamp made the room significantly darker.

Lin Yishu blinked to adjust to the dimness and nodded gently. “It’s alright, Auntie. I slept a long time during the day. I’m not tired yet.”

Li Can perked up immediately and began ushering her mother away. “Hear that? Sister Yishu isn’t tired. Mom, go do your thing, don’t interrupt us…”

Li Chunmei shot her a warning glare before a final exhortation: “Yishu, if you get tired, you must say so. Don’t be embarrassed.”

Lin Yishu pressed her lips together and smiled.

Li Can loved hearing stories about the city. She had never been, so she was curious about everything, the parks, the department stores, the zoos, the state run restaurants… she was curious about far too much!

And unlike her elder sister, who was often dismissive when answering these questions, Sister Yishu explained things in great detail. Her voice was beautiful, and her Mandarin was incredibly standard.

“Sister Yishu, can you teach me how to speak Mandarin?” Li Can’t eyes shone. “Our teacher’s Mandarin isn’t as standard as yours.”

Lin Yishu wanted to contribute something to this household, so she naturally didn’t refuse. She nodded, “Sure.”

“Then we’ll start tomorrow!” Li Can was overjoyed. To her, speaking standard Mandarin would make her look much more fashionable.

“Okay,” Lin Yishu replied.

With their agreement settled, Li Can finally let go of her desire for stories and went off happily to soak her feet and sleep.

Watching the young girl hop away, Lin Yishu’s face broke into a smile. She licked her dry lips. Truthfully, a ten-year-old’s energy was a bit much; if she had gone on any longer, her throat really wouldn’t have held up.

Just as she thought this, a cup of water appeared on the table in front of her.

Looking up, she saw Li Yan gazing at her with a glimmer of a smile. “Thirsty? Have some water to soothe your throat. I’ve already washed the cup. Just make do with this one tonight. I’ll buy you a new one when I get back from work tomorrow.”

Lin Yishu didn’t speak. She picked up the cup, took a shallow sip, and set it down again.

She wasn’t used to the water here. For some reason, it felt astringent, even after being boiled. It was the same as the cup she had this morning.

“Not used to the taste?” The person in front of her seemed able to read her mind, her gaze moving from the cup back to Lin Yishu’s face.

Lin Yishu nodded slightly, honestly expressing her feeling.

“Tsk, delicate,” the other person remarked. She suddenly grabbed the cup and stood up. Lin Yishu watched her walk over to a sideboard.

She opened a cabinet, took something out, poured it into the cup, and stirred it with a spoon.

“There, it’ll taste better now. Drink up,” she said, bringing the cup back.

Lin Yishu looked down. The originally clear water was now a deep brown, with small, undissolved granules floating visibly on the surface.

“I added brown sugar. It’s nothing strange, don’t worry,” Li Yan explained patiently, seeing how intently she was observing it.

Lin Yishu knew it was brown sugar; it wasn’t as if she didn’t recognize it. Her lips curved as she pressed them to the cup again.

The taste was sweet. Even though she hadn’t particularly liked brown sugar before, she found it quite delicious now.

Strange.

But under the other’s burning gaze, after a few more sips, she put the cup down. She tucked her chin slightly, acting a bit haughty as she said, “It’s… passable.”

Li Yan saw right through her duplicity. Her eyes kept darting back to the cup; she clearly hadn’t learned how to lie.

Li Yan laughed inwardly but didn’t expose her. She stood up and picked up the kerosene lamp to head toward the kitchen.

Though the light was weak, the disappearance of the only light source caused Lin Yishu’s expression to change instantly. Her voice rose an octave. “Where are you going?”

Li Yan noticed the edge in her voice. She turned, holding the lamp in front of her. “The thermos is empty. There’s water in the kitchen thermos. I’m going to pour some so we can wash up for bed.”

With the light returned, the unease in Lin Yishu’s heart faded slightly. She bit her lower lip to stop her body from trembling, trying her best to respond naturally. “Okay, go ahead.”

The joke at the tip of Li Yan’s tongue. “I didn’t realize you were afraid of the dark” was swallowed when she saw the way the other woman’s fingers were white-knuckled, gripped tightly together.

Lin Yishu was doing her best to maintain control, she clearly didn’t want others to see through her facade. But the flickering wick made her shadow stretch and distort against the floor, seemingly magnifying the secret fear in her heart.

“I’ll go with you,” Lin Yishu said softly after a moment, her logic finally losing out to her senses. “Is that okay?”

Li Yan froze, looking over. In the blurry light, the other woman’s eyes seemed shrouded in a layer of mist.

A wave of guilt hit her. She pushed the kerosene lamp forward and took a step closer. After a moment’s thought, she offered the edge of her coat to the other woman, her voice softer than it had ever been.

“Then hold onto me. Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

Lin Yishu looked at the offered coat edge, and something seemed to sprout in her heart. She gripped it gently and followed behind, step by step, following the other’s footprints forward.

Although the village had electricity, it was only in the main hall and bedrooms, the kitchen had none. Usually, if cooking ran late, Li Chunmei and Xu Xiufen had to use kerosene lamps, which is why Li Yan had reflexively picked one up. As she walked, she thought to herself that she should buy a flashlight in the next few days.

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Lin Yishu immediately let go of the coat, reverting to her proud daytime persona.

“I wasn’t afraid. Don’t misunderstand,” she said, lifting her chin stubbornly, as if that could hide everything.

Li Yan poured the water from the thermos into a washbasin and a foot tub. She tested the temperature with a finger and said somewhat helplessly, “Right, right, right. You weren’t afraid. I was afraid, and you specifically came to keep me company. Does that work?”

“You…” Lin Yishu heard the dismissive tone and felt a flash of anger, but realizing she was in the wrong, she simply gave a light huff. “As long as you know!”

Then she couldn’t help but laugh herself. For some reason, she just felt very happy.

After pouring the water, Li Yan looked up to see someone who inexplicably couldn’t hide the curve of their lips. Sunny one moment, cloudy the next, the mind of an Omega is truly hard to guess.

She skipped the topic and pointed to the two basins on the floor. “This one is for your face, this one for your feet. You go first, and I’ll go after you.”

Predicting Lin Yishu’s “young lady” habits, she spoke up first: “There are only two basins in the house. If you aren’t used to it, there’s nothing for it. I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow, just make do for today.”

Unexpectedly, Lin Yishu wasn’t thinking about that at all. Instead, she asked rather awkwardly, “So, after I use the water for my face and feet, you’re going to use it? You don’t mind?”

Li Yan hadn’t expected that. She shook her head honestly. Truthfully, she didn’t mind. She didn’t have a severe obsession with cleanliness, and living in an era where resources were scarce, she had developed frugal habits. Water was often used by the whole family in turn. Besides, Lin Yishu looked clean as a whistle, her used water was likely easier to accept than Li Can’s.

Lin Yishu, seeing her reaction, thought of something else and felt her face heat up. She squatted down and hurriedly washed her face. When she saw the towel Li Yan handed her, she hesitated. But then, thinking that the other woman was willing to use her leftover water, she felt she was being too much, so she grabbed the towel and covered her face with it.

The towel carried a unique fragrance, the scent of Li Yan’s pheromones.

At the same time, the other woman’s voice whispered near her ear.

“Don’t worry. This towel has only been used by me. No one else has touched it.”

Underneath the towel, Lin Yishu’s face became even more embarrassed.

Don’t worry? That makes me even more worried!