Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The First Day of Exploring the Protagonist’s Daily Life~

“Are you sure this transport process is ‘easy’?” Wen Qingyun asked, her voice dripping with skepticism toward Chu Ke’s earlier claim.

At this moment, Wen Qingyun was sitting in the cargo bed of a tricycle. Her 1.75-meter frame was uncomfortably curled up on a small stool, her long limbs having nowhere to stretch.

In front of her, huffing and puffing as she pedaled the manual tricycle, was Chu Ke, who had finished distributing the task cards and was now fulfilling her promise.

Chu Ke wore a classic yellow farmer’s straw hat. Her original blouse had been swapped for a short-sleeved shirt suitable for labor and a pair of cooling sun-protection sleeves.

“Teacher Wen, there is only this one slope of less than a hundred meters on our way. Is that not easy?” Chu Ke panted slightly, pushing hard to move forward on the gravel road.

While Shishu Village did have concrete roads, they only covered the residential areas and main arteries. The paths leading to the back farmlands were still dominated by gravel and dirt.

Chu Ke’s physical stamina was impressive. Even a slope with a gradient higher than the 12% national standard didn’t make her stop, though she occasionally had to stand up to put more weight into the pedals.

Wen Qingyun frowned slightly. The tilted surface forced her to grip the tricycle’s railing tightly, feeling as if she might slide off at any second.

【Hahaha, I don’t know why, but this scene is so hilarious. It feels like neither of them belongs here.】

【I think Wen Qingyun should be the one pedaling. In terms of height and weight, she has the advantage.】

【But she probably doesn’t know how? I think if Wen Qingyun dared to ride it, Chu Ke wouldn’t dare to sit in the back.】

Amidst the banter of the live chat, they successfully cleared the hundred-meter slope. Fine beads of sweat began to break out on Chu Ke’s forehead. After pedaling another five or six hundred meters, the tricycle finally arrived at its destination.

“The potatoes on this quarter-acre of land are what we need to move back.” Chu Ke engaged the brake, hopped off the driver’s seat, and casually wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

“Teacher Wen, do you need a hand?” Chu Ke asked.

“Thanks, but I’m fine.” Wen Qingyun rose from the small stool, braced herself on the railing, and jumped down with surprisingly agile grace.

Chu Ke smiled at the sight. She leaned over to grab the sacks and gloves from the back of the tricycle, handing one of the sacks to Wen Qingyun.

“Teacher Wen, you hold the bag and follow me while I load the potatoes. Is that okay?” Chu Ke asked.

Given that the easier job was being handed to her, Wen Qingyun naturally had no objections. She cooperatively held the sack and followed behind Chu Ke.

The potatoes had been dug up that morning. After several hours of exposure to the sun, the dirt clinging to them had dried up; most of it fell off with a simple shake.

Chu Ke clearly wasn’t a novice at this. Once she put on her gloves, her movements became exceptionally fast. For the stubborn clumps of hard dirt, she simply rubbed them off with her hands before scooping up handfuls of potatoes into the yellow woven bags.

Wen Qingyun only needed to hold the bag open when Chu Ke approached and occasionally lift it to let the potatoes settle at the bottom. Compared to Chu Ke, her job was incredibly leisurely.

【Is Wen Qingyun just freeloading off Chu Ke now? I can’t even tell who the one doing the task is. How does she have the face!】

【Women are like this—the moment there’s work to do, they think about slacking.】

【The person above should go out in the sun more to evaporate some of the water in your brain. Did you miss the fact that both people on screen are women?】

【Laughable. Isn’t slacking what men are best at? After all, there’s a specific term for it: “Lazy Bum”! Sitting at home doing nothing but smoking, drinking, and pointing fingers.】

The live chat was much calmer than at the start of the broadcast, but whenever the camera focused on Wen Qingyun, a few men who hadn’t been driven away yet would still chime in with bizarre comments.

Thanks to Chu Ke’s efficient movements, five hundred pounds of potatoes were bagged in less than half an hour.

Even at five o’clock in June, it was still very hot. The sun hung in the sky, and there was virtually no breeze in the air.

After loading the last bag of potatoes onto the tricycle, Chu Ke took off her gloves and hat, using the straw hat to fan herself. Her white short-sleeved shirt was already soaked with sweat. Fortunately, it was made of thick fabric, so it didn’t become transparent.

Fine beads of sweat on Chu Ke’s forehead gathered into large droplets, tracing paths down her cheeks before dripping onto the gravel, leaving transient wet marks that vanished almost instantly.

“Wipe your sweat.” Wen Qingyun pulled a small pack of wet wipes from her pocket and handed two to her.

“Thank you.” Chu Ke didn’t refuse. She put down her hat and took them.

The sticky sweat was replaced by the moisture from the wipes, and coupled with a timely, gentle breeze, Chu Ke felt a brief wave of cool relief.

Wait, where did the breeze come from?

Chu Ke turned her head and saw Wen Qingyun holding the straw hat she had set aside, waving it to fan her.

“Teacher Wen, there’s no room for you in the back now. I’ll ride slowly; will you follow behind the bike?” Chu Ke looked up slightly at Wen Qingyun, who was half a head taller than her.

Under the high outdoor temperature, even though Wen Qingyun hadn’t done any strenuous work, the sun had caused some sweat to appear on her forehead, pinning a few stray hairs to her temples. However, this minor flaw didn’t detract from her beauty; instead, it made her look more grounded and real, causing Chu Ke to stare for a few extra seconds.

“Sure. I’ll count on you then, Teacher Chu Ke.” Wen Qingyun showed no trace of embarrassment as she accepted the arrangement.

After resting for a moment, Chu Ke put her straw hat back on. She placed the used wet wipes in a corner of the tricycle, ensuring she didn’t leave any litter behind.

The heavily loaded tricycle required some effort even on flat ground. Without Chu Ke needing to consciously slow down, Wen Qingyun followed easily.

“Little Chu! Little Chu, wait!” After riding about two hundred meters, a voice called out.

Wen Qingyun looked back to see an elderly man carrying a back-basket, waving at Chu Ke. Chu Ke braked and hopped off the seat, stepping forward with concern. “Uncle, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Nothing major. I just wanted to ask if you’re heading back to the village with those potatoes.” The old man stopped near the tricycle with a simple, honest smile.

Without waiting for Chu Ke’s answer, he turned around, took off the basket, and rested it on the bags of potatoes. “Help me take these back. Just leave them at that spot I told you about last time.”

Chu Ke looked at the basket protruding from the cargo bed. It contained two large winter melons and some green vegetables—a substantial weight.

“Uncle, the basket won’t stay steady on top. Take the things out, and I’ll carry them back for you,” Chu Ke said, not refusing the request.

“Alright, then I’ll go cut some more vegetables,” the old man said. “Sorry to trouble you again, Little Chu. If you ever run out of greens, just come to my house and take some.”

Chu Ke maintained her smile and exchanged a few polite words with the man before watching him walk back toward the fields with his empty basket.

Wen Qingyun stood by silently the entire time. It wasn’t until Chu Ke had rearranged the winter melons and vegetables and sat back on the tricycle that she slowly followed.

“Teacher Chu Ke, if the way back was uphill, would you still have helped?” Wen Qingyun asked.

Chu Ke: “If I could manage it, I would help. It’s just a small favor.”

Wen Qingyun was noncommittal. “Teacher Chu Ke, I have a question for you.”

Chu Ke: “Go ahead, Teacher Wen.”

Wen Qingyun: “You’ve probably helped him many times. Have you ever received a voluntary gift of thanks? For example, a handful of greens?”

Chu Ke’s pedaling faltered for a second. “My job is to help the villagers escape poverty. I don’t take things from them for nothing.”

So, that’s a “no,” Wen Qingyun thought, letting out a light chuckle before falling silent.

No wonder Chu Ke didn’t react to her own behavior. Was she simply used to being exploited?

In that case, the deal Wen Qingyun made with Chu Ke actually seemed quite ethical—at least she provided the ingredients and was sharing the meal with her.

…

Back in the village, Chu Ke dropped off the winter melons and vegetables at the old man’s doorstep as promised, then pedaled to deliver the potatoes.

The five hundred pounds of potatoes were packed into more than ten bags. After parking the tricycle, Chu Ke began to haul them.

Unlike when they were first loaded, the semi-permeable woven bags had collected a lot of dust and grit during the bumpy ride. After moving just three bags, Chu Ke’s white shirt had turned a dusty yellow, and the areas soaked with sweat were stained brown.

An onlooker might see that Chu Ke was doing a good deed, but someone uninformed might think she had been kidnapped and forced into hard labor.

Chu Ke didn’t call Wen Qingyun over to finish the task that was originally hers, and Wen Qingyun was happy to remain idle, watching as she made over a dozen trips to move all the potatoes into the warehouse at the village entrance.

These potatoes weren’t for the villagers to eat; they were for sale. In about three days, a specialized buyer would come, and the potatoes in the warehouse would be sold for a few cents per pound—one of the vital ways the villagers earned a living.

“I’m going to take a shower. You can come to my place with the ingredients in half an hour, Teacher Wen,” Chu Ke said, using a towel to wipe her face.

Wen Qingyun straightened up slightly. “I’m quite lazy. Do you mind if I just go to your place directly after I grab the ingredients?”

Chu Ke’s hand paused as she folded the towel. “I don’t mind. Shall I go with you to pick up the reward?”

“Sure.” Wen Qingyun took two steps toward Chu Ke, stopping less than half a meter away.

Chu Ke was a bit surprised by the proximity. She knew she looked a mess right now—she was physically covered in dust. If she appeared on a city street like this, passersby would avoid her.

Wen Qingyun didn’t do much. She simply reached out and plucked a piece of dry grass caught in Chu Ke’s hair, tossing it onto the ground.

Having done this, Wen Qingyun stepped back, tilted her head, and smiled at Chu Ke. “Let’s go, Teacher Chu Ke. I want some air conditioning.”

“Al—alright,” Chu Ke replied, a beat late.

Wen Qingyun had stepped away, but her perfume lingered in the air around Chu Ke. It was an elegant, refined scent that the villagers never wore. It smelled wonderful.

…

Chu Ke’s residence in the village was right next to the activity center—a standalone small house of about eighty square meters. The doors and windows had anti-theft bars, and it came with a kitchen and bathroom. It was essentially a government employee dormitory.

Wen Qingyun dropped the bag of ingredients onto the kitchen counter and then settled comfortably onto the two-seater sofa in the living room, pulling out her phone.

Hearing the sound of the shower from the bathroom, Wen Qingyun put her phone down and began to look around Chu Ke’s home. The furniture looked old, but the appliances were new. The bedroom had its own door and was locked when no one was home to ensure security.

After a quick scan, Wen Qingyun’s gaze landed on the cabinet separating the kitchen and living room. Several books and photo frames were placed on top.

The first photo was of Chu Ke and her colleagues in front of their agency’s gate. There were ten people in total; six of them looked as young as Chu Ke.

The second photo was of Chu Ke with two white-haired elders. The elders were sitting on chairs while Chu Ke crouched in the middle; all three were smiling happily.

The last photo was of Chu Ke with three small girls. The girls looked thin and dark, showing signs of malnutrition. They were making peace signs, and their smiles revealed several missing teeth. The expressions on all four faces were incredibly radiant.

The background of the photo was a clean, bright classroom. Judging by the view outside the window, it was likely a “Hope Primary School” built at the foot of the mountain.

Wen Qingyun couldn’t judge their exact grades, but she could see the brand-new red scarves around their necks and the stacks of textbooks with hand-wrapped covers on the desks.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons Chu Ke is willing to stay here?