The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 83.2

After lowering the mosquito net and tucking it securely under the mat to ensure no gaps, Tang Jing finally lay back down.

All three girls were slender, lying side by side with space between them.

Gu Sihuan, exhausted from the day, closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Tang Jing and Chi Yu, lying on the inner side, were still awake.

Especially Chi Yu, Gu Sihuan’s earlier words seemed to weigh on her heart, making her so uncomfortable she wanted to leave.

Tang Jing turned toward her and whispered close to her ear, “Don’t take her harsh words to heart. This is Grandma’s house, and you’re Grandma’s guest. Even I have no right to make you leave.”

Chi Yu hesitated, looking at her, only now realizing how close they were close enough to feel the warmth radiating from Nan-jie.

Her heart inexplicably settled, and she nodded softly with a quiet “Mm.”

“Good girl.” Tang Jing gently stroked the girl’s hair, now loosened from its braid, and whispered, “Go to sleep now.”

The next day, as the roosters outside began to crow and households started waking up, their room remained quiet.

Gu Sihuan leaned alone against the bedside, while Tang Jing had squeezed Chi Yu so close to the wall that she was nearly pressed against it.

The three of them were roused by the rooster’s crow. When Gu Sihuan woke up, she sat up and stretched lazily.

Tang Jing, upon opening her eyes, found a face right in front of her. She jerked her head back slightly before realizing it was Xiaoyu. Then she noticed she had squeezed the girl all the way to the innermost side of the bed. Embarrassed, she sat up and rubbed her nose.

Noticing her discomfort, Chi Yu covered her mouth and giggled.

Tang Jing said, “I don’t know how I ended up pushing you all the way over there last night.”

Chi Yu shook her head, indicating it was fine.

Gu Sihuan didn’t pay attention to them. Taking advantage of the fact that Granny Qin hadn’t yet gotten up, she said to Tang Jing, “Nanshu, I’ll head back first. I’ll come find you again when I have time.”

“Alright.”

Not long after she left, Granny Qin from the other room also woke up.

Hearing the noise, Tang Jing said, “Let’s get up too.”

Tang Jing didn’t know why Granny Qin had brought Xiaoyu home yesterday. Though curious, she didn’t press for answers. She went to the kitchen to cook porridge, fished out a few salted duck eggs from the earthen jar to boil, and took out some pickled vegetables from the cupboard. Breakfast was simple and quickly prepared.

“Granny, Xiaoyu, come eat,” Tang Jing called.

The morning air was fresh, so they carried small stools outside to eat in the courtyard, as was the custom in every household. Everyone was used to it.

While eating, Granny Qin said, “Lately, that scoundrel Lai the Lame has been lurking around the east end. I was worried about Xiaoyu, so I had her stay with us for a while.”

Only then did Tang Jing understand why Granny had brought Xiaoyu home. She nodded and said, “No problem. Xiaoyu can sleep with me. Her tiny frame doesn’t take up much space anyway.”

Chi Yu ate obediently without a word.

Thinking of this, Tang Jing recalled the wounds on Xiaoyu’s arm. She wasn’t sure if Granny knew about them and didn’t want to bring it up if it would cause worry. Later, she asked privately, “Were the wounds on your arm caused by Lai the Lame?”

Lai the Lame was a notorious troublemaker who did nothing productive, spending his days idling around. Teasing cats and dogs was one thing, but he particularly enjoyed harassing the young wives and girls in the village.

He used to wander around other villages, but recently, for some reason, he had started lurking in their own.

Tang Jing said, “Stick close to me from now on. Don’t go out alone. If you need to go back for anything, call me, and I’ll go with you.”

Chi Yu nodded. She knew Lai the Lame was a scoundrel, once you ran into him, it was hard to escape.

After breakfast, Tang Jing took a basket and brought Chi Yu to town to buy groceries.

“Go early and come back early,” Granny Qin reminded them.

“Got it, Granny,” Tang Jing replied before setting off with Chi Yu.

She rode her bicycle, with Chi Yu sitting on the back, arms wrapped around her waist.

The journey from the village to town took about an hour on foot, but cycling was faster. The dirt road was bumpy, so Tang Jing rode carefully to avoid tipping them into a ditch.

On either side stretched rice paddies, the young plants lush and green, swaying gently in the breeze.

The two of them wore straw hats on their heads, shielding themselves from the scorching sun.

They carried small water bottles, taking sips whenever they felt thirsty.

Half an hour later, the bicycle arrived in the town.

The town had been paved with cement roads, smooth and even, flanked by small multi-story buildings. The closer to the town center, the taller the buildings became.

“We’re here,” Tang Jing said as she got off the bike. Chi Yu followed, gripping the rear seat and looking around at the houses in the town.

Come to think of it, the last time she had visited the town was years ago. She hadn’t expected it to develop so rapidly in just a few years.

There was a vendor selling old-fashioned popsicles by the roadside. Tang Jing bought two, handing one to Chi Yu. They walked and ate, soon arriving at the market.

At the entrance were scattered vendors selling chickens, ducks, and geese, with baskets full of eggs.

Tang Jing’s basket also contained eggs, ones her grandmother had saved up over time, waiting until they had enough to sell in town.

She found a spot, parked the bike, set the basket on the ground, and deftly pulled out a small stool. The two of them sat on the stools as Tang Jing began hawking her goods with practiced ease.

Before long, an older woman came by and bought ten eggs.

This was the largest market in town, bustling with shoppers. Soon, all the eggs in Tang Jing’s basket were sold out. She packed up the basket and said to Chi Yu, “Come on, let’s go inside and buy some groceries.”

Vegetable stalls and meat vendors were deeper inside the market.

The crowd was dense, and to prevent Chi Yu from getting lost, Tang Jing held her hand.

Chi Yu felt Tang Jing’s larger hand enveloping her smaller one, and the joy made her dimples appear as she smiled.

Tang Jing focused on inspecting the vegetables at the stalls while Chi Yu, still holding her hand, looked around. Sometimes, when she was particularly happy, she would give Tang Jing’s hand a little shake. Tang Jing would instinctively tighten her grip, afraid she might lose her, which always made Chi Yu cover her mouth and giggle secretly.

Finally, they squeezed their way out of the crowd. Tang Jing let out a big sigh of relief, carrying a basket full of groceries. “Let’s go,” she said to Chi Yu. “We can explore some more before heading back.”

It was still early, and there was no need to return home just yet.

Since they were already in town, they might as well take a stroll.

Chi Yu nodded in agreement.

They pushed the bicycle along the road, admiring the clothes displayed in shop windows, which looked absolutely beautiful.

Tang Jing said, “When we have money, I’ll buy you one of those.”

Chi Yu shook her head, insisting she didn’t need it. She tugged at her own clothes, indicating that what she was wearing was just fine.

The outfit had originally belonged to Qin Nanshu, but it had become too small for her. On Chi Yu, it fit perfectly.

Chi Yu was half a head shorter than Tang Jing and ate sparingly, making her slender and somewhat frail-looking.

Spotting a vendor selling flatbread by the roadside, Tang Jing bought one and said, “Tomorrow morning, we can cook this for breakfast.”

Chi Yu nodded happily.

Once they had wandered enough, Tang Jing mounted the bicycle and said, “Alright, it’s time to head home. If we’re late, Grandma might get angry.”

Chi Yu didn’t believe for a second that Grandma Qin would actually scold them, she was far too kind. Smiling, she climbed onto the rear seat and wrapped her arms around Tang Jing’s waist.

Tang Jing pushed off, and the bicycle moved forward, making Chi Yu cling tighter.

On the way back to the village, Tang Jing rode carefully as always, humming a tune. Chi Yu, seated behind her, swayed her feet lightly, realizing she hadn’t stopped smiling all afternoon.

As they neared the village entrance, Tang Jing spotted someone and quickly braked, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

Chi Yu, who was behind, didn’t react in time and bumped her head into Tang Jing’s back. Rubbing her forehead in confusion, she wondered why Tang Jing had suddenly stopped.

“It’s Lai the Cripple,” Tang Jing whispered.

At the mention of Lai the Cripple’s name, Chi Yu was so frightened that she clung tightly to Tang Jing, burying her face against the small of Tang Jing’s back. It was clear she was terrified of him.

Tang Jing hadn’t expected to run into him here either.

Lai the Cripple at the village entrance had already spotted them.

Qin Nanshu wasn’t bad-looking, with well-defined facial features. His thin, single eyelids gave him a cold stare when he wasn’t smiling.

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