The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 85.1

Lai the Cripple was arrested by the police that night.

The villagers had just finished dinner and were preparing for their evening stroll when they heard the news.

“Why was Lai the Cripple arrested? Must be something serious.”

After all, Lai had often been involved in petty theft, but he had never been arrested before. This time, it had to be something major.

“I say, he should’ve been locked up long ago. Because of him, our village has never been peaceful. My daughter doesn’t even dare to go out at night.”

“Speaking of which, I saw Lai harassing the mute girl from the east end not long ago.”

“Lately, Xiaoyu has been staying at Nanshu’s place, which isn’t bad. The Qin family only has the grandmother and grandson, so having Xiaoyu around gives them some company.”

“Do you think Nanshu really likes that girl from the Gu family?”

In just a short time, the aunties had already jumped through several topics.

“That’s all baseless gossip. At noon today, I passed by the Gu family and heard Gu Sihuan say it herself, she and Nanshu are just close friends, nothing inappropriate going on.”

“Better not be, or that’d be downright perverted.”

Since Chiyu had been staying with them, Qin Granny had been the one doing the mending. But now, Chiyu had taken over all of it.

Qin Granny sat beside her, teaching her the stitches. When she saw Tang Jing come in from outside, she suddenly asked, “Was Lai the Cripple’s arrest your doing?”

That afternoon, Qin Granny had been dozing lightly when she heard movement outside, followed by the sound of a bicycle being wheeled away.

At first, she thought a thief had entered the yard. But when she went out to check, she saw her granddaughter riding the bicycle down the path, heading straight for town.

Initially, Qin Granny didn’t think much of it, assuming she had gone to look for work again. But that evening, news broke that Lai the Cripple had been arrested by the police in town, and she immediately thought of her granddaughter.

It was just too much of a coincidence so much so that she couldn’t help but suspect.

“Yeah,” Tang Jing admitted without hiding anything. She closed the door, sat down beside them, and said honestly, “When I went to town this morning to look for work, I also visited a few other villages and gathered some dirt on Lai’s misdeeds. He’s done plenty of stealing, and the total amount was just enough to warrant a charge.”

“But I didn’t expect that when I reported him, the police were already investigating Lai.” Since it was just family behind closed doors, Tang Jing lowered her voice. “I heard a girl went missing in Xiagou Village recently. According to the villagers there, she was last seen with Lai before she disappeared.”

Chiyu’s hands trembled in fright, and the needle pricked her finger, drawing a bead of blood. She quickly put her finger in her mouth.

“Are you okay?” Seeing how scared she was, Tang Jing didn’t elaborate further. There wasn’t much else to say anyway, the police wouldn’t disclose more details to civilians to avoid unnecessary panic.

Chiyu shook her head. She thought back to that night when Lai had tried to drag her away. She had been holding a knife at the time, which was the only reason she hadn’t been taken. If she had been pulled away, would she have ended up like…

That night, Chiyu was plagued by nightmares.

Tang Jing was half-asleep when she heard Chi Yu murmuring in her sleep beside her, clearly in a state of extreme panic. Softly, she called out, “Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu.”

“Mmmmmm…” Chi Yu shook her head in her sleep, her entire body resisting as if trying to escape something. Finally, she was jolted awake, sitting up abruptly, sweating and gasping for breath.

Tang Jing turned on the light and moved to her side, gently patting her back as she soothed, “Your sister is here, don’t be afraid.”

Ever since Grandma passed away, Chi Yu hadn’t shed a single tear because she knew no one would care, no one would comfort her.

But now, hearing Tang Jing’s gentle voice, her tears spilled uncontrollably. Clutching the older girl’s clothes, she buried her face in her embrace and wept quietly.

Tang Jing shifted to cradle her, legs slightly apart, patting her back and murmuring, “Good girl, don’t be scared.” She then stroked her head and whispered, “Pat the fur, pat the fur, good baby won’t be scared.”

It was a local saying something parents would say to comfort a frightened child.

Hearing those familiar words, Chi Yu cried even harder.

Maybe it was the lingering terror from her nightmare. Or maybe it was the fact that after years of enduring the darkness alone, a warm light had finally broken through so warm that she couldn’t help but cling to it, unwilling to let go.

“Mmm, mmm,” Chi Yu leaned back slightly and gestured something.

Tang Jing watched, thought for a moment, then understood she was referring to being a child bride.

Normally, Chi Yu never dared to ask for anything, afraid of burdening others or overstepping and ruining their kindness.

But this time, she wanted something desperately. She was willing to trade anything for it.

The light cast their silhouettes onto the curtains.

Worried someone passing by might see, Tang Jing reached out and flicked the switch, plunging the room back into darkness.

Yet this time, Chi Yu wasn’t afraid at all because she was nestled in Tang Jing’s warm embrace.

Tang Jing continued patting her back and asked, “Do you know what being a child bride means?”

“Mmm.” Chi Yu nodded, gripping her clothes, her thumbs pressing together as her face flushed slightly.

Tang Jing chuckled, teasing her, “So Xiao Yu even knows about kissing?”

Chi Yu grew shy, she had only learned about it by accident before.

“Being a child bride means you’ll be my little wife. From now on, you’ll belong to our family. You’ll have to listen to me in everything, if I tell you to go east, you can’t go west. You’ll have to work, take care of Grandma, and serve me.” Tang Jing began to scare her.

But Chi Yu wasn’t frightened at all. In their village, many wives served their husbands this way. She patted her chest, signaling she could handle it.

“And if I bully you, you can’t cry. If I scold you, you can’t throw a tantrum or leave,” Tang Jing continued intimidating her.

Chi Yu widened her eyes. That sounded unreasonably domineering nothing like how a wife should be treated. But the room was too dark for her to see Tang Jing’s expression, only a faint outline.

“Mmm.” She nodded again. If she had to, she’d cry in secret. If scolded, she could always turn to Grandma.

At that thought, Chi Yu’s eyes brightened, it was a perfect plan.

Little did Tang Jing know, the girl had already found herself a protector.

Tang Jing smiled and patted her head, saying, “Alright, it’s getting late. Go to sleep soon; we have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Mm.” Seeing that she wasn’t continuing the topic of whether she could become her child bride, Chi Yu felt uneasy, but she didn’t dare press further she had already used up all her courage just moments ago.

Tang Jing wandered around the town and decided to start by setting up a street stall. Since she didn’t have much capital, she didn’t stock much, only six items. When she brought the clothes home, Grandma Qin scolded her, “Why did you buy so many clothes? How much money did you spend? How are we supposed to live like this?”

Grandma Qin thought her granddaughter was starting to squander the family fortune.

Tang Jing quickly explained, “Grandma, these aren’t for me to wear.”

“Not for you? Then who are they for? Don’t tell me they’re for that girl from the Gu family.” Grandma Qin immediately grew agitated, grabbing Tang Jing’s ear. “If you dare buy clothes for her, I’ll beat you to death today!”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Tang Jing hadn’t expected the old woman to resort to physical force so quickly, leaving her no chance to explain. Afraid that Grandma might actually grab a stick and hit her, she hurriedly said, “No, these are for selling!”

“Selling?” Grandma Qin loosened her grip slightly, her expression puzzled.

“Yes.” Finally freeing her ear from Grandma’s grasp, Tang Jing rubbed it and continued, “Yesterday, when I went to town to look for a job, I wasn’t actually job-hunting, I was scouting the market. Instead of working for someone else, I’d rather be my own boss.”

“With just these few clothes?” Grandma Qin eyed the garments skeptically.

Tang Jing scratched her cheek sheepishly, avoiding her grandmother’s gaze. “Well, I don’t have much capital to start with.” Then she added firmly, “But once I sell these, I’ll have more money to buy more stock, and then I can sell even more. Later, when I have enough, I can rent a shop in town and sell even bigger.”

Seeing how determined she was, Grandma Qin fell silent for a moment. She didn’t understand business, but she knew that to make money real money these days, you had to start your own venture.

“But, what if they don’t sell?” That was Grandma Qin’s biggest worry. Just by the fabric quality, she could tell these clothes weren’t cheap. If they ended up unsold, she’d be heartbroken.

“Tomorrow’s market day. I’ll take them there, and I guarantee they’ll sell,” Tang Jing said.

For now, that was all they could do.

In the afternoon, Tang Jing worked in the yard, building a freestanding clothes rack so customers could browse more easily.

Chi Yu crouched nearby, handing her tools.

Tang Jing had only bought women’s clothing, it sold better.

To attract more customers the next day, she had also bought some ribbons and a set of stylish hangers while purchasing the clothes. Once she finished assembling the rack and decorated it with the ribbons, the plain wooden frame instantly looked much more eye-catching.

Chi Yu’s eyes sparkled as she admired it, clearly taken with the rack.

Tang Jing said, “If you like it, I’ll make one for you next time.”

It was too late today she wouldn’t have time to make another. Besides, she needed to sleep early to prepare for the market tomorrow.

That night, Tang Jing felt nothing out of the ordinary, but Chi Yu was so excited she tossed and turned in bed.

Tang Jing finally had no choice but to hold her in her arms, murmuring drowsily, “Xiao Yu, go to sleep quickly.”

Chi Yu immediately stopped moving, nestling in Sister Nan’s embrace, her face flushed red.

As for their interaction, the system couldn’t issue any warnings because their dynamic was also present in the original novel simply a sisterly relationship.

The next day, before dawn had even broken, Tang Jing was already up. She went to the kitchen first to prepare breakfast.

By the time Grandma and Xiao Yu woke up, her breakfast was ready.

At the dining table, Grandma Qin reminded them, “Be careful on your way there.”

“Got it, Grandma,” Tang Jing replied, picking up a piece of pickled vegetable for her.

Chi Yu was going with her today, and the two set off right after breakfast.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, they ran into Gu Sihuan, whom they hadn’t seen in days.

Ever since the village started spreading rumors about their romantic involvement, Gu Sihuan had stayed away to avoid suspicion.

Today, she had unintentionally wandered over to this side and spotted Tang Jing pushing a bicycle with a clothes rack mounted on it. The little mute was sitting at the back, clutching a cloth bundle that looked stuffed full.

“Nan Shu, what are you two up to?” Gu Sihuan blocked their path directly.

“Going to the market in town,” Tang Jing answered without hiding anything. After all, the villagers would find out sooner or later. Besides, she was following the plot now and had no reason to conceal anything from Gu Sihuan.

“The market?” Gu Sihuan touched the decorated clothes rack. “Selling the rack?”

“Clothes,” Tang Jing said. “I bought a few pieces wholesale and plan to sell them at the market.”

“How did you come up with the idea to sell clothes?” Gu Sihuan was surprised she had never heard Tang Jing mention this before. Glancing at the bulging bundle, she guessed it contained the clothes they were going to sell. “There’s so little here. How much can you even earn?”

“Small amounts add up. It’s a little now, but it’ll grow later,” Tang Jing replied.

Gu Sihuan wasn’t convinced but didn’t press further. Instead, she turned her gaze to Chi Yu and, without any regard for her presence, bluntly asked Tang Jing, “How long is she staying at your place? And now you’re taking her along to sell clothes?”

“It’s not safe for her to live alone, so Grandma had her stay with us. It’s just one more mouth to feed anyway.” Tang Jing hadn’t expected her to say this in front of Chi Yu and quickly defended her. “It’s my first time selling clothes, so having her with me makes me less nervous.”

Gu Sihuan found Chi Yu irritating no matter what, and seeing Tang Jing constantly with her only deepened her dislike. Rolling her eyes, she said, “I doubt you’ll sell much. I’m off.” And with that, she walked away.

Tang Jing wanted to call her back, but the other girl left without hesitation.

Watching her retreating figure, Tang Jing stood still for a moment before turning to Chi Yu behind her. “Let’s go too.”

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