The Guide to Faking Innocence to Win His Wife - Chapter 24

The so-called Cai Hua Shan was a unique ethnic festival exclusive to Jiang Town. On that day, the leading elders would guide the town’s youth downstream by boat. They would first pay respects to the River God, then proceed toward the Mountain God to erect the “Flower Pole” and worship the heaven, the earth, and all living things.

Afterward, the community would gather to make Hong Tuan (red rice cakes), ride the Tian Che (Heavenly Wheel), and sing folk songs in an antiphonal style. If two people caught each other’s eye, they would trade verses back and forth; within a few days, their story would become a charming local tale.

 

Xie Zhiyi had only heard of its fame before and had once lamented that she had arrived too late in the season. Now that she could finally witness it with her own eyes, she was in high spirits, a faint smile gracing her lips.

 

Looking out, the once somewhat dilapidated Jiang Town was now teeming with people. Tourists and locals mingled together, packing the riverside concrete road to capacity. This was likely the liveliest time of year for this gradually declining tourist town. Many families had set up small stalls in front of their homes; regardless of the taste or quality, they all seemed incredibly popular.

 

Standing beside her, the tall Jiang Zhongmu was dressed in her usual simple attire. She held two hundred yuan in her hand, squinting toward the distance. This money had been pressed into her palm by the Grandmother before they left. For some reason, when Grandmother heard they were going out together that afternoon, she was overjoyed. She insisted on giving Jiang Zhongmu the two hundred yuan, telling her to take good care of her “Sister.”

 

Don’t look down on two hundred yuan as being too little; the cost of living in Jiang Town was low. A bowl of bean curd was only three yuan—there was no telling how much food that two hundred could buy. Furthermore, Grandmother had specifically ordered them to spend every cent before returning. She threatened to search them at the door and wouldn’t allow a single yuan to remain.

 

The two of them had been stuck between laughter and tears. What could they do? They had to listen to Grandmother; they certainly couldn’t just throw the money away.

 

But spending it proved difficult. Every household was a relative or an acquaintance. Whenever they tried to hand over money, it would be pushed back, often with an extra snack added for free, accompanied by a stern lecture: “Why are you being so polite with your Uncle/Auntie? Your father is my so-and-so.”

 

Fine—who would dare try to give money after that?

 

Consequently, Jiang Zhongmu and Xie Zhiyi had completed a full lap of the area and were still clutching that same two hundred yuan.

 

“Walk a bit slower,” a soft, mellow voice came from behind.

 

Jiang Zhongmu’s footsteps faltered. The large stride she had just started was instantly cut in half. She wiped her sweaty palm on the corner of her shirt before reaching back to grasp the hand that was tugging at her hem.

 

She turned her head slightly, explaining in a low voice, “It’s crowded. Don’t get lost.”

 

The person behind her followed half a step slower. She didn’t show any sign of resistance, merely turning her head to look the other way, which served as a silent consent.

 

Jiang Zhongmu breathed a small sigh of relief. Despite having done much more intimate things, she still felt nervous just holding hands. The cool hand was carefully enveloped as she led the way through the bustling crowd. The bright sunlight fell, and the river flowed as usual.

 

“Do you want to eat this?” After a few more steps, Jiang Zhongmu looked down and asked.

 

Following her gaze, one could see a small clump being pinched from a white, clean mound of mochi. It was stretched into a long strip and tossed lightly into a vat of boiling oil, where it immediately began to tumble and flip.

 

“Once the outside is fried to a crisp, it’s tossed in powdered sugar. It’s crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. It tastes quite good,” Jiang Zhongmu explained.

 

Xie Zhiyi hesitated. She had already eaten quite a few small snacks before this…

 

“Want a taste?”

 

The hand holding hers tightened. The weather was already hot, and even a short time in the sun felt stifling, let alone with the two of them pressed together.

 

“Never mind, I’m full,” the elder replied, her refusal rational despite the tempting food.

 

“Just have a taste, I’ll eat the rest,” Jiang Zhongmu said, seeing her interest. Her expression was open and frank, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

 

Xie Zhiyi, however, frowned slightly.

 

This gesture was overly intimate—a level of intimacy rarely seen even in romantic relationships, and something Xie Zhiyi had never considered before.

 

“Hmm?” Seeing no answer, Jiang Zhongmu leaned down slightly, letting out a questioning sound.

 

“No need…” Xie Zhiyi refused again, but she had forgotten that this girl was always full of quiet mischief; she couldn’t be refused so easily.

 

Hardly had the words left her mouth when she saw Jiang Zhongmu call out to the vendor, “Uncle, give me one portion.”

 

“You got it!” the middle-aged man across from them responded cheerfully. After getting a clear look at her, he laughed and shouted, “Is that you, Zhongmu? Why aren’t you with Xun and the others? They’re supposed to be riding the Heavenly Wheel today—it’s ten meters high!”

 

“I don’t feel like messing around with them,” Jiang Zhongmu waved her hand, adding, “Uncle, give it an extra coating for me. Use plenty of sugar.”

 

The man was quick to agree. “Sure thing!”

 

It was another acquaintance; the two hundred yuan remained unspent.

 

As the oil sizzled, Jiang Zhongmu shielded Xie Zhiyi by her side. As if finally remembering the “victim’s” opinion, she said gently, “It’s really good. Two bites won’t hurt.”

 

Xie Zhiyi glanced up at her. Why bother asking if she had already made up her mind?

 

Jiang Zhongmu smiled nonchalantly and leaned toward her. Being slightly taller than Xie Zhiyi, she bent down to whisper into her ear, “If you can’t finish it, give it to me. It’s not like I haven’t eaten your leftovers before.”

 

Xie Zhiyi was suddenly reminded of the candy from last night—the cool, sweet mint orb passed back and forth between their pressed lips and teeth.

 

In the end, she was no match for this girl’s thick skin. Xie Zhiyi opened her mouth, but only a low, powerless scolding came out: “Shameless.”

 

With so many people around them, she couldn’t believe this girl dared to say such a thing here.

 

Jiang Zhongmu smiled as she held her hand. Her features were clear and upright, giving her a very serious and steady appearance; even when saying such things, she looked as though she were reading a model essay in a classroom. She was simply, solemnly, and intentionally being wicked: “Are you shy? We’ve already kiss—”

 

Xie Zhiyi gave her hand a sharp tug as a warning.

 

Jiang Zhongmu was thick-skinned; not only did she not feel the pain, but she even curled her lips into a smirk, looking like a mischievous brat who had successfully pulled off a prank. The hand-holding that had started with one person lightly clutching a hem had finally turned into two hands firmly interlaced.

 

“Here you go, enjoy! If it’s not enough, come find your Uncle again!”

 

The long, deep-fried mochi strips were rolled several times in sugar until they were heavily coated, placed in a small plastic bag with two wooden skewers, and handed over.

 

Jiang Zhongmu quickly reached out to take them, smiling back. “Thanks, Uncle.”

 

“Nothing to thank me for!” the Uncle waved his hand, already busy frying for the next customer.

 

Business was booming, so Jiang Zhongmu didn’t stay to chat. She led Xie Zhiyi out of the crowd to a quieter spot by the river before stopping. She used a skewer to pick up a small piece and brought it to Xie’s lips. “Taste it?”

 

Children were probably like this—when they were good to you, they were incredibly good, wanting nothing more than to offer you the best things in the world with wide, eager puppy eyes, sincere and open.

 

But this act of feeding…

 

Xie Zhiyi still felt it was too intimate. After all, as an elder, she had long lost the unrestrained nature of youth, becoming reserved and subtle. This kind of behavior in public…

 

Xie Zhiyi thought of something, her eyelashes fluttering as she simply said, “I’ll do it myself.”

 

With that, she reached out to take the skewer, but the hand holding it remained motionless in mid-air.

 

Xie Zhiyi tugged at it.

 

Jiang Zhongmu just looked at her, her eyes half-lidded. Those light amber eyes were calm, making her look like a dog wagging its tail.

 

“I said I’ll do it myself,” Xie Zhiyi repeated, her tone emphasizing her expectation.

 

The person opposite her acted as though she hadn’t heard a thing, standing there as straight as a pole while the breeze blew the riverside willow branches, stroking the calm surface of the water.

 

Xie Zhiyi looked up at her, refusing to yield, annoyed by the girl’s tendency to push for more. You couldn’t be too indulgent with a child; otherwise, they would take an inch and want a mile. If you didn’t stop them in time, they’d soon be leaning in to press against your face.

 

Seeing that she refused, Jiang Zhongmu pursed her lips, visibly dejected. She explained in a low voice, “It’s too hot. It’s not convenient for you to hold.”

 

Xie Zhiyi ignored her and repeated the same sentence, determined to let the girl know what was acceptable and what was not.

 

“Just one bite,” Jiang Zhongmu took a step back in compromise.

 

“I’ll do it myself,” Xie Zhiyi refused to yield an inch.

 

People passed by in a constant, noisy stream, but Jiang Zhongmu’s face suddenly darkened. She stuffed the snack back into the plastic bag as if throwing a tantrum. “Fine, don’t eat it then.”

 

Usually, she was steady and mature, even meticulously thoughtful toward Xie Zhiyi. Although she had been a bit reckless yesterday, she had been careful in every way. This was the first time she had shown a bit of a temper.

 

However, the other woman had no intention of coaxing her, treating it merely as a child’s fit.

 

Their joined hands remained unsevered. Even in her pique, Jiang Zhongmu intentionally shielded her, making sure no one in the crowd bumped into her. The girl, with her stony face and tight jaw, continued her silent protest.

 

She felt it wasn’t a big deal, she truly was afraid Xie Zhiyi would burn herself. This “Ancestor” beside her had hands so soft and tender she barely dared to grip them for fear of breaking a bone; how could she let her hold something fresh out of the deep fryer?

 

On the other hand, she felt the act itself was nothing. It was just feeding someone—why care so much? After all, they had done much more intimate things last night…

 

Jiang Zhongmu glanced at her surreptitiously. Noticing the other’s coldness, her heart felt heavy again.

 

That was the nature of liking someone: get a bit of sweetness and you couldn’t help but grin, wanting to close the distance to the final step in three breaths. Encounter a bit of a setback, and you couldn’t help but feel miserable, repeatedly doubting yourself.

 

Jiang Zhongmu gritted her teeth. She wasn’t stupid; she had simply lost her sense of proportion in a moment of pride. Once she calmed down, she understood that Xie Zhiyi was intentionally distancing them.

 

Some things were permitted. Some things were absolutely not allowed.

 

She let out a soft breath and turned her head, saying gently, “You can eat it once it cools down a bit.”

 

Xie Zhiyi nodded in agreement, showing neither satisfaction nor surprise at the change in behavior, as if this was exactly how things should be. The light amber eyes dimmed, and the girl’s metaphorical tail sagged.

 

The elder turned away to look at the scenery on the other side.

 

Being a festival, the roadside snacks weren’t the only attraction. On a large, flat area, people dressed in striking ethnic costumes were gathered around a massive seesaw. The seesaw was a full ten meters high with no safety protection underneath—just a long wooden beam serving as a support with another long round log laid across it. To call it a seesaw was an understatement; it was excessively crude, lacking even a place to sit. Yet the surrounding crowd remained gathered there, with no one leaving.

 

“Interested?” Jiang Zhongmu spoke suddenly. Without waiting for an answer, she added, “It’s quite fun. I’ll take you over to see.”

 

She then pulled Xie Zhiyi along. Here, the benefits of being a local showed again. Jiang Zhongmu didn’t lead her into the dense wall of the crowd; instead, she headed for the only gap in the circle—the group dressed in ethnic costumes.

 

“Zhongmu?!”

 

Before they even reached them, someone spotted them and shouted. Looking closely, it was actually Jiang Gaoxun and his group.

 

“You finally decided to come out,” Jiang Nanxun, who was on good terms with her, said as he ran over, speaking bluntly.

 

“Are you guys going to ride the Heavenly Wheel?” Jiang Zhongmu ignored his previous comment.

 

“Yeah! You want to play? We happen to be short one person,” Jiang Nankai said nonchalantly, rubbing his buzz cut before looking at Xie Zhiyi behind her.

 

“Not interested. I just brought her to watch,” Jiang Zhongmu refused quickly, shifting her body slightly to shield the person behind her.

 

Possessiveness was at work; even with friends she had grown up with, she was intentionally protective, disliking them looking at Xie Zhiyi.

 

“You really…” Jiang Nankai couldn’t help but notice her small movement. He awkwardly retracted his gaze and added, “Then take her to our area. There’s more space there. Everywhere else is packed like sardines; it’s uncomfortable.”

 

Before he could finish, the rest of the group walked over, greeting them one by one.

 

Behind her, Xie Zhiyi remained silent, watching quietly. She hadn’t expected the usually silent and brooding Jiang Zhongmu—who rarely went out—to have such a good reputation. The three boys she had seen last time surrounded her, while the others stood a step back but spoke with enthusiasm.

 

Xie Zhiyi noticed how they addressed Jiang Zhongmu.

 

Zhongmu-jie? (Older Sister Zhongmu?)

 

Looking at these thin, 1.8-meter-tall young men and then back at the comparatively slight Jiang Zhongmu, Xie Zhiyi felt an inexplicable sense of amusement and unintentionally tugged at the other’s hand.

 

The person in front, however, thought Xie Zhiyi was becoming impatient and urged the boys, “Hurry up and get over there, everyone is waiting.”

 

“Right, right, hurry. Uncle Lin is going to scold us.”

 

“Zhongmu-jie, you want to play? We can go together later?”

 

Jiang Zhongmu’s words were very effective; people immediately echoed her. Several of them surrounded the two of them as they walked back to the seesaw. One of them seemed to unintentionally fall behind by a step, ending up parallel to Xie Zhiyi, tilting his head to steal a few glances.

 

Xie Zhiyi said nothing, but Jiang Zhongmu noticed. Her eyes shifted, and she gave the boy a warning glare. The “Little Leopard” who acted pitifully in front of her “Sister” was acting quite majestic now.

 

The boy scratched his head, and for some reason, he pulled another person aside to whisper something in a low voice.

 

Xie Zhiyi didn’t notice any of this. She only saw Jiang Zhongmu finish dealing with the others and lean back toward her, explaining in a low voice, “This thing is called the Heavenly Wheel. It’s like a seesaw—one person lies flat on each end of the beam, and then they kick off to spin up and down.”

 

Xie Zhiyi nodded slightly.

 

“There used to be one outside of town that was also ten meters high. We used to play on it all the time, but later the elders said it was too dangerous. If you fall, you’ll get a fracture at best, and at worst…”

 

Jiang Zhongmu paused, not wanting to mention taboo words during a festival. She continued: “Afterward, they only set it up during festivals for strong young people like Xun to perform for the tourists.”

 

Xie Zhiyi indicated she understood. She was about to speak when she saw someone approach Jiang Zhongmu, gesturing for her to go to the other side to discuss something. This was the same youth who had been peeking at Xie Zhiyi earlier.

 

Seeing this, Xie Zhiyi released her hand.

 

Jiang Zhongmu’s expression darkened slightly as she followed the boy to the side.

 

Jiang Nanxun, who seemed carefree, was actually quite good at taking care of people. Once Jiang Zhongmu left, he found a stool nearby and handed it to Xie Zhiyi. Worried she might be bored, he chatted with her from time to time.

 

Xie Zhiyi was always gentle and polite in public, so she responded to him until Jiang Nanxun abruptly blurted out: “Oh no!”

 

What was “oh no”?

 

Xie Zhiyi instinctively followed his gaze. Jiang Zhongmu was walking back with a stony face, looking extremely angry.