Transmigrated as the Husband of a Vicious Villainess - Chapter 19

After riding around the village with He Xiangyue, Ji Baiqing returned to find Li Wenwen standing in the yard, looking a bit puzzled.

“Wenwen, you’re on break?”

The bicycle came to a stop in the yard, and He Xiangyue hopped off.

“Wenwen, why didn’t you go inside and sit?”

Li Wenwen scratched her head. “You weren’t home just now. I saw a beautiful sister in your house… I tried to talk to her, but she didn’t pay me any mind.”

Wen Miao wasn’t usually an arrogant person, so Ji Baiqing felt a surge of concern. Was she feeling unwell?

“That’s the educated youth staying with us,” she explained. “Wenwen, go inside and sit for a bit. I’ll talk to you more in a while.”

With that, Ji Baiqing hurried toward the bedroom.

Opening the door, she saw Wen Miao sitting by the window, looking down at a book. She stepped forward and used the back of her hand to check the temperature of Wen Miao’s forehead, not getting angry even when the other girl turned her face away to dodge the touch.

She asked in a low voice, “Are you feeling unwell, Wen Miao?”

Wen Miao. Wenwen.

The difference in intimacy between these two names was easy to distinguish.

Wen Miao shook her head and said nothing. Seeing her like this made Ji Baiqing even more worried. She crouched down, looking up at Wen Miao, her voice gentle:

“Is our Wen Miao unhappy? What’s wrong? Can you tell me?”

Wen Miao’s eyes felt a bit sour. She shook her head but finally spoke. “It’s nothing,” she said.

Hearing her raspy voice, Ji Baiqing felt a pang of distress. But Wen Miao was stubborn; when she wasn’t ready to talk, no amount of coaxing would open her heart.

Ji Baiqing had once thought she was Wen Miao’s exception, but facing Wen Miao’s refusal to speak now, she felt a sense of frustration. What exactly happened? She’s unhappy and uncomfortable, yet she won’t say why.

She patiently reviewed the day’s events. “Is it that you don’t want me to slaughter pigs? Are you afraid I’ll smell like them?”

Wen Miao shook her head.

“Then is it because I took my mother for a ride around the village and didn’t take you? Are you angry?” Still a shake of the head.

“Is it because I said the bicycle belongs to the Ji family?” Wen Miao continued to shake her head.

Ji Baiqing wanted to say more, but then a hot tear fell onto her arm resting on Wen Miao’s lap. She froze and looked at Wen Miao’s face.

The girl’s eyes were red, and tears were falling one by one, though she bit her lip to keep from making a sound. Ji Baiqing reached out to wipe the tears away, but before her hand could touch the girl’s face, Wen Miao dodged.

Wen Miao blocked her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up, not wanting Ji Baiqing to see her looking so pathetic.

“Please go out. I want to be alone,” she said, her voice incredibly hoarse.

Ji Baiqing’s chest felt tight, her breathing heavy. In the end, she left the bedroom without a word.

Looking up at the blue sky, Ji Baiqing cursed under her breath. She felt a bit like crying too. They had been so happy when they left this morning. At what point did things go wrong? She couldn’t figure it out.

After calming down at the door for a while, Ji Baiqing went to the main hall, where Li Wenwen was helping He Xiangyue sort vegetables. When she saw Ji Baiqing, Li Wenwen stood up and pulled her down onto a stool, asking curiously:

“Who was that beautiful sister just now?”

“A new educated youth.”

Seeing that Li Wenwen wanted to keep chatting, Ji Baiqing realized she simply didn’t have the energy. She rubbed her brow and made an excuse: “Li Wenwen, you should head back. My dad wants me to turn the soil in the fields this afternoon. If I don’t go now, I’ll get scolded.”

With that, she ignored Li Wenwen and actually headed to the fields with a hoe.

After turning several plots of land, Ji Baiqing was drenched in sweat. Sitting on the ridge to rest, her mind was still full of Wen Miao. She suddenly slammed her fist against the ground. Where did it go wrong?!

After turning the soil, she went back once to scatter the vegetable seeds they bought today. As she passed her room, her gaze lingered on the tightly closed door, making her feel even more restless. She wondered if Wen Miao was still crying.

Realizing what she was thinking, Ji Baiqing cursed her own lack of resolve. She turned her head away, deciding that what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over, and strode off to fetch two buckets of water.

Ji Baiqing spent the entire afternoon in the fields, finishing work by herself that would usually take two people two days. Before she knew it, the sun was sinking in the west, painting the clouds pink and orange. The sky was magnificent, a tapestry of shifting colors.

After venting her internal frustrations through hard labor, Ji Baiqing felt much clearer. Just as she was pouring the last ladle of water, He Xiangyue came to call her for dinner.

“Baiqing, dinner’s ready! Come back!” Her voice was loud, reaching Ji Baiqing from a distance.

Ji Baiqing called back in response and gathered the farm tools and buckets. Before heading home, she went to the river to wash off the mud. The cool water lowered the temperature of her sun-drenched cheeks.

However, once the water dried, her cheeks felt a stinging, burning pain. Thin skin was a disadvantage in that regard; she burned easily. The afternoon sun had been fierce, and in her anger, she hadn’t taken any precautions. Without a mirror, Ji Baiqing guessed her face was probably beet red.

Back home, He Xiangyue was shocked when she saw her daughter’s flushed face. “Why didn’t you wear a straw hat to the fields?”

Ji Baiqing shook her head gloomily. “I forgot. It’s fine, it’ll get better in a few days.”

He Xiangyue set the dishes on the table and glared at her. “A twenty-year-old girl and you still can’t make me worry less.” With that, she went out, likely to find some aloe vera from a neighbor.

Today, Ji Wei had gone to the commune with the village chief for a meeting that would likely last a day or two. Ji Baiqing sat alone in the empty hall, looking at the food on the table—which could be considered a feast compared to previous days—but she still couldn’t find her mood.

There was braised pork, radish and bone soup, and a plate of bright green lettuce. Wen Miao liked this braised pork.

Suddenly, Ji Baiqing slapped her own head in frustration. How could I be thinking about that bad woman again!

After making up countless awkward excuses for herself, Ji Baiqing finally walked to the bedroom door and turned the handle, peeking in to see what the other was doing.

When she saw the woman sleeping on the bed with flushed cheeks, she immediately felt even angrier. Here she was, working herself to death in the fields like an ox out of spite, while this person was lying in bed sleeping so soundly!

Despite these thoughts, she subconsciously lightened her movements, walking to the bedside to look down at Wen Miao’s sleeping face. The image of the woman as sickly and weak was deeply ingrained in her mind, so she reached out to check her temperature. Finding it normal, she relaxed.

A few pieces of paper were scattered on the desk, things Wen Miao had used. Ji Baiqing didn’t pry into her privacy; she simply gathered the items together. After hesitating for a long time, she cleared her throat.

“Wen Miao, get up and eat.”

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