Transmigrated as the Husband of a Vicious Villainess - Chapter 25

Wen Miao turned her face and gave him a cold look, parting her lips to say, “Get lost.”

That icy beauty’s face made her look even more alluring, and Zhang Laizi’s lust grew even stronger.

“Hiss.” Zhang Laizi reached out, wanting to touch her, but was suddenly kicked from behind. With a sharp pain in his backside, the momentum sent him face-first into the ground.

“Ouch!”

Ji Baiqing pulled Wen Miao up and hid her behind her back.

“Zhang Laizi, what are you doing here?” The youth’s voice was freezing.

Upon seeing Ji Baiqing, the greed on Zhang Laizi’s face did not diminish; instead, it intensified. Ignoring the pain, he staggered to his feet, trying to get closer to them.

Seeing this, Wen Miao silently took a step back. With the obstacle gone, Ji Baiqing kicked him directly in the stomach. A wail followed, and Ji Baiqing bent down, grabbed his collar, and smashed a fist into his face, kicking and punching him.

Zhang Laizi was beaten until he cried out to the heavens, “Girl, girl, take it easy!”

“Ouch, ouch, I was wrong, I was wrong!”

Ji Baiqing said nothing. Seeing him on the ground, she simply pinned him down and threw punch after punch, each one hitting home.

Seeing Ji Baiqing’s eyes turn red, Wen Miao hurried forward to stop her, whispering, “Alright, Ji Baiqing, stop.”

With that one soft sentence, Ji Baiqing finally stood up.

Her hands were still trembling. Wen Miao stood beside her, looking at her with concern, and asked, “Are you okay?”

Ji Baiqing pushed her away. “Dirty.”

She had just touched Zhang Laizi; she felt filthy. She was unwilling to use that dirty hand to touch Wen Miao. She washed her hands in the water several times until they were scrubbed red, only stopping after Wen Miao’s soft persuasion.

When they turned around to look for Zhang Laizi, the man, having been brutally beaten, had long since lost his nerve and fled to who-knows-where.

She finally allowed herself to touch Wen Miao, holding her shoulders and saying seriously, “Do not go near that man. In the future, if he comes around, you run, run far away.”

Zhang Laizi was Wen Miao’s nightmare in the original book. The plot had accelerated, making him appear before Wen Miao early, but she would not let Wen Miao repeat the original tragedy.

Wen Miao sensed the tension in her tone. Though she found it a bit strange, she still nodded obediently. Ji Baiqing’s current state was clearly a bit off; she would just go along with whatever she said.

Seeing that Wen Miao had taken her words to heart, Ji Baiqing finally calmed down a bit. She picked up the farm tools and led the woman back home.

On the way back, she emphasized again, “Don’t go to the river alone. If you see Zhang Laizi, run, do you understand?”

Wen Miao nodded and acted spoiled toward her. “Alright, you’ve said it so many times, both my ears heard you!”

Seeing her charming and lively appearance, Ji Baiqing finally smiled again. Seeing this, Wen Miao breathed a sigh of relief.

During dinner that evening, Ji Baiqing told He Xiangyue and Ji Wei about what happened at the river. After hearing her words, Ji Wei dropped his chopsticks, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to run out, roaring, “That son of a dog! I’m going to beat him to death today!”

He Xiangyue held him back firmly and gave him a sharp slap. “Enough! What are you making a scene for? Do you think you’ve held your position as secretary for too long?”

Ji Baiqing and Wen Miao exchanged a look, both feeling a bit helpless.

Finally, Ji Baiqing spoke up, “Dad, just give him more work usually. Have someone watch him work so he doesn’t spend all day idling and wandering around the village.”

Ji Wei slapped the table, his eyebrows raised in anger. “That grandson of a turtle! Tomorrow I’ll make him dig the river channel and watch him personally to see if he still dares to slack off!”

Even though she had informed her parents, Ji Baiqing still felt uneasy lying in bed that night, thinking of ways to solve this man permanently.

Wen Miao noticed the anxiety of the person beside her and shifted closer, nesting herself into Ji Baiqing’s embrace. She comforted her softly, “Alright, it’s already passed. Why are you still thinking about it?”

In her arms was the fragrant and soft beauty. Ji Baiqing inhaled her familiar scent and let out a soft breath. Fearing she would worry, she gave Wen Miao’s back a reassuring pat.

“Alright, go to sleep. There’s work to do tomorrow.”

Wen Miao nodded. “You too.”

After being beaten by Ji Baiqing, Zhang Laizi didn’t dare go home, fearing she would come looking for more trouble. Instead, he limped into the cornfield to hide.

Sitting in the cornfield, he casually grabbed a tender ear of corn and chewed on it. The corn was only about the size of a palm and was gone in a few bites. Tossing the cob behind him, he grimaced at the wounds on his body, feeling a wave of resentment toward that Ji girl.

Wasn’t it just a few words? He hadn’t actually taken advantage of her, yet she dared to strike with such lethal intent. As his injuries grew more painful, he became angrier. Looking toward the Ji house from afar, a plan suddenly formed in his mind.

Since that Ji Baiqing girl was so merciless toward him, he didn’t need to show them any respect either.

He waited until late into the night when the thick darkness obscured everything and only a few dim stars hung in the sky. No one in the village kept dogs, which made doing things much more convenient.

He stealthily arrived at the entrance of the Ji home in the silence. In these times, the courtyards were surrounded by fences; one could enter just by opening the gate. He had passed the Ji house several times and knew where Ji Baiqing’s room was.

At the thought of two beauties sleeping in bed waiting for him, he let out a slurping sound and sucked in his drool. The kitchen door was locked; he poked the wire he brought inside, and the lock was easily opened.

He crept to Ji Baiqing’s bedroom door and continued to pick the lock with the wire. With great effort, the door opened. But as he pushed it open, a blinding light immediately hit his eyes, and a club fell onto his head with full force.

With a thud, Zhang Laizi’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Ji Baiqing’s hands were shaking as she held the club. Seeing that the intruder was indeed Zhang Laizi, with whom they had crossed paths today, a flash of satisfaction crossed her eyes.

Wen Miao was still sleeping. She threw the club aside and woke He Xiangyue and the others before letting Wen Miao get up and change. The family began to deliberate.

Seeing that Zhang Laizi actually had the audacity to come to their home, He Xiangyue gave him a few extra kicks. Ji Wei was even stronger; he grabbed his arm and dragged him across the ground like a dead pig all the way to the central room. Finally, he took a hemp rope, tied him up, and hung him directly from the evergreen tree at the entrance.

He Xiangyue fetched a basin of water in the dark. Ji Baiqing shone a flashlight on Zhang Laizi while He Xiangyue splashed the water onto his face. Before long, he woke up.

Before he could see clearly who was in front of him, a massive palm landed on his face, making him wail repeatedly.

“Ouch! Ouch! I was wrong! Auntie, please let me go!”

Thinking the person hitting him was still Ji Baiqing, Zhang Laizi pleaded desperately, hoping she would soften her heart. However, the person slapping him was Ji Wei. Hearing him still mentioning his daughter, his face turned even darker.

To the side, He Xiangyue perceptively handed him a leather belt. After taking the belt, Ji Wei used it quite skillfully. He lashed Zhang Laizi once. “I’ll teach you to target my daughter!”

“I’ll teach you to pick my lock in the middle of the night!”

“Do you know your mistake now?”

Zhang Laizi was beaten until his whole body ached, pleading repeatedly, “Brother Ji, Brother Ji, I was wrong! I won’t dare to do it again!”

Ji Wei gave him two more lashes, gritting his teeth. “You still think about a next time!”

Zhang Laizi’s screams were so piercing that the quiet village suddenly became lively. Many people draped a jacket over themselves and followed the sound to the Ji family gate.

“What’s going on, Ji Wei?” someone asked curiously. Although Zhang Laizi was known for stealing and general mischief, it wasn’t common to treat him this way.

Ji Wei roared, “This guy picked the lock to steal from my house and happened to fumble into my room. I caught him, so of course I have to give him a good beating!”

Hearing this explanation, everyone understood. Seeing the usually shameless “mangy dog” getting his lesson, many villagers who had been tricked by him before felt it was a great relief.

Having made such a fuss late at night, Ji Wei told the three women in the family to go back to sleep. He sat on a stool and guarded Zhang Laizi, leaving him hanging all night.

Early the next morning, Ji Wei took a day off and, together with He Xiangyue, escorted him to the police station. Their statement to the police was the same as the truth from the night before.

Zhang Laizi was naturally locked up by the police. A few days later, he was sentenced and sent to a farm for three years of labor reform.

Hearing this news, Ji Baiqing finally breathed a sigh of relief. The college entrance exam would be restored in 1977, and by 1978, they would have long since left Yunshui Village, so they wouldn’t need to worry about Zhang Laizi’s revenge. She thought that since Zhang Laizi was dealt with, Wen Miao wouldn’t have to repeat the tragedy of the original book.

Noticing Ji Baiqing’s gaze on her, Wen Miao turned her head and looked at her with some confusion. The sunlight cast a golden glow over the top of her head, making her light-colored eyes look even more translucent, appearing innocent and pure. The great beauty who had not yet experienced the torments of the original book had a very strong sense of purity about her now.

Ji Baiqing rubbed her hair and said with a smile, “Congratulations.”

Wen Miao was a bit bewildered. Congratulations for what?

However, when she asked Ji Baiqing, she only shook her head and smiled without saying a word. This caused Wen Miao to give her a few punches, but Ji Baiqing only felt they were light and powerless.

She wrapped her hand around Wen Miao’s and said cheerfully, “Alright, it’s fine now. Didn’t you say last time you wanted to go to the mountain to pick mint leaves to make flower water? Shall I take you today?”

Hearing her mention this, Wen Miao’s attention was instantly diverted, and she nodded.

The weather was getting hotter now. Yunshui Village had many mountains and trees, so mosquitoes naturally increased, buzzing incessantly in one’s ears. Mosquito nets were hung in their rooms, and they had to spend ten minutes killing mosquitoes with a flashlight before bed; otherwise, they were guaranteed to wake up covered in bites.

Especially Wen Miao, whose skin was delicate and whose blood was “sweet,” making her a prime target for mosquitoes. Ji Baiqing felt bad seeing this and wanted to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a bottle of flower water, but was stopped. Wen Miao said she wanted to make it herself: first, because she had nothing to do at home and could pass the time, and second, because making it herself would save some money.

Previously, they were afraid of meeting Zhang Laizi on the mountain, but now that the matter was resolved, Ji Baiqing was naturally willing to fulfill Wen Miao’s wish.

Seeing Wen Miao change into a pink long-sleeved shirt and trousers, Ji Baiqing placed a straw hat on her head. She also put on her own hat and bag, carrying a bottle of water, a small hoe, and a sickle as they headed up the mountain.

In late May, many people came to the mountain to look for mountain products, but today most people were at work, so they didn’t encounter many people. Ji Baiqing carried the small hoe, following behind Wen Miao, watching her focus on looking for herbs, feeling a bit surprised.

“You actually recognize those medicinal herbs?”

Wen Miao nodded and replied, “I am closest to my youngest aunt. She studied traditional Chinese medicine and used to teach me how to identify herbs when I was a child. Having been influenced by her, I know quite a bit.”

“Zhenzhen is so amazing,” Ji Baiqing immediately praised her.

Wen Miao, used to being praised, was now immune to the other’s compliments, managing to keep her face from flushing and her heart from racing. After all, Ji Baiqing was the type of person who would find something to praise no matter what she did. One day, Wen Miao was even praised just for drinking one more glass of water than usual.

In a flash, they dug up some self-heal and Siberian Solomon’s seal, then continued up the mountain.

Along the way, Wen Miao discovered several mint plants. Given the choice between picking leaves or digging up the whole plant to grow at home, Ji Baiqing made a grand gesture and dug up two whole plants with her hoe.

“There’s so much space in the courtyard, we can plant anything!” That was her explanation. Wen Miao hesitated for a moment but eventually decided she was right.

Honeysuckle, however, was not easy to dig up and replant. Seeing the lush bushes of honeysuckle, Wen Miao and Ji Baiqing picked a full bag of flowers to take back. Both honeysuckle and mint leaves can be dried and steeped in water, having the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying the body. Finally, they cut two stalks of mugwort and picked some rosemary leaves; the essential herbs were now gathered.

With the primary herbs collected, Ji Baiqing led Wen Miao further up the mountain. It had rained the night before, so they might be able to find some fir mushrooms today. Ji Baiqing was looking down, carefully brushing away pine needles to search for fungi, when she suddenly heard Wen Miao’s voice.

“A-Qing, come over here for a second!”

She looked up and saw Wen Miao standing not far away, staring intently at something. She walked over, and Wen Miao pointed to a plant in front of her with small red berries surrounded by a circle of broad leaves. She exchanged a look with Wen Miao, who was uncharacteristically excited. “Do you know what this is?”

Ji Baiqing shook her head honestly. The thing was standing among weeds, hidden by thorns and surrounded by spear grass; very few people would ever notice it.

The woman lowered her voice. “It should be ginseng. I’ve only seen it in books before; I’ve never seen a live one in reality.”

Hearing this, Ji Baiqing’s eyes widened. Ginseng?!

If she remembered correctly, in the original book, this ginseng was dug up by the female lead and eventually exchanged for two hundred dollars on the black market. In the book, the female lead and male lead encountered this ginseng together on the mountain, but while she was trying to dig it up, she was accidentally bitten by a snake guarding it. In that critical moment, the male lead stepped forward to personally suck out the poison, proving his deep affection for her, and their relationship warmed up afterward. It was only because the snake wasn’t lethally venomous that they didn’t both perish.

Thinking of this, she pulled Wen Miao back several steps. “Close your eyes.”

After saying that, she threw the sickle in her hand, which landed precisely on a bulge near the ginseng. Instantly, the sound of a snake sliding through the grass was heard. Ji Baiqing narrowed her eyes and swung her hoe; the venomous snake trying to attack was instantly cut in two, its fangs spraying venom into the air before falling to the ground.

Ji Baiqing watched the twitching head and tail and pulled Wen Miao back another step. “Don’t open your eyes.”

She then used the hoe to frantically smash the snake’s head until it was finally flattened and no longer looked so terrifying. Hearing Ji Baiqing’s movements stop, Wen Miao clutched her chest, her heart racing. She slowly opened her eyes and, despite being mentally prepared, was still startled by the snake cut into two segments.

“Ah!” She leaned against Ji Baiqing, looking at her as if she were about to cry, looking incredibly aggrieved.

Ji Baiqing patted her back and comforted her, “Don’t be afraid, I’ve smashed it to death.” She pointed at the ginseng. “Do you know how to dig it up? If you do, let’s get it out and head down the mountain.”

Wen Miao nodded but still held onto Ji Baiqing’s arm, refusing to let go. Her voice was weak. “I’m afraid there are more snakes.”

Fine, knowing she was terrified, Ji Baiqing had her stand to the side while she dug a hole, used the hoe to push the snake inside, and buried it firmly with soil. “Alright.” She signaled Wen Miao to stand aside and carefully poked around twice with the hoe; seeing no other venomous creatures, she felt at ease. “Come dig the ginseng.”

She had no experience, so she first helped Wen Miao drive wooden stakes into the ground a meter away. Then, one used the sickle and the other the hoe to carefully dig. After moving the surrounding soil to one side, Wen Miao had her switch to using twigs. The two of them, completely disregarding their image, lay prone on the ground, meticulously prying away the dirt, terrified of breaking even a single root hair.

Finally, Wen Miao felt her straw hat was obstructing her view, so she untied it and focused on prying the mud. By the time a complete ginseng plant was unearthed, both were drenched in sweat. Wen Miao carefully examined the ginseng; its roots were intricate, and its length was longer than a palm. She said to Ji Baiqing, “It looks like it’s been growing for at least a hundred years.”

Ji Baiqing’s attention, however, was not on the ginseng. She looked at Wen Miao’s face with concern, lifting the hem of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her face, her emotions clear in her voice. “Your face is flushed from the sun. Alright, let’s head down.”

Hearing her words, Wen Miao’s expression first turned blank, then her smile deepened, and she nodded heavily. After hiding the ginseng in a cloth bag, the two of them walked down the mountain with calm composure, showing none of the typical excitement of finding ginseng.

Digging the ginseng alone had taken several hours, and by the time they headed back, it was late. Recalling Ji Baiqing’s concern for her, Wen Miao felt a sense of sweetness on the road.

Suddenly, Ji Baiqing called out, “Zhenzhen, look at the sky.”

Wen Miao looked up and her peach-blossom eyes widened at the magnificent scenery. The orange-yellow sun was half-swallowed by the mountain forest, spreading red twilight across the sky. The colors among the clouds shifted and intertwined naturally, looking brilliantly beautiful, like a fairyland.

Wen Miao heard Ji Baiqing’s clear voice. “This is the first time I’ve watched a sunset with someone else.”

She curled her lips and answered silently in her heart: Me too. A sunset this magnificent, Wen Miao had only ever seen with Ji Baiqing.

Upon arriving home, as Ji Baiqing expected, she was caught by He Xiangyue. Her mother held a spatula as if to strike, but Ji Baiqing stopped her coaxingly. “Mom, Mom, don’t be impulsive.”

Wen Miao, worried that Ji Baiqing might actually get hit, confessed honestly, “Aunt He, I was the one who wanted to go to the mountain for herbs, so I asked A-Qing to go with me. If you want to hit someone, hit me.”

For a moment, both He Xiangyue and Ji Baiqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Ji Baiqing put her arm around Wen Miao’s shoulder, looking like the best of friends. “What are you talking about? My mom wouldn’t hit me; she’s joking.”

He Xiangyue looked at the two of them being so close; she felt relieved but also a bit uneasy. She felt that the relationship between them seemed a bit off. Rather than saying they were like friends, it was more like they were a married couple. Once she realized what she was thinking, she quickly shook her head. What am I thinking? How is that possible! How could two women be a married couple?

She calmed down. “Alright, wash your hands and get ready to eat.” After saying that, she turned to head back to the kitchen but was called back by Ji Baiqing.

“Mom, look at the good thing we brought back!”

What else could be on the mountain besides the usual things? What could be surprising? Thinking this, He Xiangyue still gave them face and turned around. Upon seeing what Ji Baiqing held in her hand, her eyes instantly widened.

“Gin, ginseng?!” Her face was full of disbelief, and she stepped closer to look carefully.

Ji Baiqing nodded and said boastfully, “Wen Miao is amazing; she’s the one who found this. If it weren’t for her, who would know we could find ginseng in our village!”

Wen Miao felt her face flush at these words and turned away, rubbing her earlobe as if nothing were happening. Seeing her daughter getting more and more worked up, He Xiangyue quickly covered her mouth. “Alright, alright, I get it! Don’t speak so loudly, be careful not to let others hear!”

Ji Baiqing finally stopped, took a huge gulp of water, and then handed her cup to Wen Miao’s lips. “Are you thirsty? Drink some water to cool down.”

Wen Miao took a sip from her hand, her lips instantly becoming moist and bright. After finishing her boasting, Ji Baiqing and Wen Miao began processing what they had gathered after dinner. The herbs were washed and dried, and the two mint plants were planted in a corner of the courtyard, with Ji Baiqing pouring a ladle of well water over them.

Glancing at the wooden frame built for the loofah vines to climb, she asked Wen Miao, “Do you like grapes? Let’s plant a few grapevines in the courtyard and build a grape trellis.”

Wen Miao nodded with a smile. “Sure.”

Finally, the ginseng was also washed clean and set out to dry along with the Siberian Solomon’s seal and self-heal. Ji Baiqing found the white liquor her father drank. Wen Miao added liquor and water into a pottery jar, then placed the mint leaves, mugwort, honeysuckle, and rosemary inside one by one, finally sealing the jar.

Looking at the small jar, Ji Baiqing felt it was somewhat magical. “Can it really be made?”

Wen Miao nodded. “My aunt and I have made it together.”

While they were talking, He Xiangyue’s voice rang out from the central room: “You little brat, did you take your father’s liquor?!”

Wen Miao and Ji Baiqing simultaneously hid the jar and the liquor behind them with guilty expressions. After exchanging a look, they both burst out laughing. It felt so silly.

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