Transmigrated as the Husband of a Vicious Villainess - Chapter 26

Not long after Shen Niannian arrived in the countryside, the two hundred dollars she had taken from her parents’ cash box ran out. The root cause was Wen Miao, that beautiful but exceptionally sharp-tongued woman. Just because she had worn Wen Miao’s clothes, the woman had thrown such a huge tantrum, showing no consideration for their friendship as fellow educated youths.

Shen Niannian felt that Wen Miao had spent all her money on dressing up and had nothing left after moving to the countryside, which was why she had demanded such an exorbitant amount from them. But since Shen Niannian was the one in the wrong first, she had to give the money to Wen Miao. Otherwise, with Ji Baiqing backing that woman up, her future days in the village would be difficult.

After running out of money, Shen Niannian quickly found a way to earn more: selling food on the black market. She was a good cook. Initially, she spent her remaining bit of money on high-quality flour and seasonings, went to the mountains to find mushrooms, and finally made two steamers of fragrant, soft buns to sell on the black market.

The black market was far away, so she could only go on days she wasn’t required to work. She would make excuses to go to town for supplies, then borrow the village’s bicycle to transport the buns to the black market. The buns she made had a strong, domineering aroma and were soft and delicious. They sold out quickly, earning her five dollars in just half a day.

In the city, a worker’s monthly salary was only about ten to twenty dollars. Having tasted the sweetness of success, Shen Niannian began going to the black market once a week. But as the saying goes, one who walks by the river often will eventually get their shoes wet. Once at the black market, she ran into Lu Yan. He clearly recognized her and even calmly stepped forward to buy a bun. To keep him quiet, Shen Niannian started leaving a portion of whatever delicious food she made for him.

Through their interactions, she learned about Lu Yan’s superior family background and fell for his exceptional looks, feeling even more attracted to him. Since Lu Yan had grown up in a military family compound, if she became his partner, couldn’t she return to the city with him? The Lu family certainly wouldn’t let Lu Yan stay in the countryside forever.

This day, for some reason, Shen Niannian felt a voice in her heart guiding her to the mountain. It felt as if some treasure was waiting for her there. While the other educated youths were lying down to rest on their day off, she secretly shouldered a hoe and prepared to check the mountain.

After walking for a while, just as she reached the mountain woods, she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind. Turning around, she saw it was Lu Yan.

Shen Niannian looked at him and said, almost as if possessed, “I’m going up the mountain to pick some mint leaves to steep in water. Want to come with me?”

Lu Yan agreed. After they reached the mountain and picked the mint leaves, they walked all the way to the summit. Looking at a raised mound of earth, Shen Niannian suddenly felt her mood brighten. Excitedly, she began to dig with her hoe.

To her horror, she ended up unearthing a pile of rotting snake carcasses. Looking at the mangled flesh and smelling the stench, she let out a scream, feeling utterly lost and dejected. She didn’t even have the heart to listen to Lu Yan’s gentle comforting. It felt as if something that was supposed to belong to her had been taken away.

What could it have been?

After waiting for seven days, the flower water Wen Miao made was finally ready. Ji Baiqing found a glass jar, washed it clean, and poured the flower water inside. Wen Miao wanted to test the effect, but her hand was gently swatted away.

“Alright, your skin is tender. What if it irritates you? Let me try first.” With that, Ji Baiqing poured out some flower water and patted it onto a mosquito bite she got today. A cool sensation immediately spread, accompanied by a faint, pleasant fragrance.

Ji Baiqing took a deep sniff. “It smells so good.” The great beauty not only had a rich body fragrance, but even the flower water she formulated was aromatic.

Seeing this, Wen Miao sniffed the scent on her fingertips and smiled. “It’s a success.”

Ji Baiqing praised her, “Zhenzhen is truly amazing.”

Wen Miao gave her a reproachful look. “Your words are completely biased.” Ji Baiqing praised her the moment she opened her eyes every day; anyone else would think she was being set up for a fall with such flattery.

Ji Baiqing disagreed, her expression full of innocence. “But I’m only telling the truth.”

“Still, you shouldn’t say it.” Wen Miao was a bit flustered. This person always loved saying flirtatious things, but in reality, Wen Miao was the only one whose heart raced because of them. Looking at Ji Baiqing, she was just eating and drinking as usual, completely unaffected.

Suddenly remembering something, Wen Miao capped the bottle and said to Ji Baiqing, “Take me with you to work tomorrow. I need to mail a letter to Grandmother and the others.”

Ji Baiqing hesitated. “How about you take the ox cart in the morning? Then I can pick you up?” She got up exceptionally early for work and couldn’t look after others while she was busy.

Wen Miao shook her head stubbornly. “No, I want to go with you.”

Looking into those beautiful peach-blossom eyes, Ji Baiqing’s heart softened quickly. “Alright, then come with me. I’ll ask Director Xia if you can wait in her office.”

Hearing this, Wen Miao laughed, her lips curling with a bit of helplessness. “You’re talking like I’m a child. Am I really that much of a worry?”

Ji Baiqing sighed. “If you were a child, I definitely wouldn’t let you go. Besides, if such a precious treasure were to get a scratch or a bump, I would be very sad.”

Wen Miao gave her a playful tap. “You and your talk.”

In the evening, after He Xiangyue and the others returned, Ji Baiqing found another glass bottle, and Wen Miao poured out half for the couple to use. Upon learning Wen Miao had made it, He Xiangyue was surprised.

“Miaomiao, you even know how to make this?”

Wen Miao nodded slightly and explained, “I learned a bit from my aunt at home.” However, she only had a bit of talent for identifying herbs and making these miscellaneous things; she hadn’t inherited any of her aunt’s actual medical skills.

Listening to Wen Miao and He Xiangyue chat, Ji Baiqing vaguely formed a plan in her mind.

At bedtime, Wen Miao refused Ji Baiqing’s cuddles, her voice sweet and cloying. “No, don’t stay so close lately; it’s too hot.”

Ji Baiqing let out a deep sigh, missing the air conditioning and fans of her past life. In the village, their house wasn’t even connected to electricity. She asked Wen Miao, “Do you know what air conditioning is?”

Wen Miao was a bit confused. She stifled a yawn and answered sleepily, “Yes, I’ve read about it in books.”

“That thing can heat in winter and cool in summer. If we had air conditioning now and set it to twenty degrees, I could hold you while covered in a blanket.”

Sensing the resentment in Ji Baiqing’s voice, Wen Miao laughed and rolled into Ji Baiqing’s arms. “Alright, if you want to hold me, just do it. Why take such a roundabout way?”

Only after touching her soft, tender skin did Ji Baiqing feel a sense of reality. She had truly been spoiled by Wen Miao’s clinginess lately, to the point where not holding her felt unusual. Most importantly, Wen Miao smelled lovely, which helped her sleep.

Wen Miao asked tentatively, “How do you know about air conditioning?” Had she also read it in a book?

Since they had reached a stage of mutual honesty, Ji Baiqing didn’t plan on hiding it and said lazily, “I’ve used air conditioning before.”

Wen Miao found it strange. She had used air conditioning? Where? She assumed Ji Baiqing was joking. Ji Baiqing clearly didn’t realize that telling the truth would be taken as a joke. After holding her for a while, she felt hot again and automatically backed away a few steps toward the edge of the bed.

When the beauty sweated, her body fragrance became even more intense, so even without holding her, Ji Baiqing could still smell her scent. Being released by Ji Baiqing allowed Wen Miao to breathe a sigh of relief. She rolled toward the inner side of the bed and closed her eyes to sleep.

Unexpectedly, Ji Baiqing spoke up again out of the blue. “Zhenzhen.”

“You could try formulating perfume.”

Perfume?

“Do you mean fragrant dew?” Wen Miao thought about it and felt it was feasible. However, the cost was high, it required equipment, and there was nowhere to sell it. What was the point of formulating perfume? But remembering how Ji Baiqing always loved to hold her and sniff her scent, she thought: Does Ji Baiqing want to use it?

That wasn’t impossible. She began thinking about the scent that would suit Ji Baiqing best, pondering what she should buy in town tomorrow.

The next morning at 4:00 AM, Wen Miao was woken up by Ji Baiqing. Seeing her heavy eyelids, Ji Baiqing held her and coaxed her before going to wash up. When she returned, she placed a damp cloth over Wen Miao’s face. The well water was icy, and the cloth felt cool and comfortable. Wen Miao gave a soft hum and slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing that she was awake, Ji Baiqing found the clothes for her to wear today: a dark green long dress. She tied her hair half-up, looking elegant and moving. After a quick breakfast, Ji Baiqing gathered her things and rode her bike to work with the beauty.

Originally, she wanted Wen Miao to stay in Xia Hanmei’s office for a while, but as soon as they got off the bike, Wen Miao changed her mind and insisted on staying with her. Ultimately, Ji Baiqing could only take her to the warehouse, warning her, “If you find it too bloody, don’t look. And if anyone tries to talk to you, don’t respond.”

Wen Miao nodded. “I know, go on.”

Watching her and Zhou Gang tie and slaughter the pig, Wen Miao couldn’t take her eyes off them. She stared at the smooth muscle lines on Ji Baiqing’s arms that appeared from the effort. Ji Baiqing looked exceptionally charming with her cold expression as she killed the pig with a single, lethal strike.

Wen Miao’s heart rate quickened slightly, and her cheeks flushed, but her eyes were sparkling. Once Ji Baiqing finished slaughtering the pig and looked at Wen Miao, the beauty gave her a big thumbs up without hesitation. Her lips moved, and Ji Baiqing read her meaning.

“You’re amazing.”

Ji Baiqing pretended to be cool and expressionless as she pushed the cart out. Wen Miao didn’t spare a single glance for anyone else, following closely behind Ji Baiqing and chatting incessantly.

“A-Qing, you’re so powerful.”

“Your strength is really incredible.”

“The muscles on your arms are beautiful too. Your fingers are long and very powerful.”

As she spoke, Wen Miao became embarrassed herself. Only then did Ji Baiqing turn around and reply, “Of course I am.” Her smug little expression made Wen Miao want to pinch her.

Perhaps because the beauty was at the meat stall, the pork, which already sold quickly, had customers arriving one after another today. While Ji Baiqing cut the meat, Wen Miao helped collect the money and coupons at her side.

After the meat was sold out, Wen Miao said to her with lingering enthusiasm, “A-Qing, I can come help you with work in the future too!”

Ji Baiqing thought to herself: It’s over. I’m going to turn the “vicious female supporting character” into a “Pork Beauty” at this rate.

She tried to refuse with some helplessness. “You just think it’s fun for the moment. You’ll get bored after a while.”

Wen Miao shook her head and said firmly, “I won’t. I usually have nothing to do at home anyway. I want to be with A-Qing.”

Ji Baiqing touched her cheek a bit uncomfortably, feeling embarrassed. But she had always been unable to firmly refuse Wen Miao’s requests. So, after a few more soft words from the other, she agreed without any sense of principle.

“Fine, fine, fine. You little troublemaker.” She felt a headache from the badgering.

Wen Miao narrowed her eyes and laughed, the tear mole beneath her eye looking increasingly enchanting. Ji Baiqing was nearly captivated by the sight and had to look away with great effort.

Before mailing the letters and picking up the package today, there was an even more important task. Ji Baiqing, who had been working for over a month, finally received her first salary.

They went to Xia Hanmei’s office. When Xia Hanmei saw Wen Miao, she was stunned by her beauty. Her first question was, “Does this beautiful young comrade have a partner?”

Wen Miao glanced at Ji Baiqing and then shook her head listlessly.

Xia Hanmei smiled and said, “Then I can introduce you to one. He’s the son of the textile factory director in town, very outstanding!”

Hearing this made Ji Baiqing feel a bit uncomfortable. She blocked Wen Miao behind her and declined on her behalf. “No thank you, Director. Sister is an educated youth and has no plans to look for a husband for the time being.”

Xia Hanmei found it a pity but could only let it drop. She handed over Ji Baiqing’s salary of thirty-five dollars, along with the meat and grain coupons.

After receiving her pay, Ji Baiqing asked somewhat shyly, “Director Xia, does your family have any extra cloth coupons? I’d like to exchange for some.”

Xia Hanmei thought about it. Her family did have quite a few unused cloth coupons saved up. Ji Baiqing exchanged twenty pounds worth of grain coupons for ten feet of cloth coupons. Once the exchange was done, she took Wen Miao straight to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The moment they entered, she headed for the ready-made clothing section and said to Wen Miao, “Which one do you like? I just got some cloth coupons; they should be enough.”

Wen Miao had assumed the coupons were for Ji Baiqing’s own use. Realizing they were for her, she felt a pang of heartache. “Why did you exchange for cloth coupons for no reason! Twenty pounds of grain is enough to eat for over ten days!”

Having moved to the countryside, she now knew how vital food was to rural people. In this era, being able to eat one’s fill was already a great blessing, and Ji Baiqing’s family conditions weren’t that affluent.

Seeing her suddenly become upset, Ji Baiqing felt a bit at a loss and coaxed her from the side. “It’s alright. Doesn’t the family have enough food? Besides, I can earn more every month. This little bit won’t matter.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to buy a dress but didn’t have enough cloth coupons? Now they are definitely enough. Go ahead and buy the dress you like.” She pinched the end of Wen Miao’s hair, coaxing her softly.

Wen Miao never expected that her words, which had only been meant to test Ji Baiqing’s feelings at the time, would be taken so seriously. Her heart felt both joyful and sour; she felt like crying. She sniffed her nose.

Hearing the sound, Ji Baiqing panicked slightly. “Oh, what’s wrong with our Zhenzhen? Are you not happy about buying new clothes?”

Wen Miao covered her eyes and shook her head, her voice carrying a hint of nasal congestion. “No.” She paused, not wanting to disappoint Ji Baiqing’s kindness. “I’ll take a look now.”

There weren’t many items in the ready-made clothing area; there were fewer than ten dresses. Wen Miao looked carefully and finally chose a long red dress. It had a very common cut, but the color was exceptionally bright.

Ji Baiqing was quite satisfied with the dress but felt it was a pity. “This dress doesn’t show off your figure.” If it did, Wen Miao would look stunning in it.

Wen Miao said, “I’ll alter it when we get back.”

Ji Baiqing realized she was right. Wen Miao often helped her sew clothes or mend trousers at home, or she would embroider roses of various colors on her sleeves, making them look exquisite. Wen Miao also bought a piece of red fabric while she was at it.

Before checking out, Ji Baiqing picked out some candies. Wen Miao could eat them, and they could also be used to bribe the local kids. After paying with her own money, Ji Baiqing felt very confident. However, looking at the few dollars left after the purchase, she still felt a bit of heartache and silently tucked the money into her inner pocket.

As they were heading to the post office to pick up the package, Wen Miao glanced around and saw someone familiar in a narrow alleyway. Seeing Wen Miao stop, Ji Baiqing was confused. “What is it?”

Wen Miao pointed not far away. “It’s Shen Niannian and Lu Yan.”

Following her finger, they could see Shen Niannian being pinned against a wall by Lu Yan. Both the man and woman were good-looking, so they actually made quite a pair. It looked like they were about to kiss in the next second.

However, Ji Baiqing was very puzzled. This was the conservative 1970s; how did those two dare to be so intimate in public? A mischievous thought suddenly popped into her head. She pitched her voice high and shouted at the top of her lungs, “There are hooligans kissing in the alleyway opposite!”

At once, many people looked toward the alley. As the culprit, Ji Baiqing was delighted, laughing heartily as she pulled Wen Miao onto the bicycle and sped away. On the way, Wen Miao thought of Ji Baiqing’s laugh and couldn’t help but smile herself. She thought that Ji Baiqing should be happy every day and laugh more.

The person who usually looked cold and indifferent became vivid the moment she laughed, as if she had never been troubled by any worries. Wen Miao hoped she could always be this happy. However, she kept these thoughts to herself and didn’t say them out loud to Ji Baiqing.

Once they reached the post office, they mailed their letters. It wasn’t just Wen Miao who wrote; Ji Baiqing would occasionally write a few lines too. After all, her best friend’s grandmother was naturally her own grandmother. After mailing the letters, they picked up the package. Ji Baiqing weighed it; it was even heavier than the last one. She wondered what had been sent back.

They didn’t plan to linger and headed back after getting the package. Unexpectedly, they ran into Shen Niannian and Lu Yan again on the way home. Ji Baiqing momentarily regretted not checking the lunar calendar before leaving the house today.

Shen Niannian and Lu Yan looked a bit disheveled. Ji Baiqing originally wanted to just ride past them, but the dirt road back to the village was narrow and steep. Shen Niannian stood directly in the middle of the road, and since she couldn’t just run her over, Ji Baiqing was forced to stop.

Shen Niannian looked at the two of them with hatred and said loudly, “I know it was you two who shouted earlier!”

Originally, the spot where she and Lu Yan were wasn’t very obvious. They were in an ambiguous stage and were just about to kiss when Ji Baiqing’s shout ruined the entire atmosphere. They had no desire to be intimate in public, and even more unluckily, there were police nearby. Hearing Ji Baiqing’s words, the police really thought they had encountered hooligans and chased them relentlessly for several kilometers. This was why they looked so bedraggled right now.

After hearing her, Ji Baiqing brushed her hair back and gave a flat response. “Oh, you must have misheard. We haven’t even seen you.”

Shen Niannian stomped her foot. “You’re lying! I clearly saw you and Wen Miao pass by!”

Ji Baiqing maintained her indifferent expression. “Where’s the evidence? Do you think you’re a ten-dollar bill that everyone wants to look at?”

Shen Niannian’s face turned red and white. Seeing that he couldn’t out-argue this “country bumpkin,” a flash of disdain crossed Lu Yan’s eyes. He pulled Shen Niannian closer to him. “Alright, Niannian, let’s not talk to them. The mouths of country people can turn black into white.”

Wen Miao gave two cold laughs and retorted directly, “If you look down on country people, then have the ability not to eat the food grown by country people.”

Ji Baiqing patted her. “Alright, Miaomiao, let’s not waste our time on stupid pigs. Let’s go home.”

Wen Miao hugged her waist tightly and gave an affirmative hum. Ji Baiqing turned the handlebars, swerved around Shen Niannian and Lu Yan, and sped away. They left the two behind, fuming with rage.

Back home, He Xiangyue hadn’t finished making lunch. Ji Baiqing and Wen Miao took the package to the room to open it. Upon seeing the most prominent large item inside, Ji Baiqing’s mouth fell open. “Is… is this a radio?”

Wen Miao looked it over, installed the batteries, and tried to tune it. Before long, the sound of storytelling came from the large device. She said, “My aunt probably bought it to keep me entertained.”

Ji Baiqing picked up the radio and asked how to use it. Wen Miao taught her carefully, and she learned quickly. After turning up the volume for a bit, she happily set the radio aside and continued looking at the other items with Wen Miao.

The rest were daily necessities, as well as sought-after malted milk, cigarettes, and several sets of clothes that were clearly not Wen Miao’s size. Wen Miao asked Ji Baiqing to read the letter sent from the capital with her.

It turned out that the grandmother’s family had learned about Ji Baiqing and her parents. Grateful for their care of Wen Miao, they had a tailor make several sets of clothes and bought some nutritional products for them. Wen Miao stuffed the set of clothes for Ji Baiqing into her arms and took the remaining two sets to He Xiangyue and Ji Wei.

At lunch, Wen Miao placed the radio in the central room, and the family ate while listening to the programs. The village had never had a radio before. After getting Wen Miao’s permission, He Xiangyue went around the village bragging, and soon the whole of Yunshui Village knew the news. Youth Wen bought a radio!

Many people came to the Ji house in the afternoon just to listen to it. He Xiangyue managed things very strictly, placing the radio on the table and not allowing anyone to get too close. After all, it was a valuable item that couldn’t be bumped or scratched.

As the afternoon passed, the Ji family courtyard was packed with people. Ji Baiqing and Wen Miao could hear the noise in the courtyard from their room. Honestly, whether watching TV or listening to the radio, it was only fun when several people were together. However, she wouldn’t go out to join the crowd.

She was busy watching Wen Miao make clothes. That piece of red fabric Wen Miao bought was intended to make a dress for her. Knowing this, Ji Baiqing’s tail almost curled up behind her. Wen Miao was simply a “wife-level” best friend!

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