Transmigrated as the Husband of a Vicious Villainess - Chapter 32

May passed quickly, and the weather in June grew even hotter.

Following the news of the school merger last month, Li Xiangdong began organizing people to expand the school this month.

It wasn’t a complicated task. While the number of children from the three villages combined wasn’t small, it wasn’t overwhelming either. The original elementary school in Yunshui Village was just a thatched hut; now, they simply needed to build another one and repair the original leaky roof.

In early June, before the rice seedling transplanting began, Li Xiangdong started recruiting people to repair the school. A person could earn twenty work points for a day’s labor. Although the work was bitter and exhausting, requiring one to toil under the scorching sun every day, the high work points made it irresistible! Many young able-bodied men in the village scrambled to sign up.

Ultimately, Li Xiangdong selected two women and three men, one of whom was Ji Baiqing. He couldn’t take too many people, or there would be no one left to work in the fields.

Ji Baiqing had signed up for the school repairs herself. She usually only went to town to slaughter pigs two days a week, leaving the rest of her time free. Rather than sitting at home and consuming her savings, she figured it was better to find something to do. Furthermore, she didn’t have much in the way of savings—at most thirty or forty yuan. She had a beautiful wife at home waiting for her to provide, so how could she manage without saving up enough for a “wife fund”?

Ji Baiqing did not want to see Wen Miao suffer alongside her.

Both He Xiangyue and Ji Wei were delighted when they heard Ji Baiqing had been chosen. In their eyes, although Ji Baiqing looked lean, they were well aware of their daughter’s unusual strength. Building a house would be easy for her, and she could earn twenty work points a day!

However, Wen Miao was not particularly happy when she learned the news. Currently, Ji Baiqing was in the room trying to coax her.

Even when the great beauty kept a cold face, she remained exceptionally stunning. Looking at that fair, soft face, Ji Baiqing felt no trace of impatience. She hooked her pinky finger around Wen Miao’s hand, her clear voice carrying a hint of a smile. “Zhenzhen, don’t be angry anymore.”

She felt a bit helpless, thinking that Wen Miao really was like a little cat that would get cross at the slightest disagreement.

Wen Miao gave her a cold look, and after their eyes met, she pointedly turned her face away again. “In any case, you always act on your own and never consult me.”

She had previously emphasized to Ji Baiqing that she shouldn’t go into construction. But Ji Baiqing simply wouldn’t listen, secretly signing up behind her back and only telling her once the results were out.

Ji Baiqing brought Wen Miao’s hand to her lips and kissed it reverently, her tone somewhat pleading. “Zhenzhen, you know that my circumstances are so much worse than yours. I have to earn more money to be worthy of you.”

Hearing this, Wen Miao frowned and glared at her. “But I don’t need you to be the same as me. We come from different families; I don’t demand a match of equal social status, and I don’t want you to carry such heavy pressure.”

Every word Wen Miao spoke was out of concern for her. The corners of Ji Baiqing’s mouth curled up, unable to hide her smugness. She leaned against Wen Miao’s lap, her cheek lightly rubbing against her thigh, her tone lazy. “I know Sister is worried about me, but I want to stand at the same height as you.”

She wanted to actively reach Wen Miao’s level, rather than making Wen Miao stoop down for her.

Seeing that Wen Miao was mostly coaxed, Ji Baiqing squeezed her hand and dropped a bombshell. “Besides, I’m going there to learn the trade. After we tell Mom and Dad about our relationship, we’ll build a new house next door. We’ll choose blue bricks and black tiles, okay? It’ll be cool in the summer.”

Wen Miao’s eyes widened slightly at her words.

Their house?

Although she didn’t know how far off that day was, listening to the longing in Ji Baiqing’s voice, Wen Miao couldn’t help but look forward to a house that belonged only to the two of them. By the time she snapped out of it and saw the mischievous smile on Ji Baiqing’s lips, she realized she had fallen into the other’s trap.

She glared at Ji Baiqing again but ultimately agreed, albeit reluctantly.

The next day, Ji Baiqing changed into some old clothes. Before setting off, she enjoyed a personal “sun protection service” from the great beauty. After being slathered in aloe vera gel and putting on a straw hat, she headed to the school.

Lime, sand, and tiles had already been transported to the playground in front of the school. Several people had arrived early and started work as soon as she showed up. Three men went to ram the earth layers, while Ji Baiqing and another auntie mixed straw and mud to create one earthen brick after another. The work wasn’t exactly exhausting because of Ji Baiqing’s great strength, but it was tedious and physically draining.

After working all morning, they had finished a quarter of the bricks needed for the house.

At lunchtime, Ji Baiqing took off her work gloves and wiped the bean-sized sweat from her face, feeling quite hungry. She waved to Auntie Qian. “Auntie, I’m heading back first!”

Auntie Qian nodded. “Bring more water this afternoon! Goodness, it’s just too hot.”

Ji Baiqing washed her face by the river. Not wanting to get a chill, she packed up and hurried home. Upon arriving, she felt a pang of anxiety when she saw wisps of white smoke curling from the chimney.

It wasn’t time for work to end yet; Wen Miao couldn’t have accidentally set the kitchen on fire, could she?

She rushed into the kitchen and bumped right into Wen Miao, who was carrying a dish out. The great beauty looked a bit puzzled, tilting her head as she asked, “Back so soon? Perfect, I’ve just finished making lunch.”

She set the dish on the table and used her chopsticks to feed a piece of pork liver to Ji Baiqing. This was something Ji Baiqing had brought back yesterday. Ji Baiqing glanced at the color of the liver—good, it looked well-cooked.

After taking a bite, the spiciness of the peppers and the savory aroma of the liver rushed up together. Ji Baiqing took a breath and gave her a thumbs up, saying indistinctly, “Delicious!”

A cook always appreciates being praised. Wen Miao’s eyes curved into crescents as she served her a bowl of loofah and egg drop soup. “Drink some when it cools down later; loofah helps reduce internal heat.”

Ji Baiqing stirred it slowly with a spoon while praising Wen Miao. “Wife, you’re truly amazing. How can your first time cooking be so delicious? Just thinking that you made this makes me feel so happy while eating.”

Wen Miao felt a bit embarrassed by her praise, especially by that specific address. A thin flush instantly climbed her face as she mumbled, “It’s not as exaggerated as you say, and I learned just by watching you do it so often.”

Finally, she shot Ji Baiqing a look, her voice softening. “You’re not allowed to call me ‘wife’!”

Wife, wife, wife. Ji Baiqing called her that several times in her head, but on the surface, she remained perfectly obedient, nodding submissively.

When He Xiangyue and Ji Wei returned, all four of them sat at the table. Ji Baiqing proudly asked her parents, “Mom, Dad, is today’s food good?”

He Xiangyue rolled her eyes at her. “What madness are you up to now?”

Ji Wei was quite supportive, even pouring a small cup of liquor to go with the liver. He nodded and said, “It’s good.”

Ji Baiqing announced triumphantly, “Wen Miao made this!”

Upon hearing this, He Xiangyue’s expression changed instantly, and she beamed. “So Miao Miao made this! I was wondering why it tasted so unusually good.”

Enduring the excessive praise, Wen Miao felt a bit awkward. Her hand reached under the table to Ji Baiqing’s thigh, secretly exerting force to pinch her. Ji Baiqing let out a soft hiss and grabbed her hand to keep her from moving further.

After finishing the meal, Ji Baiqing washed the dishes and saw Wen Miao tinkering with something in the kitchen. She walked in. “What are you doing?”

Wen Miao poured out the mung beans that had been soaking in a basin for over an hour and picked out the bad ones. “Making some mung bean soup. It’s too hot; I’m afraid you and the others might get heatstroke.”

Besides the mung beans, a dozen cleaned mint leaves with water droplets on them lay to the side.

Ji Baiqing’s heart softened at the sight. In the sweltering heat of the poorly ventilated kitchen, Wen Miao was enduring the stuffiness, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, all just to brew a bowl of mung bean soup for them.

Not wanting to spoil the mood, she said with a smile, “I’ll stoke the fire for you.”

Wen Miao frowned and looked at her with disapproval. “You worked so hard all morning, aren’t you going to rest?”

Ji Baiqing shook her head and said with a grin, “I have plenty of strength!” Especially knowing that Wen Miao was making mung bean soup for her, she felt like she could kill a bull with one punch.

After putting the water and beans into the pot, Wen Miao reminded Ji Baiqing, “Next time we go to town, let’s buy some more mung beans and rock sugar.”

Ji Baiqing made a mental note of it.

Wen Miao crushed the mint leaves, opened the lid to drip the juice into the pot, and added two pieces of rock sugar. They just had to wait for the beans to soften. It didn’t take long to boil the soup. Once the scalding mung bean soup was ready, it was lowered into the well to be chilled. In the afternoon, they would just need to pour it into a ceramic jar to take to work.

Looking at the well, Ji Baiqing couldn’t help but swallow. She wanted to eat watermelon. On such a hot day, a bite of watermelon chilled in a well overnight would be incredibly refreshing.

She cleared her throat and whispered into Wen Miao’s ear, “In a few days, when the school work slows down, I’ll take you to Dashan Village to buy watermelon. Their village grows them.”

Fruit was precious these days. Wen Miao hadn’t eaten watermelon in a long time, so she nodded vigorously.

Before it was time to head to the school for the afternoon, Ji Baiqing napped with Wen Miao for a while. She got up quietly ten minutes early, filled three different jars with the mint mung bean soup, and left a bowl for Wen Miao with a note underneath. Carrying the jars and another bottle of water, she went back to making bricks.

During a break, Ji Baiqing opened a ceramic jar and took a sip of the soup. She felt her whole body refresh instantly, the excessive heat dispelled by the cool mint.

She asked Auntie Qian with a smile, “Auntie, want a sip? The Youth Wen made this mung bean soup for me to clear the heat!”

Seeing this, Auntie Qian flipped the lid of her enamel cup over. “Sure, give me a sip.” After tasting it, Auntie Qian smacked her lips. This stuff was ice-cold and slightly sweet; it was quite good. She said, “When I get back, I’ll have my man brew some for me too. This weather! It’s hot! Youth Wen is truly good to you.”

Ji Baiqing’s tail wagged at the words, and she finally nodded with feigned modesty. “Auntie, don’t worry about the cost, or it’ll be a real loss if you actually get heatstroke.” Unlike her—her wife didn’t care about the money, she only cared about her!

Ji Baiqing and Auntie Qian worked together for two days and finished all the bricks needed for the house. These would need to be left in a shaded area to air-dry for twenty days before they could be used. During this time, they would be free, waiting twenty days before official construction began.

The next day, after finishing work, Ji Baiqing and Auntie Qian moved the bricks into the building for storage. After the last brick was placed, Ji Baiqing clapped her hands. She wondered what delicious food Wen Miao would make tonight. These past few days, the great beauty, fearing she was working too hard, had been coming up with all sorts of things for her to eat. Ji Baiqing had been very happy lately.

Lost in these thoughts, she didn’t pay attention to the path ahead.

“Hey!” Auntie Qian saw her and tried to shout a warning, but it was too late.

Ji Baiqing missed a step on the stairs. Her ankle twisted to one side, and with a soft click, she fell to the ground. She let out a muffled groan, her face instantly contorted in pain.

Seeing this, Auntie Qian hurried forward to help her up, asking worriedly, “Little Ji, are you okay?”

Ji Baiqing looked down at the injury on her ankle; it looked reddened. She tried to put her foot down, but when the weight of her body pressed on her injured left foot, it hurt. Dammit, she would never walk without looking again.

Ji Baiqing silently cursed her bad luck and said to Auntie Qian with some embarrassment, “Auntie Qian, I think I sprained my ankle. Could you help me back?”

Auntie Qian readily agreed. “Oh, don’t be so polite with me! How about I carry you back?” She looked at Ji Baiqing’s ankle, which was starting to swell and looked somewhat serious.

Ji Baiqing shook her head. “It’s fine, just helping me back is enough. I can still walk.” She was a head taller than Auntie Qian, and she feared it would be too much for the woman to carry her. Besides, she really felt she could walk.

Seeing her persistence, Auntie Qian could only help her back. They struggled along the way home. They encountered several villagers returning from work with hoes on their backs, who all asked with concern.

“Oh, what happened here?”

“Are you okay? I have some medicated oil at home, take it and rub it in.”

After explaining the situation, Ji Baiqing declined their kindness. Once she reached her front door, she raised her voice to call out.

 

“Wen Miao, come out and give me a hand!”

 

Hearing the voice, Wen Miao emerged from the kitchen looking puzzled. When she saw Ji Baiqing being supported by someone, she was instantly startled, her face filling with tension.

 

“Are you all right? What happened?”

 

Ji Baiqing gave her a smile. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious.”

 

She intended to keep the other woman from worrying, but Auntie Qian, standing beside her, didn’t give her any face and exposed the truth ruthlessly.

 

“Nothing serious my foot. Look at that ankle; it’s swollen like a steamed bun.”

 

Ji Baiqing: “…”

 

Being called out to her face was a bit embarrassing. Seeing Wen Miao’s eyes turn red with worry, Ji Baiqing felt a pang of heartache.

 

She coaxed her softly, “It’s fine, really not that bad.”

 

Wen Miao, eyes still red, took over supporting Ji Baiqing, not forgetting to thank Auntie Qian. “Auntie, thank you for bringing A-Qing back.”

 

Auntie Qian felt a bit bashful. “You city folk talk so formally. We’re from the same village; helping each other out is nothing! Rub some medicine on that girl, and she’ll be fine in a few days!”

 

With that, she didn’t linger and hurried home.

 

Wen Miao helped Ji Baiqing into the house. Fearing she was too heavy for Wen Miao, Ji Baiqing silently tried to take as much weight as possible off her. By the time she finally sat on a stool, her face was covered in fine beads of sweat from the pain.

 

Seeing her like this, and recalling how little weight she had felt on her shoulder earlier, Wen Miao grew annoyed with her.

 

“You’re already injured, why are you still acting so tough!”

 

However, considering Ji Baiqing was in pain, she didn’t pick a fight. After speaking, she asked, “Is there any medicated wine at home? Otherwise, I’ll head to the health clinic.”

 

Ji Baiqing shook her head. “No need. There’s a bottle of medicated wine in my room drawer. Find it, and I’ll rub it in myself.”

 

Wen Miao didn’t argue. After finding the wine, she grabbed another stool to sit on, brought a basin of water, and patted her thigh, signaling Ji Baiqing to put her foot up.

 

Looking at Wen Miao’s pink dress adorned with lace trim, Ji Baiqing looked down at her own foot, which was still covered in yellow mud. Her toes curled as she hesitated.

 

“Maybe I should do it myself. My foot is dirty; I’ll ruin your dress.”

 

Wen Miao’s eyes flashed with a cold light. “You are not allowed to speak right now. Just do as I say!”

 

Fine then.

 

Ji Baiqing finally extended her leg, hesitating for a long moment before resting it on Wen Miao’s lap.

 

Wen Miao took a towel to wipe away the grime. She lowered her thick eyelashes, her expression incredibly focused. Looking at her face, Ji Baiqing couldn’t help but be entranced.

 

Once the dirt was wiped away, the swelling at the ankle looked somewhat frightening.

 

Wen Miao soaked a cloth in cool water and applied it to the ankle. Once the coolness dissipated, she soaked it again. After four or five repetitions, it was clear that the sprain looked slightly improved.

 

She unscrewed the medicated wine, and a pungent scent hit her brain instantly.

 

Her nose wrinkled involuntarily. She poured the wine into her palm, rubbed her hands together until they were hot, and then gently pressed them onto Ji Baiqing’s ankle, rubbing in circular motions.

 

The movements were gentle at first, then gradually increased in pressure. However, Wen Miao’s hands were soft and supple, and the force remained within Ji Baiqing’s tolerance.

 

Whether it was psychological or not, the injury felt better, and the sharp pain eased slightly.

 

Wen Miao rubbed it in twice, then stared at the ankle for a few seconds before nodding with satisfaction.

 

“There. Sit here and don’t move. I’m going to go empty the water.”

 

She carried the basin out and used a large ladle to get water from the vat to wash her hands. She even used soap, but no matter how much she washed, she felt she could still smell the medicine.

 

The food in the pot was nearly finished simmering. Wen Miao served it and brought it to the main room.

 

Seeing her come over, Ji Baiqing instinctively wanted to act spoiled again.

 

“Wife, come here and give me a kiss.”

 

Hearing the name, Wen Miao looked around like a thief. She only relaxed after confirming there wasn’t a third person in the house.

 

She said with some displeasure, “You are not allowed to call me that outside.”

 

After a moment, realizing her tone might have been too stern, she added, “What if someone hears you?”

 

Being so reckless—if He Xiangyue or the others heard, they’d be scared to death.

 

Ji Baiqing arched an eyebrow. As if having a sudden realization, she nodded. “Oh, so Zhenzhen wants me to be your canary, your secret lover. You don’t want anyone to find out about our relationship.”

 

What a load of nonsense.

 

Wen Miao covered her mouth and said fiercely, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll sew your mouth shut.”

 

Ji Baiqing feigned terror, her body shrinking back slightly.

 

After playing around for a bit, they suddenly remembered that Ji Baiqing had to go to the food station tomorrow to slaughter pigs. Ji Baiqing’s brow furrowed in conflict.

 

How could she go with an injured foot?

 

This was a problem; the food station really couldn’t function without her.

 

Wang Baozhu was on maternity leave—where would Xia Hanmei find someone to replace her on short notice?

 

Moreover, Ji Baiqing was desperate to save up her “wife fund.” She was loath to lose a day’s wages by taking leave.

 

She looked at Wen Miao and spoke tentatively, “Zhenzhen, I still have to go slaughter pigs tomorrow.”

 

Wen Miao looked at her with disapproval. “You’re injured, how can you still be thinking about that? I’ll go to the village committee right now to make a call and request leave for you.”

 

Seeing her stand up and prepare to head out, Ji Baiqing quickly called out to stop her.

 

“Don’t. I have to go tomorrow, otherwise the pigs won’t be slaughtered. It’s not just one person being inconvenienced; so many people are waiting to buy meat.”

 

She glanced at her ankle and spoke a bit guiltily, “And I don’t think the injury is that serious. It should be better by the time I wake up tomorrow.”

 

“…Are you talking nonsense again?” Wen Miao glared at her.

 

Ji Baiqing chuckled awkwardly. “It’s not like I can actually just walk away. Director Xia gave me such a good job; I can’t make things difficult for her.”

 

Wen Miao frowned and sat back down. “Then what should we do?”

 

“Maybe take the ox cart tomorrow.” Paying a bit extra to be dropped at the food station shouldn’t be a problem.

 

Ji Baiqing shook her head. “It’ll be too late by the time we leave.”

 

She looked Wen Miao up and down for a moment, then smiled. “How about you give me a ride, wife?”

 

Wen Miao froze at the suggestion.

 

“But I don’t know how to ride a bicycle.”

 

Ji Baiqing replied immediately, “I’ll teach you. You wouldn’t want me riding there myself tomorrow, would you?”

 

Caught by that argument, Wen Miao was left speechless, merely giving Ji Baiqing another long, lingering look.

 

Seeing that Wen Miao had agreed, Ji Baiqing felt a bit fortunate that she had gotten injured today. She had been wanting to teach Wen Miao to ride; after all, she had paid for the bike. What if there was an emergency and Ji Baiqing wasn’t around?

 

Previously, Wen Miao had always found excuses to refuse. Now, she finally had no way out.

 

Before dinner, Ji Baiqing sat at the door like an old lady, fanning herself leisurely while watching Wen Miao practice.

 

The great beauty didn’t seem to have the best balance. Every time she tried, she’d only manage a few steps before toppling over, forced to use her legs to brace herself.

 

By the time He Xiangyue and the others returned, she still hadn’t gotten the hang of it. Wen Miao felt a rare sense of frustration, which triggered her stubborn streak.

 

Since childhood, she had excelled in her studies and strived for perfection in everything. It was just a bicycle; she refused to believe she couldn’t master it.

 

After dinner, He Xiangyue saw Ji Baiqing being helped into the courtyard and realized she was injured. Learning that Wen Miao had handled it, she didn’t ask further, feeling perfectly at ease.

 

Ji Baiqing fanned herself and turned on the flashlight to watch Wen Miao continue practicing.

 

After an unknown number of falls, she finally managed to ride steadily.

 

Wen Miao rode smoothly for a distance, then returned to the courtyard. After parking the bike, she stood before Ji Baiqing with a smile.

 

She said clearly, “I learned it!”

 

Ji Baiqing saw that Wen Miao’s face practically had “praise me” written all over it, and she found it incredibly cute.

 

She beckoned to the great beauty and said softly, “There’s a grain of rice on your face. Let me pick it off for you.”

 

Wen Miao felt a sudden embarrassment and instinctively wanted to cover her face. Had she really just appeared before Ji Baiqing looking so unkempt?

 

She bit her lip and leaned her face toward Ji Baiqing. To her surprise, Ji Baiqing didn’t pick off any rice; instead, she planted a kiss on her lips.

 

Wen Miao straightened up instantly, covering her mouth and glaring at her, whispering a soft curse, “You’re annoying! You lied to me again!”