Transmigrated as the Husband of a Vicious Villainess - Chapter 37

As soon as these words came out, the crowd erupted in a hubbub.

Wu Weiguo frowned deeply. “You say it’s wrong, so it’s wrong? Are you the teacher, or am I? I personally designed that question and even cross-checked it with teachers from other schools. How could it possibly be wrong!”

At this moment, two female teachers stepped forward. One nodded in agreement, while the other glanced at Wen Miao, pondered for a moment, and then spoke: “Actually, I have the same thought as this comrade. The question might be flawed. But the time was so tight yesterday that none of the teachers mentioned it, and I didn’t verify it myself.”

Regardless, since Wen Miao raised the issue, they had to verify if her claim was true; otherwise, it would be unfair to the others. Moreover, another teacher had already sided with Wen Miao’s assessment.

Seeing the situation, Li Xiangdong, sweating profusely, consulted with the other village chiefs. They eventually reached a consensus: several teachers would return to the office and solve the final math question again.

Hearing this conclusion, Shen Niannian bit her lip and stepped forward. “Chief, isn’t it bad to waste so much time just for Youth Wen? Don’t the villagers need to work? This is delaying everyone’s labor.”

Ji Baiqing spoke before Li Xiangdong could, her tone airy but hiding sharp edges: “If you’re so afraid of delaying labor, go ahead and work in the fields by yourself.”

Some villagers, wanting to see the drama unfold, chimed in: “Yeah, it’s almost noon anyway. How much time could it take? Youth Shen, if you feel delayed, feel free to leave.”

Li Xiangdong glanced at Shen Niannian and made a prompt decision: “Let’s go. Let’s see if the last question is actually wrong.”

The chiefs and teachers led the way to the office. After pulling out the math paper, the three teachers spent over twenty minutes calculating. Finally, Wu Weiguo stood up, wiped his sweat, and said triumphantly under everyone’s gaze:

“I told you Youth Wen shouldn’t interfere with our work. There’s clearly nothing wrong with the question. It can be solved, and Shen Niannian’s answer is correct!”

Facing the curious gazes of the crowd, Wen Miao stepped forward unhurriedly. She pointed a finger at their calculation steps. “This step is wrong. There is no such mathematical rule.”

The female teacher who had supported Wen Miao earlier suddenly relaxed her brow. “Yes! I felt there was a problem with this step too. The problem can’t be solved this way. Therefore, the answer to the last question is flawed; the numbers in the premise were set incorrectly.”

She pulled a paper from the pile and added the points back to the final question. The name on the now perfect score paper was clearly Wen Miao.

The teacher announced, “In that case, the first place belongs to Wen Miao.”

Hearing this, Shen Niannian suddenly seemed to lose it. She rushed forward and snatched Wen Miao’s test paper, her voice shrill enough to pierce eardrums.

“How is that possible?! How could she get first place!”

Ji Baiqing moved to Wen Miao’s side, discreetly shielding her behind her back to prevent a frantic Shen Niannian from hurting her. Her eyes were icy as she said, “Why not? To prepare for this exam, Wen Miao has been reading books every day at my house. Not to mention, she teaches Xiao Mi every day, and Xiao Mi likes her very much.”

At those words, Xiao Mi poked her head out from the crowd and said firmly, “Yes! Sister Wen Miao is very patient when she teaches. I learned everything right away!”

Upon hearing this, the female teacher looked at Wen Miao with even more approval. She was experienced, hardworking, and seemingly good with children; she was a prime candidate for a teacher.

She said to the chief, “Youth Wen is very good. Let’s go with her.”

This female teacher was named Zheng Man. She was in her late forties and had taught for over twenty years; she held significant prestige in Xiaoshi Village. The chief of Xiaoshi Village consulted with the others and finally announced that the teaching position was officially awarded to Wen Miao.

With the matter settled, the chief didn’t want to cause a bigger scene and waved his hand to dismiss the crowd. However, Ji Baiqing suddenly picked up the first math paper: Shen Niannian’s.

After a few glances and comparing it to the steps Wu Weiguo had written down, she feigned surprise: “Teacher Zheng, look. Why are Youth Shen’s steps exactly the same as the ones Teacher Wu just wrote?”

Shen Niannian’s pupils contracted. She reached out to grab the paper from Ji Baiqing’s hand, panicking. “Aren’t those just the standard steps? Give me my paper!”

Taking advantage of her height, Ji Baiqing held the paper high and handed it to Zheng Man, while physically restraining Shen Niannian to prevent her from destroying the evidence.

Zheng Man took a look, and her expression grew increasingly stern. In truth, what Shen Niannian said wasn’t entirely wrong: steps can be identical because there are only so many ways to solve a problem. But for them to be perfectly identical was rare.

With a grim face, she pulled out the answer key Wu Weiguo had written before the exam. For every test, the designing teacher would provide a standard key beforehand. The more she compared, the more shocked she became. The steps for every major question were nearly identical!

She threw the paper in Wu Weiguo’s face, her voice stern: “Teacher Wu, what is the meaning of this? Did you leak the questions to Youth Shen?”

The other female teacher whispered, “I heard the Chinese teacher also mention that someone’s answers were almost identical to the standard key.”

Under the collective gaze of the crowd, Wu Weiguo panicked. He was about to admit his mistake when he felt Shen Niannian’s finger lightly hook his. He closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and said, “It, it’s my own fault. But isn’t Wen Miao first now? What’s there to say!”

Ji Baiqing scoffed. “If Wen Miao hadn’t realized the last question was wrong, wouldn’t Shen Niannian have successfully cheated her out of the position?”

Shen Niannian’s tears began to fall. She sobbed, “Brother Wu didn’t mean it. I told him I didn’t need his answers, but he thought I was suited to be a teacher. I didn’t want to disappoint him or the children, so, so I”

Wu Weiguo was stunned for a moment, but he quickly caught on. “That’s right! Shen Niannian is so gentle; anyone can see she’s a fit for teaching. Look at Wen Miao, dressing up all flashy every day. She doesn’t look like a teacher at all!”

Ji Baiqing’s eyes turned cold. Without hesitation, she landed a punch squarely on Wu Weiguo’s face.

“And do you look like a teacher? Who are you trying to seduce with that outfit?”

Wu Weiguo clutched his nose, his face flushed. “I, I’m wearing normal clothes!”

Ji Baiqing shot back, “And what is ‘abnormal’ about what Wen Miao is wearing?”

Wu Weiguo was instantly silenced. Looking at Ji Baiqing’s clenched fist and bulging veins, he didn’t dare speak.

Wen Miao patted the back of Ji Baiqing’s hand, prying her fingers open and placing her own hand inside for Ji Baiqing to hold.

“Teacher Wu looks so homely himself, it’s no wonder everyone else looks ‘flashy’ to him. After all, with his looks, there’s no way he could dress himself up even if he wanted to. It’s a good thing someone told me Teacher Wu looks like a toad; otherwise, I wouldn’t have recognized him so easily today.”

Wu Weiguo had a square face, pitted skin, and thick lips. With his eyes bulging in anger, he really did resemble the toad Wen Miao described.

The crowd erupted in laughter. Wu Weiguo had always used his status as a teacher to look down on the villagers, and many were glad to see him made a fool of.

Someone in the crowd yelled, “I’d say Wu Weiguo is a pale skinned toad!”

“What toad? He looks like a pockmarked outhouse!”

“Yeah, always walking with his nose in the air, grunting like a pig all day.”

“How can you say that? You can slaughter a pig for meat. Wu Weiguo can’t compare!”

Li Xiangdong, who already had a good impression of Wen Miao due to the “Lotus” incident, didn’t bother to help Wu Weiguo.

Ji Baiqing wasn’t done with him. She asked Li Xiangdong, “Chief, this man leaked exam questions and slandered a female comrade. How can someone like this teach the village children? He’ll lead them astray.”

Li Xiangdong gave Ji Baiqing a warning glance. “That’s enough”

Ji Baiqing cut him off and asked Zheng Man, “Teacher Zheng, who came in second in yesterday’s exam?”

Zheng Man checked the sheet. “It was Li Wenwen.”

Li Xiangdong’s tone immediately shifted. “I see that Wu Weiguo’s bad habits mean he certainly cannot continue as a teacher. Let my daughter, Li Wenwen, take the vacant spot. The girl worked hard and earned second place on her own.”

No one objected to this. Only Li Wenwen, who had been watching the drama as a bystander, found herself involved. She pointed at herself, bewildered. “Me?”

Ji Baiqing patted her shoulder meaningfully. “That’s right. It’s you.”

The villagers went home happy for lunch. Wu Weiguo stood there in a daze, unable to believe his teaching job had been snatched away.

In the office, only he and Shen Niannian remained. Shen Niannian looked worried and comforted him: “Brother Wu, are you okay? I’m sure you can find an even better job.”

“Get out!” Wu Weiguo roared in rage.

Shen Niannian’s shoulders trembled, her eyes filling with tears. “Brother Wu?”

Realizing he had just yelled at the gentle and kind Youth Shen, Wu Weiguo immediately regretted it. He frantically pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. “I’m sorry, Niannian. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m just in a bad mood.”

Shen Niannian avoided his hand and wiped her eyes. “It’s okay, Brother Wu. I know you’re upset. You should calm down. I, I’m leaving.” She gave him one last tearful look before running away, covering her face.

Wu Weiguo stood there for a moment, wanting to chase her, but ultimately stayed put. He slammed his fist onto the desk, his voice full of resentment: “Wen Miao, Ji Baiqing, just you wait.”

“Will Wu Weiguo come looking for trouble?” Wen Miao asked worriedly after they returned.

Ji Baiqing gently ruffled her hair. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid.”

She thought to herself that since she wasn’t following the original plot, she was bound to provoke some people. Wu Weiguo, who was all height and no brains, was manageable; she was more worried about Shen Niannian and Lu Yan. One liked to kill with a borrowed knife, while the other had a complex, ruthless power base behind him.

Her eyes flickered with a cold shadow. If those two dared to target Wen Miao, she would deal with them no matter what.

There were no summer or winter breaks in the village; children went to school during the agricultural off-season and had holidays during busy times. After Wen Miao and Li Wenwen were confirmed as teachers, Wen Miao went to work the very next day.

It happened to be the day Ji Baiqing had to go to town for the pig slaughter, so she felt it was a pity she couldn’t walk Wen Miao to work. She finished her work quickly in the morning, went home to steam the rice, and stir-fried some pork with beans and eggplant. Once the meal was ready, she went to the school gates to pick Wen Miao up.

At twelve o’clock, a swarm of children poured out of the school, rushing home for lunch. Ji Baiqing waited for a while before Wen Miao appeared. She came out with Li Wenwen; the two were chatting and seemed to be in a good mood.

Watching the smile on Wen Miao’s lips, Ji Baiqing felt a rare pang of annoyance. Dammit, what is she saying to Li Wenwen that’s making her so happy?

Wen Miao saw Ji Baiqing as soon as she stepped out. Li Wenwen saw her too and found it strange. “Is Baiqing here to pick you up? Why are you two so clingy?”

Wen Miao’s eyes curved. “Are we? I’m going home. See you this afternoon.” She trotted over to Ji Baiqing and asked with feigned composure, “Why are you here?”

Ji Baiqing: “To take you home for lunch.” She asked, as if casually, “What were you talking about? You seemed so happy.”

As they walked home together, Wen Miao smiled again at the memory. “Today Wu Weiguo came to the school to beg Teacher Zheng to let him stay. Li Wenwen said earlier that she thought Wu Weiguo looked even more like a toad today.”

“Oh,” Ji Baiqing nodded. “So that’s what you were talking about.” She chuckled. “That is pretty funny.”

Wen Miao had been working for about twenty days when school went on holiday. It was mid July, and the rice was fully ripe. The crop had to be harvested before they could thresh it, turn the soil, and transplant new seedlings.

Everyone in Yunshui Village was busy as a spinning top. The field work was endless, with acre after acre of golden rice waiting to be cut. July in Xiaonan also brought rain; a single storm could knock half the grain to the ground. No one knew when the first rain would fall, so they had to harvest as quickly as possible.

The entire Ji family was incredibly busy. Not only He Xiangyue and Ji Wei, but even Ji Baiqing spent her days in the fields whenever she wasn’t in town. The village had a vast area of rice; the wind created waves of grain that stretched to the horizon.

Wen Miao stayed home to help with laundry and cooking, packing the meals to bring to the fields. Seeing Ji Baiqing work so hard, often not returning until after nine at night and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, made her heart ache.

Wen Miao, who usually feared hardship the most, wanted to go into the fields to help, but Ji Baiqing lectured her sternly against it. During this time, Ji Baiqing was exhausted, and Wen Miao didn’t want to argue, so she obeyed and focused on making delicious meals for the family in different ways every day. One got hungry fast in the fields, and the large pot of sweet potato rice she steamed for every meal was always finished.

During the “Double Rush” harvest season, every household, no matter how difficult their circumstances, strove to have some oil and fat in their diet to keep up their strength. Wen Miao often rode her bicycle to town to buy meat, ensuring that Ji Baiqing and the family could eat their fill every meal.

The sent-down youths, naturally, had to participate in the harvest as well.

With the urgent need to reap the crops, anyone daring to slack off would be severely reprimanded; thus, no one dared to court trouble. While others had family members delivering meals, the youths had to take turns: one would return to the dormitory to cook and then bring the food back to the fields.

Since Shen Niannian was a good cook, both Fang Haiyang and Lu Yan agreed that she should be the one to go back and prepare the meals daily.

Initially, Pan Hongxia didn’t object. She was used to being overlooked at home, and although the field work was exhausting, she could barely manage to persevere. However, after a week of discovering that the portions in her lunchbox were significantly smaller than those of Fang Haiyang and Lu Yan, Pan Hongxia finally reached her breaking point.

She slammed her lunchbox and chopsticks onto the ground and stood up to interrogate her. “Shen Niannian, what is the meaning of this? Why is my portion always smaller than everyone else’s? Don’t we all have the same grain ration? I told you last time, this isn’t enough to fill me up!”

Shen Niannian took a step back, her eyes looking timid, like a little white flower about to be blown over by the wind.

“But, Hongxia, you’re a female comrade. Female comrades just eat less than male comrades. Haiyang and Brother Lu exert so much strength every day, and you haven’t done nearly as much work.”

As soon as she said this, Fang Haiyang and Lu Yan both looked at Pan Hongxia with cold, disdainful expressions.

Pan Hongxia glanced at the section of the field she had harvested, which was clearly larger than either of theirs, and sneered, “I’ve done more work than both of these so-called men combined!”

This quarrel at the youth outpost drew the attention of many people resting in the haystacks. However, everyone was so exhausted that their interest in drama had waned; most stayed lying down with their eyes closed, only keeping one ear perked up to listen.

“Are you a pig? Eating so much,” Fang Haiyang said impatiently.

“If it’s not enough, just tell Niannian. Why make a scene out in public like a shrew?” Lu Yan added, having lost his patience after feeling his “face” was slighted.

With the three of them united against her, Pan Hongxia’s hands were shaking. She pointed at Shen Niannian for a long time, unable to find the words. By mid-afternoon, hunger gnawed at her; her stomach felt like it was being scorched by fire.

When it came time to prepare dinner, Pan Hongxia returned to the outpost with a stony face. Seeing this, Shen Niannian also put down her sickle and followed behind.

Back at the outpost, Pan Hongxia began rummaging through the kitchen to scoop some rice from the bag. Shen Niannian quickly rushed forward to stop her.

“Wait, Pan Hongxia. This bag of rice was bought by me and Brother Lu. You can’t eat it.”

If Pan Hongxia remembered correctly, this was the grain ration distributed this month. Her face darkened. “Where is my grain then?”

Shen Niannian pointed to a tiny bag in the corner. “There. That’s all that’s left!”

Gripping the small bag of rice, Pan Hongxia’s eyes burned with hot tears. “Shen Niannian, you people aren’t human!”

She proceeded to cook the remaining rice, tossing in some greens, oil, and salt, and ate voraciously. For the first time since the harvest began, she finally felt full. But that bit of rice would only last her one more day.

She hadn’t brought much money with her to the countryside, and after paying Wen Miao back previously, she had very little left. The villagers generally disliked the sent-down youths, and with every household tightening their belts for the harvest, no one would lend her grain. She had no idea what she would do once the rice ran out.

After the confrontation with Shen Niannian, it was obvious the other two were also dissatisfied with her. However, Pan Hongxia didn’t have time to dwell on that; if she didn’t find a solution, she would be starving again the day after tomorrow.

The next day, while Pan Hongxia was heading back to cook, she happened to run into Wen Miao, who was delivering food to the fields. Wen Miao was carrying three large lunchboxes. Pan Hongxia didn’t know what was inside, but given Wen Miao’s generous habits, she knew it had to be delicious.

She swallowed hard. Wen Miao met her gaze briefly and then looked away, feeling a bit strange as she continued to the fields.

Ji Baiqing and the family were resting on the straw. Hearing the rustling sound, Ji Baiqing opened her eyes and saw Wen Miao. She took the lunchboxes, and the family immediately began to eat heartily.

Once she had some food in her stomach, Ji Baiqing looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Miao shook her head. “I just ran into Pan Hongxia.”

Ji Baiqing frowned. “Stay away from them. None of them are normal.”

Wen Miao obediently agreed. Seeing her so compliant, Ji Baiqing took advantage of her parents being preoccupied with their food to squeeze Wen Miao’s cheek. She picked out pieces of meat and egg for Wen Miao, coaxing her to eat more until Wen Miao insisted she couldn’t take another bite.

In the afternoon, Wen Miao delivered mung bean soup to the fields. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

That evening, after work, Wen Miao and Ji Baiqing were drying their hair in the yard. Wen Miao stood behind Ji Baiqing, giving her a gentle massage; it wasn’t very forceful, but the intent was there.

Ji Baiqing was enjoying it when she suddenly heard a weak voice.

“Wen Miao, I find you have a moment.”

She snapped her eyes open and looked back to see Pan Hongxia. Wen Miao and Ji Baiqing exchanged a surprised look. What was Pan Hongxia doing here?

Ji Baiqing lightly circled Wen Miao’s wrist and tapped the back of her hand, asking, “What do you want with Wen Miao?”

Pan Hongxia looked at Wen Miao pleadingly, her eyes red. “Wen Miao, I want to talk to you privately, if that’s okay?”

Before she could be pulled away, Wen Miao sat on a stool to one side. Giving Ji Baiqing a helpless look, she said coldly to Pan Hongxia:

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

Pan Hongxia’s tears finally began to fall. “I’m sorry, Wen Miao. I shouldn’t have behaved like that before. Now I finally understand the situation you were in. I, I’m really out of options.” She added tentatively, “For the sake of us growing up together, can you give me a chance?”

Wen Miao pursed her lips. Ji Baiqing was getting impatient.

“Just say what you have to say. Don’t beat around the bush.”

Seeing no objection from Wen Miao, Pan Hongxia finally spoke.

“I want to, borrow some grain. Every time Shen Niannian cooks, she gives me very little. I’m not getting enough to eat, and my own grain is already gone.”

Silence fell over the yard, broken only by the noisy chirping of cicadas in the night. Suddenly, Ji Baiqing let out a short laugh.

“I was wondering why someone suddenly found their conscience. Turns out you just want something.” She looked at Pan Hongxia coldly. “Have you forgotten how you treated Wen Miao before?”

Furthermore, in the original story, when Wen Miao was at her wits’ end and went to the youth outpost to borrow grain, not a single person agreed. Now that the roles were reversed, Ji Baiqing found it utterly absurd.

It was like watching a joke.

“Go back. Go beg Shen Niannian; maybe she’ll lend you some.”

Pan Hongxia’s nails dug into her palms, her face full of resentment. “Wen Miao!”

Wen Miao’s face remained expressionless in the night. After another long silence, just as Pan Hongxia was about to turn and leave, Wen Miao spoke.

“I can only lend you fifteen pounds. You can pay me back in cash later.”

Pan Hongxia’s eyes widened in surprise and joy.

“Wen Miao, thank you! I’ll definitely pay you back!”

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