Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 19

Xie Qingtang led the students toward the courtyard.

An oval-shaped pit was filled with clay—most of it had been dug out of the rice fields by Xie Qingtang and the others over the past few days. Both the plow cattle and the people had trod on the mud several times to squeeze out the residual air and increase its viscosity.

??However, this clay could not yet be used for shaping. It still contained various impurities such as stone fragments, tile pieces, and grass stalks, which needed to be picked out manually at this stage.

As soon as this group of vibrant young boys and girls heard they had to take off their shoes and step into the mud, they immediately sprang into action. They took off their shoes and socks, rolled up their trousers, their faces full of eagerness. Of course, there were a few timid and cleanliness-conscious ones who were less willing to step into the mud and hesitated on the periphery.

“You can also try kneading the clay by hand on the outside,” Xie Qingtang said. She didn’t force them into the mud. She herself also didn’t just stand by and watch but mingled with the students, her manner composed and relaxed.

“Teacher Chang,” a girl on the side looked at Chang Yishao, a bit nervous.

Chang Yishao patted her head, her smile gentle. She replied, “I’ll go down and try first.”

“Will there be glass shards? Will it cut my feet?” the girl asked again.

Chang Yishao glanced at Xie Qingtang and replied, “No, there won’t.”

The mud pit in the courtyard was not small, but with nearly ten people inside, it looked crowded. The students, laughing and playing, stepped into the slightly cool clay, occasionally bending down to pick up a stone and toss it out.

Xie Qingtang hadn’t expected Chang Yishao to participate.

Chang Yishao looked clean and scholarly; she seemed like an exquisite porcelain object displayed in a glass cabinet for admiration, not someone who would show a troublesome or dirty side. Xie Qingtang raised an eyebrow. Her gaze lingered on Chang Yishao for a moment before she withdrew it. She probably understood that her prejudice against Chang Yishao was deep-seated.

“Raw clay actually needs to go through multiple stages like weathering, crushing, and washing before it can be used. Right now, this is just to let you experience the feeling of labor,” Xie Qingtang said, looking at the students who were already a bit breathless after only a few rounds of movement. She chuckled again, “You guys lack exercise. Your stamina is even worse than Teacher Chang’s.”

Chang Yishao heard Xie Qingtang’s teasing remark, looked back at her, and their eyes met. Xie Qingtang didn’t feel awkward at all and continued to smile warmly. Chang Yishao didn’t respond. Her gaze swept downwards, landing on Xie Qingtang’s fair wrist—her sleeves were rolled up, her palms were covered in mud, and only a small patch of her hand’s back was clean, the boundary between yellow and white clearly distinct.

Xie Qingtang is very vital and full of life, Chang Yishao thought to herself.

“Students, time to get out. Let’s rest for a while before starting the throwing process,” Xie Qingtang said.

“Yay!” The students who had been in the mud were quite tired. Hearing Xie Qingtang’s words, they cheered and ran out of the mud pit one by one, heading to clean up under the guidance of their class teacher. Chang Yishao walked behind the students. She didn’t move until the last student was out. Her feet were deeply stuck in the mud pit. She stumbled, nearly falling. Xie Qingtang was quick to react and swiftly supported Chang Yishao, whispering in her ear, “Teacher Chang, be careful.” Once they were both out of the mud pit, she took a step back, widening the distance between them. Looking at the two muddy handprints on Chang Yishao’s arm, her expression was utterly innocent: “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Chang Yishao: “…” She had no intention of blaming Xie Qingtang. “Thank you.” Her tone was polite and distant, clearly different from the extreme tenderness and affection she displayed when playing the role of “girlfriend.”

What kind of person is Chang Yishao exactly?

the students’ break time was the main stage for their teachers and class teacher. Unlike Xie Qingtang who just glossed over things, the teachers taught the students by breaking down the knowledge and combining it with practical experience.

Xie Qingtang listened for a while and found it a bit boring. The rest time was not short; it lasted until they officially started the “throwing” process in the afternoon. Seeing the other masters begin working on other things, she told Chang Yishao and temporarily left the area.

Compared to the earliest flat kiln, which only refined ceramics, there were now significant differences.

According to Elder Qi, the site and scale had expanded several times, and besides the core area, there were also zones for visits, study, and film shooting. Xie Qingtang guessed that the plot’s omnipresent being would arrange a misplaced “He Yanjin” here, so she planned to avoid this trouble. As long as she didn’t show up, the tragedy of the “tool person” wouldn’t befall her.

It was May, the trees were lush with greenery, and the sunlight falling on her was a bit scorching.

Xie Qingtang swayed back and forth on the reclining chair she usually used. A small tea set, consisting of a teapot and small cups, was placed on a low stool beside her, shimmering in the sunlight like flowing glaze.

It would be even more wonderful to have a cat snuggled at her feet right now. She wondered if Chang Yishao would agree to keep a cat at home. Xie Qingtang’s thoughts drifted aimlessly. She slightly closed her eyes, recalling the melody she had written earlier, and began to hum softly.

“Teacher He? Why are you still here? Everyone is waiting!” A voice fell like a clap of thunder, instantly shattering Xie Qingtang’s peace. Xie Qingtang shielded her eyes with her hand, and after a moment, she unhappily looked at the woman who had run up to her, flapping her mouth loudly.

The woman didn’t notice her expression. She reached out directly, trying to pull her up, continuously chanting, “Teacher He, your assistant and the director are looking for you. How can you still be in the mood to sunbathe here? Hurry up! The program has already started filming!” The woman’s words were rushed, concealing a hint of dissatisfaction.

Xie Qingtang knew immediately that they had mistaken her for someone else.

She found it somewhat amusing.

She pressed down on the woman’s hand that was pulling her and lightly pushed it aside. She glanced at the woman and said nonchalantly, “You’ve got the wrong person.”

“Teacher He, you’re still joking with me!” The woman stomped her foot in some anxiety.

Xie Qingtang looked at her, and said seriously, “I’m not joking with you.” She knew she looked similar to He Yanjin, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been thrown here by the Bureau to be a stand-in for retirement, and Chang Yishao wouldn’t have noticed her. But was there really no difference at all? They weren’t twins. The passersby were absurd, and the staff in their circle were also absurd.

The woman was startled by Xie Qingtang’s cold tone. Emotions like anxiety, embarrassment, and confusion squeezed together on her face, but after a moment, they exploded like fireworks, slowly leaving only apology behind. “I’m sorry, I mistook you for someone else.” She quickly bowed to apologize, and at the end, she didn’t forget to ask Xie Qingtang for information, “Excuse me, have you seen Teacher He?”

Xie Qingtang’s eyes flickered. She slowly elongated her tone and said, “Teacher He… I don’t know her.” Seeing the woman’s face fill with disappointment, she sat up straight, propped her chin with one hand, and with a smiling gaze, pointed in Chang Yishao’s direction, saying, “Why don’t you try looking over there?”

“Thank you! Thank you!” the woman said repeatedly, turning around and walking impatiently toward Chang Yishao.

Xie Qingtang lay back down. She realized after the fact that by pointing the way for He Yanjin to be taken away, did that count as a kind of disruption in another sense? Would Chang Yishao resent her for it?

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