Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 40.2

Autumn passed, and winter arrived. A year flew by in the blink of an eye. The educated youth had already been there for over half a year. During this time, two male youths, unable to bear the hardship and seeing no hope of returning to the city, married unmarried young women from the village families they were staying with to secure a more comfortable life.

Once married, they no longer felt the psychological burden of living under someone else’s roof. They could slack off during farm work without being scolded, wake up whenever they pleased, and have food without earning work points. The two male youths only regretted not realizing this sooner.

Aside from that, Huo Yuwan also heard that Yang Nanjun had been splattered with mud by Sun Xuedong while walking past the fields. His brand-new Zhongshan suit was covered in mud stains, and the two ended up in a scuffle right on the spot.

Later, Widow Sun dragged Sun Xuedong to confront Yang Nanjun, but he responded with sarcastic remarks, firing off a rapid series of retorts that left even the argument-savvy Widow Sun speechless. For the first time, she was so frustrated her hands trembled, nearly choking on her anger.

Huo Yuwan felt incredibly conflicted after hearing this.

However, none of this had much to do with her anymore. Lately, she had been busy attending Li Xuzhi’s classes while also running to the city to earn money, leaving her with no spare time.

Li Xuzhi was usually quiet and reserved, with a cool demeanor. During lessons, she was even more serious and unsmiling. When Huo Yuwan brought her textbook to her, she was immediately assigned a new study guide.

“You’ve already mastered that book well. From now on, switch to this one.”

The book was still an old one, with obvious signs of having been read before. Inside, Huo Yuwan found notes and annotations written by Li Xuzhi.

“Okay.” She obediently responded, then sat at the table opposite Li Xuzhi and began flipping through the pages, taking notes on paper as she read.

Li Xuzhi knew Huo Yuwan was clever, so before explaining new concepts, she always let Huo Yuwan read through the material first. She would then supplement and elaborate based on the depth of Huo Yuwan’s notes.

Huo Yuwan held the pen, occasionally jotting things down as she read attentively, flicking the pen now and then to get the ink flowing again.

This fountain pen had been bought a few years ago and wasn’t used often. It was only because the pencils she had bought recently ran out, and she hadn’t had time to restock, that Huo Yuwan resorted to using the pen temporarily.

But whether due to its age or poor quality, the ink flow was frequently interrupted.

Frustrated, Huo Yuwan wrote a few words and then flicked the pen again, thinking to herself that she should buy a new one the next time she went to town.

Glancing up, Li Xuzhi naturally noticed her predicament. She closed the book she was holding, placed it face down on the table, and took a fountain pen from the drawer, handing it to Huo Yuwan. “Use this one.”

Taking the sleek, mirror-finish pen from Li Xuzhi, Huo Yuwan tried writing a few words and looked pleasantly surprised. “It writes so smoothly, much better than mine.”

“If you like it, you can keep it,” Li Xuzhi said, her gaze softening unconsciously.

Meeting her eyes, Huo Yuwan’s ears flushed red again. After holding back for a moment, she finally murmured softly, “You’re so good to me.”

She couldn’t say anything flirtatious, that might scare her beloved away. So she racked her brains to come up with a simple, heartfelt phrase to express her feelings.

“Keep reading,” Li Xuzhi replied with a faint smile, her voice gentle. But inwardly, she thought, Is this what counts as good? In my heart, it doesn’t even come close to one ten-thousandth of the kindness you’ve shown me.

Back at home, she had often been called unsociable, cold, and quiet. After returning from school, she seldom went out, spending her days surrounded by books. Her home was filled with books, some she had bought, others collected by her parents, and Li Xuzhi had read every single one.

When she came to the countryside, most of the belongings she brought were books. After the upheaval in her family, the few books that remained were almost all brought here, to be read during her spare time, offering her a moment of inner peace.

But life here turned out to be different from what she had imagined. Over the past half year, her state of mind had changed. The kindness and acceptance of the villagers, along with Huo Yuwan’s subtle care and support, had given her a sense of tranquility beyond what books could offer.

Around ten in the evening, Li Xuzhi finished explaining the last key point on the page.

“If you’re going to town tomorrow, bring a bottle of ink. This one is almost empty.”

Handing Huo Yuwan, the remaining half bottle of ink from the drawer, Li Xuzhi reminded her gently.

“Okay.”

Nodding in agreement, Huo Yuwan hugged the books, happily bid her goodnight, and turned to leave.

Early the next morning, Huo Yuwan headed to town with an empty bamboo basket on her back. Recently, she had earned quite a bit of money by gathering rare medicinal herbs from the deep mountains. Today, however, she had no plans to go into the mountains. She only intended to buy a bottle of ink, a few books, and pick up some other daily necessities.

At the bookstore, after asking the clerk where the ink counter was, she headed straight in with her bamboo basket still on her back.

“Why is someone bringing a bamboo basket into a bookstore?”

“Can someone from the countryside even read? Do they know all the characters?”

“Maybe she’s buying for her family. Didn’t a rural woman come a few days ago to buy books for her educated youth husband?”

“Why is she heading to the pen counter? Pens are expensive…”

“Are people in the countryside this well-off now?”

“Should we go into farming too? Hahaha…”

The young men and women around, there to buy books, glanced at Huo Yuwan and whispered among themselves, occasionally bursting into laughter. Huo Yuwan, however, paid no mind to the gossip. She was busy scanning the dazzling array of counters, deciding which books to buy.

When she reached the innermost counter, Huo Yuwan asked the salesperson to show her the most expensive bottle of ink.

Seeing her spend so freely, the salesperson worried she might be a wealthy but clueless customer who didn’t know much about pens, so she kindly reminded her, “What brand and model of pen do you use? Some pens can’t use just any ink—it might clog the nib. The most expensive ink isn’t always the best fit.”

Huo Yuwan thought this made sense and took out the pen she carried in her pocket. “A friend gave it to me. I’m not sure about the model.”

The salesperson was surprised the moment Huo Yuwan produced the pen. A fully mirrored pen like this was currently available in only one model on the market. She carefully took it, examined it closely, and confirmed her suspicion.

“This is Yingcheng’s latest model from last year. It was only on sale for a month before being discontinued. The nib is 14k gold, making it the most unique and expensive pen on the market right now.”

Seeing Huo Yuwan’s clueless expression, the salesperson explained with mixed feelings, “This pen is impossible to buy now. Your friend must really care about you.”

She smiled enviously, then took out the matching ink from the counter and handed it to Huo Yuwan. “This is the best ink for this pen.”

Taking the pen and ink, Huo Yuwan unconsciously ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the pen, lost in thought.

Noticing her silence, the salesperson asked curiously, “Was it from a sweetheart? An ordinary friend wouldn’t give such a precious gift.”

Huo Yuwan carefully placed the pen back in her pocket and shook her head. “Just a friend, a good friend who teaches me to read.”

The salesperson felt a bit disappointed. Were friendships this precious even among ordinary friends now?

But before she could finish her thought, Huo Yuwan added with a bright, smiling expression, “But he’ll be my sweetheart sooner or later.”

“!!!”

Watching Huo Yuwan’s cheerful retreating figure with her bamboo basket, the salesperson silently gave her a thumbs-up.

What a bold girl.

Huo Yuwan wandered around the city until the afternoon, then returned home with her bamboo basket full of goods.

It was nearly evening, and no one was home. She first placed the books and clothes she’d bought in her room, then stored the rice, flour, and meat in the kitchen.

Checking the sky, she estimated it was almost time for Li Xuzhi to finish class and come home, so she started preparing dinner.

Half an hour later, as the winter night grew darker, she heard the fox spirit’s call in the courtyard and bounded happily out of the kitchen.

“Go wash up for dinner. I bought some malted milk today, I’ll make you a cup to warm you up.”

Li Xuzhi walked over slowly and, meeting Huo Yuwan’s clear, bright eyes, chuckled softly. “Alright.”

While washing her hands in the backyard, Li Xuzhi couldn’t help but let out a soft, muffled cough.

The weather had been growing increasingly cold lately, and the chilly air irritated her throat as she breathed it into her lungs. Her chest also felt heavy from time to time.

Li Xuzhi worried that if this continued, her asthma might flare up, but she only had a few pills left from the medicine she had brought from home.

…

The creamy malted milk dissolved in the hot water, and Huo Yuwan handed one of the mugs to Li Xuzhi.

“This is my first time buying this. I heard it’s delicious, so I wanted to try it. Have you had it before?”

Taking the warm enamel mug, Li Xuzhi shook her head. “No, this is my first time too.”

“It’s sweet.”

Huo Yuwan took a small sip first, savoring the taste before cradling the mug to warm her hands, then gestured for Li Xuzhi to try it as well.

Under her expectant gaze, Li Xuzhi lifted the mug and took a delicate sip. As soon as she swallowed, she frowned, covered her mouth, and let out a soft cough.

“What’s wrong? Did you choke?”

Worried, Huo Yuwan rushed to her side, bending over to gently pat her back.

“I’m fine…”

Li Xuzhi’s voice was slightly hoarse. She took a low, steadying breath and shook her head.