Jiang Xia's arm was suddenly grabbed. Startled, she quickly pulled her hand back, glanced back, and although she didn't recognize him, a strange sense of disgust welled up inside her.
A deep resentment!
Jiang Xia's heart skipped a beat. Without showing any emotion, she took a few steps back, keeping her distance, and asked, "What?"
Wu Qizhi had also planned to go to the village to find Jiang Xia today, to see if she had gotten a divorce. He came to the market thinking he couldn't go empty-handed; he wanted to buy some fruit to appease her. Fruit was cheaper at the rural market than in the city, which was why he came. He hadn't expected to run into her at the market.
He happily took a few steps forward, reaching out to pull Jiang Xia: "Xia, you're at the market too?"
Jiang Xia probably guessed who it was, dodging his outstretched hand, and said irritably, "Just talk, don't touch me. I'll call for harassment!"
Wu Qizhi was further provoked by Jiang Xia's dismissive avoidance.
This bitch looked down on him, yet wanted to use him to help her get a divorce! "Hmph, I'll get her sooner or later and make her obey me completely.
" He chuckled, "Xia, didn't you want me to pretend to elope with you to help you get a divorce? It was my fault that day. I felt it would damage your reputation, so I ran away." "
I was doing it for your own good. Eloping wouldn't be good for your reputation. And I only pushed you that day because I knew you could swim. It wasn't intentional. Only that way could I protect your reputation and prevent people from saying you're promiscuous. By the way, did Comrade Zhou misunderstand you? Is he still unwilling to divorce you? That beast must be after your family's money to refuse the divorce. You're right to want a divorce. Do you still want a divorce? I'll take you away now. If you have nowhere to stay, you can stay at my house first. You know I've liked you for a long time, and I'll help you unconditionally." Once
he's tricked her into coming to his house, he can do whatever he wants
with her. He'll take advantage of her, and she'll have no choice but to obey him. Then he'll make her ask her father to arrange a job for him. If he doesn't arrange a job, he won't get a marriage certificate with her. He doesn't believe her father would dare not arrange one.
Jiang Xia didn't miss the flash of malice in his eyes.
However, she soon realized that the original owner of this body only wanted to fake elope with this man. The book didn't mention this, probably because the original owner wasn't the female lead and wouldn't be given such detailed explanations.
The book only stated that after her divorce from the male lead, her parents wouldn't let her into their home and wanted her to remarry. She was forced to go to Wu Qizhi's house, where he half-forced and half-coaxed her into being taken advantage of, leaving her no choice but to stay with him. Ultimately, she was beaten to death by him.
Jiang Xia said calmly, "No need. You can leave! Don't look for me again. I don't need your help!"
Jiang Xia turned and left after saying this.
Wu Qizhi caught up: "Xia, are you still angry that I didn't take you with me that day? I really did it for your own good. Didn't you want to divorce Zhou Chenglei? I pushed you into the sea back then, firstly so you could successfully divorce Zhou Chenglei. If Zhou Chenglei were a man, he would definitely agree after seeing you jumped into the sea for the divorce. Secondly, it would protect your reputation. I did it all for you! Xia, is Zhou Chenglei still not divorcing you? Then come with me now! I'll help you, I'll take you away! I'll take you away right now!"
Zhou Chenglei hurriedly walked over, and stopped when he saw the two walking together.
Jiang Xia didn't even give him a glance, and continued walking past him.
Wu Qizhi couldn't help but reach out to put his arm around her waist, coaxing, "Xia..."
Zhou Chenglei's eyes turned cold and he quickly stepped forward.
But Jiang Xia was faster.
The moment he touched her clothes, Jiang Xia grabbed his wrist and twisted it.
A faint "snap" sound seemed to echo in the air.
Wu Qizhi's arm was dislocated, and he was writhing in pain: "Ah, ouch, ouch, ouch... Xia, let go!"
Jiang Xia immediately threw his hand away, kicked him in the butt, and shouted, "Indecent assault! Indecent assault!..."
People around looked over.
Wu Qizhi fell flat on his face, struggling to get up: "What nonsense are you talking about? You're the one who said you wanted a divorce and wanted to come with me!"
Jiang Xia stomped on his chest, pressed him back to the ground, and continued to hit him: "Indecent assault! I don't know this person. This person touched my waist, he's a pervert! I just saw him touch an old lady's butt, and he deliberately bumped into a pretty lady..."
Originally, she just wanted to find a secluded spot to quietly beat him up and vent her anger for the original owner, but how dare he touch her waist? He's asking for death!
Jiang Xia simply made up a story, after all, there were many people in the market, and some women were bound to bump into each other.
"I knew it looked like a thief was touching my butt! It was you!" The old woman kicked off her shoe and started hitting Wu Qizhi's head repeatedly: "I'll beat you to death, you pervert! You dare to take advantage of me! I'll beat you to death..."
Then a young and pretty woman raised a washboard and hit Wu Qizhi: "You pervert, I'll teach you to bump into me..."
Jiang Xia: "..."
She was just making things up!
And someone actually took it personally?
"Help, I didn't, I didn't, don't hit me, she's lying, I didn't do anything perverted, she seduced me..." Wu Qizhi was being punched and kicked by the three of them, covering his head with one hand and crying for help.
Zhou Chenglei silently stepped forward and took the vegetable basket from Jiang Xia's hand, making it easier for her to hit him.
Jiang Xia felt someone snatch something from her hands. She threw a punch, her fist almost hitting Zhou Chenglei's handsome face, but he caught it with his large hand.
Jiang Xia paused, and Zhou Chenglei released her hand: "It's me."
"Hold this for me." Jiang Xia let go, allowing him to take the basket and other items, and then rejoined the fray.
This body harbored resentment towards the domestic abuser, probably a remnant of the original owner's anger. Jiang Xia would help the original owner vent her anger! After all, she was currently using this body, and any resentment would harm her body.
Then, the three women beat Wu Qizhi until he found an opportunity to break free and run away.
The plump old woman, hands on her hips, yelled at Wu Qizhi's retreating figure, "If you dare to act like a hooligan again, I'll take you to the police station! My brother's a policeman!"
Then she said to Jiang Xia, "Thank you, sister, you're so kind! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to find the culprit who groped me!"
The pretty woman also said to Jiang Xia, "Thank you, I hate people like that the most."
Jiang Xia smiled, "You're welcome! I should be thanking you. He groped me, and you taught the bad guy a lesson."
The two women cursed Wu Qizhi again and left.
"Let's go! Let's go home," Jiang Xia said to Zhou Chenglei with a smile.
After teaching the person who killed the original owner of this body a lesson, the resentment in Jiang Xia's heart dissipated, and her whole body felt comfortable. It was as if her strength had returned, and the feeling of weakness was gone.
Jiang Xia felt that this body was truly hers now.
Jiang Xia walked briskly with Zhou Chenglei towards the tractor.
Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but glance at her. She was so happy that Wu Qizhi had been beaten up?
Well, Zhou Chenglei was a little happy too.
Because she hit Wu Qizhi, and even more so because of her words, "Let's go home."
He felt something was different.
Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia walked past Wen Wan side by side.
Wen Wan watched the couple walk by with smiles on their faces, seemingly lost in thought.
Jiang Xia actually beat up Wu Qizhi?
In her past life, she divorced Zhou Chenglei for Wu Qizhi, willing to follow him without any status.
What's going on today?
Did Jiang Xia also reincarnate?
Knowing that Wu Qizhi is an abusive man, is that why Jiang Xia didn't divorce him and stayed in the Zhou family? If
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei don't divorce, what will happen to her?
Jiang Xia saw someone pushing a bicycle ahead, dragging a large box behind it, covered with an old quilt. The person was calling out as they went, ringing the bicycle bell: "Popsicles for sale! Popsicles for sale!"
Jiang Xia saw children pulling their mothers to buy some, and she wanted one too. She turned to the person beside her: "Do you want a popsicle?"
Zhou Chenglei glanced at her, didn't speak, but walked over and said to the popsicle seller, "I want one."
"Only one cent left."
Zhou Chenglei freed one hand and took out a cent.
The person took the money and took out a popsicle from a styrofoam box inlaid with wood, handing it to Zhou Chenglei.
Zhou Chenglei took it, turned around, and handed it to Jiang Xia.
The popsicle had no packaging, was white, and its appearance and shape matched its name perfectly.
Jiang Xia took it, lowered her head, and took a small bite: it was icy, sweet, and refreshing.
The tractor was not far away, and Jiang Xia walked over while still eating.
Zhou Chenglei followed beside her, carrying a basket and other items. If anyone approached, he would step aside to shield her from being bumped.
Soon they reached the tractor, whose cargo bed was already full, leaving no room for anyone to sit.
Jiang Xia climbed into the seat next to the driver's seat. The tractor had a roof to provide shade, and she took off her straw hat.
Zhou Chenglei put Jiang Xia's purchases away and then started the tractor.
Jiang Xia watched as he inserted a Z-shaped lighter into the slot, pressed the compressor, and cranked it vigorously and quickly a few times.
Then, the tractor's engine emitted a thick plume of diesel smoke, accompanied by a rumbling sound.
Zhou Chenglei removed the lighter, tucked it under the seat, sat in the driver's seat, and drove off.
It was only a little past nine, but the summer sun was intense, the gray-white cement road gleaming in the sunlight as the tractor chug along.
A cool breeze blew in her face. Jiang Xia took a bite of the popsicle and held it in her mouth, letting it slowly melt. From her mouth to her stomach, it was icy and sweet all the way…
Zhou Chenglei, seeing her enjoying it so much, asked, “Is it cold?”
“Cold! You can tell it’s cold just by looking at the steam rising from it. Do you want some?” Jiang Xia held up the half-eaten popsicle to him to show him the cold steam. She was about to ask, “If you want some, why didn’t you buy another one?”
But before she could ask, he quickly glanced at the road conditions, then looked down and took a bite of the popsicle in her hand.
“Mmm, it’s definitely cold.”
It was both icy and sweet.
“…”
Jiang Xia looked at the half-eaten popsicle, then at the man who was driving intently!
This jerk, how did he even get to eat it?
Zhou Chenglei’s lips curled up. After she hesitated for a long time holding the popsicle, he finally reminded her, “It’s about to melt.”
Just then, a drop of water melted on the popsicle and dripped down. Jiang Xia was startled and quickly put it in her mouth and sucked on it.
Jiang Xia stiffened, but then she remembered that he had already eaten her leftovers twice.
Fine, we're even!
Zhou Chenglei's lips curled into a slight smile.
But Jiang Xia was still too embarrassed to eat any more. "You finish it!"
he said fiercely.
"I don't have hands, or you can feed me?"
Jiang Xia: "..."
Jiang Xia wanted to throw it away.
"Don't throw it away, it'll attract ants," the man seemed to sense her thoughts and reminded her.
Throwing an ice pop on the street could indeed attract a swarm of ants, but feeding it to him?
"It'll melt again if you don't eat it soon,"
Jiang Xia glared at him, but still put the ice pop in her mouth.
Feed it to him? Impossible!
When you go out for hot pot with colleagues and friends, some people don't use serving chopsticks and just take food directly from the pot—aren't they just eating other people's saliva too?
Thinking this way, Jiang Xia ate with a sense of peace.
Zhou Chenglei's lips curled into a smile the whole way.
Jiang Xia asked, "Are there newspapers for sale in town?"
"Yes."
Zhou Chenglei went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two packs of cigarettes and a bottle of Moutai, along with several newspapers. Then he bought a hand-cranked water pump and a long water pipe, tied them to the top of the tractor, and then left town.
Jiang Xia noticed the tractor wasn't going home, and she didn't know where Zhou Chenglei was going, but she didn't ask.
He bought the Moutai and cigarettes, probably to give away.
Jiang Xia looked down and flipped through the newspapers.
The tractor chugged along, and soon after leaving the town center, fields stretched out on both sides of the road, the rice paddies gleaming green under the clear blue sky.
Jiang Xia browsed through several newspapers, as if searching for some news.
Zhou Chenglei asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Looking for a job, seeing what I can do to earn money."
Zhou Chenglei fell silent.
The newspaper she was looking at was the city daily, so did she still want to leave?
Zhou Chenglei felt the sweetness of the popsicle he had just eaten turn into bitterness.
Popsicles are made with saccharin, that's what happens after eating them, Zhou Chenglei thought.
Jiang Xia finally found a suitable part-time job, and she put the newspaper down.
Zhou Chenglei wanted to ask, but didn't dare.
Jiang Xia said, "I'd like to go to the city another day when I don't have to go out to sea. Do I need to go to the town to catch a bus?"
Zhou Chenglei's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said with some difficulty, "Yes, there are no buses from the village to the city. I'll go with you then, and I'll also take you back to see your parents."
He made up an excuse, afraid she would refuse.
“Okay.” Jiang Xia didn’t refuse. She didn’t even know where the original owner’s house was, so it was perfect for Zhou Chenglei to take her back.
The tractor kicked up dust and was noisy on the road, so the two of them didn’t speak again.
The tractor had been traveling for two hours, and it was already past eleven o’clock, and they still hadn’t arrived. They
even had to refuel halfway. The scenery along the way was mostly fields. Jiang Xia saw two people in the fields under the blazing sun. One of them was holding a bamboo pole and sweeping it across the green rice paddies, creating waves.
She asked curiously, “Zhou Chenglei, what are they doing in the fields?”
Zhou Chenglei turned his head to look at her, then turned back to look at the road. “They’re raising the pollen. That’s rice seed production. That rice field is a rice breeding base. The male and female rice plants are different heights, and raising the pollen helps to lift the pollen from the male plants and let it fall onto the female plants.”
Jiang Xia understood immediately.
She carefully examined the rice field. It was indeed different from ordinary rice fields. The rice plants were of varying heights and colors, like green striped shirts.
Jiang Xia: "It's so tiring working in the middle of the day. Can't we work when the sun isn't so strong?"
Zhou Chenglei: "Rice flowers bloom for about two hours around noon. The flowering period is short, so we can only work during the midday sun to catch the flowers."
Jiang Xia sighed, "A harvest is never easy."
Zhou Chenglei didn't say anything, but he completely agreed.
Half an hour later, the tractor stopped in front of an orchard: "We're here." Jiang
Xia looked at the man beside her. So he drove the tractor for so long because she suggested planting some fruit trees in the yard last night?
Zhou Chenglei led Jiang Xia into the orchard.
The orchard owner was a man about the same age as Zhou Chenglei, his skin tanned dark from years of tending the orchard. Seeing the two, he gave them a delighted smile, his teeth exceptionally white: "Commander, what brings you here?"
He then looked at Jiang Xia and laughed, "This is your wife? Hello, sister-in-law! You're so beautiful! Welcome, sister-in-law!"
No wonder he's the commander; his wife is stunning!
More beautiful than flowers!
Whiter than the clouds in the sky!
Jiang Xia smiled: "Hello."
Zhou Chenglei said to Jiang Xia, "Jiang Yang, my former comrade-in-arms."
Jiang Xia: "Brother Jiang."
Jiang Yang was flattered and waved his hands vigorously: "No, no, sister-in-law, just call me Little Jiang."
Jiang Xia smiled.
Zhou Chenglei gave Jiang Yang the wine and cigarettes.
Jiang Xia handed him half a rib and two pineapples.
Jiang Yang waved his hands vigorously to decline, "No need, why did the regimental commander bring so much stuff? No need..."
With just one look from Zhou Chenglei, he dared not refuse anymore and obediently accepted it, standing up straight.
Jiang Xia found it amusing, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Jiang Yang glanced at him, then at Zhou Chenglei, and thought they were a perfect match! So perfect!
Zhou Chenglei asked Jiang Yang, "What fruit tree seedlings do you have here? Do you have grape seedlings?"
Jiang Yang immediately replied, "Yes, yes, yes... I have many fruit trees at home, and even if I don't have any, I can find some. What kind of fruit tree does the regimental commander want?"
Zhou Chenglei looked at Jiang Xia, "What kind of fruit tree do you want to plant?"
Jiang Yang said, "What kind of fruit tree does my sister-in-law want to plant? I'll show you around, and if you like it, you can take it home. If I don't have any that my sister-in-law likes, I'll go find some elsewhere for her."
Jiang Yang enthusiastically led them into his orchard for a tour.
He was talkative, introducing the "empire" he had built up over the years since his discharge from the army.
Jiang Yang had contracted a considerable amount of land and planted peaches, guavas, grapes, pomegranates, mangoes, and bayberries, among other fruits.
Except for the grapes and mangoes, which were expected to bear fruit this year, the other fruits hadn't yet produced fruit and would have to wait another year or two.
However, it was clear he deeply loved and looked forward to his orchard.
Jiang Yang was a talkative man, enthusiastically telling Jiang Xia that many of the fruit saplings were purchased during his time in the army, after completing missions in various locations, with great difficulty and effort.
He specifically bought them to plant because his wife loved fruit, and it was a great struggle for them to survive.
After walking around the orchard for over an hour, Jiang Xia picked out a pomegranate tree, a guava tree, a persimmon tree, a grape sapling, and several strawberry seedlings.
Jiang Xia had originally wanted a peach tree and a longan tree, but Jiang Yang said no one planted peach trees in their yard because peach trees were believed to be prone to becoming spirits, and longans were said to attract stink bugs.
Jiang Xia wanted peaches and longans, and he promised to bring them to her when they ripened.
Jiang Xia didn't understand those things, and he didn't even know what a stink bug was, so he just let it go.
Grapes can be propagated by cuttings, but Jiang Yang had some ready-grown grape seedlings here; he could take them home, plant them directly, and they would bear fruit in a year or two.
Jiang Xia loved eating fruit and actually wanted to plant many kinds, but the yard wasn't big enough, so she decided to buy a large yard herself and plant more different kinds of fruit.
Besides the fruit seedlings, Jiang Yang's wife, Yang Mei, also planted some roses, bougainvillea, cockscomb, rain lilies, sunflowers, and other flowers in different colors. Seeing that Jiang Xia liked them, she gave him some of each to take home and plant.
Jiang Yang said with a look of disgust, "Sister-in-law, take more if you like! Don't take up the space I have for my fruit trees!"
Yang Mei glared at him, "My flowers are planted in the corner, where do they take up space? You take up the most space! Get out of here!"
Jiang Xia laughed; it was clear that the couple had a good relationship.
The couple even had lunch in the orchard at noon.
Jiang Yang's wife made pineapple chicken, which was sweet and sour and very appetizing. Jiang Xia helped make braised pork ribs and perilla goose, which were praised by the couple so much that she was embarrassed.
As they were leaving, Jiang Yang gave them a large bag of fruit: mangoes, grapes, two large watermelons, several cantaloupes, and two large geese.
The goose's head was particularly large, and Zhou Chenglei offered him money, which he refused.
Jiang Xia then gave each of the two children a 10-yuan red envelope.
Fortunately, although the furniture took up space, there were still enough gaps to fit the fruit trees and fruit; otherwise, there would have been nowhere to put them.
Jiang Yang and his wife watched the tractor leave.
Jiang Yang's wife was tall, with dark skin from years of tending the orchard.
Looking at the departing tractor, she said, "Commander Zhou's wife is so beautiful. Commander Zhou is now retired and back in the village fishing for a living; he's no longer the commander. He married such a delicate wife; can he support her?"
Villagers prefer wives who are strong and have a good appetite; such women are hardworking and family-oriented.
Jiang Xia looks too delicate; she probably can't endure the hardships of village life.
"The regimental commander's wife is our former division commander's youngest daughter, a late-in-life child, of course she's beautiful. My regimental commander is capable enough, how could he not keep her?"
Yang Mei glanced at him, "Have you heard that your regimental commander's beautiful wife eloped with another man and he caught her and brought her back?"
Jiang Yang: "..."
*
Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia returned to the village after 2 PM, the hottest time of day.
Jiang Xia felt her skin burning from the scorching air.
The courtyard gate was closed, Zhou Chenglei jumped off the tractor and opened the gate.
Zhou's mother heard the noise and came out, seeing the tractor full of things, she exclaimed in surprise, "Why did you buy so much? It must have cost a lot of money!"
Great-grandmother also heard the noise and came out from the neighboring yard, smiling, "Oh my! You bought so many stools? It's good to buy more, it makes the house feel like a home."
Zhou's mother thought about the long and empty living room and felt that it was indeed necessary to buy some.
Everything on the tractor was tied with ropes. Jiang Xia, while untying the ropes, laughed and replied, "The living room is indeed too empty. Let's take advantage of today's market day to buy some furniture."
Great-Grandma laughed, "Yes, yes, an empty living room doesn't bring wealth! We should buy some! Xia understands, no wonder Xia encountered a red snapper as soon as she went out to sea!"
What could Zhou's mother say? They had said everything.
Jiang Xia tried to untie the ropes, but she had never seen the knots tied before, and she couldn't untie them after trying for a long time.
Zhou's mother and Great-Grandma were moving the fruit tree seedlings into the yard.
Zhou Chenglei also untied the other ropes. He walked to Jiang Xia's side and said, "Let me do it."
He had tied the knots himself, and most people wouldn't know how to untie them.
Jiang Xia let go and stepped aside to let him do it.
But as she stepped aside, her shoulder brushed against the back of a bamboo chair on the tractor. Several bamboo chairs were stacked on top of each other. They had been tied very securely with ropes before, but after Zhou Chenglei untied the ropes, they had loosened.
Jiang Xia bumped into them, and the bamboo chairs fell down.
Jiang Xia instinctively reached out to steady the bamboo chair, but another chair was still falling.
"Careful!" Zhou Chenglei also instinctively reached out to steady the chair, his other hand catching Jiang Xia's head to prevent her from being hit.
Jiang Xia felt herself being pulled into his embrace, her nose filled with the crisp ocean scent of his body and the fragrance of soap on his sleeves.
Great-grandmother and Zhou's mother quickly reached out to help steady the chair.
"Alright! Alright! You've got it!" Zhou's mother said.
Zhou Chenglei then lowered his hand, and Jiang Xia turned around to look.
And then, coincidentally, as Zhou Chenglei lowered his arm, which had been rolled up, brushed against Jiang Xia's lips.
Soft lips brushed against her arm, and Zhou Chenglei's heart skipped a beat as if he'd been electrocuted. He quickly pulled his hand away.
Jiang Xia's face flushed instantly, and she quickly backed away, only to bump into the bamboo chair on the tractor!
Zhou Chenglei quickly pressed her down, his long arm supporting her head, and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't move, I'll move it. You go back inside first."
"Okay." Jiang Xia was trapped between him and the tractor, her face burning even hotter. It was too embarrassing; she couldn't stay any longer. She carefully slipped out from under his long arm.
Zhou Chenglei also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the weather was even hotter than at noon.
Jiang Xia ran into the yard but then remembered she hadn't taken the vegetable basket and fruit.
She turned back to the driver's seat, carried the vegetable basket back into the house, and then went to move the fruit and goose that Jiang Yang had given her. They
were a bit heavy, and she struggled to carry them.
Zhou Chenglei was unloading furniture from the tractor, with his mother and great-grandmother helping him. Seeing this, he said, "Leave it there, I'll move it later."
Jiang Xia replied, "It's alright, I can manage."
Jiang Xia lifted a large goose, weighing over ten kilograms, off the tractor.
Zhou's mother asked, "Why did you buy two geese?"
Zhou Chenglei replied, "Jiang Yang gave them to me."
Zhou's mother said, "That boy is always giving things away. Remember to send him some dried fish another day."
"Okay."
Zhou's mother added, "Jiang Yang went to the army with you back then, his two children are six or seven years old now, right?"
"More or less." Zhou Chenglei casually replied, carrying the backs of two bamboo chairs in one hand, walking to Jiang Xia's side, easily taking the bag from her hand with one hand, walking into the yard, placing the bamboo chairs and the bag of fruit under the eaves, then going out to continue moving other tables and chairs.
Zhou's mother followed, carrying two bamboo chairs, saying, "Then you two should put in a little more effort!"
This time, Zhou Chenglei didn't answer.
Jiang Xia was even less likely to answer; her face was still burning.
Great-Grandma brought in two bamboo chairs, smiling broadly: "They've only been married a short time, why are you in such a hurry? Let me tell you, don't rush this. The more you rush, the less likely the baby will come. If you don't care, it will come quietly."
Hearing this, Zhou's mother didn't dare say anything more. It was true; you couldn't rush it. Some people couldn't conceive the more anxious they were.
She went back to helping move the tables and chairs.
Jiang Xia secretly breathed a sigh of relief and stopped helping, deciding to wash some fruit for everyone.
She went to the kitchen, found a bamboo basket, picked up the mangoes and grapes, and put them in the basket, revealing two large watermelons.
She carried one watermelon to the well and used the water in the bucket to wash the rind clean.
It was too hot, so she planned to cut the watermelon so everyone could eat it after moving the furniture.
The watermelon hadn't been chilled, and in this hot weather, the flesh was probably still warm, but watermelon is juicy and will at least quench thirst.
Zhou Chenglei brought in a bamboo bed, put it down, saw it, went over, picked up the watermelon, and threw it into the well.
"Hey, what are you doing? What if the watermelon sinks?" Jiang Xia anxiously peered into the well.
The watermelon was submerged, splashing water, then floated back up.
Jiang Xia: "..."
It didn't sink?
Zhou Chenglei pulled her a few steps away from the well: "It won't sink. Didn't you want to cool the watermelon down? Put it in the well to chill, and we'll hoist it up to eat in the evening when it's cold inside."
Jiang Xia had never seen this before, and she nodded: "Okay."
"Don't get so close to the well," Zhou Chenglei added, still worried, before continuing to move things.
The watermelon couldn't be eaten yet, but there were other fruits. Jiang Xia washed the grapes and hawthorns and put them in the fruit basket. Then she peeled the last pineapple, carefully removing the black thorns, and cut it into six pieces, soaking them in cooled boiled water with salt.
Finally, she took a few more mangoes, cut them open, diced the flesh, and put it in a large bowl.
Just as she finished all this, Zhou Chenglei and the other two had moved everything inside and arranged it.
Jiang Xia wiped the newly bought coffee table clean with a rag, then placed several plates of fruit on it. Jiang Xia
smiled and invited them to eat.
Zhou Chenglei drank a whole enamel mug of water and said, "You guys eat, I'll go return the tractor."
Jiang Xia tugged at his sleeve: "What's the rush? It's not too late to return it after you've eaten."
Great-Grandma walked over with a smile and sat on the new wooden sofa: "That's right, eat the fruit first, then return it, it won't make a difference! Oh, this bench is so comfortable!"
Zhou's mother saw the fruit on the table and felt a pang of regret. Who eats so much fruit at once?
It must have cost a lot of money!
She thought of her grandsons: "Ah Guang and his brothers haven't had fruit in a long time. How much fruit did you buy? Is there any left? I'll give it to them..."
Great-Grandma picked a grape and stuffed it into Zhou's mother's mouth, stopping her from saying anything more: "These grapes are sweet, you try some!"
Zhou's mother: "..."
Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, why worry so much? The worst thing about being a parent-in-law is being indecisive, eating from one son's food while eyeing another, wishing they could take everything from one son's house to subsidize the other.
Jiang Xia used a toothpick to pick out a piece of pineapple and handed it to Zhou Chenglei: "Try it first to see if it's sweet."
Zhou Chenglei glanced at her before taking the pineapple from her hand, his large hand inadvertently brushing against hers.
Jiang Xia felt her heart skip a beat, and thinking of what had just happened, her face flushed again. She quickly lowered her head and picked out a piece of pineapple for Great-Grandma and Zhou's mother, handing it to them.
After Zhou Chenglei finished the pineapple, he peeled grapes. He didn't eat any himself, but placed the half-bowl of grape pulp in front of Jiang Xia: "I'm going to return the tractor."
Then he stood up and walked out.
Jiang Xia paused for a moment, then turned to look at him. His long legs crossed the threshold, his posture upright, his back view impressive.
She looked away, picked up a grape and put it in her mouth; it was very sweet.
Great-grandmother and Zhou's mother didn't eat too much either. They ate a piece of pineapple, a grape, and a piece of mango, then stopped and went to Great-grandmother's house to weave fishing
nets. The women in the village would weave fishing nets to earn money whenever
they had free time. Few people would just sit around doing nothing, although some lazy women would gather in groups of three or five to play cards or mahjong. But Zhou's mother and Great-grandmother weren't like that; they would weave fishing nets to earn money whenever they had free time.
Jiang Xia finished the pineapple, then ate half a bowl of grapes and a little mango and wild berries.
After finishing the fruit, she washed her hands, took out a hoe, and planned to plant the fruit tree seedlings and flowers she had brought back.
Then she saw a large goose with its legs and wings tied up in the corner.
Remembering what Jiang Yang had said about untying the two geese when they got home, she thought that tying them up for too long would kill them.
Jiang Xia walked over, grabbing one goose head in each hand and carrying the two geese towards the duck enclosure, releasing them.
Jiang Yang had handled geese the same way, so it shouldn't be a problem.
But after untying the geese, she turned and walked away.
The two big creatures immediately chased after her, wings outstretched, trying to bite her!
Jiang Xia had never encountered anything like this before. Instinctively, she started running
!
Zhou Chenglei returned to find Jiang Xia being chased by the two geese.
Seeing her running towards him, he assumed the timid girl would run into his arms.
He instinctively reached out…
Zhou Chenglei was all ready to catch her!
Then, Jiang Xia realized, "They're just two geese, what's there to be afraid of? They're not snakes!"
She suddenly turned around, so fast that the two geese were stunned.
Jiang Xia nimbly grabbed one of the outstretched geese by the neck and lifted it up!
At that moment, the other one reacted and attacked, but she grabbed its neck again and lifted it high!
Jiang Xia held both geese high, a little strained, but she had to maintain her momentum. She said fiercely, "Bite! Are you going to bite me again? Do you think I'm a pushover?"
"Tell me, will you dare to bite me again? If you dare to bite me again, I'll kill you! Stew you!"
Zhou Chenglei: "…"
Zhou Chenglei lowered his hands and walked over.
Jiang Xia cursed a couple of times and put the two geese down.
The two geese attacked her again.
She grabbed their heads again and lifted them up!
Staring into their eyes, his gaze fierce: "Again? I'll stew you!"
The two lion-headed geese: "..."
This time, when Jiang Xia put them down again, the two big guys didn't dare to do it and immediately ran away!
Zhou Chenglei chuckled.
Hearing this, Jiang Xia turned around and glanced at him behind her. Thinking of her fierce appearance just now, she felt a little embarrassed: "These two geese are so fierce, they chased me and bit me."
Jiang Xia glanced at the two geese, who were now walking around the yard, as if surveying their new territory.
Zhou Chenglei suppressed the corners of his mouth and nodded: "Yeah, geese are a bit fierce. I'll stew them for you next time. I'll go lock them up."
Just now, she seemed to be getting more and more used to life in the village.
She used to despise the chickens and ducks at home! She would cover her nose whenever she saw them.
Zhou Chenglei's lips unconsciously curled up, and he strode towards the two geese. Perhaps animals have an instinct to detect danger, because as soon as Zhou Chenglei approached, the two geese immediately ran away. Where was the fierceness they had shown when chasing and biting Jiang Xia?
They were like mice seeing a cat!
Jiang Xia gritted her teeth: These two cowards, I'll stew them sooner or later!
Zhou Chenglei darted forward, bent down, and grabbed one goose by the neck with his long arm. He took a step, stretched out, and grabbed the second one.
He carried the two geese by their heads to the back of the house and locked them up.
After locking the two geese up, Zhou Chenglei came out and saw Jiang Xia taking out strawberry seedlings and some flower seedlings.
He went to the storage room and took out a hoe: "Where do you plan to plant these fruit trees and flowers?"
Jiang Xia had already thought it through and pointed to a corner by the well: "I'll plant pomegranates by the courtyard. Pomegranates have a good meaning, and their red flowers are festive. Planting them in the front yard is also fine. I'll plant grapes on the other side and build a grape trellis later."
Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but glance at her. Grapes also produce many seeds, guavas also produce many seeds, and persimmons symbolize good fortune. What was she implying by buying so many fertile and blessed plants?
Jiang Xia didn't notice him and continued, "Should we plant the guava and persimmon trees behind the house?"
"Okay, then how about planting the strawberries and these flowers in the corner?" Zhou Chenglei asked.
"That's what I was planning, but I'm worried the chickens will peck at the strawberries." The old hen led her chicks around every day.
Zhou Chenglei said, "Plant the strawberries in flowerpots first, and when they bear fruit, we can put them on the wall. There seem to be two old flowerpots behind the house."
He went to the back of the house and got two old flowerpots and an old wooden pot with a broken edge. "If the flowerpots don't fit, we'll plant them in the wooden pot first, and then change the pots later."
Jiang Xia glanced at it: it was a small, earthen flowerpot, the same color as the tiles, only big enough for one strawberry plant. She nodded.
Zhou Chenglei went to the corner to dig holes for the guava trees, put the excavated soil into the flowerpots and the wooden pot, and moved them to a spot under the eaves where the sun wouldn't be too strong, so Jiang Xia could plant the strawberries there.
He continued digging holes for the fruit trees.
After Jiang Xia finished planting the strawberries and flowers, Zhou Chenglei finished digging all the holes.
The couple, one supporting the fruit tree and the other filling in the soil, were bathed in the glow of the setting sun, making the courtyard exceptionally peaceful and serene.
A short while later, Zhou's father returned with two bundles of bamboo in a wheelbarrow, Zhou Zhou helping to push it. As
soon as Zhou Zhou entered, she sweetly called out, "Uncle, Auntie,"
then ran to Zhou Chenglei's side and asked curiously, "Uncle, what are you doing?"
"We'll plant grapes for Zhou Zhou. Does Zhou Zhou like grapes?"
Zhou Zhou nodded happily, "Yes."
Her father said, "No wonder you asked me to cut some bamboo. Is it for building a grape trellis?"
"Yes."
Jiang Xia said, "Dad, Zhou Zhou, there are pineapples and grapes in the house."
Her father wasn't very interested in fruit, "I don't like fruit. You two eat them."
"We've already eaten. We saved these especially for you and Zhou Zhou."
"Then Zhou Zhou will eat them for Grandpa."
Hearing this, Zhou Zhou ran into the house, put down her faded military green five-pointed star crossbody bag, and went to wash her hands.
After washing her hands, she ran back into the house and glanced at the two pineapples. Seeing there were only two, she didn't dare take them. She picked a grape and put it in her mouth.
It was sweet and sour, very satisfying.
She couldn't bear to spit out the skin, so she ate it too. She spat the grape seeds into her palm, collected them, and planned to plant them later.
After eating two grapes and a few wild berries, she dared not eat any more.
After Jiang Xia finished planting the flowers, she went inside to check on Zhou Zhou. She noticed that Zhou Zhou hadn't eaten either of the two pieces of pineapple, and the grapes and hawthorns looked unchanged.
Children without parents, living under someone else's roof, were always so cautious, afraid to eat too much.
Jiang Xia used a toothpick to pick up a piece of pineapple for her: "Zhou Zhou, why aren't you eating the pineapple? Grandpa isn't eating it, so Zhou Zhou should eat it all! It's not good if it soaks for too long."
Zhou Zhou finally took it and smiled shyly at Jiang Xia: "Thank you, Auntie." She
was finally no longer timid.
Jiang Xia patted her head: "Zhou Zhou, remember to eat the rest of the pineapple. It won't be edible if it soaks for too long, don't waste it."
"Okay." After eating one piece of pineapple, Zhou Zhou picked up the remaining piece with a toothpick, sat on the doorstep, licked it, and then took a small bite. She felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction, her eyes and brows beaming with joy.
Eating two pieces of pineapple in a row was something she had never tried before.
Before, she could only eat a small piece of the edge; the larger pieces were all eaten by her brothers. After
Jiang
Xia and Zhou Chenglei finished planting the fruit trees, Zhou Chenglei carried a bucket of water to water the newly planted saplings. Jiang Xia noticed him splashing two spoonfuls of water onto the well cover they had made the night before.
Curious, she asked, "Why are you splashing water on the well cover?"
Zhou Chenglei, carrying the bucket of water to the backyard, replied, "That way the cement slab will harden faster."
Jiang Xia understood.
Seeing that Zhou Chenglei had finished, Zhou's father said, "Chenglei, your older brother and the others should be back from sea by now. Come with me to help receive the goods."
Zhou Chenglei agreed, "Okay."
Jiang Xia remembered that Tian Caihua had helped last time, though mostly depending on the situation, so she said, "I'll go help too!"
Zhou Chenglei said, "No need, Dad and I can go."
Zhou's father also said it wasn't necessary.
Jiang Xia didn't insist.
She figured Zhou Chenglei and his father wouldn't be back so soon, so she first put the water chestnuts in a pot to boil, saving them for a snack that evening, before starting to wash the vegetables and cook.
After the water chestnuts ripened, Jiang Xia filled a bowl with them, then took a basket, picked up a few mangoes and two large bunches of grapes, and headed to her great-grandmother's house. She
ran into Zhou Chenglei and his group returning home just as she stepped out.
Jiang Xia was a little surprised by how quickly they arrived, but seeing Tian Caihua's dark face, she guessed they hadn't caught many fish that day.
Tian Caihua's expression softened when she saw the basket of fruit in Jiang Xia's hand; she assumed it was for her.
Tian Caihua smiled and asked, "Xia, where are you going?"
Jiang Xia replied, "To deliver some fruit to Great-Grandma."
Tian Caihua's face instantly fell, and she asked again, "Are the Guangzong Yaozu brothers with you?"
Jiang Xia: "No."
Tian Caihua left with a dark face.
As if someone owed her millions!
Zhou Chengxin smiled awkwardly at Jiang Xia: "Fourth sister-in-law, we'll go back first."
Jiang Xia smiled: "Okay."
Then she walked into Great-Grandma's house next door without being affected.
Zhou's mother glanced at Jiang Xia's back, then at Zhou Chenglei, "Your wife is quite generous, but you can't be biased. Your sister-in-law must be unhappy."
She didn't think it was wrong for her younger daughter-in-law to deliver fruit to Great-Grandma's family, but she felt that her eldest son's family should also receive some.
Zhou Chenglei walked into the courtyard with a bucket of fish, his face expressionless. "There's no favoritism, it's just reciprocity. Jiang Xia can give whatever she wants to whomever she wants; whoever's unhappy has only themselves to blame."
His sister-in-law hadn't given Jiang Xia a friendly look, so why would Jiang Xia give her fruit?
Zhou's mother: "..."
They'd only been friends for a few days?
And now they're already protecting each other?
Zhou's mother grumbled, "Didn't your brother also give you a bucket of fish and crabs? He even said he knew Jiang Xia liked them and specially gave her crabs. Why didn't you say that was reciprocity?"
*
Tian Caihua returned home to find none of her four sons home. Their schoolbags were carelessly tossed in the yard, and chickens had run out from the backyard, leaving droppings all over the yard. Even her eldest son's schoolbag had a clump of chicken droppings on it!
After a long day at sea, exhausted and penniless, Tian Caihua was already frustrated. Adding to her irritation was Jiang Xia's antics. Returning home to a cold stove and a messy yard, she was furious. She roared, "You bastards, come back here and die!"
Zhou Chengxin, who was following behind, jumped in surprise, feigning anger, "I'll go get those brats! They've gone too far!"
He then tried to slip away.
Tian Caihua stopped him, "Stop! Where are you going? Can't you see the chicken droppings all over the floor? Aren't you going to clean it up? Don't you want dinner tonight? If you don't clean it, you can go live with your mother!"
Zhou Chengxin silently picked up the broom lying on the floor in the corner and began to sweep.
Tian Caihua picked up the schoolbags one by one from the ground, cursing as she did so: "Your parents are so biased, their bias is as boundless as the ocean! When the fourth son and his wife go out to sea, one goes with them, while the other stays home to cook and do housework. The fourth son and his wife come home and immediately have food to eat. And me? They don't help me with anything, they don't feed the chickens, they don't cook for me. I get up in the middle of the night to go out to sea, and when I come back, I still have to cook for you uncles."
Zhou Chengxin knew that they hadn't earned any money from the day's sea voyage, and she was in a bad mood. Moreover, she was indeed tired and hungry after a long day. He wanted to let her vent, but he couldn't bear to listen anymore. He said irritably, "My dad said yesterday that he would go out to sea with us today. Didn't you say you didn't need to? It was clearly you who were worried about sharing half the money with my dad and didn't want him to go with us."
Tian Caihua became even angrier upon hearing this: "Then your mother..." "What? She can cook at home and wait for Jiang Xia to come back, but can't she come over to help me feed the chickens and cook? I gave birth to four sons for your Zhou family, what credit has Jiang Xia received? Look how good your parents are to her! So much fruit, it's obvious your dad bought it at the market today. Jiang Xia can't even finish it all, she has to share it with others, they're so biased! And you, you're so concerned about your fourth brother's family, treating him like a brother, sharing a bucket of fish with him, does he treat you like an older brother? He won't even give you fruit!"
Zhou Chengxin: "Wasn't lunch for A-Guang and the other brothers cooked by my mom? Yesterday my mom said she'd come over to cook dinner, but you said you'd cook when you got back. Besides, we've already separated the family, and Mom and Dad live with A-Lei and his wife, isn't it normal for them to help them with more chores? Before we separated, Mom and Dad did a lot of work too. They even gave us the new house, how is that biased?"
“Guangzongyaozu isn’t her grandson, so what’s wrong with her coming over to cook a meal? You’re not her son, so what’s wrong with her coming over to help out? Your mother did a lot of work before, but did I do less? I’m not as lucky as Jiang Xia, whose family is rich and whose husband is good at making money. She doesn’t have to do anything at home, and the whole family feeds her well! Unlike me, I’m a cow, working like a slave for you!”
Zhou Chengxin was also furious: “You know I’m my parents’ son, and I’m the eldest son! Why didn’t you let my parents live here when the family divided the property? If you let my parents live with you, do you expect them to just sit at home and not do any work? You always talk about how great Jiang Xia is, why don’t you learn from Jiang Xia and take her to live with you in your old age! You don’t want to take care of my parents, but you expect them to work for you, don’t you have a conscience?”
After saying that, he threw down the broom, opened the courtyard gate and went out, and then saw his sons standing outside the gate holding half a watermelon and carrying a basket of fruit, looking anxious and uneasy.
Zhou Chengxin: "..."
Zhou Wenguang: "Dad, Uncle just brought us some fruit and water chestnuts. He said he and Aunt went to the market today, and Aunt bought them. She said she asked him to bring them over."
Tian Caihua: "..."
Zhou Wenzong: "Mom, I'm sorry, the chickens ran out because we heard them clucking after we finished our homework. We went in to collect the eggs but didn't close the door properly. Grandma said the chickens and pigs are fed, and the vegetables are watered! We'll go herd the ducks back in a bit."
Zhou Wenyao: "Mom, we ate lunch at Uncle's house. Your room was locked, so Grandma couldn't get in to get the rice to cook."
Tian Caihua: "..."
She forgot she put the rice container in her room.
Zhou Chengxin glanced back at Tian Caihua, sneered, and walked out.
Tian Caihua muttered, "Your dad has a bad temper. I just forgot."
Zhou Wenguang said, "I'll go herd the ducks back."
Zhou Wenyao said, "I'll sweep the yard."
Zhou Wenzong said, "I'll wash the vegetables."
Zhou Wenzu said, "I'll start the fire."
Tian Caihua quickly said, "No need, no need. You all hurry up and do your homework. You don't need to do these things. Boys don't need to do housework. You must study hard, get into university, and make your mother proud in the future!"
Tian Caihua couldn't bear to let her sons do these things. Zhou Zhou usually did them. She was counting on her four sons to get into university, make something of themselves, and bring her honor.
She didn't want them to be like her, unable to even write their own names and bullying her.
When Zhou Chenglei returned home, Jiang Xia noticed his expression was a little off but didn't ask anything. She guessed he had heard something unpleasant, since Tian Caihua's face had just been unusually dark. Given her temperament, she would definitely lash out when she got home.
Zhou Chenglei had just brought back a few mudskippers and crabs, given to him by Zhou Chengxin, who said he knew she liked crabs and gave them to her specially. So Jiang Xia picked up a bunch of fruit and asked Zhou Chenglei to deliver it. She didn't like owing people, especially someone like Tian Caihua; if anything happened another day, she'd probably chase after her to get it back!
Zhou Chengxin was actually quite nice; he was a good character in the book too.
For dinner, Jiang Xia and Zhou's mother cooked a pot of mudskipper, steamed dried fish with fermented black beans, water spinach with garlic, stir-fried pumpkin and green beans with bean leaves, and a few steamed crabs.
The family enjoyed their meal.
Zhou's father suddenly remembered and said, "There was a broadcast this morning saying there's a typhoon coming these two days, and everyone shouldn't go out to sea. It seems we can't go out to sea tomorrow." Jiang
Xia was surprised: "The broadcast said there's a typhoon?"
Zhou's mother nodded: "She said so, she broadcast it all morning."
Jiang Xia thought of the plot in the book, which only mentioned that a typhoon made landfall in this area, and after the typhoon, the beach was full of shrimp.
Only the female lead almost got swept away by the waves while chasing a fish; the book didn't mention any other casualties, only that some families had lost their boats.
She felt a little relieved.
Jiang Xia reminded him: "Then remember to find a safe place to moor our boat and tie it up securely."
Zhou Chenglei nodded: "I'll go check after I finish eating."
Jiang Xia thought Zhou Chenglei had one good quality: he listened to other people's opinions.
No need for much explanation; as long as it was useful and good, he wasn't afraid of the trouble.
After dinner, Zhou's mother took the initiative to clean up the dishes.
Zhou's mother was always diligent; she did all the housework she could, so Jiang Xia didn't have to do it.
Zhou Chenglei went to moor the boat.
Jiang Xia went to cut the watermelon.
It had been so hot and humid all day, with no breeze at all; eating some watermelon would cool her down.
The next day, the wind and waves were high, and the sky was overcast all day without sunshine. It was probably a typhoon off the coast; the waves were too big to go out to sea. Zhou Chenglei set up the grape trellis at home and checked the roof tiles again. Sure
enough, it rained that night. Raindrops pattered against the tiles, and the sound of things being blown off the roof echoed in the yard. The wind howled outside.
The noise was so loud that Jiang Xia, who had just fallen into a deep sleep, was awakened and opened her eyes.
Zhou Chenglei's voice rang out: "It's nothing, a typhoon is here. It's still early, go back to sleep!"
The rain and wind outside grew stronger, and Jiang Xia couldn't fall back asleep.
Suddenly, she heard a dripping sound coming from the wardrobe.
Zhou Chenglei sat up.
Jiang Xia also sat up and asked, "Is it leaking?"
Zhou Chenglei nodded: "It probably is. I'll go find a basin to catch the water."
After all, it was a decades-old house. Although the roof had been patched, even the best-laid plans can have flaws. You don't know where the leak is until you've experienced a storm.
Zhou Chenglei got out of bed, turned on the light, and noticed a leak in the wardrobe. He quickly went outside.
Jiang Xia remained in bed, waiting for a while, but Zhou Chenglei didn't return.
Suddenly, the light bulb went out—the power was out. A short while later, she heard a series of crashing sounds outside.
It must be roof tiles being blown off by the typhoon!
Startled, she worried that Zhou Chenglei might have been hit, and called out "Zhou Chenglei" several times, but there was no answer.
She quickly got out of bed and ran outside.
As soon as she stepped out of the room, a draft mixed with rainwater rushed into the living room; the wind was so strong that she almost lost her balance!
A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and Jiang Xia saw things in the yard blown askew, a pile of broken tiles on the ground, and tiles from the storage room blown off.
Not seeing Zhou Chenglei, and knowing it wouldn't take this long to grab a basin, she worried he might have been knocked
unconscious by the falling debris in the storeroom. After a gust of wind subsided, she quickly ran out, calling, "Zhou Chenglei! Zhou Chenglei..." She'd only taken a few steps when a sudden gust of wind whipped up tiles from the storeroom, sending them hurtling towards Jiang Xia!
An enamel basin in the courtyard was also swept up and flew towards her!
Jiang Xia was swept along by the gust of wind, unable to control her body, only instinctively raising her hand to shield herself.
A figure suddenly appeared, pulling her close and shielding her against the wall in his arms.
Jiang Xia heard a series of loud bangs as tiles crashed onto the basin.
The tiles shattered at their feet.
Before Jiang Xia could react, Zhou Chenglei had already scooped her up in one arm and rushed into the house, putting her down and quickly closing the door to shield her from the raging wind and rain.
Jiang Xia, regaining her senses, anxiously asked, "Are you alright?"
Zhou Chenglei was holding an enamel basin; he had used it to shield his head, resulting in a scratch on his arm, but what was such a minor injury?
He didn't care.
"I'm fine, I used the basin to shield my head. Why did you run out in this typhoon?"
Jiang Xia replied, "I heard tiles falling, and I was afraid you'd get hurt."
Jiang Xia noticed his arm seemed to be bleeding, but the light was dim, so she wasn't sure.
Zhou's parents also came out at this moment: "What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
With the power outage, the two elders couldn't see Zhou Chenglei's injury.
Zhou Chenglei: "It's alright, the room is leaking. I'll go out and get a basin. Is your house leaking? I'll go get another basin. It's windy outside, the tiles have all fallen off, don't go out."
Zhou's father: "Our room isn't leaking. Where did the tiles fly off?"
"The tiles on the woodshed were blown off." We went up to check and reinforce it yesterday, but they still got blown off, which shows how strong this typhoon is.
Zhou's mother went to get a flashlight: "I'll go check if the other rooms are leaking, so the millet doesn't get wet. Luckily, we fixed the house before, otherwise all the tiles might have been blown off. This typhoon is really strong!"
Zhou Chenglei: "I've checked, there's no leak. No need to check, you guys go back to sleep, don't go out, it's dangerous."
"You guys go back to sleep! We'll check again. We won't go out." Zhou's father and mother were still worried, so they went to check Zhou Zhou's room and another room.
Zhou's mother planned to sleep with Zhou Zhou; the child was sleeping soundly and hadn't woken up yet, but if she woke up, she was afraid she would be scared.
Zhou Chenglei told the two elders not to go out and then pulled Jiang Xia back to their room.
Once inside, Zhou Chenglei took out a flashlight, turned it on, and placed a basin on top of the wardrobe to collect water, then wiped the water off the wardrobe with a cloth. With the flashlight on
, Jiang Xia immediately saw several cuts on Zhou Chenglei's arm.
After he finished wiping, Jiang Xia took his hand and examined it with the flashlight. "Two of the cuts are quite deep and still bleeding; they need some medicine."
The others were shallower.
He probably had cuts on his back too, because his clothes were stained with blood.
Jiang Xia said, "Take off your clothes, and I'll treat your wounds."
While Jiang Xia was checking Zhou Chenglei for injuries, Zhou Chenglei was also checking Jiang Xia, worried that she might have been injured by the falling tiles.
Jiang Xia wasn't injured, but her clothes were soaked. Her white pajamas, when wet, clung to her skin, making them appear particularly sheer.
Under the flashlight's beam, everything was clearly visible. Zhou Chenglei saw at a glance that she wasn't hurt and looked away. "I'm fine. Change your clothes first and check if you're injured. I'll go out for a bit."
"Where are you going? I'm fine. Let me put some medicine on you first." Jiang Xia grabbed him, glancing down at herself.
"..."
"I...I'd better change my clothes first!" Embarrassed for the first time, Jiang Xia stammered and quickly let go.
Zhou Chenglei went out.
Jiang Xia quickly changed her clothes in less than a minute, glanced at herself to make sure everything was alright, and then opened the door to call Zhou Chenglei in, her face still a little hot. Zhou
Chenglei came in.
Jiang Xia closed the door behind her. "Take off your clothes!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Xia was startled by her own crude language. Realizing her mistake, she quickly explained, "Let me treat your wound. Take off your clothes, let me see."
She then ran to the dressing table, rummaged through the cotton balls and gauze, and found the box of Yunnan Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine).
Zhou Chenglei was often injured and had a habit of keeping medicine on hand. Jiang Xia knew where it was. Even
in the dim light, Zhou Chenglei could see her flushed face. He reached out for the medicine, saying, "Give it to me, I can do it myself."
Jiang Xia didn't give it to him, forcing a serious expression, "How are you going to treat the wound on your back? Sit still and take off your clothes quickly."
"..."
Zhou Chenglei glanced at her feigned composure, obediently sat up, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and pulled it off.
Jiang Xia immediately saw his abs—not overly ostentatious, but clearly defined and perfectly proportioned.
This man was blessed with a handsome face and a perfect physique.
She carefully wiped away the excess blood from his arm with a cotton ball.
Zhou Chenglei looked down at her.
In the dim light, her features were exquisite and beautiful, her movements gentle, and Zhou Chenglei couldn't help but be mesmerized.
As the cotton ball gently wiped his arm, Jiang Xia's expression turned serious, her brows furrowing slightly: "This wound is a bit deep."
Zhou Chenglei glanced at the wound, not particularly concerned: "It's a minor injury, it'll heal in a couple of days, don't worry."
Jiang Xia dried the blood, then picked up Yunnan Baiyao powder, gesturing for him to raise his arm. She sprinkled the powder on the wound, then thinly wrapped it with gauze, both covering the powder and allowing the wound to breathe, promoting faster healing.
"It's best not to get it wet for the next couple of days to avoid infection."
Seeing her skillful bandaging technique, Zhou Chenglei raised an eyebrow and softly replied, "Mm."
After treating his arm wound, Jiang Xia looked at his back. The wound on his back wasn't deep, just a minor scratch, and didn't require medication.
But his back was covered in scars, a shocking sight. The book said he had been to the battlefield, participated in several battles, and made many contributions, surviving countless near-death experiences. Jiang Xia couldn't help but ask, "Are those scars on your back from the battlefield?"
"Yes."
"You were badly wounded back then, weren't you?" Looking at the scars, Jiang Xia couldn't imagine how he had survived.
"It was alright, I didn't die."
Actually, he almost died, but what did a few injuries matter as long as he could win the battle? Even death would have been worth it.
Zhou Chenglei turned to look at her, noticing her furrowed brows. He stood up, went to the wardrobe, grabbed a shirt, and put it on to cover the gruesome scar on his back. "Were you scared? Does it look bad?"
Jiang Xia snapped out of her daze, shook her head, and said admiringly, "It doesn't look bad. These are the medals of you lovely people, medals that never fade. They look beautiful."
Zhou Chenglei paused in his buttoning, a strange flutter in his heart. He glanced out the window. "It's still early before dawn. You can sleep a little longer."
After getting dressed, Zhou Chenglei took a pair of pants from the wardrobe, intending to change in the next room.
Jiang Xia saw him leave. "Where are you going?" "
To change my pants."
Jiang Xia: "..."
She shouldn't have asked.
It was almost dawn. Outside, the wind and rain were raging, and the power was out. There was nothing to do, so Jiang Xia went back to bed and quickly fell asleep, not waking up until dawn.
The wind was still blowing and the rain was still falling outside.
Zhou Chenglei wasn't in the room.
Jiang Xia changed her clothes and went outside, finding him planing wood in the corner of the hall. He
had already planed several pieces, and was still working on one more. Jiang Xia noticed that the other pieces of wood were planed quite smoothly.
She asked him why he was planing wood.
Zhou Chenglei replied, "I made a swing under the grape trellis."
For some reason, he felt she would like having a swing in the yard.
Jiang Xia was surprised that he would think of making a swing, let alone that he could make one: "That's nice. Can you make one?"
"Yes, it's not difficult." Actually, he could make bamboo chairs and stools, but he just didn't have the time.
He only thought of making a swing today because of the typhoon and having nothing else to do.
Zhou's father was splitting bamboo.
In the long hall, the table was moved to one side, and the father and son each settled into their own corner, not disturbing each other.
Jiang Xia watched as Zhou's father took a bamboo stalk, split it open in the middle of the cross section, inserted a small stick, then made another split in the cross section to form a cross with the first one, inserted another stick, and pushed down with the two sticks forming a cross, splitting the bamboo into four pieces!
Then he divided these four pieces into eight pieces...
clean and efficient!
She finally understood how he could split bamboo so easily!
Zhou's mother had already prepared breakfast: white porridge with pickled bamboo shoots and steamed small fish with fermented black beans—quite appetizing.
However, carrying the food from outside into the house left her clothes soaked, so she had to change.
Jiang Xia, after washing up, was also soaked.
These old houses were still quite inconvenient; there was no toilet, and the kitchen was outside. In the houses she would build in the future, she would make sure the kitchen wouldn't be rained on, and there would be an indoor toilet.
Now, she didn't dare drink water or eat anything indiscriminately at night, fearing she'd have to go outside to use the toilet in the middle of the night.
During the typhoon, everyone stayed indoors.
Zhou's father was weaving drying mats, Zhou Chenglei was making a swing, and Zhou's mother was weaving fishing nets; there was almost no room to move around in the entire hall.
Jiang Xia thought of the shrimp that would fill the beach after the typhoon, so she went out and found two bamboo rakes, asking Zhou Chenglei to whittle some thin bamboo strips for her. She wanted to improve her shrimp-collecting rake!
The wind outside had lessened, but the rain was still heavy. She would go collect the shrimp once the rain stopped.
Seeing Xia clumsily weaving the teeth of the bamboo rake with bamboo strips, Zhou's mother asked curiously, "Xia, what are you doing?"
Jiang Xia replied, "I'm planning to make a tool for beachcombing. Don't worry, Mom, I'll disassemble these bamboo strips after I'm done using it, so I won't damage the rake."
Zhou's mother had never seen such a bizarre tool for beachcombing and just thought she was bored and didn't pay any attention to her.
It rained all day, with the wind sometimes strong and sometimes weak.
When the wind subsided a bit, Zhou Chengxin and Tian Caihua came over in the rain. They were worried that the roof tiles would be blown off, so they came to see if they needed to move into the new house. They also brought some vegetables.
Seeing Jiang Xia fiddling with the bamboo rake, Tian Caihua asked curiously, "Xia, what are you doing?"
"Making a beachcombing tool. I heard there are lots of fish and shrimp on the beach after a typhoon. I can just rake it up and gather them all together. Sister-in-law, do you want to make one?"
Tian Caihua's lips twitched. "No need! You think there will be fish and shrimp everywhere after a typhoon? You need a bamboo rake? There won't be that many, don't bother!"
With her modified tool, she didn't know if there would be a pile of fish and shrimp, but there would definitely be a pile of sand! She
really hadn't seen much of the world!
Jiang Xia didn't say much. She couldn't just say she knew there were, and let everyone think she'd stumbled upon it by accident out of ignorance!
Of course, she knew the chances of a beach full of shrimp after a typhoon were extremely slim, but she had seen similar videos in modern times.
Besides, she had transmigrated into a book!
This typhoon was specially arranged by the author for the female lead to make money, and it was also the typhoon that started her romantic storyline with the male lead!
However, Zhou Chengxin and his wife had both gone out. The wind and rain outside had subsided; the typhoon had passed, but it was still raining.
Jiang Xia asked Zhou Chenglei, "Is it okay to go to the beach now?"
Tian Caihua looked at her like she was a monster. Go to the beach now? Are you risking your life for money?
Tian Caihua said, "Let's go! The typhoon just passed, the rain hasn't stopped, and the waves are definitely still huge. Going to the beach now is like courting death!"
Zhou Chenglei said, "No rush, let's go check it out after the rain stops."
Actually, he also planned to go to the beach in the rain, but he didn't want to bring Jiang Xia along. With the rain and big waves
, it would be dangerous. Zhou Chengxin also advised, "Xia wants to go beachcombing? Just wait until the rain stops and let A Lei take you. Going now is useless. The waves are probably still big, you won't be able to pick up anything, and you'll easily catch a cold from the rain."
Jiang Xia glanced at the rain outside. Although it was still quite heavy, like moderate rain, there was no wind.
However, the rake in her hand wasn't ready yet, and it was still raining, so she decided to wait a little longer.
"I'll modify these two rakes and go check the beach when the rain gets lighter. Brother, you guys should go to the beach early too."
"What's the rush? It's not like the beach is full of fish, shrimp, and crabs waiting to be collected. We'll go after the rain stops. Getting caught in the rain and catching a cold or fever doesn't cost money!" Tian Caihua glanced at the rake Jiang Xia had modified, pursing her lips disdainfully. She suspected Jiang Xia was just bored and wanted to go play in the sand and water!
Fearing the rain would intensify, Zhou Chengxin, seeing his parents were alright, called Tian Caihua and left.
Another fifteen minutes passed, and the rain was still falling. After modifying the other target, Jiang Xia went straight to cook, hoping to finish eating early and go to the beach to collect shrimp.
Jiang Xia simply steamed some dried fish, stir-fried some greens, and stir-fried a dish of pickled cabbage. The family ate a simple meal.
After dinner, the rain lessened, but it was still falling.
Jiang Xia packed several burlap sacks, two baskets, four buckets, some netting, and bamboo poles, along with a new broom and winnowing basket.
She put on a straw hat, draped a plastic sheet over herself as a raincoat, and said to Zhou Chenglei, "Come on, the rain's lessening, let's go to the beach."
Jiang Xia had just seen Zhou's mother dressed like this, moving back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.
She found it quite convenient; the wide brim of the straw hat almost covered her shoulders, and with the plastic sheet draped over her, she didn't need an umbrella, freeing up her hands!
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
Zhou's father: "..."
Zhou's mother: "..."
Has this daughter-in-law completely fallen in love with rural life?
Or is it just something she enjoys?
Zhou's father, looking at the baskets, buckets, and burlap sacks Jiang Xia had packed, found it utterly absurd!
He couldn't help but say, "Xia, two buckets are enough, no need for baskets."
Zhou's mother nodded vigorously, "That's right, even after a typhoon, there won't be that much to collect on the beach."
Bringing so much stuff out would be a laughingstock among the villagers!
Did this young lady think her fishpond had dried up and there were tons of fish to collect?
Was she really going to bring so much stuff to the beach to fill up with sand?
Did she really think the entire beach would be teeming with fish after a typhoon?
"Better safe than sorry, it might come in handy! Isn't it said that the bigger the waves, the more fish there are? Mom, go remind your older brother and the others to bring extra stuff to fill up too. Remember to push the cart over there."
Jiang Xia then urged Zhou Chenglei, "Have you finished eating? I'll go to the beach first, I won't wait for you."
Jiang Xia was really in a hurry!
Going a second earlier might mean collecting an extra pound of shrimp!
Zhou Chenglei didn't understand why she was in such a hurry. It was still raining, and few people would brave the rain to go to the beach to collect fish. He figured people wouldn't go until evening. But he still shoveled the rice in his bowl into his mouth, put down the bowl, stood up, walked to her side, and took the baskets, buckets, snakeskin bags, fishing nets, two shovels, a broom, and two bamboo rakes she had modified the day before.
Although he thought these things might not be needed, he didn't argue because it was a little effort, and he let her do what she wanted.
Jiang Xia had packed everything into two baskets, and he could just carry them out on a carrying pole.
The couple left the courtyard. Jiang Xia saw smoke coming from the chimney of her great-grandmother's house, so she ran over and called out, "Great-grandmother, let's hurry up and go beachcombing!" Her
great-grandmother replied, "So early? It's still raining! You go first, I'll go after I finish eating."
Jiang Xia didn't wait for them. She reminded them to bring more burlap sacks and baskets, and then she and Zhou Chenglei walked quickly towards the beach.
Jiang Xia's pace was faster than ever before; she practically wanted to run!
No, she was already jogging, constantly urging Zhou Chenglei, "Hurry up! Your legs are so long, how come you walk so slowly!"
Zhou Chenglei: "..."
Just a few dozen meters from the beach, Jiang Xia saw the sea surface teeming with things, each wave carrying away a swarm. She immediately started running!
Zhou Chenglei, with his good eyesight, also started running!
Shrimp!
Shrimp everywhere! And quite a few fish.
The book said that a tornado at sea had swept the shrimp from the seabed into the air and brought them down.
Luckily, the tornado didn't make landfall, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The two ran to the beach. The waves were still quite large, but as long as they didn't get too close, it would be fine.
The stretch of beach the waves couldn't reach was enough for them to collect.
Jiang Xia: "Set up the net, don't let the waves take all the shrimp away."
"Okay!" Zhou Chenglei was already getting the net.
He understood the purpose of Jiang Xia's preparations, but he was curious why she had prepared so many, as if she already knew there would be shrimp on the beach.
He was curious, but didn't delve into it.
The couple set up a nearly ten-meter-long net on the beach to trap shrimp. Zhou Chenglei kept an eye on Jiang Xia, making sure she didn't stray too far, lest she be swept into the sea by the waves.
"Give me that rake!" Jiang Xia exclaimed excitedly.
Zhou Chenglei glanced at her and immediately handed her the rake.
The couple found a spot where shrimp were concentrated, and using the bamboo rake Jiang Xia had modified, they gently rake away small piles of shrimp with each stroke!
This required skill; too much force would stir up mud and sand, making things more troublesome.
The best approach was to gently rake along the surface, just enough to touch the shrimp without touching the sand.
The couple were both skilled workers and quickly mastered the technique, gathering a pile of shrimp, about five or six pounds, in just a few minutes!
They then went to find another area with a high concentration of shrimp, picking up the scattered shrimp first from the concentrated areas and then collecting the rest later.
Of course, there were also some fish and shellfish, which they also gathered into a pile.
Wen Wan, carrying a load of tools, braved the rain to reach the beach. She was surprised to see people already there!
Then she recognized Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia.
She had only learned after her rebirth that there would be many shrimp on the beach after the typhoon.
She thought she would be the first to arrive.
But Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei were already there.
For the past two days, she had been wondering if Jiang Xia had been reborn.
Now she was certain that Jiang Xia had also been reborn.
Wen Wan suddenly felt a surge of anger. Jiang Xia had been reborn and wouldn't divorce her, and was already clinging to Zhou Chenglei. But
these shrimp on the beach were what she had been waiting to collect to earn money for her tuition; why was she being allowed to steal them too?
This was depriving her of a way to survive!
Wen Wan looked at the nets on the beach and the small piles of shrimp that Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia had collected, her eyes reddening.
Today, her father and stepmother forced her to drop out of school again, saying they wouldn't have money to pay her tuition when school started and that she needed to find a job to help support the family.
She had been waiting for this typhoon, waiting to collect shrimp to sell and earn money for her tuition; she didn't want to repeat the same path as in her previous life.
In her past life, she hadn't finished high school because she hadn't earned enough tuition that summer and was forced to drop out.
Her stepmother believed that girls would eventually marry out, and that too much education was useless; it was better to go out and earn money early to help support the family. Otherwise, she would be a waste of her upbringing after marriage. She didn't pay for her schooling, and she had always earned her own high school tuition.
Her father didn't have any biological sons, only two daughters: her and his stepmother's younger sister. So, he raised the son his stepmother had brought with him as his own, thinking he would rely on this adopted son to support him in his old age. The family's money was all spent on this adopted son!
Moreover, Wen's father believed that no matter how much a woman studied, it wasn't as important as finding a good husband; a good marriage was better than any good job.
So, in her past life, she didn't finish high school and went out to earn money to help support the family.
The money she earned supported her stepmother's son and stepsister's education.
She got married not long after starting work.
In her past life, her marriage wasn't much better than Jiang Xia's; she married a gambler.
The man she married was also chosen by her stepmother. Although he was divorced, he worked at a supply and marketing cooperative—a respectable job. His ex-wife divorced him after several years of marriage because she couldn't have children.
The man had a good job and even said that after marriage, he could get her a job at the supply and marketing cooperative, and the dowry would be generous.
Her stepmother said that the purpose of studying was to find a good job. Working at the supply and marketing cooperative was a secure job; even her stepsister might not be able to find such a good job after graduating from university.
At the time, she thought her stepmother's words made sense; after all, a job at the supply and marketing cooperative was indeed good—how many people wanted to work there?
Then the man genuinely liked her and treated her very well. Every time he visited, he brought her many gifts and promised that after marriage, if she didn't want to work at the supply and marketing cooperative, she could continue her university studies, and he would support her.
So she married him! She even got into university, but she discovered she was pregnant right after the semester started and ultimately couldn't graduate.
Because after she became pregnant, the man's true nature was revealed; he was a compulsive gambler. Every month, he would gamble away all his salary, only returning home after losing it all. Later,
he was arrested for gambling and lost his job. After giving birth, she had to earn money to support him and the child. But even the money she earned, he would secretly gamble away, returning home kneeling and begging for forgiveness. Because of her daughter, she became pregnant again and forgave him time and time again…
Later, the man remained incorrigible, losing the house, and her daughter went astray…
The past was too painful to recall. Wenwan stopped thinking, determined never to repeat his mistakes in this life. She would never support her stepbrother and stepsisters' education again, and she would never marry that man again. She would get into university herself and escape the fate of her past life!
In this era, university graduates were highly sought after!
Her stepsisters both went to university and found excellent jobs after graduation, living much better lives than her! They'd have stable lives, and in their old age, they'd have tens of thousands in pension.
Wen Wan looked at the netting and the small piles of shrimp.
Since Jiang Xia was also reborn and was blocking her path to earning money for tuition and changing her fate,
then she wouldn't hold back. From now on, they'd each rely on their own abilities!
Let's see who can change their destiny.
Originally, she thought that if Jiang Xia was also reborn and didn't want to divorce Zhou Chenglei, then she couldn't be a mistress.
But now she thought about it, and Zhou Chenglei didn't like Jiang Xia.
Besides, her dreams were too real, all omens; every dream she had would come true, so Zhou Chenglei would definitely be her husband in the future.
Jiang Xia was now usurping her place.
A while ago, she dreamed that Zhou Chenglei saved her from being swept away by the waves, and she vaguely felt that today was the moment her destiny with Zhou Chenglei began.
Wen Wan hurriedly ran to Zhou Chenglei's side and smiled, "Brother Zhou, you're up so early?"
Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia were separately harvesting shrimp in a densely populated area.
Zhou Chenglei only replied with a "hmm," without even looking up or glancing at her, continuing to use a rake to gather the shrimp together.
Wen Wan felt she couldn't rush things; he would rescue her soon.
Right now, it's more important to hurry up and collect shrimp to earn money, otherwise she won't have money for tuition.
The waves are quite big now. She didn't expect Jiang Xia to be so clever, actually using a net to catch the shrimp being swept away by the waves.
However, she was prepared, having brought a shovel used for harvesting grain. But that shovel only scrapes up more mud and sand than shrimp, making it troublesome to clean up later. Besides, the beach isn't flat, so it's not easy to scrape.
She saw Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia using a modified bamboo rake. With a gentle scoop, it could hook only the shrimp, while the sand and mud could leak through the gaps, leaving the shrimp behind. Moreover, the rake had teeth, so it wasn't affected by uneven surfaces, making it much more convenient!
Why hadn't she thought of using a rake?
Wen Wan had no choice but to abandon the shovel and collect the shrimp by hand.
Besides shrimp, Wen Wan had another dream last night, dreaming of two conches that were picked up by someone and opened to find pearls.
Those two conches were also her target for today!
Wen Wan glanced at the basket beside Zhou Chenglei; seeing no sea snails, she felt relieved.
She quickly started picking shrimp while searching for sea snails. She figured that
since it was raining and no one was around, the villagers would come out once the rain stopped.
Soon, Zhou's father arrived.
He had come because he hadn't seen Zhou Chenglei and Jiang Xia return home for so long, guessing there was probably some shrimp on the beach. Of course, he was also worried about the two of them and came to check on them.
Seeing the unusual scene on the beach from afar, Zhou's father hurried over.
Zhou Chenglei saw him and said, "Dad, please help me scoop these piles of shrimp into the basket."
Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei had both used rakes to collect several piles of shrimp.
Although they were small piles, they still weighed several pounds.
"Okay!" Zhou's father quickly ran over to get a sieve and scooped the piles of shrimp into the basket.
He grinned from ear to ear: "Luckily, Xia Xia was so well-prepared!"
If they hadn't brought enough, they would have had to run back to get more, and the round trip would have taken enough time to collect two or three pounds of shrimp!
Yes, it's shrimp harvesting! The beach is now covered in shrimp, like grain being dried in the sun!
Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration!
But there are definitely shrimp scattered everywhere.
Wen Wan became even more anxious when she saw Zhou's father arrive, which meant more and more people would be coming.
She had only collected one basketful so far.
And she hadn't even found the two conches that had opened into pearls in her dream.
But the beach was vast; finding them wouldn't be easy.
She looked around: Where were the pearl conches?
Wen Wan's gaze suddenly stopped, landing on the sleeve Jiang Xia was wearing.
The hand that had picked up the conches in her dream was slender, white, and delicate—clearly a hand that had been pampered—yet it was wearing a sleeve in stark contrast .
Exactly the same as Jiang Xia's sleeve.
Wen Wan's heart pounded.
She absolutely couldn't let Jiang Xia find her pearl conches!