Hearing this, Wang Xuelian took it with a cheerful smile.
“Oh my, thank you so much, sister! If these things really grow, you’ll be helping my family a lot. I’ll plant them later and give it a try!”
After more than a day of getting along, Wang Xuelian’s fondness for Jiang Li had risen rapidly.
This new wife was not only generous and sensible but also composed and decent—very likable.
After finishing things here, Jiang Li asked about where to fetch water.
Wang Xuelian pointed her to the public well. Jiang Li thanked her and quickly headed over.
She carried a bucket of water and poured it into the vegetable plot at home, then went back again to fill another empty bucket.
Fetching water was mostly for show, to avoid suspicion.
After all, with the seeds she had optimized, along with the nourishment of energy, large amounts of water were hardly needed.
Once everything was ready, Jiang Li picked up a hoe and began turning the soil, humming a tune as she worked.
Her past life had been filled with farm work, and her physical foundation was already good.
Now, with her abundant energy, she didn’t feel tired at all.
Just as she finished about half the plot and was about to rest and drink some water, a soft voice tinged with concern suddenly came from behind.
“Oh dear, sister, it’s so hot—why are you still working?”
“Take a break. Don’t overwork yourself and end up causing trouble for others.”
Hearing the voice, Jiang Li slowly turned around and saw Xiao Ya had come over at some point.
Her face carried a worried expression, but her eyes were clearly mocking.
“Sister, you just arrived and don’t understand the situation. It hardly rains here, and it’s drought season. There’s barely enough water to drink—if you plant vegetables, they definitely won’t survive.”
Looking at Xiao Ya’s feigned concern, yet hearing the mockery hidden in her words, Jiang Li wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and chuckled softly.
“Thank you for your concern, Comrade Xiao Ya. But as the saying goes—where there’s a will, there’s a way. If I don’t try, how will I know it won’t work?”
“Besides, even if it fails, at least I tried. That’s better than standing around making sarcastic remarks and doing nothing. There’s something wrong with that kind of thinking.”
Choked by Jiang Li’s words, Xiao Ya’s smile froze instantly.
She raised her hand and fanned herself, masking her emotions.
“Sister, what do you mean by that? I really am thinking of your well-being.”
“Commander Si is already very busy. If you fall ill from exhaustion, he’ll have to run around taking care of you, right? I think you should just rest.”
So this girl was worried she would drag Si Nancheng down?
Realizing this, Jiang Li’s smile deepened, though her gaze gradually turned cold.
She didn’t want to waste time arguing. Instead, she raised her voice slightly, drawing the attention of nearby neighbors who were strolling and watching.
“Comrade Xiao Ya, you really don’t seem to have any faith in my plot. How about we make a bet?”
Clearly not expecting this, Xiao Ya was stunned. Then a calculating look flashed in her eyes.
“What do you want to bet, sister? Don’t be impulsive—I’m just giving you kind advice.”
Quite good at finding herself a way out, huh?
Jiang Li sneered inwardly and pointed at the plot beneath her feet.
“Let’s bet on this vegetable patch. Whether it can grow proper vegetables within a month.”
“If it doesn’t, I’ll give you five yuan. But if it does, you give me five yuan. How about it?”
For Xiao Ya, five yuan wasn’t a small amount.
She hesitated for a moment, but noticing the gazes around her and unwilling to let Jiang Li feel triumphant, she gritted her teeth and nodded.
“I still think this is unnecessary, but since you insist, I’ll accompany you.”
“But let’s make it clear—if you lose, you can’t ask Commander Si for the money. That’s a separate matter.”
Hearing this, Jiang Li’s lips twitched slightly.
This girl really did care about her man…
Ignoring her, Jiang Li turned back and continued working.
Seeing the murmuring crowd, Xiao Ya knew she couldn’t say much more.
She stomped her small high heels and quickly left.
By that afternoon, Jiang Li had finished turning the soil and planted the optimized seeds.
After a full day of work, she felt sticky all over, so she boiled some hot water, preparing to wash up.
Unexpectedly, just as she had taken off her clothes, leaving only a small undershirt, the door behind her was pushed open.
Si Nancheng had just finished his mission and returned home with food from the canteen.
But the moment he opened the door, he saw Jiang Li with her back to him, wiping her shoulders.
She wore only a small undershirt. Her arms were fair, flushed slightly red from the heat and the wiping.
He froze in place, his throat unconsciously tightening.
Hearing the sound, Jiang Li suddenly turned around.
The moment their eyes met, she cried out in surprise and quickly grabbed her outer clothes to cover herself.
Her face burned red, even the tips of her ears flushed.
“Y-you… why are you back…”
Jiang Li stammered.
Hearing her voice, Si Nancheng finally came back to his senses.
He immediately turned around, his hand lightly tapping against his pant seam.
His already resolute profile stiffened like steel, his voice trembling slightly.
“The mission ended early. I—I didn’t know you were washing…”
“S-sorry.”
His voice was slightly hoarse, and the small room was filled with awkwardness.
Jiang Li hurriedly put on her clothes, her mind buzzing as if her heart would leap out of her throat.
“I’ll be done soon, um…”
“Was your mission… smooth?”
When people are embarrassed and nervous, they instinctively keep themselves busy and keep talking.
Jiang Li perfectly embodied that at this moment.
Only when the sound of fabric rustling behind her stopped did Si Nancheng slowly turn back around.
But the moment his gaze landed on Jiang Li, he quickly looked away again and nodded lightly.
“Mm, it went fairly smoothly.”
He took off his military cap and turned it over in his hands, seemingly trying to break the strange and awkward atmosphere.
As he lowered his head, he noticed the oil-paper package he was still holding and quickly placed it on the table.
“I passed by the supply cooperative and saw they had some new pastries, so I bought some. Try them.”