“That’s impressive!”
Even 孟瑜 couldn’t help but glance sideways at 周斯年 after hearing that.
As for 董秀芳, she was so choked with anger she nearly rolled her eyes back.
“You… you…”
She couldn’t get a single coherent word out.
But 周斯年 didn’t care at all.
He looked at 孟瑜.
“Sit properly. The cart is about to leave.”
“Okay.”
She nodded obediently.
Although she listened, she still turned around and flashed a big smile at the furious and frustrated 董秀芳.
It was pure psychological damage.
董秀芳 was so angry she looked like she wanted to stab her with her eyes.
But 孟瑜 was very satisfied.
And very happy.
Having someone volunteer to boost her “combat power” first thing in the morning—what a good person.
The cart left on time at five o’clock.
There were only a few passengers, since most people couldn’t bear spending money on the ox cart, nor could they bear losing a day’s work or spending money at all.
It was the first time in her life that 孟瑜 had ridden an ox cart. What started as novelty quickly turned into pure suffering.
She tightly grabbed onto 周斯年’s arm.
Looking at her pale face from the violent jolting, 周斯年 truly didn’t know what to say.
“Zhou Sinian… I’m going to die…”
She sounded like she was about to cry.
She had never imagined that a means of transport could nearly shake the life out of a person.
It was truly shocking—and unacceptable.
“Can I… get off and walk?”
It was too uncomfortable. She actually wanted to walk instead.
But 周斯年 looked at her helplessly.
“Are you sure? We’re only halfway there.”
She wanted to cry.
But in the end, she could only suppress it and endure the rest of the ride.
There really was no better option.
He couldn’t just hold her in his arms and carry her—if he did, gossip would drown them both, and she might not even accept it anyway.
“Do you want to get down?”
She gave him a glare.
There was still half the road left—she’d rather die than walk it.
So she could only endure.
When they finally arrived in town, she got off the cart and immediately started vomiting violently.
But she hadn’t eaten much in the morning anyway, so only sour liquid came up.
At that moment, her second aunt, 董秀芳, saw her miserable state and immediately struck.
“Oh my! A person should respect their elders and be polite. Look at you—so sharp-tongued, now you’re being punished by heaven, aren’t you?”
周斯年’s gaze turned icy as he looked at her.
But 孟瑜 was not someone who would take losses.
After rinsing her mouth with the army water bottle, she immediately counterattacked without even a pause.
“Second Aunt, I strongly disagree with that. If sharp tongues get punished by heaven, then why haven’t you been struck by lightning yet? Your daughter-in-law, 红霞嫂, gets beaten three times a day by you—that’s not just sharp-tongued anymore. That’s cruel. So why are you still alive?”
“Is it because heaven is blind?”
A faint smile appeared on 周斯年’s lips.
What was his second aunt thinking?
She never gained any advantage from Meng Duoyu, yet she kept provoking her.
And now? She got humiliated again.
Sure enough, her expression turned even worse.
“Can you stop dragging my daughter-in-law into this!”
As a junior, she had no manners at all—truly outrageous!
But 孟瑜 just raised an eyebrow.
“No choice. Your daughter-in-law has a hard life.”
The second aunt shot her a dark look.
Her family affairs were always handled behind closed doors, yet this girl knew everything. When she got home, she would definitely skin her daughter-in-law alive.
“Hmph!”
Not wanting to waste any more time, she stormed off.
“Bye, Second Aunt! Remember to be kind, or heaven might strike you down!”
Her steps faltered slightly.
周斯年 glanced at her.
“Alright, stop shouting. She’s gone.”
But 孟瑜 snorted.
“She never learns. When I have time, I’ll personally teach my dear second aunt a lesson.”
He didn’t say anything else.
He simply took her to walk around town.
After a while, she got tired.
Shopping wasn’t something she enjoyed, even if other girls did.
Her current body also couldn’t handle it.
“Where is the cultural troupe?”
She grabbed his arm, stopping him from continuing the walk.
Hearing her, 周斯年 knew she was tired.
He had assumed all women liked shopping and had been preparing to accompany her all the way, but unexpectedly, she wasn’t interested.
“Let’s go.”
After another ten minutes of walking, they finally reached the town’s cultural troupe.
“Commune Propaganda Team.”
She looked at the sign at the gate, then at him.
“Cultural troupe?”
Only then did he remember that in the military it was called a cultural troupe, but locally it was called a propaganda team.
He coughed awkwardly, handed over their introduction letter, and they were let inside.
Once inside, she curiously looked around.
Everything here was completely different from her previous life.
In her past life, she had always been in rehearsal rooms or under bright stage lights. This kind of low, plain building was something she had only seen after transmigrating.
“Don’t look around too much.”
He reminded her.
The situation was still sensitive, and careless behavior could be used against them.
She withdrew her gaze and followed him inside.
But no one was in the rooms.
They knocked on several doors with no response.
Finally, when they knocked on a door labeled “Warehouse,” it took a long time before it opened.
“What do you want?”
A middle-aged man stood there, looking tired, unshaven, and somewhat gloomy.
Instinctively, 周斯年 stepped in front of her.
“Hello, is this the propaganda team?”
The man glanced at him.
“Are you blind or can’t you read? Didn’t you see the sign when you came in?”
She blinked.
Oh wow, he got insulted.
But 周斯年 wasn’t angry.
“We saw it, but the other rooms seem empty.”
“They’re out performing in the countryside, of course no one’s here,” the man said, then looked them over again. “What are you here for?”
He handed over the introduction letter.
“Recommended by the village. My wife knows some music, so we’re here to apply for a job in the propaganda team.”
He pulled her forward by the wrist.
She smiled politely at the man.
But the man glanced her up and down, then at the letter.
“You think this propaganda team is your family’s backyard? You just bring someone in like that?”
“No skill, and you want to work here? You’d be more useful as a pillar than as a person standing here!”