After speaking, Jiang Shiyue paid no mind to Liang Zeyuan's thoughts and simply turned and ran, terrified of getting entangled with that madman.
In any case, she had been a doctor in the modern world and had also kept up with her exercise, so the things in her hands were no trouble at all.
Meanwhile, Liang Zeyuan frowned as he watched Jiang Shiyue's retreating figure.
This development seemed a little off.
Hadn't Jiang Shiyue married Gu Yian just to make him jealous? Why was it that now, every other word out of her mouth was— could it be… that Jiang Shiyue had really fallen for Gu Yian?
No, that couldn't be right.
The person Jiang Shiyue loved was him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given up her life as a wealthy young lady to follow him to this godforsaken countryside.
So where had things gone wrong?
Could it be that she was upset about him being too close to Lin Wan'er?
At this thought, Liang Zeyuan's face darkened.
It was all his fault for always placating Jiang Shiyue, which had led to her becoming spoiled and arrogant.
He had only gotten a little closer to Lin Wan'er; it wasn't like they had made their relationship official. What was there for Jiang Shiyue to be jealous about?
Thinking about how Jiang Shiyue hadn't given him any Rice Coupons, Liang Zeyuan grew a little angry. He decided that this time, he would drag it out a bit longer before coaxing her, lest she start walking all over him in the future.
Yes, that was it.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shiyue, who had already arrived home, was oblivious to Liang Zeyuan's thoughts as she slowly organized the things she had brought over.
Fortunately, the wardrobe at home was quite large, and even though Jiang Shiyue had a lot of things, it could just about fit everything.
The original owner's suitcase had a combination lock. Inside were mostly snacks, along with some Coupons.
To Jiang Shiyue's surprise, there was even a leather watch inside, wrapped in a handkerchief, its hands still ticking.
Jiang Shiyue couldn't put it down. She immediately fastened the watch on her wrist and turned it with satisfaction.
But seeing that it was already almost eleven-thirty, Jiang Shiyue got up and went to the kitchen to prepare a meal.
Although Jiang Shiyue's family in the modern era was well-off, Ms. Shi and Mr. Jiang had made her spend most of her childhood in the countryside to develop her survival skills. So, she was quite adept at handling a 1970s kitchen.
Even though Gu Yian had said he would cook when he got back, she had, after all, slept with the man and was now living in his house. It was only right to do what she could.
Alright, the truth was Gu Yian's cooking was just too terrible, and she didn't want to subject her stomach to it.
On the other side, Hu Tianyou was still telling Gu Yian about the scene he had witnessed earlier at the Educated Youth Center.
Not noticing Gu Yian's increasingly dark expression, he chewed on a foxtail grass and said, "Second Brother, I'm telling you, in broad daylight, that Jiang Shiyue and Liang Zeyuan ducked into a room. You don't think they're doing something shady behind your back, do you?"
Gu Yian set down his hoe. "Shut up!"
Hu Tianyou pouted. "Why are you being so fierce? I'm just telling the truth."
"That Jiang Shiyue doesn't look like a decent person. I don't know what spell you're under to have actually agreed to marry her."
This was what Hu Tianyou couldn't figure out. Although his Second Brother's family background was poor, he was down-to-earth, hardworking, and good-looking. Aside from the scar on his face, he was practically flawless. How could he have taken a liking to Jiang Shiyue?
Everyone in the village knew the person Jiang Shiyue loved was Liang Zeyuan. Wasn't this just asking to be cuckolded?
He had no idea what Gu Yian saw in her.
Gu Yian's hands by his sides couldn't help but clench. Right, what spell was he under?
He gritted his teeth. "Alright, that's enough."
If this continued, he might just charge over to the Educated Youth Center to see exactly what Jiang Shiyue and Liang Zeyuan were doing.
His gaze fell on the woods in the distance, and he let out a turbid breath. "Also, don't call her by her full name anymore. When you see her, remember to call her sister-in-law."
Hu Tianyou rolled his eyes. The woman had already made him a cuckold, yet here he was, still defending her. "Fine, fine, fine, sister-in-law it is," he said reluctantly.
Knowing that Hu Tianyou was just indignant on his behalf, Gu Yian's expression softened as he recalled the smear of red he had seen last night. "Hurry up and get back to your work."
So what if Jiang Shiyue loved Liang Zeyuan? At least when she was with him, she had been pure.
What else was there for him to fuss about?
After all, who hadn't made mistakes when they were young?
But the more he tried to convince himself of this, the more deeply Hu Tianyou's words became ingrained in his mind.
He knew, in fact, that Jiang Shiyue had married him for no other reason than to make Liang Zeyuan jealous. Yet, a sliver of hope still lingered in his heart.
What if?
What if Jiang Shiyue was truly disappointed in Liang Zeyuan?
What if Jiang Shiyue wanted to build a proper life with him?
What if, after seeing how good he was, Jiang Shiyue stopped loving Liang Zeyuan?
But Hu Tianyou's words had extinguished that sliver of hope in Gu Yian's heart. If there were truly a "what if," Jiang Shiyue wouldn't have gone to the Educated Youth Center to find Liang Zeyuan while he wasn't home.
The thought that Jiang Shiyue's fiery passion and her delicate, soft demeanor from last night might also be shown to Liang Zeyuan made Gu Yian slam his fist onto the ridge of the field.
Because even if that were the case, he didn't want to let go.
Since she had provoked him, there was no walking away unscathed.
Seeing that it was almost time for lunch, Gu Yian shouldered his hoe and started for home. On the way, as he passed a barren mountain, he dug up some wild vegetables and checked a trap he had set earlier.
His luck was good; there was a very fat wild rabbit inside.
After coming down the mountain, he saw smoke curling up from the direction of his house. Gu Yian couldn't be bothered with anything else and broke into a run toward home.
Jiang Shiyue was still stir-frying in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion outside, she poked her head out. Seeing it was Gu Yian, her eyes immediately curved into crescents. "You're back!"
Remembering the dish still cooking in the wok, Jiang Shiyue didn't dare linger. "Go wash your hands, quick. There's just one more dish, and then we can eat," she said before returning to the kitchen.
Gu Yian stood there, stunned. Jiang Shiyue knew how to cook?
Everyone in the village knew that Jiang Shiyue didn't even bother earning Work Points. She spent her days either at the Educated Youth Center or in town, a complete young lady whose hands had never touched menial work.
He strode into the kitchen and saw Jiang Shiyue dishing out food. On the stove next to her sat cooked rice and a plate of twice-cooked pork.
Gu Yian blinked in disbelief. "You…"
Jiang Shiyue clicked her tongue. "What 'you'? Hurry up and wash your hands."
With that, she carried the two plates of food into the bedroom, ignoring Gu Yian's reaction.
Although Gu Yian was surprised, he obediently went to wash his hands. He then went to the kitchen to bring out the rice, a flutter of excitement in his heart.
But then he remembered what Hu Tianyou had told him, and his once-fluttering heart sank again.
For a pampered young lady like Jiang Shiyue, who had never lifted a finger, to cook for him out of the blue… it was probably just her way of compensating him.