4
The newcomer had two braids woven like twists, dressed in the typical attire of a rural girl. Her earthy-yellow shirt was patched in several places, and her thin frame made her clothes look even looser.
Seeing the look of surprise and disbelief in Jiang Miaomiao’s eyes, Jiang Suisui realized that the female lead must have just been reborn.
Oh my, could this be the historic meeting between the male and female leads? And she had stumbled upon it!
Jiang Suisui suddenly felt restless, as if she were an oversized, glaring light bulb standing between the two leads.
At that moment, she desperately wanted to step aside, allowing Jiang Miaomiao to join Song Weizheng and receive the matchmaker’s congratulations.
However, she couldn’t do that; Grandma Jiang was watching her closely, insisting that she dutifully complete the betrothal ceremony.
After being reprimanded, Jiang Miaomiao didn’t comply. Startled and furious, she blurted out, “How can Jiang Suisui be engaged to Song Weizheng?!”
Now the matchmaker was displeased.
“Where did this little girl come from? She’s interrupting my work.”
She waved her hand dismissively at Jiang Miaomiao. “What’s the matter? They make a perfect couple! Little girl, if you’re in a hurry to get married, come find me. I can introduce you to someone; I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”
Jiang Miaomiao trembled with anger. How could the man she had her eye on be taken by someone else so quickly?
She pointed accusingly at Jiang Suisui and shouted, “What trick did you play to force Song Weizheng to marry you?!”
Jiang Suisui was taken aback by Jiang Miaomiao’s fierce gaze, instinctively stepping behind Song Weizheng for protection.
“Jiang Miaomiao!” Grandma Jiang slammed her hand on the table, standing up to scold her. “What’s gotten into you today? What does their engagement have to do with you? Go back and don’t make trouble, understood?!”
Jiang Miaomiao’s eyes filled with tears from frustration as she looked at Song Weizheng, hoping he would say something.
However, Song Weizheng only furrowed his brows in confusion, glancing at her twice before turning away.
He thought to himself why do all the girls in the Jiang family seem to have problems?
He turned slightly to glance at the trembling Jiang Suisui hiding behind him.
Noticing his gaze, Jiang Suisui quickly jumped back a couple of steps to maintain some distance.
I’m innocent!
Jiang Miaomiao’s sudden outburst caused Grandma Jiang to lose her patience. She personally stepped forward to drag Jiang Miaomiao outside, shutting the door to block the prying eyes of onlookers.
Outside, several aunties gathered and asked, “Miaomiao, has the engagement between Suisui and Song Weizheng been settled?”
Jiang Miaomiao was annoyed by their question; she waved her hand to push them away and turned to leave. “What a load of nonsense about engagements!”
“Why is Miaomiao so angry?” one of the aunties wondered.
“Looks like she’s envious that Suisui is engaged,” another chimed in.
“Is she thinking about getting married?”
“I heard Miaomiao has her eyes on a new intellectual from our village.”
“What? Tell us more!”
Without Jiang Miaomiao’s interference, the betrothal process went smoothly.
Song Weizheng brought the matchmaker and the betrothal gifts to their home, saying that they would discuss the wedding after Jiang Suisui turned eighteen in the spring of next year.
Grandma Jiang looked at the two young people before her and let out a sigh of relief. While Song Weizheng’s family was somewhat poor, which family wasn’t struggling these days?
At least Song Weizheng was the most reliable and capable young man in the village.
His father, Song Dashun, was a rare honest man but had passed away too soon, leaving behind a wife who needed constant care and a young daughter who couldn’t contribute much. The burden of supporting the family had fallen entirely on Song Weizheng’s shoulders.
Grandma Jiang had initially wanted to find a good match for Jiang Suisui, but after reflecting on it for the past few days, she had to admit that Suisui had become lazy and greedy from being spoiled. At seventeen, there hadn’t been any suitors at their door. If she were to marry into another family, they would expect her to be diligent and capable. What could Suisui possibly offer?
Thinking this way, Grandma Jiang no longer saw Song Weizheng as a bad match. At least he lived nearby, had grown up in front of her, and was of good character. If Suisui married him, she could keep an eye on her. If she married someone far away, like her great-aunt had, she might only return once during the holidays, which would truly be worrying!
Grandma Jiang patted Jiang Suisui on the back. “Go on, you young ones, step outside and have a chat.”
And just like that, Jiang Suisui was pushed out the door, looking utterly bewildered.
Having only been here for two days, she had already transformed from a frail twenty-first-century woman into a seventeen-year-old village beauty, and now into an engaged young bride.
This was a rapid descent toward disaster…
She couldn’t help but think of the female lead, Jiang Miaomiao, who had just been unceremoniously sent away, causing her to tremble slightly.
The cannon fodder competing with the female lead for a man would never have a happy ending!
Feeling awkward, she turned to Song Weizheng and forced a smile. “Um, Jiang Miaomiao seems a bit upset. Shouldn’t you go check on her?”
If expressions could be materialized, Jiang Suisui might have seen a cloud of question marks above Song Weizheng’s head.
With a blank expression, Song Weizheng replied, “Why should I check on her?”
“…Huh?” Jiang Suisui wanted to say, because the original story mentions you two are childhood sweethearts!
Song Weizheng looked up at the darkening sky. “It’s getting late, and I still have work to finish. I need to get going.”
With that, he turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Suisui thought that his version of the male lead seems like a straightforward, oblivious guy…
Left to her own devices, she wandered aimlessly. In the countryside, there was no entertainment; people were either busy working or sitting on small stools chatting in front of their homes or under trees.
The topics of conversation usually revolved around which family had a son, which one married off a daughter, and how the young intellectuals from the city looked fresh, but none compared to the beauty of Jiang Suisui from their village.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Suisui thought, …Hmm?
Thinking about it, Jiang Suisui couldn’t help but feel speechless.
When she had just woken up yesterday, she remembered the title of “village beauty” mentioned in the original story and felt a bit curious.
With how handsome Song Weizheng was, she figured there must be a title for the village heartthrob, so she must look quite beautiful to have earned the title of village flower!
Excited, Jiang Suisui found a dusty mirror in her home and wiped it clean, eager to take a look.
But then she froze.
Who was this chubby girl with plump cheeks and a fair, delicate face?!
Jiang Suisui suddenly felt a wave of darkness wash over her.
She recalled how the older generation often praised children for their looks, claiming they were blessed with good fortune.
At this moment, with her appearance, it seemed she must indeed be quite fortunate.
In an era where material life was extremely scarce and physical labor was incredibly demanding, it was truly rare for a cannon fodder to be well-fed and plump.
Who wouldn’t comment on her good looks?
Jiang Suisui sighed in resignation; it seemed the title of “village flower” was simply a compliment from the elders.
She maneuvered past the chatting villagers and continued to wander aimlessly, feeling a bit troubled.
In her past life, she had been delicate and frail, weaker than Lin Daiyu, but now she had transformed into a chubby girl.
I don’t want to be a chubby girl! Jiang Suisui silently protested in her heart.
She reached a pond and squatted down to look at her reflection, filled with endless melancholy.
Jiang Suisui poked her fleshy arms and hands, gradually becoming resolute.
I’m going to lose weight!
Jiang Suisui studied her reflection in the water once more.
Although her face was chubby, the contours from her past life were still faintly visible, and her complexion was quite fair. Perhaps it was due to not having to work much, unlike others who spent their days out in the sun.
If I lose weight, I’ll still be a little beauty! Jiang Suisui clenched her fists, silently encouraging herself.
Just then, she felt a sudden tightness in her shoulder as someone grabbed her.
Startled, she turned around to find none other than Song Weizheng, whom she had just parted from.
He leaned in, holding her shoulder firmly to keep her still. “What are you up to now?”
Jiang Suisui blinked in confusion. “Huh?”
She was puzzled. “I’m not doing anything!”
Was admiring her reflection not allowed either?
Song Weizheng studied her for a moment. Seeing that she seemed fine, he slowly released his grip and straightened up.
He picked up the carrying pole at his feet and prepared to leave.
“Hey!” Jiang Suisui suddenly snapped out of it and called out to him. “Just now, did you think I was about to jump into the river again?”
She had just remembered that this very pond was where she had drowned when she first traveled into this world.
Song Weizheng’s reaction just now really had a hint of “once bitten, twice shy” about it.
But Song Weizheng didn’t respond to her and simply walked away.
Jiang Suisui watched as his footsteps turned toward the fields.
She shook her head and sighed. So diligent, but also so aloof…
Then again, it was only right for the male lead to be aloof toward the supporting female character.
She silently applauded Song Weizheng in her heart. Being aloof was good—that way, the female lead wouldn’t come after her later.
It was just a pity that this man, who suited her tastes so perfectly, was ultimately not meant for her.
“There are plenty of other fish in the sea,” Jiang Suisui mused as she slowly made her way back home.
It was nearly evening by now, and Grandma Jiang had already started cooking.
The fragrant scent of grains wafted through the air, and Jiang Suisui suddenly felt ravenous.
Besides being overweight, this body had another downside: it got hungry easily.
After she had woken up yesterday, Grandma Jiang had fed her several meals.
Although most of it was coarse grains that were hard to swallow, Jiang Suisui had been so hungry that she ended up finishing everything.
Tears welled up in her heart. No wonder she was so chubby—her appetite was just too good.
When Jiang Suisui returned home, she reminded herself to watch her mouth and get moving—she absolutely could not eat another bite today!
In this era, rural people didn’t typically eat dinner, as they had no work to do at night. Two meals a day were sufficient, helping to conserve food.
However, Grandma Jiang had a soft spot for the cannon fodder. Every evening, when the girl complained of hunger, she would cook an extra meal, mostly for her sake.
Jiang Suisui rushed into the kitchen. “Grandma, I’m not eating dinner tonight!”
Grandma Jiang straightened up from the stove, surprised. “What? Why not?”
She hurried over. “Are you feeling unwell again? Should I take you to see the doctor?”
Jiang Suisui shook her head. “No, I’m perfectly fine! I just don’t want to eat. If you’re not having dinner, then I won’t either.”
“That won’t do! If you don’t eat at night, won’t you be hungry?”
Jiang Suisui patted her stomach. “I’m not hungry!”
She pulled Grandma Jiang out of the kitchen. “Grandma, I think I’ve been eating too much; it’s wasteful, and I feel bad about the food.”
Grandma Jiang looked puzzled. “How can what you eat be considered waste?”
Jiang Suisui hesitated. “But don’t others only eat two meals a day?”
“What others do is their business!” Grandma Jiang insisted. “Are you really not going to be hungry tonight?”
“I won’t be!” Jiang Suisui shook her head firmly. “In the past, I just craved food; I wasn’t actually hungry at all!”
Grandma Jiang nodded. “Alright, but you said it yourself. If you do get hungry, just tell me, and I’ll make you something to eat.”
Jiang Suisui hugged her affectionately. “You’re too good to me, Grandma!”
Grandma Jiang chuckled. “I’ve already made dinner, so you might as well eat a little.”
As she spoke, she turned back to the kitchen, and Jiang Suisui followed her in. Grandma Jiang lifted the lid off a pot and scooped out a bowl of corn porridge, handing it to Jiang Suisui.
Looking at the bowl of rather unappealing coarse grain porridge, Jiang Suisui instinctively swallowed.
It was the chubby girl who was hungry, not her!
Jiang Suisui quietly said, “I’ll just have one bowl; the rest you and Grandpa can share.”
Grandma Jiang smiled and nodded. “Good! Suisui is growing up and learning to be considerate.”
Jiang Suisui beamed. “Hehe.”
**