She felt an indescribable unease in her heart, biting her lip and clutching the bedsheet.
Had she gone too far just now?
That Cheng Wenjian was no good either—maybe he had deliberately sought out Jiang Yingying.
But then again, that woman Jiang Yingying wasn’t any better either!
After wrestling with her thoughts for a while, she only felt worse.
Hmph! She wasn’t in the wrong! At worst, she’d make sure to understand the situation before scolding someone next time!
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the main hall, two thin children huddled timidly. The older one stepped forward and tugged at Shen Qinghong’s sleeve. “Grandpa, let me help you with the work,” he said, though his large eyes kept darting toward Jiang Yingying.
The Shen family was known for their good looks, and the two children were no exception. Despite their malnourished appearance, their timid demeanor made them quite endearing.
Jiang Yingying smiled and beckoned to the little ones. “How about coming inside to play with Auntie? Auntie will give you something tasty to eat.”
At the mention of food, the children’s eyes lit up, but they didn’t dare move.
Shen Qinghong sighed. “Yingying, you should keep the things you brought from your parents’ home for yourself.”
Jiang Yingying’s family had plenty of people, fertile land, and good harvests, so they lived comfortably. Marrying into his family was indeed a step down for her.
As an elder, how could he always have his eyes on his daughter-in-law’s little treats?
Jiang Yingying didn’t insist further. Relationships were about give and take—she wasn’t going to force her kindness on others.
Just then, Shen Xiaoyun emerged from the room carrying a large pile of clothes. As she passed Jiang Yingying, she deliberately paused to let out a disdainful snort before hurrying away.
Jiang Yingying shrugged, thinking Shen Xiaoyun was just acting childish and paid it no mind.
Back in her room, she checked the system and was surprised to find she already had seven luck points.
Scrolling through the exchangeable items, she noticed most of them were food.
In these times, the most pressing issue was indeed food. Everyone’s meals were so poor that having enough to eat and stay warm was a constant struggle.
But how would the exchanged food materialize? She couldn’t keep explaining it away as something she brought from her parents’ home—her bundle was only so big.
The Green Tea System spoke up in a sarcastic tone, “Host, you’re overthinking it. Our system has been thoroughly tested. Exchanged items will appear in reality in a plausible manner.”
“Just exchange with peace of mind. There’s no need to worry about the details.”
So confident, huh?
Jiang Yingying clicked her tongue. “Then I’ll exchange for some meat first.”
She was truly tired of eating boiled wild vegetables.
“Exchange successful. Estimated arrival time: within six hours.”
The system emitted a mechanical ding, and the seven luck points reset to zero. “Luck points have now been depleted. Please accumulate more luck points as soon as possible. Otherwise, if no transactions occur for an extended period, the system will enter sleep mode.”
Huh?
Jiang Yingying was dumbfounded. This darn system never mentioned anything about a sleep mode!
If she had known, she would have saved at least one luck point as a cushion.
After a moment of regret, she stepped out of her room.
Only her father-in-law, Shen Qinghong, and the two young nephews were at home. With nothing else to do, Jiang Yingying approached the children and struck up a conversation. “What are your names?”
Having eaten some snacks earlier that morning, the children already felt fond of their new aunt.
This time, without Shen Qinghong having to speak for them, they eagerly answered one after the other, “I’m Shen Wenqin!”
“I’m Shen Wencong!”
Jiang Yingying immediately praised them, “What lovely names! Wenqin, Wencong—they sound like they were given by someone very cultured!”
Shen Qinghong, standing nearby, wore a faint smile. He had once been the village teacher, but after enduring those difficult times, he had nearly lost his life and was left with lingering health issues.
The children’s names had all been chosen by him.
Shen Wenqin pointed to the elderly man beside him and said, “Grandpa gave us our names!”
Jiang Yingying understood immediately and praised smoothly, “No wonder Brother Yao and Little Sister have such lovely names too!”
Shen Qinghong was not one for many words, but this time, he couldn’t help adding a few more: “I found these names in books, hoping they would study hard and grow up diligent and clever.”
Jiang Yingying looked at him with admiration. “Dad, you’re so knowledgeable!”
The system chimed again with a “ding-dong” sound…
Smiling slightly, Jiang Yingying took the two children’s hands. “You two are so capable! Even I don’t know how to weave baskets like these.”
Shen Wenqin, feeling a bit shy from the praise, scratched his head. “Auntie, I can even go to the fields and cut grass!”
Not to be outdone, Shen Wencong chimed in eagerly, “Me too, I can do it too…”
“You’re both amazing!”
The charming system chimed once more…
By the time Shen Xiaoyun returned, carrying a basin of laundry, she was met with this heartwarming scene.
Instantly annoyed, she snapped, “Wenqin, Wencong! What are you two doing?”
The children, who were usually close to their aunt, quickly stood up, their little faces beaming with smiles. “Auntie, Auntie is teaching us how to weave little rabbits!”
Long strands of green foxtail grass had been deftly woven into little green rabbits, arranged neatly on the ground.
Like most girls, Shen Xiaoyun had a fondness for cute little trinkets, but she pursed her lips and said, “They’re not pretty at all…”
Pretending not to notice her awkward expression, Jiang Yingying went over and took her hand, reddened from washing clothes. “Come on, let me put some hand cream on you! Look how red your little hands are—it breaks my heart!”
She said she felt sorry for her?
Shen Xiaoyun, feeling a bit dazed, followed her into the house, forgetting even to retort with a sarcastic remark.
The original owner of this body had been quite vain, and her bag was stuffed with a large box of fragrant snowflake cream.
As she applied the cream, Jiang Yingying said, “Our little sister is so beautiful, with such lovely skin—we must take good care of it!”
Shen Xiaoyun watched as her hands became smooth, her heart filled with mixed emotions. No one had ever thought to remind her to protect her skin, let alone apply hand cream.
Although her parents doted on her and her brother was capable, her father’s health was poor, and there were two children to raise. Where would the money come from for such luxuries?
After a moment of internal conflict, Shen Xiaoyun spoke stiffly, “You… you should stop associating with that person.”
She was referring to Cheng Wenjian.
Jiang Yingying sighed softly. “Little Sister, in my heart, there’s only your brother.”
“But…”
Shen Xiaoyun didn’t believe her. Why, then, had she always followed Cheng Wenjian around before?
There weren’t many pretty girls in the village. Although Jiang Yingying had a bad reputation, she was undeniably a delicate flower. Many girls in the village secretly imitated her way of speaking and dressing, while pretending to look down on her.
Jiang Yingying cursed inwardly at the absurdity of it all but maintained a helpless expression. “Back then, everyone said educated men were better, and I was momentarily blinded. But after getting to know your brother, I realized a man should be strong and dependable!”
With these words, she made her stance clear and praised Shen Yao in the process.
Shen Xiaoyun was half-convinced. In the young girl’s eyes, her brother was the finest man imaginable—far superior to that Cheng Wenjian.
“Little sister, I’m not much older than you, and I’m telling you this as if you were my own sister. Please don’t mention it to your brother…”
After speaking, Jiang Yingying shyly covered her face with her hands. “Even though we’re married, saying such things still feels a bit embarrassing.”