To prevent the matter from dragging on too long.
The day after the incident, Old Master Ye forcefully compelled Chen Maocai and Yu Xiaoqiu to apologize to Yu Yin in front of the entire village.
Although this didn’t prove they were having an affair, it was practically the same thing.
Once they apologized, the whole village knew that Yu Xiaoqiu from the Yu family had been acting like a slut, setting her sights on her own cousin’s husband—shamelessly seducing him and throwing herself at him—and had even gotten pregnant with his child…
“How shameless! She’s so young—why didn’t she pick any other man? She had to set her sights on her own brother-in-law… Tsk, tsk. I wonder how Wang Zhaonan raised her child.”
“It’s not just shameless. You guys weren’t there, so you don’t know, but I heard Yu Xiaoqiu is even pregnant.”
“No way. That’s practically adultery—and she’s not even trying to cover it up?”
“You tell me.” Someone exchanged a knowing glance with the others. “But you’re all wrong. Wang Zhaonan sure knows how to raise her kids—her daughter has surpassed her in every way. You probably don’t know this, but back when Wang Zhaonan was young…”
Yu Xiaoqiu arrived at the village entrance with a grim expression. Sarcastic taunts and insults rained down on her from all sides; some people even dug up her mother’s youthful romantic escapades, as if her entire family were a bunch of loose women.
And the one responsible for all this was that slut Yu Yin!
She had underestimated that little bitch.
She’d assumed that since Yu Yin—that bitch—wasn’t as lucky as she was and hadn’t been reborn, she’d surely remain as timid and easy to bully as she had been in her previous life.
But she’d forgotten about the butterfly effect.
“Just you wait.” Before taking the stage to apologize, Yu Xiaoqiu gritted her teeth and hissed a threat into Yu Yin’s ear, “I’ll concede defeat this time, but next time, I’ll definitely kill you.”
Yu Yin raised an eyebrow, a fleeting smile flashing in her eyes.
Just as Yu Xiaoqiu thought she must be seeing things, Yu Yin suddenly seemed to be shoved by Yu Xiaoqiu and fell to the ground.
“Sis, if you… if you don’t want to apologize… just forget it. Please don’t hit me anymore… waaah…”
Yu Xiaoqiu was shocked and furious, realizing she’d been set up.
She raised her hand and lashed out: “…You bitch!”
Her face was contorted with rage, and after a sleepless night, she didn’t look as beautiful as she usually did when she was well-groomed.
At that moment, she resembled a hideous, ferocious yakṣa.
She didn’t look like she’d come to apologize; rather, she looked like she’d come to kill.
“She’s gone mad!”
“Quick, quick, hold Yu Xiaoqiu back!”
Instantly, chaos erupted all around them.
Grandfather Ye shuffled over, leaning on his cane, and saw the scene unfold. The veins on his hand, gripping the cane, bulged.
Especially when he heard that the commotion had been caused by Yu Xiaoqiu trying to hit Yu Yin, he slammed his cane against the ground several times: “Thud, thud, thud!”
“Hurry up and pull them apart!”
“Since Yu Xiaoqiu shows no remorse, Dahe!”
Village Chief Chen Dahe immediately replied, “Grandfather, I’m here.”
“After she apologizes, have Yu Xiaoqiu clean the public restroom.”
Chen Dahe glanced at Secretary Chen Shan, whose face had turned as dark as night, and asked cautiously, “Well… how long should she clean? She’s pregnant, and I’m afraid—”
“She’ll clean until she realizes her mistake.” Ye Taigong seemed not to have picked up on Chen Dahe’s hint. “Since she’s pregnant, have her husband come along to take care of her.”
In other words, Chen Maocai would have to join her in cleaning the public restroom.
The public restrooms in the countryside reeked to high heaven; most people wouldn’t go there unless their families couldn’t afford to build their own.
Make the pampered Chen Maocai clean the public restroom too?
Chen Dahe clenched his jaw tightly to keep from laughing out loud and incurring the Secretary’s wrath.
“I’ll make a note of it.”
Yu Xiaoqiu, who had just been dragged away and berated from head to toe by the village women, hadn’t even had time to recover when she heard that she was actually supposed to clean the public restroom. She was so furious she nearly fainted.
She screamed, “I refuse!”
“If you refuse, go appeal to the Revolutionary Committee,” the Elder said, staring coldly at Yu Xiaoqiu.
“Shut up!” Secretary Chen Shan finally lost his temper and roared at Yu Xiaoqiu, “Apologize to me right now.”
“Apologize, then get the hell out!”
The word “get out” shone brightly in Chen Shan’s eyes. It was the first time Yu Xiaoqiu had ever seen such a terrifying Party Secretary; she trembled with fear and hid behind Chen Maocai.
But Chen Maocai was scared, too.
He’d been beaten up last night by his own father—who had always doted on him—and his back was still aching.
When Yu Xiaoqiu tried to hide behind him, Chen Maocai immediately stepped away, showing no regard for their marital bond.
So the spot where Yu Xiaoqiu had been standing was cleared.
The sight of her reaping what she had sown—being abandoned—made Yu Yin, who was faking her tears, curl the corner of her mouth.
Serves her right.
A scumbag like Chen Maocai was never a good match to begin with; this is just the beginning, and Yu Xiaoqiu is in for a rough time ahead.
……
Yu Xiaoqiu was forced to apologize in front of everyone, and immediately afterward, she was sent to clean the public restroom.
But no one paid any attention to that anymore.
Because right after the apology ceremony came the compensation from the Yu family and the village secretary’s family to Yu Yin.
However, this wasn’t held in front of the villagers; instead, in the presence of Old Master Ye and various village officials, the Yu family and the village secretary’s family handed the money directly to Yu Yin.
A total of six hundred and fifty yuan, plus two sets of summer clothes.
Normally, they should have given her spring clothes—at the very least, long-sleeved tops—but even though she’d only met the village secretary twice, Yu Yin already understood his underhanded tactics.
Still, two sets of summer clothes were better than nothing, and Yu Yin didn’t want to complicate matters further.
Her original plan had been, first, to clear the female supporting character’s name, and second, to secure a legitimate marriage to the provincial capital—all while retrieving the dowry so she could settle in smoothly.
The outcome was excellent: not only had she gotten the dowry back, but she’d also received a few hundred extra and two sets of clothes—a pleasant surprise.
After the compensation was settled, both the Yu family and the village secretary’s family left with grim expressions and in a huff. The other village officials had intended to stay and speak with Yu Yin, but with Old Man Ye present, they eventually followed suit after lingering for a few more minutes.
Once everyone had left, Yu Yin helped Old Man Ye walk home.
They didn’t take the main road; Grandpa Ye kept leading Yu Yin down narrow alleys, either intentionally or as if by accident.
Just then, a breeze blew, stirring up the dry leaves that had been left un swept on the ground.
The leaves swirled in the wind, rustling softly. Combined with Grandpa Ye’s aged yet authoritative voice, the sound made Yu Yin feel momentarily dazed.
“Young Miss Yu Yin, have you really decided to go to the provincial capital?”
“You know what kind of people your great-uncle’s family is. If that family in the provincial capital were truly good, they wouldn’t have swapped you off.”
“You have money now. If you don’t want to marry into the provincial capital, you have plenty of options right here.”
For example, there were a few village officials just now who were reluctant to leave.
Although they were a bit money-hungry, as long as Yu Yin had money, life in the village would be much better than the unknowns of the provincial capital.
If Yu Yin hadn’t been transported into this story, she might have chosen to stay in the village.
After all, in the first twenty years of this body’s life, she’d never even been to town more than twice; going to the provincial capital alone would indeed be very difficult to survive.
But Yu Yin was different. Although she wasn’t as old as this body, having grown up in the 21st century, she’d seen far more of the world than the female supporting character.
If she wanted to survive in this era, going to the provincial capital was the best choice.
Yu Yin gripped Ye Taigong’s hand a little tighter. Her gaze swept over his weathered face, then settled on the dirt road, now swept clean by the wind, and she smiled. “Grandfather, I want to go to the provincial capital.”
Perhaps Ye Taigong had already anticipated her answer; his weathered face lifted slightly into a smile, and his cloudy eyes seemed to hold a hint of nostalgia. “Then go. ”
“If you don’t like it there, just come back.”
Yu Yin was taken aback for a moment; she hadn’t expected the highly respected Grandfather Ye to say something like that to her.
Although from the very first time she met him, she had sensed that Grandfather Ye had a unique kind of attention and concern for her.
But she never expected—
“Grandfather, may I make a small request?”
“Go ahead. Do you want me to be your wedding witness?” Yu Yin’s parents were both gone, and a wedding always required a witness—a representative of the bride’s family—or else her in-laws would look down on her.
And now that Yu Yin had fallen out with Uncle Yu’s family, given their malicious nature, they certainly wouldn’t agree to officiate her wedding.
But Yu Yin shook her head, feeling embarrassed: “No, I wouldn’t dare trouble you with such a trivial matter, Grandfather.”
“It’s like this, Grandfather. After I’m gone, I’d like to ask you to look after Ping’an whenever you have time.”
“I… I know Ping’an’s background will cause you trouble. But this time, because of me, the Secretary is bound to hold a grudge against Ping’an. He’s still so young, and there’s no adult in the village to look after him. I’m afraid…”
“You’re quite close to him, aren’t you?” Grandpa Ye said.
Just as Yu Yin thought Grandpa Ye wouldn’t agree, his voice came again: “I’ll have Ye Dong keep an eye on him. Don’t worry—I’ve still got a few years left in me, and I’ll see that kid through to adulthood.”
Yu Yin’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, Grandpa!”
“Grandpa, you’re the best!”
“Would I be a bad Grandpa if I didn’t agree?” Grandpa Ye laughed aloud.
Yu Yin immediately shook her head. “No, no—even if you hadn’t agreed, you’d still be the best.”
“You little chatterbox. All right, I’m here. You should head home now.”
Before they realized it, the two had returned to Grandpa Ye’s doorstep. Yu Yin respectfully helped him inside before taking her leave.
Yu Yin had originally planned to return directly to the Yu family home, but halfway there, she turned into another alley, heading in the opposite direction of the Yu residence.
After walking for a few minutes, she arrived at the ruins of a dilapidated blue-brick structure.
Yu Yin climbed over the broken, moss-covered blue bricks and entered a courtyard that was even more dilapidated than the outer walls.
Crossing the courtyard, she came to a house shielded from the wind only by drafty wooden planks and knocked on the door.
‘Knock, knock, knock.’
No one answered.
“Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock.”
“What are you knocking for? What are you doing here?” Zhao Ping’an emerged irritably from the pitch-black house.
He hadn’t left the house today; it was unclear whether he’d slept straight through until now or had been hiding in his little hut, unwilling to come out.
He flung the door open in a huff, not even glancing at Yu Yin.
Watching him walk right past her, Yu Yin wasn’t about to put up with his attitude; she grabbed his head and gave it a good scrub.
“Aaaah!!! What are you doing? Let go, let go, let go right now! I didn’t wash my hair yesterday.”
Yu Yin raised an eyebrow and said lazily, “Oh, when have you ever washed your hair?”
Zhao Ping’an: “……”
So infuriating.
He pried Yu Yin’s hands away. “What are you doing here? You’re about to leave. If anyone sees us together, watch out—your in-laws might give you a hard time.”
Yu Yin fought a laugh as she looked at him, deliberately contradicting him. “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll just divorce their son.”
“Are you crazy?” Zhao Ping’an exclaimed in shock.
But after she said that, the irritation and restlessness on his face vanished.
He glanced at Yu Yin and walked toward the makeshift kitchen he’d built himself from broken blue bricks—a space with no door.
No one knew which corner he rummaged through, but after a moment, he pulled out two sweet potatoes and a few bird eggs.
“Want some?” Zhao Ping’an asked.
Yu Yin had intended to say no, but realizing the Yu family wouldn’t be setting food aside for him anymore, she nodded.
Zhao Ping’an worked quickly, moving seamlessly from lighting the fire to roasting the sweet potatoes and bird eggs.
Once they were done, he handed all the bird eggs to Yu Yin.
Yu Yin didn’t take them all; she took only two and left the remaining three for Zhao Ping’an.
Zhao Ping’an frowned and shoved all the bird eggs into Yu Yin’s hands. “I don’t like bird eggs.”
Yu Yin: “……”
That’s way too fake, kid.
Yu Yin smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and didn’t argue with him. “Fine, then consider this an early gift to your big sister.”
Zhao Ping’an’s mouth twitched slightly. He glared at Yu Yin but didn’t argue.
In the past, even if he hadn’t argued, he would have let out a loud snort to show his displeasure.
But today, he was being too well-behaved.
Yu Yin’s heart was filled with reluctance and sadness.
Neither of them spoke while they ate; they both seemed to tacitly accept that this was their final gathering before parting.
After lunch, Yu Yin sat with Zhao Ping’an for a while longer, then took it upon herself to clear a patch of land behind the house—where no one would notice—to plant vegetables for him.
It was only then that Yu Yin realized this little guy, Zhao Ping’an, had never actually eaten proper vegetables before.
Usually, his diet consisted of nothing but sweet potatoes, the small amount of grain distributed at the end of the year, or wild greens from the mountains—but he had never eaten any proper vegetables at all.
He hardly ate any meat, and his vitamin intake was completely unbalanced. No wonder he was so short and thin—he didn’t look anything like a normal fifteen-year-old.
Yu Yin couldn’t bear to see Zhao Ping’an neglecting himself. She cleared a patch of land and let him break it in himself, then ran over to Aunt Ye’s house to trade for several kinds of in-season vegetable seeds to plant.
At first, Zhao Ping’an was reluctant. He was a man—why should he be the one planting vegetables all by himself? He could just pick a couple of wild greens from the mountain.
But he couldn’t argue with Yu Yin, especially since she’d already gone to the trouble of getting the seeds. It would be a waste not to plant them, so in the end, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and get to work.
He thought to himself—though he didn’t say it out loud—that once Yu Yin left and he’d planted all these seeds, he’d let the plot go to waste.
The two of them worked until dusk. As the sun set, the dilapidated ruins of the former landlord’s estate near the foot of the mountain took on a unique, shattered beauty in the afterglow.
Yu Yin stood among the ruins, looking toward the village. Although this spot was also near the foot of the mountain, its elevated position allowed her to look down upon the entire village of Cuizhu.
By now, every household in the village had begun cooking; wisps of smoke curled upward from the stoves. It was only then that Yu Yin truly realized she had really been transported into a novel and would have to live out her life in this era from now on.
A sudden wave of panic washed over her.
But before the panic could take hold, “Thud”—the sound of someone stepping on a rock rang out behind her.
Next came Zhao Ping’an’s voice: “What are you doing up there? Hurry down and eat.”
Her panic dissipated, and Yu Yin chuckled softly as she turned to reply, “Got it!”
As a gentle breeze blew by, it seemed as though the momentary gloom that had just settled over her had vanished entirely.