When Jiang Lianyue opened her eyes again, she found the room somewhat dim.
Was it already dark?
She walked over and pulled back the curtains. The sky was faintly bright, the surroundings quiet and still. On the road below, only a single sanitation worker in a gray work uniform was lowering his head as he swept the ground.
Oh, It was morning.
She had actually slept straight through from the afternoon into the next morning.
Jiang Lianyue felt a bit dazed, not only the grogginess that came from sleeping so long, but also the lingering disorientation of having suddenly transmigrated from the future.
Yesterday, she had been busy dealing with the marriage issue involving the male lead and had no time to indulge in melancholy. Now, with the world quiet around her, an inexplicable sense of loneliness rose within her, as though heaven and earth held only her alone.
Jiang Lianyue stood there blankly for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
Oh, that was not quite right. She had a family.
Although Jiang Lianyue had been born and raised in the village, she had three older brothers, and she was the youngest. Jiang Father and Jiang Mother had given birth to three sons before finally getting a daughter, and they doted on her excessively. Her three brothers spoiled her as well, which led to her developing an indulgent, willful temperament; once she wanted something, she had to have it.
It was precisely because of this personality that, after seeing Zhou Jiajing, she became obsessed with him and insisted on having him no matter what. In the end, that led to…
Jiang Lianyue let out a long sigh.
Although the original owner’s personality was not good, she had a family who loved her deeply.
In the book, after Jiang Lianyue divorced, her three brothers went to Zhou Jiajing to demand an explanation. In a moment of impulsiveness, the second brother struck someone and was ultimately sent to prison.
The eldest brother went out to work to earn money and pull strings for the second brother. Once he left, he never returned.
The third brother had to care for their parents, and because of the family’s poor reputation after her divorce, along with having a brother in prison, he remained a bachelor his entire life.
Jiang Father and Jiang Mother also became despondent due to the series of misfortunes that struck the family. After Jiang Lianyue died in a car accident, the two of them soon followed her, passing away one after the other.
Recalling this, Jiang Lianyue sighed again.
The original owner was not truly evil, merely stubborn and obsessed. For the sake of a single Zhou Jiajing, she ended up destroying her family, meeting a miserable end.
Jiang Lianyue thought that if she did not cause trouble for Zhou Jiajing and instead focused on living her own life well, making it flourish, then the original owner’s family would not meet such an ending.
“Gurgle—”
A burst of stomach rumbling pulled Jiang Lianyue back to reality. She touched her belly and suddenly remembered that she had not eaten anything since yesterday morning.
Before leaving her home in Jiangxiang Village yesterday morning, Jiang Mother had made her eat two fried eggs. After arriving in Hengzhou County, she went straight into this marital home, and then…
Jiang Lianyue poured some water from the thermos into a washbasin. After washing up, she opened the door and stepped out of the room.
The living room was not large. One side held a wooden dining table with four chairs, with sunflower seeds and peanuts still scattered across the tabletop, clearly leftovers from entertaining guests the previous day. Against the wall stood a tall-and-short cabinet made of solid wood, with various items scattered on top. Beside it were several woven plastic sacks, three bamboo trunks, and a few clay jars, all of them pasted with large red “double happiness” characters. On the other side of the living room stood a vanity table, its mirror also adorned with a red “double happiness” character.
All of these items marked with the wedding character were the original owner’s dowry.
Her stomach was growling, and Jiang Lianyue could not be bothered to examine them closely. She scanned the living room and realized that there was even a kitchen.
Zhou Jiajing’s family background was not thin at all.
Although the original owner had become fixated on Zhou Jiajing the moment she saw his face, she had not misjudged him. He truly was a catch.
Jiang Lianyue recalled the plot from the book. Right, Zhou Jiajing was a high-ranking cadre’s child. Later, when he wanted to marry the female lead, his family even put considerable pressure on her, fearing that the woman he chose on his own would be just like the previous one, someone troublesome and unreliable.
Jiang Lianyue let out a soft scoff and stopped thinking about matters that had nothing to do with her. She turned and walked into the kitchen.
Zhou Jiajing tossed and turned for a long time the previous night, unable to fall asleep.
He had suddenly been forced into marriage and had even signed such a ridiculous agreement. It felt as though his life had taken a sharp turn overnight. He was uneasy and uncertain, unsure of what the future would bring, feeling as though his life was moving in a direction beyond his control.
He hoped that she truly would behave as stated in the agreement, stay in line and not interfere with his life. If so, he could still twist his slightly misdirected life back onto the correct path.
With such hopeful thoughts, Zhou Jiajing finally fell asleep.
After sleeping in a daze for three or four hours, Zhou Jiajing suddenly sensed that something about the air felt off. He jolted awake.
He took a deep sniff and realized it was the aroma of food, then laughed at himself.
Recently, Jiang Lianyue had made him so tense that even a change in the air’s scent was enough to startle him awake.
Zhou Jiajing rolled over, intending to go back to sleep.
More than ten minutes later, he shot upright.
Why was the smell getting stronger?
He inhaled deeply again and realized that the source of the aroma seemed to be coming from his own kitchen.
Has someone broken in?
Zhou Jiajing quickly got up and quietly made his way out.
Opening the bedroom door, he scanned the surroundings and saw that the master bedroom door was open and the kitchen light was on. He sniffed lightly, and a rich fragrance drifted out from inside.
Zhou Jiajing swallowed unconsciously and crept closer to the kitchen. Sure enough, Jiang Lianyue was standing inside, frying something in the pan.
Under the warm orange light, her figure was slender and graceful, her fair face appearing even more beautiful than it had the night before.
But Zhou Jiajing had no time to appreciate her looks. He took a deep breath.
It smelled so good.
Up close, the aroma was even more irresistible. Zhou Jiajing had never smelled anything so fragrant before. His saliva instantly began to flood his mouth, and he could not help swallowing.
He did not know how to cook. The machinery factory had a cafeteria, and aside from occasionally eating out, he took all three meals there. The food was not bad, just monotonous after eating it for so long.
Yet neither restaurant food nor cafeteria dishes smelled anywhere near this good.
Zhou Jiajing could not help stepping forward, wanting to see what she was making.
Sensing someone’s presence, Jiang Lianyue turned her head. When she saw Zhou Jiajing standing at the doorway in a white sleeveless undershirt, she smiled and greeted him, “Morning.”
Facing that radiant, flower-like smile, Zhou Jiajing abruptly recalled how Jiang Lianyue had smiled just as brightly when she learned that he had agreed to marry her. The hunger that had been surging upward moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by cold indifference.
“Morning,” he replied flatly.
After exchanging greetings, Zhou Jiajing lost interest in whatever she was cooking and turned back to his room.
Jiang Lianyue did not mind. He had always been cold toward the original owner. She turned back and continued stirring her egg congee.
This was Lingnan, a region rich in rice. The original owner’s family had doted on her and feared she might not adapt to her new home, so they had included most of the best rice in her dowry.
The eggs were also taken from the dowry. Wrapped in rice bran and stored in a clay jar, there was a full jar of them. Jiang’s mother had used her private savings to collect these eggs from the village before the wedding. They were all free-range eggs, each one releasing a rich aroma the moment it was cracked open.
Good rice, and water that had not yet suffered serious pollution, ever since the congee came to a boil, its fragrance had filled the air. The longer it simmered, the richer the scent became. When Jiang Lianyue cracked two eggs into the pot, the aroma reached its peak, so fragrant that even she could not help swallowing.
She was truly starving.
Once the congee was ready, Jiang Lianyue immediately ladled out a bowl. Blowing gently, she took a careful sip.
Ah, so fragrant.
The light rice aroma blended with the rich egg fragrance. It was so delicious that Jiang Lianyue nearly swallowed her tongue.
Zhou Jiajing emerged fully dressed and saw Jiang Lianyue holding her bowl, gulping down the congee in big mouthfuls, her small face filled with contentment.
Zhou Jiajing secretly took a deep breath.
It smelled so good. What was she eating? How could it be that fragrant?
Noticing him, Jiang Lianyue greeted him, “Heading out so early?”
Zhou Jiajing, who had only planned to pour himself a glass of water in the living room: “……”
Was she really that eager to get rid of him?
It was early morning, and she was already rushing him out?
Silently finishing his water, Zhou Jiajing set down the cup and said coolly, “I’m going to work. There’s a set of keys in the upper cabinet of the tall-and-short cupboard.”
“Bye-bye.” Jiang Lianyue waved at him.
Zhou Jiajing picked up his briefcase and stepped out. After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped.
Bye-bye?
Of course, he knew it meant goodbye, but Jiang Lianyue was only a junior high graduate. How could she use English so fluently?
Since the college entrance examination had been reinstated two years ago, many educated youths sent to the countryside had been studying for it, sparking a nationwide learning craze.
Was the academic atmosphere in Jiangxiang Village really that strong, to the point where even an ordinary villager used English?
Zhou Jiajing glanced back at the tightly closed door.
After this brief interaction, he realized that Jiang Lianyue did not quite match the impression he had of her before.
Could it be that his preconceived bias had caused him to mistake a good girl for a bad one?
The thought had barely surfaced when Zhou Jiajing quickly shook his head, banishing the dangerous idea.
What a joke. What kind of good person would force her savior into marriage?
“Comrade Zhou, heading to work so early?” A neighbor stepped out of his home and greeted Zhou Jiajing when he saw him.
Zhou Jiajing: “!”
He had only planned to go out and buy breakfast.
But he could not say that he had left his newlywed wife at home to eat breakfast alone.
Zhou Jiajing’s fair face flashed with embarrassment. Everyone knew he had married just yesterday. Going out alone for breakfast on the second day of marriage was bound to invite speculation.
“There’s an urgent matter at the factory. I need to go handle it immediately,” Zhou Jiajing said, forcing a look of urgency onto his face.
The neighbor knew that Zhou Jiajing was a university graduate highly valued by the county machinery factory director. Being summoned early on the second day after his wedding must mean something truly urgent. Not wanting to delay him, the neighbor waved him off. “That’s tough, can’t even rest during your honeymoon. Go on, then.”
Zhou Jiajing smiled and nodded. Once he turned away, his smile dropped.
It was only six o’clock. What was he supposed to do at the factory? Feed the mosquitoes?
Jiang Lianyue finished two bowls of congee and felt uncomfortably full. She could not eat any more.
Setting the bowl down, she looked at the large amount of congee left in the pot, thinking that this stomach was really too small. After being hungry for so long, she could still only manage two bowls.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Jiang Lianyue went to organize the dowry piled up in the living room.
The clay jars were filled with grains, mung beans, soybeans, Siyue beans, preserved vegetables, all items suitable for long-term storage.
The woven plastic sacks held rice, quilt covers, cotton quilt filling, blankets, and similar items.
The bamboo trunks contained Jiang Lianyue’s clothes, some newly made, others for everyday wear.
She carried the trunks into the master bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and saw that a large section was still empty. She took out the clothes from the trunks and hung them inside.
Indigo trousers, white Dacron shirts, white floral dresses. For this era, the styles were fairly fashionable.
From this alone, it was clear how much the Jiang family had spoiled the original owner. Even girls in the city might not have had this many good clothes, yet she had three full trunks.
After finishing the clothes, Jiang Lianyue took out the remaining items from the sacks, placing what needed to be placed and storing what needed to be stored. By the time everything was organized, the sun had already climbed high into the sky.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, filling the room with brightness. Having just finished settling in, Jiang Lianyue felt as though she had truly made this place her home, and her mood immediately lifted.
It was March, the rainy season in Lingnan. Sunshine was rare. With the sun out, many people had brought their clothes and bedding outside to dry. Jiang Lianyue looked down from the window and saw every available spot downstairs filled with clothes and bed sheets.
Many people had also taken advantage of the fine weather to bring children and elders out for some fresh air.
After some thought, Jiang Lianyue picked up the money and various ration tickets she had found in the bamboo trunks and headed out the door.