Chapter 80

While the female lead and her group continued their chatter, Xu Yuehua and a boy were playfully shoving each other and accidentally pushed Xu Yao, who was standing on the outermost side, and Xu Yao bumped into Lu Nong again.

Lu Nong stumbled and tripped over a stone behind her, falling to the ground. The stone scraped her lower leg, and her delicate skin broke, causing beads of blood to surface, making it look quite serious.

This was truly the classic case of being a spectator only to end up injuring oneself.

“Are you okay?” Xu Yao quickly helped Lu Nong up. Lu Nong limped to her feet, feeling a burning pain.

“I’m sorry for knocking you down… Is that you?”

Xu Yao was surprised. Although Lu Nong’s face was partially covered by a scarf, her impression was so strong that Xu Yao couldn’t easily forget her.

To run into Lu Nong in a place like this was unexpected. Hu Meng had hinted on the train that Lu Nong’s background was not ordinary. At that time, no one believed it except Xu Yao because she had also noticed something special about Lu Nong.

But if her judgment was correct, why was Lu Nong here?

Xu Yao felt confused.

“Hey, do you know each other?” The young man who had bumped into both Xu Yao and Lu Nong didn’t apologize but instead seemed impatient. “If you want to catch up, can we do it another time? We need to hurry to buy snow lotion for my sister. Are you coming or not? If not, we’re leaving.”

His attitude toward Xu Yao and Lu Nong was unfriendly.

None of Xu Yao’s family spoke up to defend her. Some were silent, while others watched the scene unfold like spectators in a soap opera, filled with unspoken tension.

Lu Nong felt more annoyed than he did. Not only did he bump into someone without apologizing, but his attitude was also terrible. Where did he learn such manners?

In the original story, the female lead was cherished by her adoptive parents and had three brothers who spoiled her, along with younger siblings who were close to her. They all lived a harmonious and happy life until the supporting character, Xu Yao, appeared.

The male lead, Pei Zheng, was also moved by the warmth of such a loving family.

The novel was narrated from the female lead’s perspective, and the brothers were mostly side characters, appearing only when the female lead was in conflict with Xu Yao or the other antagonistic sisters. They showed unconditional support for Xu Yuehua before stepping back.

When she read the book, the brothers seemed like mere tools with little description of their personalities or morals. No wonder they weren’t characterized—what a pity.

Lu Nong said, “Comrade, I saw that you pushed the female comrade next to you, so she bumped into me. Shouldn’t you apologize to me as well?”

“You must be familiar with Xu Yao… What’s that saying? Birds of a feather flock together! Who knows if you two are doing this on purpose?” Xu Yuehua’s second brother scoffed. “Besides, it’s just a scraped knee. What’s the big deal?”

Lu Nong felt a wave of exasperation. She had a million curse words but didn’t know whether to speak them.

This was absurd.

Maybe Xu Yao had done something behind the scenes that had displeased the Xu family. But in any case, it should be about the incident itself. She had only met Xu Yao twice, and they hardly knew each other. Even if they were friends, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect an apology after being accidentally bumped into and injured.

“What’s the big deal?” Lu Nong slowly repeated, her voice growing firmer, leaving the Xu family speechless.

“Okay, since you said it’s not a big deal, why don’t you come over and let me give you a push? Let’s call it even.”

“You…” Xu Yuehua’s second brother was taken aback by Lu Nong’s retort, and the expressions of Xu Yuehua and her brothers were filled with frowns.

“Go ahead and push. You can even use your hands and feet if you want. Do you think I’m afraid of a little girl like you?” Second Brother Xu sneered, not believing that a small girl could do anything to him.

It happened in a flash. As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Nong swiftly raised her uninjured foot, and everyone saw Second Brother Xu go flying, rolling several meters away.

Second Brother Xu: “…”

Xu family: “…”

Onlookers: “…” Isn’t this girl too tough?

Lu Nong clapped her hands and humbly acknowledged, “You said using my foot was fine, so we’re even now.”

The locals loved to watch a spectacle, and as soon as a conflict broke out, they gathered around.

Liu Erniu and Wang Xiuzhi, noticing the crowd, approached and were shocked to see that one party in the dispute was none other than the deputy division commander’s wife. Lu Nong had rolled up her pant leg, revealing her leg stained with blood, which alarmed them.

They rushed to Lu Nong’s side. Wang Xiuzhi knelt down, took out her handkerchief, and pressed it against Lu Nong’s wound. “Comrade Lu Nong, please don’t mind my handkerchief. I wash it every day, so it’s clean.”

“Of course not,” Lu Nong replied as she bent down to press the cloth against her injury. “I didn’t bring a handkerchief, so thank you so much, Xiuzhi.”

Wang Xiuzhi waved her hand dismissively. “No need to thank me, it’s just a small matter.”

Before Second Brother Xu flew out, Xu Yuehua, who had been standing by and watching without getting involved, suddenly came forward and apologized to Lu Nong. “I’m so sorry, comrade. It was my second brother who accidentally pushed you down. We apologize. Is your leg okay? We have medicine at home. I’ll ask my Third Brother to go home and get it.”

Xu Yao looked at Xu Yuehua with surprise.

Lu Nong was standing next to Xu Yao and naturally noticed the change in Xu Yao’s expression.

“Yuehua? So it’s your family. How could you push someone down? Comrade Lu is thin and weak. If something happens, it will be no joke.” Liu Erniu said disapprovingly.

“Yes, Aunt Liu, it was my second brother’s mistake, and he didn’t do it on purpose. Second brother, quickly apologize to this comrade,” Xu Yuehua said.

Second Brother Xu was still lying on the ground, and the atmosphere grew awkward as everyone looked at him.

Are you sure that the thin and weak woman mentioned by this woman is the same person who just kicked Second Brother Xu several meters away?

“Why are you lying on the ground for no reason?” Liu Erniu asked in confusion.

Onlookers: “…”

Xu Yuehua’s second brother got up from the ground, holding his chest, making a fool of himself in public. He felt depressed and didn’t understand why his sister insisted that he apologize to this woman.

However, Second Brother Xu always listened to his sister, so with the eldest and third siblings giving him looks, he reluctantly said, “Comrade, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize, we are even now.” Lu Nong replied.

Lu Nong wasn’t foolish. After Liu Erniu and Wang Xiuzhi arrived, Xu Yuehua’s attitude had changed significantly, and it was clear that Liu Erniu and the Xu family were familiar with each other.

If she couldn’t tell that Xu Yuehua was selective about whom to be nice to, she would really be naïve.

Emm… what a hassle.

Lu Nong’s impression of the novel’s female lead was shattered.

Lu Nong decided to stay away from this family in the future. What’s the point of watching melons? Not only did the female lead’s character fall apart when they met for the first time, but she also found herself injured. If she continued to watch, the entire plot might collapse.

Time to leave.

Lu Nong wiped the blood from her leg, held the handkerchief in her hand, and planned to wash it later to return it to Wang Xiuzhi. “Comrades Liu Erniu and Wang Xiuzhi, let’s go to the market.”

It’s not that Lu Nong is careless, but she understands her skin condition. Although the injury looks serious, it’s actually just a layer of skin broken, and a few drops of blood have been shed.

Wang Xiuzhi hesitated, but Liu Erniu, being more straightforward, responded cheerfully, “Alright, let’s go!”

Xu Yao called out to Lu Nong, “Comrade Lu, can we be friends?”

Xu Yuehua chimed in, “Comrade Lu, I feel terrible about what happened today. A quick apology doesn’t sit right with me. How about this? The Xu family invites you to dinner as an apology, and we can also put some ointment on your leg. What do you think?”

Lu Nong: “…”

Thanks, but it’s not necessary, whether it’s making friends or having a meal.

Initially, Lu Nong found Xu Yao appealing simply because she fit her aesthetic.

Xu Yuehua had a sweet appearance with her eyes curving beautifully when she smiled, while Xu Yao had a cool demeanor, radiating an aura of restraint and maturity. Lu Nong usually appreciated both types of beauty, but since her encounter with Pei Ji’an, she found this type more enticing.

However, Lu Nong had no other feelings towards either Xu Yuehua or Xu Yao. She didn’t dislike Xu Yao just because she was a villainess, nor did she like Xu Yuehua merely because she was the protagonist.

Life is constantly changing, and the characters in the novel only represent themselves; everyone is the protagonist of their own life.

In essence, whatever happened between Xu Yuehua and Xu Yao had nothing to do with Lu Nong. Therefore, she found it difficult to feel any animosity or affection toward them.

What mattered now was that Lu Nong recognized one thing: neither the heroine nor the villainess was simple. Together, they likely had a thousand tricks up their sleeves.

That was more than enough for the big shot, Pei Xiaozheng.

When Pei Xiaozheng eventually married one of them, they would probably focus all their tricks on Lu Nong.

Lu Nong smiled awkwardly and declined Xu Yuehua’s invitation. She then questioned Xu Yao with confusion, “Comrade, I’ve been meaning to ask, did you mistake me for someone else? It seems some people misunderstood that we know each other, yet you didn’t apologize after colliding with me.”

She was clearly being sarcastic and laying her cards on the table.

Xu family: “…”

Xu Yao: “…” Was she so ordinary? They had met on the train, but she hadn’t recognized her.

Xu Yao felt unwilling, but upon reflection, she realized they hadn’t spoken on the train, and Xu Yuehua’s siblings hadn’t gained anything either. Ultimately, she let go of her resentment.

“Yes, I must have mistaken you for someone else,” Xu Yao said, following Lu Nong’s lead.

The two groups then parted ways and entered the market. Liu Erniu and Wang Xiuzhi blended in seamlessly, conversing fluently in the local dialect. Whenever Lu Nong mentioned what she wanted, they would find it for her at the lowest price, giving Lu Nong a taste of being spoiled.

It was quite delightful.

After walking around the market, Lu Nong not only bought some coarse cloth and cotton but also gathered plenty of local specialties. She even got the spices Aunt Wu had been longing for, along with various vegetable and flower seeds.

After buying what they needed, Lu Nong, Liu Erniu, and Wang Xiuzhi returned to the entrance of the market to wait for Director Leng. To their surprise, Director Leng, along with Xianglan, had already been waiting there for quite some time. When she saw Lu Nong coming back with Liu Erniu and Wang Xiuzhi, carrying various items, she let out a sigh of relief.

“I took Xianglan to buy candy and then remembered you wouldn’t understand the local dialect, so I hurried back to find you. Luckily, Xiao Liu and Xiao Wang were with you. Now that we have everything, let’s head to the village to find the carpenter. I didn’t see Xie Laosan at the market.”

Lu Nong was surprised. “Director Leng, you didn’t buy anything?”

Director Leng chuckled. “No, I originally intended to find the carpenter to make a box. It was this little girl who insisted on coming to the market for candy.”

“Alright, let’s go then.” Since Director Leng had made up her mind, Lu Nong nodded and followed her toward Xie Laosan’s house.

Xie Laosan lived at the west end of the village. After a twenty-minute walk, they finally arrived.

People in the village usually left their gates open. Director Leng led Lu Nong through the gate, where Xie Laosan was busy shaping wood in the yard. He glanced up when he saw Director Leng but didn’t stop working. “Director Leng, you’re here?”

Knowing Xie Laosan’s proud nature, Director Leng spoke gently, “Xie Laosan, this young lady needs some furniture made, so make sure to do a good job for her.”

“What kind of furniture?” Xie Laosan asked casually.

Lu Nong pulled out several design sketches from her bag and placed them on the wood. “Like this.”

Xie Laosan paused his work, rolled himself a cigarette, took a puff, and then picked up the design sketches to look over.

After flipping through a couple of them, he finally raised his gaze to look at Lu Nong before returning to the sketches.

“Can you make this?” Director Leng inquired.

Xie Laosan replied leisurely, “I can make it, and I can do it for free.”

“Free?”

Director Leng was skeptical. Xie Laosan was notoriously stingy, always calculating even the smallest amount when making furniture. He hadn’t even offered her a discount for a small rolling pin, so how could he be generous enough to make furniture for someone he just met for free?

**

The author has something to say:

Pei Xiaozheng was writing a letter in the city when he sneezed again. Who was thinking about him?

Pei Xiaozheng: It must be my precious younger brother.

Lu Nong: It’s me, my dear son. Oh no, not only is the villainess going dark, but your official partner’s character has also collapsed. I can’t afford to offend your mother, so I’m running away. Come here quickly.

Too late!

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Ayalee: Hey guys, do check out Ayalee’s other translation works here (❀‿‿❀)