Chapter 16: A Coincidence

Although she didn’t manage to get the cotton ticket, she still managed to buy quite a few grain tickets. Of course, she didn’t forget the bicycle ticket either.

After returning to the countryside, once there was an opportunity, she will  immediately buy the bicycle, even if she had to temporarily store it in her space. That way, if there was an urgent matter, she wouldn’t be caught unprepared.

She had envied others riding bicycles when she saw them before, but unfortunately, she had never even touched one herself.

Leaving the Dove Market, Wen Nuan was heading toward the bus station. Unexpectedly, after making a turn, she ran into two middle-aged women, one of whom was the same person who had directed her to the cabbage seller earlier.

“Hey, little girl, you’re still here! That’s wonderful!”

Wen Nuan was startled when the elderly woman suddenly stopped her.

“Auntie, what are you doing?” she asked, surprised.

The old woman seemed to realize that her actions were a bit abrupt and gave a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, little girl, I got a bit too excited. My apologies, really!” she said, apologizing.

“It’s fine, but Auntie, what did you need from me?” Wen Nuan asked.

“Oh, right, right, I almost forgot! Little girl, this is my neighbor. You were looking for cotton, right? She has some good quality here. Would you be interested?”

The elderly woman pointed to a large bundle her neighbor was carrying.

Jiang Fengjuan, upon being signaled, hesitantly glanced at Wen Nuan before handing over the cotton.

“This is eight pounds of cotton, all new. I bought it for three yuan per pound, plus the ticket. So, you can take it for thirty yuan in total,” she said, her voice barely audible. Even though the two were less than a meter apart, if Wen Nuan didn’t have good hearing, she wouldn’t have been able to catch what was being said.

“Fengjuan, speak up! What are you mumbling about? I can’t hear anything!” The elderly woman said, slightly anxious, worried that she might lose Wen Nuan as a potential buyer.

She had seen Wen Nuan buying tickets from the ticket sellers earlier, so she knew the girl had a good amount of money and was generous!

“I heard you, thirty yuan, right? I’ll take the cotton, as long as it’s new!” Wen Nuan confirmed.

“Guaranteed it’s new! Don’t worry, my neighbor is honest and wouldn’t lie. This cotton was originally bought as a dowry for her daughter.

But since the wedding was called off, and the elderly at home fell ill, she decided to sell the cotton to get some money,” the elderly woman quickly explained everything, eager to make sure there were no misunderstandings that might cause any further complications.

“Alright, let me check the cotton. If everything’s good, I’ll pay you,” Wen Nuan said.

“Good!” the elderly woman replied.

The cotton was handed to Wen Nuan. She unwrapped the bundle, revealing soft, fluffy cotton that was as white as snow.

“Looks really good, I’ll take it. Here’s the thirty yuan, you can keep it!” Wen Nuan said as she handed the money over.

“Good, thank you, thank you so much!” Jiang Fengjuan replied, visibly relieved. The tension in her brow eased once the money was in her hand.

With the transaction complete, Wen Nuan turned a corner and left. By the time she reached the bus station, the cotton had already been stored in her space.

The bus stop was near the supply and marketing cooperative, but Wen Nuan still had to walk a bit further to get home. Just as she reached the alleyway, she spotted Wen Qing, who was looking around anxiously.

As soon as Wen Qing saw Wen Nuan, she hurried over, her steps quickening.

“Wen Nuan, where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you all afternoon! Didn’t you say you were going to finish the handover in the afternoon? What time is it, and you’re just now back. Where have you been messing around? Aren’t you ashamed?!”

Wen Qing vented all her frustration from the afternoon, her anger making her completely forget about the times she had been outsmarted by Wen Nuan before.

“Ah…”

Wen Nuan wasn’t one to tolerate Wen Qing’s behavior. Without a second thought, she slapped her across the face.

“If your mother didn’t teach you how to behave, then I’ll teach you! If you can’t speak properly, then shut your mouth. Always cursing at people, who let you develop this bad habit?!”

After saying this, Wen Nuan raised her hand, about to strike again. Realizing she was no match for Wen Nuan, Wen Qing quickly turned and fled.

“Wen Nuan, just wait! You wait until your father gets back!”

As she ran, Wen Qing couldn’t resist throwing one last threat. Wen Nuan, however, wasn’t bothered by her words and went straight back to the Wen family’s small courtyard.

Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian’s room was locked, so it wouldn’t be easy to get in right now. She decided to wait for the time being. After tonight, the opportunity would be hers. She still had all of tomorrow to work with—she could afford to be patient.

Meanwhile, after running off, Wen Qing immediately headed to the machinery factory, hoping to find Wen Changming to report what had happened.

Her face, already swollen and bruised, hadn’t fully healed when she took another slap. The old wounds were aggravated by the new ones, making Wen Qing’s face even more unrecognizable.

With such a face, Wen Qing kept her head down as she walked, afraid of being seen by anyone who might recognize her and make her lose face.

Finally, when she reached the entrance of the machinery factory, she heard the closing bell ring. Wen Qing waited at the gate for Wen Changming and Tan Xiulian to come out.

By the time they arrived, several hundred people had already passed through. Wen Qing, with a pout on her lips, hurried up to her parents, looking utterly pitiful.

“Father, Mother, Wen Nuan hit me again! I’ve been waiting at home all afternoon, and she didn’t come back. When I asked her a couple of questions, she started hitting me. Look at my face! What am I supposed to do?!”

“What’s wrong with Wen Nuan? Why does she keep hitting Wen Qing? Changming, you can’t let this go this time. Look at Wen Qing’s face—what has it come to!”

Seeing Wen Qing’s swollen face, Tan Xiulian was deeply distressed and angry as she spoke to Wen Changming.

Wen Changming glanced at Wen Qing’s face, feeling a twinge of pain, but mostly irritation.

He felt that Wen Qing’s situation was embarrassing to him. The so-called family matters should not be aired outside the home. With so many people coming and going, if anyone heard about this, it would be a joke—his household was a mess, and he couldn’t even keep his own family in line!

“Alright, what are you doing standing at the gate like this? We’ll talk when we get home. You’re not a little kid anymore, stop crying like that!”

Wen Qing didn’t expect her father to say this. Her hand, which was wiping away tears, suddenly stiffened.

However, she didn’t dare to argue with Wen Changming at this moment. After all, her job situation still hadn’t been fully settled, and all she could do was rely on Wen Changming to deal with Wen Nuan.