Chapter 3: If I Don’t Protect My Wife, Should I Wait for My Sister-in-Law to Do It for Me?  

A low chuckle came from behind. Fu Wenjing’s laughter made Su Ruanruan’s ears flush red. She turned around angrily and glared at him. “What are you laughing at?”  

She tried to appear fierce, but her soft voice, rosy cheeks, and bright, flowing eyes carried no real intimidation.  

Fu Wenjing coughed lightly, suppressing his laughter. “I won’t laugh. Take your time getting dressed.”  

Su Ruanruan had no intention of listening to him.  

If she really took her time, wouldn’t he be the one benefiting from it?  

Summer clothes were easy to put on. Su Ruanruan first put on her close-fitting undergarments, then slipped into a white sleeveless vest. Over that, she wore a dirt-yellow, short-sleeved, front-buttoned jacket. Her lower half was covered by black coarse-cloth trousers, and on her feet were well-worn cloth shoes with frayed edges.  

Both the jacket and the trousers were loose-fitting, completely concealing her figure regardless of her body shape.  

At this time, unmarried young women usually wore braids, and the original owner had been no exception.

The Su family’s living conditions were very modest. Their three daily meals consisted mostly of coarse grains, and it was rare to see any meat throughout the year.  

But the original owner had not been stunted by this diet.  

On the contrary, she had grown to a height of 1.68 meters, which was unusually tall for a girl of this era.  

Not only was she tall, but at just eighteen years old, she already had a well-proportioned figure with graceful curves. Her waist-length hair was thick and glossy, as dark as ink. Despite working in the fields every day, facing the earth and toiling under the sun, her skin remained fair with a healthy rosy hue, without a trace of roughness.  

Beauty, it seemed, was also a kind of talent.  

Even with the same environment and the same diet, some people were simply different.  

On the kang table sat a small mirror encased in a red plastic frame. Though not large, it was enough for Su Ruanruan to clearly see her reflection.  

She looked exactly the same as she had before she transmigrated.  

It seemed she had not arrived here without reason.  

Not only did she have the same name, but even her appearance was identical. Perhaps—this was her past life.

With this thought, Su Ruanruan felt even more at ease with this body and this era.  

Braiding a simple plait required no special skill. With nimble hands, Su Ruanruan quickly finished braiding her hair.  

She had no bangs, but a few wisps of hair naturally fell across her forehead, resembling airy bangs, adding a delicate softness to her features.  

Su Ruanruan smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and instantly, two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her smile even sweeter.  

Just as she was admiring her dimples, another head suddenly appeared in the mirror—it was Fu Wenjing who had swiftly leaned in.  

His lips landed on one of her dimples, and then he rubbed his cheek against hers. “My wife has such a sweet smile.”  

Su Ruanruan’s face turned red again.  

She couldn’t help it—when it came to romance, she truly had no experience.  

Fu Wenjing held her for a while longer before finally letting go. “Let’s go. If we don’t, Father and Brother will finish watering the fields without us.”  

Su Ruanruan huffed.  

The way he said it, as if she were the one who was unwilling to leave—when he was the one who refused to let go!  

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As she walked outside, Su Ruanruan felt a slight soreness in her legs, but it was still manageable.  

This body had been accustomed to farm work since childhood. Over the past three years, she had genuinely worked hard to earn labor points, toiling in the fields for eight hours a day. She was far from a delicate, fragile girl.  

When Su Ruanruan stepped outside of their room, she instinctively closed the door behind her. When she turned back, she caught sight of Fu Wenjing’s side profile—his smile had completely disappeared.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his expression was exactly the same as when she first saw him yesterday.  

Cold and indifferent.  

It was a look that made people hesitate to meet his gaze, making them careful even in speaking to him.  

Su Ruanruan was still staring when Fu Wenjing suddenly turned to look at her.  

In just an instant, his eyes softened, amusement surfacing within them, filled with warmth.  

“Oh, if it isn’t Seventh and Seventh’s Wife! What are you two doing standing at the door? Staring at each other like that—aren’t you embarrassed?”  

The voice was familiar—none other than Fu Family’s eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Xiue.  

“What’s there to be embarrassed about when looking at my own wife?” Fu Wenjing replied. As he turned his head, the smile in his eyes vanished without a trace. “Does Sister-in-law feel embarrassed when looking at Brother?”

Liu Xiue was momentarily at a loss for words but quickly regained her composure and smiled. “Seventh, you really are a married man now, already learning to protect your wife.”  

Fu Wenjing nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “If I don’t protect my wife, should I wait for Sister-in-law to do it for me?”  

This time, Liu Xiue could only stare at Fu Wenjing in frustration, unable to come up with a retort.  

Su Ruanruan pressed her lips together to stifle her laughter and silently gave Fu Wenjing another point in her heart.  

There were plenty of men who remained silent when their wives were targeted by other women, claiming that “a real man doesn’t argue with women.” but in reality, it was just an excuse for inaction.  

A true man should do exactly what Fu Wenjing had done—stand up for his wife without hesitation.  

“Ruanruan, let’s go. I’ll take you to see our family’s private plot.” Fu Wenjing said, reaching for her hand.  

Just as he was about to lead her away, Liu Xiue spoke up again.  

“Seventh, you can go to the private plot on your own. Let Ruanruan stay and help me with the fire. I’m busy cooking and can’t manage everything by myself.”  

“Then I’ll call Brother back to help you with the fire.” Fu Wenjing replied without missing a beat.  

With that, he paid her no further attention and swiftly pulled Su Ruanruan toward the main gate.  

Fu Wenjing was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with long legs and a quick stride. Su Ruanruan had to jog a few steps to keep up with him.  

As soon as they stepped out of the gate, Fu Wenjing slowed down and said in a low voice: “I walked fast just now so we could get out quickly. Otherwise, Sister-in-law would have kept nagging endlessly.”  

Su Ruanruan nodded repeatedly. “I know.”  

Someone like Liu Xiue had thick skin and could pester anyone endlessly.  

The best way to deal with her was to stay far away; otherwise, it would turn into a never-ending argument.  

At this time, all farmland was collectively owned, and everyone worked together to earn labor points. After the harvest, the grain was distributed among the villagers.  

However, aside from the collective farmland, each household also had its own private plot.  

Private plots were distributed based on household size, with each person allocated one fen of land.  

Since the Fu family had many members, their private plots added up to several mu.  

However, these private plots were not in one large piece but scattered in small patches—one in the east, another in the west.  

Private plots were restricted to growing staple crops.  

In simple terms, families could only plant vegetables and fruits for their own consumption. They were not allowed to grow medicinal herbs for sale—not even to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.  

The Fu family had a lot of private land, but that was because they had many mouths to feed. The more people in the family, the greater the food consumption.  

Thus, every bit of their private land was put to use. Most of it was planted with vegetables and fruits, but they also grew some potatoes and sweet potatoes, which had high yields. Additionally, they planted peanuts.  

Although peanuts were not considered refined grains, they were valuable. They could be pressed for peanut oil, which was used for cooking.  

Since the family couldn’t afford animal fat, using peanut oil to stir-fry dishes was a fragrant and satisfying alternative.