Chapter 31: Jiang Yue’s Sensitive Nose

“Although the Li Hongying family kept their door closed, I could still hear everything through the walls. They were fighting fiercely inside, and a lot of things got broken! Chen Baozhu must have been really angry, even Da Niu and Er Niu got beaten up.” Lian Rongrong vividly described what had happened at Li Hongying’s house last night.

Jiang Yue summed it up: Chen Baozhu knew nothing about it until all of Li Hongying’s dirty deeds were exposed yesterday. When Chen Baozhu returned home, she immediately beat her up.

“This morning, I saw Li Hongying going out to empty the toilet, with a swollen face and black and blue marks. I heard that last night she couldn’t take the beating anymore and threatened Chen Baozhu. She said that if Chen Baozhu hit her again, she would jump into the well holding the five cattle. Only then did Chen Baozhu stop.”

Jiang Yue: “…”

The gossip ended here. Jiang Yue wasn’t very interested in how things would unfold in Li Hongying’s family. It was just something to pass the time when she was bored.

The three of them split up to buy vegetables. Half an hour later, Lian Rongrong returned after a quick round and looked into Jiang Yue’s basket. There were only a few bunches of small greens, two cucumbers, and some star anise leaves.

“Jiang Yue, is this all you bought? Is it enough to eat?”

“Yeah, I bought a lot yesterday, so there’s still plenty at home!” Jiang Yue glanced at Lian Rongrong’s basket. Besides the half pound of meat she had bought earlier, Lian Rongrong had added a bunch of red amaranth, a few peppers, and a yellow melon.

“Where did you get that melon?” Jiang Yue asked, intrigued by the melon. She leaned in and sniffed it. It smelled so sweet!

She had been in this world for several days now, and the only fruit she’d eaten was two tomatoes to satisfy her cravings. She hadn’t had any other fruit or snacks, so the sweet melon smell made her mouth water.

“Right in front. If you want to buy some, you’d better hurry. They just put them out, and if you go later, all the ripe ones will be gone.” Lian Rongrong pointed in the direction.

Jiang Yue saw that there weren’t many people over there, thanked Lian Rongrong, and quickly ran over.

By the time Jiang Yue had chosen two melons and returned, Sister-in-law Zhao and Lian Rongrong had already finished their shopping and were waiting for Jiang Yue to gather so they could head back.

It took about ten minutes to walk from the Family Residential Compound to the town, and the three of them chatted as they walked. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the 179th Military Division Headquarters’ Family Residential Compound.

“By the way, Jiang Yue, tomorrow is Friday. The logistics department’s vehicle is going into the city to buy supplies. If you want to go, you should be at the camp gate at four o’clock sharp.”

“What? Departing at four o’clock?” Jiang Yue was shocked. “Does that mean I’ll have to wake up at three in the morning?”

She had heard Sister-in-law Zhao mention that the military unit had vehicles going to the city every week, and she had been eager to go. Yesterday, she had already made a list of things she wanted to buy, counted the money and tickets, but upon hearing that the departure was at four in the morning, Jiang Yue immediately lost all interest.

“Forget it, I won’t go! It’s too early; I won’t be able to get up!” Jiang Yue muttered dejectedly.

She knew herself well enough. If she didn’t get enough sleep, she’d be in a bad mood and might even get angry.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to go with the logistics department’s vehicle. Old Zhao and the others sometimes have meetings in other places. If there aren’t many people, you could take their jeep!” Sister-in-law Zhao gave Jiang Yue another tip.

Jiang Yue: “……” That jeep that had bounced her so much she almost threw up? It didn’t seem any more appealing than waking up at three in the morning.

When they got home, Jiang Yue set down the vegetable basket and immediately began to swing her arms back and forth. Her arms ached so much!

She hadn’t bought many things today, and her basket weighed maybe seven or eight pounds at most. While it was still heavy for her body, she felt too embarrassed to have Sister-in-law Zhao carry it for her again. So, she had stubbornly carried it herself all the way back.

At that moment, Jiang Yue felt like her arms were about to fall off.

After resting for a while, she took out the pork belly and lard and soaked them in the vegetable wash basin with well water.

The small greens and cucumbers were placed on the stone table in the courtyard, and the star anise and other spices were carefully put away in jars in the kitchen.

Only after doing all this did Jiang Yue pick up the two melons she had carefully chosen and brought them to her nose. It smelled so good!

Not only was Jiang Yue’s body special, but she also had a talent. Her sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp. She could smell things that ordinary people couldn’t, and when it came to ingredients, anything she picked herself would always be incredibly fresh, and the taste would be exceptionally delicious.

Instead of rushing to wash the rice and vegetables for lunch, Jiang Yue peeled the smaller melon and cut it into chunks, placing them in a plate. Without a fork, she directly picked up a piece with her hand and put it in her mouth.

The fragrance exploded on her taste buds, and Jiang Yue squinted her eyes in delight. She couldn’t help but sigh: “So sweet!”

After eating a few pieces of melon, Jiang Yue took out an exercise book that the Original Owner had used and laid it on the courtyard table, scribbling and drawing.

It was only a little past eight. In Jiang Yue’s original world, it wouldn’t even be time for work yet.

Back then, even though she had achieved financial freedom, she still had plenty of work to deal with every day. She never had time to be as leisurely as she was now.

This time period, though poor and without entertainment, had its charm. Once the sky darkened, the only thing left to do was go to bed. Yet, the sky was blue, the wind gentle, and the air smelled pleasant. Even the birds’ chirps were soothing.

Moreover, Jiang Yue could clearly feel that when people weren’t so busy, it seemed as though the passage of time itself slowed down.

At noon, Jiang Yue cooked the pork belly—half braised and half stewed with spices. She also stir-fried a small batch of greens and prepared a small bowl of white rice. With both meat and vegetables, it was a perfect meal!

Just as Jiang Yue was about to sit down and eat, the courtyard door was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in with large strides.

“Gu Ye? Why are you back?” Jiang Yue turned her head and was instantly surprised to see Gu Ye standing in front of her.

Gu Ye normally didn’t come home at lunchtime. In the past, if Ningning wasn’t home, he wouldn’t even come back for breakfast or dinner. That’s why Li Hongying was so bold about stealing rice, flour, oil, and eggs without fear.

“I went to the health team and got some cockroach medicine.” Gu Ye said, taking out a paper package.

Jiang Yue looked at him in surprise. “Gu Ye, did you come back specifically to bring me cockroach medicine?”

Gu Ye turned his head and spoke in a calm tone. “No, I came back to get something. I just brought it to you while I was here.”

He wouldn’t admit that he specifically came back to deliver cockroach medicine. Of course, the real reason he made this trip was that he didn’t want Jiang Yue to use the excuse of cockroaches in her room to avoid going back, and then continue to stay with him.

“Oh!” Jiang Yue’s face showed a hint of disappointment.

Gu Ye suddenly felt a strange emotion stir inside him. He spoke again, trying to hide his feelings. “This is powder. Sprinkle it in the corners of the room, and it should be effective in three to five days.”

“Oh, okay. You can put it on the windowsill.” Jiang Yue directed, asking him to place the cockroach medicine away from the food. After all, it was poison for cockroaches, and even if it was only mildly toxic, it could still be dangerous if it got into the food.

“Gu Ye, you should go wash your hands!”

Gu Ye took off his military uniform and cap, rolling up his shirt sleeves. As if casually, he asked Jiang Yue: “What are you cooking? It smells so good.”

He had already smelled the delicious scent from a distance and had followed it all the way to his door. By the time he entered the house, the fragrance was even stronger, almost invading his senses.