Doubt 

The next morning, she got up early and ran up the mountain to look for the key. 

After searching for a while on the grass, she successfully found the key and was about to head down the mountain when she suddenly noticed a plant nearby. 

The plant had red fruits hanging from it. 

Yesterday, those female educated youths picked the fruit from here. 

At the time, she had wondered—if there really were fruits, how come the village children hadn’t already picked them clean? 

Looking at the fruit again, it was clear it was inedible. 

Then why did Zhu Wanqin say she saw the Jin family picking this fruit and taking it home yesterday? 

From yesterday’s events, she had realized that Zhu Wanqin was not as perfect as in the original story. 

In fact, something was very off about her. 

As she walked down the mountain, she thought to herself. 

If she connected all the events, it could be summarized in the following three points: 

First, the most glaring was the romantic subplot between her and the male protagonist, Jin Chengren. In the original story, by this point, Jin Chengren had already started to fall for Zhu Wanqin—yet now, there wasn’t even a hint of it. 

Second, why had Zhu Wanqin been so eager to get close to Meng Yuanzheng when she first arrived? 

Third, in the original story, Zhu Wanqin never discovered the collapsed mountain. 

And then there was the matter of the fruit… 

Yesterday, Xu Liwen had eaten this fruit and said it didn’t taste good, so no one else ate it. 

In her mind, a vague suspicion started to form, but she couldn’t confirm it. 

When she arrived at the gathering place, she happened to overhear Zhu Wanqin asking for leave for Xu Liwen, saying that Xu had been bitten by some bug on the mountain yesterday and developed small bumps, so she had gone to the health center today. 

A string inside Lin Miaoyin’s heart tensed. 

Today, they were still harvesting wheat. In the meantime, she seized an opportunity to show the fruit to Jin Chengren’s sister and asked her if her family had picked this type of fruit. 

Jin Chengren’s sister looked at it, confused, and asked, “This kind of fruit can’t be eaten by humans, not even pigs. How could I have picked this kind of thing to take home?” 

Lin Miaoyin nodded and thanked her. 

It seemed like she was starting to understand. 

After a few days of work, they had finally harvested all the wheat, spread it out on the threshing ground to dry, and the strong laborers continued to beat it to separate the grains. 

At the same time, someone was using the only ox in the team to drag a stone roller back and forth to thresh the wheat. 

The threshed wheat was separated by the women, who also used a winnowing basket to remove the chaff. 

The clean wheat grains were then placed into baskets, which would be dried a few more days before being stored. 

Lin Miaoyin had been so busy that her feet hardly touched the ground and finally managed to finish everything by Saturday afternoon. 

On Sunday, she had the day off. Before 10 a.m., Jin Chengren arrived with the things Lin Miaoyin had requested. 

He had set out before dawn to queue up, and everything he got was fresh. 

In addition to chicken feet, large intestines, and chicken gizzards, he had also bought gifts as his parents had suggested, to thank Meng Yuanzheng for his kindness in the mine. 

He seriously thanked Meng Yuanzheng and presented the gifts. Meng Yuanzheng accepted them with a smile, and the two of them chatted like good friends. 

Lin Miaoyin prepared tea and served them sunflower seeds, then asked Jin Chengren to stay for lunch. 

Jin Chengren declined a few times but agreed in the end. 

Lin Miaoyin went to prepare the meal. Since guests were coming, she wanted to serve something special, especially since she had been eating casually these past few days, and her stomach was feeling quite empty. 

A few days ago, she had asked Lin Miaojun for help to nail the wooden door, so now she was in the stove room, busy with preparations. 

She first cleaned the chicken feet, chicken gizzards, and large intestines. 

This part took the most effort, and it took half an hour to get everything clean. 

While blanching, she prepared the seasonings. Thankfully, the spices she had bought from the black market in the county town were complete. 

After blanching, she added the seasonings and stir-fried them, then added water to braise them. 

Jin Chengren had brought a lot of things: a pound of meat, brown sugar, eggs, and some vegetables grown at home, showing his sincere intentions. This pound of meat probably used up all the family’s meat tickets. 

After simmering for about an hour, the entire courtyard was filled with the fragrance of the meat. 

Jin Chengren sniffed the air and said, “It smells so good. Sister-in-law, your cooking is amazing. Brother Meng, you’re really lucky.” 

Meng Yuanzheng’s eyes glowed with pride. “When you get married, let your wife cook for you.” 

Jin Chengren’s mind drifted to the times when Yan Hongyue frowned and looked at him with disdain whenever they met. He couldn’t connect her to the image of a gentle and virtuous wife. “I haven’t even gotten close to getting married yet.” 

“You’re twenty now, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“What are your plans for the future?” 

“Ah, I have plans, but with my family background…” 

“I actually have some ideas and suggestions. Do you want to hear them?” 

What they talked about in the room, Lin Miaoyin didn’t know. She was busy taking the braised food out to cool down, and the rice in the large pot was almost done. 

After washing the pot, she stir-fried two side dishes, cut the large intestines, and arranged them on a plate. Then she stir-fried two ounces of pork belly with dried chili. 

She placed everything on the table, scooped the rice, and went to help Meng Yuanzheng to the table. 

She wasn’t sure what he had just said to Jin Chengren, but he looked a little strange, distracted and absent-minded. 

It wasn’t until Lin Miaoyin called him twice that he snapped back to attention. 

After they ate, Lin Miaoyin filled a large bowl with the braised dishes, placed it in a basket, and covered it with cloth, so Jin Chengren could take it home for his family to eat. 

There was still a large pot of braised dishes left. If they didn’t finish it today, it would spoil tomorrow, so Jin Chengren reluctantly accepted it. 

After sending him off, she packed another large bowl of food and took it to the Lin family. 

Her mother caught her and lectured her to save some money, telling her to keep the good food for herself and not send it to her natal family. 

After finally getting home, an unexpected guest arrived. 

Zhu Wanqin. 

Zhu Wanqin was dressed up nicely today, saying she came on behalf of the educated youth to check on Meng Yuanzheng. 

She brought two cans and some other items. The two cans were sent by her family from Shanghai, along with a small tin of toffee. 

Placed on the table, they looked very tempting. 

She wore a gentle smile on her face. Lin Miaoyin entered to find her standing in front of the bed, speaking gently with Meng Yuanzheng. 

Meng Yuanzheng’s face was calm, speaking only a few words in reply to each question. 

“Ah, Comrade Zhu is here? Welcome, welcome,” Lin Miaoyin greeted with a smile and casually stepped in front of Meng Yuanzheng, blocking his view entirely with her backside. 

Seeing this protective posture, Zhu Wanqin’s smile stiffened a little. “I’m here on behalf of the educated youth to check on Brother Meng.” 

Lin Miaoyin nodded, feigning realization. “Ah, Yuanzheng, you really… didn’t even tell Zhu Wanqin to sit.” 

She then brought over a stool. “Please, sit.” 

Zhu Wanqin smiled and sat down, then prepared to ask about Meng Yuanzheng’s condition. 

In fact, other than the plaster on his leg, Meng Yuanzheng had no other problems. 

Zhu Wanqin looked concerned and guilty. “It’s all my fault for not noticing sooner that the mountain was about to collapse. If I had gotten everyone out earlier, you wouldn’t have had to go in…” 

As she spoke, she found it hard to continue, as both of the people across from her were quietly watching her. 

Lin Miaoyin suddenly smiled. “Oh, Comrade Zhu, your blouse is really pretty! Did you get it from a big department store?” 

Zhu Wanqin gave a shy smile. “I brought it from home.” 

Lin Miaoyin then said, “Hey, your hairstyle looks great! How did you do it? Can you teach me?” 

Zhu Wanqin: “Uh…” 

“By the way, I made some braised food today, and it was Chengren who helped buy the ingredients. Here, let me give you some to try.” 

Zhu Wanqin: “Uh…” 

“Come on, come on, Yuanzheng takes a nap at this time every day. The doctor said he needs more rest. Have you asked all the questions you wanted? If so, let’s let him rest. Come on, let’s go and try the food I made.” 

Zhu Wanqin: “It’s 3 PM, and he’s still taking a nap?” 

Lin Miaoyin: “What’s wrong? Do you have something else to say? Oh, you’ve brought so many things, it’s really too much! Our Yuanzheng always lets me eat whenever there’s something good. He even tells me he doesn’t like it, but that’s just because he cares about me. Really, when I say I don’t want to eat, he still gets upset…” 

Meng Yuanzheng: “…” 

Zhu Wanqin… she couldn’t stay any longer. She wanted to stuff something into this woman’s mouth to shut her up. 

“I just remembered something, I have to go. I’ll visit Brother Meng another time.” Zhu Wanqin stood up. 

“You’re leaving already? Stay for dinner, it’s rare for you to come.” Lin Miaoyin said, looking regretful. 

Zhu Wanqin forced a smile. “I’ll be going. No need to walk me out.” 

Lin Miaoyin stood at the door, watching Zhu Wanqin walk away. 

In a good mood, she went to the kitchen to move the braised dishes to the room and began to nibble on chicken feet, dragging Meng Yuanzheng over to eat with her. 

“What’s up with you today? You seem happy?” 

Meng Yuanzheng saw her contented expression and asked with a smile. 

“Because I confronted someone I don’t like.” 

“Why don’t you like her?” 

“Because she’s trying to flirt with you.” She took a bite and rolled her eyes. 

“Cough cough…” Meng Yuanzheng choked on his tea. “How did you figure that out? Don’t say such things.” 

“I’m not making things up. Women understand women best. Don’t worry, leave her to me. You just need to ignore her.” 

She had already vaguely confirmed the guess in her mind. 

“I didn’t pay attention to her. I’m not close to her at all,” he said honestly. 

“Mm, you’re from Shanghai. Can you tell me about the Oriental Pearl Tower?” She asked casually. 

Meng Yuanzheng, hearing this, asked in confusion, “What’s the Oriental Pearl Tower?” 

“You really don’t know?” 

“I don’t know.” He replied frankly. 

The Oriental Pearl Tower was built in 1994. If he didn’t know about it… was she wrong in her suspicion? 

Lin Miaoyin suppressed her thoughts. 

… 

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. The corn harvest was done, and they were just waiting to harvest the rice. 

Lin Miaoyin was out early and back late every day, and still had to do household chores. She had lost a bit of weight from all the busyness. 

But deep inside, she was happy. Every day, she earned nine work points, and everyone in the team praised her. She was sure that this winter’s grain distribution would be enough to last through the season. 

Also, Meng Yuanzheng’s leg was recovering well, and he had begun to review systematically. 

Every time she saw him quietly reading, she felt a sense of pride, like watching her child grow up. 

She imagined it was the same feeling that women in ancient times had when they accompanied their husbands to take the imperial exams. 

After dinner, she would tell him interesting things that happened during the day, and he would share stories from the books he had read. 

Sometimes, when they disagreed on something, she would act cute and say, “Good men don’t argue with women.” He would helplessly laugh and sometimes even poke her nose. 

With summer came a lot of mosquitoes, so she went up the mountain to gather mugwort to burn and repel the mosquitoes. She also went with the village girls in the middle of the night to catch crabs and yellow catfish, secretly picking a few lotus pods to bring back for Meng Yuanzheng to stew with meat. 

He didn’t allow her to go, saying, “What if you catch a snake instead of a yellow catfish?” 

Lin Miaoyin wasn’t afraid. She went with someone experienced, so she knew what to do. In just a few days, she had become quite skilled. 

When he tried to threaten her by getting angry, she would stir-fry the yellow catfish she caught and eat it right in front of him, even feeding him some, which made him laugh and break his resolve. 

Life went on simply and peacefully. 

One weekend, she went to the Lin family early. Lin Miaojun was already waiting for her, and the two of them set off for the commune and then took a bus to the county. 

Lin Miaojun felt both nervous and excited because today, Lin Miaoyin was going to take him to the black market. Though he had heard of the black market, he had never dared to go or even knew where it was. 

The Lin family wasn’t exactly poor, but they were short on ration tickets. Life was tight, so when he learned that the black market didn’t require tickets and that things could be bought with money, he was quite tempted. 

Lin Miaoyin first took him to the courtyard from last time. When the two women saw her, their eyes lit up, and they warmly greeted her. 

“Sister, you finally came!” 

Lin Miaoyin smiled. “There were still clothes left, and the deposit was paid, so how could I not come?” 

She winked at the two women. One led Lin Miaojun inside to look at fabrics and clothes, while the other took Lin Miaoyin to the back room. 

Lin Miaojun knew his sister had some plans but pretended not to notice. 

In the back room, the woman brought out two skirts to show her. “These are made according to the two drawings you gave us last time. We had some of our regular customers try them on, and they really liked the style. They sold well.” 

Lin Miaoyin examined the finished products carefully. The craftsmanship was fine, and the fabric was soft. She smiled and said, “You did a great job. Your skill is impressive.” 

The woman smiled widely. “Sister, do you think you could…” 

“Cooperate?” 

“Yes, yes! Our superiors saw the designs and want to cooperate with you. You provide the designs, and we’ll give you this percentage of the profits.” 

She showed three fingers. 

“Thirty percent?” 

“Yes.” 

Thirty percent wasn’t a small share, considering the labor, fabric, and customers were all provided by them. But in modern times, the value of a brand lies in its designs, and production and sales are lower-tier costs. 

“I want forty percent.” Lin Miaoyin said. 

“Well… You know, we provide the labor and fabric…” 

“Think about it this way. If my designs are better, the clothes will sell better, and everyone will earn more. But your workmanship won’t change much, so the deciding factor is the design. If you only give me thirty percent, I can give the design to you, but I can also sell it to others. If you give me forty percent, I can guarantee that this design will be exclusive to you. Think about which option is better for you.” 

Lin Miaoyin said calmly. 

The woman thought for a long time, then went out to consult with the other woman. When she came back, she replied, “Okay, forty percent it is. But we need to write an agreement. You have to design at least one item each month.” 

“No problem.” After all, she had many ideas. 

“Great, then let’s write it down. I’ll find someone to write it. It’ll be ready soon. If you want, you can go shopping and buy something in the meantime.” 

Lin Miaoyin agreed happily, and they went off to shop in the black market. 

They bought some meat, eggs, flour, and other daily necessities. Lin Miaoyin also found a small radio at a second-hand stall, which used batteries instead of needing to be plugged in. 

She bit the bullet and spent twenty yuan to buy it, wrapping it up and placing it in her basket. 

On the way back, Lin Miaojun looked at her with a complicated expression and asked, “Sister, is there anything I can help you with?”