Chapter 30

When Jiang Cheng learned that Jiang Ying had actually married a country bumpkin, she was overjoyed. If Jiang Ying married into the countryside, she’d never be able to return to the city.

Jiang Cheng planned to find time to send this news to her mother and have her mother pull some strings to bring her back to the city. She had no intention of staying in this backwater.

While Jiang Cheng was still dreaming about returning to the city, trouble erupted in Nancheng.

Her mother, Tang Xiaorou, was caught in the middle of an affair.

Inside the deputy factory director’s office—

A fat, greasy man was tangled up with a woman…

“Brother Qiang~”

The woman’s saccharine voice rang out, and the man perked up like he’d just taken a shot of adrenaline.

“Brother Qiang, you’re so… ah!”

Suddenly, the office door swung open. Standing there was Tang Xiaorou along with a group of employees. The woman shrieked, scrambling to cover herself with clothes. Jiang Zhiqiang flinched, instantly going limp.

“Well, who would’ve thought our deputy factory director’s equipment isn’t up to par? Already down?”

“Barely a few minutes, huh? And here Chen Yan was screaming like that… was it all fake?”

The crowd chattered one after another. Tang Xiaorou, livid, charged forward and yanked at the woman’s hair with all her strength. She might have looked gentle and refined, but she was surprisingly strong—nearly ripping Chen Yan’s scalp clean off.

The man hurriedly threw on some clothes, ready to drag Tang Xiaorou home to settle things privately, only to see the factory director and county secretary standing right at the doorway.

His legs gave out, and he dropped straight to his knees.

It was over. Completely over.

Tang Xiaorou was still fighting, only to be forcibly pulled away.

The factory director, face like thunder, called the police. Jiang Zhiqiang and Chen Yan were taken away on the spot. Having an affair while married meant his deputy factory director post was finished.

Tang Xiaorou returned home in a daze to pack her things. The factory housing was no longer hers. She collapsed to the floor, crying and cursing for a long time.

In the end, she went to the police station, divorced Jiang Zhiqiang, and left with whatever money she could.

Now, her only hope lay with someone else.

After getting the address from Lu Shili, Jiang Tian wrote a letter. The next morning, before dawn, she and Xie Chen headed to town.

The state-run restaurant was quiet that early, so they found a corner table and ordered four meat buns and a plate of dumplings.

After eating, they shared sips of milk from their thermos before shouldering their goods and heading to the post office.

It wasn’t a huge load, but everything was valuable. Jiang Tian even added some sausages and jars of kimchi and meat sauce to the package.

The postal clerk eyed her suspiciously. “Where did you get all this?”

Jiang Tian smiled. “These came from hunting in the mountains. The kimchi and meat sauce I made myself. My grandparents in Beijing can’t get these things, so I wanted to send extra for New Year.”

When the clerk glanced at the address, her heart skipped—Beijing compound? That was the residence of top officials.

Her attitude toward Jiang Tian immediately shifted.

But Jiang Tian didn’t pay it much mind. She paid the fee and left.

Next, they went to the town hospital. After a string of tests, the doctor frowned. “Were you really that frail before?”

Because from what he could tell, this young man was built as strong as an ox.

Xie Chen’s face darkened as he looked at Jiang Tian. She couldn’t help but giggle, then explained to the doctor that her husband had been poisoned in the womb, and she had given him ginseng, which restored his health.

“Not bad. Nothing major wrong with you. Young man, you’ve married a very good wife.”

Xie Chen accepted the teasing with pride, his chest swelling.

“My wife does take very good care of me.”

Outside the hospital, he leaned close and whispered, “Wife, does this mean we can finally roll around in bed tonight?”

Jiang Tian quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, blushing. “Save it for when we’re home! Do you have no shame saying that on the street?”

He chuckled. “I’d rather have my wife than my pride.”

Jiang Tian shot him a glare and strode ahead.

They stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative. At first they only meant to browse, but since it was her first time shopping with him, Jiang Tian kept wanting to buy things for him.

The fabric counter was still manned by the same saleswoman.

“Miss, is this your brother?”

Jiang Tian smiled, lips curving. “My husband.”

A flicker of disappointment flashed in the woman’s eyes. She had hoped that if Jiang Tian had an unmarried brother, she could curry favor. But to her dismay, it was the husband.

Still, she had to admit—this man was tall, strong, and handsome.

Jiang Tian thought nothing of it. She bought two boxes each of snow cream and clam oil.

“Use these more. Your hands are starting to crack from the cold.”

Xie Chen grunted softly and paid.

Before leaving home, Jiang Tian had already handed him ten yuan notes and a stack of ration tickets. Whether eating or shopping, she always had him pay.

The money might have been earned and saved by Jiang Tian, but in public, it was better for him to handle it. That way, he wouldn’t lose face.

Xie Chen himself didn’t care about such things, but Jiang Tian did. She knew that while he currently had no way of earning money, later—after the college entrance exams—he would get into university, start his own business, and eventually make a fortune.

For now, Jiang Tian dove into shopping mode. She picked out men’s ready-made clothes for him, but since he was too tall, nothing fit. So she bought two bolts of fabric instead, planning to sew clothes at home.

She also picked up spices, some malted milk, and whatever else caught her eye. By the end, both their baskets were stuffed full.

After leaving the cooperative, they slipped into a side alley, where Jiang Tian tucked most of the goods into her space, leaving only some spices and fabric scraps on top.

Xie Chen, knowing his wife could conjure things out of nowhere, wasn’t surprised she could make them vanish too.