Chapter 20

“……” Liu Jilan instantly deflated, as if the sky was about to collapse on her.

She wished she could slap herself to death—two stupid mistakes in just a few minutes.

But thinking about how she still had to live under the same roof as Wen Yan, she didn’t want things to become too strained between them.

And besides, this really was her fault. She hadn’t asked Wen Yan’s opinion and just went ahead making decisions. So she walked over to apologize:

“Sorry, I wasn’t being considerate. I promise I won’t touch your things again. Please don’t be angry, okay?”

Wen Yan gave her a faint glance.

Liu Jilan hurriedly added, “So, does that mean we won’t be joining the others for meals? We’ll just cook for ourselves?”

“But I heard from the older educated youth that cooking on your own means chopping firewood and fetching water. After working all day, you’ll be exhausted—who would have the energy for all that? They said if you can eat in a group, it’s best to do so. Otherwise, I’m afraid we might not even have food to eat.”

“I didn’t say we wouldn’t join,” Wen Yan replied.

Liu Jilan let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Then later I’ll go talk to the sister-in-law across the way and see if her family agrees. I feel like her place will be much easier to get along with than the main house.”

“I’ll handle it. You don’t need to,” Wen Yan said.

“Alright, alright,” Liu Jilan nodded quickly. Looking at Wen Yan’s still-calm face, she couldn’t tell if she was still angry or had already cooled off. Ah, her brain really didn’t work at the right times…

After they went inside, Gu Yueqian was sitting on a little stool, staring off into space for a while.

“Sis, I’ll go start the fire and get ready to cook,” Lu Yao said. Having eaten the jam, she felt full of energy and more enthusiastic about chores.

“Okay,” Gu Yueqian replied absently, coming back to herself.

She realized the heroine didn’t seem nearly as easy-going as she was described in the book. In the story, Wen Yan was polite and gentle to everyone. But just now, after taking the jam, she hadn’t even said a word.

Was it because she knew that she (Gu Yueqian) was destined to abandon her husband and child and meet a tragic end, so she didn’t bother being polite?

But now that she had transmigrated into the book, the plot had changed. She wouldn’t seduce any of the male educated youth, nor would she, out of jealousy, throw petty jabs at Wen Yan’s good reputation like before.

So the original “rival” storyline no longer existed. Once she left with her child, would Lu Cheng still end up with Wen Yan?

Gu Yueqian shook her head. Forget it, she’d just take things one step at a time.

She stood up and took the dried potato slices she had soaked that morning, washed them clean, and then sliced up the two taels of cured pork Lu Cheng had brought back.

First, she made a big pot of coarse-grain vegetable porridge. After setting the porridge aside, she added a little lard to the pot and tossed in the cured meat to stir-fry.

The unique, mouth-watering fragrance of the pork quickly spread—it was no exaggeration to say half the village could smell it.

The strong young men returning from work stopped in their tracks the moment the scent hit them. They knew it wasn’t coming from their own kitchens, so they stood downwind sniffing deeply. They couldn’t eat it, but even smelling it was a comfort.

Just as Gu Yueqian finished stir-frying the pork, Lu Cheng came home. But since all their bowls had been borrowed out to others, they had no bowls left for lunch. They would have to eat porridge from plates.

“Wash your hands and eat,” Gu Yueqian reminded as she carried the dishes inside.

Lu Cheng went to wash his hands, while Lu Yao scooped up a big ladle of water to rinse the cooking pot spotless, making sure not a drop of oil was left. She then poured the rinse water into the pig slop bucket, saving it for later. No way was she going to let Lin Yufen’s family get even a scrap of benefit.

At mealtime, Lu Cheng picked up his chopsticks and realized his “bowl” was actually a plate. He paused for a moment but said nothing, just bent his head and ate.

Gu Yueqian noticed he was only eating pickles and potatoes, not touching the meat at all. She put a few pieces of pork into his plate.

But if she didn’t serve him, he wouldn’t eat the meat at all. So she had to keep placing more for him until she couldn’t stand it anymore and finally said, “Eat more fat, you’ll need strength for work.”

Lu Cheng stayed silent, just eating quietly.

“……” Having such a taciturn man in the house really was a kind of torment.

After the meal, Lu Cheng took the initiative to wash the dishes. He usually didn’t nap at noon, since he’d go right back to work, and in the evenings he still had to build the toilet—he was exhausted almost every day.

But today was strange. After washing the dishes, he just sat inside the house. Gu Yueqian thought he was finally going to rest at noon, so she didn’t bother him and instead pulled out some fabric to measure.

Lu Yao’s clothes were full of holes and patches. So Gu Yueqian decided to make her a new outfit. She had brought some floral cloth with her from the city, perfect for a new dress.

But Lu Cheng kept shifting in his seat as if he’d greased his backside, making the chair creak endlessly.

Gu Yueqian went out and said, “Aren’t you resting? Go lie down and sleep a bit, don’t just fidget there.”

Lu Cheng’s face was cold. After holding back for a long time, he spat out a few words: “Not resting. Something to drink.”

Gu Yueqian was baffled. “Something to drink?”

“This afternoon.”

“……” Brother, heaven gave you a mouth for speaking, not for wiggling in your chair until people have to guess what you mean.

Gu Yueqian nearly ground her teeth to pieces. Furious, she found his mug. Yesterday she had given him some rice water, and he’d remembered it. But today she hadn’t boiled any, so there was none.

After a moment’s thought, she scooped a spoonful of jam, diluted it into sugar water, and shoved it into his hands. “Here.”

Lu Cheng took the mug and left without another word.

“……” Gu Yueqian was about to faint from anger. Damn man—so what if you’re handsome? Just because you’re good-looking doesn’t mean you don’t have to speak!

“Sis, weren’t you going to visit the team leader’s house? I think they should have finished eating by now,” Lu Yao said, coming inside.

Seeing her sweet and obedient little sister-in-law, Gu Yueqian instantly felt her mood improve. “Let’s go then.”

They soon arrived at the team leader’s house.

The family had just finished eating. The team leader, Lu Zhenzhong, was sitting on the threshold smoking his pipe. Seeing them approach from a distance, he called out with a smile, “Finished eating?”

“Yes, we have, Captain,” Gu Yueqian answered with a smile. “Captain, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to bring up.”

Lu Zhenzhong thought for a moment—could it be some dispute after splitting from the family?

But remembering how considerate Gu Yueqian was, he relaxed. He had heard she was the one who discovered the wild blueberries on the mountain and had shared the find with everyone, even making jam for the group. Clearly, she wasn’t someone with a selfish heart. So he said warmly:

“Speak freely. As long as it’s reasonable, I’ll back you up.”

Gu Yueqian smiled. “Here’s the thing. I made some blueberry jam, and we have more than we can eat. It’d be a shame to let it spoil. I was wondering if we could take it to the commune for official purchase. Whatever profits need to be shared with the production team, we’ll split accordingly. I just wasn’t sure if that would be proper, so I came to ask you first. If it’s not suitable, we’ll forget it. After all, I’m still new here and don’t know all the rules.”

Lu Zhenzhong’s eyes lit up. This was wonderful news! The government was actively encouraging planned production now, and they didn’t forbid farmers from selling produce back to the commune.

And honestly, plenty of people sold things privately already. But someone willing to go through official channels and even share the profits with the team? That was exactly the kind of thing the production team would support.

“Daughter-in-law of Lu Cheng, this is a good thing—of course it’s allowed. And I’ve tasted your jam before; it’s excellent, no trace of wild blueberry’s sourness at all. The supply and marketing cooperative might really be willing to buy it.”

“How about this: tomorrow, there’s a truck going to the commune. Have Lu Cheng bring the jam along. If it works out, it’ll be a blessing both for your family and for the production team!”