Chapter 2 : My Cousin’s Strangeness

“Who let you bring that thing on the bus? It even poop on my shoes. Isn’t that disgusting?”  

In her past life, Jiang Hongmei married Qi Shaoqiang and moved to the city, living in a dormitory-style building allocated by the food factory.  

Qi Shaoqiang had a high salary, excellent workplace benefits, and no worries about food or clothing. Jiang Hongmei lived a life of ease and hadn’t been so disgusted in years.  

“Oh, people might think you’re so precious, but you’re just a country girl. Who are you pretending to be? Hmph!”  

Jiang Hongmei was so angry that she couldn’t speak, her chest heaving up and down.  

“One more word and you’ll all get off the bus!” the ticket collector scolded, hands on her hips.  

Remembering the important matter she had to handle today, Jiang Hongmei finally calmed down.  

Today was the day Qi Shaoqiang returned home from his military service, arriving at the county train station at 1 p.m.  

She had to figure out how to get Jiang Li to meet him.  

The bus wobbled its way to the county. After getting off at the station, Jiang Li walked a couple of steps before dragging her feet and refusing to move.  

Jiang Hongmei was anxious. “Hurry up! If we’re late, the supply and marketing cooperative will be closed.”  

The train station wasn’t far from the cooperative. When the time came, she could find an excuse to leave Jiang Li waiting there.  

“I’m starving. I didn’t eat breakfast,” Jiang Li said weakly, clutching her flat stomach.  

Jiang Hongmei stomped her foot in frustration but had no choice. She pulled out two boiled eggs she’d brought and handed one to Jiang Li. “You’re so spoiled. Just don’t choke on it.”  

The rich flavor of the egg yolk spread in Jiang Li’s mouth, and she was almost moved to tears.  

It had been less than four days since she’d returned to 1975, and she already missed modern life.  

Her 100-square-meter snack pantry, her skilled cook, her cozy pink princess bed, she wanted to go home!  

“Are you done eating? Hurry up, or all the good stuff at the cooperative will be gone,” Jiang Hongmei said, wrapping the remaining egg in a handkerchief and urging her along.  

“Jiang Hongmei, I’m still hungry.”  

Jiang Li’s stomach growled. Under Jiang Hongmei’s murderous glare, she ate the other egg and finally began walking again.  

Jiang Hongmei stared hatefully at Jiang Li’s slim figure.  

A useless woman with nothing but a pretty face, how could she be so lucky to marry Zhuang Guoliang?  

This time, Jiang Hongmei was determined to become the richest lady in town.  

It was just before 11 a.m. when they entered the supply and marketing cooperative. Jiang Hongmei pretended to browse while deliberately stalling for time.  

Jiang Li glanced at the era-appropriate slogan on the wall: “No beating or insulting customers.” She couldn’t help but laugh.  

She hadn’t expected the jokes she’d seen online to be true.  

Curious, she looked around. Before her transmigration, she had been a laid-back slacker. After graduating college, her grandfather doted on her and didn’t make her work.  

With the income from two rental properties, she lived a carefree life, reading novels, tipping authors, traveling, and eating her way through life.  

She especially enjoyed reading historical novels. Who would’ve thought she’d end up in one herself?  

While material conditions in this era were sparse, people seemed genuinely positive and energetic. Everyone on the street looked so full of life, and Jiang Li admired that.  

“Miss, if you’re not buying, please don’t touch the merchandise. If you damage it, you’ll have to pay,” a clerk scolded, snapping Jiang Li out of her thoughts.  

She turned to see Jiang Hongmei arguing with the fabric clerk.  

“What do you mean by that? Do you think I can’t afford it?” Jiang Hongmei snapped, pointing at the clerk.  

The clerk wasn’t one to back down. Hands on her hips, she sneered, “This is the most expensive garment we have, 28 yuan apiece. If you can afford it, take out the money!”  

Jiang Hongmei instinctively reached into her pocket, only to feel the coarse fabric of her clothes. She realized oh right, she was no longer the wife of a food factory deputy director. Her entire outfit was worth less than 2 yuan.  

Feeling deflated, she withdrew her hand but refused to back down. “Do you know who I am? Be careful, or I’ll report you to Director Li!”  

The clerk exploded. “A dirt-poor country bumpkin like you dares to act all high and mighty? Look at you, you’re an eyesore. Get out of here and stop dirtying our counter!”  

Jiang Hongmei’s eyes reddened with anger, but she couldn’t do anything.  

Nearby, someone who seemed like the cooperative’s manager heard the commotion but deliberately turned a blind eye.  

Jiang Li, watching from the sidelines, was puzzled. She had read the story and knew Jiang Hongmei was a rural girl who rarely visited the county. How did she know the cooperative manager’s surname was Li?  

Frustrated, Jiang Hongmei vented her anger on Jiang Li, pinching her hard. “You’re just standing there like an idiot! You’re worse than a pig!”  

Jiang Li winced in pain and shoved Jiang Hongmei, who lost her balance and fell off the steps, twisting her ankle.  

“Jiang Li, how dare you push me!”  

“I just shook off your hand. Blame yourself for not standing properly,” Jiang Li retorted.  

Jiang Hongmei gritted her teeth, rubbing her ankle. “Help me over to the train station steps to sit for a while.”  

Near the train station, vendors with bamboo baskets covered in white cloth quietly hawked their goods. “Buns and steamed bread, anyone? Meat or vegetarian, no ration tickets needed.”

Jiang Li’s mouth watered as she clutched her stomach. She was hungry again.

“Jiang Hongmei, you promised me meat buns.”

Jiang Hongmei glared. “Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?”

“If I can’t have meat buns, I’ll go home now. I’ll still make it back in time for lunch.”

Seeing Jiang Li’s pitiful, greedy expression, Jiang Hongmei glanced at the clock pointing to 1 p.m. and reluctantly gave in.

The three buns cost 60 cents, leaving her with only 1.54 yuan of the 2.40 yuan she’d brought.

Each bun was barely the size of a fist, with little meat and a lot of green onions.

After devouring two buns, Jiang Li finally felt a little better.

On the way, she thought back to the novel’s plot and Jiang Hongmei’s unusual behavior today.

She suspected Jiang Hongmei had been reborn.