Chapter 66: Unexpected Kindness in Jianglin

The country roads were rough, and the bus jolted along.

Through the window, she could see endless fields of wheat, some thick, some sparse, beautiful like a painting. But the plants on the edges of the fields had already withered, and the bare branches of the trees left a desolate scene.

Jiang Nian felt dizzy and uncomfortable. She used to get motion sickness in carriages, so she always rode horses when she went out. She didn’t expect to get motion sickness in a car in another world.

She fumbled around, using her shoulder bag as cover, and took out a jade bottle. She opened it and took a deep sniff under her nose. The cool scent filled her nostrils, and she felt much more awake.

The woman next to her, who had been half-closed her eyes since getting on the bus, suddenly opened them and asked her, “Comrade, what is that? I feel like you took a sniff and you’re even more energetic.”

“It’s for waking up. I’m a little carsick.” Jiang Nian answered truthfully.

The woman clearly had more energy. “Can I smell it? I get carsick too, so I wanted to sleep as soon as I got on the bus. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold it in and throw up. This thing looks pretty effective.”

Whether it was effective or not, it was just a costless try.

Jiang Nian wasn’t stingy. She opened the bottle and held it under the woman’s nose.

She took a deep breath, and Jiang Nian put it away.

“How is it?”

“Oh, it’s definitely more refreshing. The feeling of dizziness and wanting to vomit has subsided.” The woman’s tone was clearly more enthusiastic. “Comrade, what is this? Can you spare me a bottle? To be honest, my family is in the city, and I married into the town. Every time I go back to my family, I’m miserable. If I had this thing, it would be much better.”

She had nothing better to do anyway. Chatting could also distract her.

Jiang Nian said, “Comrade, it’s not that I don’t want to give it to you, but this thing isn’t cheap. If you just want to buy it for motion sickness, it’s not worth it.”

“Well, how much can such a small thing cost?”

“I bought it for 60 yuan. It can not only treat motion sickness, but you can also smell it to refresh yourself when you’re feeling tired, and it can repel mosquitoes in the summer.”

As soon as Jiang Nian quoted the price, the woman’s smile froze. “A handful of mugwort can solve the problem. 60 yuan?”

“That’s why I said it’s not worth it.”

Jiang Nian didn’t intend to sell it. This kind of small thing was usually for her own use. It could nourish the body, and the production method was very troublesome.

The jade bottle contained a pill the size of a fingernail, and it could maintain its medicinal effect for three years.

The woman seemed very enthusiastic and chatted with her for a few more sentences. She asked if she was an educated youth who had come to the countryside. She asked why she was going to the city alone and not with other educated youth. She seemed to want to know everything about her.

Jiang Nian picked and chose unimportant things to say. With her appearance, she couldn’t have raised herself in the countryside without some skills. So it was obvious.

Maybe she was feeling more energetic after smelling the medicine, and it was too boring on the bus, so the woman was being a little too enthusiastic.

In the end, Jiang Nian just listened, occasionally humming in agreement.

The woman also noticed that she was becoming cold and quickly said with a smile, “I’ve been talking too much today. It’s just that you’re really pretty, comrade. I have two brothers at home who haven’t found wives yet. I’ve developed a habit these past few years. When I see a beautiful unmarried woman, I always want to talk to her more. Don’t mind me.”

“I won’t.” Jiang Nian said lightly, but her half-closed eyelids revealed a hint of thought.

The woman then whispered in her ear, “But I really like the smell of this thing. It’s just that I don’t have that much money on me. How about this, comrade? You come home with me, I’ll get the money for you, and you give me the medicine in this bottle. How about that?”

“Comrade, aren’t you afraid of the price?” Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a bit expensive, but it’s effective. You don’t know, I’ve tried so many folk remedies for motion sickness over the years, and they didn’t work at all. I wasted a lot of effort…”

All the way until they got off the bus, she leaned closer to Jiang Nian and whispered, “My family is in the city’s clothing factory. I’m going back this time because the clothing factory has a batch of defective products that my family can get at an internal price, and they don’t need tickets. This is a rare opportunity. Sister, I think you’re really my type, so I’m telling you. You can come with me, I’ll pay you for the medicine, and if you need to buy clothes, you can get them from me, which is much cheaper than the supply and marketing cooperative.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t really refuse her sincerity.

“Alright, then please lead the way.”

The woman got off the bus first and turned back to help Jiang Nian. “We’re so compatible. Calling each other ‘comrade’ is too formal. My name has a ‘hong’ in it, so just call me Hong Jie.”

“Okay, Hong Jie.”

Her obedient demeanor made Hong Jie smile even wider. She liked to see such well-behaved girls.

Jiang Nian didn’t know what the other woman thought of her, otherwise, she would have found it very interesting.

The word “well-behaved” was common, but no one had ever used it to describe her.

Oh, she almost forgot about Jiang Qinghe.

But he thought she was the original owner, so he praised her for being well-behaved. His kindness towards her was also because of the original owner.

She wondered if this sincere old father could accept it if he knew that his daughter was no longer alive.

So, it was necessary to keep a distance from him.

Let him worry about her, at least he would have something to think about. It was better than letting him know that his daughter was gone.

While chatting casually on the way, Jiang Nian asked her about the addresses of the supply and marketing cooperative and the post office.

Hong Jie said that her family wasn’t far away, but they turned several corners, going further and further away from the main street, and they entered a desolate area.

She continued, “The housing for the clothing factory workers is not enough. My family is big, so we decided not to compete with others for good houses. The houses in this more remote area are bigger. Although there are fewer people here, the people who live here are all workers from our city…”

They crossed a small bamboo forest before a slightly dilapidated house appeared.

Hong Jie opened the door and continued, “This house may look old from the outside, but it’s spacious inside and comfortable to live in. It’s much better than having a family of several people crammed into one room.”

When they entered the courtyard, Jiang Nian’s smile deepened. “Hong Jie, this house doesn’t look like it’s occupied by many people.”

Hong Jie’s smile faded, and her face was no longer as friendly as before. Perhaps she felt that since the person was already inside, she was already in her grasp, so she just casually replied, “My parents are lazy. They haven’t cleaned up the weeds in the yard. I’ve told them so many times, but they won’t listen. I’m helpless.”

She poured Jiang Nian a glass of water and handed it to her. “Sister, have some water to quench your thirst.”

“Okay.” Jiang Nian took it and smelled it under her nose. She could tell that the water in her hand was definitely not right, but it wasn’t herbal ingredients, so she couldn’t smell it.

But she wasn’t stupid. Even if she couldn’t smell it, she could guess.

Hong Jie stared at her unhurriedly, as if she wasn’t afraid that she wouldn’t drink it.

“I don’t like drinking cold water. You can have it, Hong Jie.”

Jiang Nian moved the water away, and with lightning speed, she grabbed Hong Jie’s chin with her other hand and forced the water down her throat.

This woman had some skills and was dirty. No wonder she was so confident.

Seeing that she couldn’t resist, she attacked Jiang Nian’s chest, her fingers curled into claws. If she was hit in that spot, it wouldn’t be pleasant.