Chapter 6

Jiang Rong was taken aback by Wen Ning’s words, a nagging feeling creeping in—this woman was no longer the pushover she remembered. Could it be that Wen Ning, like herself, had been reborn?

Jiang Rong had only learned after her death that she was a minor character in a novel. As the Original Book’s Female Lead’s neighbor in the military compound, Jiang Rong had always been a foil to the protagonist. She tried desperately to appear gentle and virtuous, but she could never outshine the heroine.

No matter how gentle Jiang Rong was, the protagonist was gentler; no matter how virtuous she tried to be, the protagonist was more virtuous. And while Jiang Rong came from a rural background with only a primary school education, the Female Lead had graduated high school and boasted a far superior level of refinement.

It was this insurmountable contrast that had driven Jiang Rong mad in her previous life. Behind the scenes, she had manipulated Wen Ning into sabotaging the Female Lead, but even their combined efforts couldn’t overcome the heroine’s plot armor. In the end, both of them met miserable fates.

Reborn, Jiang Rong believed she held the upper hand. This time, she vowed to surpass the Female Lead in the race for gentleness and virtue. There’s no way I’m inferior to her, she thought.

As for Wen Ning—beautiful, yes, but foolish. Just a pretty-faced tool with no brains. In this life, Jiang Rong would exploit her to build up her own image. If Wen Ning had once served as a foil to the Female Lead, she could now serve as a foil to Jiang Rong herself.

Yet as Jiang Rong looked into Wen Ning’s smiling face, she saw nothing but contempt in those beautiful peach blossom eyes. A chill ran down her spine. This woman was different now—not someone she could easily control.

Wen Ning accepted the precious cloth and sugar ration coupons, already planning to make herself better-quality clothes that wouldn’t chafe her skin. Still, she turned to Jiang Rong and said, “What about the hairpins and hair ties?”

“You… I didn’t expect you to be this persistent,” Jiang Rong snapped, startled by Wen Ning’s audacity. With her lover nearby, she couldn’t afford to lose face. In a fit of anger, she raised her hand to snatch the hairpins from her head.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Wen Ning recoiled in disgust. “I wouldn’t want anything you’ve used.”

Jiang Rong paused, her hand hovering mid-air. But before she could speak, Wen Ning continued, “Just give me the cash. I checked—two cents for the hair ties, three for the pins. That’s five cents total.”

Wen Ning had never known hardship before. She hadn’t cared about money, but now she understood the value of every cent. In the city, a cent could buy a baked flatbread, two cents, a bowl of plain noodles.

After finishing his conversation with Qin Wu, Lu Cheng turned just in time to see Jiang Rong approaching with a stormy face.

Behind her, Wen Ning smiled brightly, her gaze lifting toward him. The autumn wind was sharp, but her smile radiated warmth, momentarily dispelling the chill.

Wen Ning tucked away her money and ration coupons, the curve of her lips lighting up the bleak day. When she noticed the Great General watching her, she beamed and began walking toward him. But before she reached him, he turned abruptly, pretending to focus on Battalion Commander Qin.

As if he doesn’t even recognize me! Humph!
Such a hypocrite!

The next morning, Regimental Commander Lu left early to visit his retired superior in the county town. Wen Ning, upset that Lu Cheng could go to town while she had no legitimate reason to request a referral letter, decided to make him run errands for her.

“Here are four feet of cloth coupons. Go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and get me some red fabric. I’ve heard twill cotton is comfortable, so don’t get the wrong kind. Also, use these sugar coupons to buy half a pound of milk candy. And don’t forget a red hair tie and a checkered hairpin. Here—two yuan and forty-five fen in total.”

Now that she had her money and coupons back, she could finally treat herself.

Lu Cheng glanced at her, then at the coupons. His voice was cold. “If you want something, buy it yourself. I’m not buying those kinds of things.”

A grown man buying women’s accessories—for Wen Ning? Impossible!

Wen Ning snatched back her precious money, glaring at the heartless man as he turned and walked off.

How dare he!

But where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Wen Ning asked Mother Wen to have a brigade member—who was heading to town for fertilizer—pick up her items at the Cooperative. That afternoon, Sister-in-law Wen sewed her a new blouse.

Sister-in-law Wen was renowned in the neighboring production teams for her excellent craftsmanship, a skill passed down from her pre-Liberation-era tailor family.

“Sister-in-law, your skills are amazing!” Wen Ning praised. As a princess, she had mastered refined arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—but not cooking or sewing.

Needlework was traditionally expected of young women, but Wen Ning disliked it, and her mother had indulged her. So she could only offer suggestions from the sidelines.

“Try adding a plum blossom panjin knot here…” Though Wen Ning lacked practical skills, she had worn countless intricate outfits. A few creative tweaks turned a plain blouse into something elegant and airy.

“Little sister, you’re so clever! This design is truly lovely,” Sister-in-law Wen said, admiring the pattern. It was more refined than her usual work.

As Wen Ning changed inside, Second Sister-in-law Wen’s eyes gleamed with envy. “So, little sister knows how to do this too?”

The newly purchased fabric was four chi of pink-and-white floral twill cotton—soft and comfortable. A vast improvement over the coarse cloth Wen Ning had worn before. It was like a soothing balm against her skin.

Sister-in-law Wen followed her instructions to craft a long-sleeved, pale pink floral blouse. The neckline featured an artful plum blossom knot; the waist was subtly cinched to flatter her figure without being revealing.

The youthful color complimented Wen Ning’s fair skin, making her look as fresh and radiant as a flower.

Second Sister-in-law Wen’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “This is absolutely stunning!”

Wen Ning had always been a beauty, but her spoiled behavior had often overshadowed her charm. Now, with a graceful bearing and refined appearance, she looked truly dazzling.

Later, in private, Second Sister-in-law Wen whispered to her husband, “No wonder Little Sister married Brother-in-law. I bet he’s a sucker for looks. Even if he claimed reluctance at first, he must’ve been captivated by her beauty.”

Second Brother Wen scoffed. “Brother-in-law isn’t like that!”

She gave him a knowing look. “Don’t pretend. Men are all the same. Do you think I don’t know?”

Second Brother Wen fell silent.

……..

The village relied on kerosene lamps, and night fell quickly.

The Wen family’s eldest and second sons finished assembling a large square table, preparing to move it indoors. Wen Peng helped clumsily, his hands slow but his mouth quick.

Wen Ning observed quietly. No wonder they’re twins—they really are alike. Especially Wen Peng. He’s sentimental and impulsive, just like my cousin in the Great Liang Dynasty.

As Wen Peng carried the table into the main hall, a scene flashed through Wen Ning’s mind—the original novel had hinted at a grim fate for the original owner’s younger brother.

The original book was long, and Wen Ning had only skimmed it. The original owner was a minor supporting role, a foil to the Female Lead, and her family barely appeared.

She vaguely remembered a passage: a year after the original owner joined the army, on her birthday, she received news that her twin brother had been imprisoned for hooliganism. He had been framed, but the Wen family never knew.

Looking at the cheerful Wen Peng, Wen Ning felt a sudden pang of pity. The novel gave no details—she had no idea how it had happened.

As she paced in thought, Wen Ning suddenly turned and collided with a solid chest. She stumbled, but a strong arm quickly wrapped around her waist, steadying her.

Though her heart skipped a beat, Wen Ning remained calm. In the dim moonlight, she recognized the man who had left early that morning. Recalling his refusal to buy her hairpins, she scoffed, “Regimental Commander Lu, aren’t you going to let go?”

Lu Cheng hadn’t expected her remark. His expression darkened. He let go abruptly, clenching his fist. The warmth of her waist lingered on his palm, almost searing.

Before he could respond, noise erupted from the Second Brother’s house. Tie Hua came running. “Youngest Aunt, Uncle-in-law! Second Aunt is terribly sick and vomiting!”

Second Sister-in-law Wen clutched her chest, her face pale. Second Brother Wen held her close, his expression tense. “Meijuan, what’s wrong? Why are you vomiting so much?”

With the rest of the family out discussing grain rations, only Wen Ning noticed. The symptoms were familiar—just like the women in her own household who were pregnant.

“Second Brother,” she said, “I think Second Sister-in-law might be pregnant.”

“Huh?” Second Brother Wen froze, his face shifting from confusion to joy. “Is she really pregnant?”

“judging by her symptoms, it seems so,” Wen Ning said, amused. Then she called, “Tie Dan, go get Uncle Zhang San. Tie Hua, go tell Grandma—quietly—that Second Aunt might be pregnant.”

“Right away!” the children chorused.

Uncle Zhang San was the village’s barefoot doctor. Though he had no formal training, his family had practiced medicine for generations. His ancestors had even served as imperial physicians, it was said.

People only sought his help when things were serious. Food was scarce, and they preferred to endure minor ailments.

Turning around, Wen Ning spotted Lu Cheng standing at the door. He showed rare restraint, waiting outside to respect Second Sister-in-law’s privacy, but close enough to help if needed.

Lu Cheng listened as Wen Ning took charge calmly. She directed the children, found dried tangerine peels for nausea, and remained composed. Once again, she struck him as completely different from the Wen Ning of a year ago.