The Best Friend of the Female Supporting Character in Period Novel
The Best Friend of the Female Supporting Character in Period Novel – Chapter 8

After a simple nap, the leisurely afternoon felt especially relaxing. Since Chen Baozhen didn’t have any classes today, she stayed home all day. Together with Qin Yao, they harvested the small cabbages in the yard, picked out the ones that were barely usable, cleaned them, and thought they might make a dish for dinner.

Sitting in a bamboo chair in the yard to enjoy the breeze, Chen Baozhen chatted about her life on the island while Qin Yao quietly listened.

“Except for the occasional boredom, life on the island is quite nice.” Chen Baozhen had adapted well to life there. Despite having to do all the housework herself, the clean air and greenery everywhere were easy on the eyes. “When I’m in a bad mood, I take a walk outside, and it clears my head.”

“It’s not like living in the city, where everything is boxy houses, and a big family is crammed into a tiny space. I really didn’t expect the houses here to be so spacious,” she sighed. In Beijing, cleaning a house was easy because of how small the homes were. Most families were packed into twenty or thirty square meters, so keeping it tidy wasn’t a problem.

Here, the houses were large and had two floors. Just dusting took effort, but living in such a space was comfortable.

Qin Yao chuckled. “I like big houses. You know my situation—two sisters-in-law competing to see who can be louder at night.”

Just imagining the scene made Qin Yao feel suffocated. The small house had no proper soundproofing, just curtains, which didn’t block much. The cramped space left no room for expansion, and everything felt overcrowded.

“Yaoyao, why don’t you stay here with me?”

Qin Yao lowered her gaze and said, “I’d like to stay.”

Surprised and delighted, Chen Baozhen exclaimed, “Then I’ll find someone for you. Once you get married, you can stay here!”

“I plan to stay on the island, but I’m not marrying into the family compound. Zhenzhen, I want to find a job first. Can you help me keep an eye out?” Qin Yao didn’t want to marry a military officer or cadre. Before transmigrating into this story, her father had been a retired military officer. He was strict, hot-tempered, and highly authoritarian. As the eldest daughter, she had been forced to cut her hair short and act like a boy in her childhood. Later, after her younger brother was born, she was expected to be gentle and ladylike.

It seemed like everything about her life was dictated by her father, who was the absolute authority in their household.

Since her family was part of a minority group, they had been allowed to have a second child.

Qin Yao couldn’t stand her father’s oppressive and controlling demeanor. After entering university, her relationship with her family grew increasingly distant. She preferred the fresh air of freedom outside, where no one dictated her hairstyle or clothing choices.

She liked gentler people—like Gu Cheng, whom she had met at the port. His low-key, unassuming demeanor was irresistibly appealing to her.

As her mother used to say, rank and status inflate a person’s temper. She didn’t want to marry someone authoritative or someone accustomed to giving orders.

Her future husband didn’t need to be extraordinary. It would be ideal if he were handsome, capable of both cooking and hosting guests, and content with a simple life like fishing.

“That’s fine. I’ll ask around for job openings.” This place was a designated area for sent-down youth. Qin Yao, willingly coming from the big city to work here, would be contributing to border development.

The key factor is having an organization that accepts you.

As long as there is an organization willing to take you in, many things become much easier.

The utility poles near the post office and train station in the city are covered with various advertisements for job and housing exchanges. Each position has a designated person for it. To get a job, one has three main options: inherit it from a family elder, be recommended for university and have a job assigned by the state, or pay to buy a job.

Buying a job sounds easy, but it is difficult to do. No one is willing to give up their job unless absolutely necessary. As a result, job exchanges are more common.

For someone like Qin Yao, who originally didn’t have a job, finding one now is very difficult, especially in the capital. It’s slightly easier on the island, depending on the opportunity.

While talking to Chen Baozhen, Qin Yao glanced at the time. She thought to herself that it was almost time, just a little more until the 24-hour mark.

What exactly is this so-called “favorability gift”?

“Ding—”

[You have acquired the skill “X-ray Vision” for one hour.]

Qin Yao straightened up, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. She had transmigrated into a period novel, and she thought the favorability reward would be something like “rice, flour, oil, or instant noodles and sausage.”

But the reward turned out to be a skill.

Qin Yao chose to activate the “X-ray Vision” skill, and everything around her started to change. It was as if she had an X-ray vision—she could see about one meter underground.

She saw the tangled grass roots and wriggling earthworms… The sensation was awful, like her eyes had become a microscope, seeing too many details that made her feel nauseous and want to throw up.

Qin Yao quickly withdrew her gaze from the ground, instinctively looking up. Chen Baozhen’s figure appeared before her, and she screamed, “Ah!”

“Yaoyao, what’s wrong?”

She had seen everything.

The X-ray Vision skill was truly something… If she looked closely, she could even see the bones and internal organs of a person.

The impact was too strong, so Qin Yao quickly turned off the X-ray Vision.

This skill only lasts for an hour, so it’s best to save it for when it’s really needed.

The “X-ray Vision” skill was very useful. In the future, whether for “stone gambling” or playing cards, it would be an unbeatable cheat.

In the 1970s, it would be even more valuable in medicine, much better than X-ray imaging.

However, with a one-hour limit, Qin Yao knew she couldn’t use it casually. She still didn’t know what rewards she would get when she accumulated 24 hours.

At this moment, Qin Yao realized how useful this favorability system was. She didn’t have to do anything—just stay close to people who had a high favorability for her, and she could gain benefits.

“Zhenzhen, I want to stay with you!” Qin Yao reached out to take Chen Baozhen’s hand.

Chen Baozhen pushed her hair behind her ear and gave Qin Yao a playful look. With an elegant, mature tone, she said, “Yaoyao, you have to keep your word.”

The two exchanged smiles.

They sat on the chairs and drank tea for a while. The two close friends laughed and played, making every task feel fun.

After everything that needed tidying up was done, Chen Baozhen decided to wash the quilt covers, sheets, and blankets. Since Qin Yao was there, they could squeeze them together.

They could hang them to dry and let the breeze do the work. By evening, they might be dry.

“I’ll count to three, and we’ll squeeze together,” Chen Baozhen said.

“One, two, three!”

The two of them grabbed opposite ends of the quilt cover, pulling in different directions with force, making the water droplets fall into a silver aluminum basin.

After hanging the sheets up to dry in the yard and finishing all the washing, Qin Yao sighed in relief. But the next moment, she was unexpectedly splashed in the face with water.

Chen Baozhen, crouching beside the aluminum basin, grinned mischievously and splashed water at her. Seeing Qin Yao’s shocked face, she looked very pleased with herself, as if she had just pulled off a prank.

“You’re so naughty! How can you be so childish?” Qin Yao laughed as she pressed her hand on the edge of the basin and splashed water back at Chen Baozhen.

“Ahhh!”

The two of them were like children, laughing and splashing water at each other.

Inside the house, Bai Qiuling and Tian Shuyun heard the joyful, playful laughter of the young girls from next door.

Tian Shuyun scoffed, while Bai Qiuling found it strange. Chen Baozhen, who always had a proud and aloof demeanor, was actually laughing so happily.

“No more, no more, we’re all wet,” Qin Yao laughed, scolding playfully. Her wet hair stuck to her cheeks, and her clothes clung to her, making her feel uncomfortable. Just as she was about to go inside, she suddenly saw two figures standing outside the yard.

The two men were dressed in spotless military uniforms, their red stars gleaming on their hats.

“Bao, Baozhen—” Gao Jianguo stared in disbelief at his wife, Chen Baozhen, who looked like a drowned rat. He knew that although Chen Baozhen was laid-back at home, she always paid attention to her image outside and always appeared elegant, like a graceful swan.

The man standing beside him, dressed in military uniform, was focused on the young girl with two braids, casually pinned up on the back of her head. Her porcelain-like skin and cherry-red lips made her look stunning. With her head tilted, droplets of water on her cheeks, and a beautiful smile, her voice was sweet and soft.

It was none other than the chubby little girl who had been napping next to him in his dreams.

His mind raced with numerous thoughts, and in an instant, he realized something. Gu Cheng’s face turned cold, and a chill emanated from him.

He realized he had been tricked.

Qin Yao was Chen Baozhen’s good friend. Chen Baozhen had gone on a blind date with him, and she probably recognized him by now. She knew his identity, and had been quietly laughing at him while pretending not to know.

“Zhenzhen,” Qin Yao looked at Gao Jianguo, guessing that he must be Chen Baozhen’s husband, which would make him her brother-in-law. Chen Baozhen was a year and a half older than her.

Gao Jianguo had a square face with clear, upright features. He wasn’t particularly handsome, but his honest, righteous appearance made people feel comfortable. No wonder Chen Baozhen had taken a liking to him.

The man beside him was tall and straight, with a sharp jawline beneath the brim of his cap. His cold, piercing gaze gave off an impression of someone difficult to approach and unapproachable.

His appearance made Qin Yao feel a sense of familiarity. The man in front of her resembled Gu Cheng, yet they were entirely different people.

Little brother Gu Cheng had a slightly hunched posture when walking, tall and thin, like a bamboo swaying in the wind. His features were delicate, but he always wore a gentle expression, with lowered brows and a kind demeanor, exuding simplicity and goodness.

Chen Baozhen wiped the water droplets from her face, coughed lightly, and introduced, “Yaoyao, this is my husband, Gao Jianguo. You’ve seen his photo before.”

Qin Yao nodded, “Yes, I’ve seen your photo.”

“She is Qin Yao, my good friend.”

Gao Jianguo and the stern-faced Gu Cheng entered. Gao Jianguo glanced at Gu Cheng strangely, who looked unwell and intimidating. Even Gao Jianguo felt a chill in his presence.

“Hello, Comrade Qin. Baozhen, this is Commander Gu. He’ll stay here for dinner tonight. I’ve already asked Aunt Pang to make some dishes, and I’ll quickly prepare a couple more…”

When Qin Yao heard “Commander Gu,” she thought, as expected, he must be Gu Cheng’s older brother.

He looked so mature—was he Gu Cheng’s older brother? What a coincidence to meet his brother here! It felt like fate!

The two brothers had completely different temperaments.

One was a navy officer, the other worked at a fishing company. Both were connected to the sea.

Commander Gu exuded the commanding aura of someone accustomed to giving orders. He was not someone to be trifled with. He was completely different from his younger brother Gu Cheng, who was gentle and humble.

Qin Yao disliked this kind of person; she preferred the type like his younger brother.

Commander Gu was tall, and his hat was even higher than his younger brother’s. Qin Yao didn’t dare to look at him too much. After all, she was a guest and didn’t need to attend to him.

—After all, Commander Gu didn’t know her.

Qin Yao turned and, in a lighthearted mood, followed Chen Baozhen upstairs to change clothes.

Ayalee[Translator]

。˚🐈‍⬛.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

@

error: Content is protected !!