Chapter 44: Another Side of Song Qingqian  

Jiang Rou was both shocked and bewildered.  

But the truth was right in front of her.  

The only person who could have done this was Song Qingqian.  

This contradicted the description in the original novel.  

A supposedly aloof, indifferent woman, unwilling to integrate into her surroundings, would hardly be the kind of person to pick up a broom and tidy up her courtyard.  

There had to be more to the story.  

As Jiang Rou continued looking inside, she noticed a small path made of cobblestones.  

The stones were laid out one by one, each piece small and carefully arranged.

If one wanted to pave a small path, it would take not just hundreds or thousands of small stones—it must have required considerable effort.

Such a pebble path was a style commonly seen in southern courtyards with gardens and water features.

And so, this pebble path had also been personally built by Song Qingqian.

Once again, Jiang Rou felt a deep shock at something that had never appeared in the original text.

In the novel, she had only seen a fragmented version of Song Qingqian. But now, what she saw was a real and complete Song Qingqian.

What kind of person was Song Qingqian, truly?

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but grow even more curious.

…

Dong dong dong.

Dong dong dong.

Jiang Rou knocked on the door together with Zhou Xiaohua.

The knocking sound echoed for a long time, yet no one came to open the door. Jiang Rou could only wait patiently.

Zhou Xiaohua, already confused from the wait, lifted his fair little face and looked at Jiang Rou curiously.

His dark, round eyes were filled with doubt.

Jiang Rou recalled the conversation she had when she asked for directions earlier.

A woman had widened her eyes upon hearing that Jiang Rou was going to Song Qingqian’s courtyard and had immediately warned her.

“That person… why are you looking for her? Sister Rou, she’s not like us, not at all. She’s lived in this courtyard for half a year and hasn’t spoken a single word to us. She always acts like she looks down on us. If it weren’t for Company Commander He and Sister Hong vouching for her, someone like her shouldn’t even be allowed to stay in our courtyard.”

“Sister Rou, you should keep your distance from her, or you’ll get yourself into trouble.”

At the time, Jiang Rou had simply smiled and thanked the woman, but she hadn’t fully agreed with what she said.

She wasn’t someone who gave up easily. So, she continued knocking.

Dong dong dong.

Dong dong dong.

“Is anyone there?”

The knocking persisted, unwavering.

Another five minutes passed.

Finally, footsteps could be heard from within the courtyard, and the tightly shut door was opened.

From the narrow gap, half a figure appeared.  

Song Qingqian was still dressed the same way as she had been at the dock yesterday—  

A clean and beautiful dress, her long hair carefully tied up, exuding an air of elegance and wealth.  

Her brows furrowed tightly, and her expression carried a trace of impatience at being disturbed.  

But as she pushed the door open and saw that the person outside was Jiang Rou—  

Her gaze shifted slightly, showing a hint of surprise.  

She recognized Jiang Rou…  

She had heard the rumors about Jiang Rou in the courtyard and remembered seeing her in front of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative at the dock, chatting and laughing with Zhao Guifen, Lin Yulan, and those military wives.  

This person had only been in the courtyard for a few days, so why did she act as if she was familiar with everyone?  

Why did she not seem to find life on the island difficult, but instead enjoy it with such ease and happiness?  

This puzzled Song Qingqian deeply.  

After a brief moment of distraction—  

She quickly regained her usual cold demeanor. Her long, slender phoenix eyes swept over Jiang Rou and the little tag-along behind her.  

Without a hint of emotion, she asked,  

“What do you want?”  

Jiang Rou was completely unfazed by Song Qingqian’s indifference. A bright smile remained on her face.  

She introduced herself first.  

“Hello, my name is Jiang Rou. I am the wife of Regiment Commander Zhou Zhongshan from the Third Regiment. I just arrived at this courtyard not long ago, but we met once before at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative—you should recognize me.”  

Song Qingqian neither confirmed nor denied the so-called “recognition” that Jiang Rou mentioned.  

She simply pressed her lips together and listened as Jiang Rou continued speaking.  

Just then—  

Jiang Rou suddenly raised her hand, revealing the pork she had brought along the way.  

Tender pink pork.  

Three layers of fat, three layers of lean meat, with a thin layer of pork skin.  

It was the perfect cut of pork belly.  

Song Qingqian’s gaze was instantly drawn to the soft, glistening meat. Even her cold demeanor seemed to silently melt away.  

She stared at the pork belly—though it was raw, she could almost smell the sweet aroma of braised pork.  

It was a conditioned reflex.

A few years ago, when Song Qingqian saw braised pork belly, she used to find it greasy. At most, she would take one or two bites before losing interest—her pickiness was severe.  

But…  

Times had changed.  

Everything was different now.  

Song Qingqian’s eyes were locked onto that piece of pork as she swallowed heavily.  

Jiang Rou lifted her arm, her red lips curved into a smile, and she asked again with a bright expression,  

“Do you want the pork?”  

To this, Jiang Rou already had a definite answer in her heart.  

Song Qingqian wanted the pork!  

That day at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative by the dock, Song Qingqian had gone there precisely to buy pork.  

But pork was a scarce commodity—one had to rush to line up for it, and only those at the very front of the queue had a chance to buy it.  

Song Qingqian had arrived late, and she refused to squeeze and jostle with the crowd in line. So, she didn’t even try to queue up.  

She could only watch as pieces of pork were cut away, one by one, all bought by others.  

When the pork was completely gone, Song Qingqian left empty-handed.  

And now, Jiang Rou appeared before her, holding the very thing she had longed for.  

Song Qingqian’s first instinct was caution and wariness.  

She had gone through the upheaval of her family, the death of her grandfather, and the separation of her parents. After such a series of misfortunes, she could no longer trust anyone easily.  

No matter how sweet and sincere Jiang Rou’s smile appeared at this moment—  

The women in this military compound all wished to drive her out. How could they possibly accept her?  

Even less likely would they give her pork for no reason.  

Song Qingqian gripped the door latch tightly, narrowing her eyes as she fixed her gaze on Jiang Rou, looking as though she was ready to shut the door at any moment.  

Jiang Rou noticed and immediately explained in a hurry,  

“This pork is fresh—I just bought it yesterday. Whether you want to steam it or braise it, either way, it will be delicious. I’m not here to give it to you for free. I actually want to trade with you for something.”

Song Qingqian heard Jiang Rou’s purpose, and instead of remaining tense, she relaxed.

She spoke again.

“What do you want to exchange?”

“Millet. Here’s one jin of pork. Just exchange it for three jin of millet.”

Jiang Rou spoke decisively.

The price of one jin of pork was at least worth five jin of millet.

But Jiang Rou was asking for less—three jin was already enough for Zhou Xiaochuan to eat for a while.

Besides, she was afraid that Song Qingqian’s family might not have as much as five jin of millet. What if she refused?

After hearing Jiang Rou’s request, Song Qingqian’s slender, phoenix-like eyes flickered.

She glanced at the piece of pork and then discreetly rubbed her stomach.

After an intense internal struggle—

“Alright, I’ll exchange with you.”

Song Qingqian nodded and agreed.