Chapter 9.1

Jiang Rou was still confused when she heard that voice, she couldn’t recognize who it was.

She stood up and opened the door, only to see two plainly dressed girls standing at the courtyard gate. She hesitated for a moment before recognizing them as her high school classmates, one of whom was also from her hometown.

It was her two female classmates, one named Zhang Ping and the other named Huang Qingqing.

The one called Zhang Ping had a short, ear-length haircut and a round face, and when she saw Jiang Rou coming out, she grinned and said, “Xiao Rou.”

Huang Qingqing, who is from the same village next to her, had long hair tied in a ponytail, making her forehead appear a bit large. She remained silent, her eyes scanning Jiang Rou twice and eventually settling on her round belly with a hint of disdain in her gaze.

Despite the change in her body, Jiang Rou, having graduated from the police academy, was sensitive to the expressions and gazes of others.

She could sense that this girl from the same village was not very friendly towards her.

She didn’t say anything, just looked at Zhang Ping and warmly said, “Why did you come over? Come in and have a seat.”

Zhang Ping, holding a bag of green pears, followed Jiang Rou inside a bit awkwardly. They had been desk mates since junior high, and, although they weren’t in the same class in high school, they shared a dormitory and had a close relationship.

So their conversation lacked a bit of formality. Glancing toward the house, Zhang Ping asked quietly, “Is he not here?”

It goes without saying who this “he” was talking about.

Jiang Rou couldn’t help but laugh at her cautious appearance and say, “Don’t be afraid, he’s not at home.”

After hearing these words, Zhang Ping chuckled and relaxed a bit. “We just started our break today. I came over to see you before heading home in the afternoon.”

A few days ago, during the college entrance examination, the first and second year of high school were on vacation, so they had a few extra days of classes after the exam.

Jiang Rou took them to sit under the tree. There was an apricot tree in the yard, which didn’t bear much fruit, but it could still provide shade.

Apart from that, there weren’t many items in the Li family’s yard—mostly wooden materials and furniture. Next to the kitchen, in the utility room, various pieces of furniture left by Grandpa Li Xiao were stacked. They were small stools and tables.

In the past few days, Jiang Rou has searched through a few useful items and taken them out to wipe them clean. She also found a rocking chair, which she dragged to the bottom of the tree.

Whenever she had nothing to do, she would sit there and sway a bit, holding a large palm-leaf fan, with a cup of brown sugar water on the side.

Life couldn’t be more comfortable.

The little one in her belly seemed to enjoy it too. Every time she drank brown sugar water, the baby would kick playfully.

Jiang Rou didn’t know if it’s because she’s been eating and drinking well these past few days or if she’s feeling relaxed and at ease. Whenever she looked in the mirror, Jiang Rou felt her complexion had improved significantly; her chin had also become rounder, and she appeared much healthier.

Zhang Ping noticed this change too. While Jiang Rou had always been attractive, she used to be too thin, as if a gust of wind could blow her away. Her face was often filled with a bitter expression, and she kept her head low.

Now, seeing her with clear eyes and a gentle smile, Zhang Ping couldn’t help but be taken aback.

Zhang Ping had a lot to say before coming, but now she doesn’t know how to speak up. Whether a person is doing well or not can be seen from their appearance alone.

Huang Qingqing didn’t have that concern. After sitting down, she casually said, “Jiang Rou, do you know? Wen Yang also took the college entrance examination this year. He’s so smart, he must be able to pass.”

Jiang Rou, who brought out clean cups from the house for them, paused upon hearing this. She recalled from her memories—Wen Yang, as mentioned by Huang Qingqing, was the study committee member in her original class, academically excellent, and seemed to have mutual feelings with her, though his family circumstances were not great.

Before Jiang Rou could say anything, Zhang Ping’s face turned pale next to hers. She frowned and looked at Huang Qingqing. “Why would you bring this up?”

She was unhappy that Huang Qingqing brought up such matters. After all, Jiang Rou was pregnant now; wasn’t this adding insult to injury?

She originally came to visit Jiang Rou alone, but on the way, she met Huang Qingqing, and she insisted on following her.

Zhang Ping thought that, being from the same village, they should be familiar with each other. However, as soon as Huang Qingqing spoke, she started trouble.

Wen Yang has good grades and looks. Many girls in school like him, but unfortunately, he was not destined to be with Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou, after recalling who Wen Yang was, remained composed. After all, he had no relevance to her.

However, Huang Qingqing’s words served as a reminder. In her previous life, Jiang Rou had gone to college, but in her current life, she hadn’t even finished high school. Regardless of the era, education was always important.

Huang Qingqing, despite being scolded by Zhang Ping, did not back down. Instead, she turned to Jiang Rou, her eyes carrying blatant mockery. “Did I say something wrong? Jiang Rou, think about it. Are you being naive? Even if you want to get married, you should choose carefully. Even the guy your family chose for you, Wang Mazi, is better than Li Xiao, right? What’s the use of having a good-looking face? He bullied female classmates, even went to jail, has little money, and now you’ve stopped studying. Sitting around waiting for death every day, what are you trying to achieve?”

Zhang Ping was left speechless after hearing this.

Jiang Rou became unhappy when she heard this. ‘What’s wrong with this person? ’

Huang Qingqing was not close to the original owner, not even greeting her when they met on the street. Jiang Rou allowed her in because she came with Zhang Ping, thinking that two villagers should be familiar with each other. However, Huang Qingqing started mocking her as soon as she sat down.

No matter how bad Li Xiao is, it’s not Huang Qingqing’s place to criticize her, especially for acting so superior.

Her face suddenly turned cold, and she asked back without hesitation, “When did my Li Xiao go to jail? He got into a fight and was detained for a few days, but there’s a difference between that and going to jail. You’ve been studying for so many years; don’t you have this basic knowledge?”

After being mocked by Jiang Rou, Huang Qingqing felt a bit embarrassed. She thought she would see Jiang Rou regretting deeply, but unexpectedly, Jiang Rou was defending Li Xiao.

She became displeased and said, “Jiang Rou, what’s with your attitude? I came to see you out of goodwill, and you speak to me like this? Don’t think my words are harsh; I’m doing it for your own good. Honestly evaluate yourself. What I said, isn’t it the truth? Even if he hasn’t been to jail, don’t you know about the incident where he bullied a female classmate and dropped out of school? Go ask around, find out what kind of person your husband is. It’s better to treasure yourself than to be with someone like Li Xiao, who is disrespectful and has little money. You’ve stopped studying now, sitting around idly every day. What are you hoping to achieve?”

The mocking expression on her face was undisguised: “You really don’t feel ashamed, don’t you? You still have the face to follow such a man, and he even made you pregnant. You’ve brought shame to our village.”

“Huang Qingqing.”

Zhang Ping, seeing her becoming more offensive, couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She regretted bringing her along.

Jiang Rou placed the poured cup heavily on the small table and sternly retorted, “You saw him bullying his female classmate with your own eyes? Didn’t you go to school? Those who didn’t know thought you were an eight-year-old woman. Instead of worrying about everything, it’s better to care more about your grades. Don’t let Wang Mazi marry you when the time comes.”

“My family’s Li Xiao is very good. He can do laundry, cook, and earn money. I’m more than satisfied. If you like Wen Yang, it’s your business. Don’t come to me with insinuations, still pretending it’s for my own good. Who doesn’t know your little schemes?”

“To be honest, even without me, Wen Yang wouldn’t like you. Is it fun to flaunt your superiority in front of me? Disgusting.”

“You…”

Huang Qingqing’s face turned red, and her ears were hot when she was scolded. Perhaps she was not expecting that all her scheming would be exposed. Jiang Rou directly revealed everything, especially the use of “disgusting” as the final evaluation, making it the harshest words she had ever heard, leaving her feeling utterly embarrassed.

She stood up in anger, her lips trembling.

Facing Jiang Rou’s calm gaze, she felt a void in her heart, afraid of saying too much wrong. In the end, she angrily left with a resentful remark: “Kindness begets ingratitude. I’ll wait to see you regret it in the future.”

She turned around and ran out in anger.

Leaving Zhang Ping sitting awkwardly, neither standing nor sitting, she said awkwardly, “Jiang Rou.”

Jiang Rou lifted the cup, took a sip of red sugar water, and calmed herself. She said calmly, “It’s fine.”

“Oh, good.”

Zhang Ping held the cup and nodded, unsure of what to say for a long time.

The Jiang Rou she remembered was a fragile person who liked to nitpick, never speaking loudly. This was the first time she had seen her scold someone with sharp language that left others speechless.

Not sure if it was because they hadn’t met in a long time, Zhang Ping suddenly felt that this Jiang Rou was somewhat unfamiliar. In the end, she didn’t say much and just left.

Jiang Rou had a good impression of her and packed a bag of pea cakes she made in the morning for her to take away. Zhang Ping hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted.

Before leaving, she smiled at Jiang Rou and said, “Don’t listen to her nonsense. You live your life happily.”

That was all she could do to comfort her.

Although she didn’t like Huang Qingqing’s words, she couldn’t deny that, deep down, she felt they weren’t entirely wrong. With a man and a child now, Jiang Rou’s life would be like this forever, gradually drifting away from them.

During moments of sympathy, there was also a hint of regret in her heart.

Jiang Rou patted her hand and smiled without saying much.