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Soon, the day came for them to set out to the cadre school for reform.
The string of overcast, rainy days had left everyone feeling a little heavy-hearted—everyone except Lin Wanjun, who seemed busier than ever, going out early and returning late, with no one knowing exactly what she was up to.
Over dinner, Lin Wanjun said, “We’re leaving tomorrow morning. I’d like to go and say goodbye to my Big Sister.”
In the original plot, the vicious female supporting character had an elder sister named Lin Pandi, who, at just eighteen, had been openly sold by their beastly parents to a pig butcher in his early thirties.
On the day she was married off, Lin Pandi had declared that she would sever all ties with her natal family for the rest of her life.
Later, when the vicious female supporting character died miserably in the streets, her body ignored by all, it was only her Big Sister Lin Pandi who came to collect her remains.
When Lin Wanjun had transmigrated into the book on her wedding day, she had not yet met Lin Pandi. This excuse, therefore, was the most fitting.
As expected, Li Yuetang nodded repeatedly.
“You should. Yes, you should. Your elder sister is a pitiful person as well. Go see her while it’s dark and no one’s paying attention. Once you part this time, who knows when you’ll meet again?”
Song Zhanjin also said, “I’ll go with you.”
“No need for you to come!”
Lin Wanjun refused without thinking, then paused to explain.
“Your status is special. If someone sees you, wouldn’t my sister end up getting implicated?”
He had to admit, she was right.
So Song Zhanjin escorted Lin Wanjun to the entrance of the alley, handed her the flashlight, and watched her figure fade into the night.
Lin Wanjun only made a brief show of circling past Lin Pandi’s door. She wrapped fifty yuan in a handkerchief and slipped it under the threshold—her way of severing this so-called sisterly bond once and for all.
Her Big Sister might be the vicious female supporting character’s Big Sister, but she had nothing to do with Lin Wanjun herself.
Besides, the original plot made it clear that the vicious female supporting character and her elder sister shared only a faint, distant bond. For her to suddenly turn up and say goodbye now would be absurd.
Following the map in her mind, Lin Wanjun headed straight for the supply and marketing cooperative she had already scouted out in advance.
During the planned economy era, staples like grain, oil, rice, and flour could only be purchased with ration coupons. Money alone was useless. Although rice and flour could sometimes be found circulating on the black market, the quantities were small, and the risks were high.
So, after returning from the black market, Lin Wanjun came up with a bold plan—self-service shopping.
Mm, even if people called her a petty thief or a little bandit, it didn’t matter. After all, the vicious female supporting character existed solely for readers to curse and vent their anger on; Lin Wanjun couldn’t care less.
She walked for over an hour before arriving at the entrance of the first supply and marketing cooperative—the largest in the city, with the most complete range of goods.
From her earlier scouting, she knew that as soon as this cooperative closed, the restocking would begin. By nine o’clock, the unloading would be done, and the shop assistants would head home.
When Lin Wanjun arrived, she was just in time to see the cooperative closing for the night. She watched the last person lock the door and leave before cautiously approaching.
Pushing the door open a crack, Lin Wanjun silently muttered, “All in.” In an instant, the once fully stocked cooperative was completely empty.
Perfect.
Peering into her spatial ring, she saw that the White House reception hall was already crammed full—there wasn’t even a sliver of floor space left.
“Grain and oil to Room No. 1,” she instructed.
Immediately, the sacks of rice and flour, along with the cooking oil, were transferred to the location she had pre-marked as Room No. 1—namely, the President’s bedroom.
Who cares? This was Lin Wanjun’s domain; her word was law.
Before long, the sorting was done. A whole side of pork hung in the President’s office, while plucked and gutted roosters and ducks were neatly arranged atop the presidential desk.
Good. Very good. It had just the right feel.
And after clearing out the cooperative, did you think that was the end?
No, not even close.
Although the original plot mentioned two years of cadre school life—what if it turned out to be longer?
Besides, these supplies wouldn’t last her two years. She still had to keep robbing—oh no, keep buying!
Sliding the three thousand yuan she had prepared in advance through the crack of the now-empty cooperative’s door, Lin Wanjun hummed a little tune as she walked away.
Tilting her head to gaze at the pitch-black sky, she silently prayed in her heart: Esteemed lords reading this story, if my misdeeds ever come to light one day, you must testify on my behalf!
I was only doing self-service shopping—I paid for everything, so it’s definitely not stealing!
In a harmonious society, as someone who’s received nine years of compulsory education, I would never do anything illegal!
Soon, she arrived at the second supply and marketing cooperative.
Another all in—and it still felt just as satisfying.
Then came the third shop, the fourth…
The vicious female supporting character had planned a meticulous route home, clearing out every cooperative along the way. By the time she spotted Song Zhanjin waiting for her at the entrance of the alley, Miss Lin’s spatial ring was already brimming with spoils.
Even if she lay around doing nothing for three years—even if she added ten more mouths to feed—these supplies could still last three to five years!
“Oh? Why are you standing here?”
A fine drizzle fell as the beam from Lin Wanjun’s flashlight illuminated Song Zhanjin’s face. He stood tall beneath his umbrella, his posture straight and unwavering, like a towering mountain.
“I figured you’d be back soon, so my mother asked me to come meet you.”
Song Zhanjin stepped forward with a smile, angling the umbrella over Lin Wanjun’s head and letting the fine drizzle soak his own shoulders.
“The rain’s getting heavier—let’s go home.”
In the real world, Lin Wanjun had never experienced such care.
From primary school to high school, no matter how heavy the rain, even if the homeroom teacher called every parent to tell them to bring umbrellas, her Mother would never come.
She would be drenched like a drowned chicken, and even if she caught a cold, ran a fever, or felt dizzy and faint, she still had to push herself to finish her homework and attend her extracurricular classes.
It wasn’t that she had never spoken to her Mother about it—but every time, what greeted her was her Mother’s furious scolding.
Scolding her for being unable to endure hardship, scolding her for being useless.
After entering university, she had tried to understand her Mother, tried to make peace with the past—but no matter how hard she tried, she could never let it go.
Yet here, after transmigrating into this book, in just two short months, the warmth of the Song family seemed to be slowly healing those wounds in her heart.
“How’s your Big Sister doing?”
In the narrow alley, Song Zhanjin held the umbrella in one hand and wrapped the other around Lin Wanjun’s shoulders, the two of them walking close together.
Lin Wanjun hesitated for a moment, still considering how to answer his question, when suddenly a figure stepped into their path.
“She’s lying—she never went to her sister’s house!”
It was Dong Yingying.
No one knew where she had come from; she was soaked through, water dripping from her clothes, her eyes locked onto Lin Wanjun with a gaze full of hatred.
“Zhanjin, you’ve all been deceived by her. She’s a woman with a heart as venomous as a viper!”
Song Zhanjin’s expression hardened, his brows knitting as he looked at Dong Yingying.
“Dong Yingying, what exactly are you trying to do? What’s your purpose in slandering my Wife again and again? You say she’s vicious—where’s your proof? Do you have any evidence?”
Dong Yingying didn’t answer him. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on Lin Wanjun.
“This is your last chance—leave the Song family of your own accord, or don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
For a split second, meeting Dong Yingying’s gaze, Lin Wanjun felt a flicker of unease.
What did she mean by that?
Dong Yingying had followed her? Had she discovered that she’d used the spatial ring to empty out the supply and marketing cooperative?
Was she planning to call the police and accuse her of theft?
That didn’t make sense—she had carefully checked her surroundings at the time and hadn’t seen anyone suspicious.
Forget it—she’d gamble on it. After all, the rougher the seas, the bigger the catch.
Lin Wanjun gave a cold snort and clung tightly to Song Zhanjin’s arm.
“I am Song Zhanjin’s lawful, properly wedded Wife. We share the same bed—why should I listen to you? Or do you want to take my place and crawl into my man’s bed?”
The corner of Song Zhanjin’s mouth twitched.
What do you mean share the same bed? What do you mean crawl into your man’s bed?
Lin Wanjun, could you please mind your choice of words?
Dong Yingying drew in a deep breath and gave a cold, mirthless laugh. “Fine. You really won’t shed tears until you see the coffin, huh? You ask me why? Then I’ll tell you exactly why!”
She turned her head toward a dimly lit corner, where the outline of a figure could faintly be seen.
“Luo Jinping, tell Song Zhanjin the truth—tell him what you and his Wife were up to an hour ago!”