Chapter 7: Teaching a Lesson to the Man from Her Past Life

“Brother Sheng Jie, look, Jiaojiao has been staring at you. Deep down, she still cares about you. You should forgive her,” Shen Yun said softly.

Next to her stood a tall man. He wore a brown Dacron shirt, but paired it oddly with camo-patterned pants. His face was refined, yet his expression always had a calculating arrogance.

With Sheng Jie’s family background, it was impossible for him to afford such good clothes. All of these were gifts from Xu Jiaojiao, right down to the pen clipped to his shirt pocket, which she had also given him.

Sheng Jie sneered, his face full of disdain. “If she sincerely apologizes, maybe I’d consider forgiving her.”

He struck a pose full of male chauvinism. Upon learning about Xu Jiaojiao and Xie Zhi, he had been deeply shaken. Since his mother had been kicked out, Sheng Jie had become even more cowardly, not daring to confront them.

These past few days, he’d been living in fear, because everything he had — even the prime piece of land his family owned — came from Xu Jiaojiao. What would happen if she grew tired of him?

But Sheng Jie was unwilling to lower his pride, as Xu Jiaojiao had always been the one chasing after him.

Seeing Xu Jiaojiao looking at him with a seemingly affectionate gaze, he grew even more arrogant. To him, she was just a young girl, not worth worrying about.

Shen Yun and Sheng Jie sat right behind Xie Zhi and Xu Jiaojiao, yet neither of them received so much as a glance from the couple.

After waiting about ten minutes, the cart finally started moving. The space was cramped, and with only one trip each day, many villagers brought livestock to exchange for goods. The atmosphere was noisy and lively.

“Jiaojiao, Sheng Jie said he doesn’t blame you for what happened. He’s willing to pretend nothing ever happened,” Shen Yun finally couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

Xie Zhi’s heart tightened, and he instinctively looked toward Jiaojiao.

Xu Jiaojiao turned her head, her beautiful face full of confusion, as if asking, “Are you crazy?” She replied, “Why would I need his forgiveness? My husband and I are about to get married.”

“What?!” Several voices spoke at once.

Shen Yun’s face paled. How could they be getting married? If Xie Zhi was married, what would happen to her? She reached out, trying to grab Xu Jiaojiao. “Jiaojiao, please reconsider. Haven’t you always liked Brother Sheng Jie? Don’t make any rash decisions.”

“Forget it, Yun. Don’t talk to her anymore. A fickle woman like her isn’t worth my time,” Sheng Jie said, his face darkening with contempt.

Xie Zhi’s voice cut through the air, cold as ice: “Say that again.”

Sheng Jie glanced at him, his gaze full of both jealousy and envy. He envied Xie Zhi’s material wealth. Before Xie Zhi came, Sheng Jie was the village’s golden boy.

But since Xie Zhi’s arrival, everything had changed. Still, deep down, he looked down on Xie Zhi, thinking he was just some man obsessed with Xu Jiaojiao, who had always followed Sheng Jie like a lapdog, impossible to shake off.

“I’ll say it a hundred times if you want. Xie Zhi, Xu Jiaojiao is nothing but something I threw away, and you’re the one who’s desperate to—”

Before he could finish, Xie Zhi’s fist collided heavily with Sheng Jie’s face, his whole body radiating a violent energy.

Xu Jiaojiao saw the crowd beginning to point and whisper, so she hurriedly stood up and pulled Xie Zhi back. It wouldn’t look good if this continued, and Xie Zhi could even lose his job as a teacher.

Shen Yun cowered on the side, trembling, but inwardly she smirked. Xu Jiaojiao, you must be enjoying seeing two men fight over you, right?

Xie Zhi, pulled back by Jiaojiao, received a reassuring pat on his hand and a calming look from her.

Xu Jiaojiao raised her voice and laughed. “Sheng Jie, who do you think you are? Wearing the clothes my husband didn’t want and showing off in front of us? Pathetic.”

“In the past, I pitied your family — a single mother and son — and gave you some food and clothes that my husband no longer wanted. But it seems you’ve misunderstood.”

“As far as I know, you’ve graduated high school, yet you still use words like ‘fickle’? Ha, and you want to become a teacher? How ridiculous.”

With that, she shot Sheng Jie a fierce glare, eyed his mismatched outfit, and leaned in to snatch back the pen he wore. She snapped it in half and threw it into the woods.

“Oh my, so it turns out he’s been wearing castoffs. Sheng Jie strutted around in them today, how embarrassing.”

“Right? If it were me, I’d be fuming.”

“Yeah, he’s so ungrateful. They were engaged, so it’s perfectly normal for her to treat her fiancé well. And then he goes and insults her? Xu Jiaojiao’s kindness was wasted on him.”

The crowd, both young villagers and housewives, buzzed with gossip, delighting in the drama.

“You… you…” Sheng Jie was so furious he could barely speak. His face, always concerned with his image, now turned beet red as he heard the chatter around him. The clothes he had always saved for special occasions turned out to be Xie Zhi’s hand-me-downs. He felt utterly humiliated.

Shen Yun, sensing the tension, piped up at the perfect moment: “Jiaojiao, apologize to Brother Sheng Jie! Look how upset he is.”

“Shut up! Calling him ‘Brother Sheng Jie’ so affectionately — do you like him or something?” Xu Jiaojiao snapped.

Shen Yun started sobbing, her pitiful act in full swing. She was always adept at spreading her charms, cozying up to men to gain favors for herself.

Ignoring the two lunatics, Xu Jiaojiao met Xie Zhi’s deep, warm gaze. Thinking of Sheng Jie’s cunning face, she wondered how the original Xu Jiaojiao had been so blind.

“Jiaojiao, here,” Xie Zhi said with a chuckle, handing her a small box.

The girl opened it to find dried fruit inside. She popped a piece into her mouth. “So sweet! Let’s share it, hubby.”

“Okay,” Xie Zhi replied, his smile widening.

After over an hour on the cart, they finally arrived. The driver told everyone to meet back at 4 PM; those who missed the cart would have to find their own way home.

People bustled about, selling their chickens or buying supplies.

Excited, Xu Jiaojiao tugged on Xie Zhi’s hand, ready to go shopping. With the restrictions easing, she was eager to buy some new items.

“Jiaojiao…” Shen Yun’s weak voice called out.

Xu Jiaojiao frowned, not wanting to engage.

“Can I join you two?” Shen Yun asked, thick-skinned, though her mind was full of schemes. In the past, whenever she tagged along with Xu Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao would pay for everything, and Shen Yun had always taken advantage of it. If she didn’t bring something back today, her family would scold her terribly.

Xu Jiaojiao looked at Shen Yun with interest. As someone who had entered this world from a book, she knew exactly what Shen Yun was thinking. The girl just wanted to use her as a pushover.

With a mischievous grin, Xu Jiaojiao replied, “Sure.”

Xie Zhi looked displeased, having expected Jiaojiao to refuse. He glanced down at her, only to see her playfully wink at him. Feeling her soft fingers entwine with his, he let go of his complaints.

Sheng Jie, who had little money, originally thought Xu Jiaojiao would foot the bill for everything as she used to. Gritting his teeth, he followed after the three of them.