When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 314: Chapter 119: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (6)

Jiang Yihua, however, looked at her with a solemn expression. "Chi, I’m not kidding."

"Zishi... although he’s my brother, I can’t in good conscience tell you he’s a good person. As his older brother, I’m all too aware of his unscrupulous nature—he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

"I’ve tried to help him, but a leopard can’t change its spots. He’s only become more cunning than before."

"Much of the time, I can’t prevent his schemes, and he’s clever enough not to do anything that would get him sent to the authorities. So for my parents’ sake, and for my own conscience, I have to trail behind him cleaning up his messes."

"Chi, the fact that you’re telling me this... does it mean you’ve discovered something?"

"If anything happens, you have to tell me immediately. Don’t let him make an irreversible mistake!"

Chi Yun’er forced a relaxed smile. "Brother Hua, I was just teasing you."

"Zishi is very good to me. He even told me he wouldn’t stop looking after me once he’s married, and that both he and Yumin would be there for me."

No matter how convincing Jiang Yihua sounded, Chi Yun’er didn’t dare lower her guard. ’Who knows if he’s just trying to bait me? After all, he and Jiang Zishi are family.’

Jiang Yihua nodded. Without another word, he said his goodbyes and left. He glanced at her one last time on his way out, the worry lines on his brow deepening.

Still uneasy after what Chi Yun’er had said, Jiang Yihua headed straight for the village secretary’s house.

Everyone was out in the fields, leaving only an old woman at home watching a few small children.

"Well now, Jiang, what brings you here at this hour? Are you looking for your uncle? He’s out at the fields..." The old woman greeted him warmly, grabbing his hand and immediately telling a three-or-four-year-old child to run and fetch him.

Jiang Yihua quickly called the child back, then pulled a handful of candy from his pocket for the little ones to share.

He smiled and said, "Fourth Granny Bian, it’s nothing urgent. I can just tell you. When my uncle gets back, you can pass on a message for me."

The old woman grinned widely. "Alright, go on then. But you have to stay for lunch! I’ll cook some meat for you!"

"Oh, I couldn’t possibly," Jiang Yihua said, waving his hands in refusal. "Fourth Granny Bian, there’s a ton of work at the farm. I only managed to get two hours of leave."

It was the peak of the busy season and they were short-handed everywhere, so the old woman didn’t press the issue. She just insisted he come over for a meal once he was done with his work.

Jiang Yihua agreed, then lowered his voice. "Fourth Granny Bian, Chi, who is stationed here, has been a neighbor of our Jiang Family for some twenty years."

"When I came to drop some things off, I saw she was quite sick, but there was no one here to look after her. Back where we’re from, she’s a bit... delicate. We all dote on her like a younger sister."

"If the work at our farm wasn’t even more demanding, I’d have applied to get her transferred over there."

"Now that Zishi is about to marry Comrade Bian from your village, it’s not really appropriate for him to be looking after her anymore. So I was hoping you, my uncle, and the rest of the family could keep an eye on her from time to time."

"I estimate it won’t be long before she’s due to return to the city, and she’ll need your help with the arrangements when that time comes."

Fourth Granny Bian laughed, grabbing his arm. She leaned in and, mimicking his hushed tone, asked:

"Jiang, be honest with your granny. You fancy this young Chi, don’t you?"

"Ai, don’t be in such a hurry to deny it. Your granny has seen a thing or two. I know that between a man and a woman, if they aren’t blood-related or romantically involved, there’s no such thing as any other kind of ’feeling’."

"All this talk of ’friendship’ is just people fooling themselves."

"She’s not your blood sister, she’s pretty and sweet-tempered, and besides being too delicate and weak to handle manual labor, she’s got no flaws. It’s perfectly normal for you to like her. Your brother is just about to get married, and you suddenly pop up to show all this concern for her, yet you’re telling your granny you have no designs on her?"

"Hmph. Do you take your granny for a fool? You really think I’d believe that?"

"Since she’s going to be our Jiang’s future wife, never mind your uncle and aunt—Granny herself will watch over her for you!"

"You definitely came to the right person. With one word from your Fourth Granny Bian, Chi will be able to walk all over Bian Family Village and no one will dare say boo. We’ll see who dares to bully her then."

"However," Fourth Granny Bian said, shaking her head with a sly, squinting look.

"If she’s *not* our Jiang’s intended, well, then your granny and your uncle and aunt won’t be nearly so invested. Every family has a mountain of its own problems. Who has the energy to worry about outsiders?"

"But there’s a big difference between one of your own and a neighbor’s kid, wouldn’t you say, Jiang?"