Chapter 317 - 120: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (7)
Chapter 317: Chapter 120: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (7)
A gentle smile played on Chi Yun’er’s lips, but her eyes were a desolate wasteland.
’People are all selfish. No one would bother to cultivate a relationship unless there was something to be gained. Besides, humans, like animals and plants, instinctively pursue advantages and avoid harm.’
’In her past life, their inaction had left her trapped in a quagmire with no hope of escape. But in this life, she had to change her strategy and maintain good relations with everyone to accomplish her plans.’
’The old her would have scorned maintaining such hypocritical, calculated relationships. But survival was truly difficult, and no one could cling to their old stubbornness in the face of certain death!’
"Is Chi here?" a young girl asked in a small, shy voice as she peeked her head in.
Chi Yun’er was a slow eater and had only just taken a couple of bites. She looked toward the voice, smiled, and beckoned the girl over. "I’m here. Come on in."
As she spoke, she pulled a few fruit candies from her pocket and pressed them into the girl’s hands.
It was rare for anyone to come looking for her, especially a girl of about ten. Chi Yun’er watched her with curiosity. ’This never happened in my past life!’
The young girl pursed her lips into a smile and blinked. She pushed the bowl she was holding toward her. "My grandma steamed this egg custard with minced pork for Chi. She even added sesame oil. It smells amazing."
Chi Yun’er was taken aback. The egg tea the other educated youths had promised her was just empty words—who would have given it a second thought? Yet this young girl had just casually handed her a heaping bowl of steamed egg with minced pork. It looked like it was made with two eggs and a generous amount of meat.
The young girl smiled, unwrapped one of the candies, and popped it into her mouth. She carefully tucked the pretty wrapper into her pocket and said indistinctly, "Chi, my grandpa is the village party secretary."
Then she leaned mysteriously toward Chi Yun’er’s ear and whispered in a tiny voice:
"Uncle Jiang was the one who came to our house and specifically told my grandma to do it!"
"And another thing... You and Uncle Jiang really think alike. You both love giving us candy..."
Chi Yun’er’s face flushed, and she couldn’t resist pressing another handful of candy on the girl.
This time, however, the young girl dodged her and ran off with a giggle. "It’s okay, Chi! You can give me more next time."
The others shot gossipy looks toward Chi Yun’er, their gazes veiled and inscrutable.
"You’re that close with the village party secretary’s family, Chi?"
In their minds, Chi Yun’er was incredibly delicate. Aside from trips into town, she rarely went out and was often unwilling to even step outside her room.
For one, the sun was too vicious. She couldn’t stand the oppressive summer heat and didn’t want to get tanned dark, so she would all but hide herself away.
For another, she was unwilling to set her "precious" feet in a yard filled with chicken and duck droppings, which would sully her pretty shoes.
In short, no matter how stunned or attracted people were by her beauty at first, they couldn’t stand her after one or two interactions. Her delicate airs and her condescending attitude, which made it seem like she looked down on the entire world, were just too much.
So, how in the world did Chi Yun’er get connected with the village party secretary’s family, to the point that they would come running to her door to deliver such good things?
Chi Yun’er simply smiled. Ignoring the eyes glued to her bowl, she calmly picked up her spoon and began to eat in small bites.
’They must have added some vinegar, soy sauce, and starch. It cut through any gaminess from the egg and meat, leaving it savory, fragrant, smooth, and tender.’
She had already begun to piece things together in her mind.
’She remembered in her past life, when Jiang Zishi came home for a funeral, the village party secretary’s family had also hung out white mourning cloths. The entire family had wailed their hearts out. The sound, though faint, had reached her ears—a miserable, sorrowful cry that lasted for three whole days and nights.’
’Unless they were truly and utterly heartbroken, they wouldn’t have collapsed like that. It was a level of grief impossible to fake—unless one was a professional mourner.’
’Jiang Yihua must have done the village party secretary’s family an immense favor. That’s why, after he died, their family mourned for him with the highest possible honors.’
Chi Yun’er couldn’t help but wonder. ’Just what kind of person was this Jiang Yihua, who was practically revered as a god of academics by the younger generation at the Kyoto Mansion?’
Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to voice her speculations. She just smiled and said, "Oh, it’s nothing. The village party secretary’s family is just really decent. I happened to run into their child on the way back from picking up a package and gave them a few candies."
"The adults didn’t want to take advantage, so they returned the favor with a bowl of egg custard with minced pork."
She finished with a pointed sigh of admiration. "They raise their children so well. With kids like that, the family is bound for success. They understand gratitude and know that relationships are built on reciprocity. Once they have a good network, what can’t they accomplish?"
They were ordinary words, but she delivered them so naturally and directly that the others couldn’t help but look awkward.
Though they had hardly ever spoken to Chi Yun’er and were deeply prejudiced against her, that hadn’t stopped them from trailing after Jiang Zishi to leech some benefits for themselves...