Chapter 339 - 128: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (15)
Chapter 339: Chapter 128: The Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Period Novel (15)
The shrill cry roused Zheng, who was resting in her room. Despite feeling unwell, she slipped on her shoes and ran outside.
"What’s wrong, Chi? Did you see a mouse, or was it a snake?"
When she rushed to the kitchen doorway, she saw Chi Yun’er cowering and trembling inside. A dark figure stood stock-still in the doorway, giving even her a fright.
But she quickly recognized him by his signature glasses.
Seeing him standing there drenched, Zheng couldn’t help but ask in a small, trembling voice, "Is that you, Huang? W-what are you doing here?"
She was usually boisterous and straightforward, wearing her heart on her sleeve. With no talent for scheming, she was often used as a pawn by others.
But now, even she could sense something was wrong.
Huang slowly took off his glasses, wiped them with a corner of his equally damp shirt, and put them back on. He glanced down at the soot from the bottom of a pot covering his clothes, then looked up and shot Chi Yun’er a gloomy glare.
He stepped aside from the kitchen doorway and said flatly, "I overslept and came to the kitchen to wash my face. I didn’t expect anyone to be inside. I suppose Chi mistook me for a bad guy."
Zheng let out a long sigh of relief, patting her chest as she smiled at Chi Yun’er.
"It was all a misunderstanding, Chi. Are you done bathing? If so, hurry on out and let Huang wash up. Don’t keep him from his work."
Everyone at the Educated Youth spot knew Huang was a work-point fiend. Delaying him from earning work points was practically a death sentence.
Chi Yun’er nodded, quickly rinsed her washbasin, and walked out carrying her dirty clothes.
She looked at Zheng, who was giving her a silly smile. Pressing her lips together, Chi Yun’er also gave a light smile and asked in a low voice, "Are you not feeling well, Zheng?"
The other woman nodded listlessly. "It’s that time of the month for me. I just have no energy, so I decided to take the night off to rest."
"Oh, right. Chi, do you have any more brown sugar? I used up the last of mine and forgot to get more. Do you want me to buy some to replace it next time, or I can give you some crackers for it?"
Zheng’s family was also fairly well-off. Every month, she received money and ration tickets mailed from her parents, and every so often, she’d get a decently sized package. She was better off than most, though not among the wealthiest.
Out of the corner of her eye, Chi Yun’er saw Huang heading back to his room for a change of clothes. She then turned her gaze to the rather pretty Zheng, whose face was scrunched up in discomfort.
Suddenly, she remembered something!
’As batch after batch of Educated Youth were sent to the countryside with very few ever returning, the hope in everyone’s hearts grew dimmer. They waited and waited, year after year, until some couldn’t hold on any longer. They started marrying locals or pairing up with other Educated Youth just to get by.’
’If not for what had just happened, no one would have thought twice when Huang and Zheng held their wedding in two months, alongside Jiang Zishi and Bian Yumin. Nor when Zheng prematurely gave birth to a daughter the following year.’
’Chi Yun’er’s senses were sharp. She was certain Huang had been standing outside the door for quite a while. She didn’t know what he had been thinking, but his breathing was exceptionally heavy!’
’If Huang wasn’t plotting something, would he really make a rookie mistake like oversleeping, especially during the "double rush" harvest when work points were plentiful? It could only mean that by staying back, he stood to gain something far more valuable than work points.’
’In her past life, that prize was Zheng. In this life, had he set his sights on her—the new fat sheep?’
Chi Yun’er nodded. "Yes, I have some. Brother Hua brought me a new bag just yesterday, and I haven’t even opened it. You take it for now. When you get more, you can just give it back to me at the farm."
Zheng was taken aback and asked blankly, "Chi, aren’t you afraid I won’t pay you back?"
"What’s there to be afraid of?" Chi Yun’er said with a smile, leading her into the room. "Just for the way you rushed out without hesitation just now, a bag of brown sugar is nothing."
"Even if you did keep my bag of brown sugar, it would only look like you’d taken advantage of me. In reality, I would have gotten a clear look at your true character. I’d say that’s a lesson well worth the price."
Zheng laughed. "Chi, what if I told you I only ran out to watch the show?"
Chi Yun’er shrugged. "So what if you did? If I had really run into a snake, would you have just watched the show and not lent a helping hand?"
Zheng smiled and nodded. "True. Sometimes the show isn’t so easy to just watch."
Once inside, Chi Yun’er made no effort to hide anything, pulling a packet of brown sugar directly from her fully stocked cabinet.
Zheng thanked her graciously. Then, she hesitated before lowering her voice. "Chi, from now on, you should probably bathe when everyone else is around."
"I don’t think Huang is that kind of person, but... you’re just so beautiful. Even as a woman, I can’t help but admire your fine, delicate skin."