Volume One, Chapter 13: Strange Emotions

Jiang Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, startled by Lu Xiuyi’s reaction.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

Upon recognizing her, Lu Xiuyi restrained the emotion flickering in his eyes, returning to his usual calm and inscrutable demeanor, as if everything just now had been Jiang Yuan’s illusion.

“Nothing,” the man said casually.

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said, “Well… if you have something on your mind, you can talk to me. Although I can’t solve it, I can be an outlet for you.”

With that, Jiang Yuan turned and went back inside, not intending to provoke his displeasure any further.

Lu Xiuyi watched Jiang Yuan’s departing figure, a strange feeling stirring inside him, but he chose to ignore it.

Because of her sore backside, Jiang Yuan’s original plan to go to the county seat had been postponed for several days.

“Jiang Yuan, are you feeling better yet?” One day, Chen Xiangxiang suddenly showed up.

Chen Xiangxiang was one of the rare close friends Jiang Yuan had in the village.

A few days ago, Jiang Yuan had made plans with her to visit the county seat together. However, Chen Xiangxiang had waited at home for several days without seeing Jiang Yuan come to find her.

“Oh!” Jiang Yuan slapped her forehead. No wonder she had felt like something was missing lately—it was her.

“I’m sorry, Xiangxiang. I forgot to tell you about this.”

Jiang Yuan felt apologetic and embarrassed.

Since that day, unable to go to the county seat, Jiang Yuan had pushed the matter out of her mind and completely forgot to inform Chen Xiangxiang that their trip would be delayed.

“I was counting on you for something,” Chen Xiangxiang said, frustrated that Jiang Yuan had actually forgotten, her mouth twisting in irritation.

Jiang Yuan hugged her arm and pleaded, “I was wrong, I was wrong. Please, Xiangxiang, give me another chance.”

Chen Xiangxiang crossed her arms. “Tch, no sincerity there.”

“Not really, I fell and hurt my backside, that’s why I forgot to come find you.”

“Cut the nonsense.”

“Really, if you don’t believe me, come see.”

“Jiang! Yuan! You little rascal.”

After some playful scolding, they finally stopped. Chen Xiangxiang waved her hand.

“Forget it, I’m a big person—I won’t hold a grudge or bother arguing with you.”

“But…” Her words faltered as she glanced at Jiang Yuan’s backside. “You should be able to go today, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

At Chen Xiangxiang’s house, they took out a twenty-eight-inch bicycle. Jiang Yuan obediently sat on the back seat.

“This is my dad’s new bike that he bought this year. I want to show off a little.”

Chen Xiangxiang turned to Jiang Yuan, eager to demonstrate her newly learned bike skills.

Jiang Yuan cooperated, lifting her feet, ready to watch.

“Watch closely.” Chen Xiangxiang put her foot on the pedal and pushed down hard.

Nothing.

She tried again, still no movement.

“Come on.”

Jiang Yuan sat steady on the back, feeling no movement and urged her on.

Chen Xiangxiang, not convinced, summoned all her strength to pedal. The bike moved, but not much faster than walking.

“You get off,” Jiang Yuan said, putting her foot down. She was starting to lose patience.

Chen Xiangxiang stopped and joked, “You should eat less; you’re almost turning into a ball.”

Jiang Yuan pressed on the back seat; even she found it hard to pedal.

“Well… I guess…” Jiang Yuan scratched her head and shrugged helplessly. She wanted to lose weight too, but it had to be a gradual process.

They switched places, and when Jiang Yuan pressed her feet down, the old bike smoothly rolled forward.

“By the way, Jiang Yuan, when did you learn to ride a bike?” Sitting behind, Chen Xiangxiang suddenly remembered and asked.

“!” Jiang Yuan was startled for a moment. She had forgotten she once couldn’t ride a bike and had learned just a few months ago for work convenience.

“Well… just a few months ago, not long.”

Jiang Yuan’s eyes flickered as she gave a vague answer.

“Oh.” Fortunately, Chen Xiangxiang didn’t press further, and the topic ended there.

The prominent signboard bore the three large characters “Supply and Marketing Cooperative,” with a steady stream of people entering and exiting the door.

“Jiang Yuan, come here quickly! How does this hairpin look?”

Chen Xiangxiang was captivated by the various new hairpins on the shelf and eagerly called Jiang Yuan over.

Hearing her excited voice, Jiang Yuan walked over and glanced at the hairpin she mentioned.

She nodded. “It suits you well.”

“Right?” Chen Xiangxiang’s eyes curved with a smile. She agreed it looked perfect for her and called the clerk, “Hello, can you please bring that pink hairpin over for me?”

The clerk smiled and said, “Certainly,” handing it over.

“Jiang Yuan, you should get one too. We can each have one.”

Chen Xiangxiang clipped the hairpin onto her head and casually suggested.

“No.” Jiang Yuan shook her head without hesitation. The only reason was simple: she was broke.

After leaving the cooperative, Jiang Yuan bought some fabric, planning to make her own clothes.

Chen Xiangxiang, on the other hand, carried both hands full, yet seemed a bit reluctant to stop shopping.

“Ah, I wish I could one day go to the department store in the city to shop. I heard the clothes and dresses there are really beautiful.”

Her tone was tinged with deep longing.

Jiang Yuan thought Chen Xiangxiang was already quite fortunate. Her father was the village accountant, and she had several older brothers protecting her—she was completely spoiled growing up.

“Stop dreaming. Don’t you still have to go to the post office to pick up a letter?”

“Yeah, I can’t keep thinking about it, or else I’ll just feel more resentful.” Chen Xiangxiang was still wistful.

The post office was not far from the cooperative, just a few steps away. Jiang Yuan pushed the bike while Chen Xiangxiang walked beside her, carrying her full hands.

“Ah!”

Halfway there, Chen Xiangxiang suddenly exclaimed, then “bang”—the things in her hands were knocked to the ground.

“What kind of person is that?”

Chen Xiangxiang’s face flushed with anger as she glared at the man who bumped into her without apologizing and walked away.

Jiang Yuan was about to squat down to help pick up the items, but her gaze froze as she watched the man quickly walk away—his posture straight, clothes neat, with a military-green embroidered bag slung across his shoulder, looking quite refined.

Chen Xiangxiang grumbled, “What bad luck, my good mood’s been ruined by him.”

Jiang Yuan continued staring at the man, an inexplicable unease stirring in her heart.

“Hey,” Chen Xiangxiang, having picked up her things, saw Jiang Yuan like this and nudged her shoulder with a kind reminder, “What are you staring at? Don’t forget you’re a married woman. How can you be looking at other men like that?”

Jiang Yuan snapped back to reality and glared at her.

“What nonsense are you talking about? My husband and I have a great relationship. He even told me to come back early because he worries if it gets dark.”

Jiang Yuan said this convincingly, as if it were the truth.

Chen Xiangxiang was momentarily dazzled, wanting to say something but decided it wasn’t worth exposing her.

Others might not know, but she surely knew what was really going on between them.

“Let’s go.”

Chen Xiangxiang was the first to start walking forward.

After leaving, the two quickly dismissed the little incident from their minds.