When She Stops Being Dramatic

Before she could come to a decision, Little Hemiao showed up at her door, carrying a basket full of fresh river delicacies.

Beads of sweat dotted the little girl’s small, sun-tanned face, but she was beaming, her teeth seeming to sparkle. She was utterly delightful.

Chi Yun’er quickly pulled her inside. Smiling, she went to the well in the backyard, pulled up a jar of mung bean soup she had been chilling, and poured it into a porcelain bowl.

"Here. I put this in the well to cool before I did the laundry. The temperature should be perfect now—not too cold, but enough to cool you down and quench your thirst."

He Miao smiled and set down her basket. She wiped her hands on her clothes, then peeked at Chi Yun’er. Seeing the gentle smile on Chi Yun’er’s face and no hint of disgust, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and happily lifted the bowl, sipping from it cautiously.

The mung bean soup was indeed cool and refreshing, with a delicate sweetness. Even the beans at the bottom of the bowl had a soft, almost sandy texture. All the sweltering heat vanished in an instant. The combination of taste and sensation surpassed the little girl’s understanding of fine food. It was so delicious and comforting that she couldn’t help but sigh.

"Take the rest to your parents and your brother and sister-in-law later. But don’t tell anyone I made it," Chi Yun’er said softly with a light laugh, preempting the little girl’s refusal. "After all, this is what you traded your basket of river delicacies for. I wouldn’t want people to say I’m taking advantage of a child."

Little Hemiao giggled. "Why would they say that? If I told anyone, there would be a whole crowd of kids at your door, Chi, all holding river delicacies and waiting to trade with you!"

"It’s all free stuff from the river. We just put a basket in, and it’s full in less than half a day..."

Chi Yun’er smiled and nodded with mock seriousness. "Then you have to be even more careful to keep my secret."

After all, the mung bean soup she made for the other educated youths was a half-hearted effort. She’d just boil it long enough to get some flavor out before setting it aside. But for this batch, she had left a small pot on medium heat, stirring constantly, adding rock sugar and mint, and only putting it in the well to chill after the beans had broken down into a soft, sandy consistency.

Little Hemiao generously held up the clay pot. "Chi, I’ll bring the pot back to you later..."

With that, she ran off to share the treat with her family.

Chi Yun’er’s gaze fell on the basket of river delicacies. Small, lively river shrimp were mixed with a scattering of small fish and crabs.

The kitchen had few types of seasonings, and not much of them either. So, she simply washed the catch and steamed it, then made a dipping sauce with chili, garlic, soy sauce, and a little bit of lard.

Chi Yun’er pan-fried a few loofah and egg pancakes. She set aside a bowl of the river shrimp as payment for the seasonings she’d used, then placed the rest on a plate back into the basket. She grabbed another clay pot of the thick mung bean soup, put on a conical hat, wrapped a cloth around her exposed neck, locked her door, and headed to the farm without trying to avoid the people working in the fields.

The path from Bian Family Village to the farm was a relatively wide dirt road. In the fields on either side, people were feverishly harvesting wheat. As far as the eye could see, there were rolling waves of wheat shimmering under the dazzling sun. It truly looked as if the land was paved with gold, filled everywhere with the joy of a bountiful harvest!

A smile touched Chi Yun’er’s lips, but she didn’t feel particularly moved. ’People are complicated creatures,’ she thought. ’An honest and simple appearance doesn’t necessarily mean a kind and friendly heart. It could just as easily hide arrogance and ignorance.’

’In my previous life, I tried to escape this place time and time again. If it weren’t for the "kind help" of these villagers, how could I have been trapped here for twenty years, my pleas for justice unanswered, right up until the end of my life?’

Chi Yun’er’s heart was tightly shut.

’This time, I won’t become a great villain, but I certainly can’t bring myself to be kind anymore!’

The farm wasn’t far, but it still took her nearly an hour of walking and resting before she finally saw the wooden sign for Zhaoyang Farm.

"Comrade, who are you looking for?" Seeing a graceful and slender young woman on the road, the men, whose eyes were blurry with sweat, felt their spent energy return. One of them shouted with a grin.

"I bet she’s looking for Jiang, right? I don’t get how news travels so fast when we’re all dead tired during the day."

"You’re not kidding. The news that we’re passing through the Capital City on our way to Mongolia flew out of here as if it had grown wings. From last night until now, there’s been an endless stream of people asking Jiang and the others to bring things back for them..."

Chi Yun’er looked up. Her dazzlingly fair skin and watery eyes were like a Soul Capturing Tower, rooting everyone who looked at her to the spot.

She smiled, pressing her lips together. She was used to the shock people felt the first time they saw her, deceived by her appearance. She asked softly, "Comrade, I am indeed looking for Jiang. Do you know where I might find him?"

The young man she had looked at felt his blood boil. His tan face flushed a deep red, and he lowered his head so far it nearly touched his chest. He stammered for a long moment, unable to speak, and simply pointed in a direction.