Chapter 10: Astonishing the Entire Family

When Lin Jingyue arrived at the county town, night had already fallen. If it weren’t summer, she would have been plunged into utter darkness. She hurried to locate the guesthouse, used her letter of introduction to secure a room, locked the door behind her, and slipped into her space.

Inside the space, it was as bright as day. The two acres in front of the warehouse, where she’d planted vegetables and rice, had already sprouted and grown. It wasn’t that Lin Jingyue lacked common sense, but this land required no seedlings—everything was astonishingly simple. She sipped a cup of spring water infused with spiritual energy, ate a large meat bun, and wandered leisurely into the orchard to pick an apple, biting into its crisp flesh. Anything produced in the space was guaranteed to be the finest.

The apple was fragrant, sweet, and bursting with juice. Lin Jingyue’s eyes narrowed with pleasure. For once, conscience stirred within her and she wondered where the original owner of this body had gone.

If only they could have swapped places. The original owner, sent to the twenty-first century, would surely have thrived—her fiery temper combined with her wealth would have made her unstoppable. The thought of her cheap parents’ dramatic expressions made Lin Jingyue laugh aloud. Having a troublesome little demon torment them was rather entertaining.

After finishing the apple, Lin Jingyue began to organize the items she’d bring back the next day. She had purchased quite a lot from the department store: two quilts, one weighing six pounds and another eight, three thick cotton jackets, two lighter ones, two pairs of cotton pants, two wool sweaters, and two pairs of woolen pants. Money was never an issue for her, so she never skimped; when the cotton wasn’t enough, she’d even visited the black market.

There were also some daily necessities: a thermos, enamel basin, aluminum lunch box, and military canteen—all things the original owner had possessed. She didn’t mind; after all, it was the same body—why be picky? She’d also brought along the original owner’s summer clothes, still nearly new.

For food, she planned to keep some sugar and biscuits out in the open to divert suspicion. After gathering a pile of things, Lin Jingyue looked up to find a huge bundle at her feet. She twitched her lips but didn’t take anything out; with such a large package as cover, she could bring out whatever she liked in the future without raising eyebrows.

She reviewed her assets: over four hundred yuan left by the original owner, nine hundred from selling a job, and more than sixteen hundred she’d collected from Lin Father’s room. After expenses, she still had nearly twenty-nine hundred yuan—a fortune for this era. That was why she wasn’t in a rush to risk the black market. She had no shortage of money and could afford to wait until she was more familiar with things.

She also had plenty of ration tickets, mostly acquired from Lin Father. Some were about to expire, so she planned to use them up this time; those with longer dates would be saved.

The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Lin Jingyue checked the time and emerged from her space. Leaving the guesthouse, she wandered around the county town, familiarizing herself with its layout.

By noon, she carried her lunch box into the state-run restaurant. The menu for the day was chalked onto a small blackboard. Lin Jingyue ordered braised pork, a serving of rice, and a plate of stir-fried cabbage. She knew the generous portions of this era—her first meal had shocked her entire family with its abundance!

“Comrade Lin?” Lin Jingyue was thoroughly enjoying her meal when she heard a familiar voice.

“Comrade Zhou? You’re here for lunch, too?” What a coincidence—it was Zhou Yan, Jiang Xun, and Lin Xinrou, the trio. Their gazes toward her were decidedly unfriendly.

Lin Jingyue didn’t care, flashing a provocative look at them, nearly driving the trio to jump in frustration. She laughed joyfully. Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan witnessed this and chuckled as well; they hadn’t expected Lin Jingyue to be so audacious.

Zhou Yan quickly ordered food and, with easy familiarity, sat across from Lin Jingyue. Jiang Xun sat beside her.

“...Aren’t there other seats?” Lin Jingyue was somewhat speechless.

“Friends should sit together,” Zhou Yan waved it off.

He glanced at Lin Xinrou’s trio not far away, lowered his voice, and said, “You weren’t at the youth point last night, so you don’t know. That Lin Xinrou put on quite a performance—singing, acting, the whole lot—just to smear your name.”

“Oh? And why are you telling me this?” Lin Jingyue looked coolly at Lin Xinrou.

Only when Lin Xinrou flinched and shrank back, did Lin Jingyue withdraw her gaze in satisfaction. Some people are just gluttons for punishment, always returning for more after every defeat.

“I just like you,” Zhou Yan said seriously. “That Lin Xinrou has nothing but malice for you.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’m the villain, harming others first?”

“Not at all. I like you, so whatever you do looks good to me.”

Lin Jingyue: “...”

Jiang Xun glanced at Zhou Yan, saying nothing, but Zhou Yan understood and immediately made a “zip it” gesture.

Lin Jingyue laughed aloud; this trio was indeed amusing.

Next, Zhou Yan and Jiang Xun watched as Mu Zhixu polished off a portion of braised pork, a large bowl of rice, and a plate of stir-fried cabbage, their eyes wide with shock.

Jiang Xun smiled gently and pushed their freshly served dishes toward Lin Jingyue, “Would you like to eat a bit more?”

Heaven help her, that voice was like a breeze brushing the mountain ridge—clear and pleasant.

Lin Jingyue blinked, “No, I’m full.”

Zhou Yan couldn’t help himself, “Comrade Lin, you eat so much…” How can someone with such slender arms and legs eat like that?

Lin Jingyue arched a brow and replied meaningfully, “You’ll see soon enough.”

She rose, bade farewell to the pair, and left the state-run restaurant. She strolled through the post office and the supply and marketing cooperative, especially the latter—afterward, even her hair was slightly disheveled. The aunties had been far too aggressive.

Timing it just right, Lin Jingyue headed to the ox cart parking area to hitch a ride, along with the enormous bundle she had smuggled from her space.

How big was it? From behind, only two slender legs could be seen—the shadow looked like a giant creature with two feet.

Several youths by the ox cart: “!!!”

Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan behind her: “...!!!”

Lin Jingyue seemed oblivious to everyone’s surprise, calmly carrying the huge bundle forward and setting it down beside the ox cart. She dusted off her hands, her face unruffled.

The atmosphere was a bit strange.

“...Comrade Lin, your bundle is so big, the ox might not be able to bear it,” Uncle Li, the cart driver, looked at Lin Jingyue, worried for his animal.

There were so many people who needed a ride.

Two aunties already seated on the cart eyed Lin Jingyue’s bundle, their eyes spinning with curiosity, “Comrade Lin, what’s inside?”

“Sure enough, city girls have lots of nice things. Your parents must have sent you their entire household’s savings.”

Their words reeked of envy, and they stretched their necks, itching to reach out and rummage.

Lin Jingyue smiled brilliantly, “What family fortune? My father and stepmother felt guilty toward me, so every month they gave me a little money. I saved it up and bought things for myself.”

That was an interesting statement—open to interpretation.

Why would her father and stepmother feel guilty? There was a story there.