C8 Chapter 8

Gu Jianjun watched Liu Wenmei leave, glanced toward the river, then turned and headed back to the Sent-down Youth dormitory.

He’d heard the door open earlier and assumed it was trouble, so he’d been ready to step out and help. Instead, through the crack, he saw Liu Wenmei hauling Sunn Tiantian as they climbed out of the Sent-down Youth compound.

Shocked by Wenmei’s agility—and thinking back to what had happened when he ran into her that afternoon—Gu Jianjun decided to tail them and see what was going on.

Given what she was capable of, he didn’t dare follow too closely. But they weren’t exactly whispering, so he still caught every word from start to finish.

Thinking about all the things Wu Xiaowu usually pulled around the village, he was stunned to realize just how vicious Sunn Tiantian really was.

The next morning, Wenmei was up at the crack of dawn, running through the Body Refining Technique twice in her room. Only after that did she hear the sounds of people outside washing up.

She took out some water from her space to rinse off, then stepped out. Wang Aixiang immediately grabbed her hand. “Mei, you’re up early today. Did last night scare you?”

Hearing Aixiang bring up the night before, Wenmei’s stomach tightened—she thought they might’ve figured something out.

“I don’t know where it came from, but there was this sniffling, sobbing sound half the night,” Aixiang complained, assuming Wenmei had been frightened. “It gave me goosebumps. If I find out who it was, I’m gonna scratch her face up.”

Maybe it was the change of scenery—no zombies to worry about—but Wenmei had slept like a rock and hadn’t heard a thing. Still, it was probably Tiantian.

While Aixiang made breakfast, Wenmei decided to take a walk and get familiar with the area.

She circled their yard wall twice. It felt a little low—too easy to climb—so she decided that later she’d go up into the hills and find something like briar roses to plant outside. Once they grew in, they’d make a solid barrier.

When Wenmei got back, breakfast was ready. After everyone finished eating, she brought up that she wanted to go out to work with them.

“Mei, you’ve got it good at home. We can afford to keep you. What if you get hurt out in the fields?” Huang Guihua was the first to object when she heard Mei wanted to go work.

“Grandma, it’s fine. I want to earn my own work points too. I can do it now!” Liu Wenmei blinked at Huang Guihua.

Right now, besides absorbing Crystal Cores and practicing the Body Refining Technique, she needed to use her strength more. That was the fastest way to get this body used to her power.

“Mom, let Mei go try it,” Liu Xianming said, backing his daughter up. “If she can’t handle it, I’ll have her come back.” They doted on her, sure—but she was growing up, and one day she’d marry. There were things she still needed to learn, at least on the surface.

Huang Guihua thought it over. The busy season was still a ways off. For now it was just weeding and picking off bugs, so she let Mei go along.

Before they even reached the fields, Liu Wenmei was already getting stared at. Lee Lamei, in particular, put on a fake-sweet tone. “Well, look at that—Wenmei finally decided to show up for work today. What a rare sight!”

“Mrs. Lee, don’t think you can run your mouth just because you’re older,” Wang Aixiang shot back, not about to let anyone say a single ugly word about Wenmei. “Our Mei hasn’t eaten a bite of your food. You sure like sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

She was jealous, plain and simple. It was just her and her grandson at home. She wished her grandson could lounge around too, but if he didn’t work, they didn’t eat. Every time she saw how fair and well-kept Wenmei looked, she couldn’t help taking a jab.

Not long ago, Lee Lamei had gone to Huang Guihua, trying to push a match between Wenmei and her grandson, Huzi. She hadn’t even finished before Huang Guihua chased her out with a broom. And with the way Lee Lamei loved to gossip, a big chunk of the rumors about Wenmei had started with her. Wang Aixiang had zero respect left to give.