Chapter 16: The Spirited Little Trickster of the Seventies (16)

Page 1/3

The female protagonist, Li Xinxin, was born into a family that favored sons over daughters. Her father was the second son, with an older brother above him and a younger brother below. Thus, the second household was the least favored. After being pushed by her cousin and lying in bed for three days, her personality changed dramatically upon waking. She was no longer meek and submissive, nor did she endure hardship for the sake of filial piety. In short, she became much harder to control than before.

In reality, Li Xinxin had not traveled through time or been reborn; she had simply awakened as a woman. Since being obedient and well-behaved brought her no good, why should she continue down that path? It was better to go wild and make people afraid to underestimate her. The barefoot need not fear the shod; she had nearly met the King of Hell—what was she afraid of from a few old nags?

The aunts said whatever they wanted, and Liu Suisui listened casually. Although she had only met the female lead once, the impression left was quite favorable. It was no surprise she could be the protagonist—her upright, honorable demeanor was unmistakable. Who would call her a scheming vixen? Although Liu Suisui did not know why the protagonist was the antagonist’s beloved in the story, so far she saw nothing unusual in the interactions between Li Xiangyang and the female lead—no rose-colored illusions, just normal exchanges. Perhaps this would become clearer in time.

After a long, bumpy journey, the ox cart finally arrived at the commune. Most people headed straight for the supply and marketing cooperative, as there was nowhere else worth going. Liu Suisui disembarked and followed Chen Zhiqing. “Hurry, hurry! If we’re any later, the good stuff will be gone,” Chen Zhiqing urged, abandoning her usual calm and dragging Liu Suisui into a sprint toward the cooperative.

By the time they reached the entrance, many people were already waiting. When the doors opened, the crowd surged inside. “Give me a soap, a yard of cloth, and some of that too.” “Hey, hey, don’t push me—I got here first!” “Saleswoman, do you still have egg cakes? I want to buy a pound.” The scene was chaotic and noisy, so much so that standing nearby felt like the ears were about to burst. The crowd consisted mostly of middle-aged women and a few girls; hardly any men were present.

There was no choice but to shove forward—otherwise, the good items would be snapped up by others. Liu Suisui frowned and tried to avoid the crowd but was inevitably elbowed. “Chen Zhiqing, you go ahead and buy first. I’ll shop later,” she said, overwhelmed, and stepped back. But then she found herself stuck, unable to retreat further.

Page 2/3

“Stop pushing, stop pushing! If you want to buy something, say so quickly; if not, get out!” The saleswoman, standing behind the counter, glared coldly at the gathered middle-aged women. She then randomly selected someone to help pack their purchases.

After an indeterminate time, it was finally Liu Suisui’s turn. The saleswoman froze for a moment upon seeing her. Liu Suisui was exceptionally fair-skinned with tender, delicate features, resembling a young lady straight out of an ancient manor. Wearing bloomers, she clearly was not from an ordinary family. Among the tall, burly “adults,” she looked like a child left behind—her youthful face and clear eyes stood out.

For some reason, the saleswoman’s tone softened noticeably. “Little one, what would you like to buy?” Though her Mandarin was tinged with a rough accent, the gentleness in her voice was oddly tender. Liu Suisui hesitated briefly before speaking in a soft voice, “Sister, I want to buy some snacks. One soap bar, shampoo, and matches...” She rattled off a list of items in fragments, and the saleswoman patiently listened while gathering them.

Finally, she wrapped the items carefully in greaseproof paper and handed them over. “Here, little one, hold on tight and don’t lose it!” Liu Suisui’s hands trembled slightly as she took the money—was she really that young? After leaving the cooperative, she felt a bit downcast. She had bought everything but something still felt off.

“Phew! Finally got everything. Liu Zhiqing, how about you? Did you get what you wanted?” Chen Zhiqing emerged with disheveled hair, clearly having endured a fierce battle. Liu Suisui showed her the items, which prompted an exclamation of surprise and envy. “Amazing! When I was buying, the saleswoman said this was out of stock and that was gone. Maybe I didn’t bring enough money, or I should have bought more.” Chen Zhiqing’s eyes sparkled with envy.

“Chen Zhiqing, do you know where the scrap collection station is? I want to go look for some things,” Liu Suisui changed the subject. “Yeah, it’s not time to head back yet. I’ll take you there.” “Thanks so much!” “Don’t mention it.” The two carried their goods and headed toward the scrap collection station.

Page 3/3

Elsewhere, after delivering his goods, Li Xiangyang stayed overnight at the commune. The commune had an abandoned house that belonged to his family, though others were unaware. The next day, he planned to take a shortcut back to the village but had barely taken two steps when he saw a familiar figure at the cooperative’s entrance.

He hid in the shadows, observing everything. He watched as the girl frowned amidst the crowd, her small temper rising but held back, not letting it flare. He silently muttered to himself, “Delicate.” Yet, she was so cute, he found himself quite fond of her.

With that thought, he was in no hurry to leave. When the crowd dispersed, he assumed she was leaving, but she headed in a different direction. After some thought, he followed her.

They walked until they reached the scrap collection station. He was puzzled—why would such a delicate young lady come to a place like this? It was grimy and surely messy inside. Didn’t she mind?

“Do you want to come in with me? I need to look for a few things and might take a while,” Liu Suisui asked Chen Zhiqing at the gate. Finding specific things like textbooks in this jumble was difficult. The original owner was a middle schooler yet to enter high school; otherwise, she would have brought the textbooks along.

“I’ll go with you. After all, there’s strength in numbers.” “Great, thank you!” An old man guarded the entrance, lazily glancing at the two girls approaching. “Look for what you want, but remember, don’t take anything you shouldn’t.” “Understood, sir!” Liu Suisui called out crisply before pulling Chen Zhiqing inside.

What they shouldn’t take was clear enough—antiques and such. But at this hour, what could they possibly find?