Chapter 143: This... Is This the Betrothal Gift?

Zhang Shuting and Feng Wanjia were eating, occasionally stealing glances at Lin Jingyue. They admired her to the point of absolute devotion. To be able to tame the "Great Demon King of Kyoto" so thoroughly was simply legendary.

The two exchanged a look, instantly understanding each other’s thoughts, and nodded emphatically. Yes, they must never offend Lin Jingyue in the future—or rather, they must curry favor with her. As long as they pleased her, what was there to fear from the Great Demon King?

Lin Jingyue noticed their strange smiles and muttered to Jiang Xun and Zhou Yan, feeling at a loss for words, "Are they... something wrong with them?"

Jiang Xun didn't even look up. "Perhaps they need training."

Zhou Yan’s mouth twitched violently, and he nearly spat out the soup he had just sipped. "You really are..." The rest of his sentence was swallowed back under Jiang Xun’s steady gaze.

After the meal, Jiang Xun had Zhou Yan wash the dishes while he returned to his room, retrieved a package, and handed it directly to Lin Jingyue. "Specialties from the Northwest, along with some pelts. I’ve had them made into a blanket; it’s very warm."

"There are also some things I stumbled upon this time inside. Keep them and play with them," Jiang Xun said, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Lin Jingyue understood immediately; the items inside were likely of significant value. She nodded.

A while later, back in her room, she opened the package. Aside from the local specialties and the blanket, there were two boxes—one palm-sized and the other about a foot in length, width, and height. The boxes were somewhat worn and lacked intricate patterns, but they looked primitive and elegant. Moreover, they were made of high-quality yellow rosewood. They had been around for quite some time.

Lin Jingyue raised an eyebrow, a guess forming in her mind. As expected, she opened the smaller box to find a pair of jadeite bracelets. They were icy, translucent, and moist, with a dense, fine texture, a rich jelly-like luster, and a charming, vibrant green color. It was "Imperial Green" ice-variety jadeite, which, in the future, would be worth millions. Her eyes curved into crescents as she closed the box and opened the larger one.

Her smile deepened. The box was filled with a dazzling array of treasures. She took stock: a pair of filigree-inlaid ruby bracelets, a pair of pure gold bracelets, two gold chains, four gold rings, five small gold bars, two strings of jadeite beads, a pair of jadeite rings, a blue diamond necklace, a pink diamond necklace, two pieces of Imperial Green jade plaques, and one red jadeite bracelet. They were all exquisite.

Lin Jingyue examined them one by one. With her keen eye, she naturally knew their worth. In her past life, she had collected blue and pink diamonds herself, spending a fortune; rare diamonds were usually hard to come by at any price—excluding the tiny diamond chips under a carat, of course. No woman could resist jewelry, and she was, naturally, a person of worldly tastes. Although it wasn't fashionable to wear such things in this era, having them was a different matter entirely. She was particularly fond of that pair of bracelets; despite some minor flaws in the texture, they were still rare treasures.

She couldn't resist trying one on. Against her wrist, which was as white as frost and snow, the translucent emerald bracelet made her skin look even more delicate, like jade.

She couldn't help but rub the slight calluses on her fingertips, feeling a bit dissatisfied. As a young lady from the twenty-first century, her life was becoming increasingly rough.

...

The next day, when she got up for work, Jiang Xun was already simmering porridge. She washed her face and leaned in, her moist eyes blinking. "What’s the meaning of this? A betrothal gift?"

Jiang Xun chuckled softly. "Hardly. Just some little trinkets, doesn't count." For the girl he loved, this bit of a betrothal gift was nowhere near enough.

Seeing him dismiss them so lightly, Lin Jingyue’s mouth twitched. She rolled her eyes at him and said nothing more.

Jiang Xun had made pumpkin and millet porridge, thick and sweet. He also fried egg pancakes and stir-fried shredded potatoes to roll inside. Lin Jingyue ate three pancakes in a row before stopping.

"Are you going to work today?" she asked while sipping her porridge.

"Yes. Don't push yourself too hard later; I'll come to help you once I'm finished," Jiang Xun said, thinking of her usual delicate demeanor. Although his girl was strong, she couldn't endure hardship, and she didn't have to. "By the way, I’ll keep an ear out for the school project." Zhou Yan had told him about it last night. If it hadn't been finalized yet, there was a chance it could be established at the Qingshan Brigade. Having a school would be good; then Jingyue wouldn't have to work in the fields.

"Alright." Lin Jingyue felt a warmth in her heart. She felt that with this person back, life had more flavor. There were still two years until the college entrance exams; if there were a school, she... would be willing to tolerate the bratty kids. Or rather, she hoped the bratty kids could tolerate her.

...

"I hope we get assigned together today." Upon reaching the work site, Sun Lanlan abandoned her own man, Cai Jinzhou, and came to Lin Jingyue’s side. Xie Wenjuan, who hadn't been far from Lin Jingyue, silently took two steps back. Sorry, she didn't want to be with those two.

"Aren't you afraid of someone poaching your man by abandoning him like that?" Lin Jingyue narrowed her eyes and nudged her, gesturing for her to look over.

Sun Lanlan, initially confused, suddenly narrowed her eyes. "That little hussy..." Over there, approaching Cai Jinzhou, was none other than Li Cuihua, the divorced daughter of the brigade leader. As soon as Li Cuihua arrived, she only saw Cai Jinzhou and hadn't noticed Sun Lanlan. Her eyes flickered, and she instinctively leaned in. "Comrade Cai, you..."

"Whoa, who are you?" Hearing her voice, Cai Jinzhou nearly jumped three feet into the air. Ever since Li Cuihua got divorced, his own wife had been lecturing him daily until he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "You, you, stay away from me. I don't know you." He dodged her as if she were a plague.

Li Cuihua’s expression froze. She just wanted to say hello to Cai Jinzhou; she didn't want anything else. Why the huge reaction? People nearby who saw this were snickering, and Auntie Chun and the others darkened their expressions.

"Hahaha..." Not far away, Sun Lanlan stood with her hands on her hips, laughing unreservedly.

The scene: "..."

Noticing the brigade leader’s face also turning dark, Lin Jingyue suppressed her laughter and tugged at Sun Lanlan’s sleeve. "Alright, you have to live here, don't offend people too deeply."

Sun Lanlan gradually stopped laughing, looking at Lin Jingyue with a strange expression, as if surprised that she understood social nuances. Lin Jingyue was amused by her look, pushed her away, and turned her head. "I'm not working with you today."

"...Childish."

In the end, the two weren't assigned together. Working with Lin Jingyue were Chen Chunlan and... Li Erya. Yes, the same Li Erya who had married Lin Xinjian. Lin Jingyue hadn't seen her since their wedding and was nearly startled upon seeing her now. Was this ghost-thin person really Li Erya? Her eye sockets were sunken, and she was nothing but skin and bones. Life must have been very hard for her.

But! Her eyes were very bright. Unlike the timid person she used to be, there was light in her eyes now, a certain spirit... Lin Jingyue felt conflicted. Perhaps... Li Erya had gotten involved with Lin Xinjian in an attempt to escape her fate, but she had chosen the wrong method. In those circumstances, no man could tolerate it. It was likely that after the marriage, Lin Xinjian not only treated her poorly but also tormented her. This was truly...