DLGSW 06

Chapter 6 

Wen Yue was woken by the crowing of a rooster.

Outside the window, the sky was already turning a pale gray-white. A rooster kept clucking noisily somewhere beyond the courtyard. She had gone to bed too late last night, and now that she’d been jolted awake, her temples throbbed sharply. Her head felt heavy and foggy, like it was stuffed with cotton.

The room was still dim. She rolled over and slowed her breathing, trying to ease the discomfort. After a while, it got a little better.

Just as the rooster finally quieted down, Wen Yue thought she might as well go back to sleep for a bit—only for the sounds of clattering and banging to erupt outside.

Lin Fang’s loud, piercing voice cut straight through the walls like it had no respect for distance at all.

Wen Yue: “……”

Annoying.

She sat up, irritably raking her fingers through her hair.

Forget it. No more sleeping.

After calming herself down a little, she got out of bed. She picked up the chipped wooden comb on the desk and ran it through her hair a few times, then opened the door and stepped outside.

Judging by the light, it was probably around six in the morning. The air was cool and fresh, a rare bit of comfort.

“Well, look who’s up.”

A sharp voice rang out beside her.

Wen Yue turned her head. Lin Fang was standing nearby holding a wooden bucket that was still steaming faintly. Inside was a thick, dark brown, sticky-looking mixture.

The moment she saw Wen Yue, Lin Fang’s face broke into a smile, her eyes sweeping over her from head to toe like she was appraising something.

Wen Yue felt uncomfortable under that gaze. She forced a small smile and casually reached into the window to take the key Zhou Yao had left behind.

Lin Fang paused. “Zhou Yao went out?”

“Mm,” Wen Yue replied with a smile.

Hearing what Zhou Qingshan had said yesterday, Lin Fang immediately felt like an opportunity had landed right in her lap. She couldn’t hide her satisfaction and said briskly, “Xiao Yue, your aunt’s going to feed the pigs. Help me wash my clothes, will you? And go cut some pig grass while you’re at it. I’ve still got plenty to do.”

“…?”

Wen Yue blinked. “What?”

Lin Fang chuckled. “Your uncle said you’re very hardworking, that you’ll do any kind of work. Go on, help me wash the clothes. Oh, and bring back some pig fodder. I’m busy.”

Only then did Wen Yue truly understand why Zhou Yao disliked these relatives so much.

She pressed her lips together. The faint smile and the little dimples at the corners of her mouth vanished.

“No,” she said simply.

“Hey! What’s wrong with you, girl? I’m your elder! Asking you to do a bit of work—what’s the problem?!” Lin Fang froze for a moment, then flew into a rage. “What kind of junior talks like that!”

Wen Yue looked at her calmly, her voice soft but firm. “You’re Zhou Yao’s elder. When he comes back, ask him to do it.”

“……”

Lin Fang didn’t have the guts to do that—which was exactly why she only dared to order Wen Yue around while Zhou Yao wasn’t home.

Her face darkened instantly. “A woman needs to be diligent if she wants a man to like her! If she’s obedient, he’ll treat her well! But a disobedient little wife? She’ll get beaten so badly she won’t be able to get out of bed for three days and nights!”

Wen Yue actually laughed at that.

She nodded perfunctorily. “Mm-hm, you’re right. In that case, you should work harder yourself and be a diligent, likable wife.”

Lin Fang’s face twisted with anger.

Seeing that she couldn’t get anything out of her, she grabbed her bucket and stormed off, practically rolling her eyes into the back of her head.

Wen Yue snorted softly at her retreating figure.

Wait until Zhou Yao came back—she was absolutely going to report this.

Trying to bully her while he wasn’t home? Not a chance.

Not long after Lin Fang left, Liu Cuicui came out of the house and spoke gently, “Don’t pay attention to your second aunt. That’s just how she is—her temper isn’t great. Have you had breakfast? I just boiled two eggs. Want one?”

“No, thank you,” Wen Yue replied with a soft smile, her eyes warm and gentle.

People treated her how they behaved toward her.

If someone was sharp with her, she wouldn’t indulge them. If someone smiled at her, she’d return it in kind. Simple as that.

Liu Cuicui didn’t mind and went back inside.

Wen Yue lit the stove, clumsily copying Zhou Yao’s movements from memory. She stuffed dry grass into the stove and poked at it with tongs until it finally caught fire.

Only then did she go wash up.

After finishing, she opened Zhou Yao’s room.

The layout was similar to the other room, though this one had more clutter. Against the wall by the window stood a cabinet.

When she opened it, she found it stocked with food.

Rice cakes, walnut pastries, malted milk powder, White Rabbit candies, a basket of eggs, dried noodles and flour, plus a basin of lard in a yellow enamel bowl and half a piece of cured meat. The candies and milk powder were still unopened—clearly newly bought.

Wen Yue scanned it briefly, took an egg, and carried out some lard and noodles.

She was going to make egg noodle soup.

The pot was already hot. She scooped a small lump of lard into it, then cracked an egg.

Eggs fried in lard smelled especially good. Soon, the edges turned golden and slightly crisp. She scooped it into a bowl, poured in water, and brought it to a boil.

When the water boiled, she added the noodles. Once softened, she fished them into the bowl, ladled in some broth, added a bit more lard, and sprinkled in salt.

Simple—but fragrant.

The smell drifted out steadily.

Lin Fang, who had just finished feeding the pigs, caught the scent the moment she returned.

Her nose twitched. She immediately recognized it.

“Well, well,” she sneered. “Eating oil this early in the morning? Living quite comfortably, aren’t we?”

Her voice was full of jealousy. “Zhou Yao really picked a wife who doesn’t know how to manage a household. Who eats lard noodles first thing in the morning?”

So what if she did?

Wen Yue found the noise irritating. She wandered to the kitchen doorway and happened to meet Lin Fang’s gaze in the courtyard.

She smiled sweetly, feigning surprise. “Oh my, Second Aunt, you work so hard every day. Doesn’t Second Uncle even let you eat a bit of lard in the morning? That’s awful. I’ll have Zhou Yao talk to him later.”

Her tone was soft and harmless—but every word carried a sting.

Before Lin Fang could react, Wen Yue shut the door.

Bang.

Not loud—but humiliating.

Lin Fang nearly fainted from rage. That damn girl!

Wen Yue hummed a little tune as she returned to her seat and ate her noodles. Her eyes curved with satisfaction as she finished the entire bowl. Her stomach felt pleasantly full afterward.

She rested for a while, then washed the bowl and cleaned the pot.

The water jar in the kitchen was full, so she dragged out a large wooden basin into the courtyard and washed her clothes using the soap from the small storage room.

Normally, villagers washed clothes by the river, but after what she’d seen on her way into the village yesterday, Wen Yue was a bit intimidated.

Better to just wash them at home.

With nothing else to do, she even cleaned and tidied Zhou Yao’s room a little.

For lunch, she had noodles again, and she also prepared dough for hand-pulled noodles for dinner.

Just as she finished cleaning the kitchen, she suddenly heard someone calling her name from outside the courtyard.

“Wen Yue! Wen Yue, are you there?”

She stepped out and saw a girl standing outside the gate, her hair braided into twin plaits.

She wore worn-out clothes, but her features were delicate and clean. Her gaze was clear and steady, carrying a quiet resilience.

At a glance, Wen Yue immediately recognized her—the female lead.

In the original story, the two had similar backgrounds and were once close friends. But they gradually drifted apart. The original Wen Yue had been timid and resentful, always complaining but never resisting, even trying to discourage the heroine from opposing their relatives. In the end, they became estranged.

“I’m here,” Wen Yue said, walking over. “Want to come in?”

“No need,” the girl replied. “I just came to ask you something.”

Her name was Li Nianqiu.

“I just got back yesterday and heard from people in the village that Zhou Yao beat you so badly you ended up in the hospital. Is that true?”

Wen Yue blinked, surprised. “It wasn’t him. I was hospitalized because of malnutrition and fainted from emotional stress.”

Li Nianqiu frowned. “You shouldn’t have agreed to marry in place of Wen Xiaoyu. They’re just your uncles—not your parents. If you insisted, they couldn’t have forced your marriage.”

Her tone was calm, but filled with frustration on her behalf.

Wen Yue hesitated. She had no idea how the original owner had thought about it.

Li Nianqiu sighed.

“I know your personality,” she said helplessly. Then she asked, “How is he treating you? Is he home?”

“He went into town this morning. He’s treating me pretty well,” Wen Yue answered quickly. “Really. Much better than my uncles at least. He doesn’t let me go hungry while working.”

Hearing that, Li Nianqiu’s brows relaxed slightly.

“Then… maybe marrying him wasn’t a bad thing.”

She hesitated, then added, “Have you considered going back to school? Everything else is temporary, but knowledge is real. I believe education can change your life.”

She paused again, carefully choosing her words. “You… should listen to me this time.”

Wen Yue felt a warmth in her chest.

The female lead really cared about the original Wen Yue.

And honestly, this was exactly what she needed—she had no idea what to do next.

“I…” Wen Yue started, then suddenly remembered something crucial. She looked awkward. “But I don’t have any money.”

She was broke. Completely broke.

Li Nianqiu frowned, thinking for a moment. “Your land is still with your uncle, right? Take it back and sell it. You should get three or four hundred yuan.”

“If they refuse, go to the village chief.”

She clearly knew Wen Yue’s temperament well and had already thought of solutions.

Wen Yue’s eyes curved into a bright smile. “Okay. I’ll do it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Li Nianqiu replied, then paused, feeling that something about Wen Yue seemed a little different—but she was glad for the change. “If you run into trouble, come find me.”

“Mm-hm!”

After watching Li Nianqiu leave, Wen Yue stood at the gate, thinking seriously.

The original owner’s grandmother had left her land to her before she passed, with witnesses from the village chief. But since the original Wen Yue didn’t know how to farm, the land had been taken over by her uncle’s family.

So… she could get it back.

She took a step forward—then suddenly remembered her uncle’s wife.

In her memories, that woman was terrifyingly fierce, loud, and even violent at times.

Whoosh.

She immediately pulled her foot back.

Forget it. She’d wait for Zhou Yao to come back first and go together.

He was tall and strong—perfect as a human shield.

Wen Yue nodded to herself, satisfied with her own cleverness.