Chapter 5 â Something Is Very Wrong!
As the gazes of the others turned toward her, Chen Miaomiao felt embarrassed, and at the same time puzzled.
She hadnât done anything at allâhow could Lu Miao possibly dislike her?
Even if she did dislike her, based on her understanding of Lu Miao, there was no way Lu Miao would ever say something like that!
Besides, Lu Miao was supposed to be sleeping in the same room with herâŚ
No matter how much Chen Miaomiao racked her brains, she couldnât figure out why things had turned out this way. Just as she was struggling with it, she suddenly recalled the scene earlier, when Ren Bingxin had spoken up for Lu Miao.
In that instant, it felt like everything had an explanation.
It must have been Ren Bingxin who said something to Lu Miao!
Why hadnât she noticed in her past life that Ren Bingxin was so hateful?
Chen Miaomiao was trembling with anger. Seeing Lu Miao and the other two already walking away while the surrounding gazes still remained fixed on her, she raised her hand to her eye as if to wipe away tears, then choked back a sob and ran into the house.
At the doorway, Liang Shao sat on the steps, staring vacantly into the distance:
âComrade Lu may be good-looking, but why is her mouth so venomous?â
Across the shadow of the trees, Yu Hao stood on tiptoe to glance toward Lu Miao by the pond. Hearing that remark, he clicked his tongue in discontent:
âHow is that venomous? That was just being straightforward, alright? Besides, they donât even know each otherâif it were you, would you tolerate it?â
Liang Shao shook his head. On that point, Yu Hao was right.
After all, he only chatted more with Yu Hao because they came from the same hometown and could speak the same dialect. If it were someone else, like that Xie Fei, Liang Shao honestly wouldnât know what to say to him.
By the pond, for the villagersâ convenience in doing laundry, a long, flat stone slab had been laid down. Three to five people could squat and wash clothes there at the same time without any issue.
Gu Ying was the first to take off her shoes and step onto the stone slab. She scooped some water to rinse it off, then set up her washboard and motioned for Lu Miao to bring her basin over.
Seeing that Lu Miao and Ren Bingxin were about to step onto the slab with their shoes on, she quickly warned:
âYou two need to take your shoes off as well. Itâs easy to slip if you wear them on here.â
Lu Miao sat on the bank and took off her shoes.
From the bank down to the slab was a small slope covered with pebbles. Her toes curled restlessly as she tested the ground on tiptoeâit was painfully prickly. So she slipped her shoes back on and wore them like slippers. Only when she reached the waterâs edge did she slip her bare feet out again and step onto the stone.
The bluish stone slab was streaked with fine yellow lines. Against it, her snow-white feet stood out in sharp contrast.
At first it felt a little uncomfortable. But once the slab was fully soaked, the rough, grainy texture lessened, and stepping barefoot onto it, Lu Miao actually found it rather pleasant.
Gu Ying scooped out the dirty clothes, emptied the basin, rinsed it, then soaked the clothes twice more in the water. She pressed them against the washboard and said,
âYou know what a washboard is, right?â
Lu Miao hesitantly nodded.
She knew of kneeling on washboards as punishment, but as for an actual laundry washboardâthis was truly her first time seeing one.
Gu Ying shook her head helplessly, lifting her mud-stained pant legs as she demonstrated. While scrubbing, she explained:
âThis is how you wash clothes. If theyâre not especially dirty, you donât need to scrub so hard. And thereâs no need to wash too often eitherâwash too much and clothes will get ruined.â
âSo dirtyâcan it really get clean?â Lu Miao frowned. Remembering she had brought soap, she quickly took it out and handed it to Gu Ying. âTry using this?â
Ren Bingxin teased her:
âComrade Gu is teaching you how to wash, and what, you really expect her to wash for you?â
Lu Miao thought about itâtrue. She hastily moved the clothes and washboard over to herself.
After rubbing soap onto the clothes, she mimicked Gu Yingâs movements. But her scrubbing was nothing like Gu Yingâs light and efficient strokes.
Yes, she managed to work up some suds, but the knuckles of her index and ring fingers were scraped raw by the washboard. The sting of the soap water made it unbearable.
Her delicate features tightened, her lips drooping downward as she gasped a few breaths. If Gu Ying and Ren Bingxin werenât standing right beside her, she would have thrown the clothes straight into the water!
âYouâre using the wrong forceâŚâ
Gu Ying hadnât expected itâwhen Lu Miao said she couldnât wash clothes, she had really meant she didnât know at all.
