Chapter 32

This bite—Ye Wanqing did not hold back any strength.

“Hiss……” Drawing in a sharp breath of cold air, Ge Yuan’s body heavily pressed on Ye Wanqing. Only his left elbow propped up half his body as he raised his head and looked at her with a pair of aggrieved eyes.

His eyes were also a bit red—whether he was about to cry or had become like this from being too agitated was unknown.

This man……

“Sobered up a bit?” Ye Wanqing forcefully pushed the man’s chest yet still could not push him away. She could not help narrowing her almond eyes and slightly bent one leg. “If you still don’t get down I’ll not be polite with you, hmm?”

Where and how she would not be polite with Ge Yuan needed no saying. Just this action of hers was enough to make any man feel dread from the bottom of his heart, afraid that for the rest of his life he would never be able to rise again.

Ge Yuan was spineless—he was also afraid.

With agile movements he rolled off Ye Wanqing’s body in one move and retreated a distance. Both hands covered the critical part, his expression even more aggrieved. “No!”

“Why no?” Ye Wanqing was finally able to free herself from the bed. She sat up and tidied her clothes and hair, then slanted a glance at him. “You’re allowed to make trouble, yet I’m not allowed legitimate self-defense?”

Ge Yuan did not know what legitimate self-defense was, yet thinking about it he knew what it meant. He became even more dissatisfied. “We’re engaged.”

“Engaged but not yet married. It’s not yet the wedding-night-with-flower-candles time. What are you rushing for?”

“……Oh.” Seemed to have reason. Ge Yuan dazedly nodded.

Ye Wanqing looked at his extremely foolish appearance and a bit wanted to laugh, yet still did not plan to let him off. “If next time you’re still like this I won’t only use my foot to kick you. Who knows—I might take a pair of scissors and cut you. You know I’m very scary!”

“That won’t do!” Ge Yuan picked up a quilt and covered his waist and abdomen, his face full of vigilance.

“Why won’t it do?”

“You…… you’ll still need to use it! And it can’t be put back, and it hurts!” These words were still super logical, considering every aspect.

Ye Wanqing: “……You know so much!”

Her pretty face instantly flushed red. Ye Wanqing fiercely glared at the someone who was talking nonsense, angrily slammed the door and left, and even locked it from the outside.

Ge Yuan inside slapped the door. “Where are you going? Don’t leave!”

“Not leave—still waiting to be bullied by you?” Separated by a wooden door Ye Wanqing stood outside and angrily shouted back at him. “Don’t even think about it! I’ve locked the door. Properly stay inside and sober up!”

His strength was like that of an ox. If she still did not leave tonight she would not be able to leave.

Having drunk too much—properly reflect inside the room!

With this fellow’s appearance, how could she have the face to send him back to the Ge family’s small courtyard? Or better to switch the sleeping rooms.

Ye Wanqing returned to the Ge family’s small courtyard side and rearranged the housing.

Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu would sleep in Ge Yuan’s room. Old Zhong remained as before. She had Wei Jun come sleep in this courtyard to keep Ge Yuan company. She herself with Wei Hong would take Ge Yue to sleep in Ge Yue’s room. Although a bit crowded, it could only be like this.

This time was not like later generations. The more economically underdeveloped the region the more particular people were. It was still better to pay attention a bit.

Yet what Ye Wanqing did not know was that after she closed the door, the tall man she thought was drunk rolled onto the bed, hugged a quilt, and on the bed “hehehe” foolishly laughed. His eyes were clear with a few points of successful pleasure and shyness. The drunkenness only remained three-tenths.

So fragrant, so sweet……

His!

So wanting to get married, so wanting to get married quickly ahhhh!

Ge Yuan acted foolish on the bed for a while. Suddenly in his heart surged boundless heroic feelings. He determined he must accomplish a career!

He currently had money, yet only in this small place of Qingshui County could it be presented. In the future his little woman would be a university student. The people she interacted with would definitely all be intellectuals, or else high officials and political figures. This bit of family property of his in her social circle probably would not even be enough to look at?

Even if his little woman did not look down on him being a rough man he also could not truly be like this for a lifetime and let others feel that her marrying him was marrying at a loss. Everyone said marry a man, marry a man—for clothes and food. He just wanted her to live good days!

—

Early the next morning the moment Ye Wanqing arrived at the small courtyard she heard Ge Yuan who had been locked up for a night slapping the door inside the room. Wei Jun had no key and could not open it and was preparing to go to the Ge family’s small courtyard to call someone.

Ye Wanqing took the key and gave it to Ge Yue, specially letting Ge Yue go open the door for her big brother.

……This was the aftereffect of being frightened last night.

The moment the door opened Ge Yuan who had been locked up for a night did not at all look like a “criminal” who had been detained for a night. Instead he walked out of the room clear-headed and refreshed, his expression pleasant.

It was just that the stubble on his face had not had time to be shaved, destroying the clean and handsome temperament he had worked hard to create on his body and letting that bit of rough-man wildness return a few points.

Ye Wanqing looked from afar and suddenly no matter how she looked felt something was not right.

Was this person a bit too happy?

“Wanqing!” Ge Yuan looked over with a red face, twisted a little, then happily waved at her.

Ye Wanqing became even more suspicious. Her clean and pretty almond eyes slightly narrowed.

Ge Yuan: “……”

He walked to the rocking water well, rocked out a handful of water and patted it on his face. The cool well water made his spirit even more refreshed. With water beads still on his face he simply squatted on the ground and smiled toward her. A pair of black eyes grew even brighter.

The mild morning sunlight passed through the gaps in the leaves and fell on his body, making it look as if his whole body was draped in a layer of soft light, so……

“Caught you!” Ge Yue the brother-trapping pink dumpling pounced onto his back and gigglingly pulled his two ears. “Little Moon wants to ride a horse. Big Brother walk one—giddy-up!”

When she was little Ge Yue liked to cry. Ge Yuan did not know how to coax people and simply carried her on his back and ran around everywhere, letting her ride the big horse. Every time it made other children envy until they could not envy anymore.

Every time she rode the big horse was Ge Yue’s happiest time.

It was just that later Ge Yue’s temperament slowly became solitary, and Ge Yuan also became busier and busier. The two siblings had not played like this for a long time.

In this life with Ye Wanqing gently caring and guiding, Ge Yue slowly became happy and lively. Just as her own big brother’s broad back was displayed in front of her again she thoughtlessly charged up with a bear pounce.

The smile on a certain someone’s face instantly stiffened a bit. He also did not mind accompanying the little girl to play a bit. It was just…… could they change the time!

Didn’t he see he was radiating male charm?

He was very busy!

Ye Wanqing: “……”

Looking at the tall man after a brief depression turn his head toward the pink dumpling behind him and say, “Hold on tightly. If you fall I won’t care,” then carry her and stand up in one move, running around the small courtyard like releasing joy, circling the rocking water well again and again, making Ge Yue scream with excitement.

Ye Wanqing could not help laughing. After the siblings had played about enough she only then called them. “Alright. Stop being crazy. Go over there to eat breakfast.”

Because they were used to the kitchen of the Ge family’s small courtyard, generally when starting a fire it was over there.

Breakfast was made by Ye Wanqing early in the morning after getting up.

In the extremely fragrant and rich white rice porridge some dried shrimp were placed, then some green vegetables were minced and put inside. Fresh shrimp and green vegetable porridge when drunk was fresh, fragrant, appetizing and very refreshing.

Knowing Old Zhong’s teeth were not particularly good yet he liked sweet things, she also made pumpkin cakes.

First the fresh pumpkin was cut into chunks about two centimeters, placed in a bowl and steamed over water. After it was cooked it was vigorously stirred into pumpkin paste. Because when steaming the pumpkin quite a bit of water vapor would enter the bowl there was simply no need to add more water. Crack a few eggs, put some flour and stir evenly together and it was fine.

Ye Wanqing also had her own little secret. If one wanted the pumpkin’s sweet flavor to be fuller one could also put a bit of salt in. Adding salt could make the pumpkin sweeter. Looking at personal preference one could also add some scallions into the batter. The cakes fried out would have a unique flavor.

After the batter was adjusted, oil was put in the wok. After the oil temperature rose a spoon was used to scoop one spoonful of paste in to fry. Over low heat, flipping from time to time, the pumpkin cakes could be fried crispy outside and tender inside.

Ye Wanqing did not particularly like eating greasy things and was also afraid elderly people eating too oily food would have difficulty digesting, so she controlled the fire very small and slowly fried over low heat. This way without putting too much oil it would also not burn.

Because when cooking it was hard to also take care of tending the fire this greatly tested Wei Hong’s skill. Fortunately the Wei family’s children had all practiced at home. Without Ye Wanqing instructing too much they controlled the fire temperature very well—perfect coordination.

After frying finished a large plate of golden fragrant soft pumpkin cakes was arranged in a coarse porcelain plate. Looking at it one could not speak of how good it looked.

Apart from the pumpkin cakes Ye Wanqing also took a bowl of pickled chili knife beans from the pickle jar, cut them, stir-fried them with oil, dripped sesame oil and mixed them. Eating them was both fragrant and crispy and could also resolve the greasiness of eating too many pumpkin cakes.

Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu felt that last night’s meal had already refreshed their understanding of food. Eating so well again this morning, inexplicably the worry toward Ye Wanqing in their hearts also lessened a lot.

In their simple concept, being able to live days with such flavor and make ordinary food so wonderful—Ye Wanqing should be living quite well.

If one was not that happy who would have the leisure to make such delicious food? When a person is constrained by life and trapped by emotions they would not have such a full and positive mental state.

After several people ate breakfast at the Ge family’s small courtyard the Wei Huainong couple prepared to return. Ye Wanqing planned to first send them to the bus station to catch a vehicle, then take Wei Jun and Wei Hong together to buy some study supplies.

Since she decided to support the two in studying and her own economic conditions were not bad with no restriction on spending money, she of course did not plan to wrong herself and the younger siblings.

However before going out, when no one was around, Ye Wanqing grabbed the ear of a certain large one who wanted to come over sticky for kisses, raised her brows, and looked at him with a smile that was neither smiling nor not smiling. “Comrade Ge Yuan, last night were you truly drunk, or were you pretending to be crazy and acting foolish for me?”

Ge Yuan: “……”

He rubbed his nose and felt he firmly could not admit it.

Yet his own ear was still in Ye Wanqing’s hand. He also could not remain silent and only stubbornly said, “I drank so much wine. It definitely was not pretending to be drunk.”

“You at the beginning were not pretending to be drunk—I believe it, because you looked truly foolish. Yet afterward? Hmm? Comrade Ge Yuan, have you recently become a bit inflated and actually used being drunk……” Speaking to this point Ye Wanqing could not continue.

Last night this fellow used wine to pretend foolishness and gnawed back and forth on her neck, almost still…… yet how could she have the face to say it?

Ge Yuan also discovered this point. Ignoring that his ear was being pulled painfully he thick-skinnedly approached and kissed once on her face. His black bright eyes were wet and full of seeking favor. This one move made one a bit reluctant to continue lecturing.

Ye Wanqing: “……”

Forget it!

This bastard!

—

Ye Wanqing took Wei Jun and Wei Hong onto the street once, bought the notebooks and ink needed for school, and also bought each of the two siblings a sturdy new army-green schoolbag.

Although in Ye Wanqing’s eyes this schoolbag was not particularly good-looking the two siblings both liked it very much. It was also the best schoolbag that could currently be bought. Immediately the two put all the study tools into the schoolbags, carried the schoolbags on their backs, and one after another were happy beyond measure.

Seeing the clothes on the two of them were washed a bit old Ye Wanqing also bought each of them two sets of clothes for changing and washing. Thinking that the toothpaste and toothbrushes they used might also be old and afraid they would be embarrassed to speak she also bought some daily necessities in advance to prepare.

At the beginning Wei Jun and Wei Hong still declined, saying they did not need this or that. Yet they simply could not stop Ye Wanqing. The three of them spent the whole morning on buying buying buying. From the initial embarrassment they had already become numb.

At noon the three only then returned home with rich harvests.

The two siblings were still young. Although in their hearts they felt Ye Wanqing had spent a lot and therefore were a bit uneasy, holding so many brand-new things in their arms they were still so excited their eyes shone.

Their appearance made Ye Wanqing’s heart a bit sour and also a bit emotional.

The Wei family’s conditions were not good. The two siblings including Wei Lan might never have worn or used good things. Now that her economic conditions were good, just for the Wei family’s protection and care of her in the previous life she also wanted them all to live good days.

Returning home Ye Wanqing reallocated the bed positions at home.

The three males lived at the Ge family’s small courtyard. Ge Yue’s room was given to Wei Jun. Ge Yue moved to live at Ye Wanqing’s small courtyard side. Regarding this decision Ge Yue was happy beyond measure. It was just that what disappointed her was that she could not sleep together with Beautiful Sister-in-law.

Ye Wanqing did not mind, yet Ge Yuan disagreed.

“What if we can’t restrain ourselves and do something in the room and Ge Yue sees it—wouldn’t that lead the child astray?”

“You just restrain yourself.”

“Then can you restrain yourself? If when you bully me Ge Yue sees it it’s also not good, truly!” Ge Yuan’s gaze was very sincere. This appearance made Ye Wanqing recall that when the two of them interacted it seemed…… the person who liked to move hands and feet had always been herself?

Ye Wanqing: “……”

Asked until she was speechless by this one sentence, Ye Wanqing who was an old cucumber brushed with green paint and did not particularly know what reserved meant could only agree to Ge Yuan’s plan and let Ge Yue and Wei Hong sleep together.

Wei Hong was only fourteen and still had a bit of a child’s nature. Upon meeting Ge Yue she played quite well. Ge Yue also did not reject and was quite happy.

Wei Hong originally felt she and Wei Jun both greatly troubled Ye Wanqing. Now letting her take care of the little sister she felt she seemed able to help Ye Wanqing a bit. She was happy before she could even be ready and even more would not refuse.

The bed positions were simply allocated like this.

In order to please Ye Wanqing and incidentally please the future little brother-in-law and little sister-in-law Ge Yuan went and bought a new bicycle back and gave the bicycle to the Wei siblings to use.

When the new week arrived Ye Wanqing early in the morning took the Wei siblings and set out to report to No. 3 Middle School.

The enrollment procedures were all handled. On Monday only the teacher needed to lead them into the class to study.

Ye Wanqing led the two siblings to find the responsible class teachers, instructed the two siblings on quite a few matters one by one, and only then walked toward the direction of Class 2 of Senior Year.

She first went to the office to find the class teacher and followed Class Teacher Zeng into the class.

Teacher Zeng indicated for her to go onto the platform. “Make a self-introduction.”

“Hello everyone. My name is Ye Wanqing—Ye of tree leaf, Wan of graceful, Qing of clear water. I’m very sorry to insert into the class at such an important moment of senior year. I hope I have not disturbed everyone and also hope we can study hard together. I wish everyone good results in advance.”

Without the shyness and unease of ordinary transfer students Ye Wanqing composedly made the self-introduction. Under the public gaze she walked to the seat arranged by the teacher and sat down, then took out the textbook and joined everyone in morning reading.

Her movements were very fast. Some classmates had just raised their hands and not yet had time to clap when Ye Wanqing had already sat down in her own seat. At this point clapping to express welcome seemed a bit late……

After the classroom strangely quieted for a few seconds, under the lead of the study committee member sparse reading sounds rose and very quickly became lively again.

Ye Wanqing saw everyone’s learning enthusiasm was so high and stimulated the hot blood in her heart. She also quickly took out the textbook and began reading.

In her previous life she had been a teacher for a lifetime. What she liked most was serious and hardworking students. Not being smart did not matter—diligence could make up for clumsiness. On the contrary some children with clever minds were too lazy and were no different from being stupid.

Ye Wanqing’s mind turned this thought and she became even more serious. Yet what she did not know was that many classmates’ mouths read loudly yet actually had no heart for studying. Openly and secretly quite a few gazes fell on her, examining her.

A transfer student had come to the class—and it was an especially pretty female transfer student with especially good temperament. This in the students’ dry study life was no less than an explosive piece of news.

Ye Wanqing sat in her seat seriously reading the history textbook and did not notice the examining gazes.

The hair she had cut had grown a bit longer. The length of the hair reached below the chin. A lock of hair playfully fell on the side of her face, setting off her skin as white as snow—extremely good skin.

This playful hairstyle carrying youthful vitality was also relatively rare at this time because most girls combed two large braids. Or rather even if there were those who like Ye Wanqing had cut short hair they did not have her temperament.

The hairstyle was relatively special. Ye Wanqing’s brows and eyes were also born delicate. Her temperament was open and composed. Unlike most who became shy and nervous the moment they went onto the platform her every movement was confident and very attractive……

In short as a transfer student Ye Wanqing successfully attracted everyone’s attention. Whether surprised and delighted or displeased she successfully became the focus.

After morning reading ended Ye Wanqing closed the book and was approached by her deskmate.

“Where did you previously study—No. 1 Middle School or No. 2 Middle School?” Deskmate Jiang Lili was a little girl with a round face. There were a few freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were also round and looking at her was very likable.

Ye Wanqing smiled. “I previously studied at No. 1 Middle School.”

“Then why did you come to our No. 3 Middle School?” Jiang Lili was very puzzled.

Ye Wanqing also had no intention of hiding. However she spoke the words a bit prettily. “Because I previously dropped out, so when I wanted to study again No. 1 Middle School would not accept me. Fortunately No. 3 Middle School has strong inclusiveness and is willing to accept a student like me who has returned from a wrong path and sincerely wants to study, giving me the opportunity to return to school.”

“Ah……” Jiang Lili laughed heartily. “Why do I feel the way you speak is so interesting? I don’t know why—your tone is super like our politics teacher’s.”

Ye Wanqing: “……”

She also did not know why. Perhaps it was from watching too much of the previous life’s news broadcasts.

—

After studying for three days Ye Wanqing became familiar with the school atmosphere again.

Or rather she became familiar with her own student identity again. After all in her previous life for so many years although she had never left school she had always been in the teacher’s identity, belonging to the “evil forces” oppressing students, and had long forgotten the taste of being a student.

In three days Ye Wanqing only recognized deskmate Jiang Lili and front-desk Jiang Wen as two classmates in the same class, yet roughly figured out the current study situation.

The mathematics textbooks at this time were not as difficult as later generations. With her strength she only needed to spend a bit of time familiarizing once. English—this subject she had previously worried about most. As a result after reviewing the textbook she discovered the teaching materials were not considered difficult.

Perhaps this benefited from her very much liking to watch American dramas. When chasing dramas she did not like translation tones and only watched original sound with original subtitles, so her vocabulary was still considered not bad. As long as she familiarized the grammar once there should not be too many difficult points.

The remaining Chinese, politics, history, and geography four subjects—apart from rote memorization it was still rote memorization. She tried these two days and discovered her memory at this time was very good. As long as she put in hard work there was no problem.

Looking at it this way she felt what she lacked most was time.

The college entrance examination had already entered the countdown. Time could not be increased, yet how to efficiently utilize time—this point could be worked on.

Ye Wanqing used one day’s after-class time to formulate a plan for herself, detailedly arranging the review plan for every subject, specific to the minute—truly very strict.

After formulating the plan Ye Wanqing executed it that very day, not wasting even one second.

Because of her seriousness this also decided that she did not have that much time to communicate with classmates. Even with Jiang Lili and Jiang Wen she spoke not much. Even when speaking it was asking questions. Gossip and idle chat she had none at all.

Slowly Ye Wanqing’s title of “Iceberg Beauty” quietly began circulating among the classmates.

Fortunately Ye Wanqing did not know. If she knew she would definitely feel ashamed.

Ye Wanqing thought her study life would always remain this peaceful. Yet she never expected that because of her returning to school to study the Ye family actually stirred up internal contradictions at home.

There was no other reason. It was just that Ye Mingzhu learned Ye Wanqing was repeating studies and even brought Wei Jun and Wei Hong to study together. She felt unhappy in her heart and also no longer wanted to take over the job. She kept saying she wanted to return to school to study again.

She also did not want to go to No. 1 Middle School. She only wanted to go to the No. 3 Middle School where Ye Wanqing, Wei Jun, and Wei Hong were.