Chapter 8 Paying

Xiao Yu found a tree branch and started clearing away the fallen leaves as she walked, afraid of missing it if she wasn't careful.

The mountains have plenty of rain, so not only are bamboo shoots everywhere, but the bamboo basket I brought with me was also full in no time.

I originally came to cut some bamboo, but instead of cutting any bamboo, I dug up a whole basket of bamboo shoots.

I weighed it in my hand; it was quite heavy, at least forty or fifty pounds. Given the current situation, I couldn't cut the bamboo. It seemed I had to take it home first and come back again later.

Xiao Yu put away his machete and prepared to walk back.

"Isn't that Xiao Yu? What's she doing here?" A displeased female voice came, seemingly tinged with resentment.

"......"

What's going on? You can run into an enemy while digging for bamboo shoots?

Xiao Yu looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man and a woman standing not far away. The woman was looking at her with resentment, and it was obvious that she was the one who had just spoken. The man, on the other hand, looked pained.

Xiao Yu: "..."

Xiao Yu pursed her lips. She had completely digested the original owner's memories. One of the two people was Chen Ziyi, the youngest son of the village head. He used to have a good relationship with the original owner. He was an upright person and the only scholar in the village. Because he often helped with farm work, he was not as weak as other scholars and had dark skin.

As for the woman, she was Chen Yu, the cousin of the original owner's aunt. She lost both her parents at a young age and was adopted by the original owner's mother. She grew up with the original owner and they had a deep bond. Ever since the original owner started hanging out with those bad friends all day long, she hated the original owner more than she hated an enemy.

I never expected to run into them here.

Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Since they had run into each other, and given their past good relationship with the original owner, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say hello. Xiao Yu braced herself and walked over: "Cousin, Ziyi, are you here to dig bamboo shoots too?"

Chen Yu snorted and pulled Chen Ziyi, saying, "Let's go. I don't want to talk to people like this."

"..."

What's going on here?

Xiao Yu watched the two figures disappear into the distance, sighed, and thought, "Forget it, it's all the original owner's fault. There's no need for her to pay for it."

Chen Yu and Chen Ziyi walked ahead carrying bamboo baskets, while Xiao Yu followed behind them. Before long, they reached the foot of the mountain.

Chen Yu suddenly stopped, and when Xiao Yu approached, she said irritably, "Why didn't you go to town with Chen Ergou and the others to fool around?"

? !

Who is Chen Ergou?

How would she know?

Xiao Yu was a little dazed.

From the original owner's memories, it can be seen that this cousin genuinely cared for the original owner, but later became disillusioned with the original owner's actions and thus became unwilling to interfere in her affairs.

Seeing the other party's impatient expression, Xiao Yu thought about it seriously for a moment, and finally focused on the suspicious man who was at the door of the original owner's house when she first transmigrated.

However, she had a falling out with that person on the very day she arrived, and had no intention of having any further contact with him. As for the original owner's cousin, she was acquainted with Chen Ziyi.

Xiao Yu said sincerely, "I have decided to cut off all contact with them."

Chen Yu was taken aback, not expecting Xiao Yu to say that, and quickly straightened her face: "Don't think I'll believe you just because you say that."

She had said similar things before, but every time Chen Ergou and his gang came looking for her, she would immediately go with them. On several occasions, they even tricked her and Chen Ziyi out of their money to gamble.

Chen Ziyi, who was standing to the side, tried to persuade her: "Xiaoyu, don't be anxious. Maybe Xiaoyu has really changed for the better. Besides, she's not a bad person at heart. She's just been led astray by those people."

Chen Yu: "Hmph, if she could change for the better, pigs could fly."

Xiao Yu: "..."

Should we say it like this?

Aside from being a bit extravagant, the original owner of this body didn't commit any heinous crimes.

The next second, Chen Yu warned, "I don't care about your business, or what you were doing visiting your aunt today. If you dare to cheat your aunt out of money again, don't blame me for being impolite."

"......"

No...when did she start scamming people?

No matter how bad the original owner was, having such a clueless cousin who wouldn't even give her a chance to explain herself left Xiao Yu speechless. She didn't like being misunderstood or taking the blame.

She was too lazy to explain to them right now, since she had taken over the original owner's body.

Xiao Yu sighed: "Cousin, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to cheat you out of money." She has money now, okay?

Chen Yu scoffed dismissively and looked at Chen Ziyi: "Let's go."

Even from a distance, Chen Ziyi's voice could be heard advising, "We should give Xiao Yu a chance, we can't..."

"......"

What's going on here?

However, Chen Ziyi is a good person.

Xiao Yu returned home sheepishly. At this moment, Song Luoning was standing in the courtyard. She was slender, her skin was as white as snow in the sunlight, and her beautiful face had a sickly look that had accumulated over the years.

"Why are you standing here?" Xiao Yu's heart tightened, she looked away and tightened her grip on the bamboo basket on her shoulder: "It looks kind of scary."

After saying that, he quickly slipped into the half-open kitchen, which didn't even have a door.

"......"

Song Luoning was stunned for a moment, then gritted her teeth inwardly. This bastard lecher wished she could pounce on him and bite him to death. After a while, she stared at Xiao Yu's back and let out a long breath.

She couldn't be bothered to lower herself to the level of that scoundrel.

However, I was curious about what was in her basket. Who knew what that lecher could possibly bring back from her trip?

What if he goes out to steal something and then gets implicated?

Song Luoning followed him into the kitchen and was stunned to see a small mountain of bamboo shoots piled on the floor. So this lecherous man went to dig bamboo shoots!

She frowned slightly, raised her eyes, and observed Xiao Yu discreetly.

Xiao Yu had already squatted down and started peeling bamboo shoots. The bamboo shoot skin was peeled off piece by piece, revealing the white bamboo shoot flesh.

"Did you dig all of these?" Song Luoning asked.

Could it be that I misunderstood her?

Song Luoning coughed a few times, a slight blush rising on her fair face.

It seems he's not entirely useless. Considering the advantage she discovered earlier, perhaps she could find a way to make him work for her. But as soon as the idea came up, she immediately rejected it. Today, she learned about this person's usual behavior from her neighbor.

snort.

What kind of character can such a person have?

Xiao Yu had no idea what was going on in her mind. She responded and continued, "I dug them up the mountain behind here. Let me tell you, bamboo shoots are a good thing. They're delicious stir-fried with meat. If you can't finish them, you can dry them and save them for winter."

He then placed the peeled bamboo shoots in a wooden basin to wash them with water, picked out one, placed it on the cutting board, held a knife in one hand, and with a swift motion, sliced ​​it into countless thin slices.

Song Luo frowned. Her movements were so practiced that it didn't seem like she was doing this for the first time, especially considering the porridge she had at noon.

Does she cook often?

But why is there not a single grain of rice in the house?

A seed of doubt was planted in Song Luoning's heart.

Xiao Yu chopped the bamboo shoots and put them on a plate. He put down the knife, wiped his hands on his clothes, and glanced at the sky. "I have to go out for a bit. You can stir-fry these bamboo shoots later."

"......"

Song Luoning frowned slightly, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at Xiao Yu. The atmosphere became strangely quiet for a moment. After a while, Song Luoning turned around and went back into the house. She stopped as she stepped inside and said in a clear voice, "I have already paid the money."

"......"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone devoid of warmth.

Does this bastard lecher think she's stupid?

She only received one or two taels of silver this morning. Did she make breakfast?

I didn't eat a bowl of porridge until noon. Now I have the nerve to cook for myself. Don't I have any idea how long it would take an ordinary family to spend one or two taels of silver?

Song Luoning went back into the house without even glancing at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu: "......."

No, what does Song Luoning mean?

She even drank my bowl of medicinal porridge. Doesn't that count as worth a tael of silver?

This rich girl always tries to pressure me with money. I'll do whatever I want, I'm not ashamed to bow down for money.

Xiao Yu didn't carry a bamboo basket this time. Instead, he took a machete and went to the back of the mountain. He cut down two thick bamboo stalks, dragged them back, and cut them into equal-sized bamboo strips.

It was already getting dark, and there was no time to finish the rest. Xiao Yu packed up the bamboo strips she had made, glanced at the closed door, and silently went to the kitchen.

It's all for the sake of making a living. Besides, they still have to live together for the time being. It's just a matter of one meal, right?

She can do it.

Xiao Yu comforted herself, saying that all the ingredients had been prepared in advance, and a plate of stir-fried bamboo shoots was ready in no time. It was both nutritious and refreshing when paired with the brown rice porridge she had for lunch.

She hasn't cooked for herself in a long time. She has loved cooking since she was a child. However, since starting university, cooking is not allowed in the dormitory, and she has been eating at the school cafeteria except when she goes home for holidays.

Xiao Yu smelled the delicious-looking food. She had only eaten a bowl of brown rice porridge for lunch and had been busy all afternoon. Now she was starving.

Just as he was wiping his hands and about to call Song Luoning for dinner, the door opened and Song Luoning gracefully walked out.

"......"

Did they come out by smell?

Xiao Yu stood there motionless, staring at her.

I have to go out for a while.

Going out for a bit?

It was already getting dark. Where was Song Luoning going?

Seeing Song Luoning push open the door and walk out, Xiao Yu quickly stopped her: "Where are you going?"

Does she have relatives in Chenjia Village?