Seeing that the pickled vegetables in the jar were almost gone, Jiang Yu scooped out the last spoonful and gave it to an elderly person. She then put the lid back on, tidied up the surrounding area, and, with her bulging money pouch in her pocket, prepared to leave.

The moment she looked up, a figure blocked her path. Jiang Yu opened her mouth, but the words to ask the other person to move aside got stuck in her throat. The person had already started cursing before she could finish.

"I knew you were up to no good, you little hussy. You tried to fool me by saying your man works here. Everyone knows you, Jiang Yu, are notorious for cheating on your husbands, leaving behind two children, and even threatening to die for another man."

Zhang Meihua couldn't hold back her temper in the shop; if she didn't vent her anger, she would be furious. After thinking it over, she decided to come over and confront Jiang Yu before she went home.

"You believe me when I say my man works here? What if I said you're going to die soon, did you die?"

Jiang Yu found her utterly baffling. How to put it? She hadn't provoked her at all, yet suddenly she was coming over and constantly hurling insults. And how did she know her name? Did she know the original owner of this body?

"You little bitch, do you really not know or are you pretending not to know? As Zhang Xinhua's sister, who in Shenjiazhuang doesn't avoid me? But you, you come up here and try to fool me. You have quite the courage."

Zhang Meihua was so angry she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. Who in this whole area dared to challenge her? Were they tired of living?

After her self-introduction, Jiang Yu remembered this person based on the original owner's memories. It was this person who had provoked the original owner while she was watching the commotion, deliberately tripping her up.

Zhang Meihua reached out to grab Jiang Yu's hair, but Jiang Yu nimbly dodged, and Zhang Meihua missed. The workers who were taking a break heard the commotion and came over to see what was going on.

Many people in the crowd recognized Zhang Meihua. The food she sold was expensive, unpalatable, and completely unhygienic. Compared to Jiang Yu's pickled vegetables, it was nothing special except for the price.

“This woman is just selling us some pickled vegetables, what’s wrong with that? Shops like yours that are so unscrupulous should just shut down as soon as possible.”

"Don't even mention it. Last time I found a hair in my food at her shop. After I explained the situation, she scolded me without even asking what happened. It's completely unreasonable."

The voices coming from the crowd were all speaking up for Jiang Yu. Well, you could say that, but they were just telling the truth and venting about the frustrations they felt towards her.

A group of men went to attack her as if they were bullying her, but wouldn't it be okay for them to say a few words in support of a woman? Besides, everyone saw that she was about to take action just now.

Zhang Meihua wanted to argue, but knowing she was in the wrong, she could only slink away. Before leaving, she muttered to herself:

"That vixen has all these men bewitched. If I were ten years younger, I'd tear you to shreds."

......

Jiang Yu thanked everyone and promised to come back to sell tomorrow before leaving. It wasn't too late, and she planned to make dinner for the children when she got home, and also ask Sister Cuihua where to gather firewood. She happily got into the car.

Having gone to bed late last night and been busy all morning, Jiang Yu was feeling drowsy. In her dream, she returned to the modern world, won an award at a design conference, and was greeted with toasts and congratulations from her colleagues. Even her boss, who usually ignored her, looked at her with new respect.

'Bang.'

In a daze, the bus stopped halfway. The driver got out, observed for a while, and whispered to the ticket seller:

"The car fell into a ditch and had a flat tire. It will take some time to get someone to repair it. Let's calm the passengers down first."

She was alone on the bus, and the ticket seller patiently explained. Jiang Yu said nothing and waited with the two others. There was only one bus going to Shenjiazhuang, and no other vehicles could be sent to help. She had no choice but to wait.

After a long while, as darkness fell, the mechanic finally arrived, wobbling along on his motorcycle. A toolbox hung on the handlebars, and a spare tire sat on the back seat; he was fully equipped.

After the car was repaired, they continued on their way. By the time Jiang Yu arrived at her destination, the moon was already up. She walked along a country path, all around her quiet. Apart from one or two owls hooting a couple of times in the empty trees, there was nothing else.

Jiang Yu was timid by nature, and the occasional graveyard in the countryside terrified her. The winding journey felt like it took longer than a year.

She racked her brains for all the happy memories from the twenty-odd years before she transmigrated into the book, but it was all for naught. As she passed the village entrance, the sound of a motorcycle echoed through the air.

In those days, almost no one owned a motorcycle. Even if they did, they were mostly wealthy people in the city.

Jiang Yu was afraid she had misheard, so she slowed down to listen carefully, and the sound grew louder and louder. She suddenly remembered the motorcycle she had encountered when entering the city yesterday morning and became alert.

The car owner doesn't seem like a good person; he's more like a thug. The car was either bought by his family or stolen.

The car owner seemed to be deliberately following her, at a leisurely pace, which gave her a sense of unease. It was late at night, and there wasn't a soul in sight. If she had encountered a drunkard causing trouble or a robbery, she could have been hacked to death and left here without anyone knowing.

Jiang Yu grew increasingly frightened and quickened her pace. As she approached the village entrance, a motorcycle in the darkness stopped in front of her, blocking her path.

"What...are you going to do?"

The man's name was Zhang Ergou, a notorious street urchin in the village. He rarely came home, but people in the village often heard about him. One day he was taken to the police station for questioning after stealing tires, the next he was spying on some widow bathing in a neighboring village. The only thing people could do was avoid him.

"Comrade Jiang, your husband rarely comes home, and that young educated youth Lu Yi doesn't like you and even makes things difficult for you. I think you should come with me. I'll protect you no matter what. If anyone dares to bully you, I'll go to their house with a machete the next day to avenge you. Isn't that better?"

Zhang Ergou had long coveted Jiang Yu's beauty. If she hadn't stayed at home all the time, he would have already taken her for himself.

And then there's Lu Yi, that little rascal, who looks even more shifty-eyed than him. Besides his pale face and pretentious, overly literary way of speaking, he's nothing special. He could pick him up and throw him out with one hand.

Zhang Ergou was very confident in his charm. He wasn't bragging, but when he rode his motorcycle down the road, every woman in the village, from the newlyweds to the older women, would give him a second glance. Of course, whether it was because he'd trampled someone's crops or something, no one ever told him.

"Comrade Zhang, so many people in the village are impressed by you, I really can't be worthy of your name."

Jiang Yu didn't want to talk to him anymore. Zhang Ergou's temper was unpredictable, so she tried to stay away from him if possible.

Even so, I still cherish you.

Zhang Ergou got off his motorcycle and reached out to grab her collar. He pressed closer, and Jiang Yu retreated in fright.

"Ergou, what are you doing wandering around the village so late at night instead of going home?"

The man who arrived spoke in a warning tone, and Jiang Yu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally put at ease.