Chapter 1, Chapter 1 is just a performance!
"Help...help me!"
Jiang Suining slowly opened her heavy eyelids, and the shimmering, golden surface of the river came into view, while the rising steam carrying the sound of cicadas rushed towards her.
"Help...gudu...my life!"
The hoarse cries for help pierced her ears, jolting her awake. Without thinking, she plunged into the river.
The river water, carrying a wave of heat, choked her nostrils. She surfaced to catch her breath and swam desperately toward the pinkish-red hue.
"Why did you come down here! Didn't I tell you to call for help? Are you trying to back out? Don't you want to marry Director Wang of the supply and marketing cooperative anymore? Your skin will definitely get tanned on the island, don't be stupid!" The girl hadn't drowned at all, and she glared at her, unleashing a torrent of abuse, even shoving her shoulder hard. "Go back now! I've already jumped into the river, it'll be too late for you to back out!"
Jiang Suining was completely bewildered. She was pushed and stumbled, river water rushed into her nostrils, and she almost choked. Anger welled up in her eyes, and she blurted out, "Are you crazy? You can swim, why are you yelling for help! You're wasting social resources!"
The girl's expression suddenly changed, and she cried out pitifully towards the riverbank, "Comrade Lu! Help me..."
Jiang Suining was taken aback and turned to look. Deep in the reeds on the bank, a blue figure was moving quickly toward them.
"careful!"
A calloused hand gripped her wrist just in time, pulling her to the shore. The grip was strong, yet measured, holding only her wrist without overstepping any boundaries.
Wait, who is Xiaomei?!
Jiang Suining froze, and in her daze, she saw a bright red banner on the mottled lime wall on the opposite bank of the river that read, "Family planning benefits the country and the people."
“I’m going to swim to the deeper part of the river later,” Zhou Xiaomei said, her long braid tied with a floral ribbon draped over her chest. She unbuttoned the second button of her collar and applied some face cream to her collarbone, which glowed in the sunlight. “You should hurry back to the village and call someone.”
“But my mother said that Comrade Lu has made meritorious contributions and is a hero…” The other girl was extremely beautiful, slender and tall, with skin like cream, almond-shaped eyes, and cherry lips. She looked almost exactly like her, except that her cheeks were a bit more chubby. Her slender fingers were nervously twisting the ends of her braids.
"Heroes should also have integrity!" Zhou Xiaomei's eyes sparkled with excitement. "If he hugged me with my wet clothes clinging to my body and then didn't marry me, he'd be a scoundrel!"
"This, this isn't quite right..." A faint blush rose on her fair face, and she lowered her eyes shyly.
"I heard that the environment and conditions on the island are harsh and you can't even buy face cream. You usually don't do farm work or even housework. You have delicate skin. If you go to the island, you'll be exposed to the wind and sun. You can't even go a day without face cream. How will you survive on the island!"
Seeing her hesitation, Zhou Xiaomei, fearing she might change her mind, quickly changed the subject: "With your looks, you could find anyone you want! My dad said that Director Wang's son from the town's supply and marketing cooperative is looking for a partner. She's a high school student, just like you, and good-looking too. The dowry is three turns and a ring. If you marry her, you'll have plenty of face cream, even body cream! It's much better than going to Nan'ao Island with the soldiers and suffering!"
Jiang Suining saw Zhou Xiaomei turn back to tell her before jumping into the river: "You must call for help so that everyone can see Comrade Lu save me. Then I'll have my dad make a scene at the brigade headquarters. He'll have to marry her no matter what!"
After receiving the instructions, the girl turned and ran towards the village, but tripped over a tree root that protruded from the ground, hit her head on the ground, and fainted.
The river breeze carried the smell of fish, and the shimmering water reflected Zhou Xiaomei's bright pink shirt, which was almost painful to the eye.
Isn't this the side story from the historical novel she just finished reading?
So she transmigrated into a book?! And she even became that unlucky cannon fodder character who only appeared in the side stories and was tricked into marriage by her fake best friend?!
The person desperately trying to save someone in the river was none other than Lu Ye, the original female lead's white moonlight, and the person being saved was Zhou Xiaomei, the original female lead's control group! She was familiar with this plot; she had read it just a few days ago. Combined with the original owner's memories, she already knew the cause and effect perfectly.
The original owner, Jiang Suining, was a well-known village beauty in the surrounding area. She had fair skin, a beautiful face, and long legs. She was also the only high school student in the village. Many young men wanted to marry her, but she had been betrothed since childhood.
The day before yesterday, her childhood sweetheart, Lu Ye, came to Qingshui Village. He first paid respects to her father, and then proposed marriage to her mother.
Lu Ye was serving in the army on Nan'ao Island, and the original owner was to follow him after their marriage. Her best friend, Zhou Xiaomei, said that the conditions on the island were poor, with a scorching sun and strong sea winds that could cause sunburn and peeling skin! This terrified the original owner, who valued her appearance above all else, and she immediately wanted to break off the engagement, but unfortunately, her mother disagreed.
The original owner refused to marry Lu Ye, and her plastic best friend Zhou Xiaomei was forced by her own father to marry a village bully in exchange for a dowry. After discussing it, the two of them came up with the scene in her memory just now: scheming against Lu Ye.
Later, when the truth came out, the original owner was unable to defend herself and hastily married a widower, becoming the stepmother of three children, where she lived a life of unbearable hardship.
After figuring out the situation, Jiang Suining wiped the water droplets from her face: Now that she has transmigrated, she can't be blamed for "scheming against the hero"!
"Comrade Jiang, lend a hand!" Lu Ye's deep voice startled Jiang Suining from her reverie.
On the riverbank, a man was lifting Zhou Xiaomei with one hand and carrying her ashore; the water was just above his waist.
Zhou Xiaomei looked like a frightened, weak, and helpless little flower. She tried to climb ashore several times but fell back into the water each time. Coincidentally, she had physical contact with a man every time.
This is deliberately creating ambiguity, but Jiang Suining sees through it but doesn't say anything.
"Hold on tight, I'll come up and pull you up." Lu Ye frowned, avoiding any physical contact with Zhou Xiaomei.
He climbed ashore, and Jiang Suining's eyes lit up. The man was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His soaked military uniform clung tightly to his body, outlining his strong muscle lines.
Seeing Zhou Xiaomei come ashore, Jiang Suining preemptively asked, "Xiaomei, don't you know how to swim? Why did you need Comrade Lu to save you?"
The cicadas' chirping suddenly stopped, and water droplets pattered on the bluestone slabs.
Zhou Xiaomei gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her eyelashes wet and her eyes red: "I don't know, Comrade Lu, don't listen to Sui Sui's nonsense."
"I'm talking nonsense? If you can't swim, how could you splash around in the river for so long without sinking? If everyone who can't swim did what you did, no one would drown in this river." Jiang Suining wrung out her clothes forcefully. It was hot, and the wet clothes would dry in no time after being wrung out. Her movements were quick and efficient, showing none of the original owner's usual delicate demeanor.
"Comrade Lu, I really can't swim. I'm just splashing around aimlessly. Maybe it's because I'm thin and light that I don't sink easily."
Zhou Xiaomei swayed slightly, staring intently at Lu Ye, two lines of tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. Jiang Suining felt sorry for her, but Lu Ye didn't even give her a second glance.
"Heh," Jiang Suining scoffed without any attempt to hide her disdain, "A paper doll, so skinny you wouldn't sink if you fell into a river, do you really think everyone else is stupid!"
Lu Ye paused in twisting the hem of his clothes, glancing at Jiang Suining with an ambiguous expression. This girl seemed different from yesterday. Yesterday, she didn't even dare to look him in the eye, but today she dared to confront him directly, her eyes clear and bright, carrying a hint of arrogance.
"Has that brat taken the wrong medicine?" Zhou Xiaomei desperately tried to signal Jiang Suining with her eyes, but Jiang Suining ignored her. She was so angry that her nails dug deep into her palms. She thought to herself, "If you're going to sabotage me, then don't blame me for breaking up with you: 'Comrade Lu, it was Suining who pushed me into the river!'"
Lu Ye had noticed Zhou Xiaomei's swimming ability when he rescued her, but he didn't point it out, wanting to see what she was up to. He never expected that Jiang Suining would be involved. He frowned slightly, thinking that the cause and effect were still unclear, so he decided to remain silent and observe for the time being.
Jiang Suining chuckled, looked Zhou Xiaomei up and down, then pointed at herself and asked, "Push you? With my skinny arms and legs, how could I possibly push you into the middle of the river?"
Zhou Xiaomei choked, her face turning red: "It was...it was the water that washed it..."
"Oh, I just realized our village river flows horizontally." Jiang Suining, too lazy to argue with her, leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "Alright, if you keep making a fuss, we'll talk about your real purpose. Isn't your dad forcing you to marry the village bully to get a dowry for your brother's wedding? Do you think if Comrade Lu goes to the brigade headquarters to report this today, your dad will break your legs?"
"You dare!" Zhou Xiaomei's eyes almost bled from glaring. She couldn't understand why she had suddenly changed her mind after agreeing so readily, and why she had become so aggressive and uncooperative, showing no regard for the sisterly bond they had shared since childhood.
Jiang Suining tilted her head and chuckled lightly, her disdainful expression deeply stinging Zhou Xiaomei.
Lu Ye was stunned. He had been staying at the Jiang family's house for two days, and Jiang Suining avoided him like the plague. On the few times they met, she always kept her head down, clearly trying to avoid him. He guessed that she was unwilling to marry him. He had come here today at her invitation to find out the truth. If she really was unwilling to marry him, he would not force her and would simply break off the engagement.
But Jiang Suining was completely different from usual. Although she was soaked to the bone, she didn't look disheveled at all. Her eyes were incredibly bright, and she was unrestrained and flamboyant when she confronted people. Her whole person was shining. When she smiled slightly, the dimples on her cheeks rippled like spring water, which went straight into his heart. Suddenly, he couldn't bear to break off the engagement.
Lu Ye dodged to the side, and she missed her target. She staggered to her feet and began to cry again, "Comrade Lu, please don't blame Sui Sui! She didn't push me into the water on purpose. She just wanted to break off the engagement with you."
Zhou Xiaomei waited for Lu Ye to press her for answers, but seeing that Lu Ye didn't care at all, she could only continue: "She said that as long as I fall into the water, you will definitely save me! She also said that if you hug me while my wet clothes are sticking to my skin, you have to marry me, otherwise you're a pervert! But if you want to marry me, you have to break off the engagement with her first! I know this method is dirty, but I really like you! From the first moment I saw you, I, I took a liking to you."
She sobbed, wiping her red eyes, "Comrade Lu, Sui Sui doesn't want to live with you, but I do! I'm willing to go to Nan'ao Island with you and suffer!"
Lu Ye's pupils suddenly contracted, his fists clenched tightly, and the veins on his arms bulged. But he was always calm and restrained, and his expression remained unchanged. He only looked at Jiang Suining with cold and deep eyes. He never listened to one side or believed one side. He wanted to hear her explanation.
When Zhou Xiaomei saw him looking at Jiang Suining, she anxiously tugged at her clothes.
"You scheming green tea bitch, you're quite the charmer," Jiang Suining said, seeing Lu Ye's gloomy face. She suddenly abandoned the idea of explaining and decided to first observe Lu Ye's attitude. "Since the lady has already put it this way, Comrade Lu, please give us your opinion."
A note from the author:
----------------------
I've started a new story, so please add it to your favorites, leave comments, and show your support!
My upcoming novel, "Marrying a Sickly Young Master from a Historical Fiction," is available for pre-order and requires adding to your collection.
An alcoholic and abusive father, a mother who favors sons over daughters, a sister-in-law who cheats her sister, a brother who sponges off his parents, and a woman who is obsessed with love!
It's impossible to be love-struck. The adult world only filters, it doesn't change. You're better off without these awful family members!
Ji Yunshu beats up her drunken father, berates her clueless mother, squanders her brother's savings, ruins her sister-in-law's good job, kicks a scumbag boyfriend, and marries her sickly son, whom she was betrothed to as a child, with a huge dowry in hand.
Si Jinnian was born into a prestigious family and had no worries about food or clothing. Unfortunately, he was born prematurely and was born with congenital deficiencies. His family was afraid that he would not survive, so they asked a master to look at his birth date and time and arranged a marriage for him as a child. It was said that the girl was extremely lucky for her husband and that after they got married, he would be able to enjoy good fortune and be healthy.
Look at that pale skin and thin features, she is indeed a rare beauty, I want to kiss her!
Wow, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs! He looks slim in clothes but has a muscular physique when undressed. Amazing! I want to touch him!
Full pectoral muscles, firm abs, sexy waist dimples, so alluring, I want it!
Every time Si Jinnian heard Ji Yunshu's passionate words, his heart would race and his ears would burn. How could there be such a shameless girl! But she loves me so much! So I'll forgive her.
The Si family discovered that since marrying his wife, Si Jinnian had suddenly become a different person. He was no longer picky about food, did not mind the bitterness of medicine, and not only cooperated with the doctor to actively treat his condition, but also knew how to exercise. His health improved day by day. Sure enough, his wife was destined to bring him good fortune, and the Si family doted on Ji Yunshu.
Until one day, Ji Yunshu complained in her heart: "A silver-handled, wax-tipped spear, all show and no substance, why isn't he dead yet? I want to be a young widow, I want to find a male bodhisattva!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
