Transmigrating into a Book in the 80s: After Giving Up, I Was Pampered by a Rough Man

"The operation in Shanghai has also been completely shut down, and Shen Huiting and Shen Zhiyi have been formally arrested."

"As for that Editor-in-Chief Fang who took money to do things, he can forget about ever touching a pen again in his life."

Jiang Mian showed no surprise. "I understand."

Seeing her composed demeanor, Zhao Jianguo felt both amused and impressed.

When others hear this news, they're bound to get excited and say a few words.

She acted as if she knew exactly what dishes would be served tonight.

"You must be tired from the car ride, go home and rest."

"There's another meeting in the county, so I won't join the villagers."

Jiang Mian nodded. Since she had just returned, she didn't insist on keeping him. "Then let me rest for a couple of days, and then I'll visit you with Lu Ting."

Zhao Jianguo waved his hand, then got into the car with Xiao Qin and drove away.

As soon as he left, the villagers immediately laid out the things they had brought by the roadside.

A large winnowing basket was full of wild bird eggs, bundles of dried mountain produce, several jars of rice wine sealed with red clay, and a basket of freshly dug bamboo shoots.

The pile of things grew higher and higher, and no one wanted to come empty-handed.

Jiang Mian glanced at it and spoke with a smile.

"Brother Liu, help me move my things back to the yard. Make sure you remember who sent them so Aunt Li can register them by the number of people."

"We can't just take what everyone else has given us for nothing."

Da Liu nodded immediately, "I remember your heart clearly, sister-in-law."

After saying that, he immediately called to several young men, who deftly picked up the carrying poles.

Lu Ting also glanced around.

His expression softened a bit after confirming that there were no strongly flavored foods like salted fish or pickled shrimp.

Back at the country villa at the foot of the mountain, as soon as the gate was opened, a refreshing breeze greeted us.

The orange tree leaves rustled in the wind.

The blue brick floor in the corner of the courtyard was swept clean.

Several pieces of freshly washed blue cloth were drying under the grape trellis.

The energy-gathering pattern operated on its own, and Lu Ting felt the tightness in his chest instantly dissipate completely.

He breathed a long sigh of relief and led Jiang Mian to the living room.

The sofa was covered with thick cushions.

On the small tea table next to it were a kettle, an enamel mug, and the red date cake that Aunt Zhang had brought that morning.

Jiang Mian had just sat down when Er Gouzi ran in.

He was holding a thick ledger, his forehead was covered in black ash, and his trouser legs were stained with mud from the duck shed.

But those eyes were surprisingly bright.

"Brother, sister-in-law!"

Lu Ting glanced at him and said, "Stand back a bit, don't get too close."

Er Gouzi immediately stopped and stood properly at the other end of the coffee table.

After settling Jiang Mian in, Lu Ting went to the kitchen to boil water and make tea.

Er Gouzi stood in front of the coffee table, opened the account book, and began to recite numbers at an extremely fast pace.

"Sister-in-law, the fishpond produced 6,000 catties of fat fish last month, and the payment was settled with the city's state-owned purchasing station."

"More than 20,000 duck eggs were laid at the duck shed, and they were all pickled into preserved eggs and sold."

He turned the page, his finger hovering over the densely packed numbers.

"After the mushroom sheds open in spring, the yield of yellow pine mushrooms doubles."

"The Red Star chili sauce from Workshop No. 2 is being urgently requested by the provincial capital, so Factory Director Su has arranged for the machines to run non-stop."

"The supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores maintained a seamless restocking schedule, without interruption for even a single day."

Every number Er Gouzi reported matched the account book perfectly.

Jiang Mian picked up the warm water and took a sip.

The boy who used to just run around the village has now completely taken on the role of the head of the household.

After listening to these tedious reports, Jiang Mian nodded.

"Well done."

Er Gouzi's tense shoulders visibly relaxed, he let out a long breath, and grinned broadly.

Da Liu and his men sorted and arranged the local specialties brought by the villagers in a corner of the yard. After saying goodbye to Jiang Mian, they left with the men.

The courtyard fell completely silent.

The sun was setting slightly westward, and the leaves on the orange tree rustled in the wind.

Jiang Mian leaned back on the sofa, thinking about going upstairs later to take a nice hot bath.

She glanced around and noticed that Er Gouzi was still standing in front of the coffee table, not moving.

Er Gouzi was holding the account book, his toes shuffling along the floor tiles.

That face, tanned dark by the sun, was starting to feel hot.

"Is there anything else?" Jiang Mian raised her eyebrows.

Er Gouzi scratched his head, stammered for a long time, and finally managed to say:

"Sister-in-law... Sister-in-law, do you... do you still remember what you said last time...?"

Seeing Er Gouzi's constipated expression, Jiang Mian's gossip instincts kicked in.

"What's wrong, Er Gouzi? What did I say last time?"

Er Gouzi's cheeks flushed red instantly. "It's...it's what you said about the movie theater entrance last time..."

After Er Gouzi said that, Jiang Mian immediately remembered.

Last time, she saw Er Gouzi standing at the entrance of the movie theater from afar, with a little girl with braided pigtails next to him.

The little girl was wearing a clean blue cotton shirt, and her eyes were bright and sparkling.

When Er Gouzi was exposed, his face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and he immediately made an excuse and fled.

"Oh? That girl with the braided pigtails?" Jiang Mian leaned back on the cushion, her tone teasing.

Er Gouzi almost crumpled the account book. "Sister-in-law..."

Seeing that Er Gouzi was about to lose his temper, Jiang Mian waved her hand and said, "Okay, I won't laugh at you."

She said that, but the smile in her eyes didn't disappear at all.

"That girl has a crush on you?"

Er Gouzi lowered his head and nodded slightly.

"Um."

His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

"She...she doesn't mind that I'm from the countryside."

"Last week, we went to a state-run restaurant for noodles."

"She asked me...when I was going to find a matchmaker to go to her house to formalize our relationship."

Jiang Mian's smile softened. "This is a good thing."

"You are now in charge of fish ponds, duck sheds, and mushroom sheds. You have regular work and a regular salary."

"I'll hire a matchmaker for you, and I'll oversee the etiquette."

"You'll get all the respect you deserve. The money will come from your bonuses and dividends over the past six months, and your sister-in-law will add a little something extra for you."

Upon hearing this, Er Gouzi was not happy at all; instead, he lowered his head even further.

His voice grew softer and softer, revealing a deep sense of guilt and insecurity.

"Sister-in-law, it's not about the betrothal gifts."

Jiang Mian paused, then asked, "What is that?"

Er Gouzi took a deep breath, as if he had mustered up his courage for a long time.

"That girl comes from a respectable family in the city; her parents are both factory workers."

"I... I don't even have parents, that's one thing, but the key thing is..."

He choked, his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and it took him a long time to squeeze out the sentence.

"But on the brigade's household registration book, my column is written as Er Gouzi."

The room fell silent.

At the kitchen doorway, Lu Ting came out carrying a teapot and stopped in his tracks.

Er Gouzi didn't see him.

He kept his head down, and his voice grew increasingly hoarse.

"Everyone in the village calls me Er Gouzi, and they've been calling me that for over ten years."

"Nothing much during regular work."

"But if I really go to their home to propose marriage, what should I write on the letter of introduction?"

"You can't exactly tell their parents that their future son-in-law's name is Er Gouzi, can you?"

He raised his hand and wiped his face; the back of his hand was covered in dust.

"Sister-in-law, it's not that I'm ungrateful."

"What you and my brother have given me is more than enough."

"I now receive a monthly wage, and the villagers respect me."

"But I don't even have a decent name to my name."

"If that girl marries me, I'm afraid she'll be laughed at by others later."

As the last sentence fell, Er Gouzi's shoulders twitched slightly.