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

Chaos erupted at Old Lu's house.

On the dirt road leading from Hongxing Brigade to the back mountain, a 28-inch bicycle was pedaling its wheels at breakneck speed.

The wind ruffled Jiang Mian's hair as she wrapped her arms around Lu Tingjin's slender waist, her mood brighter than the autumn sun.

"Honey, let's turn the corner and go check out the fishpond first."

Lu Ting braced himself on one foot, turned the car around, and steadily made his way towards the back mountain.

Before we even reached the destination, we could hear a lively commotion.

"Everyone, hurry up! My wife is generous with her pay, so we can't work without a conscience!"

Er Gouzi stood on the bank of the pond, holding a small notebook in his hand, looking quite serious.

Ten women dressed in coarse cloth were busily working.

Some were catching duckweed to feed the fish, some were laying dry grass in the duck shed, and a few were deftly coating the duck eggs one by one with yellow mud and wood ash.

"Brother, sister-in-law!"

As soon as the sharp-eyed Er Gouzi spotted the bicycle, he immediately jumped down from the earthen slope, grinning and revealing a mouthful of big white teeth.

Several aunties also stopped what they were doing and looked at the two rich men with a mixture of unease and ingratiation.

These days, even if you toil in the fields all year round, you won't have much money left.

Earning 50 cents a day with Jiang Mian is a rare find, even with a lantern.

Jiang Mian jumped out of the back seat of the car and patted her handbag.

She reached into her bag and, under cover of it, pulled out a handful of White Rabbit milk candies.

"Thank you for your hard work, ladies."

Jiang Mian walked over with a smile and stuffed a few into each person's hand.

"I went to the county to hold a celebration today, and I'm treating everyone to wedding candy to share in the joy."

The blue and white candy wrappers shimmered in the sunlight.

The aunties' eyes widened in surprise.

White Rabbit!

This is a rare item; even the supply and marketing cooperative requires ration coupons to buy it, and it's incredibly expensive!

Ordinary families wouldn't even buy a few candies for their children during the Lunar New Year, but Jiang Mian gave each child several candies.

"Oh! Thank you, Jiang family sister!"

"How could I accept this? This candy is very precious..."

"Little Jiang is so generous; no wonder her business is booming!"

The aunties carefully tucked the candy into their pockets; taking it back to their grandchildren would be a huge honor.

He who takes a bribe is bound to do his bidding; he who eats another's food is obligated to do his bidding.

All the sour remarks from the villagers about Jiang Mian being "lazy" and "wasteful" were silenced at that moment by these few pieces of milk candy.

This is exactly the effect that Jiang Mian wanted.

Five cents buys labor, a few candies buy hearts—this is a good deal.

She turned to look at Er Gouzi and waved.

Er Gouzi came running over excitedly, "Sister-in-law, we collected 153 eggs today, and we cut enough fish grass. I've put it all in the account."

This kid is clever; he knows a few words and keeps a clear record of the account book.

Jiang Mian took the ledger, glanced at it, and nodded in satisfaction.

Then, she took out a ten-yuan note from her bag and handed it to Er Gouzi.

Er Gouzi was stunned for a moment, not daring to extend his hand.

"Sister-in-law... what does this mean? Aren't I paid one yuan a day?"

Ten yuan—that's his wages for ten days!

"Take it."

Jiang Mian stuffed the money directly into his muddy hand.

"This is the bonus. Your brother and I have been busy running around the county town these past few days, and we're very grateful that you've been keeping an eye on this back mountain."

"You'll have to take good care of this fishpond and the ducks from now on. As long as you do a good job, your sister-in-law will treat you well."

Er Gouzi's hand holding the banknote trembled slightly.

He was an orphan who grew up in the village, relying on the kindness of everyone. In the past, anyone could step on him or call him a bastard.

No one had ever looked at him with such respect before, let alone trusted him so much that they would entrust him with such a large undertaking.

Er Gouzi tilted his head back and blinked hard.

He abruptly wiped his face, straightened his back, and roared:

"Don't worry, sister-in-law! As long as I'm here, if even one fish is missing from this pond, I'll twist my head off and give it to you!"

Lu Ting stood aside, watching his wife win people over with just a few words.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

My wife is really amazing.

That's even better than catching a wild boar yourself!

After inspecting the fishpond, Jiang Mian picked out the fattest grass carp and had Lu Ting hang it on the handlebars.

"Let's go home and cook!"

……

When we returned to the thatched cottage courtyard, it was already getting dark.

Lu Ting parked the car and carried the fish into the simple kitchen.

Jiang Mian comfortably slumped onto a bamboo recliner in the courtyard, fanning herself with a large palm-leaf fan, watching the tall man bustling about.

This is the life she longs for.

She doesn't have to struggle for a living, nor does she have to worry about her boss's attitude. All she has is the warmth of home cooking and a man who is willing to spoil her rotten.

"Sizzle—"

The sound of hot oil hitting the pan could be heard, followed by the aroma of scallions, ginger, and garlic being sautéed.

Before long, the fragrance filled the entire courtyard.

Lu Ting came out carrying two large bowls.

A dish of braised grass carp chunks, with a bright red color and rich broth.

A fish head and tofu soup, with a milky white broth and a fragrant aroma.

Served with fluffy white rice, it looks incredibly appetizing.

"Mianmian, dinner's ready."

Lu Ting handed the chopsticks to Jiang Mian and carefully picked out the tenderest, boneless fish belly meat from the fish's belly and put it into her bowl.

Jiang Mian picked up a piece and took a bite. The fish was tender and the broth had completely soaked in it. It was so delicious that she squinted her eyes.

"Delicious!" she mumbled indistinctly, then buried her head and shoveled down two more mouthfuls of rice.

Seeing her eating so happily made Lu Ting happier than if he had eaten the most delicious food himself.

He ate the remaining meat and fish soup with gusto, shoveling rice into his mouth.

"husband."

Having eaten half full, Jiang Mian put down her chopsticks, rested her chin on her hand, and stared intently at Lu Ting across from her with her bright eyes.

"Hmm?" Lu Ting looked up, a grain of rice accidentally getting on the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Mian didn't speak, but leaned forward slightly and gently wiped away the grain of rice with her slender fingers.

Her fingertips were soft and smooth, with a slight coolness, as they brushed against the man's rough, stubble-covered skin.

Lu Ting's entire body stiffened for a moment.

That slight touch felt like a faint electric current coursing through his body from the corner of his lips, making his ears gradually burn.

"Once we finish the paperwork for the house tomorrow, we'll go to the department store."

Jiang Mian withdrew her hand and spoke softly, as if the ambiguous action just now was merely an illusion.

"Okay." Lu Ting's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice a little hoarse. "What do you want to buy?"

"I bought so many things!" Jiang Mian said excitedly, counting on her fingers, her eyes and brows beaming with joy.

"First, we need to buy some good quality soap and some big, soft towels."

"I love that big white porcelain bathtub on the second floor. I'll have someone replace the water pipes later so we can take a bath every day and won't have to stay in that little wooden tub anymore."

Lu Ting's mind flashed instantly to the exquisite bathtub he had seen when he viewed the house that day, followed by the image of his wife lying in it, her fair skin flushed pink.

With a loud bang.

The burning sensation spread from the base of his ears, and his cheeks and ears turned bright red at a visible speed.

Lu Ting dared not look at Jiang Mian again, and could only bury his head, pick up his bowl and pretend to eat his rice, mumbling a response:

"Hmm, that bathtub...it's quite nice."

Jiang Mian looked at her man with a smile, grinned, and continued to plan with great enthusiasm.

"Besides these little things, we also need to buy a sofa, the soft kind, so it won't be cold to sit on in winter."

"Let's buy another color TV. I heard there are big color TVs now. We can put it in the living room and watch TV together at night."

Jiang Mian paused at this point.

"But honey, buying things is secondary."

"Most importantly, we need to find a team of skilled bricklayers and carpenters as soon as possible."

She pointed to the drafty walls around her, and then thought of the small Western-style house covered in dust and with broken plaster.

"Although that Western-style building had a good foundation, it had been abandoned for several years."

"The plaster on the walls needs to be scraped off and repainted, the floor tiles need to be patched, the window cracks need to be repaired, and the weeds in the yard need to be cleared."

Jiang Mian looked at Lu Ting with a hint of languor in her eyes.

"This time, we've hired professionals to renovate the little courtyard inside and out to our liking."

In the resource-scarce 1980s, Jiang Mian's description of hiring people to renovate homes, buying large color TVs, and living in small villas was simply a fantasy for ordinary people.

But to Lu Ting, this was his goal.

If his wife wanted something, he would find a way to pluck the stars from the sky.

Lu Ting put down the bowl, grasped Jiang Mian's hand which was on the table, his palm warm and strong.

"I'll listen to you. I'll go and find out the best renovation team in the county tomorrow."

"Let's make our home the way you like it."

……

the other side.

In a small restaurant in the county town, with a greasy curtain hanging at the door, the dim light bulb flickered.

Around a few makeshift octagonal tables, four or five young people dressed in drab, dusty clothes sat.

These people all had something in common: their faces were full of resentment, and their eyes revealed a resentment at being unappreciated.

They were educated youth stranded in the county town, with no hope of returning to the city and no way to get a job in a factory, becoming awkward people caught in the middle of this era of change.

"Su Rou, you called us here just to hear you say this?"

……