My Wife is the Vicious Supporting Character from an Era Novel - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Wife Obsession

On their way back, Wen Miao buys a small stove, a delicate glass bottle, and some snacks and drinks. Ji Baiqing looks at the bags in Wen Miao’s hands and thinks that people in every era love to shop. She is no exception, but her shopping is limited by her poverty. That’s right, she is poor.

When they get home, she gives the pig bl00d and bones to He Xiangyue. Wen Miao helps her to the room to apply the medicinal alcohol again. She had used a lot of strength to slaughter the pig, so her twisted ankle is a bit more swollen than it was in the morning. Seeing the unhappy expression on Wen Miao’s face, she tries to reassure her. “It’s okay. It’s just a small injury. I’m not going to town for the next few days, so it will definitely heal.”

Wen Miao quietly complains, “I told you not to go. Now it’s worse.”

Ji Baiqing obediently nods. “I’ll listen to you from now on.”

“Liar,” Wen Miao says. She knows that Ji Baiqing is all talk. When she makes up her mind, she is unmovable.

Ji Baiqing buries her head in Wen Miao’s neck, nuzzling her like a puppy. “Really, Jie-jie, just trust me this once.”

Wen Miao ignores her. After she is done applying the medicine, she puts it away and goes to the kitchen to help He Xiangyue. He Xiangyue is stewing the bones with corn, and the soup is rich and sweet. Ji Baiqing sips the bowl of soup Wen Miao gave her. He Xiangyue looks at her. “You should eat some pig brains. I’ve never seen anyone fall on a flat road before.”

Not only is Wen Miao giving her the cold shoulder, but her own mother is also mocking her. Ji Baiqing feels sad. “I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t see the road,” she says weakly. He Xiangyue glares at her. “I think you have eyes on the back of your head.”

Ji Baiqing looks like a sad puppy. Wen Miao can’t help but defend her. “Auntie, A Qing was just being careless. She will be fine in a few days.”

Ji Baiqing, now with someone on her side, quickly perked up. “That’s right, Mom. I know I was wrong.” He Xiangyue gives her a dirty look.

After their nap, Wen Miao is no longer mad at her. She brings out the things she bought today and tells Ji Baiqing to pick the jasmine flowers they planted in the corner. The flowers have been a little droopy, but they still smell good. Ji Baiqing watches Wen Miao wash the petals and put them in the small stove with spring water. “Are you making flower cakes?” she asks.

“I can if you want, but I don’t know how to,” Wen Miao says.

Ji Baiqing guesses it’s a kind of perfume. It takes all afternoon to get half a bottle of the clear liquid. Ji Baiqing smells it. It’s very fragrant, with a delicate scent. Wen Miao smells it too and smiles. “It smells nice. It suits you.”

Ji Baiqing is so touched. “My wife, why are you so good to me?” she says, her eyes watery. She wants to nuzzle Wen Miao’s chest. Wen Miao uses a finger to stop her, but her lips curve up into a smile. “What are you, a puppy?”

Ji Baiqing wants to bark and say she’s Wen Miao’s puppy, but she stops herself. However, she still wants to be close. She hugs Wen Miao, and their noses touch. Their breaths intertwine, and Ji Baiqing kisses Wen Miao’s lips. She then kisses the beauty mark under Wen Miao’s eye. So cute, pretty, and charming. She just wants to kiss all of her.

Wen Miao can’t handle Ji Baiqing’s clinginess. She pushes her away, her face flushed and her eyes a little misty. “It’s just a perfume. Why are you so happy? You’ll cry when you see something better.”

Ji Baiqing hugs her again. “I’ll love anything Zhenzhen gives me.” She feels a little down, realizing she hasn’t given Wen Miao anything. She is too poor. She misses her eight-figure bank account from her past life. But then she looks at Wen Miao and feels happy. She is lucky to have Wen Miao. She wouldn’t have met her if she hadn’t transmigrated.

“Zhenzhen, let’s go to the photography studio in town and get our pictures taken,” she says.

Wen Miao agrees but asks if they should take He Xiangyue and Ji Wei. Ji Baiqing shakes her head. “Let’s take them at the end of the year. They will think it’s a waste of money now. I want to take a picture of just the two of us so we can remember what we looked like when we’re old.”

Wen Miao smiles. “How can you be so sure we’ll still be together when we’re old?”

Ji Baiqing looks at her with a hint of danger in her eyes. “If you’re not with me, then who are you going to be with?”

“I’m just joking,” Wen Miao says, tapping her forehead. “If you keep loving me, then I’ll be with you forever.”

“How can I not love you? I’ll only love you more,” Ji Baiqing says. “And don’t make that kind of joke again.” She hates the idea of someone else being with Wen Miao.

Wen Miao is a little surprised by Ji Baiqing’s seriousness. “Okay, I won’t,” she says. Ji Baiqing kisses the beauty mark under her eye. “You’re mine.”

After a few days of rest, Ji Baiqing’s ankle is completely healed. Today, she and Wen Miao are going to town to take pictures. They spend a long time deciding what to wear and finally settle on simple white shirts and black pants. Before they leave, Wen Miao clips Ji Baiqing’s bangs to the side to show off her forehead. Wen Miao looks beautiful with her long, wavy hair and no makeup.

He Xiangyue sees them and looks at them with a hint of suspicion. “Where are you two going all dressed up?” she asks. She thinks they look like a perfect couple. She quickly tells herself to stop thinking nonsense.

Wen Miao feels a little nervous. Ji Baiqing clears her throat. “Mom, we’re going to town to take pictures. Do you want to come?”

He Xiangyue’s face changes. “You’re wasting money! No, I have to go to work!” She walks away quickly.

Ji Baiqing and Wen Miao sigh in relief. Wen Miao rides the bike, still worried about Ji Baiqing’s ankle. Ji Baiqing thinks about how it feels to be in a secret relationship. She knows they have to be careful not to scare her parents.

They arrive at the photography studio. The studio is simple. There is a red cloth behind the camera. The owner, an old man, asks them if they want to take pictures. Ji Baiqing says they want a picture of the two of them and a single picture of Wen Miao.

“Just to have a memory,” Ji Baiqing whispers to Wen Miao. “I’ll take one too,” Wen Miao says. The owner agrees to take three pictures. It will take a few days to develop them. The owner, seeing how beautiful Wen Miao is, says he will develop them for free if Wen Miao agrees to let him display her picture in the studio.

Ji Baiqing expects Wen Miao to refuse. Wen Miao has never been someone who cares about a few yuan. But Wen Miao agrees. “Okay, but you can only use my picture for promotion.”

The owner is overjoyed and doesn’t pay attention to what she says. “Okay, okay, comrade. We’ll just hang your picture on the wall.”

Wen Miao says she wants three copies of each picture and is willing to pay more. The owner says he won’t charge them anything. They agree to come back in five days to pick up the pictures.

Outside the studio, Ji Baiqing is confused. “Why did you agree?” she asks.

Wen Miao smiles. “Didn’t you say I should save money?” she says teasingly.

Ji Baiqing is shocked. “When did I ever say that?!” she asks. She has never told Wen Miao to save money. She is just poor herself. Wen Miao is always so generous.

Wen Miao laughs. “It’s the same thing, isn’t it? We saved money. Why aren’t you happy?”

Ji Baiqing takes a deep breath. “Wen Miao, I want you to be yourself. If saving money makes you unhappy, then you don’t have to save it. It makes me feel useless that you have to lower your living standards.”

Wen Miao holds Ji Baiqing’s hand. “A Qing, there’s nothing wrong with this. My old life wasn’t that great. I spent a lot of money and was still unhappy. But now that I’m in Yunshui Village, with you, I’m happy. I’m learning from you. I’m learning that some money doesn’t need to be spent. I’m thinking about our future.”

Ji Baiqing is touched. She squeezes Wen Miao’s hand. “I was wrong. I’m also thinking about our future. Believe me, I’ll give you a better life.”

Wen Miao smiles. Her light-colored eyes look like precious glass. Ji Baiqing is tempted to kiss her, but they are in public. An older woman with a basket passes by. “You two sisters are so close,” she says. She looks at them and is surprised by how pretty they are. “Do you have a boyfriend? My nephew is a great guy. Would you like to meet him?”

Ji Baiqing steps in front of Wen Miao. “We are not sisters. This is my partner.” The old woman is a little embarrassed. “Oh, I see. I have to go buy groceries. I’ll see you around!” she says and runs away.

Ji Baiqing scoffs. Wen Miao shakes her finger at her. “So childish,” she says. Ji Baiqing frowns. “No, I’m not. Didn’t you see she was looking at you?”

Ji Baiqing is not a popular type of girl in this era. Most girls in the south are short and delicate. Men don’t like women who are taller than them. But Wen Miao thinks Ji Baiqing is perfect. “You were a little too forward,” Wen Miao says. Ji Baiqing shrugs. She doesn’t think it’s a big deal.

They push the bike and walk. Ji Baiqing sees a familiar figure. It’s Shen Niannian. Ji Baiqing stops. Wen Miao is confused. Ji Baiqing puts her finger on Wen Miao’s lips and beckons her to follow. They ride the bike through several alleys until they get to a place where many people are gathered. Shen Niannian gives a small bag to a guard and is let in. It must be the black market.

Ji Baiqing is curious, but she sees the guard looking at her. She quickly grabs the bike and tells Wen Miao to get on. She pedals as fast as she can. Wen Miao looks back and sees a short man chasing them. She holds on to Ji Baiqing tightly. “A Qing, why is someone following us?”

Ji Baiqing is nervous. She changes direction and rides toward the police station. When she gets there, she yells, “Pervert! Get the pervert!” The police come out, and the man runs away.

“A Qing, he’s gone,” Wen Miao says. Ji Baiqing stops and gasps for air. She is so scared. What kind of people are in the black market?

A female police officer asks them what happened. Ji Baiqing says they got lost in the alleys, and a man started following them. Wen Miao adds that he’s gone now. They don’t want to get into more trouble, so they go home.

At home, Ji Baiqing realizes her back is wet with sweat. Wen Miao fans her with a fan. Ji Baiqing drinks a lot of cold water. “Don’t drink so fast. You’ll get an upset stomach,” Wen Miao says. “Who was that man?”

Ji Baiqing is tired. “I saw Shen Niannian, so I followed her,” she says.

“Why were you following her?” Wen Miao asks, looking annoyed. She stops fanning and puts the fan on the table. Ji Baiqing sees that Wen Miao is angry. “Are you mad? Why?” Ji Baiqing asks. Wen Miao is even angrier. She turns away, her cheeks puffed out.

“Oh,” Ji Baiqing says as she stands in front of Wen Miao. “I know. Our Zhenzhen is jealous.”