Quick Transmigration: The Gossip Master Took the Black Lotus Script - Chapter 16

“Since you think I’m so amazing, do you have anything else rare for me to try?”

001: … It really shouldn’t have praised her earlier. One compliment and this person shoots straight to the heavens.

With a straight face, it tossed out a box of chocolates. Eat, eat! May the bitterness kill you.

But Luo An ate them with relish, savoring every bite. After finishing the chocolates, she started on roast chicken, then gnawed on pig trotters—her stomach was like a bottomless pit.

The difficult train journey passed with 001’s sarcastic banter. After getting off the train, Luo An switched to a bus, then to an ox cart, until finally she saw the brigade members who had come to pick them up—along with her mission target, Duan Jia.

Duan Jia was a fair-skinned, plump-faced girl with a blessed look about her. In this era, such girls were favored by mothers-in-law.

On top of that, her refined clothing clearly showed she came from a well-off family, so the moment she arrived in the village, she attracted people’s attention—leading to the tragedy that followed.

But this girl was kind. Even when she was stuck in the mud herself, she still helped the original owner escape a calamity. If not for her, the original owner wouldn’t have survived to the present, and Luo An wouldn’t have been sent to this godforsaken place to save her.

Since the goal was to save her, Luo An naturally had to build a good relationship.

With this in mind, Luo An walked straight over with her things, beaming warmly.
“Hello, I’m Luo An, from Houshan Village.”

Duan Jia was still a bit dazed from the long ride, but when she saw someone greeting her, she immediately reached out her hand.
“Duan Jia. I’m also an educated youth sent to Houshan Village. Looks like we’re quite fated.”

Luo An: Of course we’re fated. I came here specifically for you.

For some reason, Duan Jia felt like this person already knew her. And oddly enough, standing beside her gave her a sense of safety.

Very strange!

At that moment, Luo An’s gaze shifted to someone else—a clean-cut young man in his early twenties. But this very man would one day trap Duan Jia in this small mountain village forever.

Well, this time…

Let’s see if he dares to try.

Standing at the head of the group, Shao Jing felt a burning gaze on him. He turned and saw Luo An—a strikingly beautiful girl. Instantly, he flashed a gentlemanly smile before smoothly turning back around.

Looking at the other dusty-faced young men around, Shao Jing’s pride swelled.

See? No matter where I go, I’ll always be the one the girls look at—even the prettiest one isn’t an exception.

When Luo An saw him straighten his back even more, she immediately guessed what was going through his mind and couldn’t help but snicker.

“What’s wrong?” Duan Jia asked blankly, not knowing what happened.

“Nothing. Just stand here quietly.”

Luo An ruffled her hair, and just then the man in charge of picking them up began calling the educated youths headed for Houshan Village.

“Put your things up here and follow along.”

As soon as the middle-aged man spoke, Shao Jing frowned.
“Uncle, how much longer will it take to get there? We’ve been traveling for so long, and we’re exhausted. Couldn’t we ride the ox cart instead?”

When the uncle’s face soured, Shao Jing quickly pointed at Luo An and Duan Jia.
“Especially since we have two young ladies here. We men can endure, but how could we expect them to walk the whole way? They’d be worn out completely.”

Then he gave the girls a confident smile.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you walk.”

His words made it sound like he was selflessly speaking up on their behalf, when in reality he just wanted to hitch a ride.

But he didn’t notice how the uncle’s face—and those of the other two male educated youths—instantly darkened.

Naïve Duan Jia was about to thank him, but Luo An tugged her sleeve to shut her up.

Luo An plastered on a fake sweet smile.
“Comrade, you really are such a good person, thinking of us female comrades first.”

The two other male educated youths looked at Shao Jing with both envy and contempt—envious that he’d just won favor with the pretty girls, but cursing him as cunning in their hearts.

From that moment on, though they didn’t show it, Shao Jing had already been quietly pushed out of their circle.

But Shao Jing didn’t notice—his eyes were fixed only on the beautiful girl.
“Of course. Isn’t it a man’s duty to take care of women when traveling?”

But before he could savor his triumph, Luo An spoke again.

“Though your intentions are good, your request is unreasonable. That ox is meant for plowing the fields. The only reason it’s here today is probably to help carry our heavy luggage. We should be thanking Uncle instead.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man felt much better. Not only was the girl pretty, but she knew how to talk.

“But Uncle, it’s true that we two young ladies aren’t used to this much walking. If we lag behind, it’ll just cause trouble. How about this? I’ll give you this half pack of Da Qianmen cigarettes, and maybe you can make an exception for us?”

Da Qianmen! That was premium stuff. In the village, people could only afford dry tobacco leaves—only city folk with money and ration tickets could buy cigarettes like that.

The man thought the girl was surprisingly generous. Usually, educated youths begging favors only offered a few candies, and that was already considered generous. This was the first time anyone had given half a pack of real cigarettes. It made him feel almost embarrassed to accept.

He even thought to himself: Whose daughter is this? She’s far too free with money. If the village’s penny-pinching women find out, they’ll come knocking on her door every day.

The man shook his head.
“One stick is enough. You girls can ride the cart. We’ll head off now.”

But Luo An wasn’t about to settle for that. She shoved the whole half pack into his hands. After all, she had only looted it from Luo Song before leaving—she didn’t care at all.

When Shao Jing saw the girls getting on the cart and loading their things, he tried to climb up too, but Luo An stopped him.

“Comrade, didn’t you just say you didn’t mind walking? Then you should walk. The cart’s too small anyway—you’d only be cramped and uncomfortable with those long arms and legs.”

Shao Jing: … Didn’t this girl just bat her eyes at me a moment ago? Why did she suddenly flip on me?

Seeing him frozen there, Luo An gave him a firm shove.
“Honestly, among the five of us, you look the healthiest. Why not sacrifice yourself for the group? If the other two can’t keep up, they can take turns riding later. Uncle, how about that?”

The man, already pleased with the half pack of Da Qianmen, had no reason to object.
“Settled, then. You two sit tight—we’re heading back.”

Yu Sheng and Zhao Quan exchanged glances and both broke into smiles. They hadn’t spent a thing, yet still got a cart ride. Nothing to complain about there!

And seeing the arrogant Shao Jing humiliated in front of the pretty girl? That was like gulping down a glass of iced water on the hottest summer day—refreshing beyond words.

The five of them set off, one cart rolling along the path. Luo An glanced back at Shao Jing, her eyes full of smugness—a look that stung him like a thorn.