I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel

Chapter 412 - 351: Who Is Xiao Hong

Jiang Mingyue was also surprised; indeed, many years of companionship suit her perfectly.

With the two thousand yuan her cousin brought back, Jiang Mingyue also made a deal with Pan.

Once again, it was grains—corn, rice, wheat flour, sweet potatoes, and potatoes were sold off in a batch, traded for a few antiques. Among them was a famous piece of Song Porcelain, well known in the future collecting world where, if one were to speak of porcelain, Song Porcelain takes the crown. However, by that time, Song Porcelain was nearly unseen domestically; even encountering those from the five great kilns was rare, let alone folk kilns.

"Uncle Mute, if you see Song Porcelain, help me collect it. It’s okay if the price is higher."

Uncle Mute nodded, indicating he would keep an eye out for her, and also handed her a basket of freshly made snacks.

"Thanks, Uncle Mute!" Seeing the buckwheat strips, Jiang Mingyue was very delighted. When Uncle Mute departed, Jiang Mingyue filled his basket with fresh fruits.

Seeing this made Du Shouqiang quite envious.

"Da Qiang, you can eat some too," Jiang Mingyue was not stingy and handed Du Shouqiang a big, rosy apple.

"Crunch! It’s delicious! Uncle Mute, what do you think of Xiao Hong?"

At the mention of Xiao Hong, Uncle Mute’s eyelids twitched.

Who is Xiao Hong? A girl with calculations in her eyes, just like her mother, always eyeing the money in men’s pockets. Only this silly boy, Du Shouqiang, couldn’t see through it.

Xiao Hong?

The gossip flame in Jiang Mingyue instantly ignited.

She grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and sat on a small stool. Tell us quickly! Tell us quickly!

"Da Qiang, aren’t I and your brother Pan looking out for you? Why, are you getting impatient?"

Du Shouqiang’s ears turned red, and he dared not look up at Uncle Mute. He mumbled, "Not really, I think Xiao Hong is quite nice!"

Du Shouqiang had always lacked confidence due to his disabled arm. Even though he made money following Brother Pan, it was not something he could publicly boast about. Normally, besides his mother back home, he wore old clothes washed to near whiteness, so no one knew his talents. Thus, he mostly received pitying glances, making it difficult to even talk about marriage. Families with daughters or relatives with daughters would always steer clear of him.

Though unspoken, everyone understood the meaning.

But now he was different; thanks to Mr. Jiang, he had a prosthetic arm fitted, and with his sleeve pulled down, he looked no different from a normal person. His confidence was back.

See? With confidence regained, good fortune followed. Xiao Hong, who used to ignore him, now proactively brought him food. Isn’t that love?

Jiang Mingyue didn’t know who Xiao Hong was, but seeing Uncle Mute’s hesitating expression, she immediately understood that Xiao Hong probably had ulterior motives too. Uncle Mute likely didn’t want to mention it in front of her.

But in the next second...

"Da Qiang! When marrying, find someone kind-hearted. Don’t blame me, Uncle Mute, for being old-fashioned. We men work hard earning money outside; at home, you need someone considerate. A good-hearted girl won’t take your efforts for granted; she will care for you.

She will also take care of everything for you.

But Xiao Hong isn’t like that. Do you believe that if you encountered misfortune one day, she would gather all your family’s wealth and leave, without leaving a penny for you?"

Du Shouqiang’s mouth hung open as he stared blankly at Uncle Mute, whom he was familiar with. For a moment, his mind went blank; the rustling of the sycamore leaves outside the yard brought him back to reality.

What was he just doing? Uncle Mute always cared for him like family. Truth be told, his own mother didn’t come close to matching Uncle Mute’s care. How could he even doubt his intentions?

It must be that Xiao Hong is no good!

Having thought it through, Du Shouqiang’s eyes became clearer, and with a humble demeanor, he said, "I’ll listen to Uncle Mute. I’ll return the handkerchief Xiao Hong gave me later."

Watching the two leaving, their silhouettes disappearing through the side door, Jiang Mingyue felt uncomfortable all over; her curiosity about who Xiao Hong was left unsatisfied.

However, this little flame of gossip was quickly quashed by another matter.

Jiang Ming’an: "I’m genuinely tied up with something; could you take him back?"

"?"

Jiang Ming’an: "The four elementary schools in Nanxi City are all closed now, and it’s uncertain when they’ll reopen."

Jiang Mingyue thought: Even if Nanxi City’s schools reopen, she wouldn’t feel safe without family members watching over Xiao Ran there. This was part of their plan from the start: Xiao Ran’s stay in the city is temporary, and once Qingshan Village’s school opens, he will go back there for his education.

"Alright, I’ll also take the chance to see Miss Shen."

Preparing to leave, Jiang Mingyue first went to the machinery factory.

"Uncle Yang, how have you been lately?"

Uncle Yang was quite bored; upon hearing a familiar voice, he immediately turned his head to look. Seeing Jiang Mingyue, his back stopped aching, his legs didn’t feel sore, and his old face broke into a smile.

"Ah, it’s Mr. Jiang! It’s been so long since you last visited." The old man wasn’t about to admit he missed her terribly, but he did start talking more, "Do you remember? The rabbit you gave us, my little grandson loves it. Now it’s multiplied into a whole litter." Uncle Yang thought to himself that even though the adults often drooled over them, they had to restrain themselves because the little grandson loved them. Is that not halfway torture?

Jiang Mingyue said amiably, "Uncle, I too have work to do." Hence, I didn’t have time to come around.

Uncle Yang didn’t press her on where she worked; having raised his own daughter, he knew well that daughters disliked being interrogated.

"Good, good! Young people need to strive for a foothold in life. Don’t waste your time."

Running short on conversation topics, Jiang Mingyue quickly changed the subject, "Uncle, I’m looking for my uncle. Is that possible?"

"I’ll fetch someone to call him for you." Letting her enter was certainly not allowed; the factory had its regulations.

"Thank you, Uncle Yang!"

Jiang Mingyue waited quite a while.

"Oh dear, girl, your uncle’s occupied with something and can’t come out any time soon. If you have a message, I can pass it along." The girl picked a poor timing; Engineer Jiang entered the closed chamber to assemble the latest machinery—a factory secret he couldn’t disclose.

"Uncle Yang, what about Xiao Ran? He should have come to the factory with my uncle; where is he?"

"Ah? Are you referring to your uncle’s younger son? He was taken away by someone surnamed Xie, brought by your uncle to the entrance. What? Didn’t you know?"

Should I have known?

Jiang Mingyue pondered briefly and didn’t dwell on it. It must have been Brother Xie, for sure. Since he didn’t inform her and her siblings, there must be a reason.

"Alright then, please tell my uncle that I’ll be taking Xiao Ran back to Qingshan Village for school tomorrow."

Thanking Uncle Yang, Jiang Mingyue headed straight for the department store.

"Yueyue?" Gu Xiaoxiao, just done serving a customer, noticed her friend coming in. She excitedly lowered her voice and waved at the entrance.

"Yueyue, are you here to see me?"

"Don’t be narcissistic; I’m here to purchase some gifts, as I’ll be taking Xiao Ran back to the village for school tomorrow."