A Cannon-Fodder Alpha Marked The Future Villainess After Transmigrating Into A Novel - Chapter 10

Xie Jing took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the straps of the bamboo basket, determination flashing through her eyes.

The village was not that far away anyway. At worst, she could walk back.

As an Alpha, Xie Jing’s physique was much stronger than an ordinary person’s. Even with a bamboo basket full of goods on her back, she did not find it particularly heavy.

About an hour later, she reached the village entrance.

Two people happened to be walking toward her.

They were none other than the male and female leads of the novel.

“Xie Jing, where have you been?” Lin Qingqing asked in her usual condescending manner.

Yu Feng, who stood beside her, also looked Xie Jing over.

“Is something the matter?” Xie Jing asked, casting them an indifferent glance.

“What are you carrying?” Lin Qingqing’s gaze fell on Xie Jing’s bamboo basket.

Although a towel covered the top, it was obvious that the basket was filled to the brim. Since Xie Jing was also coming from the direction of town, she had clearly gone to buy something delicious.

Xie Jing’s older brother worked at the canned-food factory in town and earned fifteen yuan a month. That was enough to cover one villager’s food expenses for half a year.

Since Xie Jing liked her, wouldn’t she eagerly bring over anything good she bought?

“It has nothing to do with you.”

The moment Xie Jing finished speaking, the system began issuing frantic warnings again.

“Host, please maintain the original character setting. Host, please maintain the original character setting…”

Damn it!

That wretched system!

Xie Jing bit her lip and put on a harmless, innocent smile.

“What a coincidence.”

She looked at Yu Feng.

“Educated Youth Yu is here too. I’ve long heard that you’re an outstanding young man. Now that I’ve seen you in person, your reputation is indeed well deserved.”

Yu Feng’s previously disdainful expression immediately turned into a smile.

“Qingqing, so this is the Xie Jing you told me about. She may not be as good-looking as I am, but she’s passable.”

“…”

Xie Jing raised her eyes and swept her gaze over him.

She could not understand where his sense of superiority came from.

In terms of appearance, he seemed far inferior to her.

As for their classifications, there was even less room for comparison.

Wasn’t he only relying on his status as an educated youth?

Could that fill his stomach?

According to the original novel, life at the educated-youth residence was even worse than in an ordinary farming household.

He could only fool an idiot like Lin Qingqing.

Yu Feng rubbed his hands together, his gaze shifting evasively toward Xie Jing’s basket from time to time.

He also knew that the Xie family had money. Lin Qingqing had previously taken food from Xie Jing and given it to him several times.

If he could get a share of that overflowing basket…

At the thought, Yu Feng’s already empty stomach began growling.

“That’s right, Xie Jing. What did you buy that filled such a large basket?”

Xie Jing chuckled softly.

These two truly were made for each other. Both of them were plotting to take her things.

As expected of the male and female leads!

An author capable of writing protagonists like these must have had questionable morals as well.

Xie Jing sighed.

“It’s nothing. I brought back some medicinal herbs for Uncle Xie.”

“There are that many herbs?” Lin Qingqing clearly did not believe her.

“What else would they be?” Xie Jing raised an eyebrow.

Seeing how calm and composed Xie Jing looked, Lin Qingqing felt unwilling to let the matter go.

Her eyes drifted toward the bamboo basket. She wanted to reach over and lift the towel to check, but doing something like that in front of Educated Youth Yu would make her lose face.

Biting her lip, Lin Qingqing asked, “Xie Jing, why haven’t you come to see me these past two days?”

“Didn’t we meet yesterday?” Xie Jing asked innocently.

How was that the same?

Lin Qingqing had been the one to seek Xie Jing out both times.

What she really wanted to ask was why Xie Jing had not brought her anything delicious for the past two days.

Lin Qingqing fumed inwardly.

She would teach Xie Jing a proper lesson later!

Her gaze remained fixed unwillingly on Xie Jing’s basket.

“You two can continue talking. Uncle Xie is still waiting for me to deliver these herbs.”

Xie Jing grinned, revealing two adorable little canine teeth. She looked friendly and sincere.

Before Lin Qingqing or Yu Feng could respond, she was already far away.

That idiot Xie Jing!

Lin Qingqing stared at her retreating figure, so angry that she wanted to stamp her feet.

But with Yu Feng still beside her, she gritted her teeth and restrained herself.

Yu Feng also watched Xie Jing slowly disappear with obvious disappointment, licking his lips.

When Xie Jing returned home, the rest of the Xie family were still working in the fields.

She put the rice and flour she had bought in the kitchen, then took half of the rice cakes from their oil-paper wrapping. She wrapped them in a handkerchief, tucked them into her pocket, and left again.

Now that she had found the black market, she planned to visit Ning Yunqing first and arrange a time to sell the mushrooms for her.

The Ning family had been warned by the production team leader yesterday, and Ning Yunqing had been injured. She should be resting at home today.

When Xie Jing arrived at the Ning residence, she knocked on the gate.

Before long, Ning Yunqing came out, just as expected.

Her face was still somewhat pale, and she looked weak.

When she saw Xie Jing, Ning Yunqing froze briefly before returning to her usual cold expression.

“What is it?”

Xie Jing nodded and glanced toward the house.

“They’ve all gone out,” Ning Yunqing said.

Xie Jing rubbed her nose and asked with a trace of concern, “Are you feeling better?”

“Mm. I’m fine.”

“That’s good.”

She really was cold.

Still, Xie Jing had no right to complain. She had been the one who wronged Ning Yunqing first, so it was normal for her to resent her.

After a moment’s consideration, Xie Jing took the rice cakes from her pocket and stuffed them into Ning Yunqing’s hands.

“These are for you.”

The crisp fragrance of tea suddenly drew closer.

Ning Yunqing’s body stiffened, and her gland instinctively throbbed as though responding to the owner of that tea fragrance.

Coming back to her senses, she took a step backward and placed more distance between them.

An Alpha in her susceptible period was extremely dangerous.

Ning Yunqing’s reaction left Xie Jing momentarily stunned.

She felt somewhat dejected.

Did Ning Yunqing dislike her that much?

Xie Jing sighed.

“Try them and see whether they taste good. If you like them, I’ll bring you more next time.”

“No need.”

Ning Yunqing pressed her lips tightly together and held the rice cakes back out to her.

Xie Jing did not accept them.

“If you don’t like them, give them to Niannian. Even if you don’t care about yourself, haven’t you noticed how thin she is?”

As expected, those words made Ning Yunqing pause.

Xie Jing observed her reaction closely.

Ning Yunqing truly cared deeply about her younger sister.

It seemed that if Xie Jing wanted to build a good relationship with Ning Yunqing, she would have to begin with that sister.

“Right, there’s something else I came to tell you. Didn’t you previously ask me to help sell your mushrooms? I’ve found a buyer. When can you give them to me?” Xie Jing asked.

Hearing this, Ning Yunqing lowered her eyes and tightened her fingers.

After a long silence, she said, “I have time now.”

“All right.”

Xie Jing smiled and waited for Ning Yunqing to go inside and retrieve them.

After a while, Ning Yunqing came back out, closed the courtyard gate, and said softly, “Let’s go.”

Xie Jing froze, puzzled, but did not ask.

She quietly followed behind Ning Yunqing.

After walking for some time, they stopped in front of an old house.

Xie Jing looked at Ning Yunqing in surprise.

“Come inside.”

With a grim expression, Ning Yunqing pulled open the dilapidated wooden door and entered.

The interior was just as run-down as the outside.

Parts of the roof had already collapsed, and sunlight poured through the openings, illuminating the wall.

A table stood in the middle of the room, with several mushrooms spread across it that had not yet fully dried.

They were probably the ones Ning Yunqing had gathered the day before yesterday.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Ning Yunqing walked to a corner and took out a bamboo basket.

“They’re all here.”

Xie Jing recognized it.

This was the same basket Ning Yunqing had carried when she came to see her that day.

At the time, Xie Jing had not been fully conscious. When she grabbed Ning Yunqing’s wrist, she had knocked over the basket and scattered the mushrooms everywhere.

At the memory, Xie Jing’s gland began throbbing again.

The ABO world was truly troublesome.

Fortunately, she had applied suppressant ointment before leaving home.

Otherwise, if what happened last time occurred again, Ning Yunqing might truly kill her.

Xie Jing checked the quality of the mushrooms and found no problems.

She hoisted the basket onto her back.

“Don’t enter the mountain alone again. It’s dangerous. Rest and let your injuries heal properly. Once I’ve sold them, I’ll bring the money to you.”

Without waiting for Ning Yunqing to respond, she turned and left.

Ning Yunqing watched her retreating figure and pressed her lips together.

She could no longer understand what Xie Jing intended.

No matter what her motive was, however, getting the money was the most important thing.

Niannian’s illness could not be delayed any longer. She needed to take her to the hospital for an examination as soon as possible.

Xie Chun had said that completely curing Niannian’s illness would require a great deal of money.

At present, however, Ning Yunqing could only gather mushrooms.

She certainly could not rely on anyone in the Ning family.

Ning Yunqing sighed softly.

The afternoon sun was scorching.

After Xie Jing placed the mushrooms inside her house, she began thinking.

If Ning Niannian truly had congenital heart disease, as Xie Chun had said, how could the money from selling a few mushrooms possibly be enough?

In this era, there was almost nothing people could sell besides food.

Everyone was struggling merely to eat. Who had spare money to buy anything else?

Xie Jing scratched her hair.

Those who lived near the mountains had to depend on the mountains.

No one usually dared enter that range, so there should be plenty of game inside. If she could hunt some animals, she should be able to sell them for a decent amount.

Besides, the state had not yet brought firearms completely under control in this era. Some farming households owned hunting rifles.

In her previous world, Xie Jing had ranked first in every firearms assessment.

If she could obtain a hunting rifle, she would have no trouble catching game.

The question was, where could she get one?

If she told the Xie family about her plan, they would never agree.

Xie Jing began to worry.

“Host, I know where you can get a hunting rifle,” 007 suddenly said.

Xie Jing’s heart lifted.

“Tell me.”

“The original character’s eldest uncle owns one. It was passed down from her grandfather’s generation. Since no one in the family knows how to hunt anymore, it has been left unused all these years.”

The original character’s eldest uncle?

Xie Jing blinked.

Wasn’t that Liu Fen’s household?

Her older brother’s marriage problem had not yet been resolved.

Given Liu Fen’s jealousy toward the original character’s family, she would never hand over the rifle if Xie Jing asked directly.

She would still have to begin with Xie Jianjun.

No sooner said than done.

The two families did not live far apart, so Xie Jing tidied herself up and headed toward her uncle’s house.

The moment she stepped outside, she happened to run straight into Xie Jianjun.

What perfect timing.

“Eldest Cousin, where are you going?” Xie Jing asked with a broad smile.

Xie Jianjun glanced at her, his scrawny body swaying slightly backward.

Ever since childhood, Liu Fen had filled his head with negative ideas about Xie Dahai’s family.

His eyes were full of disdain as he looked at Xie Jing.

“Do you think everyone is as idle as you?”