A Cannon-Fodder Alpha Marked The Future Villainess After Transmigrating Into A Novel - Chapter 4

Ning Yunqing glanced at her, pressed her lips together, and said nothing.

Xie Jing secretly watched her from the corner of her eye. Ning Yunqing kept her gaze lowered, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

They were not familiar with each other yet, and there was now an awkward, unspoken connection between them.

Forget it. Ning Yunqing did not want to talk, and Xie Jing had no idea what else to say anyway.

They continued in silence. By the time the sun was about to set, the two of them finally made it back to the village.

Xie Jing had excellent eyesight. From a distance, she spotted a little girl standing at the village entrance, constantly craning her neck in their direction.

While Xie Jing was still wondering who she was, Ning Yunqing abruptly pulled her arm away and put some distance between them.

Xie Jing froze and looked at her in confusion.

“I can manage on my own,” Ning Yunqing said, reaching out to take the bamboo basket from Xie Jing.

At that moment, the little girl who had been waiting at the village entrance ran over and threw her arms around Ning Yunqing’s leg.

“Fourth Sister, you’re finally back! I was worried sick. Dad asked where you’d gone just now and complained that you hadn’t made dinner.”

As she spoke, the little girl rubbed her face against Ning Yunqing’s leg.

“I’m fine. Didn’t I tell you not to run around? Why didn’t you listen again?” A trace of gentleness appeared on Ning Yunqing’s face.

“I know I was wrong. I was only worried about you,” the little girl said.

Ning Yunqing smiled and stroked her head.

Who was this little girl?

Xie Jing blinked.

The original novel had barely described Ning Yunqing’s family, so Xie Jing knew almost nothing about her current circumstances.

Judging from the situation, could this be Ning Yunqing’s younger sister?

A moment later, the little girl looked up at Xie Jing and asked curiously, “Fourth Sister, who is she?”

Ning Yunqing pressed her lips together.

“I don’t know her.”

“…”

Xie Jing froze, staring at Ning Yunqing with wide eyes.

They had just returned together, yet Ning Yunqing immediately claimed not to know her.

On second thought, however, Ning Yunqing probably did not want anyone to know that they had any connection.

For some inexplicable reason, disappointment flickered through Xie Jing’s heart.

Ning Yunqing turned her face away and said to the little girl, “Let’s go.”

“Okay. If we get home any later, they’ll start scolding you again.”

The two of them walked into the village hand in hand, leaving Xie Jing standing there, staring blankly after them.

007 suddenly spoke.

“You’re not doing very well, Host. Ning Yunqing obviously hates you.”

The system’s sudden voice startled Xie Jing. Once she recovered, she rolled her eyes and snapped, “Have you ever seen a cat get its tail stepped on, then turn around with a smile and say, ‘That felt wonderful, dear customer’?”

007: “…”

Only the crackling of static remained in Xie Jing’s mind. A second later, even that disappeared.

By the time Xie Jing returned to the Xie residence, the rest of the family had already come home from work.

When Xie Huai saw the firewood on her back, he hurried forward and took it from her.

Xie Jing had only just transmigrated and was not yet familiar with the Xie family. Faced with Xie Huai’s warmth, she felt somewhat uncomfortable.

“Big Brother, why are you home so early?”

Xie Zhenzhen eagerly answered before he could.

“Auntie is introducing a marriage prospect to Big Brother, so he came home early.”

In the original novel, Xie Huai’s wife had indeed been introduced by their eldest aunt, Liu Fen.

However, the woman was harsh, shrewish, and unreasonable. After marrying into the Xie family, she turned the entire household upside down and eventually caused Xie Huai’s tragic death.

After Xie Huai died in an accident, his parents were so devastated that they fell gravely ill.

Later, when something happened to the original Xie Jing, her parents passed away soon afterward, leaving only the young Xie Zhenzhen behind.

She survived by begging, only to eventually starve to death because she could not find enough food.

In other words, the Xie family’s endless misfortunes had begun after Xie Huai got married.

Therefore, the first thing Xie Jing needed to do to change the original character’s fate was to put an end to Xie Huai’s plans to marry that woman.

Xie Jing handed the bamboo basket to Xie Zhenzhen.

“Mushrooms!” the little girl exclaimed.

Wild vegetables were already becoming nearly impossible to find, yet Second Sister had still managed to gather mushrooms.

As expected of Second Sister—she was amazing!

Xie Zhenzhen looked at Xie Jing with open admiration.

Xie Jing glanced toward the house.

Liu Fen was speaking with Xie Jing’s parents, both of whom were smiling.

“Did she say which family the young woman is from?” Xie Jing asked Xie Huai.

“She said she’s from Lijiazhuang.”

A shy look appeared on Xie Huai’s tanned face as he scratched the back of his head with an honest smile.

The woman Xie Huai had married in the original novel had indeed been from Lijiazhuang.

It seemed this was the one.

Xie Jing pondered for a moment before saying, “Lijiazhuang isn’t far from our village. There’s no harm in asking around about her character before making a decision.”

“Well…” Xie Huai stared at her blankly.

“I’m only worried you might be deceived.”

“That probably won’t happen…”

As they spoke, Xie Jing’s parents came out of the house with Liu Fen.

When Liu Fen saw Xie Jing, she greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“Xiao Jing, you’re back.”

Xie Jing nodded in greeting.

Liu Fen looked toward Xie Huai and praised the prospective bride several more times.

Xie Jing’s parents escorted her out of the courtyard.

Once she was gone, Xie Jing frowned.

“Why did she suddenly decide to introduce someone to Big Brother? Cousin is two years older than he is, isn’t he?”

Hearing this, Mother Xie, Zhao Cui’e, shot Xie Jing a look and tapped her sharply on the head with her fingers.

“You little brat. Your brother isn’t young anymore. If he hadn’t spent the past few years helping us support and look after all of you, he would have found a wife long ago.”

Xie Jing naturally knew that.

Had Xie Huai not continuously supported the family over the years, her parents’ work points alone would never have allowed them to raise the children so well.

The reason Xie Huai had been able to secure a job at the canned-food factory was also a coincidence.

Two years earlier, he had gone into town and happened to encounter the factory director’s mother after she fainted. Xie Huai had taken her to the hospital, which eventually led to him receiving the job.

Many people in the village had been envious of him because of it, and Liu Fen was one of them.

She constantly made cutting remarks about their family, both openly and in secret.

Now she had suddenly come to introduce a wife to Xie Huai.

How could she possibly have good intentions?

Xie Jing snorted softly and leaned her head back to avoid her mother’s hand.

“Would Auntie really be that kindhearted?”

“Hey, you child! Why can’t you stand to see your brother doing well?”

When Zhao Cui’e saw her dodge, she reached out to twist Xie Jing’s ear instead.

Unable to tolerate it, Xie Jing quickly stepped back twice and put some distance between them.

“How am I talking nonsense? Think about how Auntie normally treats our family. Besides, if the young woman were truly that good, wouldn’t she introduce her to her own son first? Why would she offer her to Big Brother?”

The moment she finished speaking, the smile disappeared from Zhao Cui’e’s face.

Xie Jing continued, “Of course, we can’t assume the worst without checking. Lijiazhuang is close to us anyway. Why don’t we quietly ask around and find out what kind of person the woman is before deciding?”

Xie Dahai, who had remained silent until then, slapped his thigh and made the decision.

“Xiao Jing is right. Tomorrow, I’ll ask the production team leader for leave and personally make a trip to Lijiazhuang.”

“But the work points…” Zhao Cui’e hesitated.

Xie Jing knew perfectly well that Zhao Cui’e was reluctant to lose the work points. The whole family depended on them for food.

However, this concerned her son’s marriage…

“I’ll work with everyone tomorrow,” Xie Jing said.

“What?”

The three of them stared at her with wide eyes.

Xie Jing was an Alpha, and the entire village had produced only a handful of them.

Ever since she differentiated, her family had practically placed her on a pedestal.

At most, they allowed her to dig for wild vegetables or gather firewood on the back mountain. She had never worked in the fields.

“What’s so strange about that? Little Sister can work in the fields, so why can’t I?”

Xie Jing swept her gaze across the three of them.

Some things could not be believed based solely on rumors. Xie Dahai had to investigate personally before the truth would be convincing.

Although he could not bear to let his daughter work in the fields, when he thought about his son’s marriage, Xie Dahai gritted his teeth.

“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, Xiao Jing will work in my place. Do as much as you can. If you truly can’t manage it, I’ll finish the work when I return.”

Zhao Cui’e looked at her son, then at Xie Jing, and sighed.

“It’s getting late. Let’s eat first,” Xie Dahai said.

“All right,” Zhao Cui’e replied.

She took the bamboo basket from Xie Zhenzhen and looked inside.

The moment she saw its contents, she exclaimed, “Where did all these mushrooms come from?”

She turned to Xie Jing.

“Where did you find these?”

Beyond the back mountain lay what was essentially forbidden territory for the entire village.

Xie Jing absolutely could not tell them the truth.

Given how protective the Xie family was of the original character, they would never allow her to return there.

From what Xie Jing had observed, there were plenty of valuable things in that mountain. With enough luck, she might even hunt some wild game.

Xie Jing smiled.

“I found them on the back mountain.”

“The back mountain?”

Zhao Cui’e’s brows knitted tightly.

“People have already dug up all the grass there. Where could you possibly have found mushrooms?”

“…”

How had Xie Jing forgotten about that?

The back mountain was completely barren. Anything edible would have been picked long ago.

Feeling guilty, Xie Jing rubbed her nose and replied vaguely, “The spot was well hidden. Maybe no one noticed it.”

Then she quickly looked toward Xie Zhenzhen and changed the subject.

“Little Sister is already hungry. Hurry up and make dinner.”

At her reminder, Zhao Cui’e finally remembered that the entire family had yet to eat.

She chuckled.

“I’ll make it now. Zhenzhen, come help me tend the fire.”

“Coming,” Xie Zhenzhen answered.

The two of them entered the kitchen together.

Xie Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Zhao Cui’e had not become suspicious. Otherwise, Xie Jing truly would not have known how to explain herself.

Dinner consisted of cornbread buns and mushroom soup.

Xie Jing had not eaten anything since arriving in this world. As an Alpha, she also consumed more energy than an ordinary person.

By now, she was so hungry that her stomach felt glued to her back.

Zhao Cui’e brought out a large basin of mushroom soup.

Xie Jing glanced at it and immediately felt disappointed.

This looked nothing like what she had imagined.

It was merely mushrooms boiled in plain water, without even a drop of oil floating on the surface.

How was someone accustomed to rich food and meat supposed to swallow this?

Unfortunately, she was far too hungry to be picky, and there was nothing else to eat.

Sighing, Xie Jing accepted a bowl of soup from Zhao Cui’e.

The others ate with great satisfaction.

Xie Zhenzhen, in particular, kept praising how delicious the soup was.

“That Ning family’s eldest man caused trouble at the production brigade again today,” Xie Dahai said while eating. “He complained that the plot assigned to his family had too many stones and that clearing it was dirty and exhausting.”

“That man’s laziness isn’t anything new,” Zhao Cui’e said, biting into her cornbread bun. “What other family has four able-bodied workers and still can’t even feed themselves? What did the production team leader say?”

“What else could he say? He told them to do their work properly.”

Xie Dahai snorted, his voice filled with obvious contempt.

After hesitating for a moment, Xie Jing interrupted.

“Which Ning family are you talking about?”

“Who else could it be?” Zhao Cui’e replied. “They’re the only outsiders living in the village.”