I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 298 - 282: The Heroine’s Unlucky Day (Part 2)
"Thank you, Uncle Li!" The two thanked repeatedly.
As they were about to go up the mountain, Jiang Mingyue released her spiritual power, hoping not to actually encounter any venomous snakes, as she could neutralize them, but she was somewhat unable to handle those creatures.
She was scared!
But she didn’t see any snakes; instead, she saw a familiar face.
What was Jiang Zhenzhu doing in this remote mountain area?
The next second, Jiang Mingyue understood.
In the scene, Jiang Zhenzhu and Ning Yan were counting eggs, and the ones selling the eggs were two women with headscarves.
The taller woman asked nervously, "Do you want more? There’s plenty in the village."
Jiang Zhenzhu replied, "Yes, we’ll take as many as you have, but not today. We have to hurry back; we’ll come again in seven days at this place, and the price is still one cent for ten eggs."
Jiang Mingyue: "..." What a rip-off! The supply and marketing cooperative buys for four cents for ten eggs, and Nanxi City sells for seven cents for ten; she’s making a huge profit!
By the time they reached the mountain gate, Jiang Zhenzhu and Ning Yan had already loaded the eggs onto a cart and moved on. She saw several large baskets in the cart, padded with straw, and some wild vegetables placed on top.
An Jian looked around suspiciously.
"What’s up?"
"There were people here just now. Strange, why are they in such a hurry?"
Jiang Mingyue: Could it be that black market dealings can see the light of day?
Jiang Mingyue was indeed surprised. Jiang Zhenzhu was determined to escape farm life, so she logically would not be involved with farmers anymore. Yet here she is, thinking of doing business with the farmers. There must be something she doesn’t know.
Interesting! But very cunning!
"Could it be Lv Yan?"
An Jian furrowed his brow, thinking his brother made a valid point, and quickly changed direction, sprinting forward.
"I’ll go have a look."
Jiang Mingyue followed; she wanted to see the excitement too.
An athletic person chasing a cart up a mountain path, the difference was noticeable, and before long, An Jian caught up.
"Stop! What are you doing?"
Ning Yan adjusted his glasses: "Comrade, my wife and I are up the mountain to dig wild vegetables. You see, we’re running out of food at home, with many younger siblings who are always underfed and malnourished. A colleague mentioned wild vegetables growing in the mountains, so I came to see if it’s true. I didn’t expect to find some, so now my family won’t have to go hungry."
Sounded pitiful! Unfortunately, he was facing An Jian.
An Jian smiled sincerely: "Is that so? That’s nice."
With that, Ning Yan and Jiang Zhenzhu both relaxed, but just as they let down their guard, unexpectedly, in a flash like lightning, An Jian uncovered the wild vegetables on one basket, revealing a heap of eggs beneath.
Silence filled the air for a moment.
An Jian: "Is this the wild vegetable you were talking about?" He lifted the covers on four baskets, all showing piles of eggs.
Jiang Zhenzhu smiled and offered An Jian some candy, "Comrade, the reason we didn’t tell the truth just now was to avoid being misunderstood as engaging in black market dealings. Actually, these eggs are things my husband and I are helping village folks deliver to the supply and marketing cooperative to sell. The villagers find it inconvenient to go sell them themselves; we’re all from the same village and often see each other, so it’s hard to refuse."
An Jian stroked his chin, "That sounds reasonable! So who can vouch for you?"
Ning Yan and Jiang Zhenzhu’s faces paled a bit; they didn’t expect to be so unlucky today, running into someone who doesn’t get it.
"Comrade, that’s the truth. But I do want to ask you, is it right for you to destroy my wild vegetables like that?" Ning Yan considered; with him and Jiang Zhenzhu, two against one, it seemed they still couldn’t win. The person before them stood tall with an upright bearing, unlike ordinary people, which was why he initially chose to answer.
An Jian revealed his work ID.
Ning Yan and Jiang Zhenzhu exchanged a glance: So it was! They abandoned the cart and dashed into the dense forest.
Jiang Mingyue then stepped forward and gave An Jian a thumbs-up, "Impressive! Does your institute handle this too?"
"I know those two people. The woman is named Jiang Zhenzhu, and the man is Ning Yan."
An Jian was surprised, "What a coincidence?"
"I also want to know why it’s such a coincidence." After all, in the book, she was just a supporting character, while Jiang Zhenzhu was the main protagonist. The protagonist’s fortune could easily outshine her, so she didn’t show up earlier. But why was the protagonist so unlucky now?
Things were different; many things were different.
"There’s an even more coincidental part. I’ll tell you as we walk. By the way, what are you planning to do with this cart of eggs?"
"We’ll leave them at Uncle Li’s for now and ask Gan Institute later."
Jiang Mingyue: Are they really taking them back? She was against it.
The road up the mountain was really tough, no, this wasn’t even a road—overgrown with weeds and full of potholes and sharp stones everywhere. It was easy to stub a toe, and after walking a short distance, her clothes were torn, and her exposed skin was injured.
"Didn’t they think to clear it a bit? It’s not like no one’s been here. These broken branches are fresh, probably from this morning. People have come down the mountain today."
