Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 19

“What are you doing?” Baobao slipped into character instantly, her expression transforming in a heartbeat. “How could you… how could you…”

She looked at Huo Jun with teary resentment, biting her lower lip with pearly teeth and clutching her collar with both hands, as if to shield herself. Her face was a portrait of helplessness and inner conflict.

Huo Jun raised an eyebrow, observing the petite figure now overtaken by a dramatic spirit. He swallowed the words he had intended to say, the slight curl of his lips betraying a trace of amusement.

“You really misunderstood us.” Jiang Mingmiao’s hands clenched into fists as she fought to suppress her growing excitement. 

It was clear that Zhen Baobao had misunderstood, and this misunderstanding was playing out exactly as she had hoped. What Jiang Mingmiao needed now was for Baobao to lash out. A man like Huo Jun wouldn’t tolerate baseless accusations and emotional outbursts from a partner.

If Zhen Baobao escalated the situation, it would push Huo Jun further away. The best-case scenario? Huo Jun wouldn’t even bother explaining himself.

“Brother Jun, I don’t know how things ended up like this. Should I help you explain?” Jiang Mingmiao said softly, feigning hesitation.

She took a small step forward. Though there was still some distance between her and Huo Jun, the angle she positioned herself at gave the illusion—especially from Baobao’s perspective—that she was standing very close to him. 

From Baobao’s view, Jiang Mingmiao seemed practically attached to Huo Jun’s side.

Such an illusion was bound to provoke any woman.

“Then explain it,” Huo Jun said flatly.

His patience for Jiang Mingmiao’s cryptic remarks was wearing thin. If she truly wanted to explain, why would she bother asking for his opinion? If not for his curiosity about Baobao’s antics, he would have left long ago.

Jiang Mingmiao was momentarily stunned by his cold response. That wasn’t the reaction she’d hoped for.

Thankfully, Baobao was more than cooperative, keeping the dramatic “love triangle” alive.

“I don’t want to listen! I don’t want to listen!” She covered her ears with the hands that had been gripping her collar, shaking her head frantically.

In that moment, she was no longer Zhen Baobao but Zhen. Ziwei. Bao. The sheer depth of her emotions was overwhelming, and the inner drama queen refused to hold back.

“Huo Jun, how could you do this to me?”

The floodgates opened. Tears poured down Baobao’s cheeks as she looked at Huo Jun with grief-stricken eyes, her voice trembling with sorrow.

Though Huo Jun knew this was nothing more than theatrics, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of distress. Before he realized it, he had an urge to step forward and wipe away her tears.

“She said you watched the snow and stars together, talked about poetry, songs, and the meaning of life…” Baobao’s small, sobbing voice was utterly pitiful. “I never watched the snow or the stars with you, never talked about poetry, songs, or the meaning of life…”

Her words, punctuated by quiet sobs, sounded like a tragic melody. Baobao looked utterly heartbroken, but deep inside, a devilish little version of herself was cackling with delight.

Damn, this sickly sweet feeling is surprisingly satisfying, she thought.

Jiang Mingmiao froze upon hearing these accusations. Something was off. When had she ever claimed to do such poetic things with Huo Jun? 

For a moment, she was at a complete loss.

“Why is it her?!” Baobao pointed an accusing finger at Jiang Mingmiao, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Jiang Mingmiao didn’t have time to unravel how Baobao had fabricated so much nonsense. Instead, she focused on Baobao’s anger. 

The more Baobao raged, the better it was for her. She couldn’t argue back; she had to maintain a gentle, tolerant demeanor.

Men loved women who were docile and considerate. There was nothing between her and Huo Jun now, but the more Baobao overreacted, the more sympathy she could garner from him.

Sometimes, a relationship begins with just a little pity.

“Is it because she has one more wart on her cheek than me?” Baobao exclaimed, her small face—already as delicate as a doll’s—wrinkling into a pitiful and endearing expression.

At least, that’s how it looked to Huo Jun.

To Jiang Mingmiao, however, it was unbearably irritating.

“What wart?” Jiang Mingmiao thought indignantly. It’s a beauty mole! She loved that small black mole on her cheek. Whenever she smiled, it added a unique charm to her already beautiful face.

What are warts? They are unsightly, meatball-shaped protrusions. Some even sprout long, curved black hairs. How could such a disgusting thing possibly appear on her cheek?

Jiang Mingmiao couldn’t suppress her frustration. She felt an uncontrollable urge to grab Baobao and pull her closer. This? A wart? If that was what Baobao considered a mole, then Jiang Mingmiao might as well have moles covering her entire body.

“Is it because her waist is thicker than mine? Or because her butt is fatter than mine, making her look like she’s built for childbearing?” Baobao dramatically clutched her chest as if wounded, retreating two or three steps.

Whose waist is thick?! Jiang Mingmiao’s lips trembled with rage. 

She wanted to snap back at this sharp-tongued girl, but her eyes betrayed her—Baobao’s slim waist looked so small it could be grasped in two hands. There was no point in arguing.

“Or is it because you like that she has a piece of chive leaf stuck between her teeth? That way, you can enjoy the scent of chive flowers when you talk to her.” Baobao delivered this line with tragic despair, before sighing and declaring, “Fine, I can’t compete with this. I give up.”

She looked at Jiang Mingmiao deeply, her face filled with mock defeat, as if she had been thoroughly beaten.

A chive leaf?!

Jiang Mingmiao’s head buzzed with fury and embarrassment. She wracked her brain, trying to recall whether she’d eaten anything with chives tonight. Hadn’t she been focused on watching Huo Jun and coaxing her male companion to drink more? She couldn’t remember.

But the thought of smiling sweetly at Huo Jun all night with a piece of chive stuck in her teeth made her want to crawl into a hole.

She pressed her lips together tightly, her tongue darting anxiously between her teeth to search for the offending leaf. 

Meanwhile, she hoped desperately that Baobao was just spouting nonsense to throw her off.

“Even if I’m inferior to her in so many ways,” Baobao wailed, waving her arms in exaggerated despair, “it doesn’t give you the right to bully me like this!”

Smack!

What a coincidence—the motion of Baobao’s flailing hand landed a loud slap on the lamppost beside her.

The lamppost, made of iron and about the thickness of a calf, wasn’t solid inside, as it housed circuit wires. Nonetheless, Baobao’s slap was strong enough to leave a dent in the metal, causing the streetlamp to flicker ominously as crackling noises came from within.

Even the strongest person would feel pain from striking iron like that. Baobao’s reddened hand was proof of her recklessness, but the tears brimming in her eyes only seemed more genuine.

Baobao pouted, her expression aggrieved. 

Tomorrow, she had to report to the army, but now she’d have to pay for repairs to the damaged public property. That might cost her half a month’s allowance. Her face scrunched up in a pitiful frown that would evoke concern from anyone watching.

“I will never wish you happiness!”

With that dramatic proclamation, she covered her eyes with her hands and ran toward the dormitory building. Though her steps were heavy, the gleam in her eyes betrayed the satisfaction swelling in her chest.

Take that, Jiang Mingmiao.

Baobao’s earlier frustration was replaced by a wave of relief. The thought of Jiang Mingmiao’s frantic expression brought her immense satisfaction. Her body, sore from rigorous training, suddenly felt rejuvenated.

“Baobao, wait! Listen to my explanation!” Huo Jun’s voice rang out, and before she had made it ten meters, he had caught up with her.

What the hell? Baobao cursed internally. Why was he chasing her now? Wasn’t it obvious this was all just for show?

Jiang Mingmiao regarded Baobao as an enemy, but Huo Jun’s motives remained unclear. Why was he shouting for an explanation at this moment? 

Whatever the case, the two soon disappeared, leaving only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the quiet night.

Back under the malfunctioning streetlamp, Jiang Mingmiao felt a chill run through her body. The flickering light cast eerie shadows, and the cold wind blew straight into her chest.

The plan had seemed foolproof—Zhen Baobao had “misunderstood” her relationship with Huo Jun and wanted to break up. Huo Jun might have chased after her for now, but given Baobao’s temper, the two would likely have a heated argument.

Everything was going according to plan. So why did she feel so uneasy?

Jiang Mingmiao replayed the entire confrontation in her mind but still couldn’t pinpoint the problem. Baobao’s so-called “admissions of inferiority” kept resurfacing, gnawing at her confidence.

Inferior? No way. Jiang Mingmiao clenched her fists. 

Those weren’t admissions of inferiority—they were thinly veiled insults. Baobao’s words had been carefully calculated to enrage her.

She recalled the first time she had crossed paths with Baobao as a child. Even then, Baobao’s sharp tongue was unmatched. Her knack for feigning innocence and playing the victim had only grown more refined over the years.

She’s so pretentious. Everything about her is disgusting. How could Huo Jun possibly like such a woman?

She never imagined that the “Zhen Baobao” she saw was actually another version of her.

“Why are you still chasing me?”

Seeing that Huo Jun was about to follow her to the dormitory building for female soldiers, Zhen Baobao quickly stopped in her tracks, prepared to beg for mercy in a tactical retreat.

“I suddenly feel sorry for you.” Huo Jun chuckled. 

It seemed like he had never looked at her this closely before. It turned out Baobao really wasn’t very tall. Even though she was already an adult, when he stood up straight, his chin could rest perfectly on the top of her head.

The smallest training suit was still slightly loose on her. Because she had just finished training and was sweating, she had rolled up her pant legs and sleeves, which only made her look smaller, more delicate, and oddly cute.

Huo Jun reached out and cupped Baobao’s cheeks. Her surprise was written all over her face—her wide, round eyes were bigger than the foreign dolls sold in department stores. “I actually forgot that we once watched the snow and the stars together, talking about poetry, songs, and the philosophy of life. What a beautiful experience.”

Late at night, under the faint glow of distant lights, Huo Jun’s eyes gleamed like dark obsidian—deep and mysterious, shimmering with subtle light, like a bottomless spring capable of pulling someone in completely.

Baobao found herself unconsciously drawn to Huo Jun in that moment.

Damn it, she thought, this guy is usually so arrogant and self-absorbed. He practically screams ‘I’m the boss’ wherever he goes. But now? When did he become so thoughtful and, dare I say, intriguing?

Why was there so much tenderness in his gaze? Was he trying to fool a simple, naïve girl like her?

“Why don’t you take me back to those days, Baobao?” Huo Jun’s hands pressed gently on her cheeks, squishing them until her rosy lips pouted like a duck’s bill.

“Woo woo!”

She protested twice but couldn’t say much more. Who had watched snow and stars with him? She had no such memory!

Huo Jun chuckled again, took Baobao’s hand, and pulled her toward the building where political classes were usually held.

The timing was perfect. Looking up at the night sky, they were greeted by a gorgeous blanket of stars.

And so, he began to talk about poetry and the philosophy of life—under the same starry sky.

The next day during training, Baobao felt like her head was about to explode.

She couldn’t believe that, in a moment of weakness, she’d allowed Huo Jun to drag her up to the administrative building to stargaze for over an hour. And all they did was watch stars—nothing else!

Baobao swung her fists in frustration at Yu Nan, half-mockingly swearing that Huo Jun had only done it out of petty revenge. She didn’t believe for a second that he hadn’t thought about trying something—he was just too dismissive of her charm to even bother!

“That’s the spirit!” Yu Nan, watching from the side, was pleasantly surprised by the intense energy Baobao was showing in her training today. “If this were a real battlefield,” Yu Nan teased, “you’d definitely scare the enemy witless with that murderous aura.”

Yu Nan dodged Baobao’s attacks with precision, all the while egging her on to maintain the momentum.

During the break, Yu Nan advised Baobao to relax her muscles, then went over some of the issues from the earlier session.

“Auntie Nan,” Baobao started hesitantly, using Yu Nan’s preferred nickname in private, “has Brother Huo been dealing with any problems lately?”

During training, Baobao would call her “Group Leader,” but in moments like this, Yu Nan insisted on the more personal “Auntie Nan.”

Baobao sipped her water in small gulps to replenish what she’d lost during the session. After some hesitation, she lowered her voice and asked cautiously.

She’d noticed something off about Huo Jun ever since he returned this time.

Huo Jun used to be the pride of the compound—the golden boy who could command hundreds of people. His personality was flamboyant, larger than life. To Baobao, he had always seemed like a proud rooster with an oversized comb, strutting around and crowing loudly.

But this time, something was different. Though he still smiled like before, there was a hollowness behind it—a kind of falseness Baobao couldn’t quite place. His eyes held an unfamiliar sadness, like he was hiding something.

This was part of the reason why she hadn’t fought back when he dragged her off to stargaze the previous night. Otherwise, with her strength, he wouldn’t have been able to force her.

“Troubles? What kind of troubles?” Yu Nan asked, intrigued. Yu Nan was momentarily stunned.

As a mother, she had to admit she had been somewhat negligent. Not only her, but Huo Xiongying, the father, could hardly be said to have fully fulfilled his responsibilities either. From the day they both became soldiers, their lives had been destined to belong not just to their family but also to their country and its people.

When it came to educating her children, Yu Nan had adopted a military training approach. She felt that raising her son to be honest, loyal, and responsible was enough.

“Isn’t Xiaozhun the same as always?”

Yu Nan reflected for a moment. On the day her son came back, they had dinner together as a family. The four of them had laughed and chatted, and she hadn’t noticed anything different about him.

“Maybe the training at the military academy is just very intense, and he’s struggling to adjust.” Yu Nan dismissed it casually. 

Her son was an adult now; even if he was under pressure, he should learn to manage it on his own.

Clearly, Yu Nan didn’t take Baobao’s concerns seriously.

It was hard to say whether Huo Jun was fortunate or unfortunate to have such carefree parents.

Baobao could only suppress her worries and continue sipping her water in small gulps.

The vacations at the military academy were very short. Since that day, Jiang Mingmiao hadn’t found another opportunity to meet Huo Jun. 

As the start of the semester approached, even someone as calculating as Jiang Mingmiao couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.

She was already 21 years old—the prime age for marriage wouldn’t last forever. Huo Jun still had two more years at the military academy. If she couldn’t make progress during this break, she’d have to wait another year.

Her uncle and aunt were unlikely to wait that long. Huo Jun wasn’t their only option—there were many families in the compound with good prospects who could also bring benefits to the Jiang family.

But Jiang Mingmiao refused to accept that. With someone like Huo Jun—so outstanding—right in front of her, why should she settle for second best?

In her growing frustration, Jiang Mingmiao suddenly noticed a change in her younger cousin, Jiang Mingting.

Even though it was the holidays, Jiang Mingting frequently found excuses to go out. 

Jiang Mingmiao realized that this might be her chance to divert her uncle and aunt’s attention elsewhere.