Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback

CHAPTER 74: The First Wife of a 1980s Big Shot Who Died Young (7)

　　Qin Huaijing replied lazily, “Why would I randomly attack you? If anything, it must’ve been you attacking me first, so I fought back.”

　　Huo Meilan was left speechless. “……”

　　Qin Huaijing went on, “In the middle of the night, I almost had my neck crushed, got kicked so hard my teeth and face still hurt, and even had to get up to deal with a nosebleed. Even ¹Dou E wouldn’t be as wronged as I am.”

　　He lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand, his handsome face wearing an exaggeratedly aggrieved expression.

　　Huo Meilan rubbed her nose. It seemed like… sometimes when she slept, she rolled around a lot…

　　Kicking him like that did feel a bit unfair.

　　“Well… this did start because of me, but I didn’t do it on purpose. How about I steam you a couple of eggs to help you recover?”

　　Qin Huaijing looked at her, speechless.

　　What kind of logic was that?

　　Steaming a couple of eggs to recover… only she could come up with something like that.

　　“I’m walking around with a bruise this big on my face. If I go out like this, my teammates and subordinates are going to laugh at me. You better come up with a way to fix it.”

　　Qin Huaijing hadn’t gone to work yet after waking up, mainly because the injury on his face was too noticeable. If people saw it, who knew what kind of rumors would start.

　　It wasn’t an unreasonable request, so Huo Meilan clapped her hands and agreed, “Alright, I’ll figure something out for you.”

　　“Go start a fire and boil a couple of eggs. Roll them on it first to reduce the swelling.”

　　Qin Huaijing cooperated. He got up, neatly folded the blanket, and went outside to start the fire.

　　While he was gone, Huo Meilan slipped into her space, grabbed some concealer, and tucked it into her pocket before coming back out.

　　When Qin Huaijing returned with the boiled eggs, he reached to roll one over his face.

　　Huo Meilan stopped him, peeled the shell, wrapped the egg in a cloth, and helped treat the bruise properly.

　　Qin Huaijing leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying it. “Comrade Meilan has quite the good attitude. Alright, I forgive you. Whether it can be covered or not doesn’t really matter.”

　　Of course he knew this wouldn’t actually hide it. He was just teasing her.

　　“It can be covered. I’ll mix some of my face cream with powder and help you conceal it a bit. From a distance, no one will notice.”

　　She casually made up an excuse. Seeing how serious and focused she looked, Qin Huaijing let her do her thing.

　　She told him to close his eyes, then secretly took out the concealer, dabbed a little onto her fingertips, and gently applied it to his face.

　　His eyelids twitched slightly. “That tickles.”

　　Ever since he became an adult, no one except his mother had touched his face.

　　The faint ticklish feeling stirred something else in his chest, something hard to put into words.

　　From meeting to getting along, everything between them had happened so naturally, even though it had only been a short time.

　　His feelings toward Huo Meilan were a bit complicated.

　　Marriage wasn’t a joke. Being arranged into one by the old man had made him resistant at first.

　　But after these past couple of days, he realized he didn’t dislike her. Maybe an arranged marriage wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.

　　While he was lost in thought, Huo Meilan had already finished.

　　With just a light layer, the bruise was almost completely covered.

　　She held up a mirror for him. “Look. This is how it turned out. Even up close, you can barely tell.”

　　Qin Huaijing got up to take a look, his eyes lighting up. “Not bad. You really can’t tell.”

　　Huo Meilan put the mirror away, clearly not planning to dwell on it, and urged, “Alright, hurry up and get to work.”

　　Qin Huaijing didn’t press further. In high spirits again, he headed off to work.

　　……

　　He barely made it to the office when the old man’s phone call came in, blasting him straight into silence.

　　Everyone else in the office tried their best to hold back their laughter and pretended nothing was happening.

　　On the other end, the old commander was still going off.

　　“I think you’ve completely forgotten you even have a father. Why didn’t you call me back yesterday when you got home? I already told you what Meilan looks like, and you still managed to bring home some fake. Is your head just for decoration? She has no parents, no backing, and already ended up with a bunch of vicious relatives. You better treat that girl properly…”

　　Qin Huaijing rubbed his forehead and lowered his voice. “Got it. I’ve already settled her in. You can relax.”

　　“Settled her how? Did you buy daily necessities? Clothes, shoes, face cream, all of it. That girl is shy, so you should take the initiative. If you don’t know what to get, just think about what your mother uses at home…”

　　Hearing that, Qin Huaijing touched his nose.

　　He thought back to how she arrived with just a small bag. Even now, she was still wearing the same outfit for two days straight. Yesterday, she seemed to have only bought some basic toiletries.

　　His mother, on the other hand, lived in comfort. Different outfits every day, neatly styled hair, little accessories, afternoon tea on schedule, and friends coming over to chat, paint, and write together.

　　Compared to that, Huo Meilan really was a bit wronged following him.

　　He hung up and went to ask for a day off from his superior.

　　He planned to take her into town to buy everything she needed.

　　When he rushed back to the family compound, he walked in and saw Huo Meilan in the yard, wiping and washing her shoes.

　　She was sitting on a chair, with two towel-made “socks” wrapped around her feet.

　　Not even a proper spare pair of shoes.

　　Qin Huaijing felt another wave of guilt hit him.    

　　“I don’t have anything going on today. I’m taking you into town to buy some things.”

　　Huo Meilan hadn’t expected him to come back so suddenly.

　　The white sock-like wraps on her feet were taken from her space. There was no time to hide them, so she kept her expression steady and said casually, “Alright. I was planning to get a couple sets of clothes anyway for changing.”

　　Qin Huaijing went inside to grab money and ration tickets. Taking the chance, Huo Meilan quickly put on her cleaned shoes and adjusted her leggings to cover the fluffy socks.

　　He borrowed a military vehicle, and the two of them headed into the county town together.

　　——

　　The county town in 1985 was still lively and bustling.

　　With the economic boom of the 80s, more small street vendors and self-employed stalls had popped up everywhere. Food, drinks, and entertainment could all be found in the streets of the county.

　　Qin Huaijing wasn’t sure what to buy, so whatever Huo Meilan picked, he just followed behind to pay and hand over the ration tickets.

　　That generous, no-hesitation style made a few shop assistants sneak glances at him, and more than one of them looked at Huo Meilan with obvious envy.

　　Huo Meilan didn’t go on a shopping spree though. She only picked things she could actually use.

　　Two sets of outer clothes, two pairs of comfortable shoes, and a jar of face cream. She had skincare in her space, but she still needed something for public use. For convenience when going out, she even bought a plum blossom wristwatch to keep track of time.

　　After that, she grabbed some melon seeds, dried fruits, and candies. When the sisters from the housing compound came over as guests, she could use them to treat people.

　　Qin Huaijing saw that she only bought these and directly pulled her toward the jewelry counter. They were already married, yet she didn’t even have a ring on her finger. The more he thought about it, the more shabby it felt.

　　In the end, a ring appeared on Huo Meilan’s ring finger.

　　She picked it herself. Platinum, simple and understated.

　　Compared to the gold floral ring Qin Huaijing originally picked, she preferred this one much more.

　　Besides the ring, he also bought her a matching platinum necklace and bracelet.

　　Huo Meilan didn't have pierced ears and was afraid of the pain, so Qin Huaijing didn't buy her any earrings.

　　Platinum was even more expensive than gold, so all of this cost quite a bit. But Qin Huaijing still felt it wasn’t enough, and kept looking around, wondering what else he could get for her.    

　　Huo Meilan was already too tired from walking and started urging him to leave.

　　They packed the things they bought into the car, and Qin Huaijing then drove her out again, this time to eat at a proper restaurant.

　　The place he chose was quite upscale, with a nice environment, good dishes, and even a dedicated tea room.

　　Qin Huaijing ordered a few signature dishes, plus Huo Meilan’s favorite sweet and sour pork strips, and didn’t forget to add two plates of vegetables.

　　Huo Meilan was easy to please too, eating both meat and vegetables together without complaint.

　　After the meal, Qin Huaijing even took her to try tea tasting. His mother loved tea, so maybe girls would like it too.

　　But Huo Meilan was full and satisfied already, and she wasn’t really interested in tea. She looked a bit drained.

　　So Qin Huaijing took her to watch a movie next.

　　After the movie ended, Huo Meilan walked out and asked with a smile, “What’s going on today? It feels like you’re trying to make up for something. Did you do something wrong to me?”

　　Qin Huaijing met her gaze and said seriously, “Sorry. I was careless with you the past couple of days. I should have brought you out earlier to buy things.”

　　Honestly, what his father said wasn’t wrong. Whether this marriage was arranged or not, since they were already married, and she had come all this way alone with no one to rely on, she deserved proper respect at the very least.

　　He hadn’t thought about that from the start, which meant he hadn’t been attentive enough.

　　Seeing him actually being serious, Huo Meilan casually asked, “Was it Uncle Qin who called you?”

　　Qin Huaijing nodded. “Yeah.”

　　Huo Meilan smiled a little. That made sense then.

　　Uncle Qin was kind and thoughtful. From the very first meeting, he even gave her pocket money and helped her buy clothes and shoes. For someone like Huo Meilan, who had lost her family support, it felt like real care and warmth.

　　She said softly, “Uncle Qin is really nice. Next time you talk to him, remember to thank him for me.”

　　“Alright,” Qin Huaijing replied.    

　　Qin Huaijing hesitated for a moment before speaking up first.

　　“Didn’t you say last night that you wanted to go to university and needed to buy books? Maybe we should ask if this school here allows repeat students. You could just go back to school.”

　　Sometimes he would be away on missions, and she would be alone in the housing compound. She would definitely get bored. Living with the military long-term might also wear her down. If she could do something she liked, maybe she would be happier.

　　Huo Meilan had already been planning to buy books anyway, preparing for the college entrance exam next year.

　　After hearing Qin Huaijing’s suggestion, she actually felt that repeating studies in the county town wasn’t a bad idea.

　　The environment here was definitely more relaxed than the housing compound, with more places to go. Living on her own would also be more convenient.

　　“Alright, let’s go ask the school then.”

　　Since it was still early, the two of them asked around and soon found their way to the county’s well-known No. 1 Middle School.

　　It was still class time, and without an appointment, the guards wouldn’t let anyone in.

　　Qin Huaijing went to a nearby convenience store to make a phone call and asked around. Not long after, they reached the school principal.

　　Soon, the two of them were escorted into the school.    

　　After hearing that Huo Meilan wanted to repeat her final year of high school, the principal called over a few homeroom teachers from Grade 12.

　　Huo Meilan had already been through Grade 12 once before, and her previous academic performance had been fairly good. With the memories she inherited from the original body owner, she handled the placement test questions with ease.

　　The teachers even pulled out another set of exam papers for her, and she completed them all without much trouble.

　　They graded them on the spot, and her scores came out impressively high.

　　That immediately caught everyone’s attention. A student like this was exactly the kind schools wanted, after all, who wouldn’t want a top performer?

　　After discussing it with Qin Huaijing, Huo Meilan went straight ahead and completed the enrollment procedures. She could start anytime.

　　Once the tuition was paid, her Grade 12 textbooks were handed over as well.

　　Since the school was a bit far, students could apply for boarding. It was about a two-hour trip from the military compound, so Huo Meilan applied for a dorm room.

　　She would stay in the dorm on normal days and head back to the housing compound during holidays.

　　After everything at the school was settled, she went to check out the dormitory. Most of the students were locals, and not many boarded.

　　Each room originally held four people, but her room wasn’t full. With her included, there were only two students staying there.

________________

Glossary:

¹“Dou E” refers to Dou E, a tragic heroine from the classic Chinese play The Injustice to Dou E.

Her story is basically the ultimate “I got blamed for something I didn’t do” situation. She was falsely accused of murder and executed, even though she was completely innocent. Before dying, she swore that heaven would prove her injustice, and according to the legend, strange signs happened, like snow falling in summer, to show she was wronged.

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