TFRLTOP Chapter 43 Part 2

Victorious, eyes shining red, she kicked him a few more times for good measure. But suddenly, he hooked her legs, pulling her down on top of him.

“Enough. We need to go.” He patted her back.

Ming Ming scrambled up, straddling him, palms pressing into his chest in mock threat. “Who was messing around, huh? Who?”

“Me, me—I was! Spare me…” His words begged, but his grin never faded. Then he added, “If you don’t get off, I can’t promise we’ll make that movie tonight.”

She froze, then pinched his chest viciously before scrambling off.

“See? All your fault—we’ve wasted so much time! Now all the good seats will be gone!”

Sure enough, when they reached the village square, it was packed wall to wall. Yan Junsheng carried two folding stools, found a middle-row spot, and the two of them sat to wait.

It was the big folding stool with a backrest. Sure, it was a bit heavy to lug around, but once you sat down, it was comfortable.

In just that short time, plenty of villagers passing by came over to tease them:

“You young folks sure know how to enjoy yourselves.”

“I don’t bring the kind with a backrest ‘cause I think it’s too heavy. Should’ve brought one like yours.”

“Yeah, you say that every time. We say you’re slow, and you really are. Back when the village showed a movie, someone brought one with a backrest. Others saw it and copied. But you? Every time you come empty-handed, and then every time you whine afterward. Doesn’t it embarrass you?”

Everyone burst out laughing.

People around started chatting about this and that. Ming Ming had never been to an outdoor movie before, so she craned her neck, looking around. Yan Junsheng glanced left and right, thinking she was searching for Wang Hu. He wasn’t happy about it. He grabbed a few pieces of popcorn and shoved them at her mouth. Ming Ming opened up and crunched them down, but her eyes still kept wandering.

“What are you looking at?” Junsheng stuffed a few more into her mouth.

“Nothing, just looking around.” Ming Ming’s eyes and mouth were busy with separate tasks.

“Hey, look at Junsheng—feeding her like a kid. Mark my words, if he ever has a child, he’ll spoil it rotten. Probably end up chasing the kid all over the yard with food, just like Old Li’s family.”

“Pfft, can’t picture it. He’s an intellectual, no way he’d baby a kid like that.”

“Look at the way he dotes on his wife…”

On the side, Huang Chunhua, the Huang family’s daughter-in-law, rolled her eyes hard. Then she nudged her daughter Cuiping to go sit with another educated youth—she had her sights set on someone else again.

But the truth was, few of the well-bred, good-looking, educated youths were willing to settle down in the countryside. And the ones who were, Chunhua found beneath her. Her daughter Cuiping was really stuck in a bind.

Just then, Wang Hu showed up. Spotting Ming Ming from afar, he called out to her warmly. She raised her hand and waved back, then pointed at an empty spot nearby to signal, “There’s a seat here.”

Junsheng’s face grew darker.

But Ming Ming wasn’t fond of either of them. Seeing Wang Hu made her think of the words “Diamond High School Guy” stamped across his face. Seeing Yan Junsheng reminded her of that giant donkey’s… well, equipment.

In short, neither was any good.

Wang Hu sat down a little ahead of them, constantly turning back to chat with Ming Ming. Junsheng, annoyed beyond words, kept stuffing popcorn into her mouth, from two pieces per sentence to dragging one sentence out over three rounds of feeding. Ming Ming almost choked. Finally, she snapped, “Yan Junsheng, are you trying to fatten me up like a pig?”

She grabbed the bag of popcorn and barked, “The movie hasn’t even started yet, and you’ve already shoved half the bag into me! Half the bag! Before we left, you wouldn’t let me eat more, now you’re force-feeding me like it’s livestock feed!”

Junsheng hurried to calm her down, secretly delighted—at least she wasn’t paying attention to that other nuisance anymore.

But Ming Ming kept griping: “Dinner was salty enough already!”

“And you didn’t even bring water!”

“I did, I did.” Like Doraemon pulling gadgets from nowhere, Junsheng magically produced a water bottle. As he held it to her lips, he smugly thought: She can scold me all she wants—if she’s scolding me, it means she cares.

The villagers started whispering again:

“Look at Juan girl’s temper… can’t believe Junsheng puts up with it.”

“You think maybe Chen Weiguo’s got something on that boy? Otherwise, why would he swallow his pride like this?”

“Don’t say that… but I kinda think so too!”

Wang Hu, seeing Junsheng monopolize Ming Ming’s attention, was stewing inside. Hearing the busybodies around him chattering on, he kicked the leg of one man’s stool and snapped, “Had too much horse piss to drink? What kind of crap are you spouting?”

The man saw it was Wang Hu and immediately shut his mouth.

At that moment, Junsheng spoke up, all righteous: “Juan and I are a young couple. It’s normal to be a little lovey-dovey. If it bothers anyone, just say so straight out. No need for wild guesses—it only hurts the harmony of the neighborhood. And thanks to Comrade Wang Hu for speaking up for us.”

He gave Wang Hu a faint smile. Wang Hu hated that smug, bookish politeness, so he leaned over and slapped Ming Ming lightly on the shoulder: “Juanzi, let’s drink tomorrow? I’ll take you to play rooster fighting.”

Ming Ming thought: You just accused someone of drinking horse piss, and now you want to drag me off drinking? Disgusting.

Junsheng cut in before she could answer: “Sorry, we’ve got plans tomorrow. Juan won’t have time.”

Ming Ming shot him a look: What plans?

Junsheng gazed at her gently. “I’m taking you to town. We’ll get you some clothes, jewelry, maybe a little skincare.”

He cast Wang Hu a sidelong glance and added meaningfully: “You like to play around, but someone’s got to think ahead for you. This time I’ll go with you—otherwise you’ll just fool around like last time, buying toys for all the kids and neighbors but nothing decent for yourself.”

Different ears heard different things.

To the villagers, it sounded like Chen Juanjuan spent all her money buying treats for their kids and never on herself.

To Wang Hu, it was Junsheng throwing shade, suggesting he was careless, dragging Juan around to play instead of being responsible.

To Ming Ming, only one line stuck out: “The junk you bought for yourself.”

She knew perfectly well what “junk” he meant. She’d already suffered for it once and didn’t dare talk back. She just snuck him a glare, praying the donkey bastard wouldn’t bring it up again to make a scene.

Otherwise, how was she supposed to live?

Wang Hu narrowed his eyes and asked Ming Ming directly, “Then when are we drinking?”

Ming Ming thought of all the bad things that happened every time she drank, and decisively shook her head. Flatly, she said, “Not drinking. Ever again. Drinking only leads to trouble.”

Junsheng turned to the side, fist against his lips, and chuckled. Ming Ming secretly twisted his hand, only for him to turn it around and clasp her fingers tightly.

Expressionless, Ming Ming declared, “I swear, from now on, neither of us will touch a drop.”

Junsheng asked, smiling, “Including me?”

Even her vows included him.

“Of course, you too.” Ming Ming glared at him. “You’re quitting alcohol too!”

“Alright.” Junsheng was thrilled, as if this was exactly what he wanted.

Wang Hu, watching their little spat that looked suspiciously like flirting, lost interest and turned away, sulking.

Not long after, the movie finally started.

Ming Ming’s excitement evaporated the moment the black-and-white footage and rough production quality hit the screen.

What was she even expecting? Movies in this era… the quality was obvious.

“The capitalist sugar-coated bullets have rotted my brain. I can’t watch this old stuff, I’m dying here.” Ming Ming whined to the system, “Daddy, my dear daddy! Can’t you play me something else in my head?”

The system was icy. “What the hell are you thinking?”

“Come on, help me out! Systems in other quick-transmigration novels are way more powerful.” Ming Ming sulked.

System: “Then go to another quick-transmigration novel.”

Ming Ming: “Boo-hoo-hoo…”

Cherish life. Stay away from era novels.

She really had no interest in these movies. The longer she watched, the sleepier she got, until she dozed off on Junsheng’s shoulder.

If they’d been in the back row or off to the side, Junsheng would’ve scooped her up and carried her home. But sitting in the middle meant they’d have to disturb a lot of people. So he just held her close, waiting for the film to end.

In front of them, Wang Hu kept glancing back. But every time, he locked eyes with Junsheng’s calm, challenging stare.

“Damn.” Wang Hu cursed under his breath and turned back around.

While Ming Ming slept, a silent battle of wills between two males raged on.