As for the original owner of this body, she was nothing more than a touchstone, a catalyst, and a foil for the relationship between the male and female leads! After her descent into villainy went too far, she was dragged home by the male lead and Old Mrs. Wang, married off to a crippled, blind old widower, and beaten to death...
But this time, her mission objectives and evaluation criteria were vastly different from what she was used to!
'What the hell is "dying of old age"? And what on earth is this "happiness value" thing?'
'Is that something a cannon fodder character who pissed off the heavens and the earth could even dare to wish for?'
Before Zhu Yun could continue her helpless inner rant, she discovered that the body's original owner not only had lice in her hair and fleas on her body, but the water's surface was also covered in a layer of dead insects...
The urge to scream died in her throat. No wonder she'd been so itchy all over. She had just chalked it up to not having bathed.
She touched her dry, yellow, sparse, waist-length hair. 'This will definitely need to be restored.'
But before that, she pursed her lips into a wicked smile. 'Why should these bugs get to have all the fun on their own?'
"Wang Goudan, bring the stove in here! I'm going to roast my hair!" Zhu Yun yelled through the door.
Wang Xianbing's face was grim as he moved the stove from the kitchen to the bathroom. He took several deep breaths to compose himself before finally gritting out, "Zhu Yun, can you call me by my proper name?"
Zhu Yun gave him a strange look. "What's the matter? Aren't nicknames meant to be used? Everyone in the village calls you that, don't they? Why are you being so sensitive? You're a grown man!"
"If your grandmother hadn't given you such a humble name, would you have even survived to grow up this big and strong?"
Wang Xianbing took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then opened them again, his gaze cold. "That's feudal superstition. If you want to go around spouting that stuff outside and aren't afraid of getting nabbed for it, then be my guest."
"Heh," Zhu Yun laughed with abandon. "What's this? Are you picking up my scraps now? A grown man learning how to tattle from me? Besides, your grandmother gave you that name. What's the big deal if I use it?"
"I'm not your grandma, so what's the big deal?"
"Sister Zhu, men care about their reputation. Xianbing is a director now; people would laugh if they heard that. He's also trying to arrange a job for you, so please, show him a little respect." Lin Jin said gently, walking out of the bedroom while caressing her belly, her lips curved in a polite smile.
"Besides, Sister Zhu, you're going to be a worker soon. You need to be a bit more tactful in how you deal with people. A moment ago, were you trying to say 'picking up others' scraps of wisdom'? You didn't use the phrase quite right. I can give you a dictionary to help you learn later."
Zhu Yun had barely shot her a sidelong glance before Wang Xianbing protectively stepped in front of Lin Jin, blocking his wife from view.
'Tsk, wasn't it Lin Jin who said it was either her or me?'
'And now she's putting on this little act in front of her man again?'
'Trying to show off how smart she is by pointing out my lack of culture?'
Then again, Zhu Yun recalled what she'd just said. Thinking it over, she nearly cringed hard enough to throw up last night's dinner. She had clearly been trying to say "picking up others' scraps of wisdom," so how had she phrased it so crudely?
"What 'Sister Zhu'? Lin Jin, if I recall correctly, you're at the ripe old age of twenty-six, right? Two years older than me. Who are you trying to fool, acting all young and innocent?" Zhu Yun scoffed. "Perhaps I should be calling you Old Mother Hen instead?"
"It took you three or four years of marriage just to get pregnant, and you're only two months along, yet you're sticking your belly out like you're at five months. Acting like you're the only woman in the world who can have a baby. What's there to be so smug about?"
"And you," she continued, turning to him. "What should I call you? Old Wang? Mr. Henpecked? Pussy-whipped? Or maybe just plain Bing? Or should I say, *Deputy* Director Wang?"
People holding a "deputy" title are usually most sensitive about having it pointed out. And men, especially a chauvinist like Wang Xianbing, hate being called out for being afraid of their wives.
Her verbal assault nearly sent the couple reeling in anger.
They stormed back into their room together and slammed the door shut.
Zhu Yun sneered. 'This is only the beginning.'
The original owner had suffered so much injustice. Now that Zhu Yun was in her body, she had to help her collect some interest on that debt, right?
Feeling no guilt whatsoever, she used one of the towels hanging side-by-side on the wall to dry her hair, then tossed her dirty clothes directly into the washbasin in the corner, mixing them right in with Lin Jin's and Wang Xianbing's laundry.
Her heart content, Zhu Yun felt her body grow lighter. She returned to her room, and as she lay down on the clean sheets, a feeling of transcendent bliss washed over her.
'Yes, this must be the "happiness value" for the original owner!'
She nodded to herself, suddenly struck by an epiphany. Overcome with excitement, she had found her life's new mission.
Zhu Yun heard the low murmur of voices from the next room. She waved her hand, and with a crisp *POP* like a bursting bubble, a little creature with one big eye and two antennae appeared in her palm.
"I want a live feed of the room next door!" she declared with gusto, holding a cookie tin and munching on fried dough twists. KRUNCH, KRUNCH.
This little thing was her only ally in this era, the only one on her side. It was the default "cheat" provided to all system users.
The Teletubby blinked its eye, and an image of the adjacent room immediately materialized on the wall. Clear voices sounded right next to Zhu Yun's ear.
Lin Jin sat on the edge of the bed, wiping away tears in frustration. "Xianbing, everyone always said she was simple, and I was the clever one. But look at this! It's not that I don't want to live peacefully with her. She's a complete brute who just attacks anyone and everyone."
"You have to get rid of her, quickly. I'm terrified that if she stays here any longer, our baby..."
Wang Xianbing had been fuming all evening.
He nodded in sympathetic agreement. But when he thought about the conditions Zhu Yun had laid out, his head began to throb.
Lin Jin knew what was worrying him. She lowered her gaze in thought before speaking. "I have no idea who's advising her, but her conditions are so reasonable they'd hold up even if we brought them before the leadership."
"And from the way she's acting, she's dug in her heels and refuses to budge an inch. It's true. She's forcing you into a corner: either marry her or let her take a pound of your flesh."
Wang Xianbing scratched his head in frustration. "The job and household registration are the easy part, but where am I supposed to find her a house? Plus half of my subsidies, salary, and bonuses for seven years... it might not sound like a lot, but when you add it all up, we wouldn't have enough even if we sold everything in this apartment!"
When the Wang Family had arranged his marriage to Zhu Yun, he was a student at Kyoto Agricultural University. His monthly subsidy was eighteen yuan, which was more than what students at other schools received. But that was the smaller part of his income. He was very capable and often worked on projects with his advisor, earning an extra sixty to seventy yuan a month in bonuses.
Wang Xianbing was a filial son. Understanding his family's difficulties, he mailed half of his money and ration coupons home. That was why Old Mrs. Wang had been able to boast about it so much that everyone for miles around knew. He couldn't just conceal that income now and claim he'd only received the student subsidy back then.
After graduation, he was assigned to a mechanical factory and had climbed his way up from a junior staff member to his current position as deputy director. Between his salary, bonuses, and various allowances, he now makes over ninety yuan a month!
Seven years... that's eighty-four months. At a conservative estimate of eighty yuan a month, half of that comes to three thousand three hundred sixty yuan!
After calculating the sum with a pen and paper, the couple was once again filled with rage.
Lin Jin earned a little over fifty yuan a month at the song and dance troupe, but she had a very particular lifestyle. Her expenses on clothes, shoes, hats, bags, food, skincare, and social obligations meant she was what you'd call a "moonlight," a trendy consumer who spent every penny of her salary each month.
Before the wedding, Wang Xianbing had met all her demands: he bought a sofa, a coffee table, a custom-made bed and wardrobe, and even had wood flooring installed. He had also extravagantly bought her a watch, a bicycle, and several new outfits, on top of giving a one-thousand-yuan bride price. Then he'd thrown a respectable wedding banquet in the canteen, serving fine food and drink at over twenty tables.
He had spent every last bit of his savings and even had to borrow several hundred yuan from others.
After they married, Lin Jin took control of the majority of her husband's salary, and they only sent ten yuan back to his family each month.