My Wife Came From A Thousand Years Ago

Chapter 188: Feelings are the best sellers

Time flew, and half of June had already passed.

Jiang He now fully understood how dreadful Jiang City’s weather could be. In winter, the cold air outside froze her face stiff, and in summer, the heat made her want to crawl into the fridge and never come out.

And it wasn’t even peak summer yet.

Despite the scorching weather, plenty of people still had to go out to work, bustling about the city streets to make a living. Along the steamy roadsides, in the shade of street corners, some hawked phone screen protectors and keychains with handheld fans, while others set up racks filled with hats and sunglasses. Even credit card companies came to these spots to promote their services, sharing the space with small vendors.

Day after day, the cycle repeated itself.

“All for the sake of life,” Xu Qing remarked.

He had grown used to the local climate, wearing casual pants and a gray T-shirt. He never kept summer shorts in his wardrobe because they would leave his legs unevenly tanned.

Jiang He glanced over at him while fanning herself. After a long pause, she finally said, “It’s easy to move from frugality to luxury, but hard to go back.”

“Have you ever lived in luxury?” Xu Qing teased.

“I’m living it now—staying home every day with a fan or air conditioning.”

She felt like she’d grown soft.

Back when she first arrived, neither bone-chilling winds nor scorching heat could faze her. But now, after enjoying the luxury of cooling off while grinding away at life, things felt different.

Jiang He felt a twinge of melancholy.

This was what Xu Qing had said before: "Good" is relative. When you only have a steamed bun, adding a spicy stick is enough to satisfy you. But once you’re used to a table full of delicacies, even stuffing pork belly into that bun becomes unappealing.

Back at home, Xu Qing hauled an old bookshelf out of the storeroom. It had once belonged to Xu Wenbin but had been left to collect dust when the old couple moved to their new home, where everything was upgraded. Though Xu Qing owned some books, he didn’t have enough to justify using a bookshelf.

In the past, the biggest purpose of a bookshelf for him was to store... censored materials. But things were different now. With two people in the house, their books had grown numerous enough to require proper shelving.

Besides Jiang He’s textbooks and extracurricular books, there were also novels and miscellaneous reads Xu Qing had bought to accompany her, including histories of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties. Perhaps influenced by Xu Wenbin, Xu Qing had no qualms about spending money on books. 𝑅ΆN𝖔βËș

Whether they were useful or not didn’t matter—having a book to casually pull out and read during downtime was a simple pleasure.

Jiang He meticulously wiped down the bookshelf and easily moved it against the wall, placing it near the Zhong Kui figure. It gave the space a more solid and substantial feel. After letting it dry for an afternoon, she began filling it, reserving two rows for books other than her textbooks.

“It’s starting to look like a scholarly family,” Xu Qing said, stroking his chin as he reminisced. The bookshelf had once stood in that exact spot during his childhood.

The desk where Jiang He now gamed used to be Xu Wenbin’s study desk. Xu Qing would sometimes sneak into the room to borrow Xu Wenbin’s glasses, lying on the desk and pretending to be a grown-up.

Now, looking back, he really was an adult.

Jiang He finished arranging the books and turned around. “You already come from a scholarly family.”

“From your perspective, maybe,” Xu Qing replied.

To Jiang He, a family of three educated individuals probably qualified as a scholarly household.

“Once I learn to read properly, we’ll all be intellectuals,” Jiang He declared, her eyes suddenly sparkling. The term "intellectual" carried a unique allure for her.

Who would’ve thought that she, Jiang He, might become an intellectual?

If she recited a passage about socialism and modernization to Second Boss (Er Niang), she’d probably scare the woman out of her wits.

“She’d definitely say, ‘Oh my goodness…’”

The image made Jiang He smirk. She glanced at her computer, hesitated, then turned and sat on the couch, pulling out a book to read.

Studying meant she wouldn’t have to roast in the sun while running a street stall. It also meant she wouldn’t get tricked as easily when running that stall.

“So diligent?” Xu Qing said, surprised to see her studying unprompted while he scrolled through an online shop, searching for books to fill the rest of the bookshelf.

“I’ve figured it out,” Jiang He said.

“Figured what out?” Xu Qing asked, curious.

“If I don’t study, I’ll have to rely on you or go out and struggle under the scorching sun.”

“You’ll still have to rely on me even if you study.”

“…” Jiang He glared at him.

“The great lady knight abandoning martial arts for academia… Not bad, keep at it,” Xu Qing said with a laugh, waving her off.

“If I just play games, I’m going nowhere. To better myself, studying is the only way. Otherwise, after two or three years of gaming, I’ll still end up farming. But if I study, I could learn how to make money at home, like you fiddling with some broken iron ring.”

“Very ambitious. But you’re still in elementary school—maybe don’t think that far ahead.”

“I’ll figure it out eventually,” Jiang He said with confidence. For her, elementary school was still studying, and “all pursuits are inferior to learning.”

Half an hour later, Xu Qing had ordered half a set of Higashino Keigo novels, costing nearly a thousand yuan. The order included a few extra books like The Pyramid Principle and Hidden Motives. The bookshelf would be well-stocked for a while.

Turning back, he saw Jiang He holding a pen, her head nodding as she dozed off.

Knock, knock. Xu Qing rapped his knuckles on the desk.

“Ah?” Jiang He jerked awake, wiping her drool with the back of her hand as she looked at him in confusion.

“You fell asleep,” Xu Qing said, amused by the sight of this would-be scholar.

“I’ve thought it over—farming is better,” Jiang He said solemnly, closing her book and getting up to play games.

“Second Boss just told me in my dream: ‘This isn’t your thing…’”

“Get back here!” Xu Qing snapped.

For Jiang He, studying wasn’t all that difficult—it was just a matter of a single insight not yet unlocked, or so Xu Qing believed.

She was smart, but fundamentally lazy.

Xu Qing didn’t know what Jiang He had experienced in the Jianghu, though he could imagine it was a lot. Despite her usual goofy demeanor, he couldn’t forget how she was when she first arrived.

Silent and reserved, observing the world with only her eyes. Once she learned to use Baidu, her pace of learning accelerated rapidly.

She silently watched as Xu Qing tried to grow closer to her through half-joking banter, finally choosing to tentatively accept him after much hesitation. Now, she had almost completely let her guard down, treating him as a familial presence in this unfamiliar place.

"Hidden dragon shall not act."

"When the dragon appears in the field, it is wise to meet a great man."

"The gentleman remains diligent and cautious, without fault, day and night."

Whether or not one read books, these were pearls of wisdom. Xu Qing thought that if he were to go back to ancient times, he probably wouldn’t fare much better than Jiang He.

Even if she was reluctant, Jiang He picked up pen and paper, quickly mastering the fourth-grade curriculum in Chinese and math and formally moving on to fifth-grade studies.

It took just over a month—an impressively fast pace. Xu Qing was satisfied with her progress, though he rubbed his sore wrist as he practiced swordsmanship.

"You need to train hard if you want to become a master—only then can you pin me down while kissing me," Jiang He said with simple and brutal retaliation. Her rule was straightforward: for every hour she studied, Xu Qing had to train for an hour. She even justified it as being for his own good.

"Just wait until I’m strong enough to pin you down," Xu Qing shot back, making a bold declaration, even though the odds of that happening were as slim as Jiang He outperforming him academically.

Two days later was the DNF (Dungeon & Fighter) anniversary event.

This game was something special—every year, people predicted its decline with each version update, claiming it was on its last legs. Yet, every anniversary saw overloaded servers struggling to handle the influx of players.

Jiang He commandeered Xu Qing’s computer while logging into another account to idle and collect street rewards.

"Which outfit should I pick?" she asked eagerly, pulling Xu Qing into the discussion.

One was an advanced costume, and the other a basic one—both together cost only about thirty yuan. Yet Jiang He was brimming with excitement. Finally, she was getting some new clothes, apart from the ugly Christmas hat she already owned.

"You’ve really taken a liking to this game, huh?"

"I like smashing those flashy-looking players in the duel arena."

"If you care about looks, pick the top and pants. The rest don’t change much visually," Xu Qing advised. In this game, if aesthetics were the goal and you could only choose two pieces, the top and hairstyle were the most noticeable changes. But since Jiang He already had the Christmas hat, hair wasn’t a priority.

"Shoes make you run faster," Jiang He added.

"Do you want style or speed?"

"Let me think."

Jiang He stared at her ugly Christmas hat, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing, hugging his own computer, opened the in-game store and began casually browsing, reminded of his school days spent shouting and laughing with friends in internet cafes. Back then, finding a piece of purple equipment was thrilling; now, even orange-tier gear hardly moved him.

The joy of youth… He glanced at Jiang He. Clearly, she was just as happy now as he had been back then. The circumstances were remarkably similar—both struggling with academics and then finding joy in gaming for a while.

Xu Qing clicked on a pair of golden wings in the store, his eyebrow twitching.

This gaudy, eye-searing outfit used to be everyone’s ultimate goal back in the day.

"Pick this one," he coaxed her.

"These wings are so ugly."

"They go perfectly with your Christmas hat, don’t you think?"

"How are they a match…" Jiang He muttered, but she was tempted by the attack speed boost. Her female Ghost Swordsman could slash faster, which was appealing.

"Choose this one. I like it," Xu Qing egged her on. "Then pick shoes as your other piece. That way, you’ll run faster and slash quicker. Imagine smashing all those flashy players while decked out in this ridiculous look—won’t it be satisfying?"

"Uh…"

Hesitating, Jiang He moved her mouse and clicked. Once redeemed and equipped, the outfit was just as ugly as expected.

"This is called retro style," Xu Qing laughed. "Ten years ago, everyone wore these wings. They’d charge 3,000 gold coins to take you through zombie runs."

Amused, he grabbed her small account to claim the rewards and then searched online for an old in-game tune. Inspired, he went to the kitchen, returning with bowls and chopsticks.

"What are you doing?" Jiang He asked, puzzled.@@novelbin@@

Xu Qing didn’t answer, tapping the bowl rims lightly, adjusting and experimenting until he played a recognizable tune.

"Cling-clang-cling-clang-cling~"

Jiang He was amazed.

Who would’ve thought he had this hidden talent? On second thought, it wasn’t surprising—after all, Xu Qing had even sung during Wang Zijun’s girlfriend’s birthday party. She couldn’t tell if he was good back then, but it was certainly better than others.

Still unsatisfied, Xu Qing filled some bowls with water to adjust the pitch. After about an hour of fiddling, he finally stopped, stretching his wrist.

"What’s this for?" Jiang He couldn’t suppress her curiosity.

Xu Qing handed her the chopsticks. "Here, you try."

"I can’t."

"I’ll teach you. It’s easy—just follow this sequence…"

Guiding her hand, Xu Qing demonstrated. For the next half hour, Jiang He practiced tapping out the rhythm.

"Ah, the nostalgia…" Xu Qing murmured. The earliest version of the game had this music on its login screen, back when there were eight million players.

Xu Qing recorded a video on his phone, sending it to Wang Zijun and Qin Hao in their group chat, which immediately exploded with reaction memes.

"Log in.jpg"

"Let’s do a zombie run!"

Xu Qing sent a disapproving emoji back. The times had changed—now everyone wore suits and played in organized raids.

"This is called a gimmick," he explained to Jiang He.

"A gimmick?"

"Yeah. You like this game, right? So wear those big wings and charge forward!" Xu Qing struck a dramatic pose, prompting Jiang He to retort, "You’re the one who likes those ugly wings."

"Just play along. When you stream tonight, tap out this tune with the bowls and go wreak havoc in the duel arena wearing those wings."

"What’s the point?"

"Didn’t you say people come to watch you? This might even attract viewers who enjoy watching gameplay nostalgia. Memories like this resonate—many people might not play anymore, but they’ll still watch videos of the game for the sentimentality."

"Alright, I’ll try," Jiang He said. While she didn’t fully grasp the idea, Xu Qing seemed convinced, so she practiced the rhythm a few more times.

Satisfied, Xu Qing smiled. "As long as I’m here, I’ll support whatever you enjoy doing."

He was genuinely happy that Jiang He could experience the same joy he once felt.

"Didn’t you oppose this before?" Jiang He asked.

"Before, you were trying to earn money. Now, you’re playing for fun. It’s different."

"…" Jiang He fell silent.

"In the afternoon, I won’t be home for dinner. Make something for yourself," Xu Qing said, typing on WeChat with Qin Hao.

"When will you be back?"

"Around seven or eight. If I’m late, I’ll watch your stream on my phone." He waved his phone.

"And don’t make weird noises into the fan or keep drawing the curtains."

??

Jiang He froze.

"W-what’s wrong with drawing the curtains?"

"Nothing."

"…"

For a moment, they stared at each other. Jiang He quickly averted her gaze, feeling oddly exposed.

"Come back early," she said.

"Mm."

Xu Qing grabbed his keys and left. Jiang He glanced at the chopsticks in her hand, then at the textbooks on the table, a sudden realization dawning on her.

That guy must’ve been through all of this himself—how else could he see through her so easily?

What a weirdo.

That evening, Xu Qing wasn’t home, and Jiang He couldn’t be bothered to cook. She skimmed through short stories in her Chinese textbook until she felt it was time. Then she cooked some noodles, logged into the game, and prepared for her solo duels with her hilariously mismatched wings.

When her stream started, viewers immediately noticed the new bookshelf in the background and Xu Qing’s absence, flooding the chat with jokes about punishing him or making him don armor.

Soon after, they spotted Jiang He’s in-game outfit, and the chat exploded with comments about how garish it looked—an ugly Christmas hat paired with oversized wings, like a scavenger.

Ignoring the comments, Jiang He glanced at the bowls beside her, closed her eyes, and quickly tapped out a rhythm.

"Cling-clang-cling-clang-cling~"

Her audience went wild, the chat erupting into chaos.