[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man":3,"chapter-the-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man-the-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man-chapter-140":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1303497,1729,"Chapter 140 - 139: Selling the Fountain Pen","the-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man-chapter-140",140,"\u003Cp>The two women were the village’s masters of gossip, and Gu Jiaojiao’s appearance immediately had them concocting a whole melodrama in their minds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might have loved to gossip, but that didn’t mean they lacked a conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, hearing about Gu Jiaojiao’s background, their sense of justice suddenly flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How shameless! Very few stepmothers are any good. No wonder she had you sent to the countryside!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. You poor girl, you’ve had such a tough life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having gained the two women’s sympathy, Gu Jiaojiao received preferential treatment for the rest of the journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenwan felt like dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had wanted to expose Gu Jiaojiao’s phony, pretentious act, but these two were so useless. They were actually sympathizing with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glared at Gu Jiaojiao, absolutely fuming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao met Xu Wenwan’s sullen gaze, the corner of her mouth twitching into a slight smile before her expression returned to neutral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenwan: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I knew it! This woman is faking it!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, the other three people were looking on with sympathy. An expression of utter disdain crossed her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’These three idiots have all been fooled by Gu Jiaojiao!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Too bad I’m the only one who can see through Gu Jiaojiao’s phony mask.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xu Wenwan felt as if she were the only sober person in a world of drunks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ox-cart soon arrived at the County Town. After agreeing on a time to meet for the return trip, everyone went their separate ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao, thinking of Xu Wenwan’s system, quietly said to Yu Fangfang, \"Be extra careful on the road.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Fangfang froze for a moment before nodding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she didn’t know why Gu Jiaojiao had said that, she was indeed a bit more vigilant when she was with Xu Wenwan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Xu Wenwan, her sister-in-law, Yu Fangfang trusted Gu Jiaojiao more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wenwan was unaware of all this. She was in a hurry to complete her mission, so she found an excuse to part ways with Yu Fangfang midway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, after they separated, Yu Fangfang felt much more at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving Yu Fangfang, Xu Wenwan went to the street corner designated by her system, preparing to \"run into\" someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao didn’t know about this. She planned to sell the fountain pen first, but she didn’t know where the black market was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Gu Jiaojiao had a plan. She found a spot and began to observe the passing crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All sorts of people came and went. With just a glance, Gu Jiaojiao could tell if they were the person she was looking for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After observing for about ten minutes, Gu Jiaojiao’s gaze fell on an older woman carrying a basket. The woman’s steps were hurried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she walked, she kept darting her eyes from side to side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao immediately began to follow her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She followed skillfully, keeping a distance that was not too close to be noticed, but not so far that she would lose her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, she followed the woman down a deep alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The alley opened into a winding lane. At its entrance, two young men were squatting and smoking, but their eyes were not idle, constantly scanning their surroundings with vigilance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The older woman handed over a ten-cent coin with practiced ease, and one of the young men waved her in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao didn’t follow immediately. Instead, she stood to the side and observed for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze fell on the two men outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two were extremely wary of unfamiliar faces. They would question them in detail and only let them pass after confirming there were no issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’These must be the people I’m looking for.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao picked the one who seemed to be in charge, walked straight up to him, and said in a low voice, \"I’ve got some goods. You interested?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man glanced up, looking her up and down. She was well-dressed and attractive, looking like someone from a wealthy family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dealt with people like her all the time and could size up the situation at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew there was business to be had, but he still glanced around warily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he was sure it was safe, he gave his companion a look and then spoke to Gu Jiaojiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Follow me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao didn’t hesitate and followed the man directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man led her around a few corners and stopped in front of a small courtyard, where he began to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is our black market’s Third Master. He handles the big deals. You can show him whatever you’ve got.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao nodded, showing no sign of fear the entire time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man found this surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had been an ordinary woman following a strange man like him, she would probably suspect him of having ill intentions, but this woman before him was perfectly composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was running an honest business, so of course, he had no untoward thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man knocked on the door a few times. It was quickly opened by a man with hair like a bird’s nest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao was a little surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t look very old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first man whispered a few words in the ear of the man with the messy hair. The messy-haired man sized her up and then let her in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jiaojiao walked inside, and the large gate closed behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messy-haired man sat on a rocking chair in the courtyard, squinting at Gu Jiaojiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s see what you’ve got.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without wasting any words, Gu Jiaojiao took it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a solid gold fountain pen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this day and age, a solid gold fountain pen was certainly not cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messy-haired man glanced at it. He didn’t know much about fountain pens, but this one was solid gold—rare and high-class. It would be a pretty good gift for his Brother Leng.\u003C\u002Fp>",978,"2026-06-05T18:11:09.759Z",1,"novelbin.me","3429f8816b5720b1d25aa93e0a93417cb52b913f89d43b712225eaec638e5a66","the-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man-chapter-141","the-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man-chapter-335",407,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-delicate-darling-with-her-rough-man-cover.jpg"]