Standing nearby, Xia Zhiyuan secretly gloated.
Everyone is saying bad things about Lin Ranran.
The Ji family will definitely start hating her.
Madam Ji had been chatting pleasantly with the others, but the moment she heard those comments, her face darkened.
“My Ranran is not that kind of person.”
“Stop spreading rumors.”
“You have no proof.”
“Don’t ruin my daughter-in-law’s reputation.”
Ji Junyao, who had always spoken her mind, immediately exploded in anger.
“You’re all educated people.”
“How can you say things like that?”
“My sister-in-law isn’t working because she’s unwell.”
“She’s nothing like what you’re describing.”
Seeing the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law firmly defending Lin Ranran, everyone realized there was no point arguing further.
They fell silent.
But behind their backs, they continued whispering.
“This family is strange.”
“They’ve completely let their daughter-in-law control them.”
“Exactly.”
“She just arrived and they’re already treating her like a princess.”
“In the future, she’ll probably rule the whole household.”
“She won’t lift a finger, yet her mother-in-law will still serve her.”
“Did they marry home a daughter-in-law or an ancestor to worship?”
“So what if she’s pregnant?”
“Go look around the village.”
“Which pregnant woman doesn’t still work in the fields?”
“Who’s as delicate as she is?”
“I really don’t understand why the Ji family married someone like her.”
Within half a day, the entire village knew the Ji family had brought home a daughter-in-law rumored to be lazy and greedy.
People mocked them behind their backs.
Still, because the Ji family had come from a big city, no one dared go too far.
Most only pointed and whispered.
Once everyone left carrying their farming tools…
Lin Ranran finally let out a sigh of relief.
She looked around carefully.
After confirming no one was watching…
She flashed into her space.
The moment she entered…
Her eyes widened in surprise.
The fruits, vegetables, and rice she’d planted just a few days earlier…
Had all matured.
Bright red tomatoes hung heavily from the vines.
Fresh green cucumbers still carried tiny blossoms.
Golden rice stalks bent low under the weight of a rich harvest.
Even the chicks and ducklings had already grown up.
The chickens happily pecked insects in the fields while carefully avoiding the vegetables.
The ducks splashed joyfully in the crystal-clear stream, diving their heads into the water and creating cheerful ripples.
Lin Ranran casually picked a bunch of glossy purple grapes.
She couldn’t wait to pop one into her mouth.
The instant she bit into it…
Sweet juice burst across her tongue.
“So sweet!”
She couldn’t stop herself.
One grape after another disappeared into her mouth until juice dripped from the corners of her lips.
After eating her fill…
She felt warm all over.
She walked to the stream and enjoyed a relaxing bath.
Afterward, she entered the house.
All the food she’d stored earlier remained exactly as fresh as the day she’d bought it.
Even the meat still looked bright red, as if it had just come from the market.
She couldn’t help marveling.
This place is basically a giant natural refrigerator.
With this space…
She would never have to worry about food spoiling again.
She also sensed something else.
As she continued planting crops and raising animals…
The space itself seemed to be growing larger.
The change wasn’t dramatic.
But she could clearly feel it expanding.
Excited, she wandered around a few more times.
Then she took out more vegetable and flower seeds and planted them around the courtyard.
Once our family gets farmland…
I’ll grow plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Otherwise, if I keep taking things out of my space without explanation…
The family will definitely become suspicious.
After that…
She fetched some water from the stream and fed it to the chicks, ducklings, and hen outside.
Something incredible happened.
The chicks and ducklings visibly grew larger almost immediately.
The old hen was even more unbelievable.
After clucking loudly a few times…
It laid ten eggs in one go.
Startled and delighted, Lin Ranran quickly stored the eggs inside her space.
This water was too miraculous.
She didn’t dare feed them any more.
Now she was certain.
The reason everything inside her space grew so quickly…
Was because of the stream water.
Could this be the legendary spiritual spring everyone in transmigration novels gets?
The thought thrilled her.
She quickly drank several mouthfuls.
Instantly…
A refreshing coolness spread through her entire body.
All her fatigue disappeared.
She felt completely energized.
“Amazing!”
“From now on, I’ll cook with this spring water.”
“My family’s health will only get better.”
Since food wasn’t an issue inside her space…
Lin Ranran decided to boldly cook meat for the family.
She selected a beautiful slab of pork belly…
Picked several fresh vegetables…
And got to work in the kitchen.
Before long…
A mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
Just as she finished cooking…
Xia Zhiyuan returned.
Today wasn’t even her turn to cook.
But she’d made other plans.
The Ji family had just started working today.
They’d surely be exhausted and starving.
She wanted to prepare a delicious meal to win their favor…
Especially Ji Junxiao’s.
She had spent quite some effort convincing another educated youth to switch cooking duty with her.
The moment Xia Zhiyuan entered the courtyard…
She smelled the rich aroma of meat.
She sniffed deeply.
Jealousy instantly filled her heart.
Then she noticed…
Lin Ranran hadn’t even washed the cooking pot yet.
Perfect!
That lazy woman secretly cooked meat while everyone else was working!
Wonderful!
Once the Ji family comes home…
I’ll expose her true colors.
She doesn’t work…
Yet she secretly eats meat.
Let’s see how she’ll survive in the Ji family after this.
“Well…”
“So you’re secretly eating meat, Sister Lin?”
Xia Zhiyuan said sarcastically.
Lin Ranran was busy packing lunchboxes.
She calmly looked up and smiled.
“Stealing your meat?”
“Do you even have any?”
Xia Zhiyuan was instantly speechless.
Her face turned bright red.
Furious, she shouted,
“How shameless can you be?”
“You don’t work…”
“Yet you’re secretly eating meat at home.”
“If that’s not laziness, what is?”
“Brother Ji must have been cursed in eight lifetimes to marry someone like you!”
Lin Ranran shot back immediately.
“Mind your own business!”
“My family’s affairs have nothing to do with you.”
“Instead of worrying about me…”
“Why don’t you stop staring at someone else’s husband all day?”
“Mistresses get struck by lightning.”
“Stay away from my husband.”
“Otherwise…”
“I’ll make sure the whole village knows exactly what kind of dirty thoughts you’re hiding.”
“Lin Ranran!”
Xia Zhiyuan trembled with rage.
She never expected Lin Ranran to expose her feelings so directly.
“You’re talking nonsense!”
“Brother Ji and I are perfectly innocent!”
“You’re just being jealous!”
Lin Ranran sneered.
“My husband naturally won’t even spare you a glance.”
“But you know exactly what’s in your own heart.”
“If you’re smart…”
“Stay far away from my husband.”
Taking a deep breath, Xia Zhiyuan forced herself to change the subject.
“Stop arguing.”
“At least wash the pot.”
“You secretly ate meat and couldn’t even bother cleaning up?”
“What?”
“Are you planning to make your husband wash the dishes after he comes home?”
Lin Ranran smiled even wider.
“I was planning to wash it.”
“But after hearing you…”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“I’ll wait for my husband to wash it.”
“I’ll even have him wash my underwear while he’s at it.”
She deliberately tried to provoke her.
“You…”
“How shameless!”
Xia Zhiyuan stamped her foot furiously.
“I wonder who’s really shameless.”
“Obsessing over another couple’s marriage all day.”
“How disgusting.”
Lin Ranran replied without giving an inch.
“You…!”
Xia Zhiyuan was too angry to continue.
Humming cheerfully…
Lin Ranran picked up her lunch basket and headed toward the fields.
Meanwhile…
Xia Zhiyuan still had to cook for the other educated youths.
With no choice…
She resentfully picked up the spatula and began washing the pot she now hated with all her heart.
She cooked a huge pot of rice.
When stir-frying vegetables…
She hesitated…
Then reluctantly added a little more oil than usual.
Normally, she couldn’t bear wasting even a single drop.
She also took out a precious piece of cured meat she’d been saving for a long time.
Carefully slicing it into small pieces…
She planned to cook it especially for Ji Junxiao.
Once Brother Ji tastes the cured meat I made…
He’ll definitely be touched.
Maybe then he’ll finally see me differently.
As Lin Ranran walked toward the fields carrying her basket…
She attracted plenty of attention from the villagers.
“Look.”
“That’s the Ji family’s daughter-in-law.”
“She dresses so fancy.”
“She doesn’t look like someone who came to work in the countryside.”
“Is she bringing lunch?”
“What an act.”
“She looks perfectly healthy.”
“She doesn’t seem sick at all.”
“She probably just doesn’t want to work.”
“Exactly.”
“A lazy person is still lazy.”
“Bringing lunch is only for show.”
“I doubt the food is anything special.”
“Well…”
“She’s lucky.”
“She married into the Ji family.”
“That’s something we can’t envy.”
“The Ji family is strange.”
“They’ll suffer sooner or later after marrying someone like her.”
The villagers’ comments reached Lin Ranran’s ears.
She acted as though she hadn’t heard a thing.
She simply continued walking with light, cheerful steps.
It was corn-planting season.
The production team had assigned all kinds of field work.
Applying fertilizer earned the highest work points.
Everyone fought for those jobs.
Ji Junxiao was young, strong, and efficient.
He’d secured the fertilizing job early that morning.
Now…
He was working under the blazing sun…
Sweating from head to toe.
Madam Ji and Ji Junyao were responsible for dropping corn seeds into the furrows.
Their work was easier.
But standing under the scorching sun for hours still left their backs aching.
Although the job earned the fewest work points…
Neither complained.
They had only just arrived in the countryside.
Simply having work already made them grateful.
Around lunchtime…
Ji Father looked at the sky.
Then at his exhausted wife and daughter.
“You two head home first.”
“Cooking for our whole family isn’t easy.”
Just as Madam Ji and Ji Junyao reached the roadside…
They spotted Lin Ranran approaching with a large basket.
“Mom!”
“Little Sister!”
“I brought lunch!”
“You must be starving.”
“Hurry and call everyone over.”
Madam Ji immediately walked toward her and took the basket.
“Ranran.”
“The sun is blazing.”
“Why did you come all the way here?”
“You even cooked.”
“You must be exhausted.”
Lin Ranran smiled.
“I’m not tired.”
“You’re the ones who’ve been working under the sun all morning.”
“You must be exhausted.”
“Mom.”
“Drink some water first.”
She quickly handed over a water bottle.
After several gulps…
Madam Ji immediately felt the dryness in her throat disappear.
Even her fatigue seemed lighter.
Ji Junyao hurried back to call everyone.
Soon…
The entire Ji family gathered beneath a shady tree beside the road for lunch.
Having eaten only porridge that morning…
Then worked for hours…
They were all starving.
“Thank you, Sister-in-law!”
“You worked hard!”
The younger brothers all thanked her.
Lin Ranran waved them off.
“You’re the ones working hard.”
“Cooking a meal is nothing.”
Ji Junxiao looked at his wife with gentle eyes.
“Wife.”
“Next time we’ll arrange for someone else to come home and cook.”
“You’re pregnant.”
“You need more rest.”
Lin Ranran gently wiped the sweat from his face.
“A little exercise is good for the baby.”
“It’ll also make childbirth easier.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Hurry and eat.”
“The food will get cold.”
She handed everyone a lunchbox.
Only she didn’t take one.
“I’ve already eaten.”
When everyone opened their lunchboxes…
An irresistible aroma immediately spread through the air.
Inside…
There was steaming white rice…
Bright green vegetables…
And several thick slices of glossy braised pork belly.
The fragrance instantly made everyone’s mouths water.
But…
They were living in the countryside now.
Supplies were scarce.
How many days could they afford to eat like this?
Besides…
The meat was supposed to nourish Lin Ranran.
Seeing everyone’s hesitation…
She smiled.
“We bought several pounds of meat before.”
“The weather’s too hot.”
“If we don’t eat it soon, it’ll spoil.”
“Today was everyone’s first day of work.”
“You all need proper nutrition.”
Madam Ji hesitated.
“Ranran…”
“Why don’t we make it into cured meat instead?”
“It’ll last much longer.”
Lin Ranran patiently explained,
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ve already made several slabs of cured meat.”
“Besides…”
“Too much cured meat isn’t good for the baby.”
“Everyone hurry and eat.”
“You all worked hard today.”
“You need a full meal.”
“But…”
Madam Ji still wanted to protest.
“If anyone leaves meat in their lunchbox…”
“I’ll be angry.”
Lin Ranran pretended to pout.
The Ji family looked at her with warm hearts.
She was finding another way to force everyone to eat meat.
Compared to before…
She was like an entirely different person.
Everyone respected her even more.
And cared for her even more.
Ji Junxiao gazed at her lovingly.
“Ranran…”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Here.”
“Eat one of my pieces of meat.”
He picked up a piece with his chopsticks.
She quickly stopped him.
“I already had several pieces.”
“You’re doing the hardest work.”
“You need the meat more.”
Knowing how stubborn she was…
Ji Junxiao didn’t insist.
Ji Father looked around and smiled.
“Ranran put a lot of thought into this.”
“Everyone eat.”
“Tomorrow, us men will head into the mountains.”
“We’ll see if we can catch wild chickens or other game for Ranran.”
“Even in the countryside…”
“We’ll make sure everyone in this family gets to eat meat.”
“Agreed!”
All the Ji men answered together.
Then…
The whole family happily began eating.
Watching her family enjoy the meal…
Lin Ranran’s heart filled with warmth and happiness.