“Oh? Educated Youth Xia, delivering medicine? You got kicked out, didn’t you? Honestly, why even bother?” Lin Ranran blocked Xia Zhiyuan at the doorway, a mocking smile curling on her lips.
Xia Zhiyuan glared at her angrily.
“You’re not worthy of Brother Ji at all. Sooner or later, you’ll get divorced!”
“Then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Even if your parents divorce and remarry three more times, my husband and I still won’t get divorced. Stay mad.”
“Hmph! We’ll see how long you can stay so smug!”
With that, Xia Zhiyuan stormed off.
“Take care now! Hmph. So what if you’re the reborn heroine? In this life, I’m stealing your script and leaving you with nowhere to go.”
“And who are you leaving with nowhere to go?”
Father Ji’s voice suddenly came from behind her.
Lin Ranran beamed.
“Father, you’re back!”
“Mhm.”
“What did the team leader say?” she asked eagerly.
“He agreed. He said we can reclaim as much of the wasteland behind the house as we want. The only concern is that the soil is too barren. He’s worried we’ll lose more than we’ll gain if we plant anything.”
Lin Ranran’s eyes sparkled.
“Don’t worry, Father. I know a thing or two about soil. That land behind the mountain is indeed poor, but I have a way to make it fertile.”
“You know about soil too?”
Father Ji looked astonished.
“Of course. I grew up in the countryside and worked in the fields since I was little. I know quite a few farming techniques.”
“Alright then. Once the busy farming season is over, we’ll reclaim the land together as a family. We can’t just wait for the production team to distribute grain. We have to find our own way.”
“Okay. You’ve worked hard today, Father. Go get some rest.”
“You too. Head inside.”
“I’ll wait for Junxiao. He’s washing clothes.”
“Alright.”
Father Ji returned to his room.
Not long afterward, Ji Junxiao came back carrying freshly washed clothes.
His body still carried traces of moisture, and his damp hair clung to his forehead, making him look especially handsome.
“Wife, why did you come outside?”
Lin Ranran walked over, gently hooked her arm through his, and said sweetly,
“I was waiting for you.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to come out?”
As he spoke, he held her hand, led her back into their room, and locked the door behind them.
“I just wanted to see you as soon as you came back.”
Ji Junxiao’s face immediately turned red.
Lin Ranran had always been bold, saying whatever came to mind.
Especially during their first month of marriage…
The things she used to say had been irresistibly flirtatious.
“Husband, are you tired today?” she asked softly.
“Uh… not really. Working in the fields is much easier than military training. I can handle it. I’m just worried about Mom and my little sister. They’ve never endured this kind of hardship before.”
“They really have suffered.”
Lin Ranran nodded.
“I brought them some medicine earlier.”
“Medicine? What happened to them?”
“They were bitten by ticks. What about you? Did you get bitten?”
“I think I got bitten in a few places, but it’s nothing. During field missions in the army, I got bitten by all kinds of insects. I’m used to it.”
“That was before.”
She smiled gently.
“Now you have a wife. Sit on the bed. I’ll apply some medicine.”
She pulled him toward the bedside.
“There’s really no need. It’s basically like mosquito bites. It’ll be fine tomorrow.”
He looked embarrassed.
“But I’ve already prepared the medicine.”
She pouted playfully.
“Are you sure you won’t let me take care of you?”
The moment she acted spoiled, Ji Junxiao completely surrendered.
He obediently sat on the bed.
“Where were you bitten?”
“On… my neck.”
His face became even redder.
By the dim yellow light of the kerosene lamp, Lin Ranran leaned closer.
Seeing several swollen tick bites on his neck made her heart ache.
She dipped a cotton ball into iodine and gently disinfected each bite.
When the iodine touched the wounds, Ji Junxiao’s body trembled slightly.
Seeing his reaction, she became even gentler.
“Bear with it. It’ll be over soon.”
After disinfecting the wounds, she carefully applied the crushed herbal paste.
Then she leaned close to his neck and softly blew on it.
Ji Junxiao had already been tense because of her closeness.
That gentle breath completely shattered the last thread of his self-control.
Heat surged through him.
His reason collapsed in an instant.
Unable to hold back any longer, he suddenly wrapped both arms tightly around Lin Ranran.
“What are you doing?”
She gasped in surprise.
“Wife… don’t move.”
His breathing became ragged.
Lin Ranran could clearly feel how tense his body had become.
Goodness…
She had only been applying medicine.
How had he already reached his limit?
Then again, men and women were different.
The original Lin Ranran had spent an entire month showering him with affection.
Now he had suddenly been forced into abstinence.
The fact that he had maintained such self-control until now was already remarkable.
At first, Ji Junxiao wanted to endure it.
But the longer he held her, the harder it became.
Surely…
Asking for a kiss wasn’t too much?
Unable to restrain himself, he lowered his head and kissed her neck.
Lin Ranran trembled as though an electric current had run through her body.
His kisses slowly traveled upward along her neck, while his embrace tightened with barely restrained longing.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Her blood seemed to boil.
The baby was already four months along.
If he wanted to fulfill their duties as husband and wife…
She really had no reason to refuse.
She was simply too shy.
Finally, Ji Junxiao captured her lips.
At that instant, time seemed to stop.
The entire world faded away, leaving only the sound of their heartbeats.
Lin Ranran’s eyes widened.
The warm glow of the oil lamp reflected in her pupils, along with the handsome face of the man before her.
Instinctively, her hands clutched his shirt.
She leaned back slightly, only to find herself securely enclosed in his strong embrace.
Their breathing grew heavier.
The room filled with an intimate, lingering warmth.
Things teetered on the edge of losing control…
Yet in the end, Ji Junxiao buried his face against her chest and forced himself to stop.
He fought a fierce battle against his own desires.
His body trembled.
Sweat beaded across his forehead.
His teeth remained tightly clenched.
Nearly an hour later, he finally calmed down.
It felt as though he had survived an exhausting battle.
Only he knew how difficult that hour had been.
The entire time, he had silently recited the Army’s Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention to distract himself.
“Ranran… I’m sorry. I… I lost control.”
Only then did he reluctantly loosen his embrace, stammering apologetically.
Lin Ranran’s face burned crimson.
She hurried under the blanket and pulled it over her head.
That hour hadn’t been easy for her either.
Several times, she had wanted to tell him that the baby was already stable and that there would be no problem if they were intimate as husband and wife.
But she was simply too embarrassed.
She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Seeing her hide beneath the blanket, Ji Junxiao assumed she was angry.
“Ranran… after the baby is born, I’ll definitely satisfy you… just like before.”
Good grief…
Does he think I’m some kind of lustful woman?
Then again…
The original owner really had been quite passionate.
Although she had seduced him because of her cousin, she had also genuinely enjoyed it herself.
How embarrassing…
That night, Ji Junxiao ended up taking several more cold showers.
Early the next morning…
Before dawn had even broken, Mother Ji had already prepared breakfast.
The aroma of steamed buns drifted throughout the educated youth compound.
Ji Junxiao also got up early to help.
Lin Ranran, however, couldn’t wake up that early.
As usual, her breakfast included eggs.
“Ranran, you might not believe this, but our old hen actually laid two eggs overnight! It’s incredible. If I hadn’t collected all her eggs yesterday, I wouldn’t have believed it myself.”
Mother Ji smiled happily.
Lin Ranran knew it was because the hen had drunk the spring water from her space, but she feigned surprise.
“As the saying goes, good things come in pairs. It means our family will have one good fortune after another.”
Ji Junyao laughed.
“Exactly! By the way, Big Sister-in-law, your medicine worked wonders. My bites don’t itch anymore. Thank you so much! Today I’ll carry this garlic pouch too, and those ticks definitely won’t bite me.”
She proudly held up the little cloth pouch filled with garlic as though it were a priceless treasure.
“Big Sister-in-law is amazing!”
The younger brothers also looked at her with admiration.
Recently, Lin Ranran had taken such wonderful care of everyone that they were deeply touched.
She smiled.
“As long as you don’t mind the smell of garlic.”
“Of course not. You’re so thoughtful. We’re all truly grateful.”
Every member of the Ji family wore one of the little garlic pouches.
It was obvious how much they treasured the gifts she had prepared.
The small cloth bags swayed gently against their chests, as though symbolizing the bond they now shared with Lin Ranran.
Standing at the doorway, Xia Zhiyuan watched the harmonious family scene.
Jealousy blazed fiercely inside her.
In her previous life, Mother Ji and Ji Junyao had been so exhausted after their first day in the fields that they couldn’t even get out of bed the next day.
So why did they seem so energetic now?
This couldn’t continue.
If too many things changed…
What if Ji Junxiao refused to divorce Lin Ranran?
“What a joke! I just heard that Lin Ranran made little garlic pouches for the Ji family. She says the smell keeps ticks away, and they actually believe her.”
Early that morning, Xia Zhiyuan deliberately spread rumors among several village women on their way to work.
“Garlic keeps ticks away? That’s hilarious. How much garlic does she plan to buy? Their family just arrived here. They have to spend money on everything.”
One woman covered her mouth and laughed.
“Think about it. She never works in the fields because she’s lazy, so of course she has to butter up the Ji family somehow. Otherwise, how could she shamelessly stay home every day?”
Another woman curled her lip disdainfully.
“Once she runs out of tricks, the Ji family will definitely get sick of her.”
“Exactly. So what if she’s pretty? Yesterday she delivered food all dressed up. She was obviously trying to seduce men.”
Another woman spoke bitterly.
“That’s right! My husband couldn’t stop praising how beautiful she was after he got home yesterday. I was furious.”
“If you ask me, she’s nothing but a vixen.”
“Exactly. Women like her should be driven out of our village before they ruin our morals.”
…
Xia Zhiyuan couldn’t have been more pleased.
Since winning over the Ji family wasn’t working anymore, she’d simply ruin Lin Ranran’s reputation instead.
As long as Lin Ranran became notorious enough, she refused to believe Ji Junxiao wouldn’t divorce her.
When it came to spreading gossip…
No one could beat the village’s long-tongued gossips.
The results were even better than she’d expected.
She was very satisfied.
When Mother Ji arrived at the fields, Gou Dan’s mother couldn’t resist asking,
“Auntie, is it true your daughter-in-law made everyone wear garlic?”
Mother Ji immediately knew Xia Zhiyuan had been spreading rumors again.
That loudmouth always lurked outside spying whenever their family ate.
Next time they’d simply shut the door while eating.
Even if it got stuffy, at least they wouldn’t have people spying on them.
“So what if she did?”
Mother Ji answered proudly.
“Our Ranran knows all kinds of things. If she says garlic keeps ticks away, then it does. She was even worried we’d get bitten by leeches while fetching water from the river, so she filled water containers for us to carry. Your daughter-in-law isn’t that thoughtful, is she?”
Gou Dan’s mother curled her lip.
“So what are you so proud of? My daughter-in-law is pregnant and still works in the fields. She gets up before dawn every day to carry water, chop firewood, cook, and after work she rushes to make dinner, serves everyone’s food, and even brings water for the whole family to wash their feet at night. I heard your daughter-in-law sleeps in every day and even makes your family carry water for her baths. Why is she so precious?”
Mother Ji immediately shot back,
“Listen to yourself. You’re just lazy. Your daughter-in-law isn’t your own daughter, so you don’t feel sorry for her.”
“What are you talking about?”
Gou Dan’s mother puffed out her neck.
“Whose daughter-in-law doesn’t do those things? Serving her husband and honoring her parents-in-law is only natural.”
“Hmph! You’re all perfectly healthy, yet you still make excuses because you’re lazy. Is your daughter-in-law made of iron? Why should she do everything herself?”
Mother Ji retorted confidently.
“Go ahead and keep spoiling her! One day she’ll walk all over your family! I also heard she cooks meat every single day. With the little meat your family brought, how long will that last? And she even bought medicine for tick bites! It’s just bug bites—you scratch them and they’ll pass. She’s terrible at managing a household. Sooner or later she’ll waste your entire family’s money!”
Gou Dan’s mother fired off accusation after accusation.
“Gou Dan’s mother!”
Mother Ji planted her hands firmly on her hips.
“I like spoiling my daughter-in-law! What’s it to you? Just because you don’t cherish your own daughter-in-law doesn’t make you right! If you ask me, you’re simply lazy, and you’re bullying your daughter-in-law!”
She was furious.
This woman didn’t care about her own daughter-in-law, yet still had the nerve to criticize others.
“What do you mean bullying? I’m only saying this for your own good!”
Gou Dan’s mother flushed red with anger.
The nearby villagers quickly stepped in to separate them.
But even after being pulled apart, the two women continued shouting insults across the distance, neither willing to back down.
Mother Ji yelled,
“Stay out of my family’s business from now on!”
Gou Dan’s mother immediately shouted back,
“You’re like the dog that bites Lü Dongbin—you can’t recognize a good person’s intentions!”
“You? A good person? Bah!”
In that instant, all the grace and composure Mother Ji had carefully maintained over the years completely crumbled.