Early the next morning,
Gousheng’s fever had finally subsided. Color had returned to his face, and his energy was much better.
Seeing her son recover, Gousheng’s mother finally breathed a sigh of relief. She carefully sewed the little pouch back together and took it with her to the fields.
Along the way, she told everyone she met about how Xia Zhiyuan had deliberately tried to smear Lin Ranran.
“That Educated Youth Xia is rotten to the core! She tried to use me as her pawn to ruin the Ji family’s daughter-in-law. I’m not stupid. I’ve been arguing with people since before she was weaned, and she actually thought she could manipulate me. She’s outrageous!”
“Is Educated Youth Xia really that awful?” the villagers asked in surprise.
“Of course she is!” Goudan’s mother said with her hands on her hips, becoming even more indignant. “She was jealous because the Ji family’s daughter-in-law stole the spotlight yesterday, so she claimed the woman knew black magic. What a load of nonsense!”
She then dramatically recounted how Gousheng had developed a fever the previous night and how Doctor Zhu had arrived just in time.
Everyone became furious.
“Good thing Doctor Zhu arrived when he did. Otherwise, if you’d gone to make a scene at the educated youth compound, you’d have been the one making a fool of yourself.”
“Exactly! I got played by a little girl. It makes me so mad! Today I’m definitely going to teach her a lesson,” Gousheng’s mother said through gritted teeth.
When Xia Zhiyuan arrived for work, the villagers looked at her with undisguised contempt.
She tried to compete for a better work assignment, but everyone deliberately bumped into her, leaving her no choice but to plant seeds.
Gousheng’s mother was even less polite. She deliberately stepped hard on Xia Zhiyuan’s feet twice, spat on the ground, and sneered,
“Pah!”
Xia Zhiyuan bit her lip and silently endured it.
After all, in the village, who could out-argue Gousheng’s mother, the infamous shrew?
Meanwhile, Gousheng’s mother took the initiative to apologize to Mother Ji with a smile.
“Auntie, I was wrong yesterday. If it hadn’t been for your daughter-in-law, my Gousheng would probably have ended up in the hospital.”
Mother Ji replied coldly,
“My attitude wasn’t very good either. But if anyone dares to badmouth my daughter-in-law again, I’ll fight them with everything I’ve got.”
Gousheng’s mother nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes. It was all Educated Youth Xia. She’s the real culprit. She deliberately drove a wedge between our families. I hate her now!”
She then repeated everything Xia Zhiyuan had said the previous evening.
Mother Ji trembled with anger after hearing it.
She had never imagined that Xia Zhiyuan could be so malicious, spreading such vicious lies about both Lin Ranran and herself.
If Doctor Zhu hadn’t shown up in time, Lin Ranran might have been treated as some sort of monster by the entire village.
“Don’t worry, Auntie. Since her heart is so black, I’ll make sure everyone in the village knows exactly what kind of person she is,” Gousheng’s mother vowed.
Mother Ji clenched her teeth.
“I’m going to settle the score with her. I’ll make her apologize to my daughter-in-law in front of the whole village.”
“I support you, Auntie. I’ll testify for you,” Gousheng’s mother immediately agreed.
Just then, a loud, clear singing voice broke the tense atmosphere.
“Hey~ The warm spring sunshine shines across the hillside,
This girl carries her hoe to plant corn!
Swing after swing, she turns the fertile soil,
Hoping the golden shoots will soon sprout!”
“Educated Youth Xia?”
“Holy… Educated Youth Xia is actually leading everyone in mountain songs?”
The villagers all stopped working in astonishment.
“She never sang before. I thought she couldn’t sing.”
“Wow! What a voice! She’s like Liu Sanjie!”
“Daniu, answer her song! Don’t lose!”
The moment Xia Zhiyuan began singing, all the men were stunned.
The women were equally shocked.
In an instant, everyone forgot the bad things Gousheng’s mother had said about her.
After all, singing mountain songs while working was one of the villagers’ favorite traditions.
The village’s best male singer, Daniu, was pushed forward by the men.
“Hey there~ The girl’s working hard upon the hill,
This brother comes to help without delay.
Bringing fertilizer to nourish the soil,
Hoping the corn grows strong and tall!”
Xia Zhiyuan smiled and sang back,
“Look at the fresh corn sprouting new leaves,
Swaying gracefully in the breeze.
Tend it carefully and keep pests away,
So the harvest will be plentiful this year!”
“Daniu, answer her!”
“Daniu, if you sing well, Educated Youth Xia might just fancy you!”
“Daniu, you’re a lucky man!”
Daniu answered again.
“This brother sees the care you’ve shown,
Pulling weeds beside the field.
Watering together, working as one,
Welcoming an abundant autumn harvest!”
Gousheng’s mother muttered,
“Damn… That black-hearted girl actually sings this well? Auntie, let her finish first. I’ll learn a few lines, then we’ll deal with her afterward.”
Mother Ji fell silent.
Everyone was talking about how beautifully Xia Zhiyuan sang—except the Ji family.
After several rounds, Daniu was losing badly.
“So Educated Youth Xia was hiding her talent all along. I thought she only knew pop songs. I never imagined she’d sing our village’s mountain songs with such charm.”
“Exactly. Listening to mountain songs while working really lifts your spirits.”
“She’s incredible. Daniu, we need to gather more of our best singers to challenge her, or we’ll lose face.”
“That’s right, Daniu. You can’t lose!”
Daniu sighed.
“I’ll do my best!”
Xia Zhiyuan taught the women another song.
“Hey~ The corn grows taller, the leaves grow long,
Like green banners waving in the wind.
Hurry and fertilize while there’s still time,
Waiting for the ears to appear!”
Daniu organized the men to respond.
“The girl’s eyes are sharp and bright,
Never forgetting when to fertilize.
This brother carries the fertilizer with quick steps,
Hoping to chat a little with the pretty girl!”
Xia Zhiyuan led the women in a comeback.
“Don’t use fertilizer as an excuse,
Stop wandering around while we’re working.
If your intentions aren’t honest,
The corn might all fail to grow!”
The men continued.
“Working in the fields gets lonely,
I just want to talk with the pretty girl.
If she’d only notice this brother,
I’d work harder than an ox!”
The women answered.
“Even the ox shakes its head at you,
You’re better at talking than working.
Stay out of farming matters,
Just don’t hold everyone back!”
The men sang again.
“The girl’s beauty blooms like flowers,
Her smile is sweeter than honey.
If she’d only accept this brother,
I’d do every chore at home!”
The women countered.
“You’re bragging to the heavens,
Yet we’ve seen no real ability.
Stop dreaming and wake up already,
Hurry back to carrying fertilizer!”
The men pleaded.
“Just give this brother one chance,
I’ll serve you without complaint.
From now on I’ll listen to everything you say,
Please don’t reject me!”
The women mocked them.
“What can you offer as support?
You’ve spoken basketfuls of empty words.
Better give up while you still can,
Stop wandering around here!”
…
Ji Junyao looked utterly disgusted.
“Big Brother, Xia Zhiyuan must be desperate for a man. She’s leading everyone in flirting through mountain songs. She has no shame.”
Ji Junxiao sighed helplessly.
“It’s their custom. People enjoy exchanging mountain songs while working. They judge the songs, not the singers. She’s leading everyone right now. If you don’t like listening, do what I do—stuff cotton in your ears.”
Ji Junyao’s eyes lit up.
“Big Brother, you’re amazing!”
“The mountain songs themselves are beautiful, but it depends on who’s singing them. Since Xia Zhiyuan is leading them, I won’t listen.”
“Big Brother, she never used to sing. Today she’s only doing this because her reputation was damaged. She’s trying to distract everyone, and she’s obviously singing for you. She’s disgusting!” Ji Junyao said angrily.
Ji Junxiao’s expression turned cold.
“Let her enjoy herself for now. When Ranran comes to bring us lunch later, she’ll apologize to Ranran and Mother in front of the entire village. Otherwise, this matter isn’t over.”
Originally, Ji Junxiao hadn’t wanted to tell the family that Xia Zhiyuan had slandered Ranran and Mother.
But thanks to Gousheng’s mother’s gossip, the entire Ji family knew about it by early morning.
They all hated Xia Zhiyuan.
“That’s right,” Ji Junyao said through clenched teeth. “No one gets to slander the Ji family.”
Xia Zhiyuan continued leading the women and girls in song after song, leaving the men thoroughly defeated.
Before long, she had won the admiration of many villagers.
“Educated Youth Xia, I never knew you could sing mountain songs so well.”
“You’re beautiful, and your singing is even sweeter than a lark’s.”
“Please teach me more mountain songs! I want to put those men in their place too!”
“You’ve really made us women proud today. Those men are always so arrogant when they sing, but today they finally lost.”
“Educated Youth Xia…”
Compliments poured in from every direction.
Outwardly, Xia Zhiyuan smiled modestly.
Inside, however, she was absolutely delighted.
The mountain songs she was teaching had been famous classics in her previous life. She remembered most of the lyrics, and singing them now made her seem like an extraordinary talent.
Since she was the first to sing them in this lifetime, she was effectively the original creator.
Sure enough, no one remembered what Gousheng’s mother had said anymore.
All they did was shower her with praise.
Only the Ji family remained cold toward her, their eyes filled with resentment.
Xia Zhiyuan knew it would be extremely difficult to change their opinion of her.
Everything had been foolproof the previous night.
Who could have expected Doctor Zhu to appear?
Still, now that everyone knew she could sing so well, she could use the excuse of teaching mountain songs to grow closer to the younger members of the Ji family.
Besides, how many people would truly believe Gousheng’s mother’s words?
As long as she acted pitiful and innocent, everyone would sympathize with her.
Thinking this, Xia Zhiyuan continued enthusiastically teaching mountain songs.
The village women were having the time of their lives and even felt that Xia Zhiyuan was the reincarnation of Liu Sanjie herself.
Meanwhile, as Lin Ranran carried lunch to the fields, she could hear the villagers singing back and forth from a distance.
She had always heard that Guangxi was famous for its mountain songs, but now she was finally hearing them with her own ears.
She listened for a while, completely captivated.
The moment she recognized Xia Zhiyuan’s voice, she suddenly realized something.
Wait a minute.
In the novel, Xia Zhiyuan never sang mountain songs.
Then, after thinking about the lyrics, she understood.
Xia Zhiyuan was plagiarizing them.
Well, with the advantage of being reborn and knowing the future, it wasn’t surprising that she’d use this method to attract her husband.
At lunchtime, while the Ji family was eating, Xia Zhiyuan was still enthusiastically teaching everyone how to exchange mountain songs.
Many people didn’t even want to go home to cook because they were so engrossed in the singing.
“Guangxi-style mountain song duets really are fascinating,” Father Ji commented, unaware of the situation.
He had heard people speaking badly about Xia Zhiyuan that morning but hadn’t paid much attention.
Mother Ji snorted.
“The songs are beautiful, but with someone like her singing them, they lose their charm.”
Ji Junyao nodded in agreement.
“Exactly. Honestly, I’m amazed she isn’t worried about ruining her voice.”
Ji Junxiao quietly whispered to Lin Ranran,
“Wife, I’ve had cotton stuffed in my ears all morning. I haven’t heard a single thing she sang.”
Afraid she wouldn’t believe him, he even took the cotton out to show her before stuffing it back into his ears.
Lin Ranran almost burst out laughing.
Her husband was unexpectedly adorable.
“I never said you weren’t allowed to listen.”
Ji Junxiao whispered,
“I just don’t like hearing her sing. How about you learn a few songs and sing them to me tonight?”
Lin Ranran smiled.
“As if.”
“Big Sister-in-law, I heard this morning that Xia Zhiyuan spread rumors about you and Mother. Is it true?” Ji Junyong couldn’t help asking.
Father Ji looked puzzled.
“Who spread rumors about whom?”
Ji Junyao then explained everything in detail.
After hearing the whole story, Father Ji’s face turned red with anger.
“She looks like a decent young woman. How can she be so vicious? No. This concerns Ranran’s and your mother’s reputations. She must apologize to both of you in front of everyone.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“That’s right.”
But Lin Ranran shook her head calmly.
“This kind of rumor can’t be proven. We didn’t catch her in the act, so she can simply deny it. Besides, after today’s performance, she’s won everyone’s favor. If we confront her now, she’ll just pretend to be pitiful, and no one will believe Gousheng’s mother’s story.”
Ji Junxiao said regretfully,
“We should have caught her red-handed last night.”
Mother Ji asked anxiously,
“You both heard it with your own ears?”
Ji Junxiao nodded.
“Then what are we waiting for? Bring her over here and publicly criticize her!” Mother Ji declared immediately.
Lin Ranran quickly stopped her.
“Mom, don’t rush. We don’t have any evidence. If we force the issue now, everyone will think our family is bullying her.”
“But you and Junxiao both heard it, and Gousheng’s mother can testify. How could she deny it?” Mother Ji asked in confusion.
“She can simply claim that all of us joined forces to bully her. This isn’t something we can clearly prove.”
“So we’re just going to let this go?” Ji Junyao asked angrily. “Today she spread rumors that you practice black magic. Tomorrow she’ll probably accuse you of murder.”
“Exactly. If we don’t teach her a lesson, she’ll really think the Ji family is easy to bully,” the others echoed.
Looking at the Ji family, all of whom wanted nothing more than to skin Xia Zhiyuan alive, Lin Ranran knew her goal had already been achieved.
“Everyone, listen to me. In a little while, Xia Zhiyuan is definitely going to clash with Gousheng’s mother. Honestly, isn’t it more entertaining to let Gousheng’s mother tear into her every day than to force a simple apology?”
“That’s true, but you’ve suffered too much because of this.”
Everyone looked at her sympathetically.
Lin Ranran smiled.
“No. If we force her to apologize, she’ll just act innocent and pitiful. But if she tries to frame Gousheng’s mother instead, someone with Gousheng’s mother’s temper won’t let her off so easily.”
“That makes sense… but you’ve still been wronged.”
“It’s fine. Her character is rotten. We just need to ignore her from now on.”
No sooner had the Ji family finished speaking than Xia Zhiyuan and Gousheng’s mother began arguing exactly as Lin Ranran had predicted.
“Damn it! You won’t even admit what you said yourself?” Gousheng’s mother shouted, her face red with rage.
She had spent the entire morning learning mountain songs.
She’d had enough.
Now it was time to settle the score.
But Xia Zhiyuan put on an innocent expression.
“Auntie, I was only concerned about Gousheng last night. I never said anything bad about the Ji family. I’m an educated person. How could I believe in superstition? You’re the superstitious one. Those were your own words. I was even trying to talk you out of it.”
“Damn you, you shameless little wretch! You dare do it but won’t admit it? Do you think I’m easy to push around?”
Furious, Gousheng’s mother lunged forward and shoved Xia Zhiyuan hard.