Team Leader Yang wasn’t having much luck selling bamboo shoots at the market.
It was bamboo shoot season, so there was an abundant supply, prices were low, and sales were slow.
He went over to check on Ji Junshan and found that most of the bamboo products had already been sold. Several young women were asking about the embroidered shoes, so he offered to help sell them.
“Why don’t you go sell the bamboo shoots over there? I’ll handle the embroidered shoes,” Team Leader Yang suggested.
Ji Junshan nodded.
“Sounds good.”
An hour later, Team Leader Yang had sold every pair of embroidered shoes.
When he went to find Ji Junshan, he was astonished to discover that Ji Junshan had also sold all the bamboo shoots—and at a very good price.
“How did you manage that?” Team Leader Yang asked in surprise.
Ji Junshan grinned.
“I talked to the market manager and told him the bamboo shoots could be dried and sold during the off-season. He praised me for having a good business sense and even said he’d buy all the bamboo shoots from our village in the future.”
Team Leader Yang was overjoyed.
“That’s wonderful! Just as expected from someone from the big city. You’re really smart.”
Ji Junshan scratched his head.
“My sister-in-law came up with the idea before I left this morning. She said she knows how to make dried bamboo shoots. Next time we’ll make them ourselves and sell them during the off-season.”
“So it was your sister-in-law’s idea?” Team Leader Yang exclaimed happily. “If she really knows how to make dried bamboo shoots, that’ll be a tremendous contribution to the village. Here’s the money from selling the embroidered shoes. It’s your family’s.”
“Great!” Ji Junshan accepted the money cheerfully.
The two then separated to purchase the supplies they each needed.
That evening, after finishing dinner, Lin Ranran waited and waited, but the Ji family still hadn’t returned.
The women from the educated youth compound gradually came back one after another.
Even Xia Zhiyuan, who was usually the first to rush back, was nowhere to be seen.
Lin Ranran grew increasingly anxious.
Over the past few days, her husband had always been the first one to sprint back to the educated youth compound after work.
As he often said, he simply wanted to see her as early as possible.
A bad feeling suddenly washed over her.
“Educated Youth Chen, are they working late today? Why hasn’t my family come back yet?” Lin Ranran anxiously stopped Chen Jing to ask.
Normally, Chen Jing didn’t pay much attention to Lin Ranran because Xia Zhiyuan had influenced her opinion.
She didn’t dislike Lin Ranran exactly—she had simply thought she was rather spoiled.
But after witnessing Lin Ranran’s confidence and leadership while buying embroidery and bamboo crafts from the villagers the previous evening, Chen Jing’s impression had improved.
Patiently, she explained,
“There’s still an hour before work officially ends. Some villagers found signs of wild boars in the mountains. The men are worried the boars will come down and destroy the crops, so they organized a hunting party. All the men from your Ji family went. If they’re lucky, everyone will get some wild boar meat tonight.”
Just mentioning meat made Chen Jing swallow unconsciously.
Lin Ranran frowned.
“But it’s getting dark. Isn’t that dangerous?”
“It’ll be fine. They brought the village’s flashlights. There are plenty of traps in the mountains. As long as they find the boars and lure them into the traps, everything will be all right. They’ve done this before. There shouldn’t be any problems. They’ll probably catch at least one boar, and every family should get a few ounces of meat.”
Suddenly, Lin Ranran’s heart skipped a beat.
She remembered a scene from the novel.
During one hunting trip, Ji Junyong had almost fallen into a trap.
Ji Junxiao had managed to save him in time, but Ji Junyong still ended up with a broken leg.
At that exact moment, Xia Zhiyuan happened to be gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains. She treated Ji Junyong’s injuries and gained his gratitude.
But…
That event wasn’t supposed to happen this early.
Could it be that changing the storyline had caused everything to happen ahead of schedule?
No matter what, she couldn’t let Ji Junyong get hurt.
Without another thought, Lin Ranran rushed out of the educated youth compound.
The sky was growing darker.
Along the road, she spotted Mother Ji and Ji Junyao anxiously looking into the distance.
“Mom, Junyao, why haven’t you gone home yet?” Lin Ranran asked.
Not wanting to make her worry, Mother Ji lied,
“Your father and the others are working farther away today, so they haven’t come back yet. We thought we’d wait and return home together.”
Ji Junyao chimed in,
“That’s right, Sister-in-law. Why did you come out?”
Lin Ranran didn’t expose their lie.
“It’s getting dark. You two should go home and eat. I’ll go to Team Leader Yang’s house to tutor Yang Sisi. She’s such a young girl, and she’s exhausted after working all day. It’ll be more convenient if I go there.”
Ji Junyao reminded her,
“Big Brother probably won’t be back until very late tonight.”
“Go home and eat first. When your brother comes back, just tell him to pick me up at Team Leader Yang’s house.”
After saying goodbye to them, Lin Ranran took a flashlight out of her hidden space.
Using its faint beam, she carefully followed the route described in the novel.
The mountain path was rugged and dangerous.
But only one thought filled her mind—
I have to stop Ji Junyong from getting hurt.
Finally, in the darkness, she spotted the flickering beams of flashlights not far away.
At the same time, she noticed Xia Zhiyuan sneaking around suspiciously.
Startled, Lin Ranran immediately turned off her flashlight and hid behind a tree to observe.
She watched as Xia Zhiyuan quietly approached a trap.
At first, Lin Ranran wanted to warn her.
But then something felt wrong.
That trap…
It was the very one Ji Junyong fell into in the novel.
The ancient tree.
The huge boulder.
The triangular stone marker.
Everything matched the novel’s description exactly.
Xia Zhiyuan had been reborn.
There was no way she didn’t know there was a trap here.
Sure enough, Xia Zhiyuan removed the triangular stone marker, moved it about ten meters away, rebuilt the triangle there, and broke off several branches to disguise the nearby area as if another trap existed there.
What the hell?
She’s trying to hurt someone!
Wait… Could this have been how she won the Ji family’s favor in her previous life?
So Ji Junyong’s broken leg… she was the one who caused it?
And he’d been grateful to her all this time, even doting on her afterward!
Damn it! Xia Zhiyuan is despicable!
Xia Zhiyuan had been pushed into a corner by Lin Ranran.
Watching the Ji family treasure Lin Ranran while the villagers adored her over a few grain and meat coupons filled Xia Zhiyuan with hatred.
Remembering the events of her previous life, she decided to repeat the same scheme.
This time, she’d keep Ji Junxiao occupied while Ji Junyong fell into the trap.
The more seriously injured he became, the better—as long as he didn’t die.
Then she and Ji Junxiao would rescue him together.
The Ji family would regard her as their savior.
Thinking of that, Xia Zhiyuan revealed a sinister smile.
“Lin Ranran, I’m someone who’s been reborn. In my previous life, I worked so hard to become the Ji family’s favorite. Do you really think you can beat me?”
So it really had been Xia Zhiyuan’s plot all along.
Lin Ranran wanted nothing more than to rush over and slap her several times.
But she restrained herself.
A small lack of patience ruins great plans.
According to the novel, the Ji brothers would soon lure the wild boar this way.
Judging by the timing…
It should be about now.
“Second Brother, Yang Daniu said there’s a trap over there. I’ll lure the wild boar over. Keep your gun ready,” Ji Junxiao said.
“No, Big Brother. Your aim is better. I’ll lure it, and you shoot.”
“All right. Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. No one can outrun me.”
A flashlight beam shone toward them from the distance.
Seeing this, Xia Zhiyuan quickly slung her basket of medicinal herbs over her back and hurried ahead to intercept Ji Junyong.
“Second Brother Ji!”
“Educated Youth Xia? What are you doing here? Hurry and get out of the way!” Ji Junyong said anxiously, fully aware of how dangerous it was to lure a wild boar.
Standing tall, Xia Zhiyuan pretended to remain calm.
“I know where the trap is. I’ve already placed a light there. I’ll take you.”
Before she had even finished speaking, the wild boar charged toward them like a mad beast.
Reacting instantly, Ji Junyong shoved Xia Zhiyuan aside.
“Move!”
She fell to the ground as the boar leaped over her.
Her face turned deathly pale with fright.
She was so terrified that she wet herself.
Ji Junyong immediately sprinted forward to lure the boar away.
Meanwhile, Lin Ranran hung her flashlight on a tree beside the real triangular trap marker.
The moment Ji Junyong saw her, his face changed drastically.
“Sister-in-law! Don’t move! There’s a trap beside you!”
He rushed over and pulled Lin Ranran tightly into his arms.
At that very moment, the wild boar charged after them, ready to attack at any second.
Ji Junxiao followed close behind.
The instant he saw the danger, he raised his muzzle-loading gun without hesitation and fired at the wild boar.
“Second Brother! Get your sister-in-law down!”
After being shot, the boar let out a painful roar, turned, and ran sideways—
Straight into the trap.
“Ranran! Second Brother! Are you both all right?”
Ignoring the trapped boar, Ji Junxiao rushed toward them.
“I’m fine. Sister-in-law just seems frightened,” Ji Junyong said as he released her.
The moment he let go, Lin Ranran’s legs gave way, and she collapsed into Ji Junxiao’s arms.
Her pregnancy had already left her physically weak.
Climbing the mountain had nearly exhausted all her strength.
The gunshot had startled both her and the baby.
“Wife, how are you? Don’t scare me.”
Ji Junxiao nervously wiped the sweat from her forehead, his eyes filled with worry.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Ranran replied,
“I’m all right.”
Only then did the two brothers finally relax.
“Why did you come up the mountain?” Ji Junyong asked, both worried and touched.
Lin Ranran answered softly,
“I was worried about all of you, so I came to check.”
Ji Junxiao looked at her helplessly, his heart aching for her, unable to bring himself to scold her.
After inspecting the trap, Ji Junyong frowned.
“This is strange. There wasn’t any trap marker over there before. Why did the boar fall into this one? If Sister-in-law hadn’t been here, I would’ve run this way after luring it. Wouldn’t I have been the one who fell into the trap?”
After carefully examining the area, Ji Junxiao said,
“This trap marker was obviously placed here recently. Even these leaves were freshly broken.”
“Who would do something so despicable? Xia Zhiyuan?” Ji Junyong asked angrily.
Ji Junxiao nodded.
“Very likely. She was here just now. She even grabbed my pant leg, crying for help. I couldn’t stand it anymore and kicked her away.”
“What the hell? She told me she’d found the trap and had already put a light here! I don’t have any grudge against her. Why would she try to hurt me?” Ji Junyong’s face turned livid.
Lin Ranran sighed.
“Have you considered that maybe she wanted to hurt you first, then save you afterward? Then you’d be grateful to her… maybe even fall in love with her.”
In her previous life, this incident had been exactly how Ji Junyong fell for Xia Zhiyuan.
But because Xia Zhiyuan loved his older brother, he quietly buried those feelings.
“She’s playing palace politics? She’s really that calculating?” Ji Junyong was furious.
He suddenly remembered how his mother and younger sister had repeatedly warned him that Xia Zhiyuan had bad intentions and wanted to steal his older brother.
At the time, he’d refused to believe them.
Now, after seeing everything for himself, he realized how outrageous Xia Zhiyuan’s actions truly were.
“Stay away from that woman from now on,” Ji Junxiao warned.
“I will. Sister-in-law, when you saw her moving the marker, you couldn’t move it back in time, so you waited here instead?”
Lin Ranran smiled.
“Just as expected of a soldier. You’re quick to figure things out.”
“If it weren’t for Sister-in-law, I might not have made it out of the mountain alive tonight.”
The more Ji Junyong thought about it, the angrier he became.
He had risked his life for his country on the battlefield, only to nearly be murdered by a scheming woman.
There was no way he could swallow that humiliation.
Ji Junxiao’s expression turned ice-cold.
“She’s harmed our family again and again. It’s time to deal with her.”
Lin Ranran stopped him.
“We don’t have any proof. We’ll handle it quietly instead. There are plenty of traps on the way back. Since she likes traps so much… let’s give her one.”
Ji Junyong gritted his teeth.
“Leave it to me.”
As a soldier, he felt somewhat ashamed to resort to such tactics.
But against someone this malicious, showing mercy would only invite more trouble.
Just then, Yang Daniu and the others arrived.
“Brother Ji! Second Brother Ji! You two are amazing! Just the two of you caught one wild boar. It took all of us working together to catch only one, and that was thanks to Educated Youth Ji’s strategy.”
Ji Junxiao instinctively shielded Lin Ranran behind him.
He didn’t want anyone to know she’d come up the mountain, fearing it would worry his mother.
“Just make sure our family gets a larger share of the meat.”
“Of course! By the way, Educated Youth Ji is incredible. His method really worked. The wild boar walked right into the trap.”
The Ji brothers now fully understood what kind of person Xia Zhiyuan really was.
She certainly had abilities.
But she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
Her character was deeply flawed.
Ji Junxiao quietly said to Ji Junyong,
“I’ll carry your sister-in-law down the mountain. Be discreet about what you’re planning. Our youngest brother is still too young—don’t let him know about any of this. Keep it from Dad too, or there’ll be trouble.”
Ji Junyong nodded.
“Don’t worry, Big Brother. I’ll handle it.”
The men happily carried the two wild boars down the mountain.
Standing off to the side, Xia Zhiyuan’s face was ashen with rage.
Everything she had carefully planned had been ruined by Lin Ranran.
The glory and gratitude that should have belonged to her had vanished into thin air.
Lin Ranran rested comfortably on Ji Junxiao’s back.
Although he smelled of sweat after a long day’s labor, to her, it was the most reassuring scent in the world—the scent of the man she loved.
“Ranran, you’re not allowed to come up the mountain again. It’s too dangerous,” Ji Junxiao said worriedly.
“But I was worried about you,” Lin Ranran said, pouting playfully.
“I know. If anything had happened to you… I can’t even say it out loud. It’s just… too dangerous.”
He couldn’t bear to imagine what he’d do if anything happened to her.
“All right. I’ll listen to you.”
“Wife… do I smell terrible?” Ji Junxiao asked shyly.
“It’s not that bad. I can tolerate it,” Lin Ranran said with a smile.
“I’ll smell fine after I wash.”
He said it so seriously that Lin Ranran couldn’t help laughing.
Her husband was honestly adorable.