Old Madam Tian carried a winnowing basket filled with rice seeds into the kitchen. Just as she was about to wash them, she heard a familiar voice from outside.
“Mother, are you home?”
“I am!”
Old Madam Tian answered.
Huang Mei walked in carrying a basket.
“So you’re soaking the rice seeds.”
“What brings you here?”
Old Madam Tian glanced at her third daughter-in-law before lowering her head and continuing her work.
“I came to see you and Father… and also to visit Sister-in-law.”
She set the basket on the table.
Inside were ten eggs.
“Mother, where’s Jinnan?”
Old Madam Tian replied,
“He and Jinxiu went to the bamboo grove to look for bamboo shoots. Come to think of it, you haven’t met Jinxiu yet. You should see her when she gets back—they ought to be home soon.”
“I should.”
Huang Mei nodded, though her brows remained furrowed.
“What is it? Did that good-for-nothing third son of mine upset you?”
Old Madam Tian stood up and shook the water from her hands.
No matter how she looked at it, Huang Mei’s expression seemed off.
Huang Mei quickly waved her hands.
“No, no. It’s just… I heard something really unpleasant.”
Old Madam Tian shot her a look.
“If you’ve got something to say, say it. Why are you hemming and hawing?”
Huang Mei opened her mouth to speak.
Before she could…
A burst of commotion came from outside.
Thinking something had happened, the two women hurried into the courtyard.
Jinxiu and Xie Jinnan had returned.
Several village children followed behind them, with Xiaoyu leading the group.
All of them stared excitedly at the rabbits dangling from Xie Jinnan’s hands.
“So that’s what a rabbit looks like! It’s so cute!”
“Don’t carry it! Put it down so we can play with it!”
“Xiaoyu, you’re so lucky! You’ll get to play with rabbits from now on!”
Xiaoyu looked rather smug.
“Nope! Rabbits are for eating.”
“The rabbit’s so cute! How can you eat a rabbit?”
“We’re eating it anyway! Bleh!”
Old Madam Tian walked over, grinning from ear to ear.
“What fat rabbits! Together they must weigh eight or nine jin! Jinnan, where did you catch them?”
“Grandma…”
“Jinxiu caught them.”
Jinnan repeated the explanation Jinxiu had prepared earlier.
Old Madam Tian was astonished.
Her wrinkled face bloomed into a chrysanthemum-like smile.
“It seems our Jinxiu really is a lucky star.”
She examined both rabbits closely.
“Hmm… they’re both males. It would’ve been better if there’d been a male and a female. Then we could raise them.”
“You have no idea how fast female rabbits reproduce. We’d never run out of meat.”
Of course Jinxiu knew.
She had deliberately exchanged her points for two male rabbits.
She’d been worried Old Madam Tian would insist on keeping a breeding pair.
The little bit of meat they’d eaten the previous night hadn’t even been enough to get between her teeth.
Now that she had a source of points…
Her first priority was filling everyone’s stomachs.
With meat.
She was utterly tired of eating food without any fat or oil.
It was miserable.
Besides…
She still had points left.
If they really wanted to raise rabbits later, she could always exchange for another one.
“Grandma, let’s eat rabbit tonight.”
Old Madam Tian agreed immediately.
“All right. Jinnan, go find a cage and put them inside.”
Jinnan nodded and carried the rabbits to the backyard.
The group of children happily followed him to watch the rabbits.
Huang Mei had heard the conversation as well.
She was surprised by Jinxiu’s good fortune.
Then, remembering the rumors circulating through the village, she pursed her lips.
“Mother…”
“Oh, right.”
Old Madam Tian turned to Jinxiu.
“This is your Third Aunt.”
Jinxiu looked at the woman.
“Third Aunt.”
Huang Mei answered with a smile.
The girl was tiny and thin, dressed in coarse homespun cloth.
Yet she carried herself with graceful confidence.
How unusual.
It seemed all those rumors were false.
She had worried for nothing.
Then another thought occurred to her.
This matter had to be brought into the open.
Whoever had been spreading malicious gossip needed to be exposed.
“Mother, someone’s been spreading rumors everywhere.”
“They’re saying Jinxiu is a jinx.”
“They claim that on only her second day after entering the family, Eryong was already injured and shed blood.”
“They’re even saying the Xie family is destined to fall apart because of her.”
Old Madam Tian nearly exploded with rage.
Hands on her hips, she began cursing loudly in the middle of the courtyard.
“Which rotten bastard with pus dripping from their head and sores growing on their feet made up such nonsense?”
“My granddaughter-in-law is clearly a lucky star!”
“They’re the jinx!”
“Their whole family are jinxes!”
Jinxiu blinked in confusion and silently pointed at herself.
Me?
A jinx?
You’ve got to be kidding.
I’m obviously Heaven’s chosen heroine with a system in my hands!
“If I find out who’s cursing my Xie family, I’ll tear their mouth apart!”
Old Madam Tian was so angry her hair practically stood on end.
Jinxiu hurried over and gently rubbed her back.
“Grandma, don’t make yourself angry. Otherwise, the people spreading those rumors will only be happier.”
Huang Mei also chimed in.
“That’s right, Mother. Don’t be angry. Time will prove who’s right and who’s wrong.”
Compared to herself, Old Madam Tian was more worried about Jinxiu.
She took Jinxiu’s hand firmly.
“Good child, don’t listen to those people’s nonsense. It’s all rubbish.”
“They don’t know how wonderful you are.”
“But Grandma knows.”
“And Jinnan knows too.”
Jinxiu smiled brightly.
“I didn’t take it to heart at all.”
“Grandma…”
“The Xie family won’t decline.”
“It’ll only get better and better.”
“Believe me.”
Her eyes sparkled with confidence.
She radiated such vitality that even Old Madam Tian couldn’t help believing her.
“You’re right.”
Just then, Jinnan returned after putting the rabbits away.
He had reminded Xiaoyu to watch the younger children carefully.
The rabbits were timid.
No one was allowed to let them out of the cage or make too much noise.
As he walked back into the front courtyard, he overheard the conversation among the three women.
His expression darkened.
…
After that…
Old Madam Tian hurried out of the house at full speed.
No one knew where she was going.
Meanwhile, Jinxiu was in the kitchen changing the water soaking the bamboo shoots.
Xie Eryong lingered hesitantly outside for a while before finally walking in.
His face was filled with guilt.
“Sister-in-law… I’m sorry.”
“Those rumors started because of me.”
“You can scold me. I’ll accept it.”
Jinxiu turned around and tilted her head.
“Why would I scold you?”
“You weren’t the one who spread the rumors.”
“You couldn’t have known things would turn out this way.”
“People can say whatever they want.”
“You can’t control their mouths.”
“As long as your own conscience is clear, that’s enough.”
Then she paused.
“But you…”
She asked carefully,
“Have you let it go?”
Eryong froze.
First he shook his head.
Then he hurriedly nodded.
“I’ve let it go.”
Yeah, right.
He was obviously lying.
Anyone could tell he hadn’t moved on.
He Qinglian must have been his first love.
Feelings from youth were the purest…
And the hardest to forget.
How could anyone simply let them go so easily?
After thinking for a moment, Jinxiu asked,
“What do you think about He Qinglian now?”
“Do you resent her?”
Eryong shook his head vigorously.
“No.”
“Sister-in-law…”
“Qinglian…”
“She’s actually had a hard life.”
“I’m not like my big brother.”
“He’s smart and educated.”
“I’ll never earn an official title.”
“I’m just a country farmer.”
“I can’t compare with the proper son from her family.”
“I couldn’t give her happiness.”
“So I have no right to blame her.”
“I only hope she’ll live a good life.”
Jinxiu nodded.
“It’s good that you’ve thought it through.”
“But there’s one thing I disagree with.”
“You don’t need to compare yourself to your brother.”
“Everyone has their own strengths.”
“One day…”
“You’ll find something you’re truly good at.”
She suddenly felt like one of those wise older sisters who gave life advice.
“So…”
“Love will come.”
“And so will bread.”
Eryong looked up blankly.
“Bread?”
Jinxiu coughed awkwardly.
“I mean…”
“Everything will get better.”
“I understand now.”
“Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
Eryong scratched his head.
He had come to apologize.
How had it somehow turned into him being comforted instead?
His sister-in-law was incredible.
She was the same age as he was…
Yet she seemed to understand so many truths about life.