Ji Xue finally came to her senses and ran off crying.
She had specially made that outfit just to see Brother Ji. She treasured it dearly, and now it was completely ruined!
Looking at the oil on the ground, Ji Pingping got up and prepared to shovel the cow dung into Ji Changfeng’s room, only to discover that his door had also been locked.
No matter how foolish she was, she finally realized what had happened and could only grit her teeth and clean up the dung in the yard.
Perhaps because her nostrils were larger than most people’s, she was especially sensitive to smells. The stench made her eyes roll back.
“Song Zhaoxi, how dare you set me up! Once you’re kicked out of our family, you’re dead!”
Walking along the road with Daidai in tow, Song Zhaoxi sneezed.
Every trip to the county town took nearly an hour. She thought to herself that perhaps she should rent a house there in the future. It would make earning money much more convenient.
The reason she had come to the county today was precisely to look for a suitable house to rent temporarily and to check the current market prices of round fans.
After spending the entire morning looking around, Song Zhaoxi had more or less figured out the going rates for silk fans and handkerchiefs in the city. She estimated a reasonable price in her mind and even found several rental houses with good locations and affordable rent.
She had originally wanted to buy something delicious to welcome her cheap husband home, hoping he’d happily sign the divorce papers and perhaps write a few inscriptions on her fans as well.
But when she remembered the little silver she had left, she couldn’t help sighing.
Forget it.
On her way back to the village, she saw a crowd gathered around a fish vendor.
“What are you selling? It doesn’t look like a bug, and it doesn’t look like a shrimp either.”
The stall owner was a dark-skinned young man. Hearing this, he smiled.
“I don’t know what it is either. Caught it from the lake. One copper coin per jin. You can buy some and give it a try.”
To his surprise, not a single person dared buy any.
Song Zhaoxi craned her neck to take a look, and her eyes instantly lit up.
They were actually crayfish—her favorite!
These wild, naturally grown crayfish were quite large. She could make spicy crayfish or garlic-flavored crayfish. Just thinking about it made her mouth water.
“Sell them to me. I’ll take all of them.”
She bought more than ten jin for only ten copper coins and couldn’t help asking, “Do you have more of these?”
“There are plenty in the lake right now.” Since the crayfish weren’t selling well, the vendor had already decided not to catch them anymore and didn’t hide anything. “At this time of year, one cast of the net brings up a full haul. But as you’ve seen, nobody dares buy this stuff.”
Song Zhaoxi smiled. On her way home with the crayfish, she also bought a fishing net.
Walking along the village path, Song Zhaoxi spotted Ji Xue and several village girls waiting at the village entrance. The moment they saw her, they all rolled their eyes.
She knew they were waiting for Ji Changfeng and intended to go straight home, but Ji Xue wouldn’t let her off so easily.
This little vixen had ruined the clothes she had prepared so carefully. How could she let it go?
“Song Zhaoxi, Brother Ji is coming back today, and you’re dressed like this? Doesn’t that mean you don’t care about him at all?”
Song Zhaoxi glanced at her indifferently, finding the woman incredibly boring.
Seeing her reaction, Ji Xue thought she had gotten angry and smiled smugly.
“Sorry, I forgot—you don’t even have any clothes to change into. I wonder if Brother Ji will feel sick when he sees how pathetic you look.”
As soon as Ji Xue finished speaking, the girls waiting with her burst into laughter.
“Of course I can’t compare to you.”
Song Zhaoxi smiled as she looked Ji Xue up and down. It was obvious that she’d put a lot of effort into dressing up today.
“But… why do you smell like manure?”
The smile on Ji Xue’s face instantly vanished, her expression turning twisted.
After going home, she had bathed several times, but there was still a faint cow dung smell lingering on her. Thinking about that sticky sensation made goosebumps rise all over her body.
“Who says it’s me?” In front of so many people, Ji Xue refused to admit it. “And even if I did smell strange, it’s still better than you! Look at yourself—you look just like a beggar! Don’t disgust Brother Ji.”
“…”
Though Song Zhaoxi already knew the story and knew Ji Xue’s efforts were in vain, she still couldn’t help despising a woman who shamelessly threw herself at a married man.
“Have you no shame?”
“What did you say? Song Zhaoxi, are you looking for trouble on purpose?”
…
Who exactly was the one looking for trouble?
Song Zhaoxi raised an eyebrow.
“What? Want to fight?”
“Song Zhaoxi, don’t get too arrogant! You think you can beat all of us by yourself?”
“If she can’t do it alone, what if I join her?”
A man’s voice suddenly came from behind.
His voice was deep yet carried the clear brightness unique to a young man. Song Zhaoxi had never heard such a pleasant voice before.
The girls, who had been provoking her a moment ago, froze and instantly changed their expressions.
“Brother Ji, you’re back!”
Song Zhaoxi: “…”
Brother Ji?
Ji Changfeng!
She turned around.
Though she had long imagined what the heavenly-looking Ji Changfeng from the novel might look like, seeing him in person still left her utterly stunned by his breathtaking appearance.
Ji Changfeng was only fifteen or sixteen years old, yet he was already tall and slender. He wore a refined green robe, but against his immortal-like face, even the elegant garment seemed dull and colorless.
After staring in amazement for a moment, Song Zhaoxi lowered her eyes.
Sigh. What’s the use of being handsome? He has nothing to do with me anyway.
Unlike her, the village girls lacked such self-awareness.
Ji Xue shyly twisted her fingers.
“Brother Ji, when did you get here?”
Ji Changfeng didn’t answer.
From afar, he had seen them bullying the fool.
Just as he thought the fool would cry from being bullied and had quickened his pace, he suddenly discovered that the fool was no longer foolish. She was speaking clearly and reprimanding Ji Pingping and the others.
Ji Xue’s heart raced under his dark gaze. Feeling guilty, she hurriedly changed the subject.
“Um… my family bought an ox cart. In the future, when you travel to and from the county, you can come to me.”
Ji Changfeng, however, did not appreciate the offer.
“My family is poor. Renting carts for travel would be an unnecessary luxury. I appreciate your kindness, Miss Ji Xue.”
“You don’t have to pay!”
As she spoke, Ji Xue lightly brushed aside the loose strands of hair beside her ear.
With Song Zhaoxi and the other unattractive girls as a comparison, Ji Xue firmly believed she would make Ji Changfeng’s eyes light up.
But Ji Changfeng ignored her. He walked up to the stunned Song Zhaoxi and reached out to take the roe deer she was carrying.
“Let’s go home.”
“Brother Ji, y-you’re just leaving like this? Why don’t you come to my house for a cup of tea?”
Watching coldly from the side, Song Zhaoxi found Ji Xue incredibly annoying.
But Ji Changfeng’s temperament seemed different from the one described in the novel—it was surprisingly kind.
As she was secretly puzzled, Ji Changfeng said calmly,
“Another day.”
“Why?”
“Because it smells too bad. My wife may be dressed in rags, but at least she’s clean.”
Ji Xue: “…”
Song Zhaoxi: “…”