The moment those words left his mouth, both of them froze.
After a long pause, Song Zhaoxi finally said,
“Ji Changfeng, it’s better not to be so narcissistic.”
With that, she turned around and went to pour the crayfish into the vat, refusing to look at him again.
Yet she felt a little guilty inside.
Who didn’t like handsome men? When reading the novel, Song Zhaoxi had greatly admired Ji Changfeng.
But things that didn’t belong to her—she had never coveted them, not even a little.
After pouring in the crayfish, she covered the vat with a lid.
Ji Changfeng was, after all, still a young man. A trace of embarrassment flashed across his usually composed face.
He didn’t know why he had suddenly asked such a question.
“I… I’ll go borrow the ox cart.”
As he walked toward the village head’s house, he was somewhat distracted. It wasn’t until he reached the door that he regained his usual calm and distant demeanor.
Seeing him arrive, the village head completely abandoned his usual overbearing manner toward the villagers and greeted him with a beaming smile.
“Changfeng, you’re here! Haven’t seen you in a long time. Come in and have some hot tea.”
Hearing the commotion, Ji Xue ran out of the house with delight written all over her face.
“Big Brother Ji, you’re here! Come inside and sit. I’ll cut some fruit for you.”
“No need to trouble yourself. I still have things to do at home.”
After Ji Changfeng explained why he had come, the village head looked troubled.
“It’s not that I don’t want to lend it to you, but it’s harvest season right now, and we need the ox in the fields.”
“Father, just lend it to Big Brother Ji.”
Ji Xue hugged her father’s arm and acted coquettishly.
The village head doted on his daughter and eventually gave in.
“I really can’t do anything with you, girl.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll return it tomorrow after using it. This is the rental fee for one day.”
Ji Changfeng took out ten copper coins from his pocket, but the village head refused them.
Looking at the exceptionally outstanding young man before him, he smiled meaningfully.
“Changfeng, there’s no need to be so formal with our family.”
At once, Ji Xue understood her father’s intentions.
He hadn’t been reluctant to lend the ox cart at all. He had deliberately waited for her to plead on Ji Changfeng’s behalf.
“Business is business. I should still pay the rental fee.”
The polite but distant smile remained on Ji Changfeng’s lips as he pressed the copper coins back into the village head’s hand.
“You should keep the money.”
With that, he led the old yellow ox away.
Watching his departing figure, Ji Xue seemed somewhat dazed.
“…Big Brother Ji just left like that.”
“You silly girl!”
Ji Xue’s mother walked over and frowned.
“He’s just a poor scholar who might become a licentiate one day. No matter how you look at it, he’s the one reaching above his station. Why are you acting so eager?
“The most urgent matter right now is the woman in his house…”
Ji Xue suddenly understood.
Why hadn’t Ji Pingping come yet? She had promised to update her within these two days!
That evening, the Ji family was startled by the old yellow ox standing in their courtyard.
“Isn’t this the village head’s ox cart? Why is it at our house?”
“I’m going to the county tomorrow, so I borrowed it.”
Li Shi couldn’t help feeling jealous.
“Studying sure makes a person precious. We work ourselves to death every day and don’t get this kind of treatment.”
“Second Aunt is absolutely right.”
Song Zhaoxi smiled.
“People who study are precious indeed. If any other family had produced a scholar, forget renting an ox cart—they’d probably sell everything they owned to buy one.”
Li Shi was left speechless and returned to her room with a dark expression.
When Yao Shi entered the kitchen and saw the vat full of crayfish, she was shocked.
“How did you catch so many? Can we even eat all of these?”
“We’re taking them to the county to sell.”
Ji Yuanchuan looked worried.
“These things taste good, but besides our family, who would eat them? Can they really be sold?”
Song Zhaoxi and Ji Changfeng exchanged a glance and silently chose not to answer.
Song Zhaoxi smiled.
“We’ll just try selling them and see. Uncle Ji, you have to keep this a secret for us.”
“Ah, of course!”
Though Ji Yuanchuan agreed readily, Song Zhaoxi didn’t quite trust him.
It wasn’t that she feared he’d break his promise. Rather, both he and his wife were soft-hearted and loose-lipped. It would be far too easy for someone to pry information out of them.
Ji Changfeng clearly understood his parents’ personalities as well.
Just to be safe, he and Song Zhaoxi tacitly agreed to keep it a secret that they planned to sell the crayfish after cooking them.
The next day, before dawn, Song Zhaoxi and Ji Changfeng entered the kitchen.
Ji Changfeng chopped firewood and tended the fire while Song Zhaoxi cooked the crayfish.
Because their ingredients were limited, she once again made two flavors: spicy crayfish and stir-fried crayfish.
She thought that when she went to the county this time, she could buy some garlic and wine, then make garlic crayfish and wine-braised crayfish in the future.
After the crayfish were cooked, she took out a bamboo basket, lined it with clean oil paper, poured the crayfish inside, and covered them with a cloth.
Done!
At that moment, the neighbor’s rooster had only just begun to crow when rustling sounds came from the courtyard.
Peering through the crack in the door, Song Zhaoxi saw that it was Ji Pingping again.
Unable to drag things out any longer, Ji Pingping got up and headed to the village head’s house.
She tactfully explained the recent events in the Ji family to Ji Xue.
To put it simply, Ji Changfeng still hadn’t written the divorce papers.
Ji Xue’s face immediately darkened.
Ji Pingping hurriedly said,
“Don’t worry. My big brother probably just finds it novel now that the fool isn’t foolish anymore. She’s just some dirty orphan and a little slut. How could my big brother possibly fall for her?”
To please Ji Xue, Ji Pingping viciously insulted Song Zhaoxi.
Unexpectedly, before she could finish, a neighbor’s voice came from next door.
“Isn’t that Ji Changfeng and his silly wife? Where are they going?”
Ji Xue and Ji Pingping looked at each other and hurried to the door.
Sure enough, Ji Changfeng was driving the ox cart while Song Zhaoxi sat on it, the two of them seemingly chatting about something.
Ji Xue’s voice trembled with anger.
“And you’re sure Big Brother Ji hasn’t fallen for her?”
Ji Pingping suddenly felt a stinging pain in her face, as if she’d been slapped.
Still shamelessly persisting, she said,
“As long as I’m around, my big brother will definitely divorce her!”
But Ji Xue no longer believed her.
Because of her anger, her voice became shrill.
“Didn’t you tell me that Big Brother Ji would divorce Song Zhaoxi the moment he came home? I actually believed your nonsense!
“How could Big Brother Ji ever listen to your ridiculous ideas? Return my things immediately, or I’ll have my mother go to your house and make a scene!”
Thinking about the village head’s family causing trouble at home, Ji Pingping’s expression changed.
But she was reluctant to return the bead hairpins Ji Xue had given her.
She quickly promised,
“Just give me one more chance. Don’t be in such a hurry.”
Ji Xue’s expression stiffened.
“Who said I’m in a hurry?”
She was the village head’s daughter. Was she really inferior to Song Zhaoxi?
What Ji Xue was truly worried about was the matter she had secretly discussed with Old Madam Ji when she had visited Ji Changfeng’s house before.
She had begged and coaxed her mother for a long time before her mother finally agreed to help her.
They had even already contacted the necessary people.
Now they were simply waiting for Big Brother Ji to divorce that little bitch so they could eliminate all future troubles.
Suppressing her anger, Ji Xue put on a smile and linked arms with Ji Pingping.
“Then I’ll trust you one more time, Pingping. Don’t disappoint me, okay? Otherwise, I won’t play with you anymore.”
The children in the village formed little cliques, and whether boys or girls, they all revolved around Ji Xue.
If Ji Xue declared that she wouldn’t play with someone anymore, it meant that person would be ostracized.
Last year, a girl had offended Ji Xue, and to this day she was still bullied and excluded by all the village children.
Cold sweat slowly slid down Ji Pingping’s forehead.
She absolutely did not want to be isolated!
Therefore—
Song Zhaoxi, go die!