In the village, an old degenerate named Zhang Laizi was notorious for being lewd and filthy. When Liu Shi arrived at his house, the stench of urine inside nearly made her retch.
After hearing her request, Zhang Laizi immediately became unwilling.
“You want me to go mess with a fool? If it were you, I might still make do,” he said, leering at her obscenely.
Liu Shi forced down her disgust and said impatiently, “You won’t do it for nothing. I’ll pay you silver.”
Hearing there was money—and a woman involved—Zhang Laizi immediately agreed. Before Liu Shi left, he even groped her once.
That night, Song Zhaoxi looked at the shabby dinner in front of her and reluctantly ate a little to fill her stomach, sighing.
It wasn’t that she was picky, but in her past life she had at least been moderately wealthy. Faced with sour, spoiled corn buns and blackened pickled vegetables, she truly couldn’t stomach it.
All household finances were controlled by Granny Ji. Yao Shi had gone to ask for money in the morning and was chased back scolded. It was likely Granny Ji wouldn’t give the main branch a single coin for a while. If she didn’t find a way to earn money soon, they might not even have rotten buns to eat.
And then there was her clothing—barely more than rags. For the first time, Song Zhaoxi felt an urgent need to make money.
After dinner, Liu Shi suddenly came over.
“Song Zhaoxi, Mother said from now on you’ll move into Changfeng’s room. When he comes back, you two can build some feelings.”
Song Zhaoxi raised her eyes suspiciously. “Wasn’t I brought here to bring him good luck? What feelings are we supposed to build?”
As she spoke, she stared coldly at Liu Shi and caught the flicker of guilt in her eyes.
So she guessed something immediately.
In the novel, Liu Shi was cruel and jealous of Changfeng and Yao Shi, often causing trouble in the countryside.
But what did the original fool do wrong? She was used as a tool to disgust Ji Changfeng, tricked into the household, and eventually abused to death.
“You’re not stupid anymore, so who knows if Changfeng might end up liking you,” Liu Shi said impatiently. If the fool stayed in the main couple’s room, Zhang Laizi wouldn’t be able to act.
Song Zhaoxi smiled faintly. “Yes, I’m not stupid anymore. Anyone who still treats me like a fool… will pay the price.”
Liu Shi felt a chill run down her spine. She thought inwardly: after tonight, you won’t even know how you died.
Song Zhaoxi went into Ji Changfeng’s room.
Logically, a scholar’s room should be the best in the house, but his room was small and worn-down—though very clean.
She hadn’t yet met her so-called husband in this world, but in the book, the male lead Ji Changfeng was obsessively clean. No woman was allowed in his bed except the heroine, and anyone who tried to climb into it met a miserable end.
Song Zhaoxi shivered. Before Ji Changfeng returned, she figured she could secretly stay a few nights. She wanted to see what Liu Shi was plotting.
Night deepened.
A faint sound came from the window—as if someone was prying it open.
A filthy, lecherous man climbed in through the window. His tangled hair covered his face, making him look like something out of a horror story.
Zhang Laizi crawled in, and when he saw the clean and fair-skinned Song Zhaoxi, he excitedly started undressing, grinning with yellow teeth.
“Little beauty, hehe… do you like it?”
An ordinary rural girl would have been terrified to tears. But Song Zhaoxi only felt disgust.
“Like it. I like all your tiny little things,” she said coldly.
Zhang Laizi flew into a rage and lunged at her like a wild beast.
Song Zhaoxi sneered, stepped back slightly, and used a clean shoulder throw to hurl him away.
Although the original body was foolish, she had an unusual amount of strength. While Zhang Laizi was still stunned, she knocked him unconscious with a palm strike.
Still not satisfied, she carried him and threw him into Liu Shi’s room.
Half-asleep, Liu Shi suddenly felt something strange. Deprived for a long time, she thought she was dreaming and acted without restraint.
The next morning, before dawn, Ji Xiaohu—sent by Liu Shi—ran to the village head’s house and loudly accused the fool of secretly bringing a man home while Ji Changfeng was away.
Ji Changfeng was a respected figure in the area. Hearing this, the village head was furious and gathered villagers to catch the adulterer.
Inside the Ji household, Liu Shi and Zhang Laizi were discovered clinging together, exhausted and disheveled, when they were awakened by the commotion outside.
Liu Shi screamed in shock.
“Zhang Laizi?! Why are you here?!”
Zhang Laizi exploded in rage and slapped her.
“You filthy woman! You set me up?!”
Realizing he had been used, he panicked—if people found out he had targeted Ji Changfeng’s woman, he would be ruined.
Outside the courtyard, Ji Xiaohu proudly gathered everyone. Song Zhaoxi walked out, yawning as if nothing had happened.
“What’s going on?” she asked blankly.
Seeing her, Ji Xiaohu shouted, “You shameless woman! How dare you cheat on my big brother!”
Song Zhaoxi’s expression darkened. “At least I’m your sister-in-law. Is that how you speak to me? You say I brought a man home—do you have proof?”
Ji Xiaohu, his ugly little face twisted in anger, repeated what Liu Shi had taught him: “I saw Zhang Laizi climb in last night with my own eyes!”
Song Zhaoxi laughed coldly. “How do you know he came for me?”
“Who else would it be?” Ji Xiaohu spat. “Only filthy women cheat! Disgusting women get even dirtier after cheating!”
These words cut into Liu Shi like blades. She panicked, silently praying no one would find Zhang Laizi.
But Song Zhaoxi would not let her off.
“If you don’t believe me, search the rooms,” she said calmly.
Granny Ji suppressed her excitement and pretended to be angry. “Village head, please help us catch Zhang Laizi!”
So many people witnessing the “adultery” would ruin Ji Changfeng’s reputation for sure.
But Liu Shi suddenly collapsed in fear.
Zhang Laizi knew he couldn’t escape. He angrily pulled up his pants and dragged the hiding Liu Shi out.
“No need to search. I’m right here.”
Granny Ji’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She never expected the disgraceful one wouldn’t be Ji Changfeng—but her own daughter-in-law.
Ji Xiaohu froze. “Mother… why is Zhang Laizi in your room?!”
Under everyone’s gaze, Liu Shi trembled violently, then pointed at Song Zhaoxi with rage.
“It’s her! Mother, it’s this wretch who framed me!”