Chapter 7: A Basin of Intelligence

Du Tian picked up her basket with poise and smiled at Zhao Yu. “It’s all right. Let’s go back together.”

Du Tian looked delicate, with a pale complexion and a slight blush from the sun. Since her family didn’t own land, she rarely worked in the fields. Seeing her flushed cheeks, Zhao Yu frowned and said, “Du Tian, I’ll treat you to a meal another time.”

She smiled lightly and nodded.

But before he could say more, his ear was tugged by a displeased Miss Dai Ning. “You talk too much. Can’t you just wait until we’re home?”

Zhao Yu’s expression darkened as he led the “burden” back toward his house.

Du Tian trailed behind them at a reasonable distance.

Dai Ning clung to Zhao Yu and whispered into his ear, “So, you like her, huh?”

Zhao Yu replied curtly, “Stop making things up.”

“You two don’t suit each other.” Dai Ning said brazenly, “Look at your family—a crumbling house and four dependents to support. I heard Li Zhuang likes her, and he’s the village head’s son. He’s got way more to offer than you. You can barely support yourself; how are you going to take care of a wife?”

Zhao Yu was irritated. “Who are you calling poor? You’re the poor one in my house!”

Dai Ning clarified, “I’m not poor. I’m loaded. You’re the poor one here.”

Zhao Yu scoffed.

Resting her chin on his shoulder, she grumbled, “Why is your house so far? It’s hot.”

Her petite chin against his shoulder made Zhao Yu tense up. Distracted from their banter, he noticed the warmth of her soft, delicate frame pressed close to him. Her faint scent and sweet voice made him feel uncomfortable.

“Get off me if you’re hot,” he said, his face impassive.

“No way.”

Zhao Yu, trying to keep calm, said, “Miss Ji, you’re a girl, and I’m a man. This behaviour is inappropriate.”

Dai Ning shrugged, “You’re overthinking it. I just see you as an object.”

Zhao Yu had no interest in finding out what kind of “object” she thought of him as; it was surely not flattering. He felt tempted to drop her then and there.

Following close behind, Du Tian observed Dai Ning’s antics, her fists unconsciously clenching.

After a while, Du Tian took a deep breath. There was no need to worry about Dai Ning. Sure, she was beautiful, but with such an insufferable personality, who would ever really like her? As she walked, memories of this male-centric novel’s plot came to mind. Now she remembered why “Ji Dai Ning” sounded so familiar.

So, Ji Dai Ning was Zhao Yu’s future fiancée—the foolish, over-the-top character who would end up meeting a tragic end in the story. In the book, Zhao Yu used her as a stepping stone, taking over her family’s assets and treating her mercilessly. Far from love, he was utterly repulsed by her.

Zhao Yu’s dislike of Miss Ji likely had everything to do with her behavior right now.

Smiling slightly, Du Tian thought, Well, that explains everything. There’s plenty of time.

——

Lunch at Zhao Yu’s house was as simple as usual, just plain rice with pickled vegetables. Seeing his younger siblings sneaking glances toward Dai Ning’s room, Zhao Yu snapped, “Eat your food properly!”

A sense of worry gnawed at him. He feared that the longer Miss Ji stayed with them, the more she might spoil his younger siblings.

Zhao An’an, his youngest sister, licked her lips and obeyed, and buried her skinny little face in the bowl.

That afternoon, Zhao Yu took his flail and headed out. Their rice crop had already been harvested, but the grains were still lying in the field, waiting to be threshed. Mountain weather in July was unpredictable; it could rain at any moment, so he needed to finish the job before the harvest spoiled.

Before leaving, he noticed a ruckus coming from Dai Ning’s room.

The spoiled young lady had complained about the heat. Rural homes had no fans, let alone air conditioning, and though she could have ordered one, the mountain’s low voltage wouldn’t support it, even with an inverter.

Uncle Qian had thought of a solution: he arranged for people to deliver ice every day. A large aluminum box filled with ice cooled the room instantly, making it feel like autumn. By the next day, the ice would melt, and another batch would be brought.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Zhao Yu said nothing and went to the field.

Having suffered enough heat that morning, Dai Ning stubbornly refused to go back out and watch him thresh rice.

As soon as Zhao Yu left, his two younger siblings were drawn back to Dai Ning’s room out of curiosity.

“What do you think she ate for lunch?” Zhao An’an asked her brother, Zhao Ping. The aroma of meat from her room still lingered in her mind.

Zhao Ping shrugged, “I’m off to dig up worms for the chickens. Just don’t let her bully you. I’ll bring you some fruit when I’m back.”

Zhao An’an nodded.

But as soon as her brothers left, the door to Dai Ning’s room opened, and she beckoned, “Zhao An’an, come here.”

Zhao An’an was startled and quickly shook her head.

“If you don’t come over, I’ll be angry!” Dai Ning warned.

Soft-hearted Zhao An’an hesitated and then, reluctantly, approached the doorway. A wave of cool air met her, causing her to widen her eyes in amazement.

Inside, white mist drifted from the ice blocks, transforming the room into what Zhao An’an imagined a “fairyland” would look like.

Dai Ning gestured to the tiny, nervous girl. “Take off your shoes and come sit.”

Zhao An’an, a bit anxious, did as told and removed her sandals, revealing clean feet.

Dai Ning approved, pulling out a cushion for Zhao An’an to sit on.

The little girl, thin and frail, sat shyly, gazing around but not daring to touch anything for fear of damaging Miss Ji’s belongings.

“I think you’re a bit silly,” Dai Ning said, studying her with a critical eye. “You need to be a little smarter.”

The “bit silly” Zhao An’an looked at her in confusion.

Resting her chin in her hands, Dai Ning explained, “That girl next door, do you know her name?”

“Big Sister Tian.”

“Right. She’s interested in your brother.” Dai Ning nonchalantly fabricated, “Look at your family—you’re poor, and you all rely on your brother. If she marries him, she definitely won’t let him keep supporting you guys. Your parents—oops, I mean, your folks—will be kicked out, and your brother will starve as a beggar by the village gate, like this.”

Dai Ning mimed a pitiful death.

Zhao An’an stared, horrified, tears welling in her eyes.

“What can I do?” She couldn’t bear the thought of her family being abandoned or her brother starving.

Dai Ning smiled slyly, “Just keep an eye on Du Tian. If she tries to get close to your brother, pull him away. As long as she doesn’t become your sister-in-law, it’ll be fine.”

Zhao An’an nodded eagerly.

In Dai Ning’s mind, her inner spirit sighed in despair. Why had it chosen to bond with someone like her? No wonder Du Tian became the heroine while Ji Dai Ning remained a pitiful side character.

If the male lead finds out she’s lying to his sister like this, he’d probably strangle her.

Dai Ning, however, felt no guilt at all for deceiving the child. She hated manual labor and the heat, so having Zhao An’an act as her spy was a convenient solution. Besides, Zhao Yu adored his little sister, and he’d likely believe her over Du Tian, who hadn’t yet won him over.

Zhao An’an looked at Dai Ning, her voice soft, “Miss, will you be my sister-in-law?” The child’s innocence led her to believe that, since Dai Ning was already living in their home, everything would be just fine if Dai Ning married her brother and stayed for good.

Dai Ning was incredulous. “You wish! Let your brother eat dirt!”

An’an looked a bit hurt.

Dai Ning then added a warning, “Don’t you dare tell your brother what I said, or I’ll spank you till you can’t sit.”

An’an obediently nodded.

Dai Ning poked the child’s forehead. Zhao An’an, with her clueless look, was clearly the “low point of intelligence” in the Zhao family. She was so small and pitiable that Dai Ning thought, if her brother’s future turned grim, she might just take An’an back to play with her as a toy.

——

After days of hard work, Zhao Yu finally managed to bring in the harvested grain.

The “Miss” spent her days quietly in her ice-cooled room, but his little sister was acting a bit strange. Every time he went out, she would watch him with a worried look. Once, when Du Tian came over to speak to him, his sister was even anxious enough to try and pull him away.

In the village, there was a shared drying ground for rice, where the sunlight was best and the area was open. Zhao Yu took his rice over there to dry as usual.

It wasn’t the rainy season yet, and the harvest had been good this year.

Remembering his promise to treat Du Tian to a meal, Zhao Yu made a trip out of the village to buy some meat and vegetables, then invited Du Tian and her mother over for dinner that evening.

Du Tian was thrilled and accepted, but her mother, Du Yuexiang, frowned, giving her daughter a knowing look.

In the village, it was common for girls to marry young, and there had been several families subtly hinting that they’d like to form a connection. Du Yuexiang, however, had higher expectations for her daughter. Even the village chief’s son, Li Zhuang, didn’t seem a suitable match in her eyes, let alone Zhao Yu, who had nothing.

Du Tian, aware of her mother’s thoughts, reassured her, “Mom, I know what I’m doing. Trust me.”

If she didn’t strengthen her connection with Zhao Yu now, she might not have the chance in the future.

Her mother thought for a while. Her daughter had recently become more capable and decisive; she was industrious, resourceful, and, by sheer luck, brought home great finds each time she ventured into the mountains. Their lives had improved significantly, with Du Tian practically becoming the backbone of their home.

Suppressing her worry, she accompanied Du Tian to Zhao Yu’s house that evening for dinner.

Zhao Yu decided to cook himself.

While Zhao Ping, his twelve-year-old brother, could manage basic cooking, making proper dishes was beyond him. Zhao Yu noticed his little sister’s restlessness, which peaked when Du Tian and her mother finally arrived.

An’an ran off to knock on Dai Ning’s door. The little girl, eyes brimming with tears, whispered, “Miss, please help save my dad, mom, and second brother!”

Dai Ning was utterly confused.

It took her a moment to recall the nonsense she had fed Zhao An’an earlier.

“Du Tian is coming over for dinner. Is she going to be my sister-in-law?” An’an asked anxiously.

Dai Ning was annoyed, “Your family didn’t even invite me to dinner, but they invited Du Tian? Zhao Yu is such a cheapskate!” She could already smell the meat cooking.

The two of them weren’t quite on the same page, but their goal aligned.

So, later that evening, when Zhao Yu served the meal, he saw the “Miss” seated at the head of the table.

Her pretty, cat-like eyes sparkled as she looked straight at him.

His little sister also stared at him, wide-eyed.

Zhao Yu froze for a moment. He was beginning to realize that he wasn’t even surprised anymore when Dai Ning suddenly showed up with a scheme in mind. He gave her a low warning, “Don’t cause trouble.”

How effective his words would be was anyone’s guess.

“I’m eating, too,” Dai Ning said.

Zhao Yu didn’t argue. He wasn’t so stingy as to exclude her. Since he had already fed his parents and Zhao Ping, he simply handed Dai Ning a set of utensils, then addressed Du Tian and her mother, expressing his gratitude with a few words.

Dai Ning only pretended to care; she had no interest in Zhao Yu’s cooking and was really just there to keep an eye on things.

Ignoring her, Du Tian smiled with a soft, gentle demeanor.

“Zhao Yu, thank you for the little rabbit you gave me. It must’ve cost you,” she said. “Tonight, when you go to the drying ground to guard the rice, you should take this palm fan we made. It’ll help keep the mosquitoes away.”

A fan was inexpensive but practical, so Zhao Yu accepted it gratefully.

Du Tian added, “Zhao Yu, I heard you were quite good at your studies. The village teacher even taught you some English. Would you…”

Sensing where this was headed, Dai Ning quickly nudged Zhao An’an.

The little girl clutched her stomach, “Big Brother, my tummy hurts.”

Zhao Yu immediately checked on her, taking her outside to the restroom.

“Excuse me, I’ll just be a moment with An’an,” he apologized.

Once they had left, Dai Ning made a face at Du Tian.

Du Tian’s calm expression faltered, and Zhao Ping looked on, thoroughly puzzled. Du Yuexiang studied Dai Ning’s lively, beautiful face, as if caught in a memory.

Dai Ning knew Du Yuexiang had her own issues, but since she didn’t care about them, she couldn’t be bothered.

Zhao Yu soon returned with An’an.

“Sorry for the interruption,” he said.

Du Tian resumed, “It’s no problem. Zhao Yu, I heard that in the past, the village teacher also taught you some English. Do you think you could maybe teach me…”

Dai Ning remembered that Du Tian supposedly struggled with English, but from what she knew, Du Tian was quite a top student.

Beneath the table, Dai Ning nudged Zhao An’an again.

An’an, looking miserable, whispered, “Big Brother, my stomach still hurts.”

Zhao Yu glanced at his little sister.

He was a sharp guy, and one look at the unaffected Dai Ning told him plenty. Trying to keep calm, he picked up his sister, “Excuse me again.”

Outside the restroom.

Zhao Yu crouched down, “An’an, be honest with me.”

With a strict look, he urged An’an to confess. She fidgeted, refusing to say anything, determined to keep her promise to the “Miss.”

“Your big brother doesn’t like liars,” he said firmly.

An’an couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into tears, throwing her arms around his neck, “I didn’t mean to!”

The little girl sobbed as she recounted everything.

Zhao Yu’s expression darkened, barely able to contain his laughter in his fury. Oh, Dai Ning!