Chapter 11 – The County Magistrate’s Daughter

Qin Hanyu said casually, “Of course I know. Isn’t it normal for men to have three wives and four concubines?”

Chu Xiaoqi was stunned for a moment. Her modern thinking still hadn’t adapted to this feudal society, and she blurted out, “So you’re willingly going to be the third wheel?”

Qin Hanyu clearly didn’t understand the phrase exactly, but she seemed to get the gist of it and replied boldly:

“What third or not—his wife from the countryside isn’t some noblewoman from the palace, nor is she from a prestigious family. What’s so great about her?

If I marry Brother Jingxuan, I’ll be the main wife, no question.”

Chu Xiaoqi turned and raised her eyebrows at Ji Jingxuan. Ji Jingxuan immediately looked tense and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, “Miss Qin, please show some self-respect. I already have a wife and have no intention of taking a concubine or marrying again.”

“Brother Jingxuan… are you rejecting me because I’m fat?

If you marry me, you won’t even need to take the imperial exams—you can directly work as an advisor at the magistrate’s office!”

Qin Hanyu pouted and stomped her feet hard several times.

Ji Jingxuan was completely flustered. He nervously glanced at Chu Xiaoqi and stammered toward Qin Hanyu, “I… I… I appreciate your affection, Miss Qin, but I’m shallow in talent and knowledge—I’m really not fit to serve as an advisor.

Please… please seek someone more worthy!”

“But Brother Jingxuan, I really like you…” Qin Hanyu whined, shaking her plump body coquettishly.

The scene gave Chu Xiaoqi and the Ji siblings a serious case of goosebumps.

Ji Jingxuan discreetly tugged on Chu Xiaoqi’s sleeve, signaling her for help.

Chu Xiaoqi thought for a moment. For the sake of her own smooth future, she figured it was a good time to earn some points with the male lead.

She leapt up onto the flowerbed and pulled Ji Jingxuan close, holding him in her arms as she looked down at Qin Hanyu.

“Little sister, I’m that so-called unimpressive countryside wife of his.

I don’t have a good reputation either—hitting elders, bullying younger ones, mistreating my sister- and brother-in-law—those are things I’m famous for. Just ask around the village and you’ll see.

Most importantly, I’m jealous by nature. I can’t stand my husband having any woman other than me.”

Qin Hanyu saw Chu Xiaoqi’s arm wrapped around Ji Jingxuan’s shoulder and nearly fainted from anger. “You… You’ve broken the Seven Grounds for Divorce! Brother Jingxuan can annul the marriage!”

Chu Xiaoqi stepped behind Ji Jingxuan, wrapped both arms around his neck, and leaned on his back. Her head rested on his shoulder as she turned and planted a loud kiss on his cheek, then provocatively looked at Qin Hanyu.

“Then go ahead and ask your Brother Jingxuan if he wants to annul our marriage…”

Ji Jingxuan was completely stunned by Chu Xiaoqi’s smooth and bold moves. He stood frozen in place, blushing red like a cooked shrimp.

“You… You…

Waaah!!

You’re bullying me! I’m telling my father!

Just you wait—he’ll throw you in jail!”

Qin Hanyu, utterly humiliated, wailed and ran off toward the magistrate’s office.

Chu Xiaoqi let go of Ji Jingxuan after successfully chasing her off. Standing on the flowerbed, she laughed uncontrollably. “Hahahaha… That girl really looks like a rolling ball—too funny!”

Ji Jingxuan turned around and gently lifted her off the flowerbed. “Don’t stand so high, you might fall.”

Chu Xiaoqi didn’t notice Ji Jingxuan’s flustered expression at all. She placed her hands on her hips and said proudly:

“No worries, it’s not even that high—I wouldn’t fall.

You study well. We’re going to the market to buy a few things and then head back.”

With that, she clasped her hands behind her back and led Ji Jingze and his sister away.

Ji Jingxuan watched Chu Xiaoqi walk off with her confident little strut, and the corners of his mouth curled up ever so slightly.

Maybe… this is the real her.

Chu Xiaoqi took Ji Jingze and his siblings to the grain shop, spending 100 wen to buy two dou of rice.

“Sister-in-law, we still have rice at home. Why did you buy two more dou?” Ji Jingze asked as he placed the bag of rice into the basket on his back.

Chu Xiaoqi sighed. “This rice is to return to Granny San’s household. If we borrow and never return, we’ll soon be the village’s number one deadbeat family.”

Ji Jingze’s face flushed bright red in an instant. Although the villagers didn’t say anything to their faces, behind their backs they often whispered and gossiped about how their family only borrowed but never repaid.

Their whole family lived in the village with their heads down, constantly feeling inferior to others.

Suddenly, he felt that what Chu Xiaoqi said made a lot of sense—when you’re starving, who cares about status or pride? Staying warm, well-fed, and alive is what really matters.

Chu Xiaoqi took the siblings to the butcher’s shop. Upon hearing that pork cost 70 wen per jin, she found it too expensive. Instead, she spent 50 wen on three jin of pork bones and another 50 wen on a basket of fatty intestines.

Then they went on to buy some basic seasonings, radishes, and leafy greens before strolling out of the city and heading home.

As they approached the village entrance, their second aunt—who was gossiping under the big banyan tree—saw them from afar. She caught a glimpse of meat in Ji Jingze’s basket and quickly picked up her stool and ran home.

“Son! Son! I just saw those poor wretches from the second household coming back with meat!

Come on, let’s go grab it—Mom will cook meat for you!”

As soon as the second aunt crossed the threshold, she loudly shouted for Ji Yanyang to go with her to raid the second household.

Ji Yanyang, hearing there was meat, rolled off the bed in excitement. “Meat?!”

The second aunt nodded confidently. “Mom saw that brat Ji Jingze carrying it home with her own eyes.”

“But the second household’s dirt poor—where’d they get the money for meat?” Ji Yanyang asked, puzzled.

His mother waved it off. “Who cares where they got the money—we just care about eating.

Stop dawdling. Grab your basket…”

“Sigh, okay…” Ji Yanyang agreed. He figured his mother had a point. Who cares where the money came from, as long as there’s meat.

The two of them excitedly slung on their baskets and headed out the courtyard. But as they approached the second household’s door, they heard Chu Xiaoqi’s voice… and the sound of a knife being sharpened.

“Xiao Ze, sharpen this cleaver a little more. With a blade this sharp, those beasts won’t even have a chance to twitch before they’re done for.”

Ji Yanyang suddenly remembered the beating he got from Chu Xiaoqi yesterday and instinctively began to back away.

“Son, what are you doing? Come on, let’s go in…” The second aunt called out, confused by his hesitation.

Ji Yanyang shook his head frantically. Then he recalled what Chu Xiaoqi just said and turned around and ran straight home.

Seeing her son run off, the second aunt stomped her foot and chased after him.

“Why are you running?” she demanded breathlessly once she caught up.

Ji Yanyang shivered. “Ever since Chu Xiaoqi woke up, she’s been terrifying. Yesterday, if she’d hit me just a little harder, I’d be dead right now.

Nope. No way. I’m not eating that meat.

Risking my life for a bite of pork isn’t worth it…”

The second aunt slapped his arm angrily. “Look at you! Such a coward. All that meat on your bones and you can’t even take on a girl!”

Ji Yanyang sulked and turned away from her. “If you’re so brave, then you go do it…”

The second aunt recalled Chu Xiaoqi’s fierce expression from yesterday and felt a chill in her heart too. Muttering curses under her breath, she gave up and went to the yard to pick soybeans.

Back at the second household, Ji Yanyang had just finished sharpening the knife and ran over excitedly to Chu Xiaoqi. “Sister-in-law, the knife’s ready! When are we heading up the mountain?”

“Wait a bit,” she replied. “Little sister’s still down by the river washing clothes, and I also need to check on the herbs…”

“If you’re not busy, then take that rice back to Granny San’s house and wait for me at the foot of the mountain,” Chu Xiaoqi said, pointing to the rice in the basket as she stood beside the drying rack.

Ji Mother, who had been sitting at the main hall entrance mending clothes, paused when she heard Chu Xiaoqi instruct Ji Jingze to return the rice. Her hand, still holding a needle, stopped midair—and tears welled up in her eyes.

Afraid the children might notice something, she stood up and went back inside the house, quietly wiping her tears.

In truth, even after the natural disaster, the family shouldn’t have been reduced to this level of hunger and desperation. It was all because of her weak health—she didn’t have a princess’s life, yet suffered from a princess’s ailments.

If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall gravely ill.

If not for the children being so young, she’d have long gone out to the woods, found a big tree, and ended it with a rope.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

Ji Jinglan came in, shaking the water droplets from her hands.

Ji Mother quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve and pretended everything was normal. “Nothing, just patching your clothes.”

The lighting inside the room was dim, so Ji Jinglan didn’t notice the tear stains on her mother’s face. She rustled around her waistband, pulled Ji Mother’s hand toward her, and placed a few copper coins in her palm.

“Lan’er, where did you get this money?” Ji Mother looked at the coins with concern, worried that her young daughter might have done something foolish.

Ji Jinglan sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around her mother’s arm, leaning in close to whisper:

“This morning, Second Brother and I went with Sister-in-law to sell chestnuts in the county town. Sister-in-law gave us some pocket money.

Second Brother and I agreed—we want to use this money to buy you some medicine.”

Ji Mother turned to look at Ji Jinglan, a bit surprised. “Your sister-in-law gave it to you? You didn’t sneak it from her?”

Ji Jinglan let go of her mother’s arm, frowned, and protested with a wronged expression, “Mom, how can you think that about me and Second Brother?

It was really Sister-in-law who gave it to us! If you don’t believe me, I’ll go call her in right now and you can ask her yourself.”

She made to get up from the kang bed.

Ji Mother quickly pulled her back down. “Alright, alright, I believe you.

Child, our family may be poor, but we’re poor with integrity. We must never do disgraceful things.”

“Aiya, Mom, I know that already…” Ji Jinglan pouted, kicking her legs that dangled off the bed.

“I’m just surprised your sister-in-law actually gave you pocket money.”

The moment Chu Xiaoqi was mentioned, Ji Jinglan’s eyes lit up with admiration, and she grinned brightly:

“Ever since Sister-in-law woke up yesterday, she’s like a whole new person—so much better!

She still has a temper, but she hasn’t hit us siblings anymore, and she hasn’t scolded you or Dad either.”

Ji Mother sighed, guilt washing over her. “In the end, it’s all because our family is too poor. She married into hardship, so it’s normal she holds resentment in her heart.

As for us, we don’t ask for much. We just hope she can live peacefully and happily with your big brother. That’s enough for us.”

Ji Jinglan nodded quickly. “She will, I’m sure Sister-in-law and Big Brother will grow old together.

Earlier today, right outside the academy gate, Sister-in-law even kissed Big Brother!”

Ji Mother gasped. “What?! What happened?”

“It was that county magistrate’s daughter…” Ji Jinglan launched into a vivid retelling of everything that happened at the academy gate, not leaving out a single detail.

After listening, Ji Mother furrowed her brow. “She said she’s jealous by nature and won’t accept your big brother having any other women but her?”

Ji Jinglan blinked and nodded, not fully understanding the implications.

Ji Mother said no more. She lowered her head and busied herself with her needle and thread, clearly deep in thought.