Chapter 6 Blame Her

While Zhu Dongmei was at the Gu family to discuss the marriage proposal, Ji Tangtang had already arrived at the warehouse by the commune’s yard. Every day, villagers had to gather at the warehouse before work began, and then the team leader would assign their tasks.

Seeing Ji Tangtang there, the production team leader, Liu Daocheng, was a little surprised. He had grown up with Ji Changming, who was an honest, decent man, and they had always gotten along. But while Ji Changming was a good person, his fate was unfortunate. In the countryside, people put great importance on “raising sons to support them in old age.” Any family without a son was considered naturally inferior. Not only had Ji Changming and his wife failed to have a son, but their daughter wasn’t known for being very bright either.

Now Ji Tangtang was almost twenty years old, yet instead of working hard to earn more work points and ease her family’s burden, she spent her days circling around Gu family’s second son, completely heedless of her reputation. A girl who was usually reluctant to work showed up early at the warehouse today—it was like the sun had risen in the west.

Although Liu Daocheng didn’t like Ji Tangtang, for Ji Changming’s sake, he had intended to give her an easy task. Unexpectedly, when she heard that the day’s task was transplanting rice seedlings, she volunteered to join the paddy field work.

“Little Ji, are you sure?” Liu Daocheng studied her. “You really want to transplant seedlings?”

Ji Tangtang nodded earnestly. “Captain, I want to earn more work points and make things easier for my parents.”

Seeing she wasn’t joking, Liu Daocheng assumed she had finally matured. A flicker of approval crossed his eyes as he nodded. “Alright. Go follow your Auntie Dong’e and learn how to pull seedlings.”

Zhang Dong’e, who was close with Xu Guifen, smiled and pulled Ji Tangtang along when she heard the captain’s instruction, explaining the skills needed to pull and transplant rice seedlings.

Although the original host was a true village girl, she had always looked down on farm work. She dreamed only of marrying a worker, leaving the countryside, and living a better life. She had never really learned how to farm. Ji Tangtang herself, in her past life, had spent every day cultivating, knowing nothing at all about growing crops. So she listened carefully.

Zhang Dong’e, seeing her attentiveness, felt satisfied. When the work began and everyone started, she personally kept Ji Tangtang by her side, letting her practice pulling seedlings next to her. Ji Tangtang was quick-witted and picked things up instantly. Pulling seedlings was no big deal for her. Zhang Dong’e watched for a while, saw her working properly, and grew more and more pleased.

Meanwhile, Ji Tangtang used the chance to ask about rice seeds and other crop seeds. The real reason she had come to work today was not only to change the impression the original host had left on people but, more importantly, to get seeds.

From what she learned, seeds during this period mainly came from two sources: distribution by the commune or agricultural department, or kept back privately by the production team. The seeds from above were rationed strictly, leaving no room for manipulation. And the team’s own seeds were closely guarded—if anything went missing, it would cause a huge uproar. After all, the seeds determined the livelihood of hundreds of villagers.

After considering it, she decided she’d need to find a chance to check out the black market mentioned in the book, and see if she could get seeds there. But since she had already come today, she wouldn’t leave empty-handed. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was watching, she quietly slipped a few bundles of seedlings into her secret realm, planning to cultivate them later that night.

The sound of a gong rang out—tang, tang, tang!—signaling mealtime. The villagers all straightened their backs, rubbed their waists, put down their work, and headed home to eat. Ji Tangtang imitated them, rubbing her waist as she walked back.

She had only gone a few steps when several women who had been with Ji Tingting at her house yesterday caught up to her.

Zhang Chunhua affectionately linked arms with Ji Tangtang and asked with a smile, “Tangtang, where did you pick those mushrooms yesterday? When will you take us aunties to gather some too?”

The other women behind Zhang Chunhua all looked at her pleadingly.

Yesterday, after hearing Ji Tingting’s words, they had worried the mushrooms might be poisonous and had refused the ones Ji Tangtang offered. Only Lin Yulan had stood up for her, taking some home. Unexpectedly, the mushrooms had not only been harmless but had tasted absolutely delicious.

That morning, when they smelled the fragrance coming from Lin Yulan’s house and learned it was from cooking those mushrooms, they regretted it bitterly. Watching her family all morning, they saw nothing bad happen—on the contrary, they heard the mushrooms tasted like meat. They had scolded Ji Tingting thoroughly and rushed over to ask Ji Tangtang where she had found them.

Ji Tangtang, of course, knew exactly what was going on. But since they had believed Ji Tingting yesterday, they couldn’t expect to benefit from her today.

She sighed and said, “Aunties, I was just so hungry yesterday that I tried my luck in the deep mountains. It was my first time there. I couldn’t find my way, and even got lost trying to return. It was sheer luck I made it out, so now I honestly don’t remember where I found those mushrooms.”

No one doubted her words.

Hongxing Village was close to the mountains, and the elders often said the deep mountain terrain was treacherous, with bears and wolves. Villagers were warned not to enter without reason. During famines, some had ventured deep into the mountains in search of food, only never to return. Even when the captain led search parties, they were never found. No one knew if they had lost their way or had been killed by wild animals.

Actually, the reason they came today asking where Ji Tangtang had picked the mushrooms was because they were still a bit worried. What if she really had gone into the mountains and, with bad luck, couldn’t make it back? Now, hearing her say she didn’t remember, Zhang Chunhua actually breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled and said, “Then do you still have any of those mushrooms at home? If you do—”

Before she could finish, Ji Tangtang shook her head. “Sorry, we already cooked all the mushrooms.”

“All cooked?” Zhang Chunhua felt a pang of regret, and her resentment toward Ji Tingting grew deeper. If it hadn’t been for Tingting saying at the time that the mushrooms might be poisonous, they wouldn’t have refused them.

Ji Tangtang nodded, then added, “Auntie, is there anything else? If not, I’ll head back to eat.”

Although Zhang Chunhua was disappointed, she couldn’t press Ji Tangtang any further for mushrooms.

When Ji Tangtang returned home, the meal was already ready. Lunch had been prepared by Ji Xiaohui. She reheated the leftover rabbit soup from the night before and made a mash of corn mixed with wild greens. Looking at that mash, which was no better than pig feed, Ji Tangtang felt she had to get to the black market as soon as possible. This slop—she really couldn’t eat another bite.

Just as she was planning to find a chance to go into the secret realm to get something to eat, Xu Guifen came back wearing a broken straw hat. Seeing her eldest daughter, she sighed, a trace of worry in her eyes, and said:

“Tangtang, there’s news about the proposal you asked me to have a matchmaker deliver to the Gu family.”

Ji Tangtang lifted her gaze toward Xu Guifen. “What did they say?”

“They agreed. At first Shen Meifang wanted a bride price, but later, after your Aunt Winter Plum persuaded her, she was afraid that if she demanded one the Ji family would regret it, and she wouldn’t be able to get rid of that hot potato. So she changed her mind and said she didn’t want a bride price—just that the wedding be arranged early, since it concerns her second son’s marriage.”

Xu Guifen recalled what Zhu Dongmei had said and grew even more worried. “Tangtang, do you really want the Gu family’s eldest to come as a live-in son-in-law? I think Shen Meifang is eager to toss Gu Shiyu away like a burden. You… can you really cure him?”

Ji Tangtang had just been about to find a chance to enter the secret realm and bring something out to eat. Seeing her mother’s worried expression, clearly not believing much of what she’d said before, she replied:

“Mom, wait for me a moment.”

With that, Ji Tangtang took two baskets and turned back into her room. Once the door was shut, she entered the secret realm.

She had grown up inside the secret realm before developing her spiritual intelligence. She was most familiar with it, and knew exactly where to find what kind of food.

Once inside, she carried the baskets beneath a tree and started picking fruit. Like the ones she had picked yesterday, these were the most ordinary fruits in the secret realm. Although they contained spiritual energy, compared with true heavenly treasures, they were far inferior. Because of this, she didn’t have to worry about spirit beasts guarding them.

After filling a basket with fruit, she went and caught two pheasants before leaving the secret realm.

So when she opened the door again, the Ji family saw her carrying a basket full of fruit and two large, brilliantly colored pheasants.

Xu Guifen’s eyes widened like copper bells at the sight of what her daughter held, speechless for a long time. Ji Changming was just as shocked. Steeling himself, he quickly said to his younger daughter:

“Xiaohui, hurry and close the door.”

“Okay!” Ji Xiaohui didn’t know where her sister had gotten all this, but her eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the sky, full of joy. The fruit her sister had brought back yesterday was especially delicious—she had never eaten anything so good. Now there was more fruit. And pheasants! There would be meat again at home…

After the door was shut, Ji Changming still wasn’t at ease. He added, “Xiaohui, keep watch at the door. If anyone comes, shout right away. Your mom and I need to talk to your sister. Don’t tell anyone about what’s in this house.”

Obediently, Ji Xiaohui stood at the door and promised, “I won’t tell, not a word to anyone.”

Though young, she was very sensible. She knew their grandparents didn’t like their family, and whenever there was something good to eat, they would secretly give it to their second uncle’s children. Not only that, they even wanted to take things from their house to give to the second uncle’s kids.

Their grandmother always said that she and her sister were useless, worthless girls, and that everything in the house should go to the second uncle’s children. If their grandparents found out they had such good food, they would surely try every way to take it away and give it to the second uncle’s family. Once the food was gone, they would have nothing left to eat.

Even without Ji Changming’s warning, she wouldn’t have said a word.

Looking at her little sister’s well-behaved manner, Ji Tangtang grabbed two fruits from the basket, put them into her hands, and smiled. “Eat.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

Ji Xiaohui’s hair was like straw, dry and yellow, and her face was sallow. But at that moment, her eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the night sky.