Chapter 117: If You Dare Touch My Uncle, I Will Kill Your Mother

Xiang Xinyao hurriedly prepared the animal feed, fearing her mother might wake up and notice. She quickly exited the space.

Seeing that her mother was still sound asleep, she slipped into bed, the fresh, subtle fragrance of her mother calming her, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, before dawn, Xiang Xinyao woke up.

Her mother and sister were still fast asleep, likely exhausted from all the hard work.

Xiang Xinyao quietly got up, careful not to wake them, and left the bedroom.

Aunt Ji and Ji Chunhua had already started the fire.

It was cold, and the first thing in the morning was always to boil water for washing.

Recently, Xiang Xinyao had been adding spiritual spring water to the water barrel from time to time, and the Ji family had noticed improvements in their health. Their skin had become noticeably smoother and finer.

Though the Ji family, busy with their work, hadn’t noticed these details, Xiang Xinyao had.

She secretly added a bit more spiritual spring water to the barrel.

Of course, she never added too much at once.

Afterward, Xiang Xinyao spoke, “Chunhua, after the New Year, I will go with my parents to Bianjing for a while.

I’m planning to go to the county today to buy more fabric. You and Chunlan can continue making clothes, and when I return, we’ll find a shop to open.”

Ji Chunhua smiled and nodded. “No problem. Chunlan will come back after the New Year to help me, and by the time you return, we should have made quite a few.”

“Great. I’ll leave some silver with Uncle Ji. If we run out of fabric, you can ask him for more silver to buy more, so we can make enough to sell.”

“Got it.”

At that moment, Uncle Ji returned from his eldest son’s house.

Seeing him, Xiang Xinyao smiled and said, “Uncle Ji, after breakfast, let’s go to the county to get the New Year’s goods.”

“Alright, go inside, it’s cold out here. I’ll go feed the cow and the horse.”

“I’m not cold. I’ll feed the horse.”

After feeding the horse some hay, Xiang Xinyao approached Uncle Ji. “Uncle, after the New Year, on the fourth day of the first month, I’ll accompany my parents to Bianjing. Please have the villagers try to clear the small forest.

I plan to return before the Grain in Ear Festival.

If I’m not back by then, you can go ahead with planting another year’s crops.

The main reason for this trip is to see if I can find any medicinal herb seeds to bring back and plant.

If I can find some, we’ll focus on growing medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

As for rice, we’ll continue planting it, but other grains we should plant less of—just enough for the livestock.”

Uncle Ji nodded. “Okay.”

“By the way, this year, let’s change the way we plant rice. Don’t just scatter the seeds in the paddy fields.”

Uncle Ji was puzzled. “If we don’t scatter them, how will we plant them?”

“First, we’ll grow rice seedlings and then transplant them. This way…”

Xiang Xinyao explained in detail how to cultivate rice seedlings and transplant them to Uncle Ji.

Uncle Ji was skeptical. “Can this really increase the yield?”

“It can. You’ll see after trying it once.”

“Alright, we’ll plant it the way you said. What about the others?”

“During weeding, pull out the excess corn seedlings—leave two plants in each hole, don’t be reluctant to thin them out. Also, plant a patch of radishes, and after a while, we’ll buy a few piglets to raise.”

“Got it, we’ll do it your way.”

“Water’s ready. Yao’er, go wash up!” Aunt Ji’s voice came from the kitchen.

“I’m coming.”

Xiang Xinyao replied and went to wash up. Afterward, she helped Aunt Ji and Ji Chunhua prepare breakfast.

Before breakfast was ready, the three brothers from the Xiang family and Mo Jinnan had already gotten up.

The Xiang Couple and Xiang Xinyu also got up shortly afterward.

After breakfast, the Xiang family and Mo Jinnan were ready to head out to buy New Year’s supplies.

Originally, Uncle Ji, Aunt Ji, and Ji Chunhua’s family planned to join, but seeing how many people from the Xiang family were going, they decided not to add to the crowd.

Uncle Ji said, “Yao’er, you take your parents and go. We’d just be strolling around—we don’t need anything, so we won’t join in.”

Xiang Xinyao asked, “Is there anything you need me to buy for you?”

“We have all we need, just some food for the New Year, some red paper to write couplets, and a few strings of firecrackers.”

With that, Uncle Ji took out a silver ingot and handed it to Xiang Xinyao.

She quickly waved her hand to refuse. “Uncle, I’m part of this family, too. If you’re still giving me money to buy New Year’s supplies, that’s like slapping me in the face! You’ve been helping me with the house construction and land clearing, and I haven’t even paid you. How about I give you wages when I get back with the supplies?”

Uncle Ji’s face darkened. “You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking? Ever since you joined the Ji family, you’ve brought us such a good life. How could we take wages from you? Your big brothers may not have taken wages, but have they ever missed out on anything good? And when the kids go to school, you don’t ask them for a single coin, either. You may not be Ji family by birth, but we’ve seen every bit of what you’ve done for us. Don’t bring up wages again.”

“Then don’t give me silver!”

Uncle Ji chuckled and pocketed the ingot. “Alright, alright, I won’t give it. Go on, I’ll go check on the little pine forest.”

“But everyone’s gone home to prepare for the New Year—there’s no need to check it, right?”

“I can’t sit still, and there are still bricks stacked up over there. I’ll just take a look.”

With that, Uncle Ji slung a hoe over his shoulder and headed to the small pine forest, leaving the ox cart for his three sons.

Meanwhile, Xiang Xinyao and her three brothers got the horse cart ready.

Soon enough, the three Ji brothers arrived with their families, also busy preparing the ox cart.

Once the horse cart was ready, Xiang Xinyao helped her parents get on.

But just as she was about to get on herself, her right eyelid twitched, and a wave of unease washed over her.

Her heart suddenly clenched with worry.

Only Uncle Ji had gone out today, and she couldn’t help but feel uneasy. She had to check on him and bring him back right away.

Xiang Xinyao said, “Wait a moment—I have a bad feeling. I need to check on Uncle Ji first.”

Mo Jinnan immediately looked at her. “I’ll go with you.”

Her three brothers turned their heads as well, but Mo Jinnan said, “I’ll handle it; you wait here.”

Any chance to be alone with Xiang Xinyao was something Mo Jinnan wouldn’t pass up.

He wrapped his arm around her slender waist and used his light-footed skills to quickly head toward the small pine forest.

The three brothers watched Mo Jinnan’s hand around Xiang Xinyao’s waist, grinding their teeth in irritation.

They had only just reunited with their little sister, and here this pig was already eagerly rooting for the cabbage she hadn’t even fully grown into!

How infuriating!

Yet they couldn’t act on it—they were engaged from childhood.

Besides, even if the three of them teamed up, they likely wouldn’t stand a chance against this pig, Mo Jinnan.

When Mo Jinnan and Xiang Xinyao reached the small pine forest, they saw Hu Dashan shoving Uncle Ji.

Xiang Xinyao shouted, “If you dare lay a hand on my Uncle, I’ll kill your mother!”