Chapter 14.2

“Gu Qingchuan, do you walk without making any sound? What if I accidentally knocked you down?”

The moment that large hand landed on her shoulder, Jiang Ci reflexively grabbed it, elbowing the person behind her in the chest. She pressed her knee against his abdomen, her arm pinning his throat while her other hand reached for a stone, aiming to smash it down on his head.

The stone, about the size of a bowl, nearly struck his forehead, but thankfully, she pulled back quickly. “Twice now, and I still didn’t hear you coming up behind me.”

How had she not realized in her past life how skilled this man was at stealth?

The young girl was surprisingly strong, quick, and fierce. Gu Qingchuan found himself pinned on his back, unable to move. The sunlight reflected off the surface of a nearby lake, and the dazzling light made him blink just enough to mask his surprise.

He raised an eyebrow, “Little girl, where did you learn your fighting skills? If you encounter someone more skilled, these moves won’t work. Um… loosen your legs; you’re about to break my ribs.”

His throat also hurt, and his tone changed. During her counterattack, he had intentionally tested her skills, not resisting, allowing her to throw him to the ground.

Who taught me? Of course, it was Gu Qingchuan from my previous life who taught her.

She had practiced diligently for ten years, and now, using those skills felt familiar, not at all awkward.

Perhaps it was because she was the so-called ‘female lead,’ but she had some strange talents. For instance, her sense of direction; no matter how deep the forest was, as long as she had walked through it once, she could find her way back without ever worrying about getting lost.

Then there was her physical strength. During the autumn harvests in junior and senior high school, when they were digging and filling ditches, she could easily do the work of five boys on her own. Because of her strength, her classmates made fun of her, and she cried for a long time, feeling like she wasn’t girlish enough.

She learned things very quickly, especially in sports. Suppose it hadn’t been for her terminal illness in her previous life. In that case, she might have already become a world champion in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing).

Before, she had thought these talents were useless, making her feel less like a girl, and Brother Chuan wouldn’t like her for it. So, she hid them and didn’t let anyone know. Later, that man told her these skills could save her life, encouraging her to practice diligently.

Jiang Ci dropped the stone in her hand and brushed off the dirt. She washed her hands in the hot spring. “You also have a lot of things you don’t tell me; why should I tell you?”

She was afraid to share, fearing it would scare him. The fact that she had been reborn and had a spiritual spring and a diary was already absurd enough. It was something only she needed to know.

“Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, then don’t,” Gu Qingchuan muttered, secretly pressing on his ribcage, relieved it hadn’t broken. It hurt like hell.

He picked up a small stone and aimed it at the pond, skipping it across the surface, startling the chickens and ducks into a frenzy. “You’re not really planning to trade these two or three hundred wild chickens and ducks for that five thousand, are you? That’s not enough.”

“There’s still a year left. Look at all these eggs on the ground; we can hatch more chicks and ducklings,” Jiang Ci casually picked up several nests of wild chicken and duck eggs. She grabbed some vines and wove a net basket to hold about thirty or forty eggs. “I’ll take a few back to hatch and see how it goes.”

Gu Qingchuan was left speechless. “Is that all you’re going to bring?”

He caught a few wild chickens and ducks sitting on their nests, tying their wings and lifting them in his hands. “Go ahead and try. Even if they do hatch, these chicks and ducklings won’t survive the winter.”

Won’t survive? Jiang Ci thought it was no problem to feed them some spring water. She looked up at the sky; the sun had already moved past overhead. “Brother Chuan, we still have over ten miles of mountain road left; let’s head back.”

As they emerged from the bamboo grove, everything around looked the same. The treetops shaded the sunlight. Gu Qingchuan asked, “Will you be able to find this place again next time?”

If he hadn’t been worried and followed her all the way here, he would never have guessed that such a hidden paradise with a hot spring existed in the mountains.

“Of course I can.” Jiang Ci returned in the direction they had come, “The paths I’ve walked seem to be etched in my mind. Brother Chuan, you’ve walked them, too. Next time I’m not here, you’ll be able to find it, right? Look at all these wild chickens and ducks. Just run a bit more; you and Jiang Dasheng can come together and catch as many as you want.”

Gu Qingchuan was at a loss for words.

He really wouldn’t be able to find it. Not everyone had such an exceptional sense of direction.

“Next time, you should lead the way. Jiang Dasheng and I will bring a few more people along. This part of the mountain hasn’t been visited, so there’s a lot of wild produce to dig up and collect. We can help you transport and sell the goods, ensuring you earn enough to reach that five thousand in a year.”

“Anyway, there’s no one in the mountains,” Jiang Ci tugged at his sleeve, playfully curling her slender fingers around his. “Brother Chuan, have you decided to take me as your fiancée?”

Gu Qingchuan was at a loss for words.

He wanted to firmly shake off her hand, but his arm felt stiff and unresponsive for some reason. “No, I’m just worried that you won’t even have a place to stay if you lose. I can’t really abandon you; I’m your brother…”

Jiang Ci twisted his hand hard, causing his fingers to crack with the pressure. The pain made him swallow back the last part of his sentence.

In just one year, the girl’s temper had grown sharper.

—o—o—o—

“Mom, I told you this, right? That ungrateful girl is like a wolf that won’t be tamed. Now, she wants to be Cui Pingzhou’s daughter, so naturally, the Jiang family’s small courtyard must be reclaimed. Guozhu and I don’t need to look for a house anymore; we can just move in here.”

Kang Guixiang nearly spat blood upon learning that Cui Pingzhou was going to marry Lin Wan. She had known from her previous life that Jiang Ci was incredibly lucky. In this life, if she hadn’t first clipped her wings, Jiang Ci would soar to new heights.

Even her mother, Lin Wan, had just divorced and immediately married Cui Pingzhou. Although he was a disabled veteran, he was still a commander in some secret operation unit, and his rank was unknown.

If it hadn’t been for his covert protection of Gu Qingchuan and Jiang Ci in her past life, the two would have been killed long ago, never having survived long enough to come out of prison alive.

Jiang Ci was lucky, so Kang Guixiang’s luck would be bad. She wanted to seize all of Jiang Ci’s fortune for herself. If she could have done it in her previous life, she could certainly have done it again!

The easiest way to stir up trouble in the old Jiang family was through Grandma Xu and her daughter, along with Jiang Guozhu. She found a use for Jiang Guozhu and cried to Grandma Xu, “Lin Wan is so shameless. She must have had an affair with Cui Pingzhou long ago; no wonder she agreed to the divorce so quickly. I was just looking for an excuse to go to the Cui family as the matriarch.”

Grandma Xu’s son and daughter-in-law fled the large residence like refugees in just two days. Having not set foot in the kitchen for seventeen years, she now had to cook three meals a day for Grandpa Jiang and still do the laundry and cleaning, all while not finding anyone to blame.

“Jiang Ci is a harbinger of doom; she was born to bring me misfortune. Since she recognizes someone else as her father, how can she still have the audacity to live in my house? I must kick her out today.”

Before Jiang Ci had the chance to change the locks after moving in, Grandma Xu brought the spare keys from the house, opened the courtyard and hall doors, and gazed at the exquisite small courtyard, feeling heartbroken. Her eldest son still had nowhere to live, and now the family of six was crammed in a guesthouse. It was perfect to reclaim this house for her eldest son’s family to live in.

“Mom, you sit here and wait for that little brat. I’ll go find some tea leaves to brew a cup for you.” Kang Guixiang moved a grand chair from the hall to the porch. The dark lacquer was shiny and heavy. Upon closer inspection, she was astonished to realize it was made of golden silk nanmu wood, at least a hundred years old.

Although this small courtyard didn’t have fewer rooms than the big house, all the furniture was antique. Plus, there was a spacious front and back courtyard; the backyard was enclosed for personal use, allowing her to grow whatever she wanted without anyone complaining. Grandpa Jiang had given such a nice courtyard to a little girl and not to his son—what a foolish old man! Luckily, he had died early in her past life; he probably wouldn’t live long in this life either!

She borrowed the pretense of looking for tea leaves to sneak into Jiang Ci’s room, hoping to find that diary. Just as she opened the chest, she heard Grandma Xu yelling in the courtyard.

Jiang Ci was back.

That ungrateful girl had returned at the worst possible time. Kang Guixiang quickly rummaged through the camphor wood chest, pulling out a few of Jiang Ci’s personal garments, a fountain pen, and two movie ticket stubs from the desk drawer, stuffing them into her bag before rushing out.

Jiang Ci saw the courtyard door was ajar. Had her mother forgotten to lock it when she left?

She rushed home in three strides and two steps, only to find Grandma Xu sitting in the courtyard while Kang Guixiang emerged from the main hall.

They must have come with a spare key. Tomorrow, she definitely needed to change the locks.

She locked the wild chickens and ducks in a bamboo cage, gathered some straw to make a few nests, and carefully placed the chicken and duck eggs inside. The mother hen had already settled down to incubate the eggs.

“Where’s your mother?” Grandma Xu regretted not having killed the girl at birth when Lin Wan had given her life. “Is she staying at the Cui family and doesn’t want to come back? Has she already given Jiang Guozhu a green hat? When did she start being involved with Cui Pingzhou?”

“Are you out of your mind? Uncle Cui is half paralyzed! How can you talk such nonsense? How could he give Jiang Guozhu a green hat? You should consider the consequences of spreading rumors about him.”

Grandma Xu still had a bit of self-awareness; she didn’t dare to cause trouble for Cui Pingzhou in the military compound, knowing he could easily crush her if he wanted. Because of this, she didn’t want Lin Wan to marry into the Cui family.

This former daughter-in-law, whom she had used and manipulated for over a decade, was now elevated to a status that she couldn’t reach, a military officer’s wife. How could her eldest son face others in the future?

She didn’t dare to insult Cui Pingzhou, but since this little brat was still a granddaughter of the old Jiang family, she felt entitled to discipline her. “You shameless girl, aren’t you embarrassed that your mother is making a fool of herself? Getting remarried right after a divorce—does she have no shame? Hurry and convince your mother not to marry again; you can live in this small courtyard. Otherwise, I’ll throw you both out onto the streets immediately.”

Jiang Ci remained silent.

Clearly, it was Jiang Guozhu who had betrayed them first. Her mother had wasted seventeen glorious years on him, and now that she could find a man who was better than Jiang Guozhu, they couldn’t stand it? Hmph, what they couldn’t stand was still to come; Uncle Cui would eventually stand up again, leaving Jiang Guozhu regretting his choices.

“You didn’t say anything when Jiang Guozhu brought back a woman and four children, and you didn’t speak up when he deceived my mother for over a decade. You didn’t complain when he openly held a wedding with Kang Guixiang, yet my mother finds someone else after the divorce and is suddenly disgraceful? I see that you’re just jealous. Jiang Guozhu is planning a big wedding, which is great! I will also throw my mother a big wedding. Let’s see who is truly embarrassing here.”

Who was embarrassing? Of course, it was Jiang Guozhu. He had sought another woman, living a separate life and fathering two daughters while raising someone else’s son; he couldn’t deny any of that.

After all, he was her spoiled eldest son with the most potential.

Grandma Xu clutched her heart, glancing around for something to throw, but there was nothing nearby. Kang Guixiang hurriedly offered her a steaming cup of tea, causing Grandma Xu to flinch from the heat. Grandma Xu shot her a glare but held tightly onto the teacup, raising her hand as if to smash Jiang Ci’s porcelain-white face, hoping to ruin that tempting visage.

“Old hag, put that down! That’s a Ming Dynasty official kiln white-glazed cup; if you break it, I’ll fight you to the death.” This was the only pair she had managed to preserve. Grandpa Jiang had intended to ask his eldest granddaughter about Lin Wan’s remarriage, but upon entering, he saw the old woman about to smash his treasure, nearly scaring him to death.

Without hesitation, he rushed over and snatched the teacup from Grandma Xu’s hands, cradling it protectively in his arms.

In the large house, where there were many children, Grandpa Jiang was concerned about the precious cup getting damaged. So, he kept the pair of cups in a safe place. Jiang Ci ran up to Grandpa Jiang and pointed an accusing finger at Kang Guixiang.

“Grandpa, I’ve kept your treasure safely in the cabinet! I never even dared to take it out to clean it, fearing it might break. And Kang Guixiang actually dared to take it out to brew tea! By the way, how did she even get into my house? Is she trying to steal something again? You need to help me change the locks right now!”

“Thief! The Jiang family has brought this upon themselves!” At that moment, Grandpa Jiang’s eyes were solely focused on his beloved tea cups. He hadn’t even been willing to use them, yet Kang Guixiang had ruined something so precious. “Alright, Grandpa will change the locks for you right now, and tomorrow, I’ll get you a big wolf-dog to guard the yard.”

“Grandpa, we don’t need a wolf dog.”

After a moment, Grandpa Jiang suddenly remembered what he had come for. He thought about the man his wife was going to marry, who was disabled. The frustration that had been building in him due to this situation was now directed at Grandma Xu and Kang Guixiang, and somehow, he felt less angry.

It was a pity that his eldest son’s wife was such a good person but had ended up with a man who was paralyzed. He had initially planned to give her a dowry to help her find a good man, at the very least, someone capable.

Grandma Xu was furious. “Old man, Lin Wan, is getting married, which means this house can’t be given to Jiang Ci. We need to take it back right now! It would be perfect for our Guozhu’s family to live in. Poor Guozhu is still living in a guesthouse, and it’s so inconvenient for him. Make that dead girl move out today! I want Guozhu to move in.”

Was the old man going mad? Taking back the house? Changing locks? Lin Wan was about to get married. Did they expect her to continue living there? What nonsense!

Grandpa Jiang emptied the tea leaves from the cup, and Jiang Ci fetched well water. The old man meticulously washed the cup, dried it, and put it back in the cabinet, locking it up securely.

He handed the key to Jiang Ci, who immediately placed the small key into the old man’s gray Zhongshan suit pocket. “Grandpa, this is your treasure. You keep it yourself, and when you have time, come over and brew a cup of tea to enjoy.”

Grandpa Jiang felt gratified; his eldest granddaughter was thoughtful. She climbed to the mountain peak every year to pick the wild cloud mist tea, which produced only a few ounces each year. No one could find that place except for her. The fresh tea she brought back was pan-fried, rolled, and dried, all prepared by her hands. It was a unique wild cloud mist tea from all of Qin Province. Many people came to seek a cup of it, and the old man felt proud about it even now.

Such precious porcelain was only worthy of such tea.

“After I pass away, all these treasures will be left to you. Your uncles are all rough men; they wouldn’t understand what true treasures are and only deserve to drink tea from coarse bowls.”

“Dad, are you confused? Why would you leave the family property to your granddaughter instead of your son? A married daughter is like spilled water; don’t let outsiders take advantage of you!” Kang Guixiang heard it was something from the Ming Dynasty. It could be worth a lot at auction in a few years, perhaps even more than the family’s big house. She hadn’t expected the old man to have such a precious pair of cups.

How could it be given to Jiang Ci? Her father, Jiang Guozhu, was still alive; surely the son should inherit, right?

“The things of the Jiang family have nothing to do with you; you don’t even carry the Jiang surname,” Grandpa Jiang scolded. “I wouldn’t even give them to Jiang Guozhu if I smashed them. He’s an unfilial son who has made me lose face my whole life.”

Grandma Xu could hardly believe it. Jiang Guozhu was the old man’s son! She rushed over to pull Jiang Ci, saying, “It’s all your fault, you harmful little thing! You shouldn’t have been born in the first place. Why don’t you go die? You’ve made the old man refuse to acknowledge his own son!”

Jiang Ci had long since become emotionally numb, but she still felt a pang of sadness from those words. Tears filled her eyes, and in an instant, a teardrop rolled down her cheek. “Grandpa, my grandma wants me to die…”

Grandpa Jiang stood with his hands behind his back, his back hunched, and his voice heavy with age. “I have three sons, one daughter, and seven grandchildren…”

Kang Guixiang quickly interjected, “Dad, you forgot about the four kids that Guozhu and I brought back. You actually have eleven grandchildren!”

Grandpa Jiang’s emotions were interrupted by Kang Guixiang’s words, and he angrily shouted, “Shut up!”

Kang Guixiang shrank her shoulders, afraid to say anything more.

“Every autumn, I cough and wheeze. Have you ever seen any of my sons or grandchildren help me buy medicine? At most, they’ll just suggest I go see a doctor. Only Xiao Ci quietly runs up the mountain to pick autumn pears.

The wild fruits around have long been picked clean, but she goes deep into the mountains, returning with a basket of wild pears. She makes pear syrup with Sichuan pear, red dates, wild goji berries, and rock candy.

When the whole family has colds and coughs, we’ve eaten plenty, but does anyone care about her? They just say the pear syrup is running low and tell her to make more.

I’ve worked in a machine factory my whole life, and I can’t sleep at night because of the pain in my back. Have you ever asked me, old woman?”

Grandpa Jiang continued. “You always ask me where I get all those various ointments, blaming me for not giving you a few to help with your social favors. I’ll tell you, all of those are from my eldest granddaughter. She went to several townships to secretly trade for them with local herbal doctors.”

He let out a cold laugh, “Ha! I’ve seen through it all. When I die, the only one who can lessen my suffering in the hospital is my eldest granddaughter. You all say I’m biased, and I admit it—I am biased towards her.”

Jiang Ci felt a rush of emotion; her grandfather had remembered all her efforts. “Grandpa, actually, second uncle and third uncle are very filial. They are just busy with work. My younger siblings are also very considerate; they’re still in school.”

Grandma Xu was scolded by Grandpa Jiang and dared not make a sound, lowering her tone. “She’s a younger generation, growing up on the Jiang family’s support, so it’s only right for her to be filial. But if we’re talking about inheritance, it should go to Hongyu. After all, a granddaughter is still one generation removed.”

Grandpa Jiang’s face darkened. “Don’t mention her to me. Jiang Guozhu is my eldest son, and Jiang Hongyu is my own daughter. It’s a pity that both of them have been spoiled by you, old woman.”

Irritated, he directly chased Grandma Xu and Kang Guixiang out, slamming the yard gate behind them and locking them outside.

Grandma Xu was so furious her heart ached, and Kang Guixiang, noticing her mother’s expression, mused, “Once Dad dies, this family will be under Mom’s control. At that time, we can divide the house however we want.”

“Slap!” A sharp pain struck her face as Grandma Xu slapped her. “How dare you curse the old man to die? You’re not even married yet! If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll make sure Guozhu doesn’t marry you!”

No matter how much they argued or how angry they became with each other, she knew that Grandpa Jiang was the pillar of this family. His retirement pension was essential for their livelihood, and his connections were the hope for her sons’ promotions. “You’re so short-sighted. How could Guozhu choose such poor women? One is worse than the other.”

Was she worse than Lin Wan? In terms of looks and figure, she might not compare, but Lin Wan fell far short when it came to cunningness and strategy. If she had been capable, Jiang Guozhu wouldn’t have abandoned Lin Wan to choose her.

Kang Guixiang covered her swollen left cheek, vowing in her heart that she would one day repay that slap tenfold or a hundredfold. She had been reborn, and she wouldn’t lose again. She would win once more, just like in her past life.