Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai went into the house and only packed two sets of clothes to change into. After all, they couldn’t stay at someone else’s house for long. Given the current situation, the Ji family would likely come to take Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai back soon. Otherwise, the villagers’ gossip would overwhelm them.

Ji Huan saw Jiang Yubai looking flustered. She softly comforted her and said, “Don’t worry. This time, the Ji family will definitely lower their stance to take us back. We probably won’t stay at Second Uncle’s house for too long.”

Jiang Yubai nodded. In her subconscious, she believed she would follow Ji Huan wherever she went.

After leaving the room, Ji Huan gathered her emotions for a while until her eyes turned red. Then, she carried the bundle and walked out of the Ji family’s courtyard gate.

Ji Huan’s face looked pale. She opened the bundle in her arms to let everyone see and said, “Yubai and I only took clothes to change into. Indeed, in the Ji family, we only have these few patched old clothes. I’m not afraid of everyone laughing at me. I lived until now, but I don’t even have a single coin on me.”

Ji Huan’s expression showed sorrow. Some villagers around her started crying too. Along with their tears came their contempt for Ji Mantun and Liu Fengmei.

“Do such people deserve to be parents? They only give birth but don’t care for their children?” a villager said.

“The Ji family isn’t poor, yet they treated Ji Huan so harshly. Ji Huan is a Qianyuan, and I bet they treated Ji Qiao even worse,” another villager said.

“Ji Qiao married the cripple from West Ox Village. I heard that cripple has a bad temper and often beats Ji Qiao until her head bleeds. The Ji family only cared about taking money and didn’t care about their daughter’s life,” someone else said.

“How pitiful,” another villager added.

The voices of discussion grew louder. Liu Fengmei saw no way out. She sat on the ground and started throwing a tantrum, crying and cursing, “Ji Huan, you unfilial daughter! You did this to make the villagers point at your parents’ backs. How did I give birth to such an ungrateful thing like you?”

The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then Second Aunt Feng Mei scolded Liu Fengmei and said, “Turning the tables, huh? Liu Fengmei, you shrew.”

“Enough!” the village head shouted. He grabbed a young man’s wooden stick and slammed it on the ground. The crowd gradually quieted down.

The village head, panting with anger, pointed at Liu Fengmei and scolded, “If you dare act like a shrew again, don’t blame me for turning cold. Get up.”

Scolded by the village head, Liu Fengmei couldn’t keep crying. She stood up dejectedly.

“If I hear you bullied Ji Huan again, it won’t be let go as lightly as today,” the village head said. He scanned the Ji family with his eyes, then looked at Ji Manchun and said, “Manchun, thank you for your trouble. Take Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai back and settle them in.”

“It’s no trouble. Ji Huan is a sensible child. We’re happy to help. Ji Huan, let’s go,” Ji Manchun said, looking at Ji Huan.

Ji Huan nodded and said, “Sorry for troubling Second Uncle and Second Aunt.”

“What’s this child saying? It’s no trouble at all. Come on, breakfast is almost ready at home. We can eat when we get back,” Second Aunt Feng Mei said with a smile.

Ji Huan then took Jiang Yubai’s hand, and they left with Ji Manchun and his family.

Once Ji Huan left, there was no more excitement to watch. People threw disdainful looks at Liu Fengmei and her family. The crowd gradually dispersed, and everyone started working on their own tasks.

Ji Mantun’s face showed bulging veins. He stared fiercely at the remaining Ji family members and said through gritted teeth, “Now we’ve completely lost face. It was just asking you to do some chores, as if it would kill you. Now the whole family is the village’s laughingstock. Let’s see how you hold your heads up in the village.”

Ji Dong and Ji Xi usually ate hot meals by this time. Ji Dong saw the courtyard was empty, so he took his younger brother and left the gate.

Ji Dong and Ji Xi ran to Liu Fengmei to act spoiled, as usual.

“Grandma, when do we eat breakfast? Haven’t Ji Huan and the others made the food yet?” Ji Dong asked, as he always did.

Li Yulan saw Ji Mantun’s dark face and signaled her eldest son with her eyes. But the two boys were spoiled and wouldn’t listen to her.

“Yeah, yeah, Ji Huan is too slow. Xi Xi is hungry too. Grandma, tell Ji Huan to hurry up,” three-year-old Ji Xi said.

Ji Mantun clenched his fists tightly. Ignoring others’ reactions, he lifted the two boys and shouted loudly, “Today’s mess was caused by your family, Eldest Son. It was just cooking, but you complained so much. Even Ji Dong and Ji Xi are spoiled by you. Is Ji Huan someone they can call by name? Ji Huan is their aunt.”

Li Yulan and Ji Ming saw Ji Mantun grab the children. They rushed to take them back.

“Father, calm down. These are the future hope of our Ji family. You can’t hurt the kids,” Ji Ming said, crying as he took Ji Dong back into his arms.

Ji Xi was taken back by Li Yulan and Liu Fengmei together.

“Dear, calm down. If the kids did wrong, scold them, but don’t get angry at your grandsons,” Liu Fengmei said, crying as she held her grandson tightly.

“Ji Ming, your second sister was driven away by your family. If you don’t bring her back, your family will do all the household chores from now on,” Ji Mantun said, pointing at Ji Ming angrily.

“Father, we all drove her away together. Why blame only our family?” Ji Ming, a male Qianyuan, started crying too.

“You still dare ask why? If we don’t bring Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai back, our family won’t have the face to live in this village,” Ji Mantun said. He threw down those words and walked quickly into the house, not wanting to stay outside any longer.

Ji Sen and Wang Xiuxiu, afraid of getting involved, returned to their room early.

As for Ji Yuan, he hid long before. He closed the door and slammed it a few times. The matter hadn’t spread yet, thankfully. If it did, how could he face people at the town’s school? Even if Eldest Brother didn’t go, he had to go himself. He needed to bring Ji Huan back quickly.

Compared to the chaos at the Ji family, Ji Huan calmly went with Jiang Yubai to Ji Manchun and Second Aunt Feng Mei’s house. Ji Manchun’s family had only one son and one daughter, both Qianyuan. The son, Ji Fu, was married to Wang Xiaoyue. The daughter, Ji Wen, was not yet married.

Ji Manchun and Second Aunt Feng Mei went out. The three at home were preparing breakfast. When they saw Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai return with them, the three were surprised but still greeted Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai warmly.

“Ji Huan, I haven’t seen you in days. Are you feeling better? Sit down quickly,” Ji Wen said, coming out of the kitchen.

Jiang Yubai stood beside Ji Huan, hesitant. Back at the Ji family, she wasn’t allowed to eat at the table.

Ji Huan saw Jiang Yubai standing stiffly beside her. She roughly understood Jiang Yubai’s concerns and said, “We’re troubling Second Uncle and Second Aunt today. Yubai and I will eat in our room so we don’t disturb your family.”

Ji Manchun saw Jiang Yubai earlier and hesitated. But thinking it was just eating together, he quickly said, “How can that do? We all eat in the dining hall as a family. Stay here安心. If your parents come to make trouble, I’m here.”

“Thank you, Second Uncle and Second Aunt. Don’t worry, Yubai and I won’t stay too long…” Ji Huan said.

Before she finished, Second Aunt Feng Mei interrupted, “What do you mean not too long? Stay as long as you want. Don’t be polite.”

Seeing her second uncle’s family was kind, Ji Huan didn’t refuse further. She knew the Ji Mantun family would come begging her to return soon.

Soon, Ji Fu and Wang Xiaoyue brought food from the kitchen. Breakfast was egg drop cabbage soup with mixed grain steamed buns and pickled vegetables. It wasn’t lavish, but everyone ate the same. The eggs were mixed into the soup so everyone could have some, unlike at the original Ji family, where eggs were saved only for the third son and the eldest son’s two boys.

Ji Huan couldn’t eat much in the morning and only ate one bun. Jiang Yubai ate two. She wasn’t completely full but worried her appetite might scare Second Uncle’s family. After eating two, she sat obediently, waiting for Ji Huan.

“Ji Wen, clean out the side room later. Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai will live with us from now on. Your uncle’s family went too far,” Ji Manchun said quickly.

“Okay, Sister Ji Huan, I’ll go clean it now. Wait for me,” Ji Wen said. She finished her soup and hurried off to work.

Ji Huan quickly said, “We’ll help too. How can we let Ji Wen do it alone?”

“No need, silly child. You’ve suffered enough. Rest now. You just recovered from illness. You don’t need to do anything these days. Once the room is ready, go rest,” Ji Manchun said quickly.

“It’s no trouble, Second Uncle. We can’t stay here and do nothing. We’ll go help Ji Wen clean,” Ji Huan said. She and Jiang Yubai went to the side room.

Second Aunt Feng Mei looked at Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai, sighed, and said, “Such good kids wasted. I said long ago your brother’s family has bad hearts. Only Ji Huan is decent, yet they treated her like that.”

“Yes, let’s help as much as we can,” Ji Manchun said with a sigh.

In Ji Ming’s room, Li Yulan hugged the two children and cried. Ji Ming sat on a bench by the table, sighing, no longer showing his usual arrogance.

He thought about Ji Huan’s words. Many were true, but he didn’t think Ji Huan could say them. He knew how honest she was. Was she really pushed too far? Ji Ming couldn’t figure it out.

The room filled with the children’s crying. Ji Ming sighed, accepted his fate, and went to the kitchen to cook. The firewood was almost gone, so he’d need to chop more later.

Ji Ming cooked porridge without the energy to knead dough. He made rice porridge and cut some pickled vegetables, then brought it to the dining hall. The usually lively dining hall was empty now.

He filled bowls and brought them to the dining hall, then went to call everyone from their rooms.