Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ji Huan finished the bowl of noodles and felt her body become slightly more comfortable. She glanced at the woman nearby, who stared blankly at the floor.

Ji Huan gently placed the noodle bowl aside and began reviewing the original book in her mind. In this world, Ji Huan ranked second in her family and was an utterly devoted daughter. Her mother and father favored her older brother and younger brother. Even though Ji Huan was a Qianyuan, her parents never looked at her properly and treated her like a machine for household work.

As for Ji Huan’s wife, Jiang Yubai, her life was even worse. Her parents-in-law and siblings-in-law tormented her, and she died before thirty from overwork.

Ji Huan thought for a moment. The original Ji Huan wasn’t valued by her family, so the only person who would care for her was likely Jiang Yubai.

“Yubai?” Ji Huan tentatively called out to the woman.

The woman snapped back to attention, her expression slightly stunned. Ji Huan had never called her name like this before; she usually spoke directly about tasks.

“Finished eating? I’ll take the bowl and chopsticks to clean.” Jiang Yubai glanced faintly at Ji Huan, swiftly picked up the bowl and chopsticks from the bedside, and quickly left the room.

Moments later, Ji Huan heard scolding voices outside.

“Where did you, you jinx, run off to? Can’t find you in broad daylight—are you slacking off again? Didn’t I just say the firewood ran out? Why haven’t you gone to chop more?” A sharp female voice rang out, grating like nails scratching a door.

“Mother, didn’t you ask me to bring food to Ji Huan? I just delivered it.” Jiang Yubai replied softly, but the woman scolded her even more harshly.

“Delivering food takes that long? If not for you, how would Ji Huan have fallen into the water for no reason? Now that she’s down, who’s going to do all the work around here? Who’s going to tend the fields? None of you make my life easy. Jiang Yubai, I’m warning you again—don’t think marrying Ji Huan makes you close to her. Don’t you know how unlucky you are? Ji Huan’s accident is because of your bad luck. Stay away from our family. So unlucky! Why are you still standing there? Clean the kitchen and go chop firewood on the hill!”

The woman’s voice was shrill and loud. Even Ji Huan, leaning on the bed, heard every word clearly.

“Alright, I’ll go now.” Jiang Yubai, seemingly used to such abuse, responded calmly, carried the empty bowl and chopsticks, and headed straight to the kitchen.

From the conversation, Ji Huan realized the woman was likely the original owner’s mother, Liu Fengmei. Ji Huan struggled to get up and argue with Liu Fengmei, but her body lacked strength. Her chest heaved with anger, which she calmed only after a while.

Ji Huan no longer just wanted to change the plot. Living meekly like the original owner was impossible. Even without the system’s task, Ji Huan needed to stand up for herself. Manipulate her? No way.

Meanwhile, the scolding outside continued. “Tch, jinx, acting all high and mighty. Didn’t you marry an old man before Ji Huan? You jinxed him to death on your wedding night. If not for your family’s two taels of silver as a dowry, you think I’d let you in our door…?”

The relentless insults made Ji Huan feel sick. The original owner’s mother was truly awful.

Jiang Yubai endured the verbal abuse and numbly poured cold water from a bucket into the pot.

Washing dishes in winter was miserable, especially in a farming household that used cold water to save firewood. Jiang Yubai, as if immune to the cold, mechanically cleaned the dishes.

She had done such chores since childhood, even harder ones, and had long grown accustomed to them. As for the insults, they followed her constantly—her father’s, her siblings-in-law’s, the villagers’, and now the Ji family’s.

At first, she thought Ji Huan was honest and life with her might be good. But after marrying, she realized she had only gone from one hardship to another. She barely survived either way; it made no difference.

Sometimes, Jiang Yubai thought if this was her life forever, she’d rather die early and find peace.

In the room, Ji Huan forced herself to lie back down. Her body had regained a bit of strength but still felt weak. Not wanting to waste time, she lay down and seriously reviewed the plot.

The more Ji Huan read, the angrier she became. The original owner was too obedient, always listening to her mother. Even when her wife was insulted and bullied, the original owner stayed timid. Ji Huan wished she could drag that weakling out and shake some sense into her.

Her chest heaved again, but she calmed down after a while. Now that she had taken the original owner’s place, Ji Huan planned to teach the family a lesson.

Her first task was to recover her strength quickly. Lying in bed, she could do nothing.

As Ji Huan thought, she drifted into a hazy sleep. After an unknown time, Liu Fengmei’s shrill voice came from outside.

“Put this egg in Ji Huan’s bowl to help her recover. It’s not even a serious illness—why isn’t she better yet? No one’s doing all the work around here.” Liu Fengmei spoke without restraint, practically saying Ji Huan needed to recover to work.

Ji Huan, lying in bed, laughed in anger at Liu Fengmei’s words. What kind of person was the original owner to stay so devoted to a mother like that?

“Alright, I’ll take it to her.” Jiang Yubai responded faintly, turning to head toward their room.

As Jiang Yubai reached the door, Liu Fengmei’s voice stopped her. “Wait.”

Jiang Yubai paused, holding the porridge, and turned to wait quietly for Liu Fengmei’s lecture.

Liu Fengmei’s eyes scanned Jiang Yubai with disdain. “Remember, don’t bother Ji Huan. You’re bad luck. Don’t jinx her again. Our family depends on her to get by.”

“Mother, I understand.” Jiang Yubai replied softly, her attitude submissive, like a statue.

“You know, so go already. I have to remind you of everything. Such a headache.” Liu Fengmei grumbled and walked away, as if she did all the work herself.

Jiang Yubai, holding the coarse grain porridge and egg, entered the room.

She placed the porcelain bowl on the wooden table, cracked the egg Liu Fengmei gave her into it, and stirred quickly with a spoon.

Ji Huan propped herself up, her gaze involuntarily falling on the porridge. It was dark now, and the room had only a dim oil lamp. Ji Huan was genuinely hungry.

Seeing Ji Huan sit up, Jiang Yubai carried the bowl to the bedside. She hesitated, noticing Ji Huan’s struggle, and asked, “Need help?”

Ji Huan nodded. “Yes, thanks. I’m still a bit weak.”

Jiang Yubai, surprised that Ji Huan thanked her, shook her head lightly. She set the bowl aside and carefully helped Ji Huan sit up.

Ji Huan leaned against the headboard, smelling the aroma of the porridge and swallowing lightly.

Jiang Yubai handed the bowl to Ji Huan, who began eating immediately. In the past, she might have found a raw egg in porridge too fishy, but now, starving, she didn’t care.

Jiang Yubai sat quietly by the table, waiting for Ji Huan to finish. She had only eaten a bowl of coarse grain porridge in the kitchen for dinner. The dishes went to the main table, where Ji Mantun’s family ate happily. As the “unlucky” one, she wasn’t allowed to eat at the table.

Jiang Yubai sighed softly, rubbing her aching palms. That afternoon, she fetched water from the river, chopped firewood on the hill, and cooked for the family without rest. Ji Huan’s older brother’s family and two younger brothers, meanwhile, did nothing to help.

Of course—whether here or at her old home, she was just a tool for work. No one cared if she was tired or looked at her properly. She should be used to it by now.

Jiang Yubai gave a self-mocking smile, then hid her expression, sitting calmly like a statue.

Ji Huan ate most of the porridge and felt her stomach fill a bit, her body easing slightly. She looked at Jiang Yubai, who sat on the bench, lost in thought.

Having read the book’s plot, Ji Huan felt deep sympathy for Jiang Yubai’s suffering. Jiang Yubai was a good person but died early from mistreatment. Now that Ji Huan was here, she wouldn’t let that happen again.

“What are you thinking about?” Ji Huan looked at Jiang Yubai and asked.

Jiang Yubai snapped back, quickly standing to reply, “Nothing. I’ll wash the bowl.”

She hurried to Ji Huan’s side, took the porcelain bowl from the bedside, and left the room quickly.

Ji Huan watched Jiang Yubai’s retreating figure and sighed lightly. It seemed Jiang Yubai had already lost all hope in the original owner.

The oil lamp in the room flickered. Shortly after it was lit, Liu Fengmei’s shrill voice came again. “Is the oil in that lamp free? You’ve had it on so long—blow it out! You think our money grows on trees?”

“Mother, Ji Huan was eating. I’ll go put out the lamp now.” Jiang Yubai’s voice remained calm, as if used to Liu Fengmei’s nitpicking.

“What are you standing there for? Go already! So unlucky…” Liu Fengmei’s grumbling continued even after Jiang Yubai returned to the room.

If Ji Huan could get up, she would have rushed out to shut that woman up.