Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Ji Huan brought Ji Ming to the room she shared with Jiang Yubai. Her previously listless expression had completely vanished. She leisurely sat on the bench in the room, glanced at Ji Ming, and sneered as she spoke: “Big brother, just say whatever you have to say.”

Ji Ming felt somewhat flustered by Ji Huan’s demeanor. Ji Huan’s current aggressive attitude hardly resembled his honest second sister.

He instinctively swallowed hard in fear. “Ji Huan, you, you…”

“Just say it quickly. I’m not as idle as you, big brother,” Ji Huan glanced at Ji Ming and sat upright as before.

“Second sister, this time, Mother and Father sent me to ask you to come back. Everyone knows you were wronged before, and it definitely won’t happen again. You can rest assured. You’re a filial daughter. Do you really want Mother and Father to come personally to invite you?” Ji Ming brought up filial piety again.

Ji Huan sneered and stared coldly at Ji Ming. “Ji Ming, it’s just the two of us here, so you don’t need to put on an act. Second sister? Have you ever treated me like a sister? More like your family’s old workhorse.”

Ji Ming’s face flushed red and then pale as Ji Huan’s words hit home. In his memory, Ji Huan was quiet and obedient, always working without complaint. When had she ever spoken so sarcastically?

“Ji Huan, you can’t say that. Mother and Father are doing this for your own good. It’s not right for you and Jiang Yubai to keep living in someone else’s house,” Ji Ming hurriedly explained.

Ji Huan nodded and said, “It’s not good, so I’ve already decided to take Jiang Yubai to beg for food in the village in a few days. There’s no work to do in winter, and our family doesn’t care if we live or die. We can only scrape by eating from others’ charity.”

“Ji Huan! You!” Ji Ming was so angered by Ji Huan that he couldn’t form a complete sentence. More importantly, Ji Ming felt that the Ji Huan before him wasn’t joking and might actually do such a thing. If that happened, the Ji family would truly be finished.

He took a few deep breaths, forced a smile, and persuaded, “Second sister, we’re all family. Why go to such extremes? Everything can be discussed. There’s no need to go begging.”

Ji Huan gave Ji Ming a bright smile. “Indeed, your family is so favored by Mother and Father, so you’d never need to beg. But Jiang Yubai and I are just the family’s workhorses. When we’re hungry with nothing to eat, we can only go beg. Don’t you think so?”

The veins on Ji Ming’s forehead twitched. He gritted his teeth and continued to persuade gently, “Second sister, there’s grain at home. You won’t go hungry. I promise you and Jiang Yubai will eat your fill every meal if you come back.”

Ji Huan smiled at Ji Ming. Ji Ming quickly returned a smile, but then Ji Huan’s expression turned cold. “You promise? Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to promise?”

Ji Huan continued with a cold face, “Let me tell you clearly today. If you want me and Jiang Yubai to come back, bring the two taels of silver from Jiang Yubai’s dowry and hand them to me. If you’re inviting someone, you can’t just rely on words. You need to show some sincerity.”

After speaking, Ji Huan walked to the door and opened it. “Please, big brother. Give me an answer soon, or who knows, I might go out with a bowl any day now.”

“You, Ji Huan! You can’t do this…” Ji Ming tried to say more, but Ji Huan pulled him out. Ji Ming stumbled and fell to the ground.

Their commotion caused quite a stir. Ji Huan hid the sharpness in her eyes and reverted to her frail appearance. Seeing everyone come out of the dining hall, she hurriedly went to help Ji Ming up.

Ji Ming was furious and instinctively pushed Ji Huan away. The next moment, Ji Huan fell to the ground, her eyes red as she looked at him, her voice trembling as if about to cry. “Big brother, do you hate me that much?”

Ji Ming looked at his hand. He had pushed, but he hadn’t even touched Ji Huan, had he? And wasn’t she just acting high and mighty in the room? What was this performance now?

Ji Ming opened his mouth to defend himself, but someone spoke before him.

“Ji Ming, you treat Ji Huan like this in my house? Is this your attitude for inviting someone? Go back and tell your mother and father that Ji Huan isn’t so easy to bully,” Second Aunt Feng Mei hurriedly said.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yubai had already helped Ji Huan up, worried about whether Ji Huan had fallen hard, her eyes also red.

When facing Jiang Yubai, Ji Huan blinked lightly, then quickly resumed her pitiful, injured appearance.

Ji Ming felt like he was swallowing bitter medicine. He pointed at Ji Huan and sighed heavily. “Suffer a loss? Since Ji Huan recovered from falling into the water, when has she ever suffered a loss?”

He could only turn to Second Aunt Feng Mei and say, “Second Aunt, it’s really not what you saw. Forget it, I’ll go back first.”

After speaking, Ji Ming gave Ji Huan a deep look. Ji Huan still had that listless appearance, as if the person who had been domineering in the room wasn’t her.

He had wasted half a jin of pork, and the task his parents gave him wasn’t accomplished. Ji Ming sighed heavily. Ji Huan was truly demanding, asking for two taels of silver right away. How could his parents bear to part with that?

Ji Ming returned to the Ji family dejectedly. As soon as he entered the dining hall, he saw the whole family there, clearly waiting for him.

Liu Fengmei stood up and looked into the courtyard. Seeing no one but Ji Ming, she asked in a panic, “Ji Ming, where are Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai?”

Ji Ming sighed and spoke listlessly, “Mother, Ji Huan isn’t so easy to talk to anymore. She’s really changed a lot. She said she doesn’t plan to come back or stay at Second Uncle’s house longer. In a few days, she’ll go beg in the village.”

“What?” Ji Mantun slammed his pipe on the table, chipping the wood. Ji Dong and Ji Xi were scared and started crying.

Ji Mantun was already frustrated, and seeing Ji Dong and Ji Xi cry, he glared at Li Yulan. “What are you standing there for? Hurry and take them back to soothe them! What a sin, truly a sin.”

Li Yulan saw Ji Mantun’s anger and, fearing he might hit the two boys, quickly pulled them out of the dining hall and back to the room to comfort them.

The dining hall quieted down. Ji Mantun looked at Ji Ming again and asked, “Is everything you said true? Did Ji Huan really say that?”

Ji Ming gritted his teeth and nodded. He looked up at Ji Mantun and said, “Father, I think Ji Huan is capable of doing this. She doesn’t care about the Ji family’s reputation anymore, not even her own.”

Ji Mantun sighed heavily, muttering incessantly, “The family doesn’t have much wealth to begin with. Ji Yuan needs money to study at the academy. If Ji Dong and Ji Xi go to study later, that’ll need money too. Ji Huan is tearing my heart out. What a sin, how did I end up with such an unfilial daughter?”

Hearing Ji Mantun, Ji Yuan grew anxious. Ji Huan might not care about her reputation, but he did. If his classmates found out his sister was forced to beg, he’d lose all face at the academy. “Father, if Ji Huan wants it, just give it to her. After all, it’s Jiang Yubai’s dowry. Returning it is reasonable.”

“What kind of talk is that? It’s all for your sake. Your tuition and daily expenses for studying in the county—do you think they come from the wind? I’m not saying I don’t have the two taels of silver, but I can’t set this precedent. Your second sister is just being stubborn. She’ll get over it. She won’t go begging with a bowl,” Ji Mantun said with a stern face.

But though he said this, Ji Mantun wasn’t confident. If Ji Huan really went crazy and did it, the Ji family would be ruined. He sighed and continued, “What an unfortunate family. Fine, I can’t give Ji Huan two taels of silver.”

Ji Mantun looked at Ji Sen with a cold face and ordered, “I have one tael of silver here. Take it to your sister. If I find out you kept it for yourself, I’ll break your legs. This time, you go deliver it to Ji Huan. Tell her the family really doesn’t have money. Give her this one tael first. The rest, your mother and I will save up and eventually return to her. We all take a step back, that’s all.”

Ji Sen’s eyes lit up at the sight of the one tael of silver. One tael could be exchanged for a thousand wen, enough for several gambling sessions. But seeing his father’s face, darker than the bottom of a pot, Ji Sen abandoned the idea of pocketing it. Instead, he had another plan.

Ji Sen quickly took the one tael of silver with a smile and said, “Father, don’t worry. I’ll definitely persuade Ji Huan well and try to bring her back later.”

“Go, and don’t lose the silver,” Ji Mantun reminded again.

“Don’t worry,” Ji Sen assured confidently, leaving in high spirits. He occasionally touched the one tael of silver in his pocket, itching with excitement. If Ji Huan didn’t take the silver, he could use it to gamble directly. Even if she did, he wasn’t worried. He could play the pity card, saying he owed gambling debts and the creditors would chop off his hand if he didn’t pay. Ji Huan was soft-hearted and would surely give him the silver. Then he could enjoy a few days out.

With his plan set, Ji Sen’s steps grew lighter, as if he could already feel the dice at the gambling table.

Meanwhile, Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai returned to their room. Ji Huan poured a cup of water to rest. Acting was truly exhausting. She felt that if she were still in her previous world, she could not only make Jianzhan pottery but also act in plays.

Jiang Yubai looked at Ji Huan with concern. “Sister, you’re not hurt, are you?”

Ji Huan smiled at her. “I’m fine. Ji Ming didn’t even push me earlier. I sat on the ground on purpose. He’s too inexperienced to play these tricks with me.”

“That’s good,” Jiang Yubai said, her worried heart finally easing, though her gaze toward Ji Huan was complex.

Ji Huan drank two more cups of water, feeling more comfortable. Just as she prepared to go to Second Uncle’s kitchen to find a broken bowl, someone came again.

“Ji Huan, someone from your family is here again. Ji Sen came and insisted on seeing you, saying he has something important to tell you,” Ji Wen’s voice called from outside.

“Alright, I’m coming out,” Ji Huan said, the corner of her mouth curling slightly. Another fish had taken the bait.