Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

In the dining room, the other two families also came over, drawn by the aroma of the food. Ji Mantun sat in the main seat, noticed Ji Huan’s absence, and asked, “Where is Ji Huan?”

“Don’t bother about her. She’s really been bewitched by that vixen now. I just asked Jiang Yubai to help serve the meal, and what happened? She made a big fuss with me over Jiang Yubai. Let them eat or not as they please,” Liu Fengmei said discontentedly.

Ji Mantun sighed and said, “You too. She just came back. You should treat her better. Ji Huan is angry right now. She yields to kindness, not force. If you keep clashing with her now, what good will come of it? It’s better to be kind to her for a few days and coax her to take up the household chores again.”

“Yes, Mother, Father is right. Ji Huan was so filial before. As long as you and Father show her a little kindness this time, she’ll surely be the Ji Huan who willingly works for the family again,” Ji Ming hurriedly said. He didn’t want to deal with those tiresome household tasks.

“You’re dreaming. Ji Huan has already changed. She’s not the same as before. She even raised her hand against me,” Ji Sen muttered softly. He had no intention of openly challenging Ji Huan anymore. He truly couldn’t beat her.

“Can you compare to Father and Mother? Ji Huan is a famously filial daughter. She may not care about you, her younger brother, but she can’t possibly disregard Father and Mother. Don’t be fooled by Ji Huan’s cold exterior, acting like nothing’s wrong. Deep down, she’s surely upset. Maybe she’s crying secretly in her room right now,” Ji Ming continued.

Ji Yuan nodded in agreement and advised, “Mother, it’s true. For the next few days, everyone should be polite to Ji Huan. We don’t need to demand those four taels of silver back from her directly. I have my own way to make Ji Huan obediently return the money. But the condition is that no one should clash with Ji Huan during these days.”

Seeing both the eldest and the third son say this, Liu Fengmei sighed and nodded slightly, “Since you all say so, I’ll listen to you. It’s just that I get angry every time I see that little wretch. Oh, my chest still hurts.”

“Mother, a small sacrifice prevents a bigger loss. As long as we coax Ji Huan back to how she was before, if you don’t like Jiang Yubai, you can just have Ji Huan divorce her later,” Ji Yuan advised further.

Liu Fengmei smoothed her chest to calm herself and said, “Fine, Mother will listen to you. Once Ji Huan returns to her old self, the first thing I’ll do is make her divorce that little wretch, Jiang Yubai.”

“Alright, let’s eat. Later, send some of our leftover dishes to Ji Huan and the others, along with two coarse grain buns. That’s enough to show we’ve done our part,” Ji Mantun said, tapping his chopsticks.

Ji Sen pursed his lips, thinking the family’s wishful plan might fail this time. The day Ji Huan hit him, she genuinely seemed ready to kill him.

After saying this, the whole family began eating. Perhaps because they had been beaten earlier, Ji Dong and Ji Xi were especially well-behaved. Only when Ji Mantun spoke did they start wolfing down their food.

The entire family seemed to relax again, thanks to their scheming against Ji Huan.

Ji Ming ate two coarse grain buns but still felt hungry. He said, “Mother, is there more in the pot? I want another one.”

“I want one too. Get me one,” Ji Sen quickly chimed in.

Liu Fengmei glared at her two sons and said, “Go get them. There should be four left in the pot. Leave two for Ji Huan and the others, and you two can split the rest. You’re nowhere to be found when there’s work, but you eat more than anyone at mealtime.”

Ji Ming grinned at Liu Fengmei and said playfully, “Isn’t it because Mother’s buns are so delicious?”

Liu Fengmei smiled and glared at Ji Ming. He was her eldest son, after all. How could she bear to let him go hungry?

Ji Ming left the dining room with a smile, heading quickly to the kitchen. As he walked, he thought, no matter how much Ji Huan makes a fuss, what’s the use? In the end, doesn’t she still have to come back and eat their leftovers? An old ox should stay an old ox forever and not have other ideas.

Thinking this, Ji Ming stepped over the threshold. He walked to the steamer, lifted the heavy lid, and saw nothing inside except the grate and hot water below. The pot was completely empty.

Ji Ming grew unhappy and hurried back toward the dining room. Before he even reached it, he started complaining, “Mother, where are the extra buns in the kitchen? Even the pot with the stewed vegetables is empty, not a drop of broth left.”

“It must be Ji Huan again. She used to eat just one bun per meal, and Jiang Yubai even less, as long as she didn’t starve. Now, the two of them eat four buns in one meal. They’re sucking my bl00d!” Liu Fengmei’s tone turned sharp and piercing as she spoke.

Ji Mantun knocked on the table and said, “Have you forgotten what we just discussed? It’s just two extra buns per meal. Let Ji Huan work twice as hard to make up for it later. Besides, we still need to get those four taels of silver back. Don’t trouble Ji Huan now. If they ate, they ate. Just prepare more food this afternoon. The family isn’t so poor we can’t afford it.”

“I’m so angry,” Liu Fengmei said, feeling that Ji Huan and the others eating more was like wasting food.

“Don’t be angry. Think about those four taels of silver. Ji Yuan needs them for his studies. Just bear it for a few days,” Ji Mantun sighed and said.

Meanwhile, Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai were eating happily. Ji Huan’s appetite was average; one bun was plenty for her. Then she noticed Little White Rabbit across from her, who had already eaten two buns.

As Little White Rabbit reached for a third, she saw Ji Huan looking at her. Her face reddened with embarrassment, and she explained, “Sister, do you think I’m eating too much?”

Ji Huan’s eyes curved slightly, and she said softly, “No, eating enough is good for your health. Besides, three buns aren’t many.”

Hearing Ji Huan say this, Jiang Yubai’s lips curved into a smile, and she happily continued eating.

Ji Huan pushed the vegetable bowl toward Jiang Yubai, letting her eat it with the stewed vegetables. Ji Huan herself watched the little rabbit eating heartily in front of her.

Ji Huan recalled how, when they hugged, Little White Rabbit’s waist was slim, and her legs weren’t thick. But when they slept together, Little White Rabbit’s chest seemed quite substantial, with her curves in all the right places.

Ji Huan chuckled softly and shook her head. Seeing Little White Rabbit had already eaten half a bun and was eating so eagerly, Ji Huan’s mood brightened too.

The Ji family wouldn’t stay quiet forever. She and Jiang Yubai needed to stay ready to face them.

After the meal, Ji Huan checked the new window paper pasted on the window frame. She applied more paste to a few slightly loose spots, then felt relieved.

In the afternoon, it suddenly started snowing heavily outside. That morning, Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai had patched the holes in the room and replaced the window paper, so the room was much warmer, though still quite cold.

Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai nestled in the blankets. Thinking about how Ji Huan hadn’t hugged her to sleep the previous night, Jiang Yubai’s fingertips curled together. She looked up at Ji Huan, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Seeing Little White Rabbit’s hesitation, Ji Huan smiled and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you still feeling cold?”

Jiang Yubai’s ears reddened, and she nodded slightly, still looking at Ji Huan.

Ji Huan smiled gently and said softly, “Do you want to sleep hugged together?”

Jiang Yubai quickly nodded and said, “Yes.”

After saying it, she realized she’d answered too eagerly. She pulled the blanket up, burying her face in it, leaving only her doe-like eyes staring at Ji Huan.

Ji Huan found Little White Rabbit’s reaction adorable. She moved closer, reached out, and pulled her into an embrace.

Jiang Yubai buried her face in Ji Huan’s neck, not daring to look at her, pretending she was already asleep.

Ji Huan looked at the little rabbit in her arms, who didn’t dare lift her face. Her eyes curved, and she said, “What’s this? Already asleep? Why aren’t you talking?”

“Sister, I’m sleepy,” Jiang Yubai said shyly, nestled in Ji Huan’s arms.

“Alright, let’s sleep early then. I won’t tease you,” Ji Huan said, pulling the little rabbit closer and tugging the blanket up to keep them warmer.

With the warm little rabbit in her arms, Ji Huan slept deeply. When she woke, it was almost dark.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at Jiang Yubai in her arms. Seeing Jiang Yubai seemed to have been awake for a while, she asked, “Awake already?”

“No, I just woke up too,” Little White Rabbit said in a soft, almost coquettish voice, which put Ji Huan in a great mood.

“Good, let’s stay in bed a bit longer. It’s almost time to eat.”

It was chilly outside the blankets, and Ji Huan didn’t want to get up. After lingering in bed a while longer, Ji Huan got up, dressed in her skirt, and prepared to go to the kitchen to spar with Liu Fengmei.

Dinner was corn pancakes with stir-fried cabbage. Ji Huan braved the snow to go to the kitchen. Seeing only Liu Fengmei there, she couldn’t help but sigh. How much did they treasure Ji Yuan? They wouldn’t let him do anything. Her parents’ favoritism was clear.

Seeing Ji Huan, Liu Fengmei forced a smile and said, “You’re here? The meal’s almost ready. Call them out to eat.”

Ji Huan didn’t move. Instead, she took a few porcelain bowls from the simple wooden rack, grabbed four corn pancakes for herself and Jiang Yubai, and filled a bowl with stir-fried vegetables. She placed the bowls and chopsticks on a simple wooden tray, smiled at Liu Fengmei, and said, “Mother, you all go eat in the dining room. Yubai and I won’t join you.”

With that, Ji Huan carried the tray back to her room. Liu Fengmei gritted her teeth but held back.

Before Ji Huan even entered her room, she heard Liu Fengmei shouting from the kitchen, “All of you acting like lords! I have to call you to eat. Eat or don’t eat!”

As soon as she spoke, the doors of the eldest, third, and fourth sons opened one after another. Ji Ming and Ji Sen headed straight to the dining room, while Ji Yuan went to the kitchen to help serve the meal.

As Ji Huan entered, she saw Little White Rabbit’s eyes sparkling as she looked at her. Ji Huan smiled and said, “Dinner is corn pancakes. I got you three. Eat up.”

Jiang Yubai’s cheeks flushed. It seemed her sister had noticed her big appetite, but being able to eat her fill made Jiang Yubai very happy.

The next morning, the snow in the courtyard had frozen in some places because no one had cleared it. Ji Sen and Wang Xiuxiu reluctantly got up to make breakfast. The household water tank was empty, and in this weather, fetching water was so cold it felt deadly.

Ji Sen had just pulled the wooden cart into the courtyard when he slipped and fell, crying out in pain, “It hurts so much! Is anyone going to help me? Oh, I’ve hurt my back!”

Wang Xiuxiu rushed out from the kitchen, saw Ji Sen fall, and tried to help him up. But Ji Sen didn’t get up, instead rolling on the ground.

Hearing the commotion, Liu Fengmei and Ji Mantun hurried out. Seeing their son had fallen, Liu Fengmei anxiously went to help him and said, “What happened? Where are you hurt? You mustn’t be badly injured!”

“It feels like I hurt my back. It’s too painful. Mother, I probably can’t fetch water today,” Ji Sen said, looking unable to get up.

Ji Mantun sighed and said, “Let the eldest go. I’ll call him out.”

While they were talking, Ji Ming and Li Yulan had been eavesdropping at their door. Hearing Ji Mantun was about to call him to fetch water, Ji Ming quickly grabbed a cloth used for washing his face and covered his mouth and nose.

Ji Mantun knocked twice on the door and saw Ji Ming coughing with Industrious cloth over his mouth and nose. Before Ji Mantun could speak, Ji Ming said, “Father, I caught a cold today. I’m afraid I can’t help Fourth Brother. It’s too cold outside.”

Ji Mantun’s face grew stern and he said, “He’s sick, and you’re sick too? Why are you all so troublesome? When Ji Huan did the work, why didn’t she have so many issues?”

Ji Ming coughed a few times and said, “Father, Ji Huan’s strong. How can we compare to her? If it’s not possible, let Ji Huan do it.”

Ji Mantun hit a dead end. Seeing the eldest truly looked unwell, he glanced at the third son’s room. But remembering Ji Yuan nearly fell into the water yesterday, Ji Mantun dismissed the idea.

In this weather, even he didn’t want to fetch water, let alone his sons. Sighing, Ji Mantun looked toward Ji Huan’s room. Yesterday, the third son said they should be kinder to Ji Huan. This time, he didn’t plan to force her with a harsh attitude but wanted to play the emotional card. After all, Ji Huan was filial. She surely couldn’t bear to let her father fetch water.

Soon, Ji Mantun walked to Ji Huan’s door and knocked a few times. Ji Huan opened the door.