Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

In the end, Little White Rabbit ate three corn pancakes with pickled vegetables, while Ji Huan felt somewhat full after eating just one.

After dinner, Little White Rabbit, with a great appetite, drank a large cup of hot water. Ji Huan watched her and found her own Little White Rabbit increasingly adorable.

After the meal, Jiang Yubai took out clothes from the cupboard. Previously, Ji Huan did not talk to her or let her touch those clothes. Most of Ji Huan’s old clothes were worn out, so Jiang Yubai thought about mending them for her.

Jiang Yubai sat at the table mending clothes, while Ji Huan sat nearby watching her.

Little White Rabbit looked up several times and saw Ji Huan staring at her. Her face turned red, but fortunately, the room’s dim light hid it from Ji Huan. Eventually, Jiang Yubai could not bear being stared at anymore and spoke up: “Sister, why are you staring at me?”

“Nothing, I’m just looking at how well-behaved my Little White Rabbit is,” Ji Huan said, her eyes slightly curved, her arm propping up her chin as she continued looking at Little White Rabbit across from her.

Jiang Yubai felt so shy she didn’t know where to place her needle. She lowered her head and muttered softly: “Sister, I’m hungry. Can you heat up the porridge?”

“Okay, I’ll do as you say,” Ji Huan said with a smile, standing up. As she passed by Jiang Yubai, she gently ruffled the top of Little White Rabbit’s head.

Jiang Yubai, with her ears slightly red, watched Ji Huan’s back, her eyes full of smiles.

Ji Huan first lit the oil lamp in the kitchen, then took out a small pot from her space and set it aside. She lit a fire in a slightly smaller stove nearby, placed the pot on it, and slowly heated the rice and chicken porridge inside. Soon, Ji Huan smelled the aroma.

Taking advantage of the kitchen’s complete set of seasonings, Ji Huan added some pepper to flavor the porridge. Finally, she chopped a large handful of green onions, ready to add them when the porridge was done.

While waiting for the porridge, someone else entered the kitchen. It was Ji Ming. Ji Dong and Ji Xi hadn’t eaten enough at dinner because there were no side dishes, and now they were clamoring for food. Ji Ming had no choice but to get up and secretly cook some porridge for the kids. Then he saw Ji Huan in the kitchen.

Ji Huan only glanced at Ji Ming faintly, with no intention of greeting him.

Ji Ming, however, swallowed a few times at the aroma filling the room. He looked at Ji Huan’s expression, then at the chicken porridge simmering on the stove, and forced a smile. “Second Sister, where did you get this porridge? It smells really good.”

Ji Huan gave Ji Ming a cold look, with no intention of responding. She stirred the porridge in the pot with a spoon, sprinkled in the freshly chopped green onions, and carefully took the pot off the stove.

Ji Ming, still reluctant to give up on the chicken porridge, hadn’t eaten meat in days. In the past, when Ji Huan brought back game from the mountain, she always shared it with the family.

“Um, Ji Huan, you have so much chicken porridge, and you can’t possibly finish it all. Could you let me have a bowl? Your two little nephews didn’t eat enough at dinner and are making a fuss for more. If you give me a bowl, I won’t have to cook something else for them,” Ji Ming said, his face full of smiles, looking at Ji Huan expectantly.

Ji Huan turned to Ji Ming and gave him a smile. “You’re overthinking it. We can finish it. You’d better cook for your two precious sons yourself.”

With that, Ji Huan let out a cold哼, picked up the small pot with her right hand, grabbed two bowls and a spoon with her left, and left the kitchen.

The smile on Ji Ming’s face quickly faded. If Ji Mantun hadn’t repeatedly warned him, Ji Ming would have argued with Ji Huan right then.

He glared outside and cursed, “Pah, what kind of person are you? You and that jinx of a wife deserve to eat chicken porridge? What a waste of good food.”

After cursing, Ji Ming grumbled as he washed some rice and started cooking porridge for his two sons.

Ji Huan didn’t care about Ji Ming at all. She carried the steaming porridge back to the room. Jiang Yubai’s eyes lit up when she saw the porridge in Ji Huan’s hands. The corn pancakes from dinner were thin and not very filling, so Jiang Yubai was hungry again.

“Come eat. There’s plenty,” Ji Huan said, already scooping up the chicken porridge with a spoon. She handed Jiang Yubai a full bowl. With the added seasonings and green onions, the porridge’s aroma was even more enticing.

Jiang Yubai quickly took the porridge, sniffed it lightly with her nose, and said, “It smells so good.”

“If it smells good, eat more. If you can finish it, it’s best to eat it all. It won’t be fresh overnight,” Ji Huan said softly, scooping a bowl for herself.

“Okay, I can finish it,” Jiang Yubai replied, then started eating eagerly.

Seeing Little White Rabbit’s impatient look, Ji Huan’s eyes curved slightly. She took a sip herself. Because of the pepper, the porridge had a slight spiciness, which was just right for warding off the cold on a winter night. Combined with the fragrant green onions and tender chicken, Ji Huan’s appetite improved too, though compared to Little White Rabbit, she felt inferior.

She was full after one bowl, but Little White Rabbit drank up all the remaining chicken porridge in the pot. After finishing the last sip in her bowl, Little White Rabbit even looked into the pot longingly.

“If you like it, I’ll make it for you again next time,” Ji Huan said softly, looking at Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai nodded enthusiastically, then looked at Ji Huan and asked quietly, “Sister, do ghosts possessing people also need to eat?”

Ji Huan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at Little White Rabbit’s question. Did she really think Ji Huan was a ghost? She played along and said, “Yes, if I were in a spirit form, floating around, I wouldn’t need to eat. But when I possess someone, I’m almost like a human—I get hungry and tired too.”

Jiang Yubai’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded heavily, thinking her guess was pretty close.

“Sister, what’s your real name? You’re not Ji Huan,” Little White Rabbit asked next, without a trace of fear.

Ji Huan continued, “My name is also Ji Huan, the same as the original Ji Huan.”

Jiang Yubai nodded thoughtfully, then her eyes lit up. “I understand. It must be that you and Ji Huan have the same name. The original Ji Huan accidentally fell into the water and drowned, so you could possess her body. It’s all fated.”

Ji Huan looked at Little White Rabbit’s analysis helplessly and shook her head with a smile. Now Little White Rabbit was completely convinced she was a ghost. Ji Huan saw how certain she was and didn’t bother to explain. She’d wait until they split from the family to properly explain her origins to Jiang Yubai.

“Alright, I’ll go heat some water. Let’s rest early,” Ji Huan said softly.

“I’ll go too. I’ll help you carry the basin,” Jiang Yubai said, obediently picking up the basin and following Ji Huan.

Ji Huan found it curious. Little White Rabbit thought she was a ghost, yet she seemed even closer to her now? It didn’t make sense no matter how she thought about it.

They went to the kitchen, where Ji Huan lit a fire to heat water. Jiang Yubai washed the pot and bowls they had just used.

Soon, the water in the large pot boiled. Ji Huan poured some into the basin, mixed in some cold water, then put out the kitchen fire. She and Little White Rabbit returned to the room together.

Compared to the cheerful atmosphere with Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai, Ji Ming was feeling frustrated. Usually, when they secretly cooked plain porridge at night, Ji Ming found it delicious. But this time, after seeing the better chicken porridge, he looked at the bowl in front of him and sighed several times.

Li Yulan was happily eating with her two sons when she saw Ji Ming looking half-dead. She scolded, “What’s wrong with you today? You usually eat porridge like a starving wolf. Why are you eating so slowly today?”

Ji Ming sighed and said, “You didn’t see, but Ji Huan was cooking porridge in the kitchen too. She put chicken and green onions in hers, and the smell was amazing from far away. I saw she cooked a whole small pot and thought they couldn’t finish it, so I asked for a bowl. But she flat-out refused, took the pot, and left. Isn’t that infuriating?”

“Chicken? Where did she get it?” Li Yulan asked.

“Probably from the mountain. Mother collapsed on the mountain this afternoon, and everyone was in a panic. Who knows when she brought it back,” Ji Ming said, stirring the plain porridge in his bowl without appetite.

Even Ji Dong and Ji Xi stopped eating properly after hearing about the chicken.

Ji Xi ran over, hugged Ji Ming’s leg, and whined, “Daddy, I want meat too. I want to eat.”

“Daddy, tell Ji Huan to give us the chicken porridge. Grandma loves me and my brother the most. Tell Ji Huan that Grandma said to give it to us,” Ji Dong added, joining in.

Ji Ming looked at his two sons and sighed. “Ji Huan’s been acting strange lately. She doesn’t even listen to your grandma. You two be careful and don’t provoke Ji Huan, got it?”

Ji Xi pouted. Unable to get the food he wanted, he started crying. With a loud “wah,” Ji Xi and Ji Dong’s cries filled the room, so loud the entire courtyard could hear.

Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai had just finished washing up. Ji Huan carried the basin to the courtyard to dump the water. When she returned, she saw Jiang Yubai standing at the door, looking out.

“Sister, why are Ji Dong and Ji Xi crying so loudly?” Jiang Yubai asked curiously, glancing toward Ji Ming’s room.

“Don’t mind them. Let them do what they want. Let’s rest early,” Ji Huan said, entering the room. Jiang Yubai obediently closed the door.

Ji Huan tidied up a bit, took off her patched outer dress, and got into bed. Seeing Ji Huan get ready to sleep, Little White Rabbit hurriedly followed, eagerly snuggling up to Ji Huan, her eyes shining as she looked at her.

Ji Huan, amused, pulled Little White Rabbit into her arms. Before, Little White Rabbit wasn’t this clingy, but after thinking Ji Huan was a “ghost,” she became more proactive. Ji Huan helplessly ruffled the top of Little White Rabbit’s head.

Jiang Yubai nestled in Ji Huan’s arms, rubbing against her, impossibly obedient.

The children’s crying continued in the courtyard. Liu Fengmei’s health had mostly recovered. Her collapse on the mountain that afternoon was purely from hunger, and she had already recovered. Hearing her grandsons’ cries, Liu Fengmei couldn’t sit still.

“Dear, what’s wrong with Ji Dong and Ji Xi? I can’t just sit here. I need to check on them,” Liu Fengmei said, about to get up.

“Did you forget what Old Third told you? You’re a patient these days. You’re not going anywhere,” Ji Mantun said. Worried about his grandsons, he added, “I’ll go check.”

“Alright, find out what’s going on. What a sin, such bad luck,” Liu Fengmei sighed.

“Got it,” Ji Mantun replied, putting on his coat and heading out.

When he reached Ji Ming’s room, the two kids were still crying for meat.

Seeing Ji Mantun, Ji Dong threw himself at him, crying, “Grandpa, Ji Huan has chicken to eat but won’t give any to me and my brother.”

“Grandpa, I want meat! I want meat!” Ji Xi cried and shouted.

Ji Mantun glared at Ji Ming. “What’s going on?”

“Father, Ji Huan somehow brought back a lot of chicken from the mountain. She just cooked chicken porridge. I thought of asking for some for the kids, but she wouldn’t give any. The kids found out and started making a fuss,” Ji Ming explained.

Ji Mantun pointed at Ji Ming, frustrated. “I told you all to behave these days and not provoke Ji Huan. Once we get those four taels of silver back, I’ll let you eat meat until you’re full. Now, hurry up and calm the kids down. No more crying and shouting late at night.”

“Got it, Father,” Ji Ming muttered.

“Father, how long do we have to put up with Ji Huan? Now she and her wife don’t have to do any work,” Li Yulan grumbled, dissatisfied.

Ji Mantun pointed at Li Yulan. “You behave too. Ji Dong and Ji Xi are my grandsons, sure, but in the village, it doesn’t matter much whether they study or not. If you want them to study like Old Third, you’d better stay quiet for now. Otherwise, your mother and I won’t pay for Ji Dong and Ji Xi’s schooling.”

After speaking, Ji Mantun left Ji Ming’s room. Li Yulan, hearing his words, quickly went to soothe the two children.

The next day, Ji Huan woke briefly to the sound of roosters but ignored it, continuing to sleep while holding the warm and soft Jiang Yubai in her arms. Jiang Yubai, used to waking early, couldn’t sleep but didn’t get up. She nestled obediently in Ji Huan’s arms, watching her.

Last night was probably the happiest night she’d ever had. Knowing Ji Huan was a ghost and couldn’t be affected by her, Jiang Yubai felt completely at ease. She stared at Ji Huan’s lips for a while, her ears slightly red, then shyly looked away. Her mind raced with shy thoughts, wondering if her sister, possessing someone else, could consummate their marriage—or if her spirit form could.

The more Jiang Yubai thought, the shyer she became, burying herself entirely in Ji Huan’s arms. She’d never imagined she’d look forward to such things.

Outside, daylight was bright, and the sounds of Li Yulan and Ji Ming arguing came through. Since Ji Mantun had declared Ji Huan didn’t need to work these days, the other families handled all the chores together. Even Ji Yuan, usually the most pampered, took on the task of chopping firewood on the mountain.

Hearing the chaos outside, Ji Huan tightened her hold on Little White Rabbit in her arms. After a while, she reluctantly opened her eyes and saw Little White Rabbit already smiling at her.

Ji Huan ruffled Jiang Yubai’s head. Just waking up, her voice was even softer than usual. “Been awake long?”

Jiang Yubai nestled obediently in Ji Huan’s arms, her ears slightly red. “Not too long. I wanted to wait for you.”

“好, then let’s get up,” Ji Huan said, patting Jiang Yubai’s back to signal her to get out of her arms.

Jiang Yubai’s lips, which had been raised, drooped slightly, looking reluctant to get up.

Seeing Little White Rabbit’s clingy demeanor, Ji Huan’s eyes curved. “If you want to cuddle more, we can, but if we get up late, there won’t be any breakfast left.”

Hearing there might be no food, Jiang Yubai got up from Ji Huan quickly. Food was still a priority.

Ji Huan glanced at Little White Rabbit and shook her head with a smile. She got up, went outside to fetch water for washing, and saw Li Yulan carrying food to Liu Fengmei. Li Yulan gave Ji Huan a cold哼 and ignored her.

Ji Huan didn’t bother with her either, fetched water, returned to the room to wash, and then took Jiang Yubai to the kitchen.

Breakfast was snow vegetable noodle soup. Ji Huan looked at the broth in the pot and instantly lost her appetite. Snow vegetables were already salty, and without some meat, it wouldn’t taste good. But at this point, there was no room for pickiness—filling the stomach was enough.

Ji Huan scooped a full bowl for Jiang Yubai and handed it to Little White Rabbit, who was staring at the pot. “Here, careful, it’s hot. Take chopsticks and go wait for me.”

“Okay,” Little White Rabbit said obediently, carrying the bowl and taking chopsticks back to the room.

Ji Huan then scooped noodles for herself, but not too much since she didn’t eat much in the morning. Too much would be wasteful.

As she scooped, Ji Yuan came to get breakfast. Seeing Ji Huan, he started observing her expression. Seeing her face was normal, he said, “Second Sister, Mother’s still weak. She mentioned you yesterday, saying she misses you. If you’re free later, why don’t you go see her?”

Ji Huan’s calm face curved into a smile. She looked at Ji Yuan with a half-smile and said lightly, “She wants me to work, doesn’t she? Old Third, don’t play smart with me. Instead of scheming against me, spend that effort studying. Look at you—after all these years, you haven’t even passed the scholar exam. I’m embarrassed for you.”

Ji Yuan was so angry he nearly cursed but clenched his fists, thinking of the four taels of silver, and held back. “Second Sister’s right. I’ll study harder in the future.”

Ji Huan, hearing him not retort, glanced at him again. Not fighting back? That was even more suspicious. The Ji family was definitely plotting something against her.

Ji Huan ignored Ji Yuan, carried her bowl, and left. Ji Yuan watched her back, feeling she was tricky. He wanted to use Liu Fengmei’s illness to trick her out of the four taels of silver, but Ji Huan wasn’t taking the bait and wouldn’t even visit Liu Fengmei. This was troublesome.

Ji Yuan scooped a bowl of noodles and took it to Liu Fengmei’s room.

Ji Huan didn’t take it seriously and returned to eat breakfast happily with Little White Rabbit.

While eating, she thought about splitting the family. She’d laid enough groundwork. With the Ji family’s repeated actions, even if they didn’t do anything later, people would assume they did. But she still needed a key opportunity to push the Ji family to do something more outrageous. That way, splitting the family would be justified, and she wouldn’t bear any bad reputation.

Thinking this, Ji Huan’s lips curved slightly, already forming a plan in her mind.

“Sister, what are you smiling about?” Little White Rabbit asked after swallowing her noodles.

“Nothing. You’ll know when the time comes,” Ji Huan said, continuing to eat without elaborating.

After breakfast, with rare free time, Ji Huan planned to take Little White Rabbit for a walk in the village. As they prepared to leave, they heard noise in the courtyard.

Ji Huan winked at Jiang Yubai, signaling her not to open the door. They stood by the door, listening to the commotion outside.

“Mother, your health needs nourishing tonics. Even if I have to borrow, I’ll get those things for you,” Ji Ming said first.

Then Liu Fengmei’s voice followed. “Eldest, I’m useless now. Why spend that money on me? Listen, none of you are allowed to go, and you’re not allowed to borrow money.”

“Mother, Eldest Brother’s right. If you’re sick, we need to treat it. I’d sell my books to get you treatment,” Ji Yuan’s voice added.

Then came Li Yulan’s voice. “Mother, I remember Ji Huan has four taels of silver, right? Let’s borrow it for now and pay her back when we have the money.”

Liu Fengmei immediately cut off Li Yulan. “Quiet! How can we use Ji Huan’s silver? Two taels of that four are Jiang Yubai’s dowry, and the other two are to make up for what we owe Ji Huan over the years. How could I ask Ji Huan for it?”

“Mother, Second Sister is filial. She’d definitely agree. We’re borrowing, not taking,” Ji Yuan continued.

“No, no, that won’t do. Just let this old woman die on her own. Don’t worry about me,” Liu Fengmei said, her voice breaking into sobs.

The more Ji Huan listened, the wider her smile grew. Eventually, she moved a bench from the table and gestured for Little White Rabbit to sit and listen with her.

Since coming to this world, Ji Huan hadn’t seen any entertainment. Now, these people outside were putting on a free show for her. How could she not enjoy it? If only she had some melon seeds, she’d be even happier.

The people outside kept repeating themselves. After a while, Ji Huan keenly noticed that Ji Sen and his wife, Wang Xiuxiu, hadn’t said a word. Her smile grew. It seemed they were scared after she’d beaten them last time. These people bullied the weak and feared the strong. They said violence wasn’t good, but most of the time, it was the most effective method.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. Ji Huan is filial, but you can’t force her,” Liu Fengmei cried even harder.

“Mother, how can you stop Second Sister from being filial? Everyone in the village knows how filial she is. She wouldn’t bear to see you suffer,” Ji Yuan continued.

Liu Fengmei, sitting on the ground, felt cold. She gave Ji Yuan and the others a look. They’d been acting for so long, but there was no movement from Ji Huan’s room?

Ji Yuan waved at Liu Fengmei, signaling her not to act rashly, and continued, “The ancients said, ‘Of all virtues, filial piety is first.’ Second Sister is so filial. If you don’t use these four taels to treat your illness, you’re putting Second Sister in an unfilial position.”

Ji Huan’s face turned cold. Ji Yuan was full of cunning, putting such a big label on her. Fortunately, she’d already done well with public opinion. She didn’t even bother pretending with the Ji family anymore.

Ji Huan stood up coldly. Seeing her rise, Jiang Yubai quickly moved the bench back. Ji Huan pushed open the door without warning, startling the people standing outside.