Transmigrated Into an Ancient Filial Piety Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (GL) - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Looking at the villagers in front of her, Ji Huan felt warmth in her heart again. The Ji family was cold and heartless, but the villagers were so kind. Ji Huan smiled and thanked them one by one, “Thank you all. If I need help, I won’t be shy to ask.”

“Great, Ji Huan, don’t forget me when you build your house. I’m pretty handy,” Er Zhuzi said, patting Ji Huan’s shoulder.

“And us too,” Ji Wen and Ji Fu added, offering to help.

“Good. Once the house is built, I’ll treat everyone to a big meal,” Ji Huan said with a smile.

The Ji family watched the villagers chat warmly with Ji Huan and her group, grinding their teeth in frustration.

Since it was the busy farming season, after Ji Huan’s family split was confirmed, most villagers left. The village head also went back to handle other matters. Soon after, Zhou Xiaochun arrived with a donkey cart.

Ji Huan and her group were moving their things onto a table in the yard, preparing to stay temporarily in the rundown house in the north that the village head mentioned. The Ji family watched Ji Huan from a distance, worried she might take something else from them.

Seeing Ji Huan and her group busy, Zhou Xiaochun smiled and said, “I brought the donkey cart to help you move.”

“Thanks, Xiaochun. I’ll definitely treat you and Er Zhuzi to a good meal later,” Ji Huan said, accepting the help since she really needed the cart.

“Alright. Anything else you need to take? I’ll help you move it,” Zhou Xiaochun said, assisting Ji Huan and her group to load their belongings onto the cart.

Though they didn’t have much, the tattered clothes and old bedding needed to be taken. They would make do in the rundown house for now. Once they moved to a new home, Ji Huan planned to replace everything.

Soon, they finished packing. Except for fragile items like bowls and plates, which Ji Huan carried, everything else fit on the donkey cart and was taken away.

After Ji Huan and her group left, Ji Mantun snorted coldly, looking outside the yard and locking the gate. “Remember, those three are no longer part of our Ji family. Even if they starve at our doorstep, don’t help them.”

With that, Ji Mantun stormed back into the house, and Liu Fengmei quickly followed.

Ji Ming and Ji Sen exchanged a glance and returned to their rooms. As for Ji Yuan, Liu Fengmei had already helped him inside earlier.

The donkey cart soon reached the abandoned house in the north of the village. The house was surrounded by a half-person-high fence of branches, allowing a view of the inside.

The yard was full of dry, yellow weeds, giving it a dilapidated feel. But Ji Huan felt relieved. Living here was much freer than staying with the Ji family. She now had proof that they had split from the Ji family. Once the new house was built, she could start her business.

With that in mind, Ji Huan moved the yard’s gate fence aside and smiled. “I’ll clear a path first.”

“We’ll go fetch water,” Ji Qiao said, tugging at Jiang Yubai’s sleeve.

Seeing the state of the place, it wasn’t clean, so they decided to fetch water to start cleaning.

“Okay,” Ji Huan said with a smile.

“I’ll help you,” Zhou Xiaochun said, unable to stay idle.

“No need. Just leave the stuff at the door. You’ve already helped so much today. Go home and rest,” Ji Huan said. The three pages of documents were written by Zhou Xiaochun, so how could she let her keep helping?

“It’s fine. There’s not much to do at home today. I’ll stay and help,” Zhou Xiaochun insisted.

In the end, Ji Huan couldn’t refuse Zhou Xiaochun. Together, they cleared a small path through the weed-filled yard.

The house had four rooms, but since Ji Huan and her group didn’t plan to stay long, they only cleaned two rooms facing the sun.

Ji Huan pushed open one of the doors, and dust rushed out from the gap. The room was dirty, and part of the roof even had a hole.

Seeing the hole wasn’t too big, Ji Huan felt relieved. The bed was made of stacked stones and looked sturdy, though the old straw mat on it was dirty. In the middle of the room was a wooden table with two long benches, all covered in dust. One wall had a doorless wardrobe leaning against it.

Seeing how rundown the place was, Zhou Xiaochun quickly said, “Ji Huan, you shouldn’t stay here. I didn’t realize it was this bad. My father said if it’s too rundown, you can stay at our house. We have a few empty rooms. You can move out once your new house is built. The roof here has a hole. How can you live here?”

Ji Huan smiled at Zhou Xiaochun and said, “I think it’s fine. There’s a table, chairs, and a bed. It’s just a bit old. We’ll clean it up and it’ll be livable. No need to bother your family. Thank the village head for me.”

“Come on, Ji Huan, don’t be stubborn. This place really won’t do. Come with me,” Zhou Xiaochun said, still not wanting Ji Huan and her group to stay.

“No, really, it’s fine. It’s a good place to take shelter. Plus, I checked, and there’s a lot of open space nearby. I want to build my new house around here, so staying here is convenient,” Ji Huan explained.

“You’re really not coming with me?” Zhou Xiaochun asked again.

“No, I’m not just being polite. I really plan to build a house nearby. Can you help me borrow a ladder? I’ll cover the roof with some grass to block the wind,” Ji Huan said.

Zhou Xiaochun looked at Ji Huan’s smiling face and the rundown house, not understanding how Ji Huan could smile. But seeing her determination, Zhou Xiaochun stopped persuading and went to borrow a ladder.

Ji Qiao and Jiang Yubai walked to the river together. Ji Qiao noticed Jiang Yubai seemed distracted and asked, “Yubai, what’s wrong today? Were you scared by what happened earlier?”

Jiang Yubai, holding a basin, shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

Seeing she didn’t want to talk, Ji Qiao quietly stopped asking. She was thrilled to leave the Ji family. No matter how tough the days ahead might be, Ji Qiao felt she finally had hope.

The two returned with basins of water to their new home in the north. Ji Huan was climbing a ladder, patching the roof’s hole with grass, while Zhou Xiaochun held the ladder below.

Jiang Yubai and Ji Qiao brought the basins inside and cut up some old clothes to start wiping down the rooms.

The house, uninhabited for years, was full of dust. After a short while of cleaning, the clear water in the basins turned black.

When Er Zhuzi heard Ji Huan and her group were there, he brought a few friends to help. Some fetched water from the river, while others helped clear the yard’s weeds. Everyone worked enthusiastically.

Ji Huan patched the roof’s gaps with grass and came down to help clean.

Zhou Xiaochun sprinkled water in the room to reduce the dust, then swept out the dirt with a broom.

With so many helpers, the messy yard became much cleaner. The furniture, after several rounds of wiping, was clean enough to live in temporarily.

After helping, Zhou Xiaochun and the others left early, leaving only Ji Huan, Ji Qiao, and Jiang Yubai in the small yard.

“Tomorrow, I’ll borrow a donkey cart to get some bricks and wood. Then I’ll find workers to help build the new house,” Ji Huan said. Repairing this yard would take effort, and everything was old. It was better to build anew.

Leaving the Ji family made Ji Qiao happy, and a rare smile appeared on her face.

Ji Huan remembered something and went into the room. From her space, she took out Ji Qiao’s thirty taels of silver, the eight taels from the family split, and the deeds for five mu of land, then walked back out.

“Ji Qiao, these are yours. Now that we’ve moved out, keep them safe,” Ji Huan said, handing over the items.

Ji Qiao stepped back, waving her hands. “I don’t want these, sister. I’m already happy to be out of the Ji family. We need money for a lot of things now. You keep them. You don’t need to give them to me.”

Ji Huan thought about it and agreed. They needed money for the house and yard, but not this much. She could hold onto the rest for Ji Qiao.

“Alright, I’ll keep them for now. As for the land we got, I plan to sell it all,” Ji Huan said.

“Sister, if we sell the land, what will we eat or drink?” Ji Qiao asked, worried about their future.

“I’ve found a way to earn money, but it’s not convenient to start now. Once the new house is built, we can begin. The land won’t earn much, and it’s next to the Ji family’s fields. To avoid trouble later, it’s better to sell it now,” Ji Huan explained.

Ji Qiao nodded, her tone light. “I’ll listen to you, sister!”

With her sister, she no longer felt alone. Whatever her sister said or did, she would follow obediently.

“Good, then I’ll decide. Tomorrow, I’ll sell the land,” Ji Huan said with a smile. While Ji Huan and Ji Qiao were relaxed, Jiang Yubai seemed weighed down by thoughts, standing aside lost in her own mind.

Ji Huan told Ji Qiao to tidy the bedding and walked to Jiang Yubai, softly asking, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you always want to leave the Ji family? Why are you so down now that we have?”

Jiang Yubai looked up at Ji Huan, thought for a moment, and asked, “Sister, so you’re really not a ghost?”

Ji Huan nodded, organizing her thoughts to explain to Little White Rabbit. “Here’s the thing. I’m not really from this world. I came from another parallel world. This body isn’t the original Ji Huan’s—it’s my own. Look, I have a scar on my wrist, so I tattooed a rose over it. You haven’t heard of people here getting tattoos like this, right?”

Ji Huan pulled up her right sleeve, showing the rose on her inner wrist. The vivid red rose was wrapped in winding green leaves, looking lifelike.

Jiang Yubai was stunned by Ji Huan’s words. “Another world?”

Ji Huan nodded. “Yes, a completely different world. But I’m definitely human, no doubt about it. See, I have a shadow and body warmth. I’m not a ghost, nor the old Ji Huan.”

“Will you go back?” Jiang Yubai asked quickly, her voice panicked, her eyes turning red.

“No, I won’t go back. That world no longer has me. I’ll stay here with you. I’m no different from you all,” Ji Huan said. She couldn’t explain fully without saying she died in that world, which might make Little White Rabbit think she was a ghost.

Jiang Yubai nodded, relieved but uneasy. If her sister was human, their recent closeness felt too intimate. Jiang Yubai worried it might harm Ji Huan, her heart filled with anxiety.

Once a thorn lodges in someone’s heart, it’s hard to remove. Even if Jiang Yubai didn’t believe she jinxed others, her mother’s death, Zhang Tiehu’s death, and the constant talk from family and villagers made her doubt herself. Especially since Ji Huan was someone she cared about, she didn’t want anything to happen to her.

Seeing Little White Rabbit still upset after her explanation, Ji Huan stepped closer, wanting to hug her to cheer her up. But Little White Rabbit quietly stepped back.

Ji Huan froze, softening her voice. “Did my background scare you? Don’t worry, no matter where I’m from, I’ll stay here with you. Don’t be afraid.”

Jiang Yubai looked at Ji Huan, her hands clenched tightly. “I’m not afraid.”

She didn’t say more, changing the topic. “Sister, we don’t have rice or flour. Let’s buy some before it gets dark. I’ll get Ji Qiao.”

Without waiting for Ji Huan’s reply, Jiang Yubai hurried to Ji Qiao’s room.

Ji Huan stood there, watching Little White Rabbit flee, confused. Everything was fine before—why had her attitude changed so suddenly?

Ji Huan sighed in the yard, waiting for Jiang Yubai and Ji Qiao to go shopping.

The three went to the village’s general store, buying rice, flour, seasonings, and some vegetables. The vegetables were fresh and cheap in the village, which Ji Huan was pleased about.

The store owner, knowing their situation, saw they bought a lot and had his son deliver the goods with a donkey cart, saving Ji Huan and her group some effort.

Back at the yard, Ji Huan saw the stove was still usable and decided to make do with it for now. Since they were building a new house, there was no need to build a new stove here.

“Let’s clean the yard’s stove. We’ll cook here from now on,” Ji Huan said.

“Okay, I’ll do it. Sister, you and Yubai go unpack. It’s getting dark,” Ji Qiao said, already heading to clean the stove.

The stove was dusty, with weeds growing inside from long disuse. Ji Qiao worked with enthusiasm, feeling alive again after leaving the Ji family.

Ji Huan and Jiang Yubai exchanged a glance. Ji Huan was about to speak when Jiang Yubai darted back to the room to start unpacking.

Ji Huan sighed. Little White Rabbit was quick to run. Seeing she didn’t want to talk, Ji Huan moved the bought goods into the room. She placed the rice and flour on the table to keep them off the ground, as the rundown yard might have rats.

Seeing Little White Rabbit folding clothes, Ji Huan said, “It’s getting dark. I’ll go chop some firewood nearby.”

Jiang Yubai kept folding clothes, her hands moving. “Okay.”

Seeing Little White Rabbit had no intention of joining her, Ji Huan felt a bit disappointed. Before, at the Ji family, Little White Rabbit was clingy, even following her to fetch water. Why was she so distant now?

Ji Huan sighed, grabbed a hatchet, and went to the woods behind the house.

Once Ji Huan left, Jiang Yubai straightened up, taking deep breaths. Her eyes were slightly red, her lips tightly pressed. She told herself over and over not to cling to her sister anymore. Her sister had been so close to her for so long—what if something happened because of her?

Just thinking about it, tears fell one by one. Jiang Yubai quickly wiped them away, not wanting her sister to see she’d been crying.

She calmed herself, reflecting on recent events. She used to sleep close to her sister, sometimes hugging her during the day. Her sister liked holding her, comforting her, and patting her head. They’d had many intimate moments.

Jiang Yubai closed her eyes, telling herself she couldn’t continue like this. Maybe Ji Huan was fine so far because of luck, but what about later? Who could guarantee she wouldn’t jinx Ji Huan? She couldn’t risk Ji Huan’s life, the most important person to her in this world.

Though her heart felt like it was being cut, Jiang Yubai decided to keep her distance from Ji Huan.

Meanwhile, Ji Huan, before it got dark, quickly chopped a bundle of firewood, tied it with rope, and carried it back. When she returned, Ji Qiao had cleaned the stove, even wiping down the outside.

Seeing Ji Huan, Ji Qiao happily ran over to help take the firewood off her back. “Sister, how about vegetable porridge tonight? I’ll prepare it.”

Ji Huan nodded with a smile. “Good, you decide. I’ll help.”

Ji Qiao pushed Ji Huan, pointing to their room. “No need. Go keep Yubai company.”

Ji Huan sighed. She wanted to, but Little White Rabbit was avoiding her. She decided to stay and help. “It’s fine. I’ll start the fire.”

Ji Huan placed the firewood in the stove, striking flint to spark a flame, soon getting the fire going.

Ji Qiao washed the pot, put rice in, and started cooking it slowly. The vegetable leaves would be added last.

Looking at her sister and then toward their room, Ji Qiao leaned close and whispered, “Sister, did you and Yubai fight?”

Ji Huan turned to Ji Qiao, sighing. “No, really. I don’t know what’s wrong. Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, Yubai’s been distracted all afternoon. Go cheer her up. She’s so nice and even blocked that dog bl00d for you,” Ji Qiao said, hoping her two sisters would get along.

“I want to. Alright, I’ll check on her,” Ji Huan said, a bit worried about Little White Rabbit.

“Go on. I’ll watch the fire,” Ji Qiao said, pushing Ji Huan toward the room.

It was getting dark. In the room, Jiang Yubai had lit an oil lamp on the table.

Ji Huan cleared her throat and slowly returned to the room. “Ji Qiao’s making porridge. We’ll eat simply today. Tomorrow, we’ll buy what you both want.”

“Okay, I’m almost done here. Let’s go find Ji Qiao,” Jiang Yubai said, staring at Ji Huan’s hem, avoiding her eyes. Then she noticed Ji Huan’s hem seemed closer.

Seeing Little White Rabbit like this, Ji Huan sighed softly. “Why are you suddenly avoiding me? Little Rabbit’s being naughty again.”

Afraid Ji Huan would overthink, Jiang Yubai looked up. “I’m not avoiding you. Maybe I’m just tired today, so I’m not myself.”

“Really?” Ji Huan asked, eyeing Little White Rabbit doubtfully.

“Really. Sister, let’s go out. It’s not good to leave Ji Qiao alone outside,” Jiang Yubai said, her voice softer, sounding like usual. Ji Huan felt slightly reassured.

“Alright, but if something’s up, tell me directly. Don’t keep it inside and be unhappy, okay?”

“I know,” Jiang Yubai nodded, looking at Ji Huan to signal her to go first.

Ji Huan glanced at Little White Rabbit, puzzled, and they walked out to the yard one after the other.

Seeing them come out together, Ji Qiao thought her sisters had made up and was thrilled.

“Sisters, you’re okay now?” Ji Qiao asked Ji Huan with a smile.

“There was nothing wrong to begin with. It’s about time to add the vegetables,” Ji Huan said, smelling the fragrant porridge, her stomach growling after a tiring afternoon.

Ji Qiao lifted the wooden lid, and the sweet aroma of rice porridge wafted out. Ji Huan added a pinch of salt, tossed in the vegetable leaves, and stirred gently, making the aroma even richer.

Jiang Yubai, standing aside, swallowed several times. She was hungry too.

Ji Huan served Ji Qiao and Jiang Yubai large bowls of porridge, then one for herself. To avoid burning the pot, she lowered the fire and carried her bowl back to the room.

Thinking about the house, Ji Qiao asked, “Sister, what do we need to do tomorrow?”

“I’ll find Er Zhuzi first to see if he knows where to buy bricks and wood. We need to gather wood, bricks, lime, sand, and clay, then find workers to start the foundation,” Ji Huan said.

“Good, I’ll help too,” Ji Qiao said eagerly.

“Alright, I’ll check the situation tomorrow,” Ji Huan said, starting to eat.

Jiang Yubai ate silently. Though Little White Rabbit had things on her mind, she ate just as fast. Ji Huan was only halfway through her porridge when Little White Rabbit finished her bowl and went for another.

After eating, Ji Huan told Ji Qiao to rest early. She and Jiang Yubai washed the pots and bowls, then boiled water for washing up.

Night had fully fallen. Only a few distant yards had lights. The north side of the village was quite remote but peaceful.

Seeing the water was ready, Ji Huan called Ji Qiao to fetch some. Jiang Yubai also took a basin of water to wash up.

When Ji Huan returned to the room, Jiang Yubai was washing her face. Ignoring Ji Huan, she kept to herself. Ji Huan started washing up too. Even in bed, the atmosphere between them felt strange.

Ji Huan lay in bed, waiting for Little White Rabbit to cuddle up, but after a long wait, she saw Little White Rabbit lying flat with her eyes closed.

Ji Huan propped herself up, wanting to say something but worried Little White Rabbit was just tired. Feeling a bit resentful, she looked at her for a while before lying down and closing her eyes.

Once the gaze was gone, Jiang Yubai relaxed slightly. She quickly turned over, facing away from Ji Huan, hoping this way they wouldn’t end up cuddling in their sleep.

The black figure in her mind said, “You’ve slept together for so long, and nothing’s happened. Maybe Ji Huan isn’t afraid of your jinx.”

The white figure countered, “No, you can’t gamble with Ji Huan’s life. What if she gets jinxed?”

“I said she won’t!”

“She will! She will!”

The black and white figures argued fiercely. Jiang Yubai, frustrated, pulled the blanket over half her face, deciding to avoid too much contact with Ji Huan during the day.

But after months of sleeping close, Little White Rabbit’s body had its own memory, even if her mind tried to resist. In her sleep, she somehow ended up in Ji Huan’s arms again.

The next morning, Little White Rabbit woke early. She instinctively nuzzled in Ji Huan’s arms before groggily opening her eyes, realizing she was in Ji Huan’s embrace again.

Resigned, Jiang Yubai closed her eyes. Sleeping together seemed unavoidable, but past experiences suggested just sleeping close wouldn’t jinx Ji Huan. Still, she decided to keep her distance during the day.

With that, Little White Rabbit quietly slipped out of Ji Huan’s arms and ran to prepare breakfast.

It was April, and the sky brightened earlier. Outside, it was already getting light.

Feeling the absence in her arms, Ji Huan groped around unhappily, eventually hugging the blanket and falling back asleep. She was truly exhausted from yesterday. When she woke again, someone was speaking by her bed.

“Sister, breakfast is almost ready. Get up to eat.”

Ji Huan rubbed her eyes and saw Little White Rabbit, already dressed. She sat up. “Up so early?”

“Not early. It’s light outside. Don’t we have a lot to do today?” Jiang Yubai said, keeping her tone normal to hide that she was avoiding Ji Huan.

“True. I’ll get up,” Ji Huan said, quickly dressing and washing up. She, Jiang Yubai, and Ji Qiao ate breakfast and got busy.

—

At Ji Mancang’s house, they hadn’t had time to deal with the things Yu Bin sent due to Ji Huan’s matter. Besides food, cloth, and tea, there was a wooden box with three hundred taels of silver—a huge sum for villagers.

Ji Mancang looked at the box of silver, distressed, and sighed. “Ji Wen, helping others is right, and accepting some gifts is fine, but this silver is too much. We saved someone, not for their money. I think we should return it.”

Ji Wen nodded. “I agree. Alright, Father, I’ll borrow a donkey cart and return the silver.”

Ji Mancang nodded but felt uneasy. “Ji Fu, you two go together. That much silver isn’t safe for her alone.”

“Okay, Ji Wen and I will make sure to return it properly,” Ji Fu said.

The siblings didn’t delay. Ji Fu went to borrow a donkey cart, while Ji Wen thought they shouldn’t visit empty-handed. They had some sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and cabbages at home, so she took some. Though the Yu family was wealthy and might not care, it was their heartfelt gesture, as villagers could only offer what they grew.

Soon, Ji Fu brought the donkey cart back. He drove, while Ji Wen sat in the back, watching the box and vegetables. Their family didn’t even have that much silver.

The cart moved slowly, but since they weren’t carrying much, Ji Wen and Ji Fu reached the county in just over an hour. After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they arrived at the Yu family’s gate.

Ji Wen got off and saw two majestic stone lions outside the red gate, with blue brick and red tile walls, clearly a wealthy household.

Recalling Yu Ting and Yu Bin’s refined clothing, Ji Wen thought they were indeed from the county’s richest merchant family.

She stepped forward, planning to ask a servant to announce her. Ji Fu stayed by the cart, watching their things.

“Young man, I have business with Yu Bin. Could you pass a message?” Ji Wen asked one of the four gatekeepers.

The servant sized up Ji Wen’s clothes, having seen her get off the vegetable cart, and said with disdain, “Our household gets fresh vegetables daily. You have no chance. Want to see our young master? He’s busy. Someone like you can’t just meet him.”

Ji Wen hadn’t expected to be rebuffed so quickly but explained patiently, “I’m a friend of Yu Bin’s. I really have important business. Could you please pass a message?”

“Funny. Tons of people claim to be our young master’s friend every day. Should we announce them all? I suggest you leave,” the servant mocked, and the others joined in laughing at Ji Wen.

Ji Wen frowned slightly. She was just here to return the silver, not to curry favor with the Yu family. Why would a farmer like her need to do that?

As Ji Wen was about to return to the cart to wait, someone called her.

Turning around, she saw it was a maid by Yu Ting’s side.

“Why are you here?” the maid asked.

Seeing a familiar face, Ji Wen quickly said, “I need to see Yu Bin or your young lady. Can you pass a message?”

Xiao Lu smiled at Ji Wen. “No need. Our young lady has been thinking of you these past few days. Come in.”

Ji Wen stopped Xiao Lu. “That’s my brother. We brought some homegrown vegetables. They’re not worth much.”

“You brought gifts to see our young lady? She’ll be delighted,” Xiao Lu said, then turned to the gatekeepers. “What are you standing there for? Help move their things inside.”

Xiao Lu, as Yu Ting’s maid, had higher status than ordinary servants. The gatekeepers rushed to help move the items from the cart.

“Let’s go,” Xiao Lu said, smiling. Since that day, her young lady often mentioned Ji Wen and had even ordered a storybook about a village female Qianyuan and a wealthy young lady, though it wasn’t finished yet. Xiao Lu had gone out to urge the writer to hurry and ran into Ji Wen on her return.

Ji Wen followed Xiao Lu into the Yu residence, with Ji Fu carrying the silver box behind her. The vegetables were sent to the kitchen by the servants.

The Yu residence was filled with pavilions and towers, dazzling Ji Wen. They passed through corridors and courtyards—so many that without a guide, she’d get lost.

“Follow me this way. Our young lady’s courtyard is just past this corridor,” Xiao Lu said, pointing ahead.

“Okay,” Ji Wen nodded, knowing she’d never find her way in this huge, maze-like residence.

At the courtyard’s front hall, Xiao Lu said, “Please sit for a moment. I’ll fetch the young lady.”

She called two maids to serve Ji Wen and Ji Fu tea and snacks.

Ji Wen, unused to such treatment, thanked them. “Thank you, we can manage.”

Her words amused the maids. Seeing Ji Wen’s clear features, they giggled and whispered among themselves.

Ji Wen didn’t know why they laughed. She just wanted to return the silver and leave. This wasn’t their place. Looking at the redwood chairs, she worried her clothes might dirty them.