The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Guarding Against Thieves

Ji Xiu’e was the first to enter the courtyard, but instead of heading for the main hall, she strolled through both the front and back yards.

With a few women trailing behind to bolster her presence, she walked ahead with her hands clasped behind her back, her manner so natural it was as if she were touring her own home.

Ji Huan could only follow along beside them.

There was a village custom where after someone built a new house, everyone would come over in groups to visit. First, to see something new; second, to join the excitement; and third, for what Ma Liugun had mentioned at the village entrance—to bring ’vitality’ to the new home.

The homeowners, faced with wave after wave of visitors, couldn’t get angry even if they were genuinely bothered. They had to greet everyone with a smile.

Otherwise, it was considered bringing bad luck upon oneself, and they would be criticized by the villagers for "not knowing how to act."

When Ji Huan first built the house, it drew a lot of attention. However, she didn’t throw a large housewarming banquet, and considering everything that had happened before, the villagers, no matter how curious, didn’t have the nerve to shamelessly show up for a look.

The few women who had come along today were all wives from families Ji Xiu’e had been close with before she married. Of course, by now, most of them were mothers-in-law themselves.

Ji Xiu’e rarely returned to her maiden home these years. The women had originally gone to the old Ji Family residence to chat with her. When they heard Ji Xiu’e say she was going to see her niece, it was exactly what they wanted, so they naturally tagged along.

The most active among them was Ma Liugun. Her triangular eyes were exceptionally shifty, darting east and west, prying into every nook and cranny. She looked as if she wanted to pry up every single brick in the yard for a look underneath.

"Oh my heavens! Look at this house, this yard! How grand!"

"The yard is paved with bricks, and even the latrine is made of brick and tile! It looks brighter than the main room in my house. She must have really made a fortune..."

She clicked her tongue incessantly, whispering with the people beside her in a voice louder than anyone else’s, all while constantly shooting sidelong glances at Ji Huan.

Ji Huan knew Ma Liugun was deliberately trying to annoy her. She pretended not to hear and refused to take the bait.

There wasn’t much to see in the backyard. The few rooms were all empty, save for a makeshift canopy built in a corner near the back gate, under which leftover scraps from the construction were haphazardly piled.

The group gave it a cursory glance and returned to the front yard.

They had gone straight to the back earlier and hadn’t examined the front yard in detail yet.

The two side rooms on the left were also empty. Ma Liugun’s eyes immediately locked onto the two rooms on the right.

She quickened her pace and went to push the door closest to her.

It wouldn’t budge. The door didn’t move an inch.

Looking up, she saw a lock hanging on it.

Ma Liugun let out a cry. "Wuan, what sort of treasures do you have in this room? Why is it locked up so tight? Are you trying to keep out thieves, or are you trying to keep *us* out?"

"You’re letting your imagination run wild, Ma Liugun. What treasures could I possibly have? A few kids were just playing around, locked the door by mistake, and then lost the key... I’ve been meaning to find someone to pick the lock, but there’s nothing important inside, so I forgot about it."

The room Ma Liugun wanted to enter was the storeroom, where rice, flour, vegetables, and meat were all piled. It was full of good things.

Speaking of which, she had the homeless man to thank.

When he had first settled nearby, Ji Huan was constantly worried he had ill intentions and would climb over her gate at night to steal her property.

Her cautious nature had led her to add locks to several important rooms.

She locked them whether anyone was home or not, only unlocking them when needed. It was a bit of a hassle, but it bought her peace of mind.

Although she later realized she might have misjudged the homeless man, the habit had already formed, and she kept it up.

’Who knew it would actually come in handy? See, today it kept a petty person out.’

If she let Ma Liugun in and she saw all those things, all hell would break loose.

That kind of person was greedy and always looking for a freebie; it wasn’t beneath her to ask for things outright or just grab them.

Besides, even if she took something, she wouldn’t be grateful. On the contrary, she couldn’t stand to see others doing better than her.

Having been thwarted, Ma Liugun’s mood visibly soured.

She looked at Ji Huan with suspicion. "What a coincidence, that the key would go missing right when we show up..."

Ji Huan spread her hands. "Isn’t it just? I don’t usually interact with you ladies, and I didn’t know you were coming today. I couldn’t have locked it in advance just to keep you out, could I?"

Everyone except Ji Xiu’e and Ma Liugun looked embarrassed.

They had come over on a whim. Ji Huan couldn’t predict the future, so how could she have deliberately locked them out?

Besides, by pointing out that they didn’t normally interact, wasn’t she implying that it would be reasonable even if she *had* been guarding against them?

This was Ma Liugun’s fault.

It was true the village had a custom of visiting new houses, but Ji Huan’s house had been built for a while now. Strictly speaking, the window for that had long passed.

It was one thing to shamelessly show up and snoop around the yard, but how could Ma Liugun have the audacity to then turn around and start bossing the owner around?

Ma Liugun felt no shame whatsoever.

Since she couldn’t get into this room, she’d just go into the one next to it.

Ji Huan took a quick step to block her path. "You can’t go in this one."

Ma Liugun’s eyes lit up, and she instantly grew excited.

’For Ji Huan to have such a strong reaction, this room must be hiding something good!’

"Why can’t I go in? Don’t tell me the key to this one is lost too? No, wait, this one isn’t even locked, is it? Wuan, you’re so petty! Hiding things away like this... We’re just going to have a look, we’re not going to take anything of yours..."

Ma Liugun grumbled as she reached out to push Ji Huan aside.

Ji Huan stood her ground, blocking the doorway.

"This is the kitchen. What could possibly be worth hiding in a kitchen? But my dog just had puppies, and these past few days, she won’t even let me get close. I’m afraid she might bite you."

When the others heard this, they all urged Ma Liugun to forget it.

Everyone knew how fiercely a mother dog protects her litter. It wouldn’t be worth it to get bitten.

Ma Liugun had been bitten by village dogs several times before; she was terrified of them.

Her face fell, and she reluctantly took half a step back, her gaze involuntarily shifting toward Ji Xiu’e.

Ji Huan knew what was going on. Ma Liugun was just a pawn on the front line; the real decision-maker was someone else.

Ji Xiu’e didn’t seem curious about what was inside the room at all. She only said, "We’ve been standing for a while now, and we’re getting tired. I’m fine, but your aunties are here for the first time, and you haven’t even offered them a cup of tea. Don’t you know to invite your guests to sit down?"

Ji Huan found this rather amusing. It was as if *she* had been the one forcing them to wander all over the yard.

She thought so, but she couldn’t say it out loud.

But she couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries either.

As fellow villagers, doing the bare minimum for appearances was enough. She wouldn’t let these people start thinking they were a big deal.

"Please, come in, ladies."

Ji Huan led the way into the main hall.

Ma Liugun was the second one in.

She couldn’t wait to see what treasures Ji Huan had inside her house. She hadn’t found anything in the front or back yards, so they must be in the main hall!

Sure enough, upon entering the main hall and seeing the long side table, the large square table, and even the high-backed armchairs, Ma Liugun’s eyes went red with envy. She wished she could haul every last piece back to her own home.

Her eyes darted around the room and immediately fixed on the half-open door to the eastern chamber.

East was the position of honor. No need to guess—this had to be where Ji Huan slept!

Ma Liugun’s heart leaped with joy as she prepared to barge in.

But Ji Huan was quicker. She moved swiftly and pulled the door shut just before Ma Liugun could enter.

When she turned around, her gentle, easygoing expression was gone.

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