The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Bullshit Sisters

With everyone pitching in, and now with so many strong young men to help, the last batch of goods was quickly packed and loaded onto the carts.

The hired hands gradually departed. Hu Liang and Widow Xie still wanted to persuade the soldiers to stay for a meal, but Ji Huan knew they would refuse no matter what, so she didn’t let them insist.

Lu Danian watched his men secure the loads on the carts and inspected them one more time. Then, he walked over and asked, "Miss Ji, didn’t you say you had something to send to Doctor Zhen? The lead cart is still empty. Go ahead and load on whatever you have."

"Right away."

Ji Huan led Hu Liang and Hu Dacheng into the house. They each emerged carrying a basin of small yellow croakers fried in batter. Even though the basins were covered with cloths, the aroma... Lu Danian’s nose twitched, then twitched again.

His voice was a bit stiff. "Miss Ji, this... We really can’t..."

Ji Huan cut him off. "I know you can’t eat this. I’m not asking you to break your rules. This is all for Doctor Zhen."

Lu Danian suddenly looked a little sheepish. It seemed he had jumped to conclusions.

’Sigh. Who’s the one who has to refuse? Me. This is pure torture!’

"Oh, right. There’s one more thing."

Ji Huan went back to the dilapidated shack and came out with a large bundle.

The days were growing colder, and there was no telling when the winter uniforms would be distributed at the military camp. So, Ji Huan had asked Widow Xie to quickly make a set of padded winter clothes. It could also serve as a thank-you gift to Zhen Jili for arranging the deal.

’Though, using a set of winter clothes as a thank-you gift is a bit... ahem. Well, it’s the thought that counts.’

Once everything was loaded, Lu Danian jumped onto a cart. Only then did he pull a smaller money pouch from his clothes and toss it to Ji Huan. Before she could get a good look, he bellowed for the driver to get moving.

Ji Huan hurriedly opened it. The four ingots from before had been replaced with two. One hundred taels. It was still more than the seventy-five she was owed.

By the time she looked up again, they were already far in the distance. The carts were moving so fast, there was no way she could catch up.

Dafeng Village was in an uproar today.

Whether next to the Hu family’s courtyard or around the dilapidated shack, people were gathered in small groups everywhere, all discussing the day’s events.

"That Wuan really wasn’t lying. She wasn’t fooling around with some man, she was actually doing business—and with the army, no less! You probably can’t find anyone else that capable in all of Dafeng Village!"

"Tell me about it. I wonder which black-hearted person was spreading those rumors everywhere, not even afraid of divine retribution. Fooling around with who? Look at Wuan, busy from dawn till dusk. You think she has the time to be fooling around with anyone?"

"That’s not the right way to put it. Even if Wuan had the time, she wouldn’t do something like that. That girl’s been sensible since she was little. Her mother was a well-read and proper lady; how could a child she raised go astray?"

"The way I see it, whoever spread those rumors isn’t just black-hearted, they’re green with envy! Just can’t stand to see someone else doing well..."

"Besides, I asked the village chief about it. He really has been processing the household transfer for that little... for Dabao. He’s not some child-husband!"

"Goodness, we can’t believe that kind of gossip anymore. We almost wronged Wuan..."

The group chattered on excitedly, but two people remained silent.

One was Gou Sheng’s wife, and the other was Tian Jiao.

The rumors about the Hu Family had been started by Gou Sheng’s wife. She had been waiting to watch the family become a laughingstock; who would have thought someone would actually buy their produce.

Now, hearing everyone else’s praise and compliments, she was absolutely fuming.

But no matter how furious she was, she didn’t dare run her mouth now. After all, offending those soldiers was no laughing matter.

Tian Jiao couldn’t wrap her head around it, either. Ji Huan had never even left Dafeng Village, so how had she connected with the army?

She had watched the whole thing from start to finish. They had hauled away so many cartloads. How much money was that? ’Has Ji Huan struck it rich...?’

It felt like worms were gnawing at her heart. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt, until she even forgot to school the expression on her face.

Zhang Cuicui had been watching Tian Jiao for a while. Seeing her sour look, she sneered, "What’s the matter? Why the long face? Ji Huan has proven her innocence, shouldn’t you be happy for her? Oh, but I almost forgot. You were the first one to say a man came to see Ji Huan, and that she even kept him for a meal!"

The others stopped talking, and all eyes fell on Tian Jiao.

Some of those present recalled that day. Gou Sheng’s wife had been aiming all her barbs at Widow Xie, and everyone else was talking about the Hu Family buying produce. It seemed the conversation had abruptly shifted to Ji Huan right after Tian Jiao had chimed in.

Seeing so many people staring at her strangely, Tian Jiao’s face flushed then paled. "Zhang Cuicui, don’t spout nonsense! I think of Ji Huan as a sister, so I was worried she was being tricked..."

"If you were so worried, why didn’t you go talk to her in private instead of making sure the whole village knew? First you bring up a man, then a horse cart... You made it hard for anyone to think anything good. You know exactly what you were up to!"

Zhang Cuicui wasn’t speaking up for Ji Huan. She was still holding a grudge from when Ji Huan had called her ’pancake face’.

She simply couldn’t stand the sight of Tian Jiao. The moment she saw that disgusting, pretentious act of hers, she just wanted to tear into her.

"You..." Tian Jiao was seething.

This Zhang Cuicui had a quick, sharp tongue. Tian Jiao was only good at scheming behind people’s backs; open confrontation wasn’t her strong suit. She could only swallow her anger and try to change the subject.

"Cuicui, I know you’ve been unhappy ever since Jiang Wu married me, but you can’t just make up lies about me..."

As she spoke, her eyes began to redden.

Zhang Cuicui spat, utterly disgusted. "Don’t you dare change the subject! I admit I used to like Jiang Wu, but I wasn’t shameless enough to steal someone’s fiancé, and I certainly didn’t go around slinging mud at people. I can’t compare to you in that regard—you’re famous for it in the other villages!"

For a young woman like Zhang Cuicui to admit so openly that she’d liked a man was a bit forward, but she was so frank about it that she left no room for gossip.

Tian Jiao, on the other hand, had just managed to gain a few points of sympathy, only to lose them immediately as her own sordid history was brought up.

At the end of the day, some things might be forgotten over time, but once they’re dug up again, they still make people’s skin crawl.

Tian Jiao’s face was beet red as she tried to explain, "That’s not it! I saw Aunt Gou saying that the source of Auntie Xie’s money was..."

Gou Sheng’s wife’s eyebrows shot up. ’This little bitch, trying to drag me into this!’

Tian Jiao noticed the woman’s malicious glare and swallowed the rest of her words.

’Gou Sheng’s wife was shameless. If she caused a scene right here and now, I would only come out of it looking worse.’

She stammered, unsure of how to extricate herself from the situation.

But Zhang Cuicui was relentless now that she had the upper hand. "I just don’t get it. Is Ji Huan your sister, or is Auntie Xie your sister? You couldn’t stand hearing people talk about Auntie Xie, so you threw Ji Huan under the bus to take the heat? Some sister. Having a sister like you is terrifying!"

’Tian Jiao wished she could rip Zhang Cuicui’s nonstop-flapping mouth to shreds!’

’But she knew this wasn’t the time to prolong the fight. Continuing to argue with Zhang Cuicui would only put her at a greater disadvantage.’

She secretly pinched her own thigh, and tears immediately started to flow.

"I really only had good intentions! I wasn’t thinking much of it at the time, but you insist on assuming the worst of people... Fine! Think what you will!"

Sobbing, she finished speaking, then covered her face with her handkerchief and stumbled away, looking deeply wounded.

The people left behind looked at one another.

"Oh, forget it. Maybe she really didn’t mean any harm..."

"How can someone be that ’careless’... But then again, her life with Jiang Wu is going well, so she really has no reason to..."

"She doesn’t usually seem like the scheming type..."

Zhang Cuicui almost gagged on their words.

’She had clearly won the argument, but just because Tian Jiao knew how to cry, that suddenly made her the reasonable one?’

’She’d been scolded to tears by Ji Huan last time, so why was it that when she went home to complain, she just got another scolding from her own mother?’

’Why? Why was it like this!’

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