USWHC -Chapter 96 My Woman (Part 6)

“You useless fool! The house is out of water, and you still haven’t gone to fetch some?!” A string of curses rang from outside, mixed with endless complaints. “Now that you’ve got a wife, you’ve forgotten your mother! I see it clearly now—you probably don’t even remember your own surname!”

Listening to Old Madam Ji’s ever-shrill voice, Ji Yi could only sigh. Silently, he stood up and reluctantly walked outside.

Zhu Jie listened to the sound of the iron chain swaying on the carrying pole. Ji Yi seemed to be lifting the water buckets again, heading out. Another day of hard work was about to begin. In this household, apart from Sister-in-law You, Ji Yi was the one who worked the hardest.

But the next moment, the door suddenly swung open again. Ji Yi leaned against the doorway, half-closing the door, and softly reminded her, “I’m going to fetch some water. Stay inside and don’t go out, or they won’t leave you alone!”

Seeing the concern on his face, Zhu Jie obediently gave a small nod and smiled at him, as if she already knew what to do. Seeing her like this, Ji Yi finally felt reassured and left.

No sooner had Ji Yi stepped out than the door was kicked open again. With a clatter, Ji Mei had thrown a hoe to the ground.

“Surprised, huh? Come help me turn the soil!” Ji Mei glared at her angrily. “You fox spirit, always tempting men!”

Zhu Jie looked at the hoe on the ground. Really? She’s already bringing out the hoe? At first, when she saw it fly in, she thought Ji Mei was so angry she wanted to smash her!

Hearing Ji Mei speak now, however, Zhu Jie felt a little relieved. As long as it wasn’t a full-on fight, she could handle it.

Actually, the moment she heard Old Madam Ji calling Ji Yi, Zhu Jie understood—they were using a classic diversion. With Ji Yi protecting her, Ji Mei and the others wouldn’t dare harm her, so Old Madam Ji had to get Ji Yi out of the way first.

Still, Zhu Jie wasn’t afraid. She kept her usual gentle smile, picked up the hoe, and feigned innocence: “Do we need to turn the soil even at this time of year?”

“Of course! Haven’t you heard? Turn the soil before the New Year so that the crops will grow well in spring!” Ji Mei said impatiently, then turned and led the way outside.

Fine—turning soil it is! Zhu Jie lightly flipped the hoe in her hands, testing its weight. For some reason, she even managed a small, sly smile.

Without asking any more questions, she followed Ji Mei outside. Was she genuinely naïve or secretly mischievous? Even knowing they wanted to make her work, she followed so calmly, without looking for an excuse to delay.

By now, most of the snow in the village had melted, leaving only the frequently traveled dirt paths muddy. Zhu Jie followed Ji Mei to a patch of farmland at the foot of the mountain.

The field was barren—just a stretch of frozen earth, hard as iron, with clearly visible furrows and traces of previous plowing.

“Today, you’ll turn this field,” Ji Mei said lightly, pointing ahead.

Her tone was casual, but Zhu Jie froze when she took a proper look. Not possible—the field must be a hundred or eighty acres! She couldn’t even see the end in one glance. A weak woman like her was supposed to turn all this soil? Forget today—she probably couldn’t finish it even in a year!

So, the Ji family was sort of a landowner, then? In ancient times, landowners survived on sweet potatoes?

Then again, Zhu Jie reminded herself that land in ancient times was vast and sparsely populated, mostly reclaimed from wasteland. It looked large, but the actual yield wouldn’t be that much. A hundred or eighty acres wasn’t really a large estate—at most, a tenant farm.

“Are you sure we need to turn such a big field?” Zhu Jie asked again.

Ji Mei gave her a huge eye-roll and said bluntly, “What, are you afraid of a little hard work?”

Seeing her arrogance, Zhu Jie smirked quietly to herself.

Alright, final confirmation done. Zhu Jie said nothing more and silently turned toward the field. Hmph—opportunity given. If she didn’t make the most of it, don’t blame her for being ruthless!

Watching Zhu Jie obediently start turning the soil, Ji Mei grinned triumphantly. Heh, turning soil at this season—she’d really struggle. The ground had frozen as hard as iron; even Ji Yi probably couldn’t manage it.

But Ji Mei intentionally wanted her to suffer. She just didn’t believe that a frail woman like Zhu Jie could handle this hardship. As long as she didn’t throw out her back, that would be enough.