Lady Ding’s anger immediately flared up, she picked up a pillow beside her and threw it at Ji Dashan, crying out, "You heartless man, at this time, you still don’t have the slightest clue, Xiulan is about to be sold! You aren’t in a hurry to figure out a solution, but it’s the Zhang family who’s blackmailing us! How can a woman like me be enough to go against them? You’re a man, but you’re as cowardly as anything, not daring to confront anyone. Why did I marry such a spineless waste like you? Now look, we can’t even compensate with thirty taels of silver, Xiulan will have to marry that swine Porky San and suffer!"
Selling your own daughter, aren’t you the one who took the silver?
But Ji Dashan could only grumble in his heart, not daring to voice these words. He could only embarrassedly say, "You know our family’s situation now. We can’t take out that much silver."
Lady Ding’s eyes widened: "So?! What are you suggesting?"
Ji Dashan swallowed hard, then reluctantly said, "We might have no choice but to let Xiulan marry him."
"In your dreams!" Lady Ding bellowed. "My Xiulan is destined to be an official’s wife! How could she marry into that kind of family?"
"But...but her affair with Porky San... it already spread everywhere. In the future, if she doesn’t marry him, it will be hard for her to marry others. Most importantly, we really can’t compensate that much money now." Despite fearing Lady Ding, Ji Dashan had to face the facts.
Even if Lady Ding is unreasonable now, Ji Dashan can’t really sell their property and land over an adopted daughter, right?
Back in the days, the Ji family had some wealth. Wang Shi was a wet nurse in a wealthy family before she died, and she was well-liked by the master. Besides her monthly wages, she would occasionally receive rewards, and Wang Shi was thrifty, saving most of the money to use for their children’s future marriages. But after her death, all the money was taken by Ji Dashan to please Lady Ding.
The Ji family now is truly destitute.
"That’s out of the question! I painstakingly raised Xiulan like a lady, her hands untouched by sunlight or water, so she could marry into a good family and become an esteemed wife, so she can take care of her birth family and me. Porky San has already killed three wives. You want to send Xiulan to her death?!" Lady Ding roared.
"So...what can we do?" Ji Dashan asked in a troubled tone. Then, he looked at a dressing box behind Lady Ding. The box was locked, but Ji Dashan knew that the small box contained many of Lady Ding’s prized possessions. If they sold them, they might be able to afford it.
As soon as Lady Ding saw Ji Dashan’s expression, she quickly held onto her small box and raged, "I really must have been blind to marry such a useless man. You’re even contemplating on taking my dowry. Aren’t you afraid it will make you a laughingstock if this gets out?"
When Lady Ding got married, she didn’t bring anything except two worn-out blankets. Now, she even has the audacity to claim that those are her dowries, and she doesn’t even blush when she lies.
Ji Dashan finally said helplessly, "Then what should we do? I really have no money here."
Lady Ding believed this. Ji Dashan didn’t have the courage to lie to her, and besides, Ji Dashan didn’t have the ability to earn any money.
Feeling resentful, Lady Ding slapped the bed hard in fury. Is she really being forced to die?
"Where are those little brats?" Lady Ding asked furiously.
Hearing the tone of Lady Ding’s voice, Ji Dashan already had a bad feeling.
"They...they’re inside the room."
"Inside the room!?" Lady Ding suddenly raised her voice, so sharp it could scare a person, "Now that Xiulan is about to be married off to that scoundrel Porky San, those heartless creatures can still stay peacefully inside the room!"
"What...what can they do? They’re all just children..." Ji Dashan’s voice was pitifully small.
"Is Dongzi still young? He’s already eighteen, and it’s time for him to share some of the burden at home. A bunch of lazy things, only know how to eat and sleep. I can’t let Xiulan marry Porky San no matter what. Somehow, you have to come up with those thirty taels of silver!" Lady Ding said angrily.
"How...how can I come with it? I don’t have a way..."
Lady Ding snorted coldly, "I heard that in the neighboring town, people have started mining iron and they’re offering high wages. Dongzi is strong, he is totally suitable for this kind of work."
A chill ran down Ji Dashan’s back. "Mining is not suitable work for ordinary people. If there’s a collapse, there could be an accident, and even lives could be lost!"
In this era, the technology naturally cannot be compared with modern times. Mining coal and digging mines are the most dangerous jobs, people could easily die. Thus, the wages are high and many people are reluctant to do this risky work unless they have nothing to lose or they’re desperate.
Although Yangluo Bay was just a poor village, people were generally content with their peaceful lives. So, why would anyone consider such a path?
Lady Ding shrieked, "Then what do we do? That’s the fastest way to make money. Dongzi is strong, so he’ll definitely do well. Otherwise, think of a way yourself to pay Porky San’s extorted thirty taels of silver. Don’t even think about using my daughter to compensate the money!"
Uncertainty was written all over Ji Dashan’s face. Dongzi was his son after all, and also his eldest; how could he be so callous?
Lady Ding started wailing, "I knew I shouldn’t have married you. Now, not only have I gained nothing, I have to use my daughter to compensate your Ji Family’s debt. If Xiulan marries into that family, she will be beaten to death by Porky San within two or three months. You’re using my Xiulan’s life to pay for the silver! You’re even reluctant to let Dongzi do some heavy labor to save his sister. Ji Dashan, you heartless man, you regard your own son as a treasure. My daughter, because she is not your biological child, you treat her life as cheap. Are you trying to take my life?"
Ji Dashan hurriedly moved to comfort her, "I didn’t mean that, how could I not care about Xiulan?"
"Then it’s settled. You go talk to Dongzi!" Lady Ding put an end to the discussion.
Outside the window, Ji Xinhe’s face turned pale. As she expected, her concerns were valid, so she deliberately came to eavesdrop but never thought that Lady Ding could be so ruthless. She’s only using them for her own benefits. Last time it was her, this time it was her brother, next time, it might be Xiao Bei. Therefore, they can no longer wait passively.
Ji Dong’s face was even more somber, his fist clenched tightly in his sleeve. He sneered, "If father really agrees, then he really doesn’t care about us at all." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Ji Xinhe said, "We can’t rely on him, we have to rely on ourselves. Brother, you see, if we don’t separate from the family, Lady Ding will continue to exploit us. Last time it was me, this time it is you. Next time, it might be Xiao Bei. Hence, we can’t just wait for our death."
"What do we do?" For some reason, Ji Dong trusted his sister a lot now and let her make the decisions.
Ji Xinhe solemnly said, "We can take advantage of this situation to help ourselves."
"Alright, I’m listening to you!"
We must separate from the family!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
