"Of course! The mine owners are all extremely rich gentlemen, who wouldn’t care about such a small sum of several dozen silvers. They might not even care about twenty or thirty silvers. At that time, I’m certain we can get the money!" Lady Ding gave a sinister laugh, her expressions distorting hideously.
"But, what if Ji Dong doesn’t die?" Ji Xiulan seemed somewhat worried.
"Doesn’t die? Hmph! If I want him to die, then he must die!" Lady Ding said, her voice raised in a strange, ominous tone.
——
"Big brother, I’ll go with you," Ji Xinhe managed to keep pace with Ji Dong’s strides.
"It’s pretty far, we need to walk for over an hour. You can stay at home." Ji Dong reasoned.
The little family wealth of Ji family had slowly been squandered by Lady Ding. Now, there was no bullock cart or any other form of transport at home, so they could only rely on feet for travel. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"No, I’ll feel uneasy if I don’t go with you. I will accompany you this time."
Ji Dong smiled and said, "Why are you worried? We are just going to a recruiting place to register. Whether we can get selected or not is another story. Besides, the earliest we can start working is tomorrow. Don’t worry too much. You have to take care of Xiao Bei at home. He’s young and might be bullied if he stays alone, okay?"
Ji Xinhe felt slightly relieved: "Then please be careful when you go alone. Mining is dangerous. Don’t go down the mines. Just register today. When we need to go into the mine tomorrow, I’ll accompany you, so let’s stick to the plan."
"Alright, alright, don’t worry." Ji Dong gave a little chuckle. He used to be the one who planned and worried as the elder brother, but now his younger sister seemed to be in charge. All decisions were made by Xinhe. However, he wasn’t upset about it at all. On the contrary, he felt more relieved seeing his smart and independent sister.
After sending Ji Dong off, Ji Xinhe didn’t exactly feel secure. There had to be an ulterior motive behind Lady Ding’s insistence on Ji Dong working in the mines.
Even if making money from the mines is possible, they definitely can’t earn thirty silvers in a short time. At this crucial moment, Lady Ding was definitely thinking about gathering money for Ji Xiulan, so why would she care about a wage of over a hundred cash a day? Considering how the Zhang family presses for the money, can’t she feel anxious?
The answer is obviously no.
Such a crafty person as Lady Ding must have ulterior motives!
Mining is risky enough, and now everything seems even more dangerous. Ji Xinhe naturally has to take this seriously. Even though she had her own plan, she certainly wouldn’t let Ji Dong go down the mines easily.
Especially since she still doesn’t know what Lady Ding is plotting.
"Sister, dinner’s ready."
As Ji Xinhe was considering these things, she saw Xiao Bei bringing two bowls of food—one with a thick, coarse bun, and another with some soup of green vegetables that barely had any oil.
The coarse bun was so hard that it could choke someone if not eaten with the soup.
Looking at the meal in front of her, Ji Xinhe can’t help but think she has become familiar with such food. She has been eating this after she woke up.
"Sister, eat quickly. Otherwise, you might lose energy later," Xiao Bei reminded Ji Xinhe, who seemed to be lost in thought.
Ji Xinhe forced a smile. Thinking back to the delicious meat aroma she had smelled in the main room earlier, she looked at her current food and felt a twinge of bitterness. Without division of property, they couldn’t freely spend their silver.
Ji Xinhe picked up a bun. Watching Xiao Bei eat with relish, as if accustomed to this hard life, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
"After we separate, I’ll buy you meat," Ji Xinhe promised.
Xiao Bei’s eyes sparkled brightly: "Really? Can I have meat-filled buns like the ones in the main room?" Last time, Tian Bao, Lady Ding’s youngest child, flaunted a meat bun in front of Xiao Bei, which made him envious.
"Of course, it’s true. Xiao Bei, you’re growing up and need good nutrition. How can we afford to eat such poor food? As long as this matter is settled, sister can buy you whatever you want. You won’t live any worse than others!" said Ji Xinhe, her tone growing more severe.
Thinking this way, she took a big bite of the bun, her teeth being worked to their limits: "After we finish eating, we need to go to Wu Si’s house."
At the end of the day, Ji Xinhe was still uneasy about Lady Ding’s exact plans, so she wanted to inquire more about it from others. Wu Si often interacted with businessmen from outside, making him the best choice to ask about this matter.
Xiao Bei nodded, "What about the work at home?"
"What about it? Lady Ding has already done so much. Must we still work for her?" Ji Xinhe huffed discontentedly.
After they finished their meal, Ji Xin He quickly washed the dishes and immediately went to Wu Si’s house with Xiao Bei.
Currently, Lady Ding was too busy worrying about Ji Dong, relying entirely on the money he would make from risking his life. Therefore, she didn’t cause any problems for the two kids.
"Ah, Xinhe, what brings you here?" Wu Si was fortunately at home and was very pleased to see her. Wu Si thought highly of her because although she was quiet, she was increasingly likable. She hunted a wild pig on her own, and the last time they had a discussion about certain events, she was able to provide some thoughtful comments. These situations made Wu Si regard her with new respect and made him even more welcoming towards her.
"I’m free and thought to ask you some things," Ji Xinhe replied with a smile.
"Ask away about anything you want to know. As long as I’m aware of it." Wu Si courteously invited Xin He and Xiao Bei to sit inside the house.
Shortly after, Wu Si’s wife brought out two bowls of sugar water, handed them to Xin He and Xiao Bei, and said, "Have this to quench your thirst."
Landlords usually served sugar water to honour important guests. They certainly couldn’t afford something as expensive as tea leaves.
Xiao Bei looked somewhat shy and hesitant, looking at the "precious" sugar water in his hand. He couldn’t help but gulp, but he glanced at Ji Xinhe to see if she wanted him to drink it.
Ji Xinhe, looking at his sensible and pitiful behaviour, patted his head and said, "Drink it. It’s their goodwill."
Xiao Bei then happily responded, his small hands cupping the bowl, and he took small sips. Tasting the sweet flavour in his mouth only made his smile even sweeter.
Wu Si’s wife watched Xiao Bei’s well-behaved manners and couldn’t help but laugh. "Such a sensible child. My kid just messes around all day. I can’t control him at all."
Ji Xinhe laughed it off: "Sister-in-law, you’re too modest."
Then she turned her head toward Wu Si and said, "I wonder if Wu Si’s brother knows about the new mine going up in the neighboring town?"
"This news has been going around in our area for quite a while now, so of course I’ve heard about it. They say that a mine has been discovered in the neighboring town, and now people have come to dig it up. Right now they’re recruiting workers. But this kind of job is very dangerous. Even though the wages are high, there are rarely any takers. Only those with no way out would dare to do it. Why do you ask?" Wu Si inquired.
Ji Xinhe didn’t hold back: "My mother is sending my brother there." Why should she cover for Lady Ding’s machinations?
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