Ji Xiulan’s face turned pale and green in alternating flashes. The comfortable life she now enjoyed was indeed the result of Ji Dashan selling two acres of land and getting fourteen taels of silver.
Her own family knew this well, but Ji Xinhe also found out and even taunted her about it!
Ji Xiulan clenched her teeth, turned around, and began sobbing and pulling Gao Zhiru’s sleeve: "Brother Zhiru, look at her! They went out and enjoyed the good days, leaving a mess behind for our family. We are now so poor that we can’t afford food, and we’ve had to sell our land just to stabilize our life. And she still has the nerve to criticize me!"
Gao Zhiru hastily comforted her: "Alright, stop crying now."
While comforting her, he glanced at Ji Xinhe, who was washing clothes. There was no blame in his eyes, only a hint of nervousness.
He didn’t care who was right or wrong, he only cared about who was in his heart.
After seeing Gao Zhiru’s reaction, Ji Xiulan quietly clenched her teeth. Her gaze towards Ji Xinhe was even more disgustful, as if she was about to spit at her. If not for her seducing Gao Zhiru, would he be acting like this towards her now?
Gao Zhiru finally managed to persuade Ji Xiulan to leave. Though Ji Xiulan was unwilling, she wanted to provoke Ji Xinhe more, but she also didn’t dare defy Gao Zhiru’s wishes, so she had to go.
Before leaving, she didn’t forget to flirt and show affection to Gao Zhiru. She was so delighted, thinking she had managed to provoke Ji Xinhe.
Only when their figures finally disappeared in the distance did Ji Xinhe feel a sense of tranquillity. Without wasting any time, she started to wash the clothes rapidly, as she had no patience for their pettiness.
But who would have expected that Gao Zhiru would actually come back so soon.
"Xin He, don’t be mad. Xiulan is just like that," he said.
Ji Xinhe was really impressed by his brazenness or maybe his self-delusion.
Seeing that Ji Xinhe was ignoring him, Gao Zhiru quickly squatted down and said, "There’s really nothing between us. You know, she’s already involved with Porky San, how could I still have feelings for her? But she just keeps clinging to me. If I don’t see her, she becomes suicidal and makes a fuss everywhere. I really had no choice but to placate her for the time being. Xin He, you have to believe me, I really care about you. Don’t worry, as soon as I pass the scholar examination, I’ll leave her immediately and sincerely be with you."
Ji Xinhe suppressed her nausea, forced a smile, and looked up at him, "How could I not know your intentions? Don’t worry, I understand."
Gao Zhiru saw that Ji Xinhe was like this, the weight in his heart finally lightened, and he said joyfully, "As long as you understand!"
Ji Xinhe, with a smile on her face, said, "You’ve said so much, but it’s all just talk. There are too many people who don’t keep their promises, I can’t trust them."
"I, Gao Zhiru, am a scholar at the very least, how could I possibly breach my promise!" Gao Zhiru said, patting his chest proudly.
Only then did Ji Xinhe shyly lower her head, "Well, I’ll trust you then. Don’t forget what you promised today. Once you pass the scholar examination, don’t forget me."
"Naturally!" Gao Zhiru wanted to take the opportunity to get closer to her, but seeing the many women washing clothes by the river, he thought it wouldn’t be proper for others to see, so he had to hold back and said quietly, "Xin He, I’m taking the exam in three days. I always feel uneasy without you by my side, I’m afraid I won’t do well."
Ji Xinhe raised her eyebrows, "So, you mean you want me to accompany you?"
"Naturally, that’s not possible. Who could be accompanied into the examination hall? Tomorrow morning, I have to go to the school for the final review before the exam, and we won’t be able to even see each other."
Ji Xinhe vaguely seemed to know what he was planning to say next, so she acted confused, "So, what should we do?"
"I want to have a good talk with you, but you’re so busy right now, and there are many people around. It wouldn’t be right to distract you, and it wouldn’t be good for people to see. So, how about meeting me in the small bamboo forest in the village tonight? I can see you and we can have a good chat before hurrying off to the school in town."
Ji Xinhe sneered inwardly. This fellow was acting so proficiently, even choosing the location for her. From his eagerness, anyone who didn’t know would think he was genuinely concerned about her and couldn’t let her go. But in reality, everyone knew what his intentions were.
Worried about ruining her reputation, he still had the audacity to say so!
However, Ji Xinhe’s face remained calm. All she did was blink and ask, "What time?" pretending not to understand.
Gao Zhiru was secretly delighted. Ji Xinhe was still the same wooden and unknowing girl, simple-minded and ignorant about such things. He figured he could chat with her tonight, express some affection, and persuade her with a few choice words. Then, taking advantage of the darkness and wind, next thing would naturally be to undress.
As for girls, once you’ve taken their first time, they have to stick to you even if you don’t go after them. Because who else can they marry?
In this regard, Wang Er Ya was a perfect example.
Gao Zhiru hastily said, "Just at sunset, when the day is just turning dark, I’ll be waiting for you in the bamboo forest."
Ji Xinhe innocently nodded, "Okay."
Looking at Ji Xinhe’s face, close at hand, the more Gao Zhiru looked, the more attractive he found her. He silently cursed himself for not noticing her beauty earlier. He was overjoyed at the thought of tasting her soon and felt a wave of heat spreading throughout his body.
If it weren’t for the many people by the river, he would have already started touching her.
Ji Xinhe could see right through his lascivious thoughts. She said directly, "Brother Zhiru, you should go first. I still have a while to wash these clothes, and don’t you have packing to do?"
"Ah, okay, then, see you tonight!" Gao Zhiru didn’t feel like squatting here watching her wash clothes, so he got up and left, not forgetting to remind her again before he left.
Ji Xinhe nodded while smiling, "I got it."
When Gao Zhiru turned and left, the smile on Ji Xinhe’s face gradually cooled down. She sneered, "See you tonight. This will indeed be an unforgettable night for you."
She had initially thought about turning a blind eye to his and Ji Xiulan’s affairs, after all, it was better not to get involved. But he kept provoking her again and again, and even Ji Xiulan was like a fly that wouldn’t go away. In that case, she would just have to swat them all!
Ji Xinhe snorted coldly and threw the clothes into the river, scrubbing them vigorously.
She washed the clothes slowly, and by the time she finished and returned, it was already late afternoon. Looking at the sun, she wasn’t in a hurry and leisurely went to the kitchen to cook dinner.
Ji Dong and Xiao Bei had gone up the mountain to cut firewood, and Mu Houchu was comfortably staying in the house, enjoying the benefits of being ill. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
Once she finished cooking, Ji Dong and Xiao Bei came back. By that time, the sky was already dark.
"Brother, you guys eat first. I need to go out for a bit," Ji Xinhe said after wiping her hands and bringing out the dishes.
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