"My heavens! So much money! How many people must have died!? Shouldn’t the authorities step in if so many people have died? At least halt production for a while before restarting, not to mention not stopping at all?"
"What would you know? The pressure from above is intense, and they’ve even swayed the authorities, saying that money isn’t an issue. As long as it produces the required amount of iron ores within the timeline, nothing else matters, not how many people die or how much compensation is needed. Hmm, I wonder who the phenomenally wealthy big boss behind all this is."
"Exactly, the iron mine isn’t going anywhere; they could mine it slowly and earn money gradually. Why are they in such a hurry, as if they want to mine it all at once? Beats me what their reasons are."
"Sigh, who knows what the higher-ups are thinking? Let’s just get on with our meal."
The conversation on the other table ended, but Mu Houchu’s expression subtly hardened, seemingly deep in thought.
The loud voices from the other table reached Xiao Bei as well. He blinked at Ji Xinhe and said, "It’s a good thing our big brother didn’t go work there. Who knows how dangerous it might be?"
Ji Xinhe patted his head, "Don’t worry, your big brother wouldn’t take on such dangerous work. Let’s not concern ourselves with it."
As she spoke, she lifted her eyes to look at Mu Houchu and noticed that a rare solemnity had entered his typically nonchalant expression. Suddenly, Ji Xinhe’s mind began racing.
Ji Xinhe had long been seeking an explanation for this man’s strange behavior. He didn’t appear to be the kind of person who would waste his time on a vendetta against a more powerful woman by choosing to live in her house.
If he truly wanted revenge, he could’ve killed her by now. But he didn’t. Instead, he hid his identity and stayed in her house. He must have some ulterior motives she didn’t know about.
Could it have anything to do with the iron mine?
As Ji Xinhe continued to covertly observe Mu Houchu, his gaze suddenly met hers. The unintentional eye contact made Ji Xinhe feel guilty, and she swiftly tried to avert her eyes but then realized that it would be too obvious. So, she hesitated, unsure of what to do.
However, the corner of Mu Houchu’s lips lifted slightly, his slender eyes almost gleaming with smug satisfaction. "Want to know more about me?"
Ji Xinhe widened her eyes. Could he read minds? How could he always anticipate what she was thinking?
"If you give me some meat, I’ll tell you," Mu Houchu continued.
Ji Xinhe: "..." This stingy man still remembered that she didn’t serve him meat during the meal!
He’s got his hands, hasn’t he?
Ji Xinhe turned her head decisively, showing great integrity. "I don’t want to know."
Mu Houchu casually picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, "Suit yourself."
Ji Xinhe glowered at him, gobbled up her bun in disdain, forcibly suppressing her overwhelming curiosity, and continued to eat her bun.
Mu Houchu glanced at her as she inhaled her bun in resentment, the corner of his mouth hooking up in amusement. She was clearly starting to care about him.
Having finished their meal, the three of them packed some dumplings and other dishes for Ji Dong before heading back to the village.
On the way back, Xiao Bei sat in the bullock cart watching Ji Xinhe count the money. He said with regret, "We spent over fifty copper coins on today’s meal, but we only earned one and a half silver coins in total."
Ji Xinhe patted Xiao Bei’s head with a smile, "Can’t we afford a meal worth fifty cash? In the future, sister will treat you to a meal worth fifty taels of silver!"
Xiao Bei blinked, "Really?"
"Of course. Your sister is going to be rich!" Sitting in the bullock cart, Ji Xinhe made a fist.
She didn’t need to rush to return to the village at this time. As Mu Houchu leisurely drove the bullock cart along the quiet country road, he couldn’t help but find the simplicity of this life unexpectedly enjoyable, quite a departure from his usual reality of schemes and treacheries.
Suddenly, he discovered that he was fond of this way of life.
Or perhaps, fond of her.
As Mu Houchu turned to look at Ji Xinhe on the cart, counting her copper coins with her eyes shining, he couldn’t help but smirk. This kind of life was actually quite fulfilling.
By the time they returned to the village, it was afternoon.
They came across a few villagers who greeted them, but mostly they heard gossip about the events at the bamboo grove from the previous night.
Only then did Ji Xinhe recall amidst her delight of making money that she had left early and was unaware of the conclusion of the Wang Er Ya and Ji Xiulan’s affair.
Just as she was thinking about it, they arrived at their door. Ji Xinhe jumped down from cart, and asked Mu Houchu to carry in the jar that had been filled with bamboo shoots, she could barely wait to share the good news with Ji Dong.
But as soon as she entered, she bumped into Ji Xiulan. Ji Xiulan, in clean clothes and tidily dressed hair but with visible traces of scratches and bruises on her face. The grimness of her eyes alone could hint at her ordeal from the previous night.
"Oh no, what’s wrong with Sister Xiulan? Have you been in a fight?" Ji Xinhe asked, feigning ignorance, although she found the situation amusing.
Last night Ji Xiulan, in a fit of madness, ended her relationship with Gao Zhiru, and moreover, she had, in one fell swoop, shattered the image of a demure lady she had meticulously maintained for so many years.
On her way home, Ji Xinhe heard many whispers about Ji Xiulan’s outlandish behavior last night.
Given the magnitude of last night’s commotion, how could Ji Xinhe not know?
Upon seeing Ji Xinhe, Ji Xiulan took a deep sigh of frustration and glared at her hatefully, then stormed off into the house, slamming the door violently behind her.
Ji Xinhe hummed a little tune and went back to her room.
As soon as Ji Xiulan went in, she furiously threw the wooden basin she was carrying. "That low-life Ji Xinhe is enjoying my misery! She can’t stand to see me happy!"
Lady Ding quickly tried to console her, "Why are you bothering with that wild child?"
Ji Xiulan, her anger at a boiling point, burst into tears. "Gao Zhiru has now hooked up with Wang Er Ya! Last night, he ran away when I confronted Wang Er Ya, which obviously means he doesn’t want to marry me. I ruined my reputation last night, and now that he and I are over, what’s the difference between me and a wild girl? How can I be a lady of a wealthy family now?"
Ji Xiulan had always been prideful. She looked down on the common farmers, and set her sights on Gao Zhiru, considering his promising future. The reason she had been smugly walking all over Ji Xinhe was that she thought she was soon going to be the wife of an official.
But now...
The more Ji Xiulan thought about it, the angrier she got. She was so frustrated that she felt like smashing things around.
Lady Ding let out a "tch" sound, "How is that shameless hussy Wang Er Ya even a match for you? You can’t be an official’s wife, why should she have all the luck?"
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