Gao Zhiru looked a bit uneasy, but still responded hesitantly: "Well, we need to wait until the results are out to know, it’s too early now."
Partly he felt guilty at heart, and partly he was perplexed by Lady Ding’s inexplicable enthusiasm towards him.
Three days ago, after his affair with Wang Er Ya was exposed, with Ji Xiulan acting crazy, he had thought that on seeing him, Lady Ding would vent her anger by giving him a beating. But now, the situation was a stark contrast to what he’d expected and it was a bit difficult for him to accept.
Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Lady Ding smiled kindly and said: "Zhiru, about the last incident, don’t take it to heart. Xiulan is young and impulsive, she doesn’t fully understand that it’s normal for a man to have more than one woman. As someone who aspires to be a high official, you shouldn’t worry about these trivial matters. Just let it pass. You two have a long life ahead."
Not just Ji Xinhe, but Gao Zhiru was also stunned as he stared at Lady Ding when he heard her remarks.
"What’s the matter? Are you tired from studying too hard? I’ve told you not to push yourself so much. If you’re really tired, you should rest. Let’s talk about your and Xiulan’s marriage in a couple of days." There was a pleasing tone to Lady Ding’s voice. It seemed she had already assumed that Gao Zhiru would soon be a high-ranking official.
Before Gao Zhiru could respond, he heard a sharp female voice: "What the hell is this? After sleeping with our Er Ya, you still want Gao Zhiru to marry your Xiulan? What about our Er Ya?"
It turns out that Wang Er Ya’s mother, Aunt Wang had heard that Gao Zhiru was back and had rushed over immediately.
Lady Ding snapped back, sarcastically, "You shameless woman, your daughter threw herself at him, it served her right when she ended up in bed with him. How dare she try to force him into marriage? Whose fault is it that your daughter knows how to seduce men? Who is foolish enough to marry such a woman in your family?"
Aunt Wang flared up and shot back: "You’re full of shit! They both were willing to be together, they even agreed that as soon as he passed the exam, they’d get married. What does it have to do with your Ji Xiulan? After having a scandalous relationship with San, does she now want to destroy Gao Zhiru too?"
"What are you blundering about!? My daughter is a pure girl. Just because your Er Ya is as chaste as an alley cat does not mean others are same! She should be grateful to Li Zheng that he did not put her into a pig-dipping cage! Stop dreaming!"
"Heh! My daughter might need to be dipped in a pig cage, but what about your daughter’s encounter with San..."
Seeing that the two shrews were on the brink of a noisy quarrel, Gao Zhiru hastily bolted.
Neither Lady Ding nor Aunt Wang could catch up with him in time.
This time, Gao Zhiru really ran fast. He instantly regretted his decision to come back to the village. Had he known that he hadn’t escaped these two lunatics yet, he wouldn’t have bothered to return!
"Gao Zhiru, could you at least tell us which one of them you want to marry?"
Gao Zhiru had already vanished out of sight, but Aunt Wang and Lady Ding’s cries still echoed around the village, lingering for a long while.
Ji Xinhe was speechless. Holding the basket full of tofu, he went into the kitchen. He didn’t know whether to label the two women as fools or naïve. Gao Zhiru was clearly just toying with both at the same time. Both Wang Er Ya and Ji Xiulan were just village girls, who would he even value?
These days, one should stop dreaming about pies falling from the sky.
Even Ji Dong felt embarrassed. After all, he also had the last name, Ji. Lady Ding was bringing shame upon the Ji family. If this scandal got out, wouldn’t people gossip about their family?
"With the way things are going, our family’s reputation in Yangluo Bay will be ruined. Xiulan isn’t young anymore. It would be better to just marry her off to a suitable family instead of creating such a fuss." Ji Dong said.
Ji Xinhe brought out a small jar, spread some dry rice straw inside, and then placed the tofu chunks into it: "Some people always feel that they can easily pick up a bargain, so they can be easily deceived. The most Ji Xiulan will lose is her reputation, but I guess Wang Er Ya will face more trouble." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
She was caught committing adultery by the villagers and had even slept with Gao Zhiru. Which family would want her now?
Ji Dong furrowed his brows, "Xin He, you must not be like them. Marry someone within your social strata, our family doesn’t crave such things."
Ji Xinhe blinked and nodded, "Of course, I won’t be like them."
She hadn’t even thought about getting married!
Ji Dong then squatted down to watch her make fermented tofu, "You’re directly sealing the tofu chunks in this jar, won’t they go bad?"
"That’s the point. The tofu should go bad, the worse it goes bad, the tastier it is! You’ll know in a few days." Ji Xinhe cheerfully replied, then carried the jar into the kitchen.
In the next three or five days, when Ji Xinhe thought that the time was just right, she opened the jar, took out the tofu chunks. Xiao Bei pinched his nose and said, "Sister, this tofu smells so bad."
"Well, it might smell bad, but isn’t it delicious?" Ji Xinhe replied. Then she picked up a piece of tofu using chopsticks, first rolled it in some white wine, then in a bowl of salt, then in sugar, finally drizzling it with chili oil before putting it in a new jar.
Xiao Bei also started doing it the same way as Ji Xinhe. After a while, he had processed all the tofu.
"Once it’s sealed for a week, we can eat it," Ji Xinhe licked her lips.
It’s been a long while since she had fermented tofu, and she missed it.
Meanwhile, Gao Zhiru, after escaping from the village, hadn’t returned for several days. With his departure, Ji Xiulan had grown increasingly restless.
In her world, Gao Zhiru represented a turning point in her life, the only way out of her current poverty. But suddenly, this turning point disappeared and she was left wondering how to move on.
Did she really have to marry a peasant and barely get by for the rest of her life? Her future seemed utterly hopeless.
In such a dilemma, what should she do?
"In my opinion, Xiulan isn’t young anymore. If she doesn’t get married soon, it’ll be even harder for her when she becomes an old spinster. It’s better to find a family and settle her down." Ji Dashan finally broke his silence after a long time.
These words, however, set Lady Ding off: "What do you mean hard to get married? What’s wrong with our Xiulan? Why would she not be able to find a good husband?"
Ji Dashan gloomily said, "But now Gao Zhiru doesn’t seem to be a reliable option anymore."
Gao Zhiru ran off. He truly ran off, even his parents had no clue where he was hiding. It was evident he was avoiding them. Why would he still be willing to marry Xiulan?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
