"No," Li Linxi denied in a calm tone. His indifferent words fell, and Jiang Manzhu's eyes widened in surprise, as if she'd seen a ghost.
What? Did she realize he had issues with her? And was she that certain about it?
Looking at the cold young man narrowing his eyes slightly, Jiang Manzhu didn't understand, only feeling as if he wanted to dissect her and study her.
"Linxi, did you come back today?" Jiang Manzhu's beautiful and delicate face appeared softer under the dim light of the kerosene lamp, her features highlighted with a gentle beauty.
Especially when Jiang Manzhu lowered her voice to tentatively ask him, her soft voice seemed like it carried a hook.
However, Li Linxi, the one being "hooked," frowned, a trace of disgust flashing in his eyes, and he instinctively took a step back.
"No, I came back last night," Li Linxi replied coldly, and he warned Jiang Manzhu, "In this house, only when Mom and Xiaobei are doing well can you be well. Understand?"
No matter what she was thinking, if she wanted to stay in this house, she'd have to follow his rules.
Last night?
Jiang Manzhu's breath hitched. So, he might have already known about the original owner's plan to steal the money and run away. Maybe he even knew about the whole scheme? That's why he had coincidentally brought a group of people to the small forest this morning?
No wonder he was so prejudiced against her…
"Linxi, how can you say that? They're my mom and my little brother too!" The woman, feeling accused, acted heartbroken and scolded Li Linxi for not trusting her. Her performance could easily win her an Oscar for Best Actress.
Li Linxi didn't say a word, his cold expression indeed quite intimidating.
His sharp aura lingered faintly around him, but Jiang Manzhu ignored it, standing tall and confident, confronting him. As long as I remain righteous, no one can morally condemn me, she thought.
Looking at her behavior, Li Linxi didn't want to waste more words on her. She was clearly pretending to be ignorant.
After giving Jiang Manzhu a cold warning, he turned and left. His tall figure seemed even broader under the dim light.
With both of his older brothers, Lin Dong and Lin Nan, gone, it felt like Li Linxi had matured overnight.
Jiang Manzhu went back to her room to rest. The room wasn't Lin Dong's; it was an empty room that had been remodeled later.
She wondered how she could clear her name in front of the male lead. The key was… she didn't want to humble herself and sweet-talk a man, even if he was the male lead!
Oh, unless it's just playful sweet-talking—that doesn't count.
Jiang Manzhu felt like she had gone through quite a lot in one day, leaving her exhausted.
In an era without cell phones, when it got dark, there wasn't even a light. Other than lying down to sleep, what else could she do?
As soon as she lay down and fell asleep, it was already morning when she woke up again.
When Jiang Manzhu got up, the whole family was already awake. As she stepped out of her room, she felt a bit embarrassed and greeted them. So… she was the one who had slept in?
Seeing Jiang Manzhu up, Liu Jumei and Xiaobei smiled and greeted her warmly, a scene full of harmony.
Only the male lead, with his indifferent expression, was a bit of an eyesore. Jiang Manzhu chose to ignore him. "Mom, Xiaobei, good morning. Why are you both up so early?"
"Manzhu, you're up? Go brush your teeth and wash your face; we'll eat soon," Liu Jumei said gently. As long as the family could live peacefully without any arguments, this simple life was good enough for her.
She no longer expected her son to achieve much in life…
"The sun's already up, and Mom had to get up early to make breakfast for you. Didn't you say you'd take good care of her?" Li Linxi was clearly displeased with Jiang Manzhu's late rise. When she walked into the kitchen, he sternly lectured her.
At that moment, it was just the two of them in the kitchen. Liu Jumei and Xiaobei were in the main hall. Li Linxi hadn't expected Jiang Manzhu to be so shameless.
She acted as if nothing had happened and even seemed like she truly intended to settle in with his family. Was she not planning to leave?
Feeling scrutinized, Jiang Manzhu instinctively touched her face. Why is he looking at me like that? Is it because my face is too oily after just waking up? Or do I have eye boogers?
Even with her thick skin, she felt embarrassed. Covering her face, she quickly went to wash up.
Looking at Jiang Manzhu's coquettish movements, Li Linxi pursed his lips disdainfully. Who was she trying to impress with that behavior? Did she even know her own status?
Jiang Manzhu, however, paid no mind to Li Linxi's thoughts. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she sat at the dining table. There was food at home, but it couldn't be wasted freely. She had picked some wild vegetables and made vegetable dumplings. The fine white rice had been replaced with coarse grains—plentiful and filling.
Seeing Jiang Manzhu not eating much, Liu Jumei felt a bit worried. If she had known earlier, she would have exchanged some eggs with someone this morning.
"Linxi, go take some money and exchange ten eggs with Aunt Zhang next door." Liu Jumei sighed. All their savings were gone now. She felt guilty, thinking her family had dragged Jiang Manzhu into hardship, forcing her to suffer alongside them.
"Alright." Li Linxi had no idea what his mother was thinking. He simply assumed it was to improve the family's meals a bit. Working in the fields all day and only eating coarse grains wasn't enough to sustain their strength.
After breakfast, Jiang Manzhu and Xiaobei went to cut pig grass, while Li Linxi initially planned to go to the fields alone. However, he soon realized that his mother had followed him.
"Mom, why did you come too? Didn't I tell you to rest at home?" Li Linxi frowned, wanting to pull Liu Jumei back home.
"I'm fine. My body is strong and healthy; I haven't been sick or in pain for a long time." Liu Jumei waved her hand dismissively. She had already rested for so many days. If she didn't go to the fields, how could she rely on her son to earn work points? They would starve for sure.
No matter how much Li Linxi tried to persuade her, Liu Jumei wouldn't listen. She felt touched by her son's concern but knew that they couldn't survive without working.
Linxi was just too young. Did he think the pension would sustain them for a lifetime?
On the way, they met other villagers. Everyone knew about the situation at the Li family—how the third son, Li Linxi, had dropped out of school to return home. People greeted them warmly.
Li Linxi smiled and nodded at the villagers, holding no prejudice against them. On the other hand, Liu Jumei cheerfully chatted with them. She never revealed the painful details of her other two sons' fates to anyone.
The conversation soon shifted to Li Linxi's marriage.
"Your Linxi isn't getting any younger. Since he's staying in the village, getting married and having children should be his priority."
"Exactly! My niece would be a good match."
"Your Linxi is such a fine young man, looking like a scholar, smart and capable. He should get married soon and give you a grandchild to hold…"
The village women, especially the matchmakers, were always enthusiastic about arranging marriages. A scholar like Li Linxi, who had attended high school but returned home due to poverty, wouldn't typically be the first choice for many girls. After all, he was just a bookworm—like the educated youths sent to the countryside—who probably wasn't strong enough to do manual labor or even support himself.
If Li Lintong and Li Linnan were still around, with the family's previous wealth, many people would have been eager to marry into their family. But times had changed. The family's current financial situation was dire, especially after spending so much money on Lintong's illness and losing Linnan, their main breadwinner. Even with the pension from the government, things were tough.
Although people had their own thoughts, they didn't show them outwardly. Instead, they cheerfully conversed with Liu Jumei.
Li Linxi, who had spent years studying and didn't have to work in the fields, maintained his naturally fair skin. His looks, inherited from both his parents, were far better than the educated youths who had been tanned from years of farm work.
Before, no one dared to set their sights on Li Linxi because of his family's standing and his own academic future. But now that things had changed, many felt they had a chance. Young girls would steal glances at him, their eyes lingering on his figure.
Li Linxi ignored the attention. He was used to the stares and didn't care.
Liu Jumei, however, pondered what the village women said. Perhaps it really was time for Linxi to think about marriage.
…
On the other side, Jiang Manzhu and Xiaobei were cutting pig grass. There was only one knife, and as the elder sister-in-law, Jiang Manzhu naturally wanted to set a good example for her younger brother.
But… she nearly cut her hand in the process. Seeing her clumsy movements, even Xiaobei couldn't stand it anymore.
"Sister-in-law, let me do it." Though Xiaobei was still a boy of fifteen, Liu Jumei had already taught him how to handle simple tasks.
Jiang Manzhu watched in surprise as Xiaobei skillfully cut the pig grass. His movements weren't fast, but they were far more practiced and efficient than hers.
"Xiaobei, how did you get so good at this? Have you cut pig grass before?"
"No, I used to go with Mom to gather firewood from the mountains," Xiaobei replied as he worked. The grass they gathered was used to start fires, as it was hard to ignite wood directly.
"Wow, our Xiaobei is amazing!" Jiang Manzhu clapped her hands to encourage him. Seeing Xiaobei work even more enthusiastically after her praise, she smiled. Indeed, he was still just a child.
She reached into her pocket. Oh, she forgot—she didn't have any candy. But it didn't matter, she had money. Next time, she'd buy a bag of sweets from the town.
"Xiaobei, Mom and your third brother work so hard. How about we make some sweet water to help them cool off?" Jiang Manzhu glanced up at the sun. It was already scorching hot at just eight in the morning. Summer was truly here.
"Sure!" Xiaobei nodded eagerly at the mention of sweet water. "Right, Mom and Third Brother are working really hard."
"Great! Then let's take this pig grass to the pigsty first, and then we'll go pick some bayberries, okay?" Jiang Manzhu thought of a way to balance the sourness since she didn't have sugar.
She wasn't sure how the drink would turn out, but in this summer heat, sugar water had to be cold to be refreshing. Without saltpeter, how could they make ice?
The village raised several pigs, cared for by two aunts. When Jiang Manzhu and Xiaobei delivered the pig grass, the aunts carefully inspected it.
"Come on, Xiaobei, bring your basket. Let's go pick some bayberries." After handing over the pig grass, Jiang Manzhu waved her hand energetically, ready to head out with Xiaobei.
They picked the bayberries, washed them, and then went to the stream that flowed from the other side of the mountain to fetch water. The water from the stream was warm in winter and cool in summer. Jiang Manzhu planned to cool the boiling sour plum soup by submerging it in the stream.
It was a tedious task. Squatting by the basin, Jiang Manzhu looked at the steaming sour plum soup and sighed. If only she had saltpeter, things wouldn't be this troublesome!
She changed the cool water several times. Half of the soup was left to cool in the stream, while the other half was poured into a kettle. "Xiaobei, go give this to Mom and your third brother."
Thinking that her mother-in-law and Linxi might be far apart, she filled two kettles and decided to go with Xiaobei.
In this kind of heat, she truly admired the villagers who worked the fields. They were hardworking and resilient, unlike herself, a useless person… But she still preferred being lazy!
She and Xiaobei each wore a straw hat and carried a kettle of sour plum soup. By now, it was past ten in the morning, and the sun was already blazing high in the sky, its scorching rays pouring down on the earth.
The water they had brought to the field earlier had long since turned hot. It would take them five or six minutes to walk from their house to the fields. Bamboo groves lined the small path, providing some shade.
The field stretched out far into the distance. Just as they passed the bamboo grove, they spotted Liu Jumei working the soil. "Mom."
Liu Jumei, surprised to hear someone call her, looked up and saw Jiang Manzhu and Xiaobei approaching. "Why are you here?"
"Mom, Xiaobei and I made some sour plum soup for you, specially cooled," Jiang Manzhu said as she opened the kettle, ready to pour some for Liu Jumei.
Liu Jumei, while saying it was unnecessary, accepted the drink. It was indeed cool and refreshing, with a pleasant taste.
"Mom, where's Linxi? We made a kettle for him too." Jiang Manzhu had to keep up the appearance of a good sister-in-law in front of Liu Jumei and Xiaobei, making sure not to favor anyone.
"He's in the field at the end." Liu Jumei pointed to a distant spot. It wasn't a straight path, and they would have to circle around—probably another 400 meters or so.
"Xiaobei, I'll take it to your third brother. You can wait here or go home first." Jiang Manzhu volunteered eagerly. She needed to show her mother-in-law that she was a caring sister.