Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: We Need to Exercise Some Restraint Now

After planting the corn, Lin Ranran slipped into the space for a delightfully comfortable bath, enjoyed a deep and restful sleep, and finally climbed out with renewed energy to prepare dinner.

By the time the Ji family and the other educated youths finished their day’s labor and returned home, dragging their tired bodies, Lin Ranran had already made dinner. Xia Zhiyuan had volunteered to cook that evening, hoping that by letting the Ji family cook first, they would feel grateful to her. But she never expected Lin Ranran not only to finish cooking but to wash all the pots and dishes until they gleamed. What was even harder for her to accept was that Lin Ranran had cooked meat again! The rich, mouthwatering aroma of meat filled the entire educated youth courtyard.

The others inhaled deeply, their mouths watering with longing. It had been so long since they’d tasted meat—they could barely remember its flavor. Who knew when the team would finally issue meat coupons?

“Ranran, we’re back!” Ji Mother called with a smile the moment she entered the courtyard. After a whole day in the fields, she’d missed her precious grandchild terribly.

“Sister-in-law, we’re back!” the younger ones called out cheerfully.

“Wife, we’re back,” Ji Junxiao said, his voice carrying a gentle warmth.

A smile blossomed across Lin Ranran’s lips as she untied her apron. “You must all be famished. Hurry and wash up for dinner.”

“Sister-in-law is the best,” the younger ones said, their eyes sparkling with joy.

Ji Junxiao looked at her with a hint of concern. “Didn’t we agree you’d wait for us to make dinner?”

Lin Ranran’s eyes curved in amusement. “Cooking is hardly trouble. No need to bother all of you.”

“You’ve worked hard, Ranran,” Ji Father said.

“Not at all. You’re the ones who’ve really worked. By the way, Dad, there’s a patch of wasteland in the back yard. I was idle, so I planted some corn. After dinner, could you tell the team leader? It’s such a pity to leave it uncultivated.”

“You planted corn too? Wasn’t that tiring?” Ji Junxiao’s voice brimmed with concern.

“It wasn’t much, just a bit of exercise,” she replied.

Ji Father nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to him after dinner.”

Meanwhile, Xia Zhiyuan was sulking as she cooked. Watching the Ji family gather around their table, laughing, teasing, and from time to time saying things like, “Ranran, you’ve worked so hard, eat more,” only fanned the flames of jealousy in her heart.

She snorted inwardly, thinking, “Go ahead and spoil her. Let’s see how happy you’ll be when there’s nothing left to eat in a few days!”

As she thought this, she carefully took out the cured meat she’d saved from lunch, wrapping it layer after layer in old newspaper. When the Ji family ran out of meat, she’d take this over to win their favor for sure.

Elsewhere, the male educated youths waiting in line for their baths were eagerly discussing Lin Ranran.

“Ji Junxiao’s wife is truly beautiful. Standing there, she’s like a living masterpiece, dazzling,” one of the men said enviously.

“Yes, she has such a unique air. No wonder Ji Junxiao is utterly infatuated,” another agreed.

“The way they were clinging in the fields today, you’d think they were glued together,” a third teased.

“Ji Junxiao is one lucky guy, marrying such a wife.”

“Why couldn’t I have such luck? If I had a beauty like her, I’d let her stay home comfortably and only worry about looking lovely. I’d go do all the work,” someone else fantasized.

“Oh, please—you can’t even feed yourself, and you still want to support a wife?” The group burst into laughter.

Hearing all this, Xia Zhiyuan’s face turned ashen with rage. These men discussed Lin Ranran in the fields, and again when they got back—was she really that special? She’s just a pregnant woman—what’s so good about her?

When it was time to eat, the educated youths broke their usual habit of eating in pairs in their rooms and instead all gathered in the courtyard. They ate while sneaking glances at Lin Ranran from time to time. After all, none of them had ever seen such a striking woman.

Finishing her meal, Lin Ranran immediately sensed the men’s eyes flickering over her. She figured they were probably curious to see what a notorious slacker looked like. She shot them a fierce glare.

The men ducked their heads in embarrassment, pretending to focus on their food.

Seeing this, Ji Junxiao was seized by a wave of jealousy. He strode over, quickly pulled Lin Ranran into their room, and shut the door behind them. How could those men be so shameless, staring so openly at another man’s wife?

“Why did you close the door?” Lin Ranran asked curiously. “I need to get some fruit for Dad to take to the team leader.”

“I’ll get it for you. Where is it?” Ji Junxiao’s voice was a little awkward.

“On the table.”

Ji Junxiao went to fetch the fruit. Suddenly, Lin Ranran remembered something. “Honey, ask Dad if we can get a few more patches of wasteland, besides the one in the backyard. We can clear it ourselves and plant some things. Actually, I’ll talk to him myself.”

She moved to go outside, but Ji Junxiao quickly stopped her. “Don’t go out.”

She looked at him in surprise. “Why not?”

He replied awkwardly, “There are so many men eating out there. It’s not appropriate for you to go out now.”

She understood at once—he was jealous. Amused by his awkward earnestness, she teased, “What, are you embarrassed for your wife to be seen?”

“No, I just don’t like them looking at you,” he muttered.

“It’s not like I’m made of gold. What’s wrong with a glance or two?”

“The problem is, their thoughts aren’t pure.” His face flushed as he explained.

Lin Ranran approached him, smiling. “And yours are pure?”

He backed away until his back hit the wall with a thud. His face turned bright red and his breathing quickened. What was going on with his wife today? She kept provoking him like this—he was no saint!

He swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Wife, you’re pregnant. We need to… restrain ourselves.”

Lin Ranran paused, realizing what he was thinking. She’d only been teasing, but he’d taken it as an invitation. Well, in the original world, such behavior was indeed a sign of affection.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Ji Junxiao said, “I’ll take the fruit to Dad and go take a bath. You stay in here, and don’t come out, alright?”

He quickly kissed her on the cheek, and while she was still dazed, rushed out.

Watching his retreating back, Lin Ranran laughed. The male lead really was quite innocent. If she didn’t know he and the original owner had been affectionate for a month, she’d suspect he was still a bashful young man.

“Brother Ji, are you fetching water for a bath?” Xia Zhiyuan’s eyes lit up when she saw Ji Junxiao and hurried out of her room.

He acted as though he hadn’t heard her and walked straight to the well.

“Brother Ji, could you please help me draw a bucket of water? I don’t have the strength,” she said, her tone coy.

Ji Junxiao completely ignored her. He drew the water, then carried it off to the men’s bathhouse to wait his turn.

Xia Zhiyuan stamped her foot in frustration. He was her husband in her previous life! He’d always replied to her then, even if he was cold. She wasn’t about to give up this time.

When the male youths saw Ji Junxiao arrive, they hurried to change the topic. After all, it wasn’t exactly honorable to be caught gossiping about someone else’s wife. Ji Junxiao shot them a cold glare, and the air seemed to grow chillier.

Strange, he was just from the military, not their superior—why did they feel nervous around him?

Meanwhile, Lin Ranran brought several kerosene lamps to Ji Mother.

“Sister-in-law, you bought kerosene lamps?” Ji Junyao’s eyes lit up at the sight.

“Of course. Otherwise, how would you all study and read at night?” Lin Ranran replied with a smile.

Ji Mother beamed with pride. “Ranran, you’re so thoughtful. Junyao, gather your brothers and come study here tonight.”

“No need, I bought four lamps—one for each room,” Lin Ranran said.

A trace of concern crossed Ji Mother’s face. “But isn’t it wasteful to burn so much oil every night?”

“Don’t worry, Mom. We can afford a bit of oil. No matter how hard things are, we can’t let the younger ones’ studies suffer.”

Junyao was moved to tears. “Sister-in-law, I never imagined you’d be so farsighted and open-minded.”

“Of course. Knowledge changes fate, especially in times like these. Life in the countryside is tough, but we can’t forget to learn. I’m hoping all of you will make it to college one day.”

Junyao began to cry. “Sister-in-law, if it were before, my brothers and I could have gone to college, but now with our family’s situation, we probably don’t even qualify to apply, let alone go through the recommendation process. The authorities won’t approve us.”

Lin Ranran comforted her. “We’re only under observation, not condemned. Besides, if you have talent, are you afraid no school will take you? I have a feeling the college entrance exams will be restored soon. When that day comes, we’ll all take the exams together. See, I’ve already bought all the high school textbooks.”

She brought out several sets of textbooks and exercise books.

Junyao was so excited that she jumped three feet in the air. “Sister-in-law, you’re wonderful! I’m going to tell my brothers—they’ll be over the moon!”

Clutching the books, she bounded out of the room like a joyous fawn.

The Ji children all loved to study; otherwise, they wouldn’t have achieved so much in the future.

Lin Ranran had a soft spot for such hardworking, ambitious children.

Ji Mother took Lin Ranran’s hand, her voice trembling with emotion. “Ranran, you’re so considerate. Thank you on behalf of the children.”

“Mom, we’re family—no need for thanks. By the way, I heard there are a lot of ticks in the fields. Did you get bitten today?”

According to the book, this region was notorious for ticks. They thrived in grass, woods, and shrubs, waiting for a host to pass by before latching on and feeding. Once engorged, they’d swell to several times their size before dropping off. The bites caused relentless itching, which country folk had grown used to, but the Ji family would likely suffer.

Ji Mother sighed. “I’ve got tough skin; a few tick bites are nothing. I just worry about the kids, especially Junyao.”

“Mom, this is iodine for disinfecting wounds. I also gathered some dandelions today—if you wash and mash them into a paste and apply it to the bites, it helps with swelling and pain. That’s what the elders say.”

As she spoke, Lin Ranran took out the supplies.

Ji Mother was delighted. “Ranran, is there anything you don’t know? You’re amazing!”

“Don’t forget, Mom, I grew up in the countryside, so I naturally know a bit more. Oh, and tomorrow, crush some garlic and carry it in a little cloth bag. That way, ticks won’t be as likely to bite.”

She handed over several cloth bags and some garlic.

“Wonderful! Ranran, you’re our family’s lucky star. What would we do without you?”

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Junyao ran in crying. She’d been bitten in several places and was scratching so hard her skin was nearly raw.

Ji Mother quickly disinfected the wounds with iodine and applied the mashed dandelion. Miraculously, the symptoms eased right away.

“No wonder you’re my sister-in-law. Without you, I’d be itching and crying all night.”

Junyao, now smiling through her tears, admired Lin Ranran even more.

Just then, Xia Zhiyuan came knocking on the door. Seeing her, Junyao’s face darkened instantly and she moved to shut the door.

“Aunt Ji, I brought you some medicine. You must have gotten lots of tick bites today?” Xia Zhiyuan said, stopping the door with her hand. In her previous life, the Ji family had often suffered from tick and leech bites. The men could endure it, but Ji Mother and the little sister would cry from the itching every night. Later, by bringing them herbal remedies, Xia Zhiyuan had won them over, so they listened to her every word.

Junyao eyed her herbal concoction with disdain. “No need for your fake kindness. My sister-in-law bought us proper medicine. It works better than your so-called herbs!”

Xia Zhiyuan hurried to explain, “This is purslane—it’s what the villagers use, and it works great. But that store-bought medicine is too expensive—you shouldn’t waste money like that, especially in the countryside. You have to be thrifty, Aunt Ji.”

“Oh? So you’re saying my daughter-in-law doesn’t know how to run a household?” Ji Mother snapped. “Let me tell you, our Ranran can do anything—and you’re not worth even a finger of hers. Get out! You’re not welcome here!”

Junyao shoved her out. “Get lost, and stop hanging around us. Everyone can see through your little schemes.”

Xia Zhiyuan trembled with anger. This mother and daughter—how dare they treat her so? In her previous life, once she’d won them over, they never dared defy her.