With the family separation documents in hand, Ji Huan officially settled into the dilapidated shack.
In this era, the price of one mu of fertile land ranged from eight to ten taels. A residential plot in the village wasn't worth much, but one the size of her dilapidated shack's would still cost three to five taels of Silver.
She definitely couldn't afford that right now, and the village chief hadn't mentioned it. 'Still,' Ji Huan thought, 'I have to buy this land as soon as possible. I'll only truly be at ease once the deed is in my hands.'
The purchase deed was like a modern property deed. Influenced by her past life, she didn't really care about having a "home," but owning her own house was an absolute must.
September in the Northern Land was unlike in the South. While other places were still enjoying clear, crisp autumn weather, a hint of desolation had already crept into the Northern Pass.
Dafeng Village was near the mountains, and the temperature swung dramatically between day and night. 'There isn't even a single cotton quilt in this house, and with that big hole in the roof... I can bear it for now, but it'll be a real problem once the frost sets in.'
And then there was firewood, rice, oil, and salt; pots, bowls, and ladles; quilts, clothes, and daily necessities… the list went on and on.
'When it came down to it, the problem was still a lack of Silver. With Silver, all these difficulties would be easily solved.'
'So, the top priority is to make money—fast!'
'But for now, I should figure out what to eat for lunch.'
Before leaving this morning, she had taken a look around the front and back of the house. She'd discovered that besides weeds, plenty of wild vegetables were growing out back. There was also a large jujube tree and several persimmon trees.
The jujube tree was so thick a person could barely wrap their arms around it. It was only early September, but a layer of fruit had already fallen to the ground. Fortunately, plenty still hung from the branches, crimson, large, and round.
The persimmons were just about ready to eat, but they were still a bit astringent. They would probably be fine in a few days.
There were plenty of rowdy kids in the village. Normally, it would be a miracle for any of this fruit to be left. But then Ji Huan thought about it and understood why.
Because of the rumors that the place was haunted, the villagers didn't dare come near. The children, in particular, were frightened by the adults into believing that everything in this area was poisonous. She remembered Mrs. Zhu scaring Ji Mingmao with that very same story.
'In that case, I really have the haunting rumors to thank. Otherwise, none of this would have been left for me.'
Ji Huan plucked a handful of jujubes. Seeing the sun was high overhead, she went to the kitchen, grabbed the black earthenware jar, and headed for the stream.
The creek was on the eastern edge of the village. Its source was unclear, but it pooled at the foot of the mountain before flowing from north to south, eventually feeding into the Xisha River at the village's southern end.
Ji Huan's shack was in the northeast corner of the village, right where the creek began to bend at the foot of the mountain. It was considered the upper stream.
The villagers usually did their washing in the middle or southeastern sections of the creek. Hardly anyone ever came this far up, so Ji Huan wasn't worried about being seen.
'Back in the house, I briefly considered pretending to be sick for a few days before showing my face in public. Otherwise, how could I explain how someone on the brink of death had suddenly recovered?'
'But on second thought, forget it!'
'I'm dirt poor and urgently need to make some Silver. How can I just hide in the house worrying about what others think? If I starve to death, who's going to answer for it?'
'Anyway, so many strange things have happened to me lately, the villagers should be used to it by now. People have to learn to believe in miracles.'
Ji Huan squatted by the creek, first washing and eating the jujubes to ease the hunger pangs in her stomach. Only then did she untie the strip of cloth wrapped around her head.
The wound had already scabbed over. She cleaned the area around it, tore the cloth strip in half, and re-wrapped it. Using her reflection in the creek, she got her first good look at "herself."
Her features were still youthful and hadn't fully matured, but she had a good foundation. Her lips were like pale pink cherries, her nose was delicate and straight, and the corners of her eyes were fine and tilted up slightly. The beginnings of classic "peach blossom" eyes were already visible.
'It's just that her complexion is a bit sallow, and she's nothing but skin and bones. I don't even have to guess to know it's from the Ji Family's long-term abuse.'
'The good thing is, she's quite tall, with a slender, well-proportioned frame. With some proper care, she should blossom into a delicate beauty in a few years.'
'Thinking back to my plain-Jane, nerdy appearance in my past life, I'd say I've definitely come out ahead this time.'
Ji Huan had to rest three times on the way back before she finally managed to stagger home with the half-full jar of water. She couldn't help but marvel at how terribly weak this body was.
After resting in the courtyard for a good while, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
She pulled some dried wild artemisia from behind the house to fashion a simple broom. First, she swept the main room and the kitchen, then she soaked the other half of the torn cloth strip in water and wiped down the bed and the table.
Half a jar of water wasn't nearly enough, so she had to make several more trips. By the time she finished scrubbing the stove, the sun was nearly setting.
She hurried back to the creek.
While fetching water earlier, she had noticed a lot of fine-hair grass growing by the creek. It was a common type of countryside grass—thin, long, and extremely tough. It was too coarse for cattle or sheep to eat, and at this time of year, it had all withered to a yellow-brown.
While cleaning, Ji Huan had found a chipped machete under the bed, and now it came in handy. Using the last rays of twilight, she didn't stop until she had cut several large bundles. Then, it took all her might to haul them back.
In the courtyard, she shook out the dry grass several times before spreading it on the bed. After laying down three layers, it was finally no longer painfully hard to lie on.
'Without a proper mat or bedding, I can only make do for now.'
While cutting the grass, she had also picked up a few rocks from the creekside to prop up the wobbly, three-legged table.
When she was done, she realized her arms were so sore she could barely lift them. But looking at her surroundings—though still dilapidated, now clean and fresh—filled her with a deep sense of accomplishment. 'It's worth it, no matter how tired I am.'
In the blink of an eye, the sky went completely dark. After a full day of work, she was exhausted and sleepy. The moment she flopped onto the bed, she didn't want to move an inch.
But her stomach was empty. Fortunately, the persimmons and jujubes she had washed earlier were sitting on the table.
She closed the door and sat cross-legged on the bed.
There was no oil lamp. Through the window, she could faintly see the glimmer of the moon and stars. In the utter darkness, the only sound was the CRUNCH, CRUNCH of someone eating.
If it were anyone else, they might have died of fright, if not loneliness. But Ji Huan was used to it.
In the thirteen years she had lived in the countryside in her past life, she had learned basic survival skills from her grandmother, as well as an appreciation for life itself. After being brought back to the city, she learned patience, self-reliance, and how to embrace solitude.
All of those lessons had served her well. Otherwise, facing her current situation, she would probably be able to do nothing but cry.
She finished her food, casually draped a few handfuls of hay over her stomach for warmth, and lay down to sleep. Suddenly, she heard footsteps outside.
"Who is it?" Ji Huan opened her eyes and asked warily.
Silence. No one answered.
Ji Huan thought she must have misheard. But just as she turned over, a sound came from the door.
This time, she heard it clearly. Though the sound was faint, it was definitely a knock.
Ji Huan sat up, her sleepiness vanishing in an instant.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at the door. Even though she didn't believe in ghosts or spirits, the scene couldn't help but make her hair stand on end.
Slipping out of bed, she shuffled one step at a time toward the door.
Pressing her eye to a crack in the door, she could only make out a dark silhouette. Ji Huan asked again who it was.
The silhouette finally spoke.
"Wan, it's, it's me…"
'Ji Liansong?'
'What is he doing here so late…?'
Ji Huan paused for a moment before reaching out to slide the bolt open. Then she moved the wooden plank that was bracing the door.
As the door opened, she caught a glimpse of Ji Liansong with something slung over his shoulder.
"It's so late, Uncle. Is something the matter?"