The dilapidated shack she was in looked like it had been around for years. The walls were made of mud bricks, two of which were slanted to varying degrees. Not only were they covered in signs of repeated repairs, but you could even hear the wind whistling through the cracks. It definitely qualified as a condemned building.
The wind had ripped away a third of the thatched roof, leaving a hole the size of a millstone. Looking up, she could see the azure sky and white clouds.
If it weren't nearly late autumn, it would have made a decent viewing platform. But it would be a disaster when it rained. If it was pouring outside, it would at least be a heavy shower inside.
The furnishings inside were sparse. Besides a dilapidated wooden frame bed and a three-legged table, there was nothing else. Ji Huan pushed the door open and went outside.
Outside was a yard enclosed by a fence. The fence was so rotten it offered no real protection, and it had several holes that looked like they were made by animals coming and going. Since it had been uninhabited for a long time, the weeds in the yard were already knee-deep.
To the left of the yard was a dead pear tree. To the right was a shed made of four wooden posts. Under the shed was a simple stove covered in dust. The black jar and earthenware pot in the stove's opening were also caked with old dust. Against the wall were some unused chopped firewood.
This place was at the edge of the village, less than a mile from a tall mountain cliff. It would be incredibly dangerous if there was a landslide or mudslide.
No wonder only a few families lived scattered around here. They were probably the poorer ones in the village.
She, however, was quite satisfied. If she had to keep living right under the Ji Family's nose, that would have been truly vexing, and who knew when her cover would be blown.
She had a place to stay for now. Even though it couldn't shelter her from the wind or rain, she had to take it one step at a time.
'As for the second step...' Ji Huan rubbed her stomach, which was rumbling an empty tune. 'It seems I need to solve the problem of food and warmth as soon as possible.'
But she was penniless...
'But that can wait.' She decided to skip that step for now and proceed directly to the third: separating from the family.
In reality, her injuries weren't as severe as they looked. The wound on her forehead was real, no doubt, but the blood on her body was self-inflicted while she was locked in the wealthy family's woodshed.
That's right. She had been planning to separate from the family ever since then.
'First, I'm not the real Ji Huan. I have no feelings for the Ji Family.'
'Besides, a family that could be so cruel and heartless to a young girl is no good. It's better to cut ties completely and go our separate ways.'
'And with my current reputation, I can't be sold off anymore. If I don't separate from the family now, while they think I'm on death's door, am I supposed to just wait for those leeches to suck me dry and continue slaving away for them?'
Ji Huan couldn't help but shudder just thinking about such a life.
The original owner of this body had grown accustomed to passively enduring this kind of environment, but she wasn't the original owner.
She had considered escaping Dafeng Village, but after understanding the household registration system of this era, she gave up on that naive idea.
During the few days she was locked up at the wealthy family's house, she had gathered a lot of information. She learned that the country she was in was called the Great Zhou Country. Its territory, customs, and political and economic systems were all very similar to the Ming Dynasty from her previous life's history.
The household registration system of Great Zhou was very strict. Because the state's corvée labor and taxes were ultimately allocated per person, peasants were tied to the land. Transferring one's household registration was incredibly difficult. Without household documents, one couldn't even leave home. To do so would make you a vagrant. Not only would you be barred from entering cities, but if the authorities found you, you'd be arrested as a criminal, beaten with a plank, and exiled.
After thinking it over and over, separating from the family was the only way.
Ji Huan didn't need to look to know what a ghostly sight she must be. Combined with the weakness from hunger, it would help make up for any lack of acting skills. If she didn't go make a scene at their door now, when would she?
The Ji Family's house had the square layout common in rural areas. While not exactly spacious, it was uniformly built with green bricks and gray tiles.
Directly opposite the main gate was a row of three large, tile-roofed rooms. The middle one was the main hall for eating and receiving guests. The eastern room of the hall was occupied by Ji Qingshan and his wife, while the western room was Ji Liantang's.
On the left side of the courtyard were four side rooms. The eldest branch of the family occupied two, and the other two originally belonged to the second branch. Now, Aunt Kang had locked them up, saying they needed to be renovated for Ji Liantang's future bridal chamber.
On the right side, there were also four side rooms. The first two housed the members of the third branch. Of the other two, one was for storing grain and farm tools, and one served as the kitchen.
As for the vegetable garden, the pigsty, and the pens for the chickens, ducks, and geese, they were all in the backyard.
The courtyard walls were made of mud bricks, but the top was also lined with a layer of tiles, which made it look quite impressive.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Zhu had been complaining nonstop since early morning.
When that wretched girl was around, she never had to worry about chores like laundry, cooking, and cleaning. Now she and her eldest sister-in-law, Yang, had to take turns. Even though she pushed most of the work onto Yang, she still had to get up early, which naturally made her unhappy.
She muttered and cursed endlessly. One moment she'd complain that Yang was too slow at stoking the fire, the next she'd tell Yang to chop the vegetables so she could rest. Whenever she had a free moment, she didn't forget to curse a few times, "I wonder if that wretched girl has kicked the bucket yet..."
"Mom! Mom! The... the jinx is coming home!" her ten-year-old son, Ji Mingmao, shouted as he ran into the courtyard.
"What!" Mrs. Zhu's heart skipped a beat, and she hurried outside.
Just then, she saw her mother-in-law lift the door curtain of the main hall. With a long face, she asked, "What are you yelling about so early in the morning? Are you afraid the neighbors won't hear you?"
'Leaving a dying granddaughter outside to wait for death isn't exactly something to be proud of,' she thought. 'Does this idiot want the whole village to know?'
Ji Mingmao was still young, after all, and didn't understand the convoluted thoughts of adults.
He had just gone out to find a friend to play with tops, but he hadn't gone far when he saw a figure "floating" toward him.
Its head was wrapped in white cloth, and its body was covered in blood. It was a frightening sight.
When it got a little closer and he saw that the deathly pale face belonged to his older cousin, and then remembered his mother's words from last night before bed—"that dead girl won't last till morning"—Ji Mingmao let out a "MAMA!", and ran back home, scared out of his wits.
"Grandma, there's a ghost, a ghost! The jinx is here to claim my life! WAHHH, and there are people..."
Aunt Kang was furious. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face. "Shut up!"
Mrs. Zhu's hair was also standing on end, but she was unhappy seeing her son get hit. Not daring to confront her mother-in-law directly, she petulantly started walking outside. "Mother, don't worry, I'll go take a look. If this child Mingmao is lying, just see if I don't beat him to death when I get back, teach him to be a busybody..."
Her threat had barely left her lips when the foot she had stepped out with shot back as if bitten by a dog.
She slammed the door shut with a BANG and bolted it. Leaning against the door, she turned around, her tongue tied.
"Mo-Mother, she's... she's really here..."
The journey from Ji Huan's dilapidated shack to the Ji Family's house wasn't far, but with an empty stomach and her overall weakness, it felt like an arduous trek.
Her feet felt like they were stepping on cotton, and she was panting after just a few steps, looking like she could pass out at any moment. With this appearance, she successfully attracted the attention of the villagers.
Farming families rose early, so people were everywhere at this hour. Coupled with Ji Mingmao's pig-like squeal, many people saw Ji Huan's miserable state.
At first, they stopped to stare furtively, but slowly they began to gather around.
Although they were wary of her reputation, one saying holds true through the ages: curiosity killed the cat.
And women's curiosity is always a cut above the rest.
A middle-aged woman was the first to ask, "Wan, what happened to you?"
Ji Huan knew from her memories that this was Aunt Wang, a particularly nosy woman from the village.
She pressed her lips together but only shook her head, not saying a word no matter who asked.
The more she acted like this, the more anxious and curious it made people, desperate to know what had happened.
Since it was the slack season for farming anyway, the crowd simply decided to follow her toward the Ji Family's house.