29. The Show is About to Begin

"Aunt, you don’t think I’m just getting in the way, do you?" Jiang Ruo teased, her eyes narrowing playfully.

"You brat, you know the answer, so why ask? The kitchen is full of smoke, hurry up and get out!" Laughing, Wang Xiaocao gave her niece a light swat on her small bottom and shooed her out amidst her mock yelps of protest.

Having teased her aunt, Jiang Ruo left with a bright, charming smile to prepare some herbal tea for her grandparents.

Her room was right next to her grandparents', located in a row of westward-facing annex rooms. Directly opposite were the eastward-facing annex rooms, and near the main gate were two more rooms, one serving as the kitchen and the other as a woodshed. It was worth noting that both she and Da Ni had their own rooms. On this point, Grandmother Liu could never be criticized by anyone; in the entire Ban Yao Village, you could count the number of young girls who had their own private rooms on one hand.

Her eldest uncle lived in the east room of the main house, her second uncle in the first of the eastward-facing annexes, followed by Da Ni, and then her fourth and fifth cousins—all right next to Da Ni. Their house was quite spacious; aside from the village head’s home, theirs had the largest footprint and the most rooms in the entire village. The backyard alone covered about half a mu of land, filled with seasonal vegetables, so they were never short on greens.

As she passed Da Ni’s room, Jiang Ruo’s ears twitched, and a cryptic smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It seemed Da Ni knew her grades weren't up to par, though, unfortunately, even cramming at the last minute requires talent. Jiang Da Ni had never been one to love studying; if it weren't for the sake of competing with "her," she probably wouldn't have even finished middle school.

*What a pity,* she thought, a dark glimmer flashing across her eyes as she encountered her. *Since she has no room for family in her heart, she shouldn't blame me for being heartless.*

"The show will be starting soon!" Jiang Ruo’s smile deepened as she stole a glance at the room and headed back to her own. She had intended to rest on the bed for a while, but before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.

She was awakened by the booming, high-pitched voice of her grandmother—the target, naturally, being Jiang Da Ni. One had to admit, hearing her grandmother’s full-throated scolding was quite refreshing, and she was instantly wide awake. Surprised that she had fallen asleep without realizing it, she quickly smoothed her hair, tied it with a handkerchief, and opened the door.

"Grandma..."

The soft, sweet tone immediately caused the furious Grandmother Liu’s voice to soften. The fluidity with which she shifted her volume and pitch was so impressive that Jiang Ruo felt a surge of genuine admiration, her eyes lighting up. *Masters really do exist among the common folk!*

"Oh, my precious treasure, it’s all Grandma’s fault. Did I wake you?"

Ignoring the jealous glare from someone nearby, Jiang Ruo smiled and threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. "Grandma, what’s wrong? You’re so angry in the middle of the day. Anger hurts the body; we mustn't get so worked up."

Though she was feigning ignorance, her concern was genuine. Her grandmother wasn't young anymore, and constant outbursts were truly bad for her health. In this life, her grandparents had to live to be a hundred; they couldn't let some insignificant person ruin their well-being. As she spoke, she clung to the old woman’s hand, and just looking at her beloved granddaughter’s face was enough to extinguish all of Grandmother Liu’s fire.

"You’re the only one who’s filial, my sweet treasure, unlike some others."

The "some others" remained silent, taking deep breaths to suppress the resentment of being treated unfairly. With Jiang Ruo’s intervention and the fact that she had already let off steam, Grandmother Liu glared at the now-quiet Da Ni, decided to let it go, and followed her granddaughter toward the main hall.

"Let’s eat," Old Man Jiang announced. Having worked all morning, he was tired and hungry. To be honest, he was quite impressed by his wife’s stamina. Of course, he wasn't doing too badly himself; strangely enough, while he had been working hard these past two days, he didn't feel as exhausted as he used to. His body felt much lighter. He didn't think much of it, though, as he only wanted to eat.

The eldest daughter-in-law had been hungry for a while, but watching her mother-in-law vent had been quite a spectacle. Hearing her father-in-law speak, she hurried to prepare the meal. The third daughter-in-law, always quick to read the room, rushed to help. The second daughter-in-law glanced at her daughter, thought for a moment, and quickly followed suit. Her parents-in-law already had grievances against Da Ni; if she didn't show some initiative, she and her daughter would have even less standing in the house.

As for Da Ni, her grandmother had opened fire the moment she returned, leaving her no chance to explain. Now that the heat had died down—thanks to the person she couldn't help but feel jealous of—she gritted her teeth, steadied her nerves, and called out to Grandmother Liu.

"Grandma..."

Grandmother Liu stopped and frowned. She had thought Da Ni was being suspiciously quiet; usually, she would have argued back, but today she hadn't said a word. Even now, there was no resentment in her tone, only a hint of cautious supplication. *Anything abnormal is a sign of trouble. Is this girl up to something again?*

Observing this, Jiang Ruo smiled, unable to hide the excitement of watching a good show. *What will Da Ni do? I’m genuinely looking forward to it.*

"Grandma," Da Ni hesitated, stepping forward.

"Da Ni..."

Second Uncle Jiang realized what was happening and tried to pull his daughter back, but he was a step too late. Old Man Jiang and the grandsons who were washing up stopped what they were doing, the old man’s brow furrowing slightly. He was one of the few enlightened elders in the village, not one for gender bias; he loved his granddaughters just as much as his grandsons, especially his "precious treasure." But lately, Da Ni’s personality had become increasingly extreme, constantly stirring up trouble and leaving the house in chaos, which had begun to grate on him.

"Grandma, you were right to scold me. It was my fault for not going to the fields today, but there was a reason for it." Knowing her grandmother’s patience was thin, Da Ni didn't waste time and got straight to the point.

"Are you trying to say you didn't do it on purpose?" Grandmother Liu looked at her suspiciously, but she was her granddaughter after all, so she let her speak.

"Grandma, I really didn't mean to skip work. I accidentally heard some news, and I was afraid I’d miss the chance, so I went to sign up for something."

"Sign up? Sign up for what?" Second Uncle Jiang asked anxiously.

The brothers, Da Jun and the others, didn't even care about washing their hands; they all crowded around, excited. Only Jiang Si Jun shot a glance at his sister. Seeing her playful wink, he looked at Da Ni with a complicated expression. He had been wondering earlier why the family’s household registration book had gone missing. Now... he understood.

It was normal for people to have their own selfish motives. But the moment he realized the truth, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. There were three sisters in the family; although he favored Ruo Ruo more—partly because her parents were gone, and partly because she was sweet-natured, affectionate, and always called them "brother"—he had truly loved Da Ni as well. At that moment, Jiang Si Jun realized that while they were both his sisters, things would never be the same in his heart.

Da Jun and the others were also electrified by the news, stretching their necks to look at Da Ni. Hiring? There were only a few factories in town, and it was rare to hear of open recruitment. How could they not be excited?

"Da Ni, where are they hiring?" Second Uncle Jiang asked, his temperament the most impatient.

*The show is about to start,* Jiang Ruo thought, glancing at her eldest aunt who was peeking from the kitchen doorway. She could barely contain her laughter. *Aunt is still as cute as ever!*

"Yes," Da Ni said, her excitement making her feel a bit guilty, and she lowered her eyes. "A classmate I’m close with came to tell me this morning. It’s the paper mill here in town. But it’s internal information; there are only a few spots."