Ruan Mingzi had never been the type to swallow her grievances in silence.

With a cold laugh, she raised her voice deliberately.

" Eldest Aunt, what are you doing? Since when did you start snatching other people's things? "

The woman working the millstone nearby immediately turned to look. Yang Shi was someone who cared deeply about appearances. Her face flushed red at once.

" You child! " she snapped.

" Why are you shouting? Didn't I say these are for your grandparents? They're old and need nourishing food! "

Ruan Mingzi's smile remained gentle and pleasant.

" But my little sister and I are practically starving. We're counting on selling these two pheasants so we can buy rice and cook a proper meal. " She spoke softly, almost sweetly.

" As for honoring Grandmother and Grandfather, surely it doesn't have to be this very moment. "

Then her eyes brightened, as though she'd just thought of a brilliant solution.

" Of course, if Eldest Aunt truly wants them to have these pheasants to strengthen their health, there's an easy way to do it. " She clapped her hands lightly.

" You can buy them from me. "

" That way, Grandfather and Grandmother get their pheasants, and my sister and I get money for rice. Everybody wins! "

The smile on her face was bright and sincere. As if she genuinely believed she'd solved everyone's problem.

Yang Shi nearly choked. She wanted the pheasants for free.

Pay for them? Not a chance.

Unfortunately, Ruan Mingzi refused to budge, and there were already people watching the scene unfold. At this point, Yang Shi couldn't very well grab them outright.

Forcing a stiff smile onto her face, she said,

" ...Since that's the case, as your aunt, I certainly can't take away the mountain game you're relying on to survive. "

But greed was greed. Her eyes lingered on the brightly feathered pheasants before she added reluctantly,

" How about this? Give one to your grandparents, and sell the other one. "

Before Ruan Mingzi could respond, the woman at the millstone finally lost her patience.

She spat on the ground.

" Yang Lihua, have you no shame at all? " The words hit like a slap.

" Those poor girls have already suffered enough, and instead of helping them, you're trying to squeeze benefits out of children? "

Yang Shi's face burned with embarrassment. Even so, she stubbornly retorted,

" Every family has its own difficulties. You're an outsider— easy for you to talk! My family's life isn't exactly easy either! "

The woman laughed coldly. " Not easy? "

Her gaze swept over Yang Shi's daughter.

" Let's ignore the silver necklace hanging around Yuefang's neck. " She pointed at the girl's clothes.

" That skirt looks brand new. Bought the fabric this year, didn't you? " Then she turned toward Ruan Mingzi.

" And look at your niece. Patches on top of patches. Not a single decent piece of clothing on her body. The poor child's face is yellow from hunger. " The woman's voice rose sharply.

" How do you even have the nerve to ask? "

" If you want to be shameless, that's your business. But don't drag down the reputation of Niujia Village with you. "

She snorted. " Our village produced a scholar. "

Her gaze sharpened. " But we've never produced someone as heartless and shameless as you. "

Yang Shi's face alternated between red and white. Being publicly humiliated like this was bad enough. But instead of blaming herself, she directed all her resentment toward Ruan Mingzi.

If that wretched girl had simply handed over the pheasants obediently, none of this would have happened.

In the end, Yang Shi could only mutter,

" Don't talk nonsense. I was only joking with the child. "

Then she grabbed the still-reluctant Yao Yuefang and hurried away.

Ruan Mingzi thanked the woman who had spoken up for her. The woman merely wiped the sweat from her forehead with the cloth draped over her shoulder.

" It's nothing. " With that, she returned to pushing the millstone.

Ruan Mingzi estimated the time and realized Niu San's donkey cart would be arriving soon.

Not daring to linger any longer, she hurried down another fork in the road. As expected, when she reached the pickup spot, she found Yang Shi and Yao Yuefang already waiting there.

Apparently, they were heading to the county town as well. Now that Yang Shi had accepted she wasn't getting her hands on the pheasants, she simply rolled her eyes at Ruan Mingzi.

Yao Yuefang was far less restrained. She glared viciously. Ruan Mingzi ignored her completely.

The effect was rather like flirting with a blind man— utterly wasted effort.

Yao Yuefang ground her teeth so hard it looked as though she wanted to leap forward and bite someone.

At that moment, Niu San waved cheerfully.

" Little sister, haven't seen you before. Which village are you from? "

Ruan Mingzi had always believed in treating others with courtesy as long as they treated her the same.

Smiling, she replied, " I'm from Yuyuan Slope, over the next hill. My surname is Ruan. It's my first time taking a donkey cart from Niujia Village, so I'll have to trouble Driver Niu for guidance."

Respect was a two-way street. Since the girl spoke politely, Niu San's smile widened immediately.

" No problem at all! " He patted his chest confidently.

" I've traveled this road to the county more times than I can count. You're young and don't have an adult accompanying you, so just tell me where you need to go. I'll make sure you get there safely. "

Ruan Mingzi thanked him. Niu San even pointed out a particularly comfortable spot on the cart.

" Sit over there later. You can lean against that haystack. Softest seat on the cart. "

When dealing with Yang Shi and her daughter, however, his attitude noticeably cooled. He remained polite, but none of the warmth remained.

Seeing this, Yang Shi nearly exploded with jealousy. Her plain, dull sister-in-law had somehow raised a daughter who knew exactly how to win people over.

There weren't many passengers traveling to the county that day. Under the old locust tree with its crooked trunk, only the three of them waited.

After some time, Niu San glanced at the sky. Seeing no additional passengers arriving, he began untying the donkey's reins.

" Alright, ladies. Time to set off. "

Ruan Mingzi had barely acknowledged him when Yao Yuefang suddenly sprang onto the cart. Like a monkey climbing a tree, she scrambled up in seconds and immediately claimed the seat Niu San had reserved for Ruan Mingzi.

Then she shot Ruan Mingzi with a smug look.

Niu San froze. His mouth opened. Then closed.

Awkwardly, he looked from Yao Yuefang to Ruan Mingzi and back again. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Meanwhile, Yang Shi finally smiled. A genuine smile.

Handing over ten copper coins, she climbed onto the cart after her daughter.

" We paid too. " she declared loudly.

" Why can't we sit here? "

Technically… She wasn't wrong. But when Niu San had pointed out the seat earlier, neither mother nor daughter had objected.

Now they were openly stealing it. The whole thing felt rather unsavory. Niu San scratched his head awkwardly. No words came out.

Ruan Mingzi, however, couldn't have cared less. After paying her five copper coins, she climbed onto the cart herself and settled into a corner. The seat wasn't nearly as comfortable.

She had to keep one hand gripping the edge of the cart to avoid being bounced off whenever the road became rough.

Even so, she looked perfectly content. The two tightly bound pheasants were stacked among Niu San's cargo. As the donkey cart rattled down the mountain path, Ruan Mingzi sat quietly at the edge.

Fresh mountain air filled her lungs. Lush green forests drifted past on either side of the road. Occasionally, through gaps in the hills, she caught sight of a long silver river winding through the distant valleys. The scenery was breathtaking.

Had it not been for Yang Shi and Yao Yuefang loudly discussing how they planned to buy fabric in town and make new clothes— purely to annoy her the journey would have been nearly perfect.

Still, Ruan Mingzi couldn't be bothered to get angry. If she became upset, she'd only be giving them exactly what they wanted.

Sometimes the best response was no response at all. The more they tried to provoke her and the more thoroughly she ignored them, the more frustrated they became. Like actors performing an entire play before an empty audience.

It was enough to make anyone choke on their own resentment.

And sure enough, by the time they arrived at the county town two hours later, the expressions on Yang Shi and Yao Yuefang's faces were so dark one would think Ruan Mingzi owed them a fortune.

Niu San's destination lay a bit farther ahead, so he offered to take Ruan Mingzi part of the way. Sitting comfortably at the rear of the cart, she watched Yang Shi and Yao Yuefang climb down.

When she saw their sour expressions, she flashed them a sweet smile. Then, ignoring their furious glares, she turned away and began admiring the county town.

Yijin County wasn't small. Though the city walls showed their age, the streets inside were orderly and well-maintained. Vendors lined both sides of the roads, shouting their wares and drawing customers. The entire city buzzed with life.

Niu San was delivering a batch of mountain mushrooms to a local restaurant. Ruan Mingzi, meanwhile, intended to try her luck at the meat and poultry market and sell the two pheasants.

Originally, Niu San planned to escort her there personally. But Ruan Mingzi waved him off with a smile.

" No need. Don't let me delay your business. I'd like to wander around and look at the town for a bit anyway. "

Niu San hesitated. Despite her age, the girl clearly had a mind of her own. In the end, he merely reminded her of the afternoon departure time outside the city gates.

After receiving her promise that she'd be there, he finally cracked his whip and drove the donkey cart away.