Characters:

Ruan Mingzi: The Female Lead of the story.

Ruan Mingyan: Blood Sister of Mingzi. A mute.

Old Madam Zhao: Granny Zhao The matriach of the Ruan Family.

Madam Mao: A daughter in-law, wife of the 2nd son of Ruan Family.

Ruan Angui: Third son of the matriach. “Ruan Laosan” 3rd Uncle of the Female lead.

Ruan Chengzhang: The eldest male son of the Ruan's 3rd Generation. From the second branch of the 2nd Generation. Cousin of Female lead. Her Eldest Sister named Ruan Yuchun.

Madam Gao: A kind neighbour that is outspoken, helping Mingzi and Mingyan. Her husband Lu Daniu is the village only skilled craftsman. They have a daughter Lu Ruier.

Ruan Mingzi wasn’t going to vent her anger on Jian Xiuping over this, but she also wasn’t about to casually forgive Ruan Yuchun on the original host’s behalf. With a pleasant smile and calm voice, Ruan Mingzi looked straight at Ruan Yuchun.

“Mm, yes. I came from the Jian household.”

Ruan Yuchun’s entire face twisted, looking as though she might explode from rage at any moment.

Everyone in the village knew the Jian family put on quite the airs. Though they lived in the countryside, aside from occasionally buying daily necessities, they rarely mingled with the villagers.

Naturally, they never invited anyone into their home.Over time, the villagers developed an indescribable sense of distant respect toward them. And now Ruan Mingzi had actually walked through the Jian family’s doors!

“You filthy whore who’s been ridden by thousands! Seducing men at such a young age! Have you even looked at yourself? Crawled out of a muddy ditch, you disgusting—”

As Ruan Yuchun’s curses spilled out, Ruan Mingzi dropped a single sentence, soft and light.

“Angry, are you? Thinking about having your brother push me off the mountain again?” She fixed her gaze steadily on Ruan Yuchun, who froze instantly as though someone had stuffed a rag into her mouth.

“Tell me—if I were to tell your grandmother that your brother, Ruan Chengzhang, slipped and fell off that cliff because he was helping you vent your anger, what do you think would happen?”

A chill ran through Ruan Yuchun’s entire body.

She didn’t need to guess. She already knew.

Her brother, Brother Zhang, was her grandmother’s darling. For him, her grandmother had once slaughtered her favorite old laying hen without hesitation—simply because he wanted chicken soup.

If Grandmother found out…

Ruan Yuchun’s face turned chalk-white. She shivered, glared hatefully at Ruan Mingzi, and fled in embarrassment.

Ruan Mingzi let out a slow, composed smile.

Trash.

...

When Ruan Mingzi arrived at the Lu household, Lu Daniu was tinkering with the crossbow.

With a flick of his hand, the bolt shot out like a spear slicing through bamboo, striking the pear tree a zhang away and sinking three inches into the trunk.

“This one isn’t like the usual crossbows—much stronger!” Lu Daniu slapped his thigh excitedly when he saw Ruan Mingzi. “Girl, where did you get this design? It’s brilliant!”

Ruan Mingzi laughed.

“It’s Uncle Lu’s craftsmanship that’s brilliant. I once met an eccentric master in the mountains while digging wild vegetables. He had a crossbow like this and taught me a little. I only remembered the basic outline. If Uncle Lu hadn’t filled in all the proper measurements with your experience, it wouldn’t have turned out at all.”

Her sweet words coaxed Lu Daniu into grinning from ear to ear. Lu Ruiru, who’d been squatting nearby watching, pouted.

“Such honeyed words.”

Auntie Gao brought over some washed fruit. She handed one to Ruan Mingzi, who earnestly thanked her for the pastries and cloth strips sent at noon. Auntuie Gao waved it off.

Think nothing of it. They’re just a few pastries. You and Yanyan are both good children. Your grandmother can be heartless if she wants, but I can’t be.”

Seeing the cloth strip tied neatly in Ruan Mingzi’s hair, Auntie Gao added with a laugh, “And look at that—just an ordinary strip of cloth, yet on you it looks like one of those fancy floral knots sold in the county.”

Lu Ruiru snorted heavily at the side.

Ruan Mingzi took the crossbow from Lu Daniu. Lu Ruiru watched as she casually loaded a bolt and released it—another perfect hit on the trunk a zhang away. Her eyes widened in shock.

Lu Daniu clicked his tongue in amazement.

“These bolts are just sharpened bamboo. If they had iron tips, the power would be even greater.”

Then he seemed to think of something and slapped his thigh again. “I bet the soldiers in the county town would love this. I’ve made crossbows for them before, but those were at least half as weak as this one.”

Ruan Mingzi’s eyes brightened. She’d thought of something.

“Uncle Lu, do you think… the blueprint could be sold? If yes, how about we split the profit fifty-fifty? But... when you sell it, please don’t mention me. A country girl like me can’t explain where I got the design. It’d only cause trouble. It’s better if you say you figured it out after your many years working with wood.”

But Lu Daniu shook his head honestly. “That won’t do. I can run the blueprint to the soldiers in the county—no problem. And putting it under my name is also no problem. But you drew the design. I’m just the errand-runner. How could I take half?”

Ruan Mingzi insisted, “Without Uncle Lu, this would’ve just stayed a useless sketch. If you refuse the half share, then let’s forget the whole thing. I made this crossbow only to hunt some game anyway.”

She sighed in disappointment. Lu Daniu, a simple, honest farmer, was left gaping, unable to argue.

Auntie Gao smacked him lightly on the back. “You stubborn oaf. The girl finally has a way to earn some money. If you don’t take half, she won’t feel at ease.”

Ruan Mingzi nodded enthusiastically.

“Exactly! Auntie Gao understands me. And besides, the design might not even sell. Uncle Lu might make the trip for nothing. I’d be the one taking advantage.”

Only then did Lu Daniao agree with a heavy sigh, still uneasy about it. Ruan Mingzi tried to pay him for making the crossbow, but he adamantly refused.

“It didn’t take any effort—just a few chunks of wood! Don’t say another word or I’ll get angry!”

Ruan Mingzi considered it. If the modified modern crossbow design really did sell, the earnings would far surpass a few coins of labor. It could count as paying him indirectly.

So she didn’t insist further.

When she left, Lu Daniu even packed her a bundle of bamboo bolts and thoughtfully made her a quiver to carry them on her back.

Seeing that it wasn’t too late yet, Ruan Mingzi, carrying the crossbow and quiver, headed excitedly toward Gouji Mountain near Yuyuan Slope.

Still thinking about Ruan Mingyan at home, she didn’t dare go into the deep mountains. She stayed in a rarely traveled patch of woods at the foot of the mountain, using the last bit of daylight to observe animal prints.

It had rained yesterday, so walking through the woods was uneven, but the damp ground made tracking easier.

This was ancient times, the vegetation was untouched, the mountains full of wild animals, moving targets for Ruan Mingzi.

She eventually shot a colorful pheasant, hitting it cleanly in the neck. The bird twitched twice and went still.

Tonight’s dinner just got an upgrade.

Humming contentedly, Ruan Mingzi carried the pheasant home.

But just as she neared her yard, she spotted a shadowy figure sneaking through the collapsed part of the fence, slipping into her home.

Ruan Mingyan was still inside!

Ruan Mingzi narrowed her eyes, assessed the situation instantly, placed the pheasant on the ground, quickly gathered some dead branches, snapped off the excess twigs, and made several crude bolts.

Then she raised her crossbow—

Arrows made from sticks had blunt tips. They wouldn’t kill or draw blood. But shot from a crossbow, they would hurt... no question.

Sure enough, the moment she released the first bolt, a scream exploded into the air.

“Who?! Which bastard ambushed me?!”

She didn’t pause for a second—another shot, then another!

Screams filled the air.

While firing, Ruan Mingzi shouted at the top of her lungs:

“Thief! Catch the thief!”

The good thing about a village was that if anything happened, one shout brought the neighbors running.

Hearing her cry, many villagers hurried over some with shovels, some with sickles, each looking ready to fight a battle.

One aunt even charged out with a rolling pin.

“Mingzi girl! Where’s the thief?”

Ruan Mingzi pointed to the figure collapsed on the ground, groaning.

“There he is!”

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