"I can learn." Yi Roujing said calmly, "Apart from instinct, who is born knowing how to do anything? It's all learned."
Ding Anmin was a little surprised upon hearing this and scrutinized Yi Roujing for a while, "After falling into the river once, what you say sounds a bit more decent now."
"Humph." Yi Roujing thought of the original owner's reaction to hearing things she didn't want to hear before, snorted again, turned her head, and continued drinking the porridge, not saying another word to avoid slipping up.
Ding Anmin frowned; indeed, she still had that annoying look, but the work points couldn't be wasted, "You're coming with me to cut pigweed."
"Oh." Yi Roujing nodded.
Her straightforward agreement surprised Ding Anmin, so she didn't say anything more.
This morning's breakfast was a rare quiet meal for the family after Yi Roujing joined; the four members of the Ding Family occasionally stole glances at her, which Yi Roujing noticed but pretended not to.
After breakfast, Ding Anmin swiftly washed the dishes and then led Yi Roujing towards the team warehouse.
The path was crowded with people moving in the same direction, and many glanced at Yi Roujing as they passed by, some whispering and discussing.
"Anmin—"
A clear voice called from a distance, not only did Ding Anmin turn, but Yi Roujing also turned around. She saw a girl wearing a floral shirt, a white dress, with a red sweater over it, and black cloth shoes. Two black braids jumped lively with each step she took.
Admittedly, this girl's appearance was striking; her features were delicate, with the most memorable being her tiny cherry mouth. However, she looked somewhat sickly, her complexion pale compared to Ding Anmin's healthy, pinkish-white skin.
"Xingchen." Ding Anmin waved her hand energetically, her face full of smiles. Yi Roujing raised her eyebrows slightly, realizing this was a typical behavior of a young girl, indicating that the other girl was likely a good friend.
The original Yi Roujing, although married into the Dingping Production Team for three months, had never worked in the fields and spent all day arguing with her in-laws at home, to the extent of hardly meeting anyone from the team.
After Xia Xingchen ran up to Ding Anmin, she was very out of breath. Yi Roujing watched and shook her head silently; this girl was even weaker than the current her.
"This is your eldest sister-in-law, right?" Xia Xingchen looked at Yi Roujing and then smiled at Ding Anmin.
Ding Anmin pouted a bit but did not refute.
"Hello, I'm Xia Xingchen, a Zhiqing from the Dingping Production Team." Xia Xingchen extended her hand to Yi Roujing.
Yi Roujing reached out her right hand and shook Xia Xingchen's, "Hello, I'm Yi Roujing, Ding Anmin's sister-in-law."
Ding Anmin puffed her cheeks in annoyance upon hearing this. Yi Roujing slightly curled the corners of her lips; this girl was quite cute. At home, she never held back from criticizing her, but outside, she seemed more aligned.
"Xingchen, let's hurry up so we can get the sharper sickles, making it easier to cut pigweed." Ding Anmin grabbed Xia Xingchen and ran forward.
Yi Roujing's hand was left hanging, watching the two girls giggle ahead, and she followed leisurely.
For some reason, Yi Roujing felt that the name Xia Xingchen was somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere, but she couldn't recall it at the moment.
"Ancheng's wife, are you going to work?" Yi Roujing slightly turned her head and saw a woman dressed in faded black coarse cloth clothes, appearing to be in her forties or fifties. Her face was deeply wrinkled, and she was missing a tooth when she smiled. Her eyes were so small they seemed not to have any slits.
"Yes." Yi Roujing had no impression of this person but nodded politely as a response.
"Oh dear, it's such a pity. Back at her parents' house, she was raised so delicately, all white and plump. How long has she been married to Ding Ancheng, and already his family has worn her down like this?" The woman's voice suddenly rose, clapping her hands heavily, and her whole being radiated indignation, seemingly standing up for Yi Roujing.
Everyone around turned their gaze over, even Ding Anmin and Xia Xingchen stopped and turned their heads back.
Yi Roujing raised her eyebrows, scrutinizing the woman, this was... stoking discord!
"Old lady, who are you to meddle in our family's affairs with your tongue-wagging, as if you're an insider." Yi Roujing's expression was full of disdain, suddenly feeling grateful that the original owner spoke her mind freely so that she could straightforwardly vent her displeasure.
"And what are you saying? Am I not white now? And when was I ever plump? Really... what kind of eyesight is that." Yi Roujing snorted, bypassing the woman and heading forward.
"You, you..." The woman pointed a trembling finger at Yi Roujing, looking as if she was about to faint in anger.
"Anmin, let's go. I don't know where the warehouse is." Yi Roujing signaled to Ding Anmin with her eyes.
"Anmin, your sister-in-law's words... are really... something." Xia Xingchen's eyes gleamed. She muttered the last two words quietly, leaning close to Ding Anmin's ear.
"You'll get used to it with time." Ding Anmin replied calmly, "But now that Hupozi has met her match, she thought everyone could be bullied like her daughter-in-law."
Though speaking nonchalantly, Ding Anmin couldn't deny that seeing Yi Roujing retaliate was rather satisfying. It felt refreshing, considering the many times their family had quarreled, and Hupozi had spoken ill of them with a snide tone.
"Hehe, Aunt Ajuan certainly lacks judgment. She picked the wrong person to mess with, coming up against Ding Ancheng's shrew of a wife. How could she expect to be in favor?"
"Exactly, living next to them yet still seeking trouble embarrassingly, serves her right."
"If Jianshe's wife could be this tough, she wouldn't be oppressed by her mother-in-law, unable to lift her head."
...
"Anmin, was that woman just now disliked?" Yi Roujing slowed her pace to let Ding Anmin catch up, then asked her suspicion after hearing the murmurings around.
"No doubt, you're right on target," Ding Anmin replied, striding away.
Yi Roujing blinked. Suddenly, this girl didn't seem so cute anymore.
"Move faster, or you'll complain later when you get a rusty sickle for not being informed," Ding Anmin added, turning her head.
Tsk tsk, duplicity, Yi Roujing quickened her pace to catch up.
The Dingping Production Team warehouse spanned two acres, storing all the team's produce, seeds, livestock, and farming tools. As Yi Roujing observed from afar, she saw a long queue already forming at the warehouse entrance, with people at the front retrieving tools.
Yi Roujing lined up behind Ding Anmin, her eyes scanning around: lush green fields and most of the visible houses were made of adobe bricks. Thinking of her current residence, Yi Roujing only then realized that her in-laws' living conditions were quite decent, being a brick house.