The crowd of onlookers had dispersed, leaving just a few people behind. Among them was an older man—Chen Jie knew him as Chen Erba, a senior member of his clan.
He had a disability in his leg and made a living weaving bamboo baskets.
By family hierarchy, Chen Jie should have called him "Uncle Erba."
Daqian was a foreign-founded country, and as part of its oppressive policies, native Han people were forbidden to use their own names, forced instead to adopt numerical designations, like livestock being branded with serial numbers.
Take Chen Jie, for instance; his former name had been Chen Jiusi.
Uncle Erba leaned on a cane, his stiff leg impairing his movement. He hobbled over to Jiusi and said, "Jiusi, you were too impulsive. Times aren't like when your Uncle was still alive. You beat up Lu San's wife like that, and knowing Lu San's temper, he won't let you off the hook."
"Lu San is a big, muscular guy, and he's close with the Fishing Guild. You stirred up trouble with him—things won't end well for you."
Chen Jie pondered for a moment before replying, "Mm, I understand, Uncle Erba."
Uncle Erba nodded in acknowledgment and added, "Good that you're aware. As for today's matter, I'll think of a way to ensure Lu San doesn't bother you."
He patted Chen Jie's shoulder and said, "You—keep your head down for once. Stop gambling and live peacefully with Yunjin."
With that, Uncle Erba hobbled away, his gait uneven.
Once Uncle Erba had left, the remaining few people also began to drift off one by one. But as they left, they all remarked that Chen Jie had been rash today. Stirring up conflict with Lu San was a sure recipe for suffering—everyone in the village knew what a ruthless bully Lu San was.
After the others had gone, Chen Jie turned toward Su Yunjin, who stood frozen in place. When their gazes met, an awkward tension hung between them.
Breaking the silence, Chen Jie spoke first, "Are you alright?"
Su Yunjin hesitated and then said, "Y-yes, I'm fine."
Chen Jie nodded slightly. "That's good."
Without another word, he strode into the house. There, he noticed Ruirui's wary gaze as she clutched her basket of wild vegetables tightly, watching him warily. Chen Jie ignored her and headed directly toward a clay basin.
He fetched a bucket of water from the well in the courtyard and started preparing the rabbit, skinning and washing it—his movements were practiced and efficient.
Meanwhile, Su Yunjin stood dumbfounded in the courtyard. Today's turn of events had completely defied her expectations. She had assumed all along that she'd be humiliated mercilessly by Lu Qinsi, yet her husband had actually stood up for her, asserting himself boldly. *This feeling of being protected—it was exhilarating.*
"Yunjin, go heat up the pot. Do we still have peanut oil or rapeseed oil in the house? Get it ready—we're having stewed rabbit today."
Su Yunjin froze when she heard this, then glanced over to see Chen Jie busily processing the rabbit. After a moment of hesitation, she walked toward him and asked earnestly, "Um, won't beating up Lu San's wife cause trouble for you?"
Chen Jie paused at her question, momentarily stunned. He lifted his gaze to meet Su Yunjin's. Feeling uncomfortable under his intense stare, Su Yunjin touched her face, wondering if there was dirt on it.
Finally, Chen Jie replied, "It's not a big deal. That guy's just a spineless troublemaker who bullies the weak."
In truth, Chen Jie wasn't afraid of Lu San, thanks to the memories of Jiusi's original self. He knew Lu San had no martial arts training and relied solely on his larger build to intimidate Jiusi. But Chen Jie had no fear of size alone; before he transmigrated, he'd worked on battlefields, getting into frequent fights. His combat experience was extensive. More importantly, he'd had the privilege of learning self-defense techniques from Chen Hegao for a few days, sharpening his skills in spontaneous combat.
*When it came to free, unstructured fighting, Chen Jie was an expert.*
Hence, Lu San's so-called retaliation didn't concern him. If it had been a seasoned martial artist instead, Chen Jie might have had to devise alternative methods of dealing with the person.
For instance, ambushing them on the way to confront him and running them over with a mud-hauling truck.
Of course, there were no such trucks in this world—perhaps a rolling boulder trap, or maybe poisoning them…
The possibilities were endless if he put his mind to it.
But for someone like Lu San, those measures would be overkill.
Chen Jie continued skinning and gutting the rabbit, ignoring Su Yunjin's presence.
Noticing his lack of response, Su Yunjin hesitated briefly before retreating into the house. She took out the wild vegetables she had gathered earlier and began washing them carefully.
Meanwhile, Ruirui remained distinctly wary of Chen Jie, keeping her distance.
From afar, she watched him skillfully skin the rabbit, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
She thought to herself, *"That rabbit looks so delicious!"*
Yet, despite her curiosity, she didn't dare come any closer—Chen Jie had scared her thoroughly.
And so, the courtyard fell into an eerie silence.
Meanwhile, at Uncle Erba's house not far away, Uncle Erba returned, leaning on his cane.
He was greeted by a woman with a weathered face, who frowned at him and said, "You shouldn't be wandering around with that bad leg. Aren't you going to weave baskets today? Just leave the work to Hu Zi."
Uncle Erba sighed and replied, "Things got chaotic at Jiusi's house; I figured I should go take a look. Our family owes his uncle a debt of gratitude—I can't turn a blind eye."
"Turning a blind eye! Jiusi's nothing but a gambling addict; he lost everything his uncle built. What can your frail old self do with barely a few taels to your name? Fill that bottomless pit of his?"
Uncle Erba exhaled heavily, clearly burdened. The woman let out a sigh and continued, "Poor Yunjin—what a tragedy for that girl. By the way, did Lu San's wife bully her?"
"She did, but I was going to stop her. Then Jiusi came back."
"What?! That damned man—did he side with the outsider again and abuse Yunjin?"
The woman's eyes blazed with fury.
Uncle Erba shook his head, "No, Jiusi fought back and defended Yunjin. He hit Lu San's wife!"
"What!"
Shock flashed across the woman's face as her eyes widened. "Has that worthless man turned over a new leaf?"
Uncle Erba shrugged, "Seems like he's changing."
The woman furrowed her brows and said, "This isn't good. Lu San and his wife are bullies through and through. Jiusi stirring up trouble with that couple—won't that bring disaster?"
Uncle Erba's expression darkened with worry as he said, "Honey, take out the fifty cents we've set aside."
"What do you need money for?"
"Just bring it here," Uncle Erba insisted, his tone unwavering.
"No way! That money is for Hu Zi's future bride—I'm not handing it over!"
"Enough of your nonsense! Give it here!"
Uncle Erba suddenly raised his voice, his tone sharp and authoritative. Despite his limp, when he got angry, even Aunt Erba dared not defy him.
Soon after, Uncle Erba grabbed his cane and headed into the yard, where a boy of about seventeen or eighteen was weaving bamboo baskets. The boy's knife danced quickly over the bamboo strips, trimming the edges with practiced skill.
"Hu Zi, take five pounds of sorghum rice and bring it to your Jiusi brother. His family is out of food," Uncle Erba said.
"Alright, Dad!"
The boy stood up, the sunlight casting a golden hue over his bronzed skin, his physique strong and robust after years of working shirtless while weaving baskets.
He headed inside to retrieve the rice, and soon the sounds of Aunt Erba's furious shouting could be heard from within.
"Always giving away food—how's this family supposed to survive? You two heartless fools, just empty out our money and grain into that bottomless pit!"
Listening to his wife's tirade, Uncle Erba settled in his usual spot, picking up bamboo strips and resuming his weaving. As he worked, he murmured under his breath, "I can't just stand by and do nothing…"