Guai Mountain was of moderate size. It took the better part of a day to cross over to the other side. Although its vegetation was lush, the terrain wasn't treacherous, so there was little game.
In earlier times, one could still find large animals like wild boars, but in recent years, even pheasants and rabbits had become scarce.
There was no helping it. Many families couldn't fill their bellies just by toiling in the fields. As the saying goes, if you live by the mountain, you eat from the mountain, so they could only go there to scrounge for food.
Back then, there was no concept of letting the land rest and recover. The villagers didn't know what sustainable development was; they simply felt that game was getting harder to find year after year.
Those with a bit more capability could cross this mountain, pass through a few more villages and towns, and reach the vast Da Guan Mountain range. That range served as a barrier for the entire Northern Pass, and further north lay the territory of the Beiliang Country.
Da Guan Mountain stretched for thousands of miles. Within it, ancient trees reached for the sky, strange peaks and bizarre rock formations rose in layers, and birds and beasts roamed freely. There were also countless rare and exotic herbs, making it an inexhaustible natural treasure trove.
Unfortunately, it took more than just courage to venture into that place. Many had gone in over the years—more than a dozen from Dafeng Village alone—but only one old hunter had ever returned alive. And even he had lost an arm on that trip.
After that, fewer and fewer people went to Da Guan Mountain.
Walking on the mountain path, Ji Huan's mood brightened considerably.
There were so many different kinds of plants here. The path was flanked by a dense forest with a beautiful scattering of fallen petals. Wild chrysanthemums and morning glories bloomed all over the mountainside. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying with it the crisp, clear chirping of birds.
Nature brought a complete sense of relaxation to her body and mind. This kind of rustic, wild charm was something she could never have experienced as a doctor.
However, her good mood didn't last long.
Up ahead, a young couple was walking toward her.
The woman had her arm linked with the man's, and they were chatting and laughing. But when they saw Ji Huan not far off, the smiles instantly froze on their faces.
The scene became incredibly awkward for a moment.
But the awkwardness was all on their end. Ji Huan felt nothing.
She didn't break her stride, walking straight ahead without even deigning to give them a spare glance.
Unfortunately, while she was hoping for world peace, some people just wouldn't let things be.
"Wan, you really are still blaming me."
'That whining tone…' Ji Huan rolled her eyes inwardly and turned around.
She saw the woman was already sobbing uncontrollably before anything had even happened, putting on a masterful performance of a fragile, kind-hearted soul forced into a difficult position. This, in turn, made the man beside her ache with pity.
He scowled at Ji Huan. "Wan, if you're going to blame someone, blame me. Jiaojiao is innocent. She's already apologized to you, so why can't you just forgive her?"
Ji Huan let out a scoff, exasperated.
'The sheer audacity to say something like that!'
At that moment, she really wanted to ask a cliché question—if "sorry" was enough, what would we need the police for?
Speaking of which, the original owner of this body and this Tian Jiao had once been very close friends. The reason they'd ended up like this was also quite cliché: it was all over a man.
Specifically, the man right in front of her, Jiang Wu—the original owner's ex-fiancé and Tian Jiao's current husband.
Of course, from Ji Huan's own perspective, love and romance were a matter of mutual consent. If you didn't like someone or weren't a good fit, you could naturally find someone else. In the era she came from, changing partners was as common as changing clothes; she had long since grown used to it.
However, her modern views clearly didn't apply here. A man whose engagement was broken off suffered no real consequences, but a woman in the same situation would not only find it nearly impossible to marry into a good family again, but it was also highly likely she might try to take her own life.
And for the original owner, who had lost her father and then her mother, this situation only made a terrible situation worse.
If Jiang Wu had only called off the engagement because of the rumors that her birth chart predicted a harsh fate, it wouldn't have been a terrible crime. At most, it would just show his poor character and lack of integrity.
Unfortunately, these two in front of her were truly scumbags without limits.
Tian Jiao and her mother were outsiders. After famine struck their hometown, they had begged their way to Dafeng Village and settled down here.
It wasn't easy for outsiders to integrate into the village, especially a widow with a daughter.
Mrs. Wei had taken pity on them. When Widow Tian came to borrow things, she was willing to chat with her, and over time, they became familiar with each other.
Widow Tian said she and her daughter had no way to make a living and asked to learn embroidery from Mrs. Wei, who readily agreed. Whenever Widow Tian had any manual labor to be done at her house, she would also ask Ji Lianbai to go and lend a hand.
Widow Tian was full of endless thanks, calling her "Sister Wei" at every opportunity.
But when Mrs. Wei lay gravely ill in the cowshed, she never once showed her face. After Mrs. Wei died, her daughter, Tian Jiao, went even further and stole the original owner's fiancé.
The original owner and Jiang Wu had practically grown up together as childhood sweethearts, and their engagement had been arranged by their parents. But how could the gentle and introverted original owner ever compete with the cunning and coquettish Tian Jiao? She had never even noticed any unusual signs between them.
That is, until the night she overheard Aunt Kang planning to sell her off. Panicked, she ran to find Jiang Wu. Just as she reached the back of his house, she saw two figures hastily part in the shadows—it was Tian Jiao and Jiang Wu.
Jiang Wu's explanation was that Tian Jiao had come to drop something off at his house, and since it was too dark, he was about to walk her home.
At that time, the original owner was in such turmoil that she had no mind for anything else. She tearfully grabbed Jiang Wu and begged him to take her away.
Jiang Wu hemmed and hawed, making all sorts of excuses, while Tian Jiao took the opportunity to slip away to the Ji Family's house. Shortly after, Aunt Kang and the others arrived and dragged the original owner back.
The first time she was sold, the original owner still believed Jiang Wu's words, believing he would figure something out.
But she had no idea that on the very same day she was carried into the wealthy household, Jiang Wu married Tian Jiao.
The marriage meant to bring good fortune failed, and she was sent back. Soon after, the butcher's family also met with disaster. The original owner was overjoyed, so when she suddenly heard from Mrs. Zhu that Jiang Wu had gotten married, she didn't believe it.
Not until Tian Jiao came to her door, ostensibly to beg for forgiveness, but in reality, her every word hinted that Jiang Wu didn't just want to avoid marrying a jinx who would curse him—he had never liked the original owner at all.
After Tian Jiao left, the original owner killed herself that very night by smashing her head against a pillar.
The original owner's death could be said to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by these two. And now, they had the gall to demand Ji Huan's forgiveness. Were they just that naive, or were they that shameless?
'In this world, just because you say "I'm sorry," doesn't mean the other person has to say "It's okay." No one has the right to grant forgiveness on the original owner's behalf, including me.'
Tian Jiao was getting a little anxious as she waited.
'Based on my understanding of Ji Huan, all I have to do is cry a little, and she will surely soften. With a personality as pliable as a dough figurine, she deserves to be bullied.'
Although she didn't really care whether Ji Huan forgave her or not, there had been quite a bit of gossip, both open and veiled, in the village ever since she married into the Jiang family.
Some people even muttered in secret that a widow couldn't raise a proper daughter, and that no girl from a respectable family would do something as shameless as stealing another's fiancé.
Tian Jiao was furious about this and went home to her mother to complain.
But Widow Tian was just disappointed in her daughter's weakness, saying that if she herself had been thin-skinned back then, they would have starved to death on the road long ago! A good reputation and a sense of shame couldn't be eaten. Having a full stomach and warm clothes was what mattered most.
Tian Jiao, however, didn't see it that way. She wanted both the material benefits and a good reputation.
But now, she had set the stage perfectly, yet Ji Huan's reaction was not what she had expected. That mocking half-smile made her feel like a monkey with its red butt on display.
'Why is this happening?'