Chapter 38

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

She turned around and saw two girls around her age walking into the shop.

“Where did this country bumpkin come from? Dirty, so dirty. How unlucky of us.”

Zhou Xiaoli looked at the person who spoke. It was a little girl in her teens. She was dressed in a gorgeous dress and had flower hairpins on her head.

At this moment, she covered her nose with a fan and looked at her with disdain.

A memory of this girl appeared in Zhou Xiaoli’s mind.

From her memories, she knew that this fancifully dressed girl was her aunt’s daughter, Xue Tiantian.

Lai Jinniang had two daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter was Zhou Guixiang. She married into the Xue family, who owned a jade shop in the county.

As his family had some money, he felt superior to the rest and would have an air of arrogance about him every time he came to the Zhou family.

This was especially so for Xue Tiantian, who was spoiled by Zhou Guixiang. She was arrogant and domineering.

Previously, she had bullied the original host, Zhou Xiaoli, for quite a few times such as pouring hot water on her, pushing her into a ditch in the middle of winter, forcing her to eat the food dropped on the ground, and so on.

This caused the original host to be traumatized. Whenever she saw Xue Tiantian, she would subconsciously tremble.

But that was the original host, and now she’s Zhou Xiaoli!

She can dream on if she thought that she could bully her!

Xue Tiantian did not notice the change in Zhou Xiaoli at all. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli with disdain and said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, I want this piece of fabric. Wrap it up for me.”

After saying that, she looked at Zhou Xiaoli smugly.

The shopkeeper was in a difficult position. “This… Miss, this lady also took a fancy to this material just now. However, there’s only one bolt of it left…”

Upon hearing this, Xue Tiantian immediately widened her eyes and said in disbelief, “Shopkeeper, are you stupid? Look at what she’s wearing. She’s wearing tattered clothes. One look and you can tell that she’s a poor person from the countryside. How can she afford such good fabric!”

As soon as she said this, she inevitably stepped on the toes of a few other people.

There were many people who came from the countryside to buy things in this shop.

At this moment, when they heard her words, they all looked at her.

The shopkeeper also looked at Zhou Xiaoli and then at Xue Tiantian.

One of them was dressed in coarse linen clothes with patches all over. The other was dressed in a pretty silk dress and wore accessories on her hair and hands.

With this comparison, he knew how to choose. He immediately smiled and said to Xue Tiantian, “Okay, then I will ask someone to wrap it up for you.”

Zhou Xiaoli could not help but frown. “Shopkeeper, I took a fancy to this first.”

The shopkeeper did not mock Zhou Xiaoli. Instead, he patiently advised her. “Miss, this is the latest design this year. It’s not cheap. Perhaps you may want to take a look at this other design instead?”

As he spoke, he pointed at another piece of material for Zhou Xiaoli.

It was a bolt of cotton cloth which had been dyed. The price of cotton cloth was naturally much cheaper than silk. It only cost 300 copper coins per bolt.

Seeing this, Xue Tiantian was extremely proud. She looked at Zhou Xiaoli with contempt and said to her friend beside her, “Some people have no self-awareness and yet, they dream of snatching my things from me. They’re overestimating themselves!”

“Country bumpkins who dig for food in the fields should wear clothes made from burlap, just like those in your arms. You’re not worthy of wearing silk and satin!”

With that, the two of them giggled and puffed up their chests like roosters who had won a fight before sashaying off to look at the other fabrics and clothes in the shop.

When she passed by Zhou Xiaoli, she deliberately bumped into her.

As she staggered back, the cloth in Zhou Xiaoli’s arms fell to the ground.

She couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, a trace of danger appearing in them. She reached out to grab Xue Tiantian’s arm and said coldly, “Pick it up!”

“Ah! What are you doing? Don’t touch my clothes with your dirty hands!”

Xue Tiantian struggled out of Zhou Xiaoli’s grasp with a frown on her face.

“Are you crazy?! If you dirty my clothes, I’ll get Grandma to beat you to death!” she scolded as she stepped back.

Zhou Xiaoli was expressionless as she repeated her words. “Pick it up!”

Xue Tiantian was in disbelief, thinking that she had misheard her.

If this was in the past, Zhou Xiaoli would definitely tremble in fear when she threatened to tell Grandma. Now, she actually dared to argue with her?

Zhou Xiaoli did not care about what Xue Tiantian would think of. She repeated herself, word by word this time. “I said, pick it up. Don’t make me repeat myself a fourth time!”

Xue Tiantian was stunned by Zhou Xiaoli’s aura about her.

The girl who was with her said, “Miss Xue, is this the stupid cousin you said you could bully? This doesn’t look like it.”

After being provoked by her friend, Xue Tiantian immediately recovered from her shock and flew into a rage out of humiliation.

She stepped on the cloth on the ground. Not content with just stepping on the cloth, she even kicked and stomped on it.

Then, she looked at Zhou Xiaoli with a smug expression.

Zhou Xiaoli laughed angrily when she saw the other party’s annoying look. “Heh!”

The next second, she raised her hand and slapped Xue Tiantian.

**PIAK**

A crisp sound silenced the shop!

Everything happened too suddenly. Everyone was stunned and looked over.

Xue Tiantian was stunned and it took her a long time to react. “Ah! How dare you hit me! B*tch, I’ll tear you apart!” she screamed.

She screamed and was about to rush over to hit Zhou Xiaoli.

Would Zhou Xiaoli let her hit her like this? Of course not. She simply stepped aside and Xue Tiantian missed her.

At the same time, Zhou Xiaoli raised her leg and kicked Xue Tiantian’s butt, sending her flying into a heap on the ground.

Her face and mouth were covered in dirt, her clothes were crooked, and her hair became disheveled. She was in a sorry state.

“Ah—”

Xue Tiantian broke down even more. She screamed and pointed at Zhou Xiaoli. “B*tch, b*tch, how dare you treat me like this? I won’t let you off!” she cursed.

Zhou Xiaoli sneered again, “Let me see how you plan to do that.”

As she spoke, she stepped forward and slapped the other side of her face. “That’s for calling me a b*tch. A country bumpkin.”

“Why? Did a country bumpkin offend you? Without us country bumpkins who farm, what are you going to eat! You’ve only been in the city for a few days, and you’re already looking down on people living in the villages?”

“Every family came from the village a few generations back. Even if you don’t want to look at your ancestry, your maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather are farmers themselves. Are you looking down on your ancestors too?”

With that, she slapped her again.

“This slap is to teach you a lesson on behalf of your ancestor, you unfilial thing!”

“The current emperor encourages the people to clear the land for farming. This is a great plan that benefits the people’s livelihood. Are you questioning the current emperor?!”

As she spoke, she slapped her again. “This slap is for you, you ungrateful thing!”

After a few slaps, Xue Tiantian was so stunned that she forgot to scream.

There were many people around who came from the countryside. They were of course unhappy with how Xue Tiantian had been referring to them as country bumpkins. Now, they felt happy that someone had stood up for them.

Some even shouted, “Well done!”

“This disloyal and unfilial thing should have been taught a lesson!”

“That’s right. Without us farming in the fields, there won’t be any food for you.”

…