Chapter 302: Don’t Let Go, Ji Huan

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Don’t Let Go, Ji Huan

Ji Huan walked back with a cold expression.

To be honest, she wasn’t surprised by what had just happened.

She had expected Mrs. Meng wouldn’t accept her.

So she couldn’t blame anyone else. The fault was her own for clinging to a sliver of wishful thinking, always wondering if there was that one-in-a-million chance—’What if Mrs. Meng doesn’t try to stop us?’

But reality, as it often did, sided with the overwhelming odds against her.

As the villagers would say, Mrs. Meng was every bit the woman who could raise a Scholar; she knew how to strike at a person’s most vulnerable point.

She could have shown up at Ji Huan’s door, shouting and causing a scene. Anyone with a shred of dignity would have backed down after such a public spectacle.

She could have also stayed out of sight and simply spread rumors. In that case, the one whose reputation would be ruined wouldn’t be Song Jing, but Ji Huan.

But she hadn’t. She chose a more discreet approach.

This might have been a matter of temperament, but the primary reason was likely for Song Jing’s sake.

It was true that if the affair became public, the woman would suffer more, but the man wouldn’t escape unscathed. Especially with Song Jing having just become a Scholar, there were plenty of jealous eyes on him. Any misstep now would be exploited by those with ulterior motives.

That was why she chose to handle it quietly, painstakingly arranging this meeting to resolve the matter without a fuss and nip it in the bud.

Ji Huan could tell that Mrs. Meng had done her best to remain restrained while facing her.

But no matter how much she held back, her true feelings still bled through in her words and actions.

On several occasions, Ji Huan could feel the anger and contempt practically simmering beneath the surface, yet Mrs. Meng held it in—until Ji Huan began to retort.

What had started as subtle hints gradually turned sour.

Mrs. Meng unleashed a barrage of veiled threats and barbed comments, accusing her of being frivolous and lacking self-respect, making it clear that in every conceivable way, she was unworthy of Song Jing.

Perhaps, at first, her only goal had been to make Ji Huan back down on her own.

But it seemed she couldn’t swallow her resentment, so her words, laced with sarcasm and ridicule, also became insulting.

Ji Huan could understand Mrs. Meng’s concerns and motivations as a mother.

She was just furious that Mrs. Meng had dragged Mrs. Wei and Dabao into it.

If Mrs. Meng weren’t Song Jing’s mother, she would have...

’Unfortunately, that "if" is a moot point. After all, isn’t it *her* son I like?’

’But just because I like her son, I have to stand there and take it while she insults me to my face?’

No. Ji Huan shook her head.

She wasn’t opposed to being in a relationship, but she didn’t *need* a man in her life.

If this marriage required her to be meek and subservient, to compromise her self-worth just to make it happen, then forget it. She didn’t want it.

The conflict between a wife and her mother-in-law is a timeless dilemma. Unless both parties are open-minded, peace can only be kept if one side constantly gives in.

But Ji Huan was done trying to please anyone.

She had once tried to please her own mother, hoping for a single word of praise, for just one look. Eventually, she’d stopped caring whether her mother looked at her or praised her at all.

’I’ve been given a second chance at life. I can’t live it by going backward, can I?’

If she was no longer willing to please her own mother, why would she spend the rest of her life trying to please someone else—someone who was guaranteed to never see her as her own daughter?

That was why she had retorted so sharply to Mrs. Meng, without holding anything back.

Her pride was intact, but what about Song Jing?

’Song Jing must be facing an interrogation from his mother right now.’

She didn’t need to guess how tormented he must be, caught between two women, unable to move forward or back, trapped in an impossible situation...

’Sigh. It was easy to be so decisive, but the moment I think of Song Jing, I still...’

But her feelings on the matter didn’t seem to count for much. The ball had never been in her court.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered fighting for their relationship, but if she did, it would no longer be a question of her manners in others’ eyes. Everyone would simply think she was insane, and any chance for her and Song Jing would be gone for good.

’I can’t just elope, can I? A formal betrothal makes you a wife; eloping makes you a concubine.’ That was the reality of the world she lived in. She wouldn’t be so foolish as to make that mistake.

Besides, neither she nor Song Jing were the kind of people who would selfishly abandon all their responsibilities.

It seemed the only thing she could do was wait.

Wait for Song Jing to make his choice. Wait for him to tell her his decision.

Seeing her return empty-handed, Widow Xie asked, "Was Shi Yong not home? You didn’t manage to borrow what you needed?"

Only then did Ji Huan remember she’d completely forgotten her errand. She just nodded vaguely, managing to bluff her way through.

The backyard had been newly partitioned.

The two wing-rooms on the east side served as the raw materials room and the finished products room.

The two on the west were the processing room and the formulation room.

The formulation room wasn’t in use yet, so all four of them were busy in the processing room.

Normally, Ji Huan would work while also supervising. After all, processing herbs wasn’t like sorting them. Sorting just required a quick mind and a good memory, whereas processing was all about hands-on experience.

When they were sorting, Ji Mingfang had been incredibly swift, with a near-zero error rate. Not only could Widow Xie and Ji Xuelan not match his speed, but they also made frequent mistakes.

But when it came to processing, their roles were suddenly reversed.

Widow Xie and Ji Xuelan were used to working in the kitchen. Even if they didn’t fully grasp the theory behind it, as long as someone showed them what to do, they picked it up quickly.

Ji Mingfang, on the other hand, began to struggle. He had the theory down perfectly, but his practical skills were clumsy. He’d either misjudge the heat or get the water temperature wrong.

Ji Huan’s main job was to keep an eye on him.

Of course, Widow Xie and Ji Xuelan were only slightly better off. They still lacked proficiency, so progress was slow.

There was no helping it. This was how core team members were trained, one step at a time.

Usually, if Ji Huan came and stood beside someone, it meant they had made a mistake. Over time, this had become a conditioned reflex.

For instance, right now, Ji Huan walked over to Ji Mingfang and stopped abruptly. She said nothing, simply staring at the mortar and pestle in his hands.

Ji Mingfang tensed up almost instantly. ’Did I use too much force?’ he wondered.

He quickly eased up on the pressure.

But Ji Huan didn’t move, and her gaze remained fixed.

Steeling himself, Ji Mingfang slowly began to apply more force.

Still, she didn’t move.

Ji Mingfang racked his brain. He didn’t think this particular task with the mortar required varying pressure. He shouldn’t have made a mistake.

Just as he was about to ask Ji Huan for confirmation, she walked away.

Ji Mingfang was speechless.

Next, the same scene played out with Widow Xie and then with Ji Xuelan.

Widow Xie was speechless.

Ji Xuelan was speechless.

The three core employees realized it—something was off with Ji Huan today.

Ji Huan also realized she was being absent-minded.

She had to supervise them closely at this stage, but if she kept on like this, not only would their efficiency plummet, but she couldn’t guarantee the quality either.

Seeing that it was almost quitting time anyway, she decided to just let everyone leave early.

As she was leaving, Widow Xie reminded Ji Huan to see a doctor if she was feeling unwell.

Ji Huan knew a doctor would be no use for what ailed her.

Her chaotic thoughts plagued her into the evening.

After dinner and washing up, Ji Huan told Dabao a bedtime story and tucked him into bed. She had just returned to her own room and let out a weary sigh when she heard Dahuang barking in the backyard.

The barking was different from usual. Unsettled, Ji Huan took a lantern to the backyard to investigate, and that’s when she heard a knock on the gate.

A knock this late at night would normally be startling, but Ji Huan was perfectly calm.

Because she knew who it was.

Or rather, she had been waiting for him all evening.

The courtyard gate opened. Just as she’d expected, Song Jing was standing outside.

For the first time, he dispensed with all propriety and grabbed her wrist.

"Don’t let go, okay, Ji Huan?"