Ji Huan's outburst had an almost immediate effect.
When she had beaten Ji Mingmao with a stick at the village entrance, everyone had merely thought she was not to be trifled with. After this incident, a new consensus formed. She wasn't just "not to be trifled with"—she couldn't be provoked at all.
She had slapped her own aunt's face until it was swollen. And even though everyone felt Mrs. Zhu had it coming, it still seemed… Well, they couldn't quite find any fault in it. Every word she had said was reasonable, and her actions were entirely justified.
All they could conclude was that this girl was formidable. Whatever you did, you absolutely could not afford to get on her bad side.
The rumors about Ji Huan in the village suddenly died down.
It wasn't that everyone completely believed her words and no longer held a shred of doubt, but rather that when weighed against their curiosity, their own faces were ultimately more important.
