The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man-Chapter 179 - 178: I’m the Clown

Soapberries were really only something the villagers would go up the mountain to pick for washing clothes. Normally, no one bothered with them.

A huge patch of soapberry trees covered the entire mountain, and they were laden with fruit.

When the berries ripened, their husks became incredibly hard, and they grew on trees.

Gu Jiaojiao could only reach the ones growing on the lower branches. To get the ones higher up, you had to climb.

She was just about to assign tasks when she saw that the boys had already scrambled up into the trees.

Chen Sandan, in particular, was small and nimble. He scaled a tree in just a few quick moves.

Gu Jiaojiao was impressed, but not surprised. ’These kids live by this mountain; they’ve been running around on it since they were little. Of course they know how to climb trees.’

She was about to help Sweet Girl and Second Girl pick the berries on the lower branches when she saw the two of them pick out a tree and clamber up it as well.

Gu Jiaojiao: ...

’She was suddenly struck by how useless she was.’

’But at least Xiao Yang is still here to keep me company.’

Gu Jiaojiao patted Xiao Yang’s head, her face breaking into a happy smile.

"Xiao Yang, let’s just gather the ones down here!"

The words had barely left her mouth when Xiao Yang walked over to a soapberry tree and, with a few swift motions, scrambled right up.

He was just as fast as Chen Sandan.

Once he found his footing in the tree, his small hands began deftly picking the soapberries.

After clearing the branches nearby, his tiny body sat right on a bough, and he scooted forward, picking as he went.

Gu Jiaojiao: ...

’So, from start to finish, I was the only clown here.’

Gu Jiaojiao turned her head away, refusing to look at any of them.

’So what if they can climb trees? Is that such a big deal?’

’They’re probably not even as fast as me!’

Gu Jiaojiao grabbed her small basket and started yanking berries from the lower branches.

After some time, the others started climbing down, and she couldn’t resist sneaking a peek.

The burlap sacks were all stuffed to the brim. They were done.

She glanced down at her own basket.

It was only half full.

’Great.’

’Fine, so I can’t climb trees. But I’m not even as fast as the others. I’m the definition of useless.’

Leng Yuan sensed Gu Jiaojiao’s dejection. He walked over and took her basket.

"You picked this many? That’s amazing!"

And with that, he filled the other half of the basket in a flash.

Gu Jiaojiao: ...

She laughed, but out of pure frustration.

’Could this man’s praise *be* any more half-hearted?’

’Praising me while simultaneously showing off his speed.’

’Is he even human?’

Gu Jiaojiao’s hands were itching to hit someone.

Sweet Girl looked at Gu Jiaojiao and saw she wasn’t happy. Thinking it must be because she hadn’t been praised enough, she immediately chimed in, "Jiaojiao, you’re so amazing! You picked so many!"

Hearing this, everyone else quickly chimed in with their own praises.

Gu Jiaojiao forced a smile. "There’s really nothing to praise, so don’t force it. You’ll make yourselves feel awkward before I even do."

Everyone found her response hilarious.

’Their little sister-in-law (or "big sister," to the kids) is just too amusing.’

The group loaded up the flatbed cart and headed down the mountain together.

「Halfway down the mountain.」

Wu Cuilan was picking fruit from a tree. She’d gathered a few when she spotted a particularly large, red one at the very top.

She had rarely seen one so big and red.

Without a second thought, she started climbing the trunk to get it.

Wu Cuilan was so focused on the fruit that she wasn’t watching her feet. She missed a step and her foot found only air.

And then, her entire body went tumbling down the slope.

Wu Cuizhi jumped in fright.

But the first thought that flashed through her mind wasn’t about saving her sister. Instead, it was the reaffirmed belief in a simple truth: ’Whoever crosses Gu Jiaojiao is destined for misfortune.’

Fortunately, the thought was fleeting. A moment later, she snapped out of it and dropped her basket.

She scrambled down the slope and helped Wu Cuilan, who had tumbled all the way to the bottom, to her feet.

Wu Cuilan wasn’t seriously hurt—no broken bones or anything—but she had hit several small rocks on her way down and would definitely have plenty of bruises.

She couldn’t help but grumble.

"This is just my luck."

Wu Cuizhi immediately piped up.

"This is what you get for going against Gu Jiaojiao."

Wu Cuilan: ...

’She was speechless. Her sister was acting like some kind of cultist, dedicated to brainwashing people!’

"Sis, stop talking nonsense. You’re just scaring yourself."

Wu Cuilan didn’t believe a word of it.

She sat and rested for a bit before she went back to picking fruit.

But the bruised spots on her body ached, slowing her down. By the time she had only filled half her basket, everyone else’s was full and they were ready to head home.

It was time for her to go back, too.

Just then, she saw Leng Yuan coming down the path, pushing a cart full of goods from the mountain. Her eyes filled with envy.

’If my family had a cart like that, we’d be able to bring back this much stuff, too.’

With that thought, Wu Cuilan immediately ran up to him.

"Leng Yuan, that’s a nice cart. Lend it to your auntie for a while."