A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 19.2

The cloth shop had ready-made clothes. They only needed to be slightly altered according to their sizes. The nine sets of clothes, including outer shirts and inner clothes, cost them one and a half strings of coins. The shop owner was also good at business. After wrapping the clothes, he also put a piece of fine linen inside. “You bought a lot, so I’ll give you a free bolt. You can use it to make towels or something.”

Ji Ping’an also said, “Thank you, boss. We’ll come back to your shop to buy clothes next time.”

After paying, it was already almost noon. She looked at the two of them. “Let’s eat in the county town for lunch. Is there anything you want to eat?”

Shen Zhiyu said, “I’m okay with anything.”

“What about you, Suisui?” Ji Ping’an looked at her.

Suisui thought for a moment and then said, “Sister, I want to eat steamed buns.”

Ji Ping’an smiled and ruffled the child’s hair. “Then I’ll take you to the same place as last time.”

Even though she said she was just buying steamed buns, Ji Ping’an didn’t only buy steamed buns. She also bought some fried tofu and green onion pancakes from a stall and ordered three bowls of mutton soup. She divided the food into three portions and pushed them in front of them. “Try them and see if they’re good.”

The fried tofu was similar to the iron plate tofu of her past life. The tofu was fried in oil and lightly sprinkled with chili powder, which made it look very appetizing. Shen Zhiyu took a bite and was immediately choked by the chili powder on the tofu. She started to cough. Ji Ping’an quickly patted her back and handed her a bowl of water. “Drink some. I didn’t know you couldn’t eat spicy food.”

Shen Zhiyu coughed until her eyes and cheeks were red. She only felt better after drinking the water. Seeing that Ji Ping’an and Suisui were both looking at her, she didn’t want the child to worry, so she said, “I’m fine.”

“Your voice is all hoarse, and you’re saying you’re fine.” Ji Ping’an saw her calm down and said, “You should eat some of the green onion pancake and the meat buns. Drink the mutton soup with them. There’s no chili in any of those.”

Suisui also nodded and helped take the tofu away from Shen Zhiyu. She also asked, “Sister, are we going home after we’re done eating?”

“No,” Ji Ping’an said. “After we’re done, we’re going to the pharmacy.”

Shen Zhiyu looked at her. “Why are we going to the pharmacy?”

“Your head hurt before. It’s a good time to let a doctor take a look.” Ji Ping’an had this idea in her mind when she saw how uncomfortable Shen Zhiyu was.

Shen Zhiyu was surprised for a moment. She didn’t expect Ji Ping’an to remember this.

This reminded her of the scent of the Qianyuan’s pheromones she had smelled when the Qianyuan was holding her.

As soon as they arrived at the pharmacy, the old doctor inside recognized Ji Ping’an. “Aren’t you the one who sold the snake here last time? Do you have another one this time?”

When she heard the word “snake,” Suisui tightened her grip on Ji Ping’an’s hand. Shen Zhiyu also looked at Ji Ping’an. She only knew that the other person went hunting in the mountains, but she had never heard her mention running into a snake.

“Not this time. My family member has a bit of a headache. I was hoping you could take a look.”

“A headache?” The old doctor looked at Shen Zhiyu behind her. “Miss, please sit here and let me take your pulse.”

Ji Ping’an stayed by her side, watching the old doctor stroke his beard from time to time and frown. She felt her heart flutter nervously.

After a quarter of an hour, the doctor finally put down the pulse pillow. Ji Ping’an quickly asked, “Doctor, how is my family member doing?”

The doctor didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he first asked, “Did you bump your head or fall from a high place before?”

Shen Zhiyu didn’t have this memory, but when she woke up, she did have many injuries from falling, and her head hurt a lot, so she nodded.

“Your pulse is weak, and your bl00d is stagnant. There should be some bruising in your brain from a collision.”

Ji Ping’an listened, and it sounded like the amnesia was caused by the collision. She asked the doctor again, “Is there a way to treat it?”

The doctor shook his head. “I can only prescribe two doses of medicine for you to recuperate your body. It might help with the bruising in your brain.” The doctor couldn’t guarantee anything more.

Shen Zhiyu didn’t show any sadness or disappointment on her face. “Thank you, doctor.”

“It’s no trouble,” the doctor said, starting to write a prescription on a piece of paper.

Ji Ping’an looked at the paper but couldn’t understand what was written on it. She could only ask, “Doctor, if you have any red dates or goji berries in the pharmacy, could you get some for me too?”

She figured that drinking them with water or putting them in porridge would help nourish the body.

When the doctor heard this, he raised his eyes. “You know a lot. I’ve added them to the prescription for you. Just go to the apprentice and get the medicine.” After saying that, he looked at Shen Zhiyu next to her and asked, “Are you two wives?” When the doctor took her pulse, he knew that Shen Zhiyu was a Kunze, and he could also tell that Ji Ping’an was a Qianyuan.

Shen Zhiyu was stunned for a moment and didn’t say anything. Ji Ping’an, however, nodded. Since they were outside, they had to pretend to be wives. Otherwise, it would be easier for Shen Zhiyu to be gossiped about as a Kunze following her.

“Go home and take good care of your Kunze.” After the doctor knew they were wives, he was relieved. He had just finished taking her pulse and was about to remind her that her estrus period might be coming soon, but since she had a Qianyuan by her side, there was no need to worry.

Ji Ping’an hummed in agreement, took the medicine, and left the pharmacy with them. Suisui walked between them. Passersby saw them and assumed they were a family of three out on a walk.

Ji Ping’an still remembered the rising price of grain, so she took this opportunity to buy more rice and flour. She also bought some vegetables like mallow, winter melon, pea shoots, and green onions. She even took a detour and led Shen Zhiyu and Suisui to the stall where she had bought the malt candy before.

“The ones I bought for you last time are all gone. I’ll buy more this time.” She asked for ten pieces of malt candy at once. Fortunately, she had brought a lot of money with her today.

Shen Zhiyu said, “You don’t need to buy any for me.”

When Ji Ping’an heard that, she turned to the grandmother who was selling the candy. “Then I’ll take two more pieces.” On this matter, she still believed in the system’s favorable impression.

Shen Zhiyu: “…”

Once they had bought most of the things they needed, they were ready to go home. But as they passed by a small stall, Ji Ping’an looked at it for a moment. The owner was a woman with a gentle face. “Miss, what would you like to buy? Feel free to take a look.”

The stall was filled with various carved wooden hairpins. Some had cute rabbits on them, others had various flowers, and even the simple ones were carved to be smooth and round. Ji Ping’an picked up a hairpin and couldn’t help but say, “Your craftsmanship is so good.”

The owner smiled and said softly, “I just do it when I’m bored at home. It helps with some household expenses.”

Shen Zhiyu also looked at the hairpins on the stall, thinking that Ji Ping’an just wanted to buy one. She glanced at them and then looked away. But just as she raised her eyes, she felt Ji Ping’an’s hand gesturing in her hair.

“How about this rabbit hairpin?” Ji Ping’an pretended not to see Shen Zhiyu’s cold gaze. “I think it’s very cute.”

The owner also realized that Ji Ping’an was joking and took a plain hairpin from the stall. “Miss, try this one.” This hairpin only had a wing-like pattern carved at the end. The lines were smooth, simple, and elegant.

Ji Ping’an took it and handed the hairpin to Shen Zhiyu. “Try it.”

The owner was still there, so Shen Zhiyu didn’t refuse. She raised her hand and put the hairpin in her hair. The simple wing pattern was revealed, adding a touch of elegance to her look. But it’s still not good enough, Ji Ping’an thought. If this hairpin were made of gold or jade, it would be even more beautiful.

Suisui, however, was watching intently. “Ah-Jiu looks good.”

“I think so too,” Ji Ping’an smiled. “Boss, I’ll buy this hairpin and the rabbit one from before.”

Shen Zhiyu’s hand, which was about to take off the hairpin, paused. In the end, she didn’t take it off.

On the way, Ji Ping’an gave the rabbit hairpin to Suisui. “Isn’t it cute?”

Suisui nodded and asked curiously, “Sister, do you want to wear it?” The rabbit hairpin was truly adorable in the child’s eyes, so she wanted to give the good thing to her sister as well.

Shen Zhiyu looked over and said to Suisui, “Try putting it on your sister.”

Ji Ping’an: “???” She widened her eyes and looked at Suisui. Her adorable little sister would definitely be on her side… right?

“Sister, I can’t reach,” Suisui said mercilessly, crushing her fantasy.

Shen Zhiyu looked at her. “You need to squat down a bit, Suisui can’t reach.”

Ji Ping’an was very angry, and the consequences were very serious, so she angrily squatted down. The hairpin went into her hair, leaving the rabbit design exposed. The two big ears were especially prominent.

Suisui smiled and said to her, “It looks good.”

Ji Ping’an stood up and met Shen Zhiyu’s gaze. She decided to go all the way and asked, “How does it look?”

Shen Zhiyu slightly nodded. “Not bad. You should wear it more often.”

Ji Ping’an: “…” Not bad, at least I got a positive review from Shen Zhiyu.

When they were almost at the county gate, Shen Zhiyu suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” Ji Ping’an asked, thinking that the other person wanted her rabbit hairpin.

Shen Zhiyu lowered her voice. “Someone is following us.” Although the person was far away, she was very sensitive to unfamiliar gazes.

Ji Ping’an’s eyes narrowed. Without looking back, she said, “Let’s keep walking forward.” Shen Zhiyu also nodded. After they had walked about two miles, the person behind them stopped following.

Ji Ping’an guessed, “It might be Gong Rong and his gang.” She had basically only come to the county town to sell meat and buy things. She hadn’t interacted with anyone else. The only person she had a grudge with was Gong Rong.

Shen Zhiyu asked, “Looking for revenge?”

“Maybe,” Ji Ping’an said without taking it too seriously. “Their methods are all the same.”

Shen Zhiyu hadn’t experienced this before and asked, “What are they?”

“They might find a few more people to come and beat me up, or they might spread rumors about me in the county town, saying that I betrayed my friends.”

Shen Zhiyu slightly frowned. “That kind of relationship can be considered friendship?” At most, they were just bad influences on each other.

Ji Ping’an smiled, agreeing with her. “You’re right, but they’re a lot more shameless than me.”

Shen Zhiyu slightly raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s not necessarily true.” Ji Ping’an wasn’t a person with a thin skin either. She could say anything and had told many people that she was the other person’s Kunze.

Ji Ping’an said, “I’m still a lot stronger than them, aren’t I?” After that, she looked at Suisui, who was walking between them, and asked, “Suisui, do you think your sister is much better than those bad people from before?”

Suisui had been completely won over by Ji Ping’an these past few days and immediately nodded when she heard that.

Shen Zhiyu consciously ignored them and asked, “Then why did they send someone to follow you?”

Ji Ping’an said, “The injuries they got from me last time haven’t healed yet, so they can’t personally come back for revenge.”

“If they were to spread rumors about me betraying my friends in the county town, the news of them being beaten would naturally not be hidden. That way, everyone in the county town would know that they can’t beat me. So it’s unlikely they would do that.”

“Since they can’t do either of those things, but still want revenge, they can only follow me to see what I’ve been doing lately and then cause trouble for me.”

Shen Zhiyu was very smart. “Hunting?”

“It should be.”

“I can’t hide the fact that I’ve been selling prey in the county town these past few days. They don’t dare to go up the mountain, so they can only go to the butcher shop owner and ask him to stop buying my meat.”

“If the prey I hunt can’t be sold, they’ll rot in my hands easily, and their revenge will be complete.” Bad people who want to do bad things will only destroy what the other person cares about and values.

Shen Zhiyu easily found a loophole. “Why would the butcher shop owner listen to them?”

Ji Ping’an didn’t answer right away. She asked with a curious tone, “Are you worried about me? Why are you asking so many questions?”

Shen Zhiyu’s cold gaze met hers. “I’m just concerned that if you don’t have money later, you’ll expose your true nature.”

Ji Ping’an: “…” She went back to the previous topic. “Gong Rong has a relative who is an official in the county town.”

“What kind of official?” Shen Zhiyu asked.

When she mentioned the government office, a series of information flashed through her mind. County Magistrate: The county magistrate of the capital county is a fifth-rank official, and the other county magistrates are sixth or seventh-rank officials. They are responsible for supervising tax collection, agricultural production, household registration management, etc. The County Vice-Magistrate: They are responsible for things like agriculture and police and prison work. They are an eighth-rank official. The Clerk: A ninth-rank official. They are responsible for managing all kinds of documents in the county town. They are not as high in rank as the County Vice-Magistrate and County Magistrate but still have a lot of status in the county town.

Ji Ping’an said, “I don’t know. I just heard that he’s an official in the county government.” The original owner was used as a subordinate by Gong Rong and his gang. They just told her that the person was a big official, which made the original owner more willing to follow Gong Rong. But they never told the original owner how big of an official the person was.

Shen Zhiyu lowered her eyes. If the person was a county magistrate, the butcher shop owner would most likely refuse to buy Ji Ping’an’s prey in order to do business peacefully. A single word from the county magistrate could make him unable to do business in the city, but there was no shortage of hunters. But Shen Zhiyu looked at Ji Ping’an’s nonchalant expression and felt that the other person didn’t seem to care at all. She wanted to ask Ji Ping’an how she would solve the problem, but she also remembered how Ji Ping’an had misunderstood her when she asked a few questions earlier. So, she swallowed the words she was about to ask.

Ji Ping’an knew what she was thinking. She slightly raised her eyebrows and reassured her, “Don’t worry. They can’t stop me. The money I’ll make from now on will only increase.”

Shen Zhiyu just gave a cold hum. Suisui, however, was cheering on the side. “Sister is so amazing.”

“I am, aren’t I?” Ji Ping’an curved the corners of her lips, feeling that she could forgive Suisui for putting the rabbit hairpin on her just now. After that, she looked at Shen Zhiyu and asked, “Don’t you want to know how I’m going to make money?” Even if she doesn’t cheer me on like Suisui, she should at least ask a question or two, right? She just gave a hum as if she were a boss promising a raise that would never happen.

Shen Zhiyu asked, “Are you going to give me the money you make?” Her subtext was, If it’s not for me, then why should I care?

Ji Ping’an: “…” She coughed and said, “I can’t give it to you now, but I definitely will later.” Ji Ping’an felt that what she had just said sounded a lot like a boss from her previous life who promised a raise that would come, but not now.

“…” How could Shen Zhiyu not hear the subtext? Her gaze fell on the sleeve where Ji Ping’an was holding the money. “Tell me when you can.”

As soon as she said that, Ji Ping’an subconsciously tightened her grip on her sleeve, and the movement was so big that even Suisui looked over.

Shen Zhiyu: “…” It seems I won’t be getting it anytime soon.