A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 2

The “heir to the throne” must be referring to the person she was currently holding, Shen Zhiyu, who would ascend to the throne in a few years.

As for the “favorability draw system,” she remembered that the original novel had been adapted into a game with a gacha system. Could that also be connected to Shen Zhiyu?

After the voice spoke, her mind fell completely silent. For a moment, she wondered if it had all been her imagination.

Ji Ping’an temporarily pushed it to the back of her mind. First, she had to get the feverish Shen Zhiyu into the house and put her onto the bed.

The moment she was laid down, Shen Zhiyu used all her strength to scooch to the far side of the bed, her resistance was crystal clear.

Ji Ping’an sighed. She couldn’t blame Shen Zhiyu. She had absorbed the original host’s memories, and she knew that just an hour ago, the previous owner had tried to forcibly mark the girl on this very bed.

Unbeknownst to her, that one sigh was heard by Ji Suisui, who was huddled by the door, completely terrified. Ji Ping’an had told her to come inside, and though she was worried about Ah Jiu, she didn’t dare disobey. An angry Ji Ping’an hit even harder.

Is big sister angry again? she thought.

Just then, she heard Ji Ping’an’s voice.

“Suisui, come here.”

Even though Ji Ping’an had made a conscious effort to soften her voice for the child’s sake, to Suisui it still sounded frighteningly stern. She squeezed her eyes shut but didn’t dare not obey. The room was tiny. In just a few steps, she was standing in front of Ji Ping’an.

 “Big sister…”

On the bed, Shen Zhiyu’s eyes were fixed on Ji Ping’an’s back, her fingertips digging so hard into her palms that they were almost piercing her skin. When she had first woken up, she had seen Suisui. The girl was skin and bones, her face was sallow, yet she was still trying to give her a bowl of boiled wild greens.

Ji Ping’an had found them, kicked over the bowl, and lashed out at Suisui, hitting and scolding her. The force of the kick had sent the small child sprawling to the ground. She had tried to shield the girl and ended up getting kicked herself, her waist still aching with every small movement.

Suisui couldn’t take a beating like that. Shen Zhiyu remembered how the little girl had just pleaded on her behalf. Her cool eyes fell, and she was about to speak, to try and distract Ji Ping’an, not caring if she got a few more injuries herself.

But before she could, she heard Ji Ping’an’s voice.

“Suisui, go boil some hot water. I’m going out for a bit.”

The phrase, “a poor family’s child learns to run the household early,” was true then as it was now. When she first transmigrated, Ji Ping’an had looked at the tiny Suisui and assumed she was only seven or eight. But after processing the original host’s memories, she learned the girl was already ten. She was just so underfed that she hadn’t grown.

The original host’s father had passed away early, and her mother was a hunter. Their family used to be better off than most, with meat on the table fairly often. But two years ago, her mother went into the mountains and never returned, leaving the two sisters alone. The spoiled, lazy original host squandered the family’s money and food, even selling off their belongings just to go drinking in town with her shady friends.

Suisui was used to boiling water and cooking for herself, though most of the time it was just wild vegetables and berries. Sometimes the villagers, unable to stand it, would give her half a piece of coarse bread, but they had to make sure the original host wouldn’t snatch it away.

“Boil hot water?” the small voice repeated weakly.

Ji Ping’an nodded. “Yeah. Make sure you and Ah Jiu drink plenty once it’s boiled.”

After giving the instructions, she headed out, intending to find the village doctor. When she had carried Shen Zhiyu, she’d noticed how hot her body was. The girl was likely running a fever. Not to mention, Suisui had been out in the cold wind for so long. She was still young, and even if she seemed fine now, she could get sick in a few hours.

In ancient times, with such poor medical care, a simple fever could kill. There was no room for error.

The night was pitch black, making it hard to see. She almost fell into a rice paddy on the side of the road. Even with the original host’s memories, Ji Ping’an took several wrong turns before finally finding a house. A fence surrounded the front of the place, so she couldn’t get in to knock on the door. Not caring that it was the middle of the night, she let out a loud shout.

“Doctor Zhuang! Doctor Zhuang, are you in?”

“Doctor Zhuang! It’s a matter of life and death! If you’re awake, please open the door!”

In the stillness of the night, her shouts were so loud that the chickens in the nearby yards started flapping their wings and the dogs began barking. The commotion was so great that Doctor Zhuang, who was sleeping soundly inside, was woken up. She thought there was a fire and rushed out, grabbing the first piece of clothing she could find, not even checking if it was an undershirt or outer layer.

When she opened the door, a gust of cold wind hit her, and she fully sobered up. There was no fire. Just the village hooligan standing in front of her.

Ji Ping’an was famous in the village. She was known for causing trouble, getting into fights, hanging out with shady characters in the city, and abusing her younger sister. People would go out of their way to avoid her. Since her mother had been a hunter, she often had minor injuries that Doctor Zhuang would treat, so the two families were on decent terms. But after Ji’s mother died, Doctor Zhuang couldn’t stand Ji Ping’an and cut off all contact, only occasionally helping the younger sister.

Now, she had no idea what kind of fit Ji Ping’an was having, showing up in the middle of the night. Doctor Zhuang cursed her in her heart, which finally eased her frustration, and she prepared to shut the door and pretend she hadn’t seen a thing.

But just as her hand touched the handle, she heard Ji Ping’an’s voice stop her.

“Doctor Zhuang, don’t close the door yet. Someone in my house is burning up with fever. Can you come take a look now?”

No matter how much she disliked Ji Ping’an, Doctor Zhuang knew that treating illness was serious. And who else could be sick in Ji Ping’an’s house besides Suisui? Her hand on the door handle paused. “Wait for me to get some medicine. I’ll go with you right now.”

“Great! Doctor Zhuang, remember to bring a lot of medicine!”

******

After Ji Ping’an left, Suisui quickly started boiling water. Ji Ping’an had sold off most of their cooking utensils and furniture, so all they had for boiling water were two clay pots. She didn’t know how much water to heat, but afraid of making her big sister angry, she filled both pots to the brim. Fortunately, winter was mostly over, and while the nights were cold, the water wasn’t frozen, which would have made things even more difficult.

She struck the flint and a spark flew, quickly igniting the withered leaves in the small stove. She added two thin pieces of firewood. As the fire started, the tension in Suisui’s body eased. She thought about how there was no more firewood and that she’d have to go to the edge of the woods to collect some more tomorrow.

When the water was boiled, she poured some into a bowl and carried it into the room. “Ah Jiu, drink this quickly.”

Shen Zhiyu took the bowl. “Did you drink any?” she asked first.

It was Ji Ping’an herself who was bad luck!

Despite her anger, Doctor Zhuang didn’t turn around and go home, which was a huge relief for Ji Ping’an. Doctor Zhuang’s words also reminded her that this was ancient times, a period that deeply despised anything unnatural or monstrous. If anyone found out she wasn’t the original person, she would likely be drowned or burned alive. She had no desire to be put back in her grave half a day after being brought back to life.

When they finally arrived at the house, a breathless Doctor Zhuang was even a little relieved. Stepping inside, she saw not only Suisui but also a stranger. The woman looked to be in her early twenties, her beauty untarnished by the cuts on the side of her face. But when she saw Doctor Zhuang enter, her posture became noticeably cold and guarded.

Nothing was a secret in the village. Whatever happened in one place would be known at the other end of the village in an instant. Doctor Zhuang had already heard villagers talking yesterday about how Ji Ping’an had brought a person home, and an Omega at that, and was probably going to do some wicked, beastly thing to her. Seeing the woman now, she sighed inwardly, knowing that what the villagers said was likely true. Even if Ji Ping’an hadn’t done anything yet, she was probably planning on it.

With a sigh, she walked straight over and felt both Shen Zhiyu and Suisui’s foreheads. They were indeed hot. “I’ve brought some medicine for you. Brew these with hot water and drink them. This is enough for three days. If you’re not better, come find me again.” With that, she pulled a few bundles of herbs from her bag and gave them to Suisui. She didn’t trust Ji Ping’an with the medicine.

Seeing Doctor Zhuang just casually feel their foreheads before giving them the medicine, Ji Ping’an was skeptical. “That’s it?”

“What else do you want?” Doctor Zhuang shot her a sideways glance. “Did you think I was some city doctor with a clinic who would take their pulse?”

Though the villagers called her “doctor,” Doctor Zhuang was mostly illiterate and had only learned to identify herbs from her ancestors. Thankfully, she collected and dried her own herbs, which made them cheap, so the villagers were willing to come to her.

“What about the wounds on their arms and other places?”

Doctor Zhuang had already put her herb bag away. Hearing the question, she scoffed. “As long as you stop hitting people, they’ll heal on their own in ten days to half a month.” She continued, “Whether you’re working in the mountains or in the fields, you’re bound to get bumps and scrapes. As long as it’s not a broken bone, no one pays it any mind. Villagers aren’t delicate. Give it time, and the bruises will fade.”

Ji Ping’an looked at the two people in the room, then at the scowling Doctor Zhuang. She felt wronged and promised, “I won’t hit them again from now on.”

“It’d better be that way,” Doctor Zhuang grunted. She didn’t want to spend another moment with the scoundrel and held out her hand. “The medicine is two copper coins. No credit.”

Ji Ping’an’s eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about the cost. Two coins wasn’t much, but according to the original host’s memories, she had already spent most of her money on drinking. She fumbled around in her clothes and after a while, pulled out three pitiful-looking copper coins.

Doctor Zhuang sighed, remembering her friendship with Ji’s mother. “Forget it. Don’t give me the two coins. Just remember what you said.”

With only three copper coins to her name, every little bit helped. Ji Ping’an didn’t refuse, accepting the favor with the intention of repaying it later.

After Doctor Zhuang left, the room fell silent. Ji Ping’an looked at the two of them, a child and a woman, and saw the same look of confusion in their eyes about her uncharacteristic behavior. She didn’t explain. The original host had done too much to be trusted with mere words. She’d just have to prove herself over time.

“Suisui, is there any more hot water?”

“Yes, big sister.” The little girl immediately ran to the kitchen to pour some for her. Ji Ping’an didn’t have time to stop her and let her go.

She was left to an awkward silence with Shen Zhiyu. After some time in the room, Shen Zhiyu’s complexion had improved. Ji Ping’an even had a moment to think that the protagonist was indeed the protagonist; even in such a state, she still maintained a cool and elegant demeanor.

“You and Suisui will sleep in this room tonight. Get some rest and recover.” Ji Ping’an’s intention was to be reassuring, but as soon as she spoke, the quiet mechanical voice sounded in her mind again.

[Target’s Favorability -10]

Ji Ping’an: “???”

While she was watching Shen Zhiyu, Shen Zhiyu was watching her, too. The Omega’s change was too drastic, making her suspicious that there was an ulterior motive. Even when her mind was hazy in the courtyard, she still remembered the Qingyuan’s words, “I’ll help you heal your wounds…” Shen Zhiyu didn’t need to think to know what would come next: another forced marking just like today. Ji Ping’an bringing a doctor only validated her suspicions.

But Shen Zhiyu decided not to refuse. She knew that she had to get better first before she could carefully plan her next move.

Ji Ping’an was still stuck on why her favorability had dropped for no reason and didn’t notice the cold glint in Shen Zhiyu’s eyes.

After Suisui brought her the hot water, she drank it and prepared to head to the other room. Before she left, she instructed, “Suisui, you brew the medicine and drink it with Ah Jiu.”

Ji Ping’an knew that neither of them would let their guard down so easily, so she didn’t take on the task of brewing the medicine herself. If she had brewed the medicine and brought it over, they would likely suspect she had put poison in it and wouldn’t dare drink it.

The Ji family’s compound was not small. It had three rooms, one kitchen, and one outhouse. The original host occupied the largest room, Suisui had a smaller one, and the third, which belonged to the original host’s parents, was now filled with things more like garbage. Ji Ping’an mused that she should clean out the third room for Shen Zhiyu to stay in. The beds in the house were made from wood cut from the mountain and crafted by the village carpenter. They were old, and on top of the wooden frame was a thick layer of straw, followed by a padded quilt.

Ji Ping’an wasn’t used to sleeping on it. Every time she turned over, the bed frame would creak and groan. But she wasn’t concerned about that right now. There was something more important she hadn’t yet figured out.

System? she called silently in her mind.

Less than a second later, a transparent screen appeared before her eyes. The screen looked just like the game interface she used to play. The left side showed a beginner’s guide, and the right side had a large “Draw” button. The screen was transparent; she couldn’t physically touch it.

But when Ji Ping’an mentally tried to click the beginner’s guide, the content automatically expanded. Ji Ping’an raised an eyebrow slightly. This was high-tech; she could control it with her mind.

[Shen Zhiyu is a future empress. She will face many hardships before she ascends to the throne. Though she will kill her brother and father, she will be a wise and virtuous ruler who values talent. However, she will die young, just three years after her enthronement…]

Ji Ping’an read all the content and understood why the system had appeared. The book’s ending only mentioned that Shen Zhiyu became empress but didn’t describe what happened after. Because of the hardships she had endured, Shen Zhiyu’s health was deeply damaged, and she died three years into her reign.

In her previous life, Ji Ping’an had died from staying up all night and had transmigrated into the body of this hooligan from the book. She needed to change the original plot and treat Shen Zhiyu well. The measure of her success would be Shen Zhiyu’s favorability. For every one point of favorability she gained, she would get one draw.

After reading the beginner’s guide, the page disappeared and a new one appeared.

[Shen Zhiyu’s current health: 30 (max 100)]

[Shen Zhiyu’s current favorability: -50 (max 100)]

[System gift: Beginner’s pack. You have one free draw, which can be used at any time.]

The first thing Ji Ping’an saw was the “–50” glaring on the page. Favorability could be negative?! After a two-second pause, she felt a little excited. That meant she could get up to 150 draws. It wasn’t entirely a bad thing!

After her brief excitement, Ji Ping’an’s mood sank a little when she remembered the three copper coins she had left. Her eyes fell on the flashing “Draw” button.

[Confirm using one draw?]

[Confirm.]