A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 7

Even a single word from Shen Zhiyu held a coldness that could freeze a person. But Ji Ping’an somehow found it pleasant, and for a good reason: it was a welcome break from the system’s “Target’s Favorability -10” message. While every drop in favorability meant ten more chances to draw, she needed to be alive to actually draw them!

Ji Ping’an changed the subject, handing the jar of ointment over. “You and Suisui should put this on once a day. If your leg still hurts after three days, let me know, and we’ll go to the county again.”

“If there are any spots on your back or waist you can’t reach, you can have Suisui help you.”

Shen Zhiyu took the clay jar. It was warm from Ji Ping’an’s long-held grip, still carrying the heat of her palm. She paused before saying, “I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

Ji Ping’an didn’t miss a chance to put in a good word for herself. “You know, you could try to trust me a little.”

This time, Shen Zhiyu looked up, her tone flat. “Trust that you won’t let me leave? Or trust that you can’t let me apply my own medicine?”

Ji Ping’an: “…”

I am never making a promise again!

“Of course, trust that I’ll be good to you,” she said. “It’s normal for you to be suspicious of me right now, especially after everything you’ve been through in this house. But even those in the county jail can change for the better. Don’t you think you should give me a chance and see how I act from now on?”

Compared to her flippant tone with the villagers, these words were sincere, with a hint of genuine honesty. But Shen Zhiyu wasn’t moved by her words. She only wanted to try all the tortures from the county jail on the Alpha.

“Didn’t you just say that you aren’t the same person from yesterday?”

Ji Ping’an wanted to say yes; the mess left by the original host was a huge burden. But the system’s restrictions forced her to keep it to herself. “Didn’t you not believe me?”

Shen Zhiyu rubbed the jar in her hands. “So it’s my fault now?” This Alpha was even better at twisting words than she had thought.

Ji Ping’an quickly said, “Of course not. It’s not your fault at all.”

Shen Zhiyu didn’t want to talk anymore. “You already handed me the medicine. You can leave now.”

The original host had done too much to ruin her reputation, so Ji Ping’an didn’t feel much frustration. In her old world, she had once found a stray cat that had been abused. Someone had tied a wire around its neck, and every time it breathed, the wire would rub against the raw flesh of its neck. One of its eyes had been damaged, yet it still dared to steal food from stray dogs. Ji Ping’an couldn’t help but take it home. Because it had been abused, the cat was very wary of her and would hiss fiercely if she got too close. But Ji Ping’an was patient. She helped the cat heal, fed it canned food, and was eventually allowed to get within three feet, then two. Finally, she could hold it and pet it.

If a stray cat needed patience and treats, how could she expect to earn this person’s trust with just a few words? After all, if she had gone through the same things, she’d probably want to skin and gut the person who did it, too.

Ji Ping’an turned to leave, but as she reached the door, she stopped. Shen Zhiyu instinctively tightened her grip on the small stone hidden in her sleeve, unsure what the Alpha was doing. “What is it…”

“I just remembered. Remember to put the medicine on the wound on your scent gland, too.” Ji Ping’an had only remembered this after she reached the door. It was just a small scratch, but the skin on the scent gland was very delicate. If it didn’t heal properly, it could cause problems later. Her life was now tied to Shen Zhiyu’s, so she had to make sure she was healthy and that not a single wound was left behind. The scent gland was a private area, and Ji Ping’an knew she had overstepped. After saying it, she quickly ran out of the room. Without even looking, she knew what kind of look Shen Zhiyu was giving her.

The door swung back and forth for a moment before finally stopping with a soft squeak. Shen Zhiyu’s eyes were still fixed on the doorway. I knew I couldn’t trust a single word this Alpha said. Hooligan, lecher, scoundrel!

After leaving Shen Zhiyu’s room, Ji Ping’an saw Suisui coming out of the kitchen. “Suisui, did you see the japonica rice and wheat flour in the kitchen? From now on, when I’m not here, you and Ah Jiu should eat it.”

If this had been any other day, Suisui would never have believed Ji Ping’an. But she had eaten roasted rabbit, so she felt that her big sister’s words were trustworthy. “Big sister, I’ll make the biggest pancake for you and save it.”

Ji Ping’an smiled, thinking the child was too thoughtful. “Okay. Big sister will be waiting to eat it.” She was about to tell the child to go to bed when she saw Suisui looking up at her with a small face. “Big sister,” she said, “can we just leave the meat there?”

“Where else would we put it?” Ji Ping’an didn’t understand.

Suisui whispered, “Auntie said there are thieves in the village, so we should put our things away.” To Suisui, the meat was a treasure. If it was stolen, she would cry her eyes out.

Hearing this, Ji Ping’an finally understood. In this world, a person would do anything when they were hungry, much less sneak over a fence at night to steal. “Thanks to you, Suisui, our meat might have been stolen by a thief!” Ji Ping’an couldn’t help but rub her head. “Big sister will go move the meat and grain into the house.”

Suisui nodded. “Big sister, I’ll go with you!”

*****

The next morning. Ji Ping’an woke up and went to the kitchen to boil some water so she could wash. She had planned to make breakfast, but when she bent down, she felt like she smelled. After all, she had been in the mountains all morning yesterday and had been startled into a cold sweat by a poisonous snake. After that, she had gone straight to the county and back. She was covered in dirt. Not to mention, bathing was a hassle in the village, and she had no idea when the original host had last washed. Ji Ping’an couldn’t stand it, so she put off cooking and boiled some water first.

The villagers didn’t have bathtubs. They usually just used a wet cloth to wipe their bodies. In the summer, it was even simpler—they would just pour a bucket of water over their heads in the yard. Since it was cold, Ji Ping’an boiled the water, mixed in some cold water, and took it to her room. After she washed and changed into new clothes, she let out a long, satisfied sigh. Finally, I’m clean!

She picked up her dirty clothes and the bucket of water in her left hand, opened the door to throw the water out, and saw Shen Zhiyu in the courtyard. She greeted her. “You’re up early?”

Shen Zhiyu had woken up early and couldn’t go back to sleep, so she had come outside for some fresh air. She turned her head, and the first thing she saw was the Alpha holding her underwear and her rolled-up sleeves. Shen Zhiyu immediately averted her eyes, her voice a little flustered. “You should put on your clothes!”

“Huh?” Ji Ping’an looked down at herself. I am wearing clothes. She checked twice and realized she had just rolled up her sleeves for convenience.

Ji Ping’an put her sleeves down, wrapped the dirty clothes into a bundle, and placed them in the washbasin. Only then did she look at Shen Zhiyu and laugh. “Okay, I’m all decent now.”

It was a rare sight to see Shen Zhiyu look so flustered. The villagers were not so particular; when they were toiling in the fields, they didn’t care about showing a little arm. And in Ji Ping’an’s modern mindset, there was nothing wrong with someone seeing an arm or a leg.

Shen Zhiyu finally looked back at her, glancing at her sleeves. “Does someone have to remind you to wear your clothes properly?”

Ji Ping’an blinked innocently. “I was just washing up. I didn’t think you’d be in the courtyard. Besides, I’m the one whose body you saw just now. By that logic, I’m the one who’s at a disadvantage.” She emphasized the words “whose body you saw” as if she were a pure, wronged maiden.

Shen Zhiyu was so annoyed she almost laughed. She didn’t know which of them was the Alpha and which was the Omega. I’m the one whose eyes are at a disadvantage, she thought.

But before she could retort, Ji Ping’an spoke again. “How about we make some vegetable pancakes for breakfast?”

Shen Zhiyu narrowed her eyes. “You know how to cook?” Ever since she woke up, Suisui had been doing all the cooking. Last night’s roasted rabbit only needed to be put on the fire, and Yun Niang had helped. She didn’t believe Ji Ping’an’s words.

Ji Ping’an raised a brow. “Of course, I do. And they’ll be delicious, too.” In her previous life as a vlogger, she would add her cooking process to the videos she uploaded. Dishes like sweet and sour carp glistening with sauce, or braised pork that was soft and savory. Even a simple wonton soup would look so fresh and delicious through the screen that you could almost smell it. Her cooking skills were excellent, but she usually uploaded videos late at night. The comments section would be filled with hungry viewers who couldn’t eat it, and they would cry and order late-night snacks instead. The most liked comment was always, “This vlogger will kill you with cravings but won’t give you a burial.”

Although Shen Zhiyu didn’t say anything, she walked to the kitchen and got some wild vegetables. Ji Ping’an saw that she had agreed and went back into the house to get some wheat flour, ready to make a lot of pancakes. The flour wasn’t like modern-day flour; it still had some husks, so the wheat flavor was much richer. Even though the family was out of oil, salt, and spices, Ji Ping’an knew the pancakes would still taste great.

Shen Zhiyu washed the wild vegetables and tore them into small pieces. When she saw Ji Ping’an add water to the flour, she added the vegetables to the mix, turning it into a batter.

Ji Ping’an looked at the vegetables in the bowl and then at the person next to her. “Why are you looking at me? Don’t you know how to do it?” Shen Zhiyu asked.

Ji Ping’an smiled. “No, I was just thinking that Ah Jiu was a great help, so you should eat more breakfast.” She had thought Shen Zhiyu would be difficult, but she hadn’t expected her to help.

Shen Zhiyu scoffed. “I’m just hungry. Besides, I’m not Suisui.” It was pointless to try to butter her up by saying she was “a great help” just for adding some vegetables.

Ji Ping’an seemed to ignore the hidden meaning in her words. “You’re right. You’re even better than Suisui.”

The fire started, and she slowly poured the batter into a pot, spreading it in a thin layer. In no time, the pancake began to turn golden, and the edges puffed up slightly. The fragrant smell of wheat filled the air. Ji Ping’an found a wooden spatula, flipped the thin pancake over, counted to five in her head, and one vegetable pancake was done. When she was finished with the batter, there was enough for all three of them.

Ji Ping’an grabbed a pancake for herself and said to Shen Zhiyu, “You should eat, too. I’ll put the rest on the stove to keep them warm so they won’t be cold when Suisui gets up.”

Shen Zhiyu took a pancake. The first thing she tasted was the rich aroma of the wheat, which covered the bitterness of the wild vegetables, leaving a fresh, clean taste. She had watched Ji Ping’an cook and knew she couldn’t have had any help. But it was impossible to learn to cook in a single night. Could it be that the Alpha had always known how to cook?

Ji Ping’an saw that she was eating seriously and asked with a raised eyebrow, “Is it good?”

Shen Zhiyu looked at the Alpha. From her tone, she could hear a hint of expectation, a desire for approval. She paused for a moment and said, “It’s good.”

Ji Ping’an blinked, almost believing that her favorability was about to increase. But before she could open the panel, Shen Zhiyu spoke again.

“Then why don’t you do all the cooking from now on?”

Ji Ping’an: “…”

What a dark heart.