My Villainess Is Definitely Not a Black Lotus - Chapter 4

Don’t think we’re as good-tempered as Eldest Miss Xie. If you harass us, we’ll beat you up! The woman braced the water bucket against her chest, adopting a defensive stance.

Fu Jianxu retreated a few steps, hastily lifting her own bucket and explaining in a low voice, I-I’m just here to fetch water. I wasn’t following you.

Whether the woman believed her or not, she pulled the woman in plain clothes along, quickening their pace.

Splash! After pouring the last bucket of water into the tank, Fu Jianxu collapsed onto the porch, rubbing her aching back and gasping for breath. She hadn’t realized the original owner’s tall, sturdy frame hid such a weak constitution. It had taken her over ten trips to fill the tank only halfway, exhausting her so much that even her stuffy nose from the cold had cleared.

By the time she finished the household chores, dusk was already approaching. Having skipped lunch, she was ravenously hungry. Fu Jianxu walked into the kitchen, pondering what to make for dinner.

Well, there wasn’t much to ponder, really. The house only had a few cabbages from Aunt Fu, some eggs she’d gathered while feeding the chickens that afternoon, and some pickled vegetables. No matter how skilled she was in the kitchen, she couldn’t conjure up anything fancy with such meager ingredients. Fortunately, despite their poverty, they at least had a full set of basic seasonings like salt, oil, and vinegar.

After a moment’s thought, she decided that since the young girl had a delicate stomach, it would be best to prepare noodles or something soupy.

Once she’d made up her mind, she quickly prepped the ingredients. But when she was about to start cooking, she ran into a problem she knew how to use the earthen stove, but how did she light it?

After puzzling over it for ages without success, she had no choice but to ask Ji Xiaoyu for help.

Suddenly, Fu Jianxu slapped her forehead. Oh dear! The poor girl was still feeling unwell, and she’d completely forgotten to give her any water all afternoon!

Grabbing a bowl of water, she hurried into the room with her long legs. The room was dark, with no lamp lit. Xiaoyu, are you feeling any better?

The air hung in silence, no one answered.

Did she faint from the pain? Fu Jianxu panicked slightly, fumbling to set the ceramic bowl of water on the table before rustling through the bedclothes.

Where is she? Where’s that big Ji Xiaoyu?

She stared blankly for a moment, then searched the bed again. She was really gone!

Just as Fu Jianxu was about to go look for her, she heard the sound of something being set down by the door. Peeking out, she saw Ji Xiaoyu placing a woven basket from her back beside the water vat. Fu Jianxu sighed in relief and strode over to greet her. Where did you go? You’re still recovering—what were you doing outside?

The moment Ji Xiaoyu saw her, she shrank back like a mouse spotting a cat, her neck hunched as she stammered, I’m sorry, Wife-Master. I went to gather wild vegetables. Are you hungry? I’ll start cooking right away.

Fu Jianxu naturally noticed the wild vegetables in the basket. Seeing the girl’s timid demeanor, she couldn’t help but sigh again. Light the oil lamp first. It’s getting dark, I can’t see.

Ji Xiaoyu immediately sprang into action at the command.

This child… why can’t she ever sit still? Fu Jianxu thought as she carried the basket into the kitchen. The girl, having lit the lamp, followed closely behind, holding the light.

I’ll cook. You start the fire, Fu Jianxu said, examining the wild vegetables in her hand with surprise. They were shepherd’s purse! She hadn’t even realized she’d eaten such a delicacy when she first arrived in this strange world, her mind still reeling from the shock.

Ji Xiaoyu glanced at the woman in astonishment. She’s going to cook? Does she even know how? This must be another one of her absurd games. Though she was used to Fu Jianxu’s teasing, she couldn’t help but worry about their dwindling food supply.

After preparing the shepherd’s purse, Fu Jianxu noticed the girl still standing there, puzzled. Why haven’t you started the fire? Aren’t you hungry?

Ji Xiaoyu flinched again, hurrying to sit by the stove. She retrieved two blackened stones from a nearby pit and struck them against the dry grass twice. Sparks flew onto the tinder, which the girl swiftly stuffed into the stove’s firebox, followed by kindling. The fire blazed to life instantly.

Fu Jianxu watched the entire process intently. Got it!

Seeing the fire burning brightly and the water in the pot already bubbling, she blanched the shepherd’s purse, then poured in the beaten eggs. Once cooked, she scooped them out and set them aside. Next, she coated the shepherd’s purse with batter and quickly pan-fried it into a golden-brown shepherd’s purse and egg pancake.

The enticing aroma instantly filled the small cottage.

Grumble— Hearing Ji Xiaoyu’s stomach rumble again, Fu Jianxu smiled helplessly and quickened her pace. Before long, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, cabbage soup, and the three first-made shepherd’s purse and egg pancakes were placed on the table.

Ji Xiaoyu was completely stunned by Fu Jianxu’s skillful movements. This woman can actually cook?

Panic inevitably set in. Does she still need me? She complained about my cooking today and refused to let me work. Does she think I’m useless and want to sell me? Though life here wasn’t easy, it was better than being sold elsewhere… Her eyes welled up with tears once more.

Why does this world leave me with no way out?

Fu Jianxu returned to the kitchen to call her for dinner and saw this scene. Puzzled, she wondered, Why is this girl crying again? Even if the food smells good, it’s not enough to make her cry, is it?

She looked around for a cloth to wipe Ji Xiaoyu’s tears, but froze in shock when the girl suddenly knelt before her.

W-what’s going on?

W-Wife-Master, please don’t sell me! I-I can endure hardship, I can do any kind of work. I-I’ll never eat so much again… Tears and snot smeared her face as she clutched at Fu Jianxu’s hem, sobbing.

What? Who said anything about selling her?!

Looking at Ji Xiaoyu’s face, now a tear-streaked mess, Fu Jianxu felt both bewildered and irritated. Damn it, original owner! What kind of psychological trauma did you leave this child with? Unable to find a cloth, she hesitated for a moment, then steeled her resolve. Pinching her relatively clean sleeve, she clumsily wiped the tears and snot from Ji Xiaoyu’s face.

Stop crying, she said, forcing her voice to soften. I won’t sell you.

But Ji Xiaoyu only cried harder. This woman is being so gentle, she must be trying to trick me before selling me off…

I said stop crying! Fu Jianxu snapped, her head throbbing as the girl’s wails intensified. She gritted her teeth.

The shout startled Ji Xiaoyu into a hiccuping sob. She gazed up at Fu Jianxu through tear-blurred eyes, her expression a mix of suspicion and a faint flicker of hope. R-really… you won’t sell me?

I really won’t sell you, Fu Jianxu said firmly, stripping off her soiled outer garment. Suppressing her instinctive aversion to dirt, she added earnestly, I keep my word.

Hearing this definitive answer, Ji Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up for a moment. Her tone sounded genuine, as if she wasn’t lying.

But she remembered how the woman had once spoken to her with that same sincerity, only to demand the money she’d earned from odd jobs. Refusing meant going hungry, and when she refused, the woman’s true nature had been revealed, her hand striking Ji Xiaoyu’s body.

The memory of that past pain made her clench her fists, the light in her eyes dimming once more.

Fu Jianxu observed the shift in Ji Xiaoyu’s expression, realizing the original owner of this body had long since exhausted all trust. She sighed inwardly, mentally flogging the original owner for the umpteenth time. Words alone wouldn’t suffice she needed to prove herself through actions. Yet sudden changes could backfire, making her seem like a monster…

Her eyes darted around, landing on Ji Xiaoyu’s still-shaken, tear-streaked face. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck her.

Ahem, she cleared her throat, struggling to maintain a serious expression with a hint of mystery. To be honest, I think… I’ve lost my memory. She paused deliberately, observing Ji Xiaoyu’s reaction.

As expected, Ji Xiaoyu’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with confusion as she stared at Fu Jianxu.

When I woke up this morning, my mind was completely blank, Fu Jianxu whispered, earnestly trying to deceive the young girl. All I remembered was a strange dream from last night. In it, an old deity told me my name was Fu Jianxu and that I had a wife whose fate was particularly auspicious for me—her name is Ji Xiaoyu.

She continued her elaborate fabrication with great solemnity. The deity said you are my destined benefactor! If I treat you well, we’ll both enjoy wealth and glory. But if I treat you poorly…

She drew out the last word, feigning lingering fear. …I’ll face divine retribution and suffer a shortened lifespan!

The deity warned me last night that my past mistreatment of you had angered the heavens, causing this illness and memory loss. If I ever dare to treat you badly again… Fu Jianxu’s face hardened, her expression grave. The deity warned me that the backlash would be fatal!

L-lost her memory? Ji Xiaoyu was completely stunned, her mouth slightly agape as she stared blankly at Fu Jianxu.

So that’s why she’s been acting so strangely today—not hitting me, even cooking for me?

The explanation sounded absurd, but who would curse themselves with a short life? Besides, Fu Jianxu’s behavior today was indeed completely different from her usual self…

Seeing the doubt in Ji Xiaoyu’s eyes, Fu Jianxu felt a slight relief.

She immediately changed the subject, ladling a bowl of steaming cabbage soup and placing it in front of Ji Xiaoyu. Then, she carefully folded a shepherd’s purse and egg pancake and held it to Ji Xiaoyu’s lips. Here, eat up. The immortal also said you need to take good care of yourself to bring me good fortune. So now, listen to me and eat properly!

Since the girl had an upset stomach at noon, a light dinner of soup and a pancake should be enough.

When the warm pancake touched her lips, Ji Xiaoyu instinctively licked them, her pupils dilating slightly.

So… delicious! Drawn in by the aroma, she opened her mouth and bit the pancake from Fu Jianxu’s chopsticks. The crispy egg crust trapped the savory juices of the shepherd’s purse, releasing a burst of freshness that flooded her taste buds with each bite.

She devoured the pancake with her hands, its freshly cooked edges crackling with each bite. The crispness gave way to the delicate freshness of shepherd’s purse mingling with the rich aroma of egg. After just a few mouthfuls, Ji Xiaoyu was so captivated by the flavor that she nearly swallowed her tongue.

Fu Jianxu watched her eat with such gusto, her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster, and couldn’t help but find her utterly endearing. Of course, she was also immensely pleased with her own culinary skills. The pancake, several times larger than her palm, had already vanished by half in the blink of an eye. She swallowed the pancake in her mouth and took a sip of the cabbage soup. The first taste was mild, but the second revealed the subtle sweetness of the simmered cabbage. The clear, hot soup warmed her from the tip of her tongue to the soles of her feet.

She ate another bite of the translucent cabbage floating in the soup. The leaves, saturated with broth, were tender and slightly chewy.

Could ordinary cabbage really be cooked this deliciously? Her eyes dimmed slightly. It tasted far better than anything she could make.

Delicious! Delicious! Having only managed a mouthful of throat-scratching wild greens for lunch, Fu Jianxu was ravenously hungry. She wrapped the vinegar-glazed cabbage in a pancake, devouring bite after bite until her mouth was slick with oil. After finishing the entire pancake, her long-empty stomach finally felt comforted.

She slurped down another mouthful of hot soup, closing her eyes in contentment.

Heavenly Ancestor, if I could have meat and vegetables at every meal, I’d even be willing to be transported to a primitive tribe!

As she reached for the last pancake, she suddenly felt a burning gaze. Looking up, she saw the young girl across the table had already finished her own meal, her large, dark eyes fixed longingly on the remaining food. She clearly wanted more but didn’t dare reach for it without permission.

Fu Jianxu’s hand froze mid-motion.

Her stomach wasn’t good she couldn’t eat too much…

But this child was so thin and frail. She should eat more. At worst, Fu Jianxu could massage her stomach later…