My Wife Is The Female Lead In A Scum Alpha Novel - Chapter 13

13

Gu Qingci didn’t wake up naturally in the morning. Her study attendant, Shimo, had to knock on her door to rouse her.

“So early!” Gu Qingci rubbed her eyes and glanced outside, where the sky was just beginning to lighten.

“My lord, the academy starts reciting at mao hour. We’re already running late.” Shimo said.

Gu Qingci was speechless. Shimo had probably mentioned this to her yesterday.

Ancient academies required students to arrive for morning recitation as early as a little past 5 AM.

In this ancient era without clocks, Gu Qingci had no idea what time it was.

Still groggy, she freshened up and gradually woke up.

Shimo didn’t know how to style hair, so he called Dongxue over to do Gu Qingci’s.

Her hair was tied into a topknot, with some strands left loose over her shoulders. She reused the wooden hairpin from the day before and donned a blue scholar’s robe, transforming into a young scholar.

By the time Shimo shouldered Gu Qingci’s book box and they left Mojin Pavilion, the sky was slowly brightening.

Outside, Gu Qingci ran into Xue Sanniang, who was also leaving.

The day before, Gu Qingci had informed Ruan Zhi about Xue Sanniang’s departure, and Zhao, the newly appointed housekeeper, had arranged everything.

A rented carriage was prepared to take Xue Sanniang away, accompanied by the two remaining servants from the Gu household and a woman assigned by Ruan Zhi.

When Xue Sanniang saw Gu Qingci, her face was full of resentment at first, but upon noticing the study attendant behind her, her expression softened slightly.

“After I leave, who will take care of you? That woman is truly venomous—she dismissed all the servants, leaving you with just this little boy. People will look down on you!”

Xue Sanniang grumbled a few more complaints, but Gu Qingci quickly ushered her into the carriage.

Only after the carriage disappeared from sight did Gu Qingci finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Gu Qingci and her study attendant boarded the Gu family’s newly acquired carriage, with the stableman doubling as the driver, and headed to Honglu Academy, where Gu Qingci studied.

Not long after Gu Qingci’s departure, Ruan Zhi awoke, washed up, and had breakfast.

“Ah Zhi, if there’s anything you want to buy, just send a servant. Why must you go to the official store yourself? It’s not safe for women outside.” Nanny Qin fretted upon learning Ruan Zhi planned to go out.

“Nanny, it’s been so long since I’ve visited the official store. I’d like to see it for myself. I’ll take plenty of people with me—don’t worry.” Ruan Zhi reassured her with a smile.

“Then at least wear a veil when you step out of the sedan chair.” Nanny Qin insisted.

Ruan Zhi agreed.

The official store was run by the imperial court.

In her past life, Ruan Zhi became the top imperial merchant by first supplying goods to these stores.

During her two years in the Gu household in her previous life, she had no recollection of what things were like at this time.

She wanted to understand the current market conditions, plan how to collaborate with the official stores again, and see if she could find the capable assistants from her past life to train them early, laying the groundwork for her future endeavors.

The shops Ruan Zhi received as dowry were all prime, profitable locations handpicked by Ruan Maolin.

While they provided a comfortable life, they would be rendered worthless in times of war or unrest.

Her preparations weren’t just for life after divorce but also to brace for the coming years of disasters, foreign invasions, and internal strife.

Ruan Zhi wanted as much self-sufficiency as possible, rather than leaving her fate in others’ hands.

By the time Ruan Zhi left in her sedan chair, Gu Qingci’s carriage had already left the small county town.

Honglu Academy was located in the suburbs, requiring a half-hour journey. Along the way, Gu Qingci snacked on some pastries to stave off hunger. Determined not to waste time, she pulled out a book to study. However, the carriage’s jostling and the text’s difficulty soon made her drowsy.

Shimo watched as Gu Qingci’s head bobbed, his young face filled with resignation. His lord seemed to suffer from a disease that made her sleepy the moment she opened a book.

He silently added this observation to his report for Ruan Zhi.

Upon arriving at the academy, Gu Qingci found her class—Aspiring scholar Class D—and entered with her book box while Shimo went to the designated room for study attendants.

The classroom was already filled with the sound of recitation, with many students present.

Gu Qingci hoped to quietly slip in and blend in, but before she could even sit down, a white-haired elder with a stern gaze pointed outside, signaling her to leave.

Gu Qingci had no choice but to set down her book box and step out.

“Gu Qingci, this is an academy, not a place you can come and go as you please! Skipping classes for days—what kind of behavior is this?” The teacher’s beard bristled with anger.

Gu Qingci felt awkward. She hadn’t even started trying, and she was already being scolded.

“Teacher, you’re absolutely right. Starting today, I’ll work hard!” she quickly apologized.

The teacher looked at her in surprise—her attitude was unexpectedly contrite.

But would she really put in the effort?

“You hold a noble title, exempting you from the county and prefecture exams. You only need to pass the academy exam to become a xiucai. With just one month left, study hard. Knowledge is always your own. If not this year, there’s always next.” The teacher offered a few words of encouragement.

“…” Gu Qingci returned to her seat and rubbed her face.

She had thought the exam was far off, but it was only a month away.

One month—was it even possible to cram enough?

Whether it was or not, she had to try.

What if a miracle happened?

For the sake of her ten-tael monthly allowance, she had to give it her all!

Glancing at her classmates, Gu Qingci pulled out the corresponding book from her box and began reciting along with them.

But…

She recognized the characters, but when strung into sentences, they made no sense.

Some characters she couldn’t even read, leaving her stuck after just a few lines.

She wanted to raise her hand and call the teacher over, but the old man was busy scolding someone else outside.

Class D was full of struggling students and slackers—many had arrived even later than Gu Qingci.

As she waited for the teacher, she propped up her head and soon dozed off.

Unbeknownst to her, several classmates had already taken notice.

They began whispering among themselves.

“Gu Qingci hasn’t come for days. I heard something happened at her house—several servants were sent to the magistrate.”

“Such a trivial matter is worth involving the authorities? How laughable. Let’s make her treat us at the dining hall later.”

“She must have saved up a lot of silver by now. The honey-glazed beef, steamed perch, braised…”

Their mouths watered as they listed dishes, but they quickly straightened up when the teacher reentered.

Gu Qingci was jolted awake by a sharp rap on her head.

“Gu Qingci, read this passage!” the teacher demanded sternly.

“…” Gu Qingci glanced around, realizing morning recitation had ended and class had begun without her noticing.

The teacher pointed at a paragraph in the book. Gu Qingci shook off her drowsiness and began reading aloud.

She stumbled over an unfamiliar character.

“Teacher, what’s this character?” she asked, raising her hand.

“…” The teacher’s face darkened. “It’s history! Where has all your reading gone? Hopeless! Absolutely hopeless!”

The class erupted in laughter.

“…” Gu Qingci’s face burned with embarrassment.

After sitting back down, she tried to focus on the lesson.

The teacher had students read the text, but instead of explaining its meaning, he delved into allusions, origins, and references.

Gu Qingci had no idea how many understood, but she certainly didn’t.

She felt she needed a beginner’s tutor—to start from scratch.

By the end of the lesson, her book remained pristine, untouched by notes, and her mind was equally blank.

A clean slate in every sense.

After what felt like an eternity, her stomach began growling loudly.

The moment class ended, Gu Qingci rushed out to eat.

At noon, the carriage driver would return with a lunchbox for her.

Mealtime was the only bright spot in her day.

Just as she stood up, a girl approached her with a smile.

“Lord Jian’an, you’ve finally returned! We’ve missed you these past few days. Class just wasn’t the same without you. Come, let’s eat at the dining hall and catch up.” The girl reached out familiarly to take Gu Qingci’s arm.

“…” Gu Qingci wanted to ask, Who are you?

“Everyone, my wife has prepared a meal for me, so I won’t be joining you at the dining hall.” Gu Qingci said politely, sidestepping the girl’s hand and striding out.

“Hey! Wait—what’s with her?” The girl frowned as Gu Qingci left.

“Her wife prepared her food? I thought she despised that merchant-class woman. Why would she eat her food?” someone wondered aloud.

“Don’t tell me she’s already been tamed in just a few days. Tsk tsk.”

“We’ll have to find another chance.” the girl sighed.

They were all disappointed. In the past, a few flattering words about her noble title would puff Gu Qingci up, and she’d always foot the bill.

Since marrying Ruan Zhi, she’d become even more generous.

Watching Gu Qingci disappear, the group could only head to the dining hall.

In a corner of the classroom, a young man in a blue robe had been watching them intently, his expression shifting as he listened.

“Xue Linlang, aren’t you going to the dining hall?” someone called, snapping him out of his thoughts.

The young man—Xue Linlang—stood and followed.

Gu Qingci found Shimo, and they went to the carriage, where the driver had already brought the lunchbox.

The insulated layers kept the food warm.

Sitting inside the carriage, Gu Qingci finally brightened as she ate.

Would a miracle really happen?

Ugh… this is so hard.

After lunch, she napped in the carriage to recharge for the afternoon.

But her focus didn’t improve—she still couldn’t understand the lessons.

She’d rather run laps outside.

Classes ended at shen hour (around 4 PM), and by the time she returned to the Gu residence, it was past 5.

Gu Qingci was exhausted.

After washing up and changing, Lian Rui summoned her to Xiuyi Garden for dinner.

While Gu Qingci freshened up, Shimo scurried off to report to Ruan Zhi.

Ruan Zhi’s outing hadn’t gone well.

At the official store, she purchased a few items but was unable to meet the manager—men refused to see women in business matters.

She’d have to investigate other avenues.

None of the people she wanted to recruit were in the county town yet.

Frustrated and with a headache, Ruan Zhi was in low spirits.

Hearing from Shimo that Gu Qingci had ignored her usual troublemaker friends, spent the day either in class or eating, and returned looking drained, Ruan Zhi found herself curious to see her.

Sure enough, the lively energy from yesterday was gone.

Yet, at dinner, Gu Qingci ate heartily, somehow making the meal more appetizing for Ruan Zhi too.

“With less than a month until the exam, does my wife feel confident about passing?” Ruan Zhi asked after the meal.

“…” Gu Qingci’s post-meal contentment shattered.

“Madam, I’ll work hard. I plan to study more tonight, so I won’t disturb you further.” Gu Qingci said, mustering determination.

“Study here.” Ruan Zhi said, wanting to see if Gu Qingci truly fell asleep over books, as Shimo claimed.

Gu Qingci was happy to stay—the beautiful, wealthy sister was pleasing to the eye, and the soft couch was far better than her hard bed.

She blamed her daytime drowsiness on poor sleep the night before and the early start.

“Madam, may I ask… do you have any tea? I’d like some.” Gu Qingci ventured after a moment.

She’d been craving tea for a while.

But Ruan Zhi’s scent was tea.

Asking for tea felt oddly intimate.

Still, given how drowsy reading made her, she needed something to keep her alert.

Tea might sharpen her focus and improve her efficiency.

“Tea soup? I’ll have some prepared for you.” Ruan Zhi said, calling Lian Rui to brew a cup.

Gu Qingci glanced at her book, then moved closer to Ruan Zhi, deciding to swallow her pride and ask for help.

Some characters, some confusing phrases—basic things she didn’t know.

Ruan Zhi was taken aback. Had Gu Qingci really retained nothing from her past studies?

She patiently explained.

For the first time, Gu Qingci felt her empty mind begin to fill.

Soon, Lian Rui brought the tea soup.

Gu Qingci took a sip and nearly spat it out.

The “tea” was loaded with salt, ginger, scallions, jujubes, and other seasonings.

This wasn’t tea—it was a culinary abomination.

“Madam, are you sure this is tea?” Gu Qingci forced down a mouthful and asked.

“What else would it be?” Ruan Zhi frowned.

“Shouldn’t tea just be tea leaves? Why all these strange additives?”

“Tea leaves are bitter and grassy. How could anyone drink them plain?”

Gu Qingci suddenly realized: in this world, tea hadn’t yet evolved into the drink she knew.