The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 16

Aunt Chen stood silently at the edge of the field, watching. The young master had given strict orders: these two were to work alone, and no servants were to help.

In less than half an hour, Bai Zhi stood up, stretching her sore back. Her palms were red and stained with the color of wild grass, her hands and fingers aching.

Beside her, Wei Ziwan also stood up. The two exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of utter despair.

About an hour later, Bai Zhi had already collapsed onto the ridge of the field, completely devoid of any semblance of dignity. She looked at the small patch of land they had cleared—barely a fraction of the total—and couldn’t help but wonder when this would ever end.

Why had she come to seek refuge with her uncle? Why had she agreed to farm?

She even began to entertain the thought of leaving with the hundred coins she had. But a hundred coins? That wouldn’t even cover a night at an inn. Would she have to sleep in the wilderness?

She glanced at Wei Ziwan, who was also slumped on the ridge. Their eyes met, and somehow, they both sensed each other’s thoughts.

This damned eunuch, this troublemaker. Is she thinking of running off with the money?

Fool, what good would a hundred coins do?

They each shot the other a disdainful look, then turned away, both staring at the endless sea of weeds, overwhelmed with worry.

“What’s wrong, sisters?”

At the sound of the voice, both of them looked up toward the edge of the field.

“Second Sister.”

It was Bai Luo. Though Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan were too exhausted to stand, they still forced themselves up to greet her properly.

Bai Luo raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with surprise. “What’s happened to you two? Why haven’t you gone to find an ox?”

“Find an ox? To eat the grass?” Bai Zhi was almost shocked by her own assumption. How many oxen would it take to clear four acres of land? And would the oxen even pull up the roots? Would they have to redo the work later?

Bai Luo chuckled softly, a hint of reproach in her expression. “Bai Zhi, you’re such a joker. Of course, you’d use the ox to plow the field. Once the soil is loosened, the weeds can be easily pulled out without much effort. Wouldn’t that be more efficient?”

Bai Zhi’s eyes lit up. What a great idea!

She quickly brushed off the dirt from her clothes and thanked her. “Thank you, Second Sister. I’ll go find an ox right away.”

Bai Luo nodded with a smile, then glanced at Wei Ziwan, who had remained calm throughout, before gracefully taking her leave.

As she turned away, her expression darkened. She began to speculate about Bai Li’s intentions. Why had her elder brother left these two to fend for themselves? It seemed like he really expected them to farm on their own.

Or was this their father’s idea? She thought of Bai Zhi, whose features bore some resemblance to her brother’s. Could it be that their father really had a younger brother in the capital?

Whatever the case, both her brother and father’s arrangements were highly unusual. A cousin? It seemed she would need to keep a close eye on these two.

Wei Ziwan studied Bai Luo’s retreating figure. Tall, with high eyebrows and a prominent nose, she bore no resemblance to Bai Li. In contrast, the slender Bai Zhi had delicate features that hinted at the Bai family’s traits.

Moreover, Wei Ziwan sensed something off about Bai Luo’s demeanor. While she appeared friendly on the surface, her eyes were filled with wariness. It seemed the eunuch’s uncle’s family was more complicated than she had thought.

After some contemplation, Wei Ziwan sat back down on the ground. Time passed, and as the sun began to move south, she finally saw Bai Zhi pulling something toward her.

As it got closer, she recognized it as a plow.

“Where’s the ox?” Wei Ziwan asked, confused. Hadn’t she gone to find an ox? Why had this damned eunuch only brought back the plow?

Bai Zhi nearly burst into tears. She had struggled to drag the plow all the way here, her arms and legs nearly giving out, and all this troublemaker cared about was the ox!

She forced a smile. “It costs fifty coins a day to hire an ox. We can’t afford that.”

Fifty coins a day was too expensive. She couldn’t bear to spend that much, so she had only brought the free plow from the estate.

Wei Ziwan sighed, then took a deep breath. “We could split the cost. Don’t tell me you think I wouldn’t chip in my twenty-five coins?”

Bai Zhi rolled her eyes, refusing to respond.

Wei Ziwan: “…” So this eunuch really thought she wouldn’t contribute? Was she that kind of person?

If Bai Zhi knew what she was thinking, she would have answered: Yes, you are.

After a moment of glaring at each other, Bai Zhi picked up the plow. “What are you standing around for? Help me pull it.”

Wei Ziwan bit her lip and walked over to the other side. Together, they strained with all their might.

The plow didn’t budge.

They exchanged glances, then tried again.

The plow remained immovable.

Wei Ziwan looked up at the sky, then said through gritted teeth, “Let’s each pay twenty-five coins and hire an ox right now.”

Bai Zhi nodded. She had overestimated her own strength.

As noon approached, they decided to head back for lunch and resume their efforts in the afternoon.

After lunch and a short rest, Wei Ziwan handed Bai Zhi twenty-five coins. Just as Bai Zhi reached out to take them, she pulled the money back.

Bai Zhi glared at her. “What? Changed your mind? Think you can pull the plow by yourself now?”

Wei Ziwan shook her head lightly. “I’m coming with you.”

She didn’t trust Bai Zhi to handle this alone. This eunuch had never left the palace and had been confined to the cold palace for years. She probably knew even less about the outside world than Wei Ziwan did. In the end, one could only rely on oneself.

Bai Zhi rolled her eyes. “You think I’d cheat you? Who cares about your few coins?”

Wei Ziwan raised an eyebrow, her tone firm. “You do.”

Bai Zhi: “…” This infuriating troublemaker. She was about to lose her patience. Sooner or later, she was going to take this woman down with her.

Half an hour later, they arrived at a market outside the estate.

Bai Zhi walked to the spot where she had inquired about hiring an ox earlier that morning. Aunt Chen had brought her here, saying the prices were fair.

A few farmers noticed them. Though the two women were dressed like peasants, their striking looks made them stand out. None of the farmers approached them, except for an old man leading an ox.

The old man’s eyes lit up as he approached. “Young master, still looking to hire an ox? My ox eats little but is strong. The price is very reasonable.”

Wei Ziwan glanced at Bai Zhi’s attire—her hair tied up like a man’s, her androgynous appearance, and her deliberately lowered voice—she really did look like a delicate young man.

Just as Bai Zhi was about to nod, Wei Ziwan tugged at her sleeve. “Husband, wait.”

Bai Zhi paused, instinctively stopping to look at Wei Ziwan.

Wei Ziwan stepped forward and addressed the other farmers standing nearby. “What do you gentlemen do?”

The old man answered without thinking, “We’re here for work. Our own farm work is done, so we come to find odd jobs to earn some extra coins.”

She had guessed right!

Wei Ziwan continued, “What kind of work do you take? For example, would you clear weeds from a field?”

One of the men, a middle-aged farmer, replied eagerly, “We would.”

“How much would that cost?”

“Forty coins per acre.” the man said, his voice lowering slightly.

Wei Ziwan noted his reaction and feigned hesitation. “We have four acres, but we only have a hundred coins left. If it weren’t for my husband’s poor health, we wouldn’t have come to hire help. I guess we’ll have to manage on our own.”

The man seemed to struggle with himself before finally saying, “A hundred coins for four acres is possible… but you’d have to provide meals.”

Bai Zhi was stunned. Hiring an ox for fifty coins a day would take at least two days, costing a hundred coins. But hiring people to clear the weeds would solve the problem in one go, and they wouldn’t have to lift a finger. How had she not thought of this?

She was about to agree when she realized Wei Ziwan hadn’t immediately accepted the offer. She steadied herself, maintaining a calm expression. Clearly, Wei Ziwan had more up her sleeve.

Having spent over a decade in the cold palace, Bai Zhi had learned one thing above all else: stay calm. No matter what happened, don’t rush. Staying calm was key.

Sure enough, Wei Ziwan’s expression grew even more hesitant. She shook her head reluctantly. “I think we’ll have to pass.”

Bai Zhi nearly interjected, but she held back. Stay calm. Don’t rush. Stay calm.

The middle-aged man’s face fell, and he quickly said, “We can do it without meals. A hundred coins it is. We’ll take a twenty percent deposit now. Come on, boys, let’s get to work.”

Wei Ziwan’s eyes flickered with satisfaction, and she turned to Bai Zhi. “Husband, you have the money.”