The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 33

Outside the manor, the autumn wind rustled, and fallen leaves swirled on the road. Few pedestrians were in sight.

Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan made their way to the place where they had previously hired laborers, only to find two half-grown children squatting there. Upon asking, they learned that although farmers wanted to take on short-term work during the agricultural off-season, it was already late in the year, and there was no farm work to be found elsewhere.

Only skilled craftsmen could find work, and over time, no one came anymore.

Bai Zhi instinctively glanced at Wei Ziwan. This path was a dead end.

They needed to think of another solution quickly, or else what would happen to the radishes in the field?

Wei Ziwan’s mind raced, and she suggested, “What do you think about asking someone randomly for advice?”

“Not a good idea. What if that person happens to have bad character, lacks experience, or is even malicious?” Bai Zhi disagreed, her expression disapproving. Asking someone randomly—how reliable could that be? If they used the wrong method and the radishes were ruined, who would be to blame?

Unless they asked multiple people.

“Ask more people?” Wei Ziwan raised an eyebrow. This eunuch had quite a few issues.

Bai Zhi was startled. She hadn’t said anything—was this troublemaker a mind reader?

Could it be that they were in sync?

She stared intently at Wei Ziwan, and the atmosphere suddenly became strange.

Faced with such an odd gaze, Wei Ziwan couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and smile. “Husband, have you looked enough? Do I look good?”

Do I look good?

The woman before her had a delicate and captivating face. Her eyes, though clear and pure, seemed to be veiled in a thin mist when she smiled, alluring and enchanting, making one want to delve deeper, to break through that mist and see the beauty beneath.

Bai Zhi’s ears burned red. “Speak—speak properly.”

She nearly bit her tongue mid-sentence but managed to correct herself in time.

She took a deep breath, her emotions a tangled mess, and a hint of inexplicable embarrassment and annoyance flashed in her eyes. She quickened her pace.

Watching Bai Zhi walk away without looking back, Wei Ziwan silently adjusted her hairpin. Could this eunuch be shy? She had clearly seen those ears turn bright red in an instant.

Come to think of it, something similar had happened before.

Wei Ziwan’s eyes flickered, and a bold idea sprang to mind, causing her heart to skip a beat.

Distractedly, she bit her lip, her eyes dark and unreadable.

When they reached the manor gate, Bai Zhi saw Mr. Qiu sitting there and stopped in her tracks.

Why had they come back?

Weren’t they supposed to ask more people? Suddenly, she felt like a lamb walking into a tiger’s den. The frustrating part was that she felt like the lamb willingly offering itself.

“What’s wrong?” Wei Ziwan asked, noticing her pause.

Bai Zhi frowned, her eyes indicating the figure leisurely drinking not far away. She whispered, “Why did we come back? Is he waiting for us?”

Wei Ziwan: “…”

Why did we come back? Shouldn’t you be asking yourself that? This is so strange.

Bai Zhi seemed to remember something, a flash of embarrassment crossing her face. It seemed that in her confusion, she had rushed back without thinking.

It was all this troublemaker’s fault, suddenly causing chaos in her mind and making her forget the important matter.

Thinking this, Bai Zhi shot Wei Ziwan a look of frustration.

Wei Ziwan was baffled by the look. What was wrong with this eunuch? Who was she blaming with that look?

“Don’t be afraid. He won’t eat you.”

Bai Zhi sighed inwardly. It wasn’t fear but annoyance. “Since we’re already here, let’s go in.”

Turning back now would be too obvious.

In front of the manor gate, a wooden table had been set up at some point, with wine and dishes laid out. Mr. Qiu sat on a bamboo stool, drinking by himself.

The autumn wind blew, causing his robes to flutter slightly.

As Bai Zhi approached, Mr. Qiu stroked his stubble, the drunkenness on his face fading, and his eyes regaining clarity. “You’re back, ladies. Come, sit—” Halfway through, he noticed the lack of stools and continued matter-of-factly, “Come, stand. I just happen to have something to discuss with you.”

Bai Zhi’s eye twitched. He was indeed annoying.

“What did you want to discuss, sir?”

Mr. Qiu took a moment to savor the aroma of the wine in his cup before speaking. “I heard your crops have been infested with pests. How do you plan to solve that?”

This lesson needed to be swift and decisive, unlike the last time, which had been a failure.

Bai Zhi blinked. How should she answer this to avoid another lecture?

“To be honest, we’re still thinking of a solution. If you have nothing urgent, perhaps we can talk another time. The crops in the field can’t wait.”

That should do it. Anyone with a bit of sense would understand the underlying message—she didn’t want to waste time chatting.

Mr. Qiu frowned, took a sip of wine, and then smiled. “Since you call me ‘sir,’ why didn’t you come to me when you encountered a problem?”

Bai Zhi clenched her teeth. She called him “sir” because her uncle had arranged it. As for why she didn’t seek his advice, shouldn’t he know better?

She silently cursed him twice, then forced a smile. “You’re too kind, sir. We didn’t want to disturb you, given how busy you must be. Do you have any solutions for the pest problem?”

Finally, the question had been asked!

Mr. Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke seriously. “There are two solutions. One is to cut out the rot, and the other is to gloss over the problem. Which do you think is more appropriate?”

Bai Zhi’s expression froze for a moment. Here we go again—this man was dragging the conversation away from farming.

But since he had two potential solutions, she decided to endure it.

She took a deep breath, maintaining a polite smile. “May I ask, sir, how would these methods affect the radish yield?”

Mr. Qiu seemed to have anticipated this question. He smiled and said, “Cutting out the rot may destroy the root of the problem, but it will inevitably cause some damage. Glossing over the problem may not address the root cause, but it can quickly resolve the immediate issue and maintain a balance. That’s the general difference.”

So, which would you choose?

Bai Zhi closed her eyes for a moment, then took another deep breath to keep her smile from faltering. Her adoptive father had told her to stay calm in difficult situations, to smile just right, to remain steady.

She moved her lips, but before she could speak, she took another deep breath and turned to Wei Ziwan, her voice soft. “Ziwan, which solution do you think is better?”

No, she couldn’t take it anymore. If she looked at Mr. Qiu for one more second, she was afraid she’d roll her eyes.

Emergency rescue—it was up to this troublemaker now.

Caught off guard, Wei Ziwan was momentarily stunned.

Seeing Bai Zhi’s expression of barely contained frustration, she lowered her eyes to hide her amusement, then looked up with a serious expression. “Then let’s gloss over the problem for now.”

First, solve the immediate issue to prevent further damage to the radishes, then figure out a long-term solution.

Mr. Qiu nodded with a smile. “It’s fine to take a gentler approach, but don’t be careless. Letting things slide temporarily doesn’t mean you should ignore them forever. Be careful not to nurture a tiger that will come back to bite you. All pests should be dealt with promptly.”

After all, they were women, and still young. Though cautious, they lacked boldness. It seemed he would need to guide them patiently. Those who achieve great things cannot afford to be timid.

Wei Ziwan pursed her lips, maintaining her smile. “Your advice is well taken, sir. But how exactly do we implement the second method?”

“I just told you, the second method is to gloss over the problem. How could you forget so quickly?” Mr. Qiu picked up his wine cup, assuming the air of a wise man who had accomplished his mission.

Wei Ziwan’s breath hitched, and her smile slowly faded. “Sir, it seems you didn’t understand. I was asking for the specific steps.”

Mr. Qiu chuckled. “I understand. It’s you who don’t understand. It’s getting late, and I have other matters to attend to. Farewell.”

With that, he stood up and walked away. A servant nearby came forward to clean up the table and stools.

In no time, the area in front of the gate was empty, as if the previous scene had been an illusion.

Only the two of them remained, standing there in stunned silence.

The autumn wind continued to blow, chilling their minds.

“Is he too lazy to pretend anymore, or is he deliberately messing with us? This is ridiculous.” Bai Zhi clenched her fists silently. Either possibility was infuriating.

Wei Ziwan watched the retreating figure, her voice calm. “Husband, you could say it more harshly. Such shameless behavior is like a dead pig unfazed by scolding.”

Taking advantage of their reliance on the manor, he lectured them without regard for their wishes. What a so-called upright scholar, what a wise man—she had overestimated him before. He was nothing more than a disrespectful pedant.

In all her years, she had never been toyed with like this.

The woman before her pressed her lips together, her eyes cold and serious, a rare expression.

Bai Zhi fell silent. It seemed this troublemaker was also angry.

She thought about Mr. Qiu’s words and stepped in front of Wei Ziwan. “The important thing is to focus on the task at hand. Let’s avoid him in the future. If we can’t avoid him—then we’ll cut out the rot.”

Wei Ziwan stood still, her eyes showing a hint of surprise. “How do we cut out the rot?”

Bai Zhi smirked coldly and said calmly, “As he said, even if it means losing eight hundred to defeat a thousand, we’ll lay our cards on the table and seek clarity.”

Her adoptive father had told her to endure, to be kind to others, so that she could survive in the palace. But endless tolerance would only wear down her spirit, just like earlier, when she had been angry but dared not speak up.

She wasn’t ungrateful. No one would lecture her without reason, but no matter the reason, she shouldn’t be treated like a fool who could be manipulated at will.

Bai Zhi took two deep breaths. When tolerance no longer worked, it was time to stop tolerating.

She was a person, and she preferred to live with clarity.

Wei Ziwan raised an eyebrow slightly. Even a clay figure has some temper.

This eunuch, who was always kind to others but cold to her, actually had such courage.

She curled her lips, her eyes glinting, and leaned closer to Bai Zhi’s ear. “Husband, don’t worry. If it comes to that, I’ll stand with you.”

“Speak properly. Why are you getting so close?”