The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 38

The cold gaze softened slightly. Wei Ziwan looked out the window for a long time before finally turning her eyes back and saying softly, “Let’s go back and pull up all the radishes. Manager Xi probably won’t regret it even if he sees so many radishes. This way, we’ll have a bit of wealth to our name.”

She roughly calculated that one acre of land should yield about two hundred stones, so four acres would be eight hundred stones. At the agreed price with Manager Xi, one hundred stones would cost twenty-five taels. Selling all the radishes this time should net them over two hundred taels of silver.

No matter the circumstances, having money always brings a sense of security. Even if they left the manor, they could use this silver to settle down temporarily.

The woman’s voice was gentle, but to Bai Zhi, it carried a calming power.

Bai Zhi silently calculated in her heart, and a flicker of joy flashed in her eyes. Over two hundred taels of silver—compared to when they first left the palace, this could indeed be considered a small fortune.

“This way, even if we leave the manor, we won’t have to worry too much.” Bai Zhi quickly thought of their biggest concern: planning ahead and securing a way out.

Wei Ziwan’s eyes showed a hint of a smile: “Yes, at least we won’t have to worry about sleeping in the wild.”

Mentioning this topic, she couldn’t help but recall the nights when they first left the palace and had no money for lodging, sleeping in the carriage instead.

Bai Zhi obviously remembered too, and even thought a bit more: “Back then, we were practically penniless, so we didn’t have extra money to buy clothes or anything.” She felt the need to explain her actions at the time.

As the carriage slowly moved forward, Wei Ziwan looked at Bai Zhi, who seemed a bit flustered, and said coldly, “Yes, back then, my husband was reluctant to buy me a change of clothes. I wonder if you’re willing now?”

She was well aware of how tight things were back then, and any resentment she had was only momentary.

But for some reason, she felt like teasing Bai Zhi a little, pretending to hold a grudge.

Bai Zhi was stunned. This troublemaker wasn’t being understanding at all. She looked up at Wei Ziwan and met a pair of smiling eyes.

She immediately realized that this woman was deliberately teasing her.

“Even if we had money back then, I wouldn’t have spent it on you.” Bai Zhi said, raising her voice slightly and putting on a haughty expression.

But under Wei Ziwan’s amused gaze, her act lacked any real authority.

Bai Zhi’s breathing became slightly uneven, and she turned her head away in frustration.

Wei Ziwan smiled without saying a word. Bai Zhi had avoided answering whether she was willing now.

On the way back, they spent another two taels of silver to hire help. The results of such a lavish expenditure did not disappoint.

In just over half a day, the radishes from four acres of land were pulled up and piled into small hills.

After inspecting the results, they had just returned to their room when a servant came to deliver a message: Mr. Qiu requested their presence.

Bai Zhi lowered her eyes and didn’t respond.

Wei Ziwan replied indifferently, “It’s getting late. Please inform Mr. Qiu that we’ll discuss matters tomorrow.”

The two of them were in complete agreement on this matter. They had no good impression of Mr. Qiu. After all, no one liked being treated like a lump of clay, molded into whatever shape others desired without any regard for their own wishes.

The feeling of not being respected was truly unpleasant.

The servant paused, said nothing, and left, presumably to deliver the message.

But they had underestimated Mr. Qiu’s persistence.

Just after dinner, Mr. Qiu arrived uninvited. As soon as he entered, he addressed Bai Zhi: “I heard you hired people to pull up all the radishes?”

Bai Zhi rolled her eyes, pretending to think, and didn’t respond. She just wanted to rest early. This person had no sense of timing, coming to disturb their peace so late at night.

Wei Ziwan glanced at her and answered on her behalf: “That’s correct.”

Mr. Qiu frowned slightly, his tone disapproving: “This was reckless. I understand it’s your first harvest, and you might act impulsively. But in the future, you should be more cautious. Planning ahead will prevent losses.”

Without any warning, they had rushed to pull up all the radishes. If they were left piled in the fields, the crops would be ruined. How could they take on greater responsibilities with such behavior?

Wei Ziwan finally looked at Mr. Qiu with a serious expression. The situation seemed worse than she had thought. These people were not only self-righteous but also stubborn, lecturing them without even understanding the full story.

Though he didn’t outright blame them, he had already concluded that they were incapable of handling the situation.

“You’re right, sir. My husband and I will certainly heed your advice.” Wei Ziwan said, still maintaining a respectful demeanor.

Mr. Qiu glanced at Bai Zhi, who remained silent, and then at Wei Ziwan, who had been answering. His tone carried a hint of reproach: “A virtuous wife keeps her husband out of trouble. Regardless of the future, since Miss Wei speaks this way, you should be even more cautious in your words and actions to avoid such difficult situations. How can so many radishes be sold in such a short time?”

Wei Ziwan’s expression darkened slightly. She sensed the dissatisfaction in Mr. Qiu’s tone and held back the words she was about to say.

At that moment, Bai Zhi let out a cold laugh, a meaningful smile playing on her lips: “Then why don’t you help us solve the problem, Mr. Qiu? If you can sell all these radishes, we’ll be eternally grateful.”

The earlier lecture had left her feeling suffocated. She really wanted to kick this person out. What did he mean by “a virtuous wife keeps her husband out of trouble” and “regardless of the future”?

What right did an outsider have to criticize her wife—no, to criticize this troublemaker?

Her words were clearly provocative.

Mr. Qiu’s frown deepened, and his tone grew heavier: “If you rely on others to solve your problems, how is that any different from reaping without sowing? You must rely on yourselves.”

Bai Zhi took a deep breath. The two hundred taels of silver they were about to receive tomorrow gave her some confidence. The earlier frustration urged her not to hold back anymore. Endless tolerance was useless with certain people.

At worst, they could leave Lingjue Manor. The world wouldn’t end, and they had hands and feet. They could make a living elsewhere.

She stared at Mr. Qiu, her tone firm and impolite: “Since you’re unwilling to help, then we won’t keep you.”

“You… You’re hopeless. You’re utterly unreasonable.”

Mr. Qiu was furious, instantly revising his earlier impression of Bai Zhi. After all, she was just a woman, short-sighted and quick to rely on others. When her requests were denied, she turned hostile. The old manor master had misjudged her.

Bai Zhi rolled her eyes, her voice turning colder: “I’m just a lump of mud that likes to stay at the foot of the wall. No need for you to try and lift me up.”

“You…” Mr. Qiu was so angry he started tugging at his beard.

Bai Zhi stood by the door, gesturing for him to leave: “Take care, Mr. Qiu. We won’t see you out.”

Mr. Qiu could no longer contain himself and snapped, “No need to see me out. I can leave on my own.”

The sound of the door slamming shut was particularly sharp in the night.

The person who had been silently fuming looked grim, her lips pressed tightly together as if brewing a storm.

Wei Ziwan’s heart tightened. She walked to the table and poured two cups of tea, saying softly, “There’s no need to pay him any mind. Why get angry with yourself?”

Bai Zhi forced a smile: “I’m not angry with myself. I just… never mind. It’s clear we don’t want to be manipulated by them anymore. It seems our days at the manor are numbered.”

Wei Ziwan, however, wasn’t as optimistic. If those people realized Bai Zhi’s true nature and changed their approach—perhaps by being upfront and honest—would she still want to leave?

Bai Zhi noticed the worry in Wei Ziwan’s expression and felt a sudden heaviness in her heart. Was this troublemaker not willing to leave with her?

But… but they were married. Married couples were supposed to be one, advancing and retreating together. This woman had even said before that she would always stay by her side. But the more she thought about it, the less certain she felt.

What right did she have to ask this woman to stand by her through thick and thin?

Bai Zhi gripped her teacup tightly, taking a small sip to hide the inexplicable tension in her heart. She said softly, “Ziwan, don’t you want to leave?” Don’t you want to leave with me?

Wei Ziwan looked at Bai Zhi but didn’t answer immediately.

She walked to the door, locked it, and closed the windows tightly, blocking out the cold wind and the night.

The room instantly became much quieter, and the candlelight stopped flickering.

Bai Zhi’s eyes followed her every move, not daring to relax for a moment. Her heartbeat was so loud it almost drowned out everything else.

Wei Ziwan returned to the table and sat across from Bai Zhi. Seeing the anxious look on her face, she couldn’t help but smile: “Husband, have you forgotten? I said a long time ago, ‘Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog.'”

“But those words back then… those words back then don’t count.” Bai Zhi murmured softly.

Back then, they were wary of each other, and many things were done out of necessity. Some words were just said under pressure, with no real sincerity.

Wei Ziwan pretended to think for a moment before saying gently, “Those words might not have counted back then, but now, they do.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes widened slightly. What did she mean by that? Those words might not have counted back then, but now they do?

She gripped her teacup tightly and slowly brought it to her lips. Though she hadn’t taken a sip, she felt as if she had already drunk the water, swallowing hard.

“What do you mean, ‘now they do’?”

After asking, she looked across the table.

The woman across from her had soft features, and under the candlelight, she seemed less radiant than during the day but more gentle and charming than usual.

Bai Zhi tightened her grip on the teacup. For the first time, she felt that time was moving so slowly it was almost unbearable. Just as she was about to repeat her question, the woman across from her spoke.

Wei Ziwan extended a slender finger and slowly reached forward, stopping just before Bai Zhi’s forehead. She gently brushed aside a strand of hair and said in a melodious tone, “It means I find you… quite pleasing to the eye now.”

Bai Zhi was stunned. Before she could react, the finger at her forehead withdrew.