The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 42

“It’s good that you understand, everything I do is for your own good, go now.”

Bai Zhi’s expression shifted slightly, a mix of resentment and reluctance in her eyes. Under Bai Shu’s gaze, she eventually softened, leaving only a look of grievance. “Yes.” she replied.

She walked out of the room, leaving Bai Shu’s courtyard. As she made her way back, her head was bowed, and her steps faltered, her demeanor gradually showing signs of defeat.

Only when she entered her own room and saw Wei Ziwan sitting at the table did Bai Zhi quickly close the door behind her. Her face changed, and she leaned against the door, breathing heavily, her body trembling as if she could barely stand.

“What’s wrong? Did your uncle give you a hard time?” Wei Ziwan immediately stood up and walked over, supporting Bai Zhi’s arm with a look of concern.

Bai Zhi took a few deep breaths to calm herself. “Someone was following me. This place isn’t safe. We need to leave.”

Wei Ziwan’s expression shifted slightly. She gently held Bai Zhi’s arm, moving closer to offer silent support and strength. “What exactly happened?” she asked worriedly.

The fact that someone had been tailing her within the manor was alarming. Who would dare to act so brazenly here? The answer was obvious.

Bai Zhi steadied herself, and the two of them walked arm in arm to the bed and sat down.

She held Wei Ziwan’s hand, drawing comfort from the warmth of her touch. “My uncle, just like Mr. Qiu, completely disregards our wishes. He even insisted that I get closer to Miss Lu. I sensed something was off, so I pretended to agree. I don’t know if he believed me or not.”

As soon as she left Bai Shu’s courtyard, she had felt as though someone was watching her. That sense of danger couldn’t be mistaken.

Even though she had pretended to comply, the confrontation had clearly displeased Bai Shu.

In the end, she had been careless.

She had underestimated Bai Shu’s schemes and desire for control, and overestimated her own position.

At this moment, Bai Zhi felt a deep sense of fear. She had no leverage. If Lingjue Manor decided to take drastic measures, they would have no way to resist.

Thinking this, she added before Wei Ziwan could speak, “We can’t alert them. We need to leave quietly, without drawing attention.”

Her instincts had always been sharp. Now that the cards were on the table, if they didn’t act according to Bai Shu’s wishes, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t resort to extreme measures.

So the best plan was to leave, and to do so without a sound.

Wei Ziwan instinctively tightened her grip on Bai Zhi’s hand and nodded gently. “You mean they want to manipulate you for some unknown purpose, and might even use force against us, right?”

Bai Zhi nodded heavily. Wei Ziwan’s analysis was precise.

Wei Ziwan sighed softly. “I understand. Your decision is the right one. We need to plan our escape carefully.”

No one liked being manipulated, willingly becoming a clueless pawn.

Especially in Lingjue Manor, where everything seemed strange and full of hidden schemes. They had no one to rely on and could hardly protect themselves. It was better to stay far away.

The key was how to leave safely.

The two exchanged glances, both clearly pondering the same question.

After a while, Bai Zhi’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Let’s go ask about what crops are suitable to plant in winter. We can’t leave the fields barren until spring.”

Wei Ziwan’s heart stirred, and she smiled lightly. “You’re right, husband. We should think carefully about what to plant.”

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but smile as well. “No time to waste. Let’s go ask after lunch.”

With a plan in mind, the two of them gradually relaxed.

They weren’t the type to sit idly by. No matter the difficulty, they would first calm themselves and then quickly find a way out.

Clearly, in certain moments, they were in sync, which allowed them to reach a consensus faster.

However, after asking around, they learned that winter wasn’t suitable for planting.

Lu Qu’er, noticing their actions, felt both awkward and resentful. When she encountered them, she sneered, “Trying to plant crops in winter? Unless you’re planting them indoors, it’s impossible.”

Bai Zhi’s heart stirred, and for the first time, she looked at Lu Qu’er with gratitude. “That’s a great idea. Thank you for the suggestion, Miss Lu.”

Lu Qu’er: “…” Am I the fool, or are these two the fools?

But after the snow melted, she realized the fools were indeed Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan.

Because they were already busily hiring people to build walls around their fields, as if preparing for a major project.

Lu Qu’er watched in stunned silence, then remembered the old master’s instructions and reluctantly went to ask, “What are you doing? Are you really planning to build a house in the field?”

Bai Zhi glanced at Wei Ziwan, then turned back with a bright smile. “After much thought, we realized Miss Lu’s suggestion was brilliant. If we enclose these four acres of land with walls and cover the top, it’ll be much warmer inside, and we can grow vegetables in winter.”

Hearing Bai Zhi’s words, Lu Qu’er felt as though she was being dragged into their scheme and quickly denied, “I didn’t give you any advice. I was just speaking offhand. I suggest you think carefully before proceeding.”

She had come to dissuade them out of goodwill, but whether they listened was another matter.

Of course, Bai Zhi wouldn’t listen. She said eagerly, “Don’t be modest, Miss Lu. You’ve been a great help. When this succeeds, I must treat you to a few drinks.”

Lu Qu’er raised an eyebrow, then remembered her purpose and frowned. “I didn’t help you. If this fails, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

With that, she had both taken credit and absolved herself of responsibility.

If it succeeded, the idea was hers. If it failed, she had only mentioned it in passing and had come to warn them.

Lu Qu’er couldn’t help but feel she was quite clever.

As she walked away in high spirits, Wei Ziwan looked at Bai Zhi with a faint smile. “Husband, have you ever drunk wine? How’s your tolerance?”

Bai Zhi turned her gaze back to Wei Ziwan. “If we succeed, getting drunk once wouldn’t hurt.”

She had never drunk wine before, but she had smelled it. Drinking something couldn’t be that hard, right?

Wei Ziwan smiled without saying more. They both knew what “succeeding” meant.

In the distance, someone watched their fields for a long time before returning to the manor.

“Old Master, they don’t seem to be planning to leave. They’ve spent over ten taels of silver building walls in the fields. It looks like they’re serious about making something of it.”

Bai Shu glanced at the person kneeling before him and said calmly, “No need to watch them within the manor. But once they leave, keep a close eye on them. Don’t be careless.”

“Yes.”

“Also, Mr. Qiu will only teach Bai Luo for now. Find someone more capable to take over.” Bai Shu waved his hand, signaling for the person to leave.

He hadn’t assigned Bai Zhi to farm to turn her into a skilled farmer. Farming was merely a test of character. The most important thing was to learn governance, so she wouldn’t be useless in the future.

Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan spared no expense this time. To enclose the four acres of land with walls, they spent a considerable amount of money, even carefully leaving windows to ensure sunlight could reach the crops.

After the work was done, they named their field: “The Vegetable House.”

They then hurried to the accounting office to collect vegetable seeds.

Inside the Vegetable House, the two of them carried the seeds inside and closed the door, shutting out prying eyes.

After walking a short distance, Bai Zhi stood by a window and looked outside before turning back. “Can we consider this the first step?”

Once the vegetables grew, they could slowly pave the way for their escape.

Wei Ziwan pursed her lips. “Every step from now on is crucial. Don’t rush. Take it slow.”

The calmer they were, the safer they would be. Otherwise, all the money they had spent would be wasted.

But she couldn’t help wondering if Bai Zhi’s judgment was reliable. Were they really being watched? What if it was all in their heads, and they were just being overly cautious? That would be embarrassing.

Bai Zhi seemed to guess her thoughts and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Whether we’re being watched or not, we’ll know soon. These peas and radishes should sprout in a few days.”

Wei Ziwan was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Then let’s sow the seeds. We need to do everything properly to avoid raising suspicions.”

Bai Zhi nodded, and the two of them began working together.

They were busy for two days before finally taking a break, waiting for the seeds to sprout.

Bai Zhi felt as though she had returned to the days when she first planted radishes. At dawn, she would go to the Vegetable House to check on the progress.

This time, however, Wei Ziwan accompanied her, and the two were practically inseparable.

“Ziwan, the sprouts are doing well. Almost 90% have come up.” Bai Zhi said with a bright expression. Although their goal was to escape, seeing the green sprouts they had planted was still a rewarding experience.

Wei Ziwan smiled softly. “Yes, it’s going well.”

Now it was time to test the waters.

The two exchanged smiles, then went back to change into more presentable clothes before leisurely walking out of the manor.

The first heavy snow of winter had almost completely melted, and there were few people on the road. This made the figure following them at a distance all the more obvious.

Wei Ziwan sighed inwardly. “You were right, husband. Your uncle really doesn’t trust us.”

Sure enough, someone was secretly watching them, and they weren’t even trying to hide it.

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but snort. “Whether he’s really my uncle or not is still unclear, but one thing’s for sure—he’s no good.”

The initial joy of finding family had completely vanished. Her adoptive father was right—nothing in life came for free. But why had he sent her to her uncle, saying she could trust him completely? Did that mean her adoptive father was in on this too, treating her like a puppet to be manipulated?

Or did he simply not know?