The Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Heroine in the Old Abusive Article - Chapter 10

Could she be hiding something from me?

We’ve been married for two months, yet I haven’t noticed anything unusual. But how else could a chicken vanish into thin air?

Wen Jin’an frowned.

After crying for so long, Liu Yue’e couldn’t keep up the act any longer. She scrambled to her feet. With Qin Yang protecting Wen Jin’an, she knew she wouldn’t gain anything by continuing her tantrum. Besides, she had no proof. Glaring resentfully at Qin Yang, she stormed off, muttering curses.

As soon as Liu Yue’e left, the room fell silent.

Qin Yang closed her eyes briefly. What must be faced, must be faced. After a moment’s hesitation, she knelt by the bed, looked up at Wen Jin’an, and said softly, “Don’t worry, she’s gone now. You can rest assured, I won’t let her hurt you again.”

Qin Yang was eager to prove her loyalty.

She had stolen the chicken herself, yet the Female Lead had taken the blame. Though unintentional, the Female Lead didn’t know that.

Moreover, Qin Yang hadn’t directly confessed earlier and had watched Liu Yue’e’s entire outburst.

This is a real headache.

I hope the Female Lead won’t hold this against me, considering how obedient and well-behaved I’ve been.

Qin Yang felt uncertain. After a moment of hesitation, she steeled her nerves and continued, “You won’t hold what happened earlier against me, will you?”

How could she not hold it against me?

What a stupid question. If I were in her shoes, I’d have already exploded. To hell with holding back.

No wonder she’s the Female Lead.

Even at a time like this, she remains so calm.

Qin Yang’s anxiety grew. The more Wen Jin’an remained silent, the more uncertain she felt. Though she was facing only a young girl, Qin Yang inexplicably felt the pressure of facing a vast army.

I’m becoming more and more useless.

Wen Jin’an looked at her with a sincerity Qin Yang had never seen before. Her eyes shone brightly, reflecting Qin Yang’s own image. How could someone with such pure eyes exist? After a moment of silence, Wen Jin’an lowered her gaze and said softly, “I won’t.”

What would holding it against her accomplish? What would letting it go change? What right do I even have to hold it against her?

Speaking up would only give her another reason to scold or beat me.

A bitter ache settled in Wen Jin’an’s heart. How could she have forgotten how cruel the woman before her was? Qin Yang had tricked her into marriage, and after the wedding, she had subjected Wen Jin’an to constant beatings and verbal abuse. The rest of the Qin Family treated her no better, making her the family’s punching bag, living worse than a dog.

She had long seen through the Qin Family’s true colors.

Especially this woman, who was so good at putting on an act.

Wen Jin’an closed her eyes briefly, unwilling to directly ask Qin Yang to leave. Instead, she said, “I’m a little tired.”

Qin Yang nodded, observing Wen Jin’an carefully. Her expression did indeed look weary. It was the Rainfall Period, when her body was naturally weak, and combined with malnutrition and Liu Yue’e’s recent outburst, her exhaustion was understandable.

This was also a good opportunity for Qin Yang to talk to Qin Zhao and explore potential ways to earn money. Leaving the Qin Family was essential.

“Alright, you rest. I’ll be right outside. Just call if you need anything,” Qin Yang replied, secretly retrieving a roasted chicken from her spatial storage. She tore off a drumstick and handed it to Wen Jin’an.

“Eat this, even if you’re not hungry. You need to replenish your nutrients.”

Wen Jin’an looked at her silently for a moment, then hesitantly accepted the drumstick with a soft, “Thank you.”

Seeing Wen Jin’an accept the chicken leg, Qin Yang’s lips curved into a smile, her mood instantly brightening. Her tone became light and cheerful as she said, “Then I’ll head out now.” She cast a reluctant glance at Wen Jin’an before secretly stashing the remaining chicken back into her personal storage space, then opened the door and left.

Given the Female Lead’s intelligence, she likely already suspected something was amiss. But since Wen Jin’an didn’t ask, Qin Yang was spared the need for explanations.

Wen Jin’an gazed at the chicken leg in her hand, her eyes darkening slightly. After a long moment, she took a small bite.

“Qin Zhao, I need to discuss something with you. Let’s talk in your room,” Qin Yang said as she stepped outside. She immediately spotted Qin Zhao still sitting in the courtyard, whittling arrows.

Qin Zhao nodded, looking up at her with a complex expression. She had overheard Liu Yue’e’s commotion at Qin Yang’s room earlier, and combined with what she had witnessed on the mountain, she was already 80% certain of what was happening.

Why would Qin Yang seek her out now, insisting on privacy in her room? Could it be about this?

Before Qin Zhao could react, Qin Yang strode toward the room. Qin Zhao paused briefly, set down her arrow, and rose to follow.

Qin Zhao’s room was furnished identically to the Original Host’s, except for the addition of a table and a long bench.

This extra furniture was likely Qin Zhao’s own doing. Like the Original Host, he was unfavored within the Qin Family. His withdrawn personality meant he fared even worse than she had.

The Original Host’s room hadn’t even had a table or chairs; how could the Qin Family possibly have provided such amenities for him?

Qin Zhao gestured to the bench. “Sit down and let’s talk.”

“Mm.” Qin Yang didn’t stand on ceremony, settling onto the bench while her gaze continued to sweep the room.

“You’re here about what happened at noon?” Qin Zhao asked bluntly.

Though reserved, he wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

Qin Yang smiled and shook her head. She knew exactly what Qin Zhao was referring to, but her visit had nothing to do with that incident. Besides, she trusted he wouldn’t reveal her secret.

After a moment’s thought, she rubbed her nose, feeling slightly awkward. Though that wasn’t the reason for her visit, her actions at noon had been rather underhanded. Clearing her throat, she said, “It’s unrelated to that.”

Unrelated?

Qin Zhao frowned, unable to imagine any other reason Qin Yang would seek him out.

In truth, Qin Yang’s invitation to hunt at noon had been a ruse; stealing chickens was her real motive. Since he hadn’t exposed her earlier, he wouldn’t trouble her about it later.

“I want to find some work,” Qin Yang said, looking at Qin Zhao with expectant eyes. “Staying idle at home all the time isn’t right. Do you have any suggestions?”

Huh?

She wants to find work?

Qin Zhao’s face showed surprise. Why would she suddenly want to work?

Before, anyone who suggested she work would face her wrath, to the point that no one in the family dared to provoke her.

But on second thought, it would be good if she found work. As a Qianyuan, she should take responsibility for supporting the family, especially now that she’s married.

Thinking this, Qin Zhao felt a sense of relief.

“I’ll ask around for you. Many villagers work short-term jobs for wealthy families in town when things are quiet at home. They can earn seven or eight hundred wen a month.”

Seven or eight hundred wen?

Qin Yang’s heart sank. Was that what he meant?

In this world, a thousand wen only equaled one liang of silver. After a month of hard work, she wouldn’t even earn a full liang?

Well, this is probably the best Qin Zhao can think of.

How could she forget that Qin Zhao had lived in this village since childhood, diligently working for the Qin family and taking jobs for wealthy families? To the villagers, that was considered a respectable livelihood.

Qin Yang fell silent. Was she aiming to work for the wealthy? No, she wanted to become wealthy!

Sighing, Qin Yang laid out her thoughts.

Qin Zhao nodded, offering little advice on the matter.

Still, she began to ponder the situation earnestly.

After a long moment of contemplation, she said, “Er Gou mentioned that Patriarch Chen in town is buying animal hides.”

Hmm? Animal hides?

Combining this with Qin Zhao’s sudden hunting trips…

Qin Yang paused, blinking. Well, well, well! She had always assumed Qin Zhao was hunting to improve the Qin Family’s meals, never suspecting this hidden motive.

If that were true, it seemed Qin Zhao had her own plans and wasn’t as docile as she appeared.

No wonder she hadn’t exposed Qin Yang’s deception. It wasn’t out of sisterly affection, but because she simply didn’t care!

Realizing this, Qin Yang gave Qin Zhao a complicated look. After a long pause, she pursed her lips and pulled a handful of chicken tail feathers from her chest, handing them over. “Use these for now. If you trim the ends, they won’t recognize them as coming from our chicken.”

Qin Zhao hesitated, looking at the offered feathers. “If you want to hunt, you can come with me.”

“Alright,” Qin Yang nodded. For now, this was her only option.

More than hunting, she wanted to know why Patriarch Chen was collecting animal hides.

However, she couldn’t rush things. After all, she was currently penniless.

Hunting with Qin Zhao was a good arrangement, at least it meant she and the Female Lead would have meat to eat every day.

Before long, Liu Yue’e’s voice echoed from the courtyard.

Qin Yang stood up. She hadn’t forgotten the pheasant Qin Zhao had killed at noon. Knowing the Qin Family’s nature, if she didn’t hurry, even the bones would be gone.

The two left the room and entered the main hall, one after the other.

The Qin Family was gathered around the square dining table, unusually quiet. Even the usually boisterous Little Fatty was silent, his eyes fixed on the bowl of pheasant soup in the center of the table, its surface shimmering with a layer of golden oil.

Qin Yang frowned and sat down beside Qin Zhao.

Liu Yue’e glanced at them and ladled two pieces of meat into Little Fatty’s bowl, followed by a spoonful of soup.

Little Fatty immediately began to devour the food.

“You act like you’ve never seen meat before!” Liu Yue’e snapped irritably. “Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you ever do!”

She continued to scold him as she divided the meat among the others. When she reached Qin Yang and Qin Zhao, she gave them only two bony pieces of chicken, practically devoid of meat.

“If you’re still hungry, just drink more soup,” she said dismissively.

Qin Yang was speechless.

Liu Yue’e’s shamelessness knew no bounds. It was one thing to scoop two bony pieces for herself, but Qin Zhao had hunted the pheasant. Even with favoritism, this was beyond the pale.

Qin Yang glanced into the basin. Almost all the meat had been divided, leaving only two drumsticks and some br3ast meat. Without hesitation, she picked up her chopsticks and transferred the drumsticks from the basin to Qin Zhao’s bowl.

When Liu Yue’e realized what had happened, she immediately protested, shouting, “Damn you! Everyone’s eating the same thing! Why do you think you deserve more?” She lunged to snatch the drumsticks from Qin Zhao’s bowl, but Qin Yang blocked her with her chopsticks. “Qin Zhao hunted this pheasant,” she retorted. “What’s wrong with her getting more? Or do you all not want to eat any at all?”

The Qin family fell silent, not daring to utter a word.

Hunting in the mountains was an extremely dangerous endeavor in those days. Even if you managed to find game, the wild boars and wolves alone were enough to give you a run for your money.

Not long ago, a villager had ventured into the mountains to hunt out of desperation for food, only to never return. Rumor had it he’d been gored to death by a wild boar.

Since then, few dared to hunt in the mountains, except for seasoned hunters.