The Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Heroine in the Old Abusive Article - Chapter 11

The glands seemed to awaken a forgotten memory…

The Qin Family had no hunting skills, so they preferred to eat one leg less now, ensuring they’d have meat in the future. If they truly angered Qin Zhao and she stopped hunting, they wouldn’t even get this meager portion.

Seeing Liu Yue’e still stubbornly staring at the chicken leg in Qin Zhao’s bowl, the usually shrewd Qin Youcai cleared his throat. “What’s all the fuss? Fourth Elder is right. Second Elder hunted the chicken, so she deserves to eat more.”

“So what if she hunted it? I still…” Liu Yue’e tried to argue, but Qin Youcai’s glare silenced her. Years of unspoken understanding allowed her to immediately grasp his meaning. Though she shot a resentful glance at Qin Yang, she knew she couldn’t push the matter further. If she did, Qin Youcai would never let her live it down, and she’d never taste meat again.

Qin Yang curled her lips into a faint smile, picked up a piece of meat, and slowly took a bite. The raw, gamey taste of chicken instantly flooded her mouth, and her stomach churned involuntarily.

This chicken probably wasn’t even blanched before being thrown into the pot to stew, she thought.

No wonder there was a layer of yellow grease floating on the soup. Liu Yue’e must have been worried about wasting the chicken’s fat and deliberately skipped skimming it off during cooking.

Qin Yang barely suppressed her gag reflex and pushed the bowl, meat and all, toward Qin Zhao. “Eat more. You’re the one who hunted this pheasant.”

With that, she took a bite of her sweet potato cake, finally washing away the greasy taste in her mouth.

The Qin Family stared at Qin Zhao’s bowl, which contained not only four pieces of meat but also a chicken leg. Their mouths watered so much it was almost drooling. They had each been given two pieces, which they devoured in single bites, licking every last speck of grease from their fingers. Yet Qin Zhao was getting so much meat at once.

Jealousy nearly overflowed from their eyes.

“Mommy, I want meat! I want meat!” Little Fatty suddenly began to wail, climbing onto the table by stepping on his stool. He reached for the other chicken leg, but Liu Yue’e slapped his hand with her chopsticks the moment he stretched it out.

The sharp, burning pain instantly flushed his face crimson. “Waaah!” A deafening cry echoed through the hall.

“Cry, cry, cry! All you ever do is cry!” Liu Yue’e used a ladle to add half a bowl of soup to each person’s bowl, then rose and carried away the remaining meat and soup.

Seeing only soup and no meat, Little Fatty’s wails grew louder.

When no one paid him any attention, he brazenly reached for the chicken leg in Qin Zhao’s bowl.

Qin Yang refused to indulge him. Even his own parents wouldn’t give up their meat, so why should anyone else?

She swiftly snatched Qin Zhao’s bowl and pulled it toward herself.

Frustrated again, Little Fatty pointed at Qin Yang and began shouting insults, his spiteful demeanor a perfect mirror of his mother’s.

Zhao Chunhua scooped him up in her arms, glaring at Qin Yang. “What’s wrong with a child wanting a piece of meat? Besides, he’s still a member of the Old Qin Family. You’re his aunt—if you won’t show him any affection, fine, but why are you fighting a child over food?”

Qin Yang: “……”

Having failed to snatch the meat outright, they resorted to moral blackmail.

But she wasn’t the Original Host. She wouldn’t fall for such tactics. Besides, parents should raise their own children. Why should others be obligated to support someone else’s child just because they share the same surname?

That argument held no water anywhere.

Qin Yang raised her eyes, her gaze sweeping coldly across the room. “Why don’t you give him your own meat?” Her gaze finally settled on Zhao Chunhua, and she scoffed. “You’re his own mother! Why didn’t you think to give your son some meat when you were eating? And another thing…”

A cold glint flashed in Qin Yang’s eyes. “He’s your son, not mine. As for the rest of you…” She swept her gaze across the crowd. “If you want to eat meat in the future, behave yourselves and stop coveting what doesn’t belong to you.”

Under Qin Yang’s icy stare, Qin Cheng and Qin Luo quickly lowered their heads and slurped their soup. They had been waiting for Little Fatty’s tantrum to subside so they could sneak a piece of meat from Liu Yue’e. But Qin Yang’s words had effectively cut off all their escape routes, instantly quashing their hopes.

They were terrified that Qin Zhao might actually withhold meat from them on his next hunt.

Qin Youcai and Liu Yue’e remained silent. While Little Fatty was indeed their beloved grandson, they couldn’t afford to offend Qin Zhao right now.

They had no choice but to let Little Fatty suffer for the time being.

“Fourth Elder, how can you say such things? Little Fatty is still a member of the Qin Family…” Zhao Chunhua immediately protested.

Qin Yong hung his head and tugged at Zhao Chunhua’s sleeve, whispering urgently, “Stop making a scene. Fourth Sister is right. We…”

“What did you say?” Zhao Chunhua glared at Qin Yong in disbelief. How could she have married such a spineless man? “Qin Yong, you heartless bastard! Have I enjoyed a single day of happiness since marrying you? Now our child can’t even have a piece of meat… She’s right! If you’re so capable, go hunting for our child! You worthless coward! You can’t even protect your own wife and child, yet you want to help outsiders bully us…”

Qin Yong hung his head, meekly apologizing.

Qin Yang glanced at Qin Yong. He could still smile even after Zhao Chunhua had publicly humiliated him by calling him a coward in front of everyone.

What kind of personality did this unscrupulous author give him? Even the most spineless person wouldn’t act like this.

Qin Youcai couldn’t bear to listen any longer. He slammed his chopsticks on the table, his voice dripping with disappointment. “Get your wife and child out of here! If you want to fight, take it inside. Don’t embarrass yourselves in public.”

Qin Yong didn’t dare argue. He scooped up Little Fatty with one arm and dragged Zhao Chunhua out with the other.

“Let go of me, Qin Yong…!”

“You spineless coward! Bullying your own Kunze doesn’t make you a man!”

The shouting faded into the distance, and the hall fell silent once more.

After the meal, every member of the Qin Family ate their fill, yet still felt a lingering sense of satisfaction. Even their gazes toward Qin Zhao carried a hint of unspoken affection.

Wen Jin’an had enjoyed a chicken leg, so Qin Yang didn’t bring her any sweet potato cakes when she returned. Those cakes were hard, difficult to digest, and offered little nutritional value.

To nourish the Female Lead properly, a single chicken wasn’t enough; they needed to improve her staple foods as well.

After paying taxes, the Qin Family’s rice harvest left little to spare. Qin Youcai often sold the remaining grain in town, keeping only a meager portion for themselves. Even a bowl of porridge contained barely a handful of rice grains.

In this situation, Qin Yang knew she had to take matters into her own hands to ensure the Female Lead had enough to eat.

The rice harvest was now complete, with the remaining grain left to dry. Qin Yong and Qin Youcai could handle this task themselves.

Buoyed by the success of the meat feast, the Qin Family would no longer object to Qin Yang and Qin Zhao venturing into the mountains to hunt.

Back in their room, Qin Yang found only a single bed. Though she didn’t know how the Original Host and Wen Jin’an had slept before, now that she knew the Original Host’s tragic fate, she couldn’t possibly share the bed with Wen Jin’an again.

She couldn’t let the Female Lead sleep on the floor, so for now, she would have to sacrifice her own comfort.

Qin Yang turned and left the room again, returning shortly with a bundle of straw. Though it would be a bit prickly, sleeping on it was still far better than the hard ground.

Qin Yang spread out the straw to make a makeshift bed.

“You take the bed,” she instructed. “I’ll be fine here. Don’t hesitate to tell me if you feel unwell.”

Wen Jin’an watched Qin Yang skillfully arrange the straw on the floor, her eyes darkening with an unreadable emotion.

Since their marriage, Qin Yang had always disdained her, making her sleep on the ground while she took the bed. Last night’s marking had been merely a selfish act, Qin Yang had claimed, wanting to enjoy her before selling her off—otherwise, she’d feel like she was missing out.

Those were Qin Yang’s exact words from the previous night.

Wen Jin’an curled her fingers into fists. If today’s sudden change of heart was just a taste of pleasure, then who was Qin Yang trying to impress by sleeping on the floor?

Receiving no response, Qin Yang cautiously glanced at Wen Jin’an, noticing her unwavering gaze.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Did the Original Host always sleep with the Female Lead?

My sudden change in behavior…

After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Yang said earnestly, “You’re not feeling well right now. I’m worried sleeping together might crowd you. But don’t worry, I’ll be right here. Just call out if you need anything, and I’ll wake up.”

Though born of necessity, it was a genuine expression of her feelings.

Surely the Female Lead won’t doubt my sincerity now?

“Alright, you should rest early too,” Wen Jin’an replied, playing along despite not fully understanding Qin Yang’s intentions.

It’s best not to provoke her right now. If she wants to pretend, I’ll play along.

Besides, sleeping in a bed is far more comfortable than the floor.

With that thought, Wen Jin’an turned away, leaning against the bed frame and closing her eyes.

Qin Yang watched Wen Jin’an carefully, confirming she seemed to have fallen asleep.

Just then, her stomach growled twice. After a day of hard labor, she’d eaten only half a sweet potato cake for lunch and another for dinner—usually filling fare, but this body’s digestion was surprisingly efficient. She was hungry again after only a short while.

Qin Yang sighed, placing a hand on her stomach. After a while, she couldn’t resist any longer and secretly retrieved a roasted chicken from her spatial storage. She glanced at Wen Jin’an and offered her a drumstick. As for the rest…

Qin Yang pursed her lips, hesitated, then tore off a piece of meat from the chicken. I’ll leave the other drumstick for Wen Jin’an. She needs the nutrition right now.

Qin Yang’s gaze fell on Wen Jin’an again. The Female Lead was truly easy to coax, her delicate and soft nature, paired with her exquisite features, easily stirred protective instincts, making one want to hold her close and cherish her.

She paused, realizing she was letting her thoughts wander again. She quickly snapped back to reality, pulled out the bottle of suppressant ointment Qin Zhao had given her from her sleeve, and applied it to her glands. Her mind instantly cleared. After eating the meat and lying down on the straw, she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Wen Jin’an’s tense shoulders gradually relaxed only after hearing Qin Yang’s long, even breaths.

Wen Jin’an opened her eyes, the faint scent of Peach Wine drifting through the air—slightly tart and sweet, with a hint of alcoholic spice. The aroma wasn’t strong, likely unconsciously released by Qin Yang in her sleep. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have noticed it.

But because it was her Rainfall Period, her body was exceptionally sensitive, and her glands were beginning to feel faintly uncomfortable again.

If this continued, last night’s situation might repeat itself.

The thought of being marked by Qin Yang again darkened Wen Jin’an’s eyes. She didn’t want that.

Yet her glands seemed to have awakened a forgotten memory, yearning to entangle themselves with the crisp, cool scent of Peach Wine.

No, Wen Jin’an thought, biting her lip. Through the hazy moonlight, her gaze landed on Qin Yang, who was sleeping soundly.