The Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Heroine in the Old Abusive Article - Chapter 21

The two precious darlings had gotten into a fight.

Just then, Qin Youcai and Qin Yong returned from the fields, hoes slung over their shoulders.

“Where’s Qin Zhao?” Qin Yang asked, turning to Qin Yong.

“Second Sister… she…” Qin Yong began, but Qin Youcai cut him off. “Always shirking her duties! What kind of Qianyuan acts like you? All you do is run around causing trouble instead of helping with the chores.”

He glared at Qin Yang, his face dark, before stomping into the kitchen to fetch a wooden basin. The family drew water from a large jar in the courtyard for washing and other needs. He scooped a ladleful of water from the jar and poured it into the basin.

Qin Yang stared in disbelief. Hey! He’s blaming me? Wasn’t it their indulgence that let the Original Host run wild?

Qin Yong averted his gaze, shaking his head at Qin Yang. He whispered, “Second Sister said she was going to check if she could catch any fish.”

Qin Yang nodded, already aware of Qin Zhao’s habit of setting nets in the river. She said nothing more, knowing they could only wait for Qin Zhao’s return.

This wasn’t her home, after all, and she had nothing to talk about with the Qin Family. Standing there awkwardly was unbearable.

Since Qin Youcai clearly didn’t want to see her, she retreated back to her room.

Clearing her throat, Qin Yang turned to Wen Jin’an. “Did the noise disturb you? Don’t worry, I won’t let them bother you again.”

“I’m fine,” Wen Jin’an said, sitting up in bed.

“Are you feeling any better?” Qin Yang asked.

“Much better,” Wen Jin’an replied, looking at Qin Yang.

“That’s good. Don’t worry, I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay home and keep you company,” Qin Yang assured her.

Wen Jin’an remained silent, still puzzled by Qin Yang’s sudden change in attitude. Yet she couldn’t deny it might be a good thing for herself.

Having skipped breakfast, Qin Yang’s stomach began to rumble loudly. Her face flushed crimson—this body got hungry too quickly.

Fortunately, she had steamed buns stored in her spatial storage. Qin Yang secretly retrieved one. She had already given two buns to the Female Lead earlier and wasn’t sure if she was still hungry, so she asked, “Would you like to eat something more?”

Wen Jin’an glanced at the suddenly appearing bun and shook her head. Though curious, she didn’t ask any questions.

Seeing she wouldn’t eat, Qin Yang sat on the straw mat and began to munch on the bun. Thanks to the spatial storage’s preservation function, the bun remained as fresh as when it was stored, not at all dry.

Meanwhile, at the Qin Family’s residence, Qin Youcai stared at the bowl of wild vegetable soup on the table, his face so dark it could have squeezed out ink.

Qin Cheng and Qin Luo sat at the square table, heads bowed.

“Old man, I think we should let this go. Third Elder and Fifth Elder didn’t mean any harm,” Liu Yue’e said, trying to smooth things over.

“You’ve spoiled them rotten,” Qin Youcai snapped, slamming his chopsticks against the table with a loud clack.

Not a single member of the Qin Family dared to utter a word.

Qin Cheng, panicked, blurted out, “Father, we really didn’t burn the fish on purpose! It was Qin Luo who tended the fire…”

Qin Luo immediately retorted, “That’s a lie! You were the one tending the fire, Father! Don’t listen to his nonsense!”

“It was clearly you!” Qin Cheng insisted.

“No, it was you!” Qin Luo shot back.

Liu Yue’e’s expression flickered, and she seemed about to speak several times, but Qin Youcai’s dark scowl silenced her.

“Mother, please plead with Father for us,” Qin Cheng begged.

Seeing her precious son weeping like a rain-soaked pear blossom, Liu Yue’e’s heart softened. She cautiously glanced at Qin Youcai. “Old man, why don’t we just have them gather extra wild vegetables today to make up for the loss?”

Gather wild vegetables?

This was usually Liu Yue’e and Zhao Chunhua’s chore. Since Wen Jin’an’s arrival, she had taken over the task. When had Qin Cheng and Qin Luo ever done such work? Though displeased, Qin Cheng didn’t dare voice his objections to Qin Youcai. He quickly agreed, “Fifth Brother and I will definitely gather extra wild vegetables today.”

Qin Youcai snorted through his nose, his expression finally softening slightly.

The sight of Qin Cheng and Qin Luo still grated on him, further solidifying his plan to marry them off early for a decent dowry.

Seeing the tension ease, Liu Yue’e quickly ladled a bowl of wild vegetable soup for Qin Youcai.

The soup was bitter and astringent, nothing like the savory fish broth he preferred. Qin Youcai glared at the two women. Normally, he would devour two or three bowls, but today he managed only one, whether due to his poor appetite or lingering anger.

Late July brought oppressive heat, the incessant cicada song filling the air, almost deafening.

Wen Jin’an had fallen asleep again. Qin Yang decided to check if Qin Zhao had returned. As she opened the door, she saw Qin Yong. After asking him, she learned Qin Zhao hadn’t returned yet, so she settled down in the shade of a tree by the doorway.

The cicada’s drone filled her ears. Qin Yang blinked, recalling the fried cicadas she’d once tried during a business trip—crispy, fragrant, and surprisingly delicious. Not only did they taste good, but they were also incredibly high in protein.

I wonder if people here like them, she mused. If they do, maybe I could catch some and sell them to the larger restaurants?

Hunting might be out of the question, but catching cicadas? That should be manageable.

The idea sparked excitement in her. Catching cicadas would be low-cost, perfectly suited to her current financial situation.

Lost in thought, she noticed Qin Zhao approaching with a bamboo basket. Qin Yang stood up, brushed off her pants, and waited for him to draw closer. “Did you catch any?”

“No,” Qin Zhao replied.

“None?”

Qin Yang glanced at the bamboo basket in Qin Zhao’s hand, catching a faint fishy smell. The basket was also damp.

Really none? It’s hard not to be suspicious.

But then she reasoned that Qin Zhao had no reason to lie to her.

Qin Yang nodded.

So catching fish isn’t a daily occurrence. No wonder the villagers live like this, and no one bothers to fish to improve their lives.

“Were you looking for me?” Qin Zhao asked.

Is it that obvious?

Qin Yang instinctively touched her nose, considering her words. “Um, there’s something I wanted to talk about.”

“What is it?” Qin Zhao asked.

“Come over here,” Qin Yang said quickly.

She led Qin Zhao to the shady spot under the tree where she had been sitting earlier. They sat down together, the dense canopy providing a cool breeze that kept the heat at bay.

“Here’s the thing,” Qin Yang said, her smile fading as she explained her plan to Qin Zhao. “I’ve got an idea to make money. Want to invest?”

If Qin Zhao invests, everything else will fall into place.

“What?” Qin Zhao frowned slightly, looking at Qin Yang.

Jinchán were common this season, hardly a rarity. Though restaurants did buy them, they were so cheap that few bothered to sell them.

Qin Yang smiled. “Are jinchán popular outside?”

“Yes, many people eat them, and they’re especially sought after by the wealthy.” But what did that matter? Jinchán were everywhere, practically worthless.

Who would buy something that even women and children could catch? Even if there were buyers outside, the price was incredibly low—usually about ten jinchán for a single wen.

Qin Zhao shook his head in disagreement. “Too much time and effort for such a low price.”

“What if I buy them now and sell them after the season ends?” Qin Yang suggested with a mysterious smile.

She had already thought this through. Since jinchán were abundant, popular, and cheap, she could stockpile them in her personal space, which had preservation capabilities. Once the season ended, she could sell them at a higher price, without worrying about spoilage.

Even if the plan didn’t work out as expected, it would still be a risk-free, profitable venture.

Once she earned her first pot of gold, she could make further plans.

Qin Zhao frowned, still unconvinced. However, seeing Qin Yang finally moving in a positive direction, he hesitated before saying, “If you really want to catch them, go ahead.”

“Really? You’ll support me?” Qin Yang’s eyes lit up. With Qin Zhao’s financial backing, she was confident she could acquire enough.

Before Qin Zhao could respond, Qin Yang continued eagerly, “How many can I catch myself? I plan to buy them from nearby disaster-stricken villages. They’re struggling right now, so they’d definitely be willing to catch them. We’d even be doing a good deed indirectly. What do you think?”

Buy them?

Catching them herself was already a waste of time, and now she wanted to buy them too?

Qin Zhao’s eyebrow twitched as he stared at Qin Yang like she was a fool.

He had always thought his younger sister was just willful and disobedient. Now he realized she was actually just plain stupid.

What could he even say?

Qin Zhao’s heart churned with mixed emotions, his expression unreadable.

Qin Yang: “……”

What’s with that look? Doesn’t he believe me?

Qin Yang straightened her expression and declared sternly, “I’m not talking about selling them now! I’m not an idiot. Selling them now would fetch a terrible price. We can store them and sell them later, when the price will inevitably be much higher.”

Store them?

Like how she cures rabbits?

Qin Zhao’s brow furrowed, doubts creeping in about the feasibility of this method.

Seeing her hesitation, Qin Yang pressed on, “Actually, I have a way to preserve them, guaranteeing they’ll stay as fresh as when they were first caught. If you don’t believe me, I can prove it.”

Qin Zhao scrutinized her with a skeptical gaze. As fresh as when they were caught? How could she possibly preserve them like that? Why is my sister making such wild claims?

Noticing her disbelief, Qin Yang grew anxious. “You know how to catch fish, right? Give me one now, and I’ll show you tomorrow—it’ll be exactly as fresh as when you gave it to me!”

Qin Zhao: “……”

Qin Yang’s expression remained resolute.

Qin Zhao hesitated for a moment. Could this really work?

If what Qin Yang claimed was true, this plan might actually be viable.

But what could she give her to test it with right now? The fish she’d caught…

Qin Zhao pursed her lips, then gritted her teeth. “Alright, I’ll go to the river again.” She stood up, ready to head back to the river.

“Wait!” Qin Yang pulled two steamed buns from her sleeve. “Here, take these to eat.”

Steamed buns?

Qin Zhao stared at the steamed bun she offered, his expression complex.

Where did she get this? He’d rather die than believe she brought it from home. He knew better than anyone how poor the Qin Family was. Even Liu Yue’e, his mother, couldn’t bear to eat a single meal of pure white flour all year round. Even during the Lunar New Year, they mixed sweet potato flour into the white flour, resulting in dark, hard steamed buns. A snow-white bun like this…

Qin Zhao fell into deep thought. His younger sister was truly different from before.

As if sensing his thoughts, Qin Yang raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I didn’t steal it. Weren’t you going to catch fish? Hurry up and eat. Besides, there’s nothing for you to eat at home right now.”

She was right.

The Qin Family’s meals consisted of a pot of wild vegetable soup and sweet potato cakes, and the portions were meager, barely enough to fill everyone’s stomachs. Expecting them to save food for him was utterly unrealistic.

Qin Zhao accepted the bun, never imagining that his first taste of a pure white flour steamed bun would come from his good-for-nothing younger sister. A wave of mixed emotions washed over him.

“Thank you,” he said, averting his gaze and turning to leave quickly.

Qin Yang watched the retreating figure, letting out a soft sigh of relief. Now that she had proven she could store food without it spoiling, convincing Qin Zhao shouldn’t be too difficult. The next step was figuring out how to leave the Qin Family.

If they simply left, the Qin Family would never agree, especially since Qin Zhao was the household’s primary laborer. Half the family relied on his support, so how could they possibly let him go?

This matter required careful planning.

Qin Yang had barely returned to her room when Qin Zhao arrived less than an hour later, pulling two freshly dead, finger-sized fish from his bamboo basket.

In this weather, dead fish would stink within half a day if not processed immediately.

Qin Yang looked at the fish in her hand, her confidence radiating. She raised an eyebrow and said, “Just wait and see what happens tomorrow.”

Qin Zhao paused, seeing this radiant smile on his sister’s face for the first time. He nodded and turned to leave.

Qin Yang stored the fish in her spatial storage and returned to her room, having promised Wen Jin’an she would stay home and keep her company today.