The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 30

Jiang Yan carried the sharp edge of youth, her gaze fixed directly on the three figures opposite her. Showing no sign of nervousness, her dirt-streaked face radiated defiance.

“Youngster, don’t be so arrogant,” the middle-aged female Qianyuan sneered, her eyes venomous. “If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll think you can defy heaven itself!”

“Enough talk,” Jiang Yan retorted, her hands itching for action. “We’re all just pawns here. If you want to call the shots, show me your real strength.”

“Qianyue, Ying Hong, block the tent flaps,” Jiang Yan ordered the two behind her. She intended to trap them inside, preventing them from escaping to report her actions and dragging everyone down with them.

Hearing Jiang Yan’s order to block the flaps, the female Qianyuan scoffed, assuming it was an empty threat. She even burst into laughter, confident that dealing with a Qianyuan barely twenty years old would be as easy as swatting a fly.

The female Qianyuan was Cai Yong’s second sister, who had always ruled her household with an iron fist. Outside Cai Yong’s family, she was the highest authority, accustomed to absolute obedience. Now that her “tiger” had fallen into a pit, she refused to let anyone stand over her.

Among the thirty-odd people in the tent, about a dozen were from Cai Manor. After observing them, Jiang Yan noted that aside from the elderly and children, only three to five looked capable of fighting. Even then, they clearly lacked martial arts training, their postures loose and lacking the vitality of trained fighters.

Starving daily, their combat abilities barely qualified as passable.

Jiang Yan, who cooked her own meals daily, possessed the physical strength to overpower at least three of them.

The surrounding crowd automatically cleared a wide space, partly to avoid getting caught in the fray and partly to enjoy the spectacle. Life as an exiled prisoner was grueling and monotonous; any event that could stimulate their nerves was eagerly anticipated.

In the cramped space, a two-meter clearing was forcibly created.

“What are you waiting for? Go teach her a lesson!” Second Mistress Cai barked at the younger members of the group, his voice shrill with fury.

The two men charged at Jiang Yan like clumsy clubs, fists flying wildly.

Dodging their flailing punches was effortless. The blows were soft and utterly lacking in force. With a swift sidestep, Jiang Yan moved behind them and kicked each one squarely in the rear.

The two ravenous young masters and misses slammed face-first into the ground, mouths full of sand and dirt. Instantly enraged, they staggered to their feet and lunged at Jiang Yan again.

The surrounding crowd scattered, fearing one of the combatants might collapse onto them. Their paper-thin bodies wouldn’t withstand such a fall.

“Jin Ling, Jin Peng, stop fighting!” a frail woman called out from behind the pair.

“What do you know? How can the Cai family tolerate such insolence from these ignorant brats? Sister-in-law, you’re too weak, and your children have inherited your lack of backbone,” Second Mistress Cai sneered at the woman.

“Why don’t you send your own children to fight instead of inciting mine? What are you scheming?” The woman, who appeared timid and fearful, stood up for her children with unexpected resolve.

Seeing that the two punching bags still hadn’t grasped the situation and were itching for a fight, Jiang Yan delivered sharp elbow strikes to their ribs. The blows wouldn’t break bones, but the pain would leave them doubled over.

As expected, the pair howled in agony, now eyeing Jiang Yan warily, hesitant to advance.

Jiang Yan had planned to showcase her skills, but her opponents proved so fragile that she hesitated to use lethal force. The woman’s words further piqued her interest in the Cai family.

“Miss, please stop fighting. My juniors acted foolishly and offended you!” The frail woman stood aside, apologizing for her children’s behavior.

“Jin Ling, Jin Peng, stop fighting! Cease this at once!” the woman urged again.

Jiang Yan shot a cold glance at the Cai family, her displeasure evident that the cunning and arrogant Second Mistress Cai had narrowly escaped punishment.

However, since it was merely a “minor scuffle,” she wouldn’t escalate the conflict. A full-blown confrontation would benefit no one. As for Second Mistress Cai, Jiang Yan knew she would have plenty of opportunities to deal with her later.

Tan Qianyue and Ying Hong clutched small stones—the only weapons they could find—and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Jiang Yan handle the troublemakers.

The Su siblings also rose to their feet, moving closer to Tan Qianyue. As both friends and benefactors, Su He had no intention of standing idly by this time.

“Right and wrong should be clear to everyone here,” Jiang Yan declared, her usual gentle demeanor vanished, her eyes blazing with fierce intensity as she glared at Second Mistress Cai. “If anyone dares to push their luck too far, they’d better consider their own capabilities. They might just end up losing their miserable lives.”

Second Mistress Cai hadn’t expected such formidable resistance from a young woman. His cunning eyes flickered as he quickly shifted tactics, attempting to smooth things over.

“Miss Jiang’s martial skills are truly remarkable,” he said, his tone suddenly conciliatory. “We’ve all been exiled here due to close ties with the imperial court. At the end of the day, we’re all friends. I was merely offering some elder’s advice to a younger acquaintance.”

As the second-in-command of the Cai family’s affairs, he was adept at both yielding and asserting himself, even managing to elevate his own status while salvaging his dignity.

Jiang Yan didn’t even let her finish. She grabbed a straw mat, found a spot, and spread it out, preparing to rest.

Thanks to the earlier commotion, their space had become slightly more spacious. The doorway let in a draft, but it was only October, so they could endure it.

Second Mistress Cai was completely ignored. Her weathered face flushed with embarrassment. She spat in disgust and slunk back into the tent.

The lantern hanging from the tent roof cast a dim light, clearly nearing the end of its fuel.

Once Jiang Yan settled into a half-sitting position by the entrance, the others slowly stretched out. One of winter’s greatest blessings was the absence of body odor. Even with over thirty people crammed into the tent, there was no acrid stench.

Still, the close quarters of so many bodies packed together hardly smelled pleasant.

Jiang Yan laid the straw mat horizontally, allowing Ying Hong and herself to lie down with their upper bodies on the mat, leaving only their legs exposed on the ground.

Tan Qianyue, sandwiched between Jiang Yan and Ying Hong, became a human blanket, and the thick padded coats made the cramped space almost stiflingly warm.

Someone extinguished the lantern, plunging the tent into pitch-black darkness.

Tan Qianyue turned to face Jiang Yan, groping for her hand. Her fingers traced up and down Jiang Yan’s hand, as if checking for injuries.

She could clearly feel that Jiang Yan’s palms and fingertips had become noticeably rougher, a result of the relentless labor she had endured. I should learn to do more, she thought. Anything to share the burden with her.

Jiang Yan turned sideways, pulling her into a protective embrace, shielding half her body.

Su He and the other two women sat opposite Jiang Yan, their six pairs of feet pressed together at the tent’s entrance. Though the air was colder here, it was far fresher than inside.

Jiang Yan closed her eyes, but sleep eluded her for a long time.

This can’t go on, she thought. I need to find a way to get a separate tent. If we can sleep in tents at all, what difference would two more make?

She still had over a hundred taels of silver. When will we finally escape this foul-smelling tent? They had barely covered a third of the journey, with two more grueling months ahead before reaching the Northlands.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind. That’s it—Miss Su! Her relationship with Imperial Commissioner Lord Miao seemed to be more than ordinary. If she could secure a separate tent and share it with the Su Family, perhaps the Imperial Commissioner would show leniency.

Otherwise, how would they endure two more months of this freezing cold?

Jiang Yan’s mind raced, searching for any possible way to persuade the officer to relent.

First, she needed a tent. If she had one, the officer might simply nod in agreement.

But where could she find a tent? Her only hope was to try her luck in the “Storage.”

She tapped the screen, in no mood for a livestream.

She went straight to searching for what she needed. Anything too modern was out of the question. Most of the tents here were gray-white or earthy yellow.

Even if she found an Oxford canvas tent, it had to be gray; yellow would be acceptable too.

Jiang Yan skillfully navigated the screen, but after searching for ages, she couldn’t find anything reliable. How could she possibly get a tent? Her gaze then fixed on the heavily iced storage door. This place didn’t take gold coins—it wanted food.

Seeing how cold the door was, surely they must have some cold-weather gear inside?

Taking a gamble, Jiang Yan swiped across ten eggs, two cabbages, a wild chicken, and fifty pounds of corn. She was investing heavily this time, wondering what her trading partner would send in return.

The wait was brief. Five golden “blind boxes” instantly burst onto the center of the screen.

Jiang Yan eagerly tapped them open one by one.

Five irregularly shaped crystals. What were these things? Could they be eaten? Jiang Yan stared at the pale red “crystals” with a puzzled expression.

Ten meters of Tech Cotton Cloth—not gray, not beige, but black. Well, black would have to do, right?

It looked like waterproof fabric with a layer of cotton padding, not thin but with a bit of thickness. For now, this seemed reliable enough, but it still needed a layer of tattered cloth for decoration to make it look like it belonged to the Beggar Clan.

She carefully packed everything away. As for the tattered cloth, she’d quietly buy some when they passed through the next village.

With only three boxes left, her mood lightened considerably.

A Burning Stone—this thing looked like a honeycomb briquette. It must be some kind of fuel, but what could she do with just one?

The last two blind boxes contained items she couldn’t quite figure out: a jumble of rods that were neither wood nor metal, and four hollow wheels.

Could this chaotic pile be assembled into a small cart?

Jiang Yan packed everything away, adjusted her position comfortably, and lay back, completely satisfied. This set of blind boxes was practically a black tech bundle.

“Still awake?” Tan Qianyue whispered, crawling close to Jiang Yan’s ear and startling her.

“Mhm… I’m going to sleep now. Why are you still up?”

“You woke me up!” Tan Qianyue murmured.

It turned out that all the earlier movements had been performed on Tan Qianyue’s wrist.

“Ugh… go to sleep. Are you cold?” The two whispered in the pitch-black night, their soft voices and the rustling of clothes sending a tingling sensation around their ears.

The next day, before dawn, a small, soft body crawled onto Miao Fengqing in the carriage’s private compartment. The little girl, who seemed to have just been weaned, still carried a faint milky scent. She stretched out her arms, wanting to hug Miao Fengqing as she slept.

Miao Fengqing reached out to lift her, but her hand froze mid-air before dropping back down. She cursed that heartless wretch in her mind.

After an unknown amount of time, the little one woke up. Her large, innocent eyes blinked at Miao Fengqing, and when their gazes met, she grinned, radiating pure joy.

“Don’t you want to go find your mother and your sister?” Miao Fengqing tried to sound less cold.

“Sister said not to look for her. She’s happy as long as I eat your food and live in your home,” Afei, barely two years old, replied obediently. Still too young to grasp subtlety, she innocently betrayed her sister’s secret.

Miao Fengqing’s face stiffened for a moment before she forced a smile. “If she’s happy, then that’s all that matters!”

Jiang Yan woke early, rolled up her straw mat, and tied it securely, ready to carry it on the road.

The officers’ tents were loaded onto horse-drawn carts, while the prisoners had to take turns carrying their own, adding to their already considerable burden.

Many prisoners were coughing and feverish today, likely suffering from a contagious cold. Jiang Yan urged Tan Qianyue to cover her mouth and nose, fearing that her weakened state would make her vulnerable to infection.

They trudged through a desolate landscape of windblown sand. The prisoners, exhausted and ill, trudged forward with their heads bowed in weary resignation.

“Captain! Captain! Someone’s collapsed in the back!” An officer ran forward to report.

“So what? They’ve collapsed before. If they can’t handle it, what can I do?” Captain Wei dismissed the report with indifference.

“But this time it’s different, Captain. Twenty or thirty of them have collapsed! We’re not even halfway there. If they die like this, we’ll have trouble accounting for them when we reach the Northlands.” The officer’s voice was urgent.

“Twenty or thirty?” A flicker of impatience and concern finally crossed Captain Wei’s darkened face.

“Yes, over twenty have collapsed.”

“Let’s go see.” If this was some kind of epidemic spreading to the officers, it would be a serious problem.

Captain Wei, his face dark with anger, summoned Captain Lu to inspect the rear of the procession. As expected, a large group of prisoners lay sprawled on the ground, while the officers kept their distance, unwilling to approach.

Miao Fengqing led her team to examine the prisoners’ symptoms: coughing, fever, and extreme weakness. They needed immediate medical attention.

Jiang Yan and her companions found an empty patch of ground to rest, consciously distancing themselves from the sick.

“Captain Wei, we need to find medicine quickly!” Miao Fengqing’s brow furrowed into a deep, unyielding knot, her usually spirited features now cold and severe.

“In this desolate wilderness, where am I supposed to find medicine for them?” Captain Wei glared at the fallen prisoners, his eyes filled with disgust. “What a nuisance! These pampered young masters and misses from wealthy families are so delicate. If they were just some tough, rough-skinned types, we wouldn’t be dealing with this.”

A month into their journey, these “precious” prisoners had finally collapsed.

“The prisoners have been chronically underfed, and the journey to the Northlands is grueling,” one of the officers pointed out. “Even if we find medicine, it’ll be useless without extra rations. A small cornbread bun might suffice at home, but with daily strenuous labor, they need oil and salt to survive. Otherwise, they’ll all collapse halfway there.”

“The Imperial Commissioner speaks so lightly,” Captain Wei sneered, glancing contemptuously at Miao Fengqing. “Did Her Majesty allocate you separate funds? What am I supposed to give them for oil and salt?”

“We have enough salt,” Miao Fengqing insisted, her eyes unwavering. “We just need more grain to give the prisoners the strength to travel. If they all die on the road, what good will that do you, Lord?”

“What does my agreement matter? This whole assignment is thankless and grueling, even for the officers. If you want to play the good Samaritan, solve it yourself!” Captain Wei retorted aggressively.

“Very well. If you agree, I’ll handle the rest. I simply don’t want everyone dying on the road—that would make things difficult for both of us,” Miao Fengqing said clearly.

“Fine, go ahead. Young people always have such energy and ambition. As long as you can solve these problems, I won’t stop you.” Captain Wei was delighted to let someone else handle the road’s difficulties.

“Just keep your word, Lord!” Miao Fengqing declared before turning to leave.

“Hmph, I’ll be watching to see what tricks you pull off. Pfft!” Captain Wei spat and turned away as well.

Despite his bold words, Miao Fengqing felt a headache coming on as he surveyed the desolate wilderness.

Jiang Yan handed Tan Qianyue two hard-boiled eggs and some peach blossom pastries.

“Eat something first. I’ll go scout around later.” The group huddled together, their unease growing as they watched the sick and disoriented patients sprawled before them.

“What are you planning to do?” Tan Qianyue asked, gripping Jiang Yan’s hand.

“We’re far from any villages, but this area is overgrown with shrubs and unfamiliar wild herbs. If we search carefully, we might find medicinal plants,” Jiang Yan replied, her gaze sweeping across the yellowed hills as she considered the possibility of finding remedies.

Even if they found nothing, she still had some cold medicine powder on hand. Whether it would be enough was another matter, but she would do her best. Though she longed to remain detached and indifferent, she couldn’t bring herself to abandon so many people suffering from the cold right before her eyes. She wasn’t heartless enough to let them die without trying to help.

“Then I’ll come with you.”

“Good!”

Jiang Yan turned her attention to Sang Yu. This female Qianyuan was far more approachable than the Imperial Commissioner, making it easier to build rapport.

Lord Miao, on the other hand, wore such a frosty expression that even Su He avoided getting too close.

Jiang Yan shared her idea with Sang Yu, who excitedly reported it to Lord Miao.

“You recognize medicinal herbs?” Miao Fengqing summoned Jiang Yan forward and questioned her closely.

“Only a basic understanding, but given the critical situation, even trying some common herbs might be worth it,” Jiang Yan replied truthfully.

“You’re right. I’ll send men with you to search the nearby mountains immediately.” When someone volunteered, Miao Fengqing immediately approved.

He dispatched Sang Yu to accompany Jiang Yan and Tan Qianyue into the mountains to search for herbs, reasoning that even a dead horse should be treated as if it were still alive.

Leaving their belongings in Ying Hong’s care, Jiang Yan led Tan Qianyue, Sang Yu, and five or six officers deep into the mountains to search for medicinal herbs.

There were countless herbs effective against colds; their success would depend on luck.

Tan Qianyue struggled to navigate the thorny terrain, and Jiang Yan firmly supported her.

Soon, Tan Qianyue’s eyes lit up.

“Are those berries over there?” she asked, tugging on Jiang Yan’s sleeve.

Jiang Yan turned to see several small hawthorn trees laden with bright red fruit.

“I want to pick some later,” Tan Qianyue said.

“Alright, but don’t wander off!” Jiang Yan cautioned, scanning the surroundings and slowly identifying usable herbs among the dry grass.

After a while, she suddenly noticed several slender, emerald-green plants that seemed to be medicinal herbs. Their leaves resembled celery and emitted a faint, pleasant aroma. A hint of delight flickered across her face. “I knew the ecosystem here was thriving,” she murmured. “Self-sufficiency will be no problem at all.”

She drew a small knife from her waist and began digging along the plant’s stem. Jiang Yan used her hands to pull out a yellowish-brown root that resembled both ginseng and a small carrot, its surface marked with concentric rings—exactly what she recognized as fangfeng (saposhnikovia root).

Looking up, she spotted many more of the same plants nearby.

“Sister Yu, come quick! There are medicinal herbs here! Let’s dig them up and try them out!” Jiang Yan called excitedly to Sang Yu.

She glanced up at Tan Qianyue, who was approaching with several handfuls of bright red berries.

But then Tan Qianyue noticed the large pit. Curious, she walked to the edge and leaned over to peer inside. Suddenly, her feet slipped, and she tumbled down, landing heavily on the rim.

Weak and sprawled on the ground, the red berries she had gathered scattered across the ground, many rolling into the pit.

“Jiang Yan… Jiang… Jiang Yan!” Tan Qianyue dared not move, fearing she might fall in herself. Her voice trembled as she called for Jiang Yan.