The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 38

Dora A Jiang

The days spent resting in the tent, free from travel, brought Tan Qianyue exceptional joy. Despite the thick blanket of snow outside, she felt no cold.

With the onset of this heavy snowfall, true winter had arrived. She switched back to the wool vest Jiang Yan had given her, layering it under her outer robe and thick padded jacket. Her thin trousers felt chilly, so she simply pulled a quilt over her legs. Since she had no plans to venture out today, she was content to stay cozy inside the tent.

Ying Hong sat beside her, equally idle, but the restless maid couldn’t stay still for long.

“Miss, sitting on that straw mat won’t do. Come, use my quilt—one layer to sit on, another to cover you,” Ying Hong said briskly, spreading her quilt over the mat.

“Alright, let’s stay put today. Come sit with me,” Tan Qianyue replied, getting up to help Ying Hong arrange the quilt.

Jiang Yan had considered taking a stroll through the town, but it was still too early. She decided to wait until dusk before venturing out, and for now, she feigned sleep in the tent.

Tan Qianyue and Ying Hong sat close together, listening to the wind and snow battering the tent, occasionally exchanging a few words. Tangyuan, now a bit larger, nestled beside Tan Qianyue’s hand—a fluffy, snow-white ball. The Eldest Miss tucked her hand under the kitten’s warm belly, creating a perfect, living hand warmer.

Jiang Yan lay on the other side of the Eldest Miss, pulling the quilt up to cover half her face. In reality, she was organizing the storage room. Relying on Zhuangzhen to provide winter clothing seemed too difficult, so she needed to prepare some in advance and find a reason to give them to Lord Miao when the time came.

With so many people, how could they survive without winter clothing?

The Live Stream System only offered blind boxes, leaving everything to chance.

Jiang Yan glanced at her Gold Coins—still over six hundred. This time, she decided to try again, allocating 200 coins for chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, sesame seeds, pickled cabbage, Chinese cabbage, radishes, wood ear mushrooms, kelp, sea salt, mushrooms, and more wood ear mushrooms.

Staring at the motley assortment of items, Jiang Yan wondered if she’d accidentally tapped into a restaurant’s kitchen. Why were they all in bulk bags? Still, food was food—she wouldn’t refuse any of it.

With another wave of her hand, 200 Gold Coins vanished instantly. She mentally chanted: Winter coats, winter pants, quilts… or even coarse grains would do. What am I supposed to do with all these vegetables?

Jiang Yan froze in disbelief. It was the exact same pile of items as before, only with even more seasonings. Four hundred Gold Coins had bought her half a storage room full of spices and rarely eaten vegetables. Her face paled.

Looking at the remaining 200 Gold Coins, she hesitated. With no recent exciting events to stream, earning Gold Coins had become painfully slow.

Cotton-padded clothing was a matter of life and death. Without proper winter gear, they couldn’t even leave the town. Besides, all three of them needed it. Ying Hong’s face had turned blue and her limbs stiffened during the journey, while Tan Qianyue’s legs trembled uncontrollably. Jiang Yan, with her better physical condition, had managed to endure, but after this heavy snowfall, pushing through would be impossible. Getting frostbite or worse wasn’t worth the risk.

Gritting her teeth, she transferred all her remaining Gold Coins, silently chanting “cotton-padded clothing, cotton-padded clothing, cotton-padded clothing” like a gambler placing a desperate bet.

Perhaps the System truly sensed her urgency. It actually delivered three hundred catties of cotton and twenty bolts of coarse blue cloth. A smile finally lit up Jiang Yan’s face. Perfect! With these materials, they could make cotton-padded clothing and quilts without worry.

By now, the Storage’s progress bar was nearly full. Had it already reached its limit? Jiang Yan gained a deeper understanding of her precious resource.

Although they wouldn’t depart for the next two days, Captain Wei’s temperament meant he wouldn’t let them linger long. The cotton-padded clothing issue needed to be resolved swiftly.

Lord Miao, sensing the close relationship between the two women, quietly withdrew from the Town Defender’s courtyard, planning to return and reconsider his strategy.

He couldn’t understand why Captain Wei needed to avoid him to communicate with the Town Defender. They both needed grain. Regardless of their relationship, the exile convoy required provisions, and both Captain Wei and the Town Defender had a duty to provide them.

Surely Captain Wei wouldn’t deliberately withhold rations just to see her humiliated? That seemed highly unlikely.

The two captains leading the escort were primarily responsible for securing supplies; her role was merely supervisory. Obtaining rations was their duty.

It was inconceivable that he would jeopardize the lives of dozens of people over a petty conflict with her. Miao Fengqing still couldn’t figure out what Captain Wei was up to.

She instructed Sang Yu to return to town and check for any signs of cotton-padded clothing. Having already promised the prisoners warm clothes, she had been fielding anxious inquiries about when they would receive them. This urgency weighed heavily on Lord Miao.

Jiang Yan joined the other prisoners in clearing the heavy snow from the courtyard, carving out narrow paths for passage.

“Sister Yu, where have you been?” Jiang Yan asked, deliberately trying to ingratiate himself as he saw Sang Yu parting ways with Lord Miao.

“Ah, I went to the magistrate’s office to discuss the food situation with the Town Defender. Asking for favors is hard enough, but trying to pry food from someone’s pockets is even harder.” Since food was a matter affecting everyone, Sang Yu didn’t hide the truth from Jiang Yan. With his knack for luck, he might even have a solution.

“This town does seem rather destitute. If they can’t even secure enough food, getting cotton-padded clothing will be even more difficult, right?” Jiang Yan deliberately steered the conversation toward the clothing, hoping to gauge Lord Miao’s plans.

“Cotton-padded clothes are out of the question,” Sang Yu said, shaking her head. “But Lord Miao plans to buy some out of his own pocket. He has the silver—the question is whether he can spend it!” Sang Yu, ever straightforward, blurted out the information without a second thought.

“Zhuangzhen looks like a sizable town,” Jiang Yan said encouragingly. “Just because the yamen is broke doesn’t mean there aren’t wealthy merchants and landowners here. We’ll definitely be able to buy cotton-padded clothes.”

“Exactly! Even a broken ship still has three thousand nails,” Sang Yu agreed, eager to get winter clothes for everyone so they could resume their journey.

“Oh, right, Sister Yu,” Jiang Yan asked casually, “when does Lord Miao plan to buy the clothes?”

Sang Yu glanced at the sky. “I’d guess tomorrow morning at the earliest. The main streets are still snow-covered; even walking is difficult today.”

“True, the roads are treacherous,” Jiang Yan replied with a smile.

As dusk fell, the sky turned a gloomy gray. Everyone huddled indoors, desperately trying to light a few sticks of wood for warmth. Jiang Yan secretly removed her iron shackles, shed her prison garb, and slipped out of the Detention Quarters while the officers weren’t paying attention.

The streets were deserted, most shops shuttered and closed for the day. Jiang Yan trudged through the snow-covered streets, her footsteps sinking deep into the drifts. She walked for what seemed like an eternity without seeing another soul.

After much effort, Jiang Yan finally located two fabric shops, only to find them both closed. Even if they were open, she doubted they would have what she needed.

The north wind whipped snowflakes against her face, and her ankles and calves were already numb with cold. I have to hurry, she thought.

Just as she was wandering aimlessly, she spotted an older woman covered in patches. An idea struck her, and she called out to stop her.

“Sister, I have a good way to earn some silver. Are you interested?” Jiang Yan asked earnestly, her teeth chattering from the cold.

“Who are you? I don’t know you,” the woman replied, turning to leave.

“Wait, wait! Sister, don’t rush off! I really need your help, and I’m willing to pay,” Jiang Yan quickly stepped forward to block her path.

“You need my help?” The woman paused, her steps faltering at the mention of a request.

“Sister, could we talk inside? It’s freezing out here,” Jiang Yan pleaded, shivering. She couldn’t discuss this matter in public.

The woman sized her up before finally relenting. “Alright.”

At last, Jiang Yan was out of the cold. Despite the woman’s humble home, the fire in the hearth burned brightly, and warmth enveloped her as soon as she stepped inside.

Three children in the room stared at her with wide-eyed curiosity.

“What brings you here, young lady? You don’t look much older than my own children. If you’re helping Sister Li, I won’t charge you anything!” The female Qianyuan spoke generously, despite her tattered clothes.

“Sister, I have a batch of fabric and cotton I wanted to give to my benefactor as a token of gratitude. But she’s too proud to accept gifts. I was hoping you could sell it to her at a discounted price. It would benefit everyone. I’ll pay you ten taels of silver as a reward and provide enough fabric for each child to make a padded winter coat. What do you think of this arrangement?” Jiang Yan observed the female Qianyuan’s expression. The woman visibly softened when Jiang Yan mentioned the children’s coats.

“Sister, is this too good to be true? You’re not tricking me, are you?” Sister Li asked again, seeking reassurance.

“Absolutely genuine. I’ll even pay you upfront, as long as you play your part convincingly. I won’t let you down!” Jiang Yan promised.

“Sister, you don’t seem like you’re from around here?”

“I only arrived in Zhuangzhen a few days ago. I’m just waiting here to help my benefactor through a difficult time,” Jiang Yan replied. Since transmigrating, she had become a veritable lie-telling machine, her falsehoods sounding more convincing than the truth.

“Sister, you’re truly loyal and righteous! I admire you!” The Female Qianyuan’s face beamed with joy. Ten taels of silver was more than she had ever dreamed of.

“Sister, take these five taels for now. Tonight, help me find an empty room. I’ll come by tomorrow morning to get the key and drop off my things. When I do, I’ll give you the money to buy yourself a proper set of clothes. Otherwise, you’ll look out of place!” Jiang Yan instructed.

“Ah? You’re spending so much on me!” The Female Qianyuan seemed flustered, clearly an honest and principled person.

“This is what you deserve, Sister. Don’t be so modest. I’ll come by tomorrow for the key.” With that, Jiang Yan left the five-tael deposit and departed from the Female Qianyuan’s home.

If she could get the two of them to meet tomorrow, the plan would be smoothly executed. If they could manage to make the padded clothes in a single day, it would be a major success!

Jiang Yan walked back contentedly. By now, it was pitch-black, but the thick blanket of white snow acted like a reflector, illuminating her path.

Tan Qianyue paced anxiously inside the tent. Jiang Yan had said she’d be back in an hour, but nearly two hours had passed without a sign of her.

“Open the door!” Just as Tan Qianyue was considering going out to look for her, Jiang Yan’s voice rang out.

Tan Qianyue hurried to unfasten the tent’s hidden clasps one by one. Jiang Yan stood before her, draped in the wind and snow, her eyelashes coated with a thick layer of snowflakes, making her look like a tiny snowman. A sizable bundle was slung over her shoulder.

Jiang Yan shook off the snow outside before entering the tent.

“Why are you so late? Come in quickly. Did you run into any trouble on the way?” Tan Qianyue pulled her inside and settled her by the blankets.

“I had to visit several shops. Most were closed due to the heavy snow, but I still managed to buy quite a bit!” Jiang Yan set down the bundle.

Tan Qianyue opened it to find five pounds of cotton, three meters of blue cloth, two meters of white cloth, two pounds of white sugar, a cabbage, a bundle of sweet potato noodles, two pounds of pork, and a packet of candy.

“Why did you buy so much?” Tan Qianyue stared in disbelief.

“Are you complaining? You have no idea how many shops I had to visit to get all this!” Jiang Yan had planned to gather several days’ worth of supplies. She only retrieved them from the storage room right before reaching the tent, fearing that carrying such a large bundle would attract unwanted attention in these times of scarcity.

“Of course not!” The Eldest Miss shot her a sideways glance, but a smile played on her lips.

“Sang Yu told me Lord Miao is buying cotton clothes for everyone tomorrow. I only managed to get a few pounds of cotton. Since you two have nothing to do during the day, why not sew some cotton socks, gloves, hats, or even vests?” Jiang Yan pulled out the cotton and blue-white cloth. The weather was too cold to leave hands and feet exposed; they needed full protection.

“Miss, Miss, I’m good at needlework!” Ying Hong exclaimed excitedly, touching the cotton. This was life-saving cotton, so warm.

“My needlework is… decent!” Tan Qianyue glanced at Jiang Yan. Her face was already red from the cold—surely he wouldn’t criticize her skills?

Hmph, he’d better not, she thought silently, lowering her head.

After wrapping everything up and hiding it overhead, they covered it with coarse cloth, blew out the lamp, and went to sleep.

The next morning, before dawn, Jiang Yan dressed, pulled a piece of blue cloth over most of her face as a scarf, and slipped out.

The Detention Quarters’ mud walls even had gaps in places. She only needed to avoid the patrolling officers’ eyes.

She groped her way in the dark to the Female Qianyuan’s house from the previous day.

Knock, knock, knock! She rapped on the door. To her surprise, the woman had already risen early and was waiting, so excited she hadn’t slept all night.

“Sister, you’re here!” she greeted warmly, ushering Jiang Yan inside.

Jiang Yan discussed the details with Sister Li, instructing her to wait outside the cloth shop for Miao Fengqing and her companion to emerge. She was then to intercept them and lead them to the room where the cloth and cotton were stored.

“What if they manage to buy cotton at the shop?” Sister Li asked.

“Even better,” Jiang Yan replied. “Whether they succeed or not, your payment remains unchanged.” She handed Sister Li a bundle containing the cotton fabric she had promised the children.

“Oh my, how can I accept this? How can I?” Sister Li’s fingers trembled as she gazed at the thick fabric and bundled cotton, the brand-new materials gleaming in her eyes.

“This is your due, Sister,” Jiang Yan said, bowing slightly. “If you can handle this favor for my Little Sister, I will be eternally grateful.”

“Absolutely not, absolutely not! Little Sister is a benefactor to the Li family,” Sister Li exclaimed, grabbing Jiang Yan’s arm excitedly. “I’ll handle this perfectly! I’ll make sure your benefactor has no choice but to take your gifts!”

“Alright, alright. Then, Sister, please show me to the room where we can store the items?”

“Come, come! The courtyard next door belongs to my mother-in-law’s family, but they all left early, leaving me to raise three children alone. Life is hard, and the children suffer too!” Sister Li shook her head as she spoke.

Jiang Yan finally noticed that there were no Kunze in the household, only Sister Li and her three children, who relied solely on each other.

It turned out that Sister Li and her wife had been childhood sweethearts. Sister Li had come to this area in her teens to make a living. Later, her wife’s parents passed away early, leaving only Childhood Sweetheart to marry her.

Now that Childhood Sweetheart had also left her, Sister Li likely had no time for sentimental brooding, with three children to care for.

Upon reaching the neighboring courtyard, Sister Li handed Jiang Yan the key.

“Sister, why didn’t I see you bring any belongings?” Sister Li’s gaze followed the path behind Jiang Yan.

“The others are still on their way. The snowy roads are slippery and difficult to travel. I’ll wait for them here. You should go change into something presentable, Sister!”

“I’m not in a hurry. I can help you with the work once they arrive!” Sister Li offered sincerely.

“But Sister Li, we don’t have much time. If you change now, we’ll finish unloading just as dawn breaks, and you’ll need to go intercept the buyers!” Jiang Yan insisted.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go borrow some decent clothes!” Sister Li didn’t want to delay the noblewoman’s important business. After saying goodbye, she turned and left.

Jiang Yan watched her go for a long time before finally turning and entering the empty courtyard.