The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 43

“What do you think you’re doing? Acting like a hooligan?”

Although the exile convoy followed the official road, the thick, uncleared snow slowed their progress considerably.

The prisoners trudged forward with each step sinking deep into the snow, their feet slipping and sliding. On the open plains, the biting north wind whipped snowflakes against their faces, stinging like needles.

Several families clung to each other, pulling and dragging each other along. Xiao Concubine’s face had been weathered dark and hardened by the wind, bearing no resemblance to her former self. Her two daughters fared slightly better, but they were a world apart from the delicate young ladies they once were.

Life with the Sima Family had been difficult. The burden of carrying the tent was shared among them, but their status as Kunze—with their naturally weaker strength—brought no leniency. Instead, they were always assigned the heaviest poles. Over time, Xiao Concubine began to yearn for escape, but the lack of any refuge left her torn.

As for Maternal Uncle Tan’s family, the eldest daughter’s condition remained precarious. Fortunately, the rations had improved slightly in recent days. The cornbread buns were larger, and two pots of stew were cooked daily to provide warmth and sustenance for everyone.

Maternal Uncle Tan’s daughter was barely clinging to life. Though not born into nobility, she had lived a privileged life as the Prime Minister’s relative, making her half a young lady of wealth. This sudden exile was a crushing blow.

“Look at how other families in the convoy are working together to overcome this hardship,” Maternal Aunt Tan grumbled, glaring at her spineless husband. “But you Tan Manor people? When disaster strikes, you scatter like cowards! You’re all utterly useless.”

Maternal Uncle Tan remained silent, his eyes downcast and shadowed, his thoughts unreadable.

“Remember when your niece gave us those things last time?” the aunt continued, her voice a relentless drone. “Do you think she has anything else hidden? Her Wife-Master seems quite capable—she might have some valuables stashed away.”

Maternal Uncle Tan glanced up at Jiang Yan, who was pulling the cart ahead, but still said nothing.

Jiang Yan, unaware that she was being targeted, strained against the icy road. The high wheels of the cart were a blessing, saving her some effort on the treacherous terrain.

She had to adapt to this resistance, as the weather was likely to remain this way for the rest of the journey. Her only hope was that more travelers would use the official road, compacting the snow. Whether the snow freezing into ice would be better or worse was uncertain; either way, the journey would be arduous.

Lord Miao lay in his carriage at the rear of the procession. To minimize jolting, the carriage moved at a snail’s pace, with Sang Yu constantly at his side.

After a full day’s trek through the snow, they finally cleared a patch of ground to set up camp. Jiang Yan, fearing someone might tamper with her cart, stubbornly exerted every ounce of her strength to haul it inside the tent.

The small tent instantly lost a third of its space, leaving the three women crammed together in the remaining area.

“It’s fine,” Jiang Yan said, adjusting the cart’s position. “I can move it slightly so we can stretch our legs while we sleep.” By angling the cart, she created narrow gaps beside the wheels where they could extend their legs. Though cramped, it wouldn’t hinder their sleep.

“I think we could just sleep under the cart… but the tent door seems to be torn!” The Eldest Miss’s expression was indescribable, and her voice carried an unsettling dissonance.

“Heh heh heh, it’s fine. I’ll just open the door wider!” Jiang Yan chuckled awkwardly.

“Are we still going outside?”

“If you don’t need to relieve yourself, let’s just sleep…!” A massive creature blocked the doorway, making it impossible to get out.

“No, let’s just sleep!” After trudging through the snow all day, Tan Qianyue’s feet felt completely numb.

She slipped off her shoes and crawled into her sleeping bag, her face pale, her body radiating cold, and her hands and feet icy—especially her feet.

“The water bladder’s still full. Let’s make some warm porridge to warm up.” The dim light prevented Jiang Yan from noticing Tan Qianyue’s condition.

“Mm… be careful!” Tan Qianyue nestled behind her, watching as Jiang Yan poured rice into the pot and started a fire.

The acrid smoke dissipated almost instantly as the flames caught quickly. Jiang Yan cooked directly in the empty cart.

Tonight’s plan was simple: a pot of warm porridge. She tossed in a handful of peanuts, a handful of red dates, and a handful of sugar, roughly stirring it into a sweet porridge.

Jiang Yan glanced at the cramped tent, considering the possibility of leaving the cart outside.

After about half an hour, the aroma of white rice porridge wafted from the small iron pot, carrying a hint of sweetness through the frigid air. The icy, snowy scent gained a touch of warmth and sweetness.

“Come, drink this porridge and get some rest. You’ve had a long day!” Ying Hong turned to hand the bowl to Tan Qianyue.

The Eldest Miss removed her headscarf, revealing a simple bun adorned only with a ribbon. Yet even without elaborate embellishments, her natural beauty shone through, her face as radiant as peach blossoms. In her current weakened state, she exuded an even more delicate, pitiful charm.

Remembering a leftover hard-boiled egg from yesterday, Ying Hong quickly peeled it and tossed it into the pot to warm through.

Tan Qianyue cradled the warm bowl of porridge and took a few sips, abandoning the spoon altogether. Only then did she feel truly alive again. After spending the entire day buried in the icy wilderness, having fallen into thigh-deep snowdrifts twice, she felt like she was turning into a snowman herself.

Night fell, shrouding the world in darkness.

Ying Hong, her back to the pair, quickly drifted off to sleep after a day of hard labor.

Tan Qianyue grew restless. Jiang Yan wriggled into her sleeping bag, their legs fitting perfectly beneath the carriage floor. With a little more shifting, they could practically create their own private compartment.

Tan Qianyue leaned her head softly against Jiang Yan’s shoulder, remaining silent for a long while. Jiang Yan could feel her hands and feet were icy cold.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Jiang Yan touched Tan Qianyue’s forehead. Thankfully, she didn’t have a fever.

“I feel uncomfortable everywhere!” Tan Qianyue’s muffled voice carried a hint of playfulness.

“No fever?”

“Cold… I’m a little cold!” Tan Qianyue shivered, burrowing deeper into Jiang Yan’s embrace, but it wasn’t enough.

Jiang Yan reached out to remove Tan Qianyue’s clothes.

“What are you doing? Trying to get fresh?” Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow as she felt Tan Qianyue fumbling with her own clothes.

“Just borrowing your body for a bit. I feel like a giant ice cube—my hands and feet are freezing!” Tan Qianyue said, tugging at Jiang Yan’s bra.

“Uh… fine, then!” Jiang Yan teased her but didn’t stop her. Go ahead and take it off. It’s not like we haven’t done this before!

But Tan Qianyue was useless at this. After struggling for ages, she couldn’t unfasten Jiang Yan’s bra. Jiang Yan finally ripped it off herself and tossed it aside.

The Eldest Miss’s icy touch made Jiang Yan frown. She could only warm her up with her own body heat.

Tan Qianyue wrapped both legs around Jiang Yan’s waist, and Jiang Yan tucked her freezing feet under her own clothes.

Perhaps she really was cold. Tan Qianyue showed no signs of embarrassment or excitement, as if she wished she could simply meld into Jiang Yan’s skin.

Jiang Yan’s restless fingers continued to roam across Tan Qianyue’s back, quickly making her even warmer… and more flustered!

Jiang Yan tilted her head back, her dark eyes tightly closed. The overly sensual image replayed in her mind, but when she opened her eyes, she had to act like a detached, emotionless hand warmer.

In truth, she knew simpler, warmer ways to help the Eldest Miss recover, but… first, she’d have to get rid of the “lightbulb” next door. Well, I’ll just have to endure it!

Tan Qianyue, completely devoid of ulterior motives, only began to feel slightly better after half an hour. After all, Jiang Yan’s body was warm, and the more she clung, the warmer she became.

The cold seemed to seep into her body from the soles of her feet. Tan Qianyue curled against Jiang Yan for a long time before finally relaxing her long legs and loosening her grip.

Jiang Yan felt like this little vixen was draining all the yang energy from her body!

The next day, to avoid another night of torment, Jiang Yan simply stuffed Tan Qianyue into the cart and pulled her along.

The road ahead was wide and flat, though still covered in snow. It was a vast improvement over the mountain paths. Jiang Yan had filled a waterskin with hot water early that morning and tucked it into Tan Qianyue’s arms.

Tan Qianyue felt guilty making Jiang Yan play the role of a beast of burden while she sat comfortably in the cart. But she had been chilled to the bone from the previous day’s journey, and her stomach still felt uneasy.

“Just for an hour!” she said apologetically, holding up a single finger.

“Forget it, you might as well sit. Pulling the cart is much easier than dealing with your nighttime torment,” Jiang Yan thought, finding it increasingly difficult to control her pheromones.

Tan Qianyue stared back with innocent eyes, feigning ignorance.

The tent closed, enveloping Tan Qianyue completely within its chaotic folds, leaving only her knees and below visible beneath the thick quilt.

She pulled out a Crystal Stone to illuminate the interior. Tangyuan huddled close, whimpering, as if sensing his confinement wouldn’t last much longer.

Tan Qianyue sat inside her sleeping bag, wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket. She occasionally peeked out through the tent flap, then tucked the glowing stone back into her waist pouch.

Jiang Yan slung the cart’s hemp rope over her shoulder. The large wheels made pulling relatively easy, and it would have been even smoother without the icy snow. The only real obstacle was the snow, now crusted with ice.

The delicate patient inside was still recovering from being chilled. After two days of seeming better, she’d been frozen again, requiring over an hour of cuddling to warm up. It was enough to scare anyone half to death.

This morning, Tan Qianyue had woken up hunched over with stomach cramps. Jiang Yan had immediately filled a water pouch with hot water and used it as a makeshift hot water bottle.

Let her suffer for a couple more days, Jiang Yan thought. Who knows when this snow will melt?

She hadn’t gone far when Su Jing caught up, carrying his child.

“Miss Jiang, this cart looks so convenient!” Su Jing said awkwardly, trying to strike up a conversation.

“It’s quite useful,” Jiang Yan replied casually. “My wife is rather frail. After walking all day in the snow yesterday, she can barely straighten her back today. I have to pull her along.”

Su Jing gazed enviously at Jiang Yan’s small cart. If his family had one, Afei wouldn’t have to suffer in the cold.

“If you’re interested,” Jiang Yan suggested, “you could gather some thick branches during your break and build a small sled. The snow will freeze soon, and then you can just toss your little one in and pull her along—it’ll save you a lot of effort!” Jiang Yan thought this method would be much better than carrying the child all the way.

“That’s right! Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you for the suggestion, Miss Jiang,” Su Jing said with a polite nod.

Jiang Yan remained silent. She disliked unnecessary formalities, especially since this brother and sister had never bothered with such niceties before, their intentions always direct.

Sure enough, Su Jing spoke up again the next moment.

“Then… could Afei squeeze in with Miss Tan today? I’ll help pull the cart!” Su Jing felt shameless asking, but seeing his daughter’s face red from the cold, he swallowed his pride and begged for a ride.

“You’ll have to ask the Eldest Miss inside,” Jiang Yan shrugged, indicating that her wife made the decisions. She didn’t mind helping others, except during these extraordinary times.

“Let the child in,” Tan Qianyue said without hesitation, having only heard that Su Jing would help Jiang Yan pull the cart.

Already a burden herself, she saw no reason to refuse anything that might ease her burden.

“Really? Thank you so much, Misses!” Su Jing beamed, handing Afei to Jiang Yan.

“Alright, let the little one come in,” Jiang Yan said, assuming Tan Qianyue liked children.

“Be good now, no mischief!” Su Jing warned Afei from behind.

“I know!” Afei, though small, was remarkably well-behaved and rarely acted up in front of strangers.

Tan Qianyue took Afei, removed her shoes, and tucked her into the sleeping bag beside her.

A narrow slit in the tent allowed a sliver of daylight to peek inside.

The child’s curious eyes peered through the gap, studying the furry creature on the other side of Tan Qianyue.

“Sister, what’s that thing next to you?” Even the most well-behaved child couldn’t resist getting excited at the sight of a fluffy animal.

“Woof!” the dog responded appropriately.

“Just a little dog,” Tan Qianyue replied, her voice flat as she pressed a hand to her stomach. Having no experience with children, she didn’t know how to coax them, and she was feeling particularly unwell, her abdomen cramping painfully.

“But… are puppies supposed to have green eyes? Sister, don’t let it fool you! Wolves eat people!” The little girl hid behind Tan Qianyue, glancing anxiously at her sister.

“Wolves?” Tan Qianyue turned to look at Tangyuan. Although she had indeed found him in a pack of wolves, she had always raised him like a dog. His small, round, chubby body was so clumsy and timid—not at all fierce!

“Are wolves the only ones with green eyes? How do you know that?” Despite her fear of ferocious wolves, Tangyuan looked like an adorable, chubby fox, growing slowly and covered in beautiful, snow-white fur.

“The maids used to tell me stories like that when they read to me,” Afei said smoothly, her excellent memory evident.

“Oh, ha ha, maybe you’re right. But he won’t eat you. He’s about your size and still a baby. Promise me you won’t tell anyone else about him, okay?” Tan Qianyue felt a headache coming on. Why was this child so hard to fool?

“If he won’t eat me, I won’t tell anyone!” Afei nodded solemnly.

After that, she became intensely curious about the little wolf who wouldn’t eat people.

She restrained herself, but…

“Sister, can I pet him?”

“Sister, can we hug it?”

“Sister, its eyes still glow blue!”

Tan Qianyue grabbed Tangyuan and tossed it into Afei’s arms. Suddenly, the world fell silent…

Why did I have to get a stomachache? Why did Jiang Yan have to pull the cart? Why did I have to squeeze in here with this seemingly innocent little brat?!

Having been raised in the tent for so long, Tangyuan wasn’t afraid of people. Sensing the human child’s lack of malice, it gratefully crawled from Tan Qianyue’s hands onto Afei’s lap.

With Tangyuan finally settled, Afei quieted down, and Tan Qianyue’s ears were finally at peace.

Clutching her water pouch, she slumped listlessly to one side. Su Jing was indeed helping pull the cart; the rope now bore only half its original weight, allowing Tan Qianyue to sit more comfortably.

She slowly curled up, drawing her knees to her chest, and lay down inside the cart. Afei cradled the fluffy creature against her stomach.

The child fell silent, her mouth finally still.

Maternal Uncle Tan’s daughter was in even worse condition than Tan Qianyue. Her parents took turns carrying and dragging her, but she grew weaker with each passing day.

“Mother, am I going to die? I don’t want to die. What should I do?” The little girl’s face was ashen, and her persistent cough showed no improvement despite the herbal remedies she’d been given.

“Cousin has a carriage, Mother. If only I could sit in one before I die, instead of having to walk!” After more than two months of travel, the young lady was utterly exhausted, feeling as if her very life force had been drained.

“Mother will find a way. Just hang on a little longer. Once we reach the Northlands, you won’t have to walk anymore!” Maternal Aunt Tan grumbled about her daughter slowing them down, but she was still her own flesh and bl00d. She couldn’t bear the thought of her dying on the road.

“Go, husband, go talk to your niece. Tell her to let Cousin sit in the cart for a while. Our Ning’er is on the verge of collapse. She’s still a legitimate daughter of the Tan family—bl00d is thicker than water. We can’t just stand by and watch her perish on this freezing road.” Maternal Aunt Tan once again turned her attention to Tan Qianyue.

Yesterday, Jiang Yan had fashioned a cart, and the others had secretly chuckled at her. What’s the point of building a cart when you can barely walk yourself? they’d thought. But today, she had simply tucked her wife into it and pulled her along. Now everyone was thinking, Eldest Miss Tan is truly blessed.

In the Capital, she had been protected by the Noble Consort. Now, in exile to the Northern Lands, her adopted husband had proven to be surprisingly reliable, handling everything from food and clothing to shelter and transportation. He was far more practical than that perpetually scowling County Princess. One couldn’t help but wonder if Second Miss Tan, who had stolen someone else’s fiancé, was regretting her actions now.