The Useless Alpha’s Yandere Wife - Chapter 50

“What’s wrong? Regretting the switch?” Tan Qianyue asked, tilting her chin and looking down at Jiang Yan with a hint of arrogance. “Want me to bring Tan Xue’er back?”

“No, no! I don’t want her!” Seeing the Eldest Miss’s displeasure, Jiang Yan quickly moved to hug her, resting her head on Qianyue’s shoulder in a show of docile obedience.

“I meant Ying Hong is doing a great job. I’ll thank her properly later,” Jiang Yan added, blinking innocently as she drew circles on Qianyue’s back with one finger.

“Alright, get up now. She’ll be back soon!” Qianyue pushed Jiang Yan off her, finding her clinginess rather endearing at times.

“Okay, I’ll heat up some steamed buns!” With a smile, Jiang Yan happily returned to her chores.

The two waited together for Ying Hong to return with the evening’s foraging.

Just as the steamed buns were heated, Ying Hong arrived carrying a large bowl of meat and vegetables.

The two rabbit pelts lay nearby, Tangyuan sniffing them curiously.

The trio gathered around the steaming dish, lit a small candle, and began their nightly snack. Eating something warm before bed helped ward off the cold.

“Ying Hong, how do you always manage to get so much meat?” Jiang Yan asked, curious. Sang Yu didn’t seem like the type to be so generous.

“Hehe, I know where to find the best pieces!” Ying Hong said, pointing at the meat in her bowl with a grin.

“If you have such a talent, then you certainly deserve the extra portion!” Jiang Yan nodded in agreement.

“Before coming to the manor, Ying Hong’s family were hunters,” Tan Qianyue explained. “She probably hasn’t forgotten all her skills.”

“That’s right! When I was little, I used to go hunting with my grandfather every day,” Ying Hong said, straightening her back with a hint of pride.

“Thanks to Ying Hong, we’re having another delicious meal tonight! Let’s eat!” Jiang Yan immediately picked up a chicken leg and placed it in Tan Qianyue’s bowl before lowering his head to eat.

The stewed meat, brought ready-made from someone else’s kitchen, tasted especially good—a kind of effortless happiness.

The rabbit meat had a slightly strange flavor that Tan Qianyue couldn’t get used to, so Jiang Yan gave her extra chicken.

Jiang Yan and Ying Hong, on the other hand, weren’t picky at all and enjoyed every kind of meat.

The three of them and their dog ate six steamed buns, exhausting the supply Jiang Yan had brought from the city. They’d need to find time to steam another batch or two for convenient heating on the road.

The weather was bitterly cold. Even huddled inside their quilted tent, they couldn’t stretch out their limbs. After a quick wash, they all burrowed into their blankets to sleep.

Jiang Yan took off her padded jacket and, shivering, crawled into her sleeping bag. Better to remove it now than risk getting sick tomorrow, she thought.

Tan Qianyue no longer avoided sleeping near her. Her soft body snuggled close, the pheromones likely sustaining her for a few more days.

Jiang Yan confidently settled into a comfortable position, pressing close to Qianyue.

With two people sharing the sleeping bag, it warmed up faster. Their icy feet could even press against each other for warmth, a far better arrangement than Ying Hong’s huddled, curled-up posture.

They finally endured until the next morning. When Jiang Yan opened her eyes and glanced around the tent, she gasped. A thin layer of frost had crystallized on the tent’s interior, as if they were living in an ice cellar!

If even our tent looks like this, the others must be faring even worse.

A single or double layer of fabric couldn’t compare to the thick mud walls of a proper house. They would have to grit their teeth and endure until they reached The Northlands. Thankfully, the sleeping bags provided some warmth; otherwise, they might have frozen solid.

Tan Qianyue burrowed completely into her sleeping bag, only her bewildered eyes peeking out as she glanced around.

The frost patterns were intricate and varied—curved, elongated, and shimmering with different depths—resembling delicate embroidery stitched onto the fabric. Layer upon layer of crystalline petals overlapped, creating a scene that was breathtakingly beautiful despite the bitter cold.

Bathed in the soft pink glow of dawn, the frost patterns took on an ethereal, dreamlike quality.

“I’ll boil some water first. You can get up once the tent warms up,” Jiang Yan said, tying her long hair back. She grabbed a basin and went outside to fetch water.

Along the riverbank, officers had painstakingly carved ice holes, which had likely frozen over with a new layer overnight.

The moment Jiang Yan stepped out of her tent, a frigid wind whipped against her face, instantly turning her soft, just-uncovered hair stiff and cold.

Fortunately, she was wearing cotton gloves, which would protect her hands from the pain of chipping at the ice later.

“Miss Jiang, are you here to fetch water too?” Jiang Yan spotted Su Jing across the riverbank early that morning. He stood with his legs braced apart, gripping a wooden rod and vigorously chipping at the ice hole.

“Ah, yes. How’s it going? Can you break through?” Jiang Yan leaned over to take a look.

“Shouldn’t be a problem!” Su Jing replied, striking the ice several more times. He seemed to be working without gloves, his right hand wrapped in a strip of cloth for protection.

“Here, let me try!” Su Jing had already made considerable progress, but he still hadn’t managed to shatter the ice.

“Alright!” Su Jing handed the wooden rod to Jiang Yan.

He had come early to avoid the long queues that would form later. With so many officers, skipping face-washing was one thing, but going without hot water was out of the question. By the time his turn came, it would likely be noon.

So Su Jing had arrived several hours early. He had brought an iron pot from home and planned to boil water over a fire outside.

The bamboo water tubes used by Su He’s family had been replaced with water pouches during their last stop in Zhuangzhen, thanks to a favor from someone.

After traveling for so long, Lord Miao had been subtly helping them, making their days more bearable.

This forced Su He, who desperately wanted to avoid entanglement with her, into frequent contact. Even if not for herself, she had to accept Miao Fengqing’s assistance for her child’s sake. Besides…

Although Lord Miao’s carriage was spacious, sitting motionless in the cold required a charcoal brazier.

Afei, being so young and restless, needed constant supervision. Su He had considered carrying her back, but the temperature had dropped sharply. Moving to a place without a brazier would likely make them sick. So, all three huddled together in Miao Fengqing’s carriage.

It happened that Lord Miao was lonely and needed someone to care for her. The three of them crammed into the carriage made things lively.

Despite being called “care,” Miss Su didn’t actually have to do much. Sang Yu helped her relieve herself outside, and Miao Fengqing could walk a few steps without straining her knees.

At mealtimes, Su He simply handed the bowl and chopsticks from Sang Yu to Miao Fengqing. If she felt particularly guilty, she might massage Miao Fengqing’s legs or shoulders, but no one forced her to do these things.

Su He spent most of her time caring for the children, providing companionship.

Miao Fengqing, draped in a pale purple fox fur cloak, watched Su He toast small blankets over the charcoal stove. A hint of tenderness softened her usually cold and sharp features.

Her gaze shifted between Su He and Afei, a nagging sense that something was amiss.

“Why does Afei resemble you so much? She doesn’t even look like Madam Sun or Su Jing!” Miao Fengqing asked casually, but Su He’s temple throbbed violently.

“I’m her older sister. What’s wrong with her looking like me?” Su He carefully lifted her gaze, her bright, captivating eyes feigning innocence and confusion.

“But wasn’t she born to your concubine? Why would she resemble her sister instead of her own mother?” Miao Fengqing found it baffling.

“I thought you were the legitimate daughter, not Madam Sun’s biological child!” Miao Fengqing was thoroughly confused.

“Then… then couldn’t Afei and I both take after Lord Su?” Su He lowered her eyes, avoiding Miao Fengqing’s probing gaze, her voice strained with forced casualness.

“But your features clearly resemble Madam Feng’s. How could Afei possibly look like Madam Feng?” Miao Fengqing was completely bewildered. Madam Feng was Su He’s biological mother, who lived alone in Feng Garden after her divorce from Lord Su. Miao Fengqing had met her before.

“Afei just looks like me. What’s so strange about that?” Su He’s voice trailed off, her forced composure cracking as she nearly scorched the small blanket in her hands.

Miao Fengqing glanced at the little one beside her, munching on dried sweet potato, then back at Su He. Indeed, only their noses, mouths, and face shapes bore a striking resemblance. Afei’s features, however, possessed a sharper, more spirited quality than her sister’s.

Su He rose and draped the warmed blanket over Miao Fengqing’s legs, then added another layer to keep her thoroughly bundled up.

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Miao Fengqing’s expression was unreadable. She felt like she was being treated like an invalid, even though she could still take a few steps.

“You’ll get cold sitting still. Better to be extra warm!” Su He insisted, piling every blanket in the carriage onto Miao Fengqing.

Miao Fengqing… sigh!

After fetching water, Jiang Yan decided to try catching some fish. Surely a river this vast couldn’t be devoid of fish.

She found a scrap of cloth and used her knife to cut numerous small holes in it, transforming it into a makeshift net.

Jiang Yan found some wire in the storage room and fashioned it into a hoop, then sewed the fabric securely around it. She tied a long fishing line to the hoop, creating a simple fishing net. Though crude, it was worth a try.

Normally, this might have been difficult, but Jiang Yan had bait.

She found a secluded spot and began preparing the bait. She mashed a banana, added a generous spoonful of sugar, and a handful of cornmeal, kneading it into a flat cake that she placed in the net.

While no one was watching, Jiang Yan quietly lowered the net into the water, waiting patiently for the fish beneath the ice to swim in.

The ice near the bank was about a hand’s breadth thick, and she could feel faint movements in the water.

The shallow water near the bank was adequately frozen, but the river was wide, stretching seventy to eighty meters across, with the depth increasing toward the center.

The deeper sections likely had thinner ice, perhaps only half as thick as near the bank. The thought of horse-drawn carts laden with grain crossing such precarious ice was terrifying.

Perhaps the bait was too tempting. Before half an hour had passed, the rod in Jiang Yan’s hand jerked. She steadied herself, waiting until she felt the weight settle firmly in the net before lifting the rod.

Jiang Yan caught one large and two small silver carp, along with several unidentified small fish that looked like immature crucian carp and carp, none larger than half a palm.

Gathering the fishing net, Jiang Yan turned to head home.

She nearly collided with someone behind her—Tan Xue’er, who rarely showed her face.

Tan Xue’er slipped on the snow-covered ice, nearly sliding into an ice hole.

Reacting swiftly, Jiang Yan grabbed Tan Xue’er’s foot and flung her two or three meters away.

Tan Xue’er landed face-first in the snow, half her face buried in the drift, but at least she avoided falling into the ice hole.

“Watch where you’re going!” Jiang Yan glared at her irritably.

“Sister Jiang…!” Tan Xue’er had intended to feign delicate weakness, but now she was genuinely vulnerable. The fall had been rough, and if Jiang Yan hadn’t dodged her, she wouldn’t have nearly fallen into the ice hole.

In the freezing weather, Tan Xue’er didn’t even dare to cry, fearing the tears would freeze and crack her skin in the biting north wind.

“Who’s your sister? Go home already!” Jiang Yan snapped, turning away and heading home with the net.

“Ah…!” Tan Xue’er’s pained groan echoed behind her.