The Vicious Empress's Scum Wife (GL) - Chapter 007

She chased Lin Yanran out and slammed the door shut.

Lin Yanran touched her nose, which had narrowly avoided being hit, feeling a bit bewildered: “If you don’t want to lend, then don’t. No need to curse, right?”

Actually, she still had no concept of money in this world. Ten taels of silver was enough for an average family of three to live on for two years. A hundred taels of silver made one truly wealthy. How much money could Liu Zhenzhen, a solitary young Kunze practicing medicine in a rural town, possibly earn?

Lin Yanran turned and headed to the local guard station.

This was the tallest building in Fenghuang Town, about three stories high. Outside were city walls, and inside were residences. There were blockhouses and beacon towers on the walls.

It was equivalent to a combination of a modern township government and police station?

The old chief, Lin Dahai, was about fifty years old. His hair was half-white, and his topknot was very messy; when the wind blew, it looked like a bird’s nest. However, his face was ruddy, and his clothes were very bright, indicating he lived a comfortable life.

“Uncle Lin, I need to talk to you about something.”

Lin Dahai started to sigh as soon as he saw her.

“Yanran, your parents passed away early. I watched you grow up. Now that you’re married, you must become the head of the household. Don’t gamble your days away anymore. Aren’t you ashamed to have lost all your family property?”

Lin Yanran suddenly felt a bit awkward. So, this old chief was a relative of the original owner?

“Did you come today to borrow money from me, Uncle? I’m telling you, not a single coin!”

The old man, who had been speaking earnestly, changed his expression in an instant, leaving Lin Yanran utterly bewildered.

“No money, go, go, go.”

The old man shooed her away like a fly, making Lin Yanran feel even more hurt. She knew the original owner had a notorious reputation, but she hadn’t realized it had reached the point where she was like a rat scurrying across the street, everyone yelling to hit her.

Thinking this, she felt even more that Liu Zhenzhen was a good person.

“Uncle, I’m not here to borrow money. I want to ask you to help me find people to repair my house.”

Lin Yanran explained her purpose, also stating that she could pay the wages upfront.

After agreeing on thirty coins per person and one meal, the old man’s attitude did a complete 180-degree turn. He immediately summoned seven strong laborers, even joining the team himself.

“Let’s go.”

Lin Yanran took a look, and good heavens, out of the seven people, two were Lin Dahai’s sons, named Lin Shan and Lin Feng, one was Lin Dahai’s daughter Lin Cuicui, one was Lin Dahai’s nephew Lin Jianghe, and another was Chen Xiaohua, the daughter of Lin Dahai’s wife’s brother. Looking at the old man himself, he was walking quite vigorously with a cane.

She really wanted to ask, “Old man, are you really not here to freeload on wages?”

Back at home, she first went inside and explained the situation to Qin Mingyue, so she wouldn’t be alarmed, then came out to supervise.

She planned to convert the woodshed into a washroom, the adjacent storeroom into a latrine, and then build a new woodshed, a doghouse, and another storeroom in the courtyard. Additionally, the kitchen stove needed to be rebuilt. Food is paramount to people; as someone who was always picky, she could tolerate an earthen stove but couldn’t tolerate not having a sink or a chopping counter.

Among the people who came, besides Lin Dahai and Lin Shan who were low-grade Qianyuan, Lin Cuicui and Chen Xiaohua were female Zhongyong (Beta). The rest were male Zhongyong, in their prime.

Lin Dahai directed the seven people with clear division of labor: demolishing walls, mixing mud, building walls, plastering, and firing the stove. Everyone worked very hard, as the wages were fixed, and the sooner they finished, the sooner they could rest.

At noon, Lin Yanran bought twenty oil pancakes, several meat buns, and a large basin of egg drop soup.

Originally, she was a bit worried the food might be too simple, but everyone praised it.

After Lin Dahai finished eating, he wiped his mouth and beckoned Lin Yanran to a corner.

“They’re here to work for you. White steamed buns would be more than good enough. Why did you buy so many oil pancakes? Those are good things you only eat during festivals! You prodigal daughter, truly, a dog’s kennel can’t keep overnight food!”

Lin Yanran looked bewildered, then at the old man’s greasy mouth, secretly thinking, *You old man ate three oil pancakes yourself, how can you scold me?*

Lin Dahai glared at her: “What kind of look is that? You used to come to my house often for food when you were little. Now I’m just eating a few of your oil pancakes…”

As he spoke, he stared at the red lacquered food box in Lin Yanran’s hand, his eyes widening.

“Is that a food box from Sifang Inn?”

Sifang Inn was the only inn and eatery at the east end of Fenghuang Town.

Lin Yanran nodded: “Yes.”

Lin Dahai’s gaze towards her immediately grew warm. “Yanran, Uncle knew you were filial. Is this food box for Uncle? Give it here quickly, Uncle can still eat.”

Lin Yanran quickly covered the food box: “Uncle Lin, this is for my wife.”

She carried the food box and ran into the house, infuriating Lin Dahai, who stomped his feet behind her, poking her back: “You unfilial daughter, got a wife and forgot your uncle! You ate plenty of meat buns your aunt made when you were little—”

Qin Mingyue saw this scene from the window crack, her eyes slightly narrowed.

This scumbag specifically went to the eatery to buy food for her?

She remembered that in her previous life, Lin Yanran gambled, drank, and whored, scavenging all the family’s money. She would come home drunk every time, sometimes remembering to bring some leftovers, but other times just leaving her to fend for herself. If she hadn’t found a way to sell her only jewelry, she might not have survived until the death guards found her.

Now, to save her own life, she was willing to spend a lot.

Lin Yanran carried the food box into the room, setting out the dishes as she spoke.

“You must be hungry. The house is being repaired today, so I couldn’t cook for you. I bought some food from outside.”

Qin Mingyue sat formally at the table, holding a book.

Lin Yanran glanced at the cover, “Autumn Valley Hall Notes,” a medical book specifically about herbs. It must have been borrowed from Liu Zhenzhen.

She was confined to this rural farmhouse, with no entertainment. The original owner was also a vulgar and coarse hunter, so she could only borrow medical books from Liu Zhenzhen to pass the time.

Lin Yanran secretly noted this down. She served Qin Mingyue a full bowl of rice and pushed two plates of dishes towards her.

“Eat.”

Qin Mingyue detested her immensely, and even her attempts to please were an eyesore. She said coldly, “You go out. I’ll eat by myself.”

Lin Yanran stood up and walked to her side.

She was half a head taller than Qin Mingyue, with a tall, agile figure. Standing abruptly in front of her immediately created an invisible sense of pressure.

All the humiliating memories of being punched and kicked instantly resurfaced. Qin Mingyue almost instinctively stood up.

However, her ankle was injured, and this movement was too vigorous. Her body swayed violently, and she fell backward.

The body suspended in the air brought a huge sense of fear. The moment she fell backward, Lin Yanran’s anxious face flooded her vision, and then an arm descended from above, embracing her tightly.

She involuntarily rushed forward, falling into Lin Yanran’s embrace.

Both of them froze for a moment.

Qin Mingyue was the first to react, her pale face flushed with indignation.

“Let go!”

Lin Yanran didn’t release her immediately. Instead, she held her waist, steadying her, before gently letting go. Her voice was deliberately soft: “You’re too thin and weak. Please eat well, okay?”

As she spoke, she looked directly into Qin Mingyue’s eyes, her expression unusually serious, making her words particularly convincing.

Qin Mingyue was stunned.

Those eyes in front of her were clear, bright, and pure like a lake. All the lewdness, ill will, malice, and resentment that Lin Yanran had shown before had disappeared. She even felt a sense of cherish from such a gentle gaze.

Doubt involuntarily resurfaced in her heart once more.

Was this person in front of her truly Lin Yanran?

She lowered her eyelids, concealing all emotions.

Lin Yanran handed the chopsticks to her, her voice gentle: “This is a new signature dish created by the chef at the eatery. Try it, you might like it.”

Just to get these two dishes made, she had argued with the owner of Sifang Inn for a long time. In the end, she paid ten extra coins to enter the kitchen herself and personally “instruct” the chef.

Qin Mingyue silently took the chopsticks and sat down at the table.

Lin Yanran quickly served herself a full bowl of rice and some dishes. Before leaving, she saw that Qin Mingyue still hadn’t touched her chopsticks and couldn’t help but add:

“Eat quickly. Only when you’re full will you have the strength to hate me.”

After saying that, she carried her bowl back to her side room, eating while studying Liu Zhenzhen’s Cooling Pill.

Qin Mingyue stared at the curtain that still swayed after Lin Yanran left, doubting her own judgment for the first time.

She knew the old Lin Yanran: a complete scumbag, an animal, full of lewdness and malice, with no moral bottom line. Even if she truly reincarnated and pretended, Qin Mingyue didn’t think it was possible to be so perfect.

The current Lin Yanran was completely like a different person.

“Only when you’re full will you have the strength to hate me.”

Regardless, this scumbag was right. She had to get better quickly to have the energy to change everything.

She picked up the bowl and began to eat, bite by bite.

Immediately, her gloomy eyes brightened for an instant. Today’s dishes truly had a good balance, sour, refreshing, and tender, very appetizing.

Unconsciously, she ate half a bowl more rice than usual.

Lin Yanran quickly finished her meal, reluctantly put away the Cooling Pill, and carried the medicine pot to the courtyard. The kitchen stove was still wet, so she lit a small red clay stove in the corner of the yard.

“Yanran, what are you doing?”

“Boiling medicine.”

“Is your wife sick?”

Two male Zhongyong immediately gathered, pointing and whispering.

“I heard Yanran hit her. Don’t let her delicate looks fool you; when she hits women, she’s incredibly ruthless.”

“Yeah, I heard that too. She broke her wife’s leg.”

“No wonder we haven’t seen her wife show up all this time.”

Lin Cuicui and Chen Xiaohua, who were working, glanced at Lin Yanran, visibly shrinking their necks, then quickly moved a few steps away from her.

Lin Yanran: “…” Bro, spreading rumors isn’t good, is it?

Lin Shan was fetching water. He was a Qianyuan, and he picked and chose his tasks, but no one dared to say anything.

At this point, he dropped his water bucket and sidled up to Lin Yanran, winking and asking, “Yanran, I heard your wife is as beautiful as a flower. When are you bringing her out for us to see?”

Lin Yanran shot him a sideways glance: “Then let me see your wife?”

Lin Shan looked sheepish, but he was thick-skinned. He still lingered by the stove, and upon smelling the medicine, he actually licked his lips and said to Lin Yanran, “Yanran, do you have any leftover buns? I’m hungry. Can I roast a few to eat?”

Lin Yanran snorted coldly. Everyone else was working hard today, even old Lin Dahai was busy, but this male Qianyuan was slacking off. She directly called out to Lin Dahai: “Uncle Lin, we agreed, we didn’t say I’d also provide a second meal. What’s wrong with Cousin Lin? He clearly ate three large oil pancakes at noon!”

Lin Dahai walked over and kicked Lin Shan. Lin Shan wasn’t afraid. He shuffled back to the well to draw water.

Lin Dahai glanced at Lin Yanran, “Tsk, tsk, you rogue are actually boiling medicine now. You’ve changed your ways, become caring.”

Lin Yanran rolled her eyes. If you can’t say something nice, you don’t have to say anything.

As soon as the medicine was brewed, she quickly carried the medicine pot into the house, but as she walked, she felt more and more guilty. In the main hall, she poured out the liquid, secretly psyching herself up.

“Lin Yanran, you didn’t do those things, what are you afraid of? You’re acting justly and sitting upright!”

She carried the medicine bowl into the room. As she looked up, her eyes met Qin Mingyue’s incredibly sharp, ink-dark gaze.

Her heart immediately skipped a beat, as if she had done something wrong, and she averted her gaze.

The medicine bowl was placed on the table, steaming hot, clearly not ready to drink immediately. She turned back to fetch the palm-leaf fan she had used to fan the fire and gently fanned it.

The room was silent for a moment, save for the steady fanning sound.

The air was filled with the bitter scent of medicine, and a faint, pleasant fragrance—Qin Mingyue’s scent.

Lin Yanran stared at the bowl of medicine, but her peripheral vision was secretly observing Qin Mingyue. She sat poised at the table, her hair styled in the simplest chignon, the remaining ink-black strands cascading over her shoulders, revealing her slender, soft white neck. She held a book in one hand, gently pinching the corner of the page with the other, her posture exceptionally elegant.

Lin Yanran did not interrupt.

Being able to exist in such quiet harmony was already quite good.

After about a quarter of an hour, she tested the bottom of the bowl; it was no longer hot. She then brought the medicine bowl to Qin Mingyue: “Drink your medicine.”

Qin Mingyue glanced at it: “Leave it.”

Lin Yanran said: “You should drink it while it’s hot, it’s more effective that way.”

She stood in front of her, clearly intending not to leave until Qin Mingyue drank it. Qin Mingyue’s eyes darkened. This scumbag was truly taking an inch and a mile, already reverting to her true nature!

Lin Yanran quickly said, “Drink it, and I have a gift for you.”

As she spoke, she started to walk out. Qin Mingyue was utterly annoyed. The moment Lin Yanran left, she pinched her nose, picked up the bowl, closed her eyes, and swallowed.

Her eyebrows, as beautiful as a painting, furrowed tightly, as if she were drinking poison.

Only after finishing did she realize she had been momentarily dizzy and had forgotten to test for poison.

At once, the hatred in her heart surged again, adding another layer.