The Vicious Empress's Scum Wife (GL) - Chapter 015
She finished cooking the meal, brought it into the room, set it down, served herself a bowl, and then immediately came out.
She hadn’t really done anything, but she still felt guilty.
Lin Yanran held her bowl, squatting on the porch like a caveman, shoveling food into her mouth. The black dog squatted expectantly in front of her. For every bite she took, it licked its lips.
Lin Yanran ate half of it and couldn’t eat anymore, so she poured the remaining half-bowl of food into the dog’s bowl.
The black dog immediately wagged its tail ingratiatingly, whining softly.
Lin Yanran patted its head: “Grape, when owner gets rich, I’ll treat you to good food.”
Grape was the name she gave the black dog, because its eyes were always moist, like summer black grapes after being washed, which made people inexplicably soft-hearted.
Qin Mingyue, hearing this from her room, felt her already cold face grow even colder. *This scumbag, this beast, even lies to a dog!*
Lin Yanran had no idea her status had dropped from “commoner” to “beast.” She heard no more sounds from the room, so she went in to clear the dishes. Qin Mingyue had only drunk a little over half a bowl of plain porridge and hadn’t even touched the sugar-poached egg she made.
Lin Yanran sighed, brought it out, and ate it herself.
She spoke through the door curtain: “I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
She locked the main door and angrily marched to Zhu Shiyu’s house in the east of the town.
Zhang Zhen’s family was the wealthiest, living in the neighboring Lihua Town. Li Qing and Zhu Shiyu lived in this town.
The first time she saw these three, she identified Zhang Zhen and Li Qing as true spendthrifts, wealthy ladies from rich families. Only this Zhu Shiyu was a hanger-on, appearing shrewd and cunning, but actually the most cowardly.
Moreover, she owed the original owner money.
At that time, the original owner had won a big one. Zhu Shiyu seized the opportunity to flatter and praise her, making her very happy, and then borrowed ten taels of silver from her.
Zhu Shiyu was so cunning that she later made various excuses and cried about her troubles, simply delaying repayment.
Lin Yanran kicked open Zhu Shiyu’s front door.
Half an hour later, with a smirk, she walked out of the Zhu family’s gate, weighing a packet of silver fragments in her hand, thoroughly satisfied.
Zhu Shiyu’s father sat on the ground wailing loudly, calling her a bandit. Zhu Shiyu held a receipt, forcibly pressed with her handprint by Lin Yanran, stating the debt was paid in full. Her face was crestfallen, and as she watched Lin Yanran’s retreating back, a profound fear showed in her eyes.
Zhu Shiyu’s Kunze, however, showed no reaction, her face blank as she came to close the gate.
In reality, Lin Yanran didn’t do much. She just played some psychology, and combined with the sedative she fed Zhu Shiyu that day, she knew some of her little secrets. A couple of threats, and Zhu Shiyu immediately repaid the money, terrified.
Having resolved the immediate crisis, she first bought a few doses of calming and cold-expelling medicine. She also purchased some maltose, red dates, and the like. She had wanted to buy longans, goji berries, and tremella mushrooms, but upon asking, she learned that these were all imperial tribute items, incredibly rare and priceless.
Lin Yanran felt the freshly acquired ten taels of silver in her pocket and decisively gave up.
Thinking of the medical book that Qin Mingyue was almost wearing out from reading, she started looking for a bookstore.
She was told that there was no bookstore in all of Fenghuang Town. Only the village fortress had books, which the old village chief had specially bought with money from the Shimen County bookstore. It was said to be to cope with inspections from the county school.
The county school didn’t care whether the people of Fenghuang Town were literate, but they cared whether Fenghuang Town’s village fortress had books. Having books meant the task was completed.
Lin Yanran rushed home, brewed the medicine, and cooked red date glutinous rice balls.
She placed the medicinal decoction and the glutinous rice balls on the table, then guiltily left, not even offering a word of persuasion.
Qin Mingyue, having escaped from desperate circumstances, was not someone who would harm herself.
She hurried to the village fortress without stopping.
“What are you doing here?” Lin Dahai looked at her with some wariness.
Lin Yanran bared her teeth and said, “Uncle Lin, I found out that you told me the daily wage was thirty coins, but that’s ten coins higher than the market rate. As an elder, how can you cheat your own niece like that?”
Lin Dahai jumped three feet high: “You unfilial girl, how dare you slander your own uncle like that? Be careful, your old man might jump out of his grave in anger!”
Lin Yanran snorted: “If my father knew you were bullying his daughter like this, he’d really jump out of his grave.”
Lin Dahai nervously tugged at his beard: “I found you good workers. Your tasks are many and complex, and the requirements are high. Who else could do them well?”
Lin Yanran immediately seized the loophole: “So, Uncle admits he cheated me?”
“Nonsense!” Lin Dahai reacted as if his tail had been stepped on.
Lin Yanran said, “I respect you as an elder, so I won’t ask for the money back, but—”
Lin Dahai secretly let out a sigh of relief, then said, feigning fierceness: “What do you want?”
Lin Yanran said, “I want to pick a few books from the village fortress’s collection. My wife is sick and wants to read to relieve boredom.”
Lin Dahai suddenly relaxed, *reading books, well, that’s fine then.* He waved his hand as if dismissing a plague god: “Go, go. Just don’t tear the pages.”
Lin Yanran looked at him suspiciously. *Why did she feel like she was getting the raw end of the deal?*
Lin Dahai quickly beckoned Lin Cuicui: “You take her to pick books. Be careful she doesn’t ruin them.” With that, he walked off with his hands behind his back, looking very guilty.
Lin Cuicui saw Lin Yanran and immediately obediently called out, “Sister Yanran.”
Lin Yanran hummed, following Lin Cuicui into the village fortress.
The village fortress was a circular stronghold. The first level was mainly used to house livestock, such as pigs, cattle, sheep, mules, chickens, and ducks, all kept together. And these animal pens were all next to each other, the smell!
When Lin Yanran first walked in, she almost stumbled from the stench.
She covered her nose with her sleeve and asked, “Are there no horses?” She remembered that the original owner often went gambling with Zhang Zhen and the others in Shimen County, mostly on horseback, occasionally by carriage.
Lin Cuicui glanced at her, then suddenly pursed her lips and chuckled: “Sister Yanran, how long has it been since you last came to the village fortress? You’ve forgotten our horses are kept in the back courtyard of the fortress.”
Lin Yanran slapped her forehead, then remembered that the village fortress was built against a mountain, and a large open space was specially carved out behind it and fenced off to serve as stables.
After all, compared to pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, these horses were truly precious. Their numbers were even registered in the county yamen’s records. During wartime, horses and hunters were conscripted together.
The two arrived at the village fortress’s cellar. The space inside was vast, with rows of adobe houses dug out. Most of the rooms were empty, without even doors. Only the first room contained bows and arrows, long spears, and swords, but these weapons were of very poor quality; the swords were even chipped and rusted.
At the end of the cellar was the only adobe house with a door. It was pitch black, without a trace of light. Lin Cuicui hurriedly went to find a lantern. Only then could Lin Yanran barely make out two rows of shelves inside, sparsely filled with blue-covered thread-bound books.
Lin Yanran reached out and touched one. *Good heavens, the dust was almost half a foot thick.*
“Rats didn’t come to gnaw on the books?”
Lin Cuicui said awkwardly, “They were gnawed a few times before. My father, in a fit of pique, caught a tabby cat, and it’s been much better since.”
Lin Yanran frowned deeply and told her, “Go find two clean cloths.”
Lin Cuicui went to get them. Lin Yanran took the dry cloths, covered her face with one as a mask, and told Lin Cuicui to do the same.
Only then did she start picking books.
Each time she picked up a book, dust billowed in the room. After a couple more pats, the dust was flying everywhere. Lin Cuicui then realized the purpose of the dry cloth covering her face.
Her admiration for Lin Yanran quietly grew another layer.
She asked curiously, “Sister Yanran, are you picking books for yourself to read?”
Lin Yanran casually replied, “They’re for my wife.”
Lin Cuicui looked at her in surprise. She remembered her brothers saying that Lin Yanran often hit and scolded the Kunze in her household and treated her very badly.
Now, she was actually picking books for her Kunze, and she looked very serious, carefully dusting each book after picking it out.
*Her brothers really were talking nonsense.*
Lin Cuicui asked curiously, “Sister Yanran, can sister-in-law read so many books? Is she very learned?”
Lin Yanran nodded: “Yes, she’s full of knowledge, learned in many books.”
Lin Cuicui didn’t understand the exact meaning but knew it was high praise and looked at her with wide-eyed admiration.
Before long, Lin Yanran and Lin Cuicui each emerged carrying a stack of books.
They ran into Lin Shan and Lin Feng, who were cornering Chen Xiaohua against the wall. The two men, tall and burly, firmly blocked the girl’s path. She was already crying, though what they had said was unknown.
Lin Cuicui quickly asked, “Big Brother, Second Brother, what are you doing?”
Lin Feng turned and saw Lin Yanran, instinctively taking a step back. Lin Shan, seeing his own sister, was equally dismissive, shouting, “None of your business, go stand aside.”
Lin Cuicui flinched, but her only good friend was being bullied, so she bravely stepped forward, speaking gently: “Big Brother, Xiaohua is our cousin. How can you bully her? If Mother finds out—”
Lin Shan was always overbearing at home. Hearing this, he lost his temper and swung a fist at her.
Mid-swing, his arm stopped.
Lin Yanran had caught his wrist with one hand, her sharp, unparalleled eyes fixed on him. Lin Shan was startled and quickly took two steps back, pulling his hand free.
He rubbed his wrist, his face filled with shock: “How are you so strong?”
He was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. Knowing Lin Yanran was not to be trifled with, he didn’t get angry about losing face. He turned and saw the books in Lin Yanran’s arms and teased, “Oh, Yanran, you’re actually starting to read now. What, are you going to take the imperial examination?”
Lin Yanran said nothing, merely staring at him with a half-smile, making Lin Shan nervous. He asked guiltily, “You, you, what do you want?”
Only then did Lin Yanran slowly walk past him, then whispered something.
Lin Shan’s face dramatically changed. He covered his mouth and darted out like an arrow.
Lin Feng and Lin Cuicui exchanged bewildered glances, neither knowing what had happened.
Emerging from the village fortress, Chen Xiaohua also followed them. She clung tightly to Lin Cuicui’s side, like a small shadow, her red eyes occasionally peeking at Lin Yanran. Lin Cuicui was the same, occasionally peeking at Lin Yanran.
Lin Yanran asked, “Why are you looking at me?”
Chen Xiaohua was still a little afraid of her and didn’t dare to speak. Lin Cuicui, however, had developed a certain closeness to her. Now, both admiring and curious, she bravely asked, “Sister Yanran, you’re amazing! You scared my big brother away with just one sentence. What did you say to him?”
“Want to know?”
Lin Cuicui’s bright eyes immediately widened: “Yes!”
Lin Yanran curled her lips: “I told him he had a piece of vegetable stuck in his teeth, and it looked ugly.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Cuicui covered her mouth. Immediately after, Chen Xiaohua also tightly pressed her lips together.
The two girls looked at Lin Yanran, both afraid and admiring. After a while, they secretly loosened their hands, swept their front teeth with their tongues, and huddled together, looking at each other. After confirming there were no vegetables on their teeth, they chased after her.
Lin Yanran took the books from Lin Cuicui’s hands. Turning, she noticed Chen Xiaohua’s eyes were still red and asked, “What happened just now?”
Chen Xiaohua was very grateful for Lin Yanran’s rescue just now. She mustered her courage and said, “My father used to raise a wolfdog named Black Tiger. It was very good at hunting. When my father died, Black Tiger was passed on to me. Lin Shan wants to take my Black Tiger to participate in the spring hunt.”
“He doesn’t want to pay?”
Chen Xiaohua shook her head: “I don’t want to sell Black Tiger. Cousin Shan didn’t even mention money. He wants to snatch Black Tiger and claim him as his own.”
Lin Yanran understood. This person wanted to take the wolfdog for free and keep it for himself.
Lin Cuicui interjected, “Big Brother has always been self-centered; he wants to claim all good things. He’s been coveting Black Tiger for a long time. If it weren’t for Mother stopping him, he would have snatched Black Tiger already. Black Tiger is excellent at hunting. Last time, it was he who found my female leopard.”
Lin Yanran’s heart stirred. She asked, “How good is your Black Tiger? Can it handle Qianyuans?”
Chen Xiaohua whispered, “I don’t dare let Black Tiger hurt people.”
Lin Yanran said, “If I hire your Black Tiger to guard my home, can you command him to stop people from breaking in?”
Chen Xiaohua’s eyes suddenly lit up. The surprise made her no longer timid. Her gaze eagerly looked at Lin Yanran: “Sister Yanran, do you really, really want to hire me?”
Lin Yanran nodded: “Yes, but the premise is that your Black Tiger can stop two or three men, and possibly one Qianyuan. Can it do that?”
Chen Xiaohua and Lin Cuicui exchanged glances. Lin Cuicui nodded encouragingly at her. Chen Xiaohua immediately said, “Sister Yanran, I heard my father say that when he used to hunt, people from a neighboring town tried to steal his prey. Black Tiger pounced, bit two Qianyuans, scared away a group of people, and even retrieved the prey. From then on, people from the neighboring town were afraid of my father.”
Lin Yanran’s heart settled. She immediately said, “Good. I’ll give you thirty coins a day. When I go to participate in the spring hunt, you’ll bring Black Tiger to help me guard my home. How does that sound?”
Chen Xiaohua was overjoyed, excitedly grabbing Lin Cuicui’s hand.
As Zhongyong borns, their participation in the spring hunt was essentially serving as servants for the Qianyuans. All the hard and tiring work was given to them, but they had no share in the hunted game or the money. At most, they’d get a dozen or so coins as a handout.
Not having to hunt and still earning thirty coins a day? Only a fool wouldn’t take that.
Just as she was about to agree, she suddenly remembered her identity and almost cried out: “Sister Yanran, I inherited my father’s hunter status. I also have to participate in the spring hunt, otherwise my uncle will punish me.”
Lin Yanran comforted her: “Don’t be afraid. I’ll handle this matter.”
She remembered that Zhongyong borns weren’t required to participate in the spring hunt. Lin Dahai was doing this simply because he coveted Chen Xiaohua’s Black Tiger.
Lin Cuicui was extremely envious. Her eyes began to dart towards Lin Yanran again. Lin Yanran had no choice but to ask, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Cuicui nervously looked at her: “Sister Yanran, can… can you hire me too?”
Lin Yanran saw her eager expression and smiled, “What can you do then?”
Lin Cuicui immediately said eagerly: “I can sweep, cook, wash clothes, chop firewood. I can do any work.”
Lin Yanran shook her head: “Not those things. I need your ability to guard the house. Do you have any?”
Lin Cuicui hesitated: “I can shoot arrows, does that count?”
Lin Yanran led them into the house, found her bow and arrows, and handed them to Lin Cuicui: “Shoot an arrow, let me see.”
Lin Cuicui’s hands trembled with nervousness. Lin Yanran had to comfort her: “It’s fine if you don’t hit it. Just being able to shoot an arrow is enough.”
Lin Cuicui held the bow and arrow, assumed a stance, and looked around the courtyard. Lin Yanran was not in a hurry; she calmly organized the books while waiting.
Chen Xiaohua suddenly called out, “Cuicui, there!”
Just as her finger extended, the arrow in Lin Cuicui’s hand whizzed through the air.
A mournful “caw” was heard, and a crow fell in response, landing in the corner of the courtyard.
Qin Mingyue, observing this from the window crack, her deep eyes flickered slightly.
Lin Cuicui ran to pick up the crow and placed it at her feet, nervously asking, “Sister Yanran, can… can I?”
Lin Yanran’s eyes widened as she looked at the arrow that had pierced the crow’s neck.
More than just “can,” it was absolutely amazing!
She smoothed her expression and said casually, “It’s alright. You can help me guard the house with Chen Xiaohua. I’ll also give you thirty coins a day.”
The two girls were overjoyed, holding hands and crying tears of joy.
Lin Yanran added, “You must not tell anyone about me hiring you. Otherwise, the agreement will be void.”
The two were eager for no one else to know, so they could get the full wages. They nodded frantically, promising.
Lin Yanran arranged everything, then found a cloth, dampened it with water, wrung it dry, and meticulously wiped the book covers and pages. Afterward, she laid them out on the bamboo chairs on the porch to dry.
Lin Cuicui asked curiously, “Sister Yanran, what are you doing?”
“Sun-drying the books to air them out and remove the smell.”
As she spoke, she found the scented powder Liu Zhenzhen had given to Qin Mingyue and sprinkled it on the book pages.
These books had been stored for some years, cooped up in the cellar, filled with a strong musty odor. How could she possibly give such things to Qin Mingyue to read? It might not even be a good gesture and could instead make her resentful again.
When she did something, she either didn’t do it at all, or if she did, she would do it perfectly.
Lin Cuicui and Chen Xiaohua both watched, dumbfounded. After a while, they leaned in to sniff. It smelled really good. This was good stuff; they heard a single box cost several taels of silver.
Such good stuff, and Sister Yanran was using it to perfume books?!
Lin Cuicui and Chen Xiaohua exchanged glances, secretly deciding that from now on, if anyone told them Sister Yanran treated her wife badly, they wouldn’t believe it for a second!
That day, Lin Yanran was busy brewing medicine, cooking, sun-drying books, and perfuming books.
Qin Mingyue glanced out the window, then closed it.
She now detested this scumbag to the extreme.
••••
Early the next morning, after clearing the dishes, Lin Yanran started clanging away in the courtyard. Qin Mingyue, annoyed by the noise, closed the window, but the clanging sounds still incessantly reached her.
She couldn’t even read her medical book anymore.
Her mind grew increasingly chaotic, more chaotic than ever before. The humiliation of Lin Yanran stripping her naked and touching her all over her body clung to her like a venomous snake. She wanted to forget, but couldn’t. She didn’t want to recall it, but every action of Lin Yanran’s reminded her of that day’s events.
Now, listening to the clanging, she couldn’t help but think of Lin Yanran. Thinking of Lin Yanran made her gnash her teeth in hatred. The humiliation followed, engulfing her. Then, her mind would conjure the shameful scene of her waking up from high fever, seeing herself naked and being molested in Lin Yanran’s arms…
Qin Mingyue painfully covered her face.
She swore that she would make sure Lin Yanran died a terrible death!