Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

In the days that followed, Wei Lan never left the courtyard of Fuqu Pavilion. She spent most of her time in the studio. She finished carving the jade bracelet, hairpin, and jade plaque, but she did not send them to Lu Zijin.

She hesitated. In recent days, Lu Zijin had not come to see her. This was the result Wei Lan wanted. She and Lu Zijin could return to their old way of not interfering with each other. This way, Wei Lan could stay safe.

She looked at the three jade carvings in the brocade box. She sighed softly, closed the box, and placed it in her wardrobe.

The time was still early. Wei Lan went to her workroom. Some scraps of jade and the white jade Lu Zijin gave her remained. They were not enough for other projects, but they could make beads for a bracelet, about twelve in total.

Wei Lan’s workroom lacked tools for shaping beads, but Yuya Pavilion had them. Wei Lan did not want to stay in the mansion. She wrapped the jade scraps in a cloth, told the servants in the courtyard, and left.

It was afternoon. The weather was hot, but the streets were lively. Wei Lan bought a bowl of sweet water at a shop by the street. She drank it and then went to Yuya Pavilion.

When Wei Lan arrived, Xiao Nanyan was not at Yuya Pavilion. The shopkeeper knew her. Wei Lan asked to use the machines, and the shopkeeper agreed readily.

Wei Lan went to the second floor, changed into work clothes, and then went downstairs.

The bead-shaping machines were in a side room on the first floor. Wei Lan carried the scraps and entered. She chose a newer machine and began cutting the raw jade.

Wei Lan thought and decided to make round beads this time. If she had better scraps next time, she would make old-style beads. Carving jade bracelets was addictive. Wei Lan decided to take her time.

The ancient machines were less convenient than modern ones, but Wei Lan used them skillfully. Soon, round beads appeared before her. The beads’ surfaces were still foggy, but they would look beautiful after polishing.

Wei Lan used molds to cut and polish slowly. She made twenty-two beads in total. Five were white ice jade beads, and the rest were white jade beads. They could form a bracelet.

Wei Lan polished the beads with tools. She spent the entire afternoon on them.

When all the beads were finished, Wei Lan wrapped them in black cloth, put them in her pocket, and went upstairs.

She changed back into her clothes and planned to go to the East Market to buy thin cords for stringing the beads.

Wei Lan walked and browsed. Soon, she found a place. She spent a few dozen wen to buy a bundle of cords and then headed toward the Lu Mansion.

On her way back, Wei Lan was distracted. When she avoided thinking about the original book’s plot, everything was fine. Now, thinking about the plot and the male lead, she felt uneasy. Wei Lan sighed and continued walking.

A carriage stopped beside Wei Lan. In her daze, she heard someone call her. She looked up and saw Qianxue sitting outside the carriage.

“My lord, the young lady is also in the carriage. Please get on,” Qianxue said. She and the driver got down. Qianxue placed a low stool by Wei Lan’s feet, gesturing for her to board.

Wei Lan’s mood had been chaotic these days. She did not want to be alone with Lu Zijin. She politely refused, “No, no, I sat at Yuya Pavilion all afternoon. My waist hurts. I will walk back.”

Lu Zijin sat in the carriage. Her lips, which had curved upward, slowly flattened. She was happy today. The imperial merchant deal was set for the Lu family, and she signed a contract with the officials. The matter was settled. She had thought about rewarding Wei Lan, but what was wrong with Wei Lan now? Did she not want to ride together?

Lu Zijin lifted the curtain and said, “My lord, come up. It’s too hot outside. The carriage will get us back faster.”

Wei Lan looked at Lu Zijin. She hesitated to refuse. Their brief exchange had already drawn attention. If she refused, would it not embarrass Lu Zijin?

Thinking this, Wei Lan nodded. “Alright, I will get on.”

Wei Lan looked away, stepped on the stool, and boarded the carriage. The carriage walls, made of some material, kept the interior cool.

Wei Lan sat opposite Lu Zijin. The carriage fell into a brief silence.

Lu Zijin noticed Wei Lan’s unease. She thought she had been too busy and neglected Wei Lan, causing her displeasure.

Lu Zijin was in a good mood because of the imperial merchant deal. She moved to sit beside Wei Lan and asked softly, “What’s wrong? You seem listless. Does your waist hurt badly? Let me see.”

Lu Zijin reached for Wei Lan’s lower back. Wei Lan shifted left, dodging her hand. “It’s fine. I just sat too long this afternoon. I will rest and be okay.”

Lu Zijin’s hand paused. She did not expect the usually obedient little Qianyuan to dodge. Her face grew cold. She withdrew her hand and said, “Then rest early.”

“Hmm, hmm,” Wei Lan nodded. The carriage grew quiet again.

Lu Zijin’s right hand clenched. She had wanted to invite Wei Lan to dine and stay at her place, but Wei Lan seemed unlikely to agree now.

Lu Zijin’s lips pursed slightly. After a moment, she said, “Would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight?”

“No, I want to bathe and rest early after returning. Thank you, Madam,” Wei Lan said, staring at the floor, avoiding Lu Zijin’s eyes.

Lu Zijin was puzzled. She did not understand why Wei Lan suddenly became distant. However, she was not one to cling. Since Wei Lan said so, she had nothing to say.

“Alright,” Lu Zijin replied coldly. The carriage fell completely silent.

When the carriage entered the Lu Mansion through the side gate, Wei Lan said, “I will get off here.”

“Hmm, stop the carriage,” Lu Zijin said, leaning against the carriage wall.

Wei Lan quickly got off. She exhaled deeply after stepping down.

It was not that Lu Zijin treated her poorly. Wei Lan feared the book’s plot would come true. Having seen Chen Zhou recently, her mind was in turmoil. She only wanted to avoid risks.

To Lu Zijin, Wei Lan likely meant little. Whenever Lu Zijin was with her, she only seemed interested in her contract.

After Wei Lan walked some distance, Lu Zijin said, “Qianxue, send someone to check what my lord did these days.”

“Yes,” Qianxue replied quickly, sensing Lu Zijin’s low mood.

Soon, a shadow guard reported. The guard saluted Lu Zijin and said, “Young lady, my lord stayed in the courtyard these days. She only went out today to Yuya Pavilion.”

Lu Zijin’s brows furrowed slightly. She waved the guard away, and the guard left the room.

Lu Zijin was confused. Wei Lan had gone nowhere. Why was she acting distant? Never mind, she was just a figurehead wife. Lu Zijin need not care too much.

Thinking this, Lu Zijin forced herself to focus on work, avoiding thoughts of Wei Lan. But after a while, she lost interest. Wei Lan had been clingy before. Why did her attitude change suddenly?

Lu Zijin could not understand. She decided to ignore Wei Lan for a few days. She did not want Wei Lan to become spoiled.

Though she said she did not care, Lu Zijin thought about Wei Lan’s sudden coldness until she went to bed. Her sleep was already poor, and now she could not sleep at all.

Compared to Lu Zijin, Wei Lan’s mood was also low. But she bathed and slept early after returning, unaffected.

The next morning, Wei Lan ate breakfast and began stringing beads. She had seventeen white jade beads. Sixteen were enough for a bracelet. Wei Lan sat at a round table, quietly stringing. Soon, the white jade bracelet was complete.

She wore the bracelet on her left wrist and planned to buy more raw jade.

Recently, she wanted to distance herself from Lu Zijin. She would act busy. Early in the morning, she went to the East Market.

This time, Wei Lan wanted different materials. She had carved white jade, emerald, and jasper before. Now, she wanted new colors.

She went to the East Market and found Ying Niang. Ying Niang saw her and greeted her warmly. “Miss, what materials do you want to choose this time?”

“I will look. I want slightly better materials,” Wei Lan said with a smile.

Ying Niang pointed inside. “Miss, come to the inner stalls to choose.”

Many people came daily, and better materials were kept at inner stalls to avoid oversight.

“Alright,” Wei Lan nodded and entered. She squatted and examined each piece. She liked a piece of Qiemo blue jade.

She picked it up and inspected it closely. The jade’s oiliness was good, and the color was beautiful. Wei Lan liked it instantly. She looked at the other five Qiemo blue pieces on the stall and took all six.

She also chose three pieces of yellow jade, two pieces of lotus pink jade, and one piece of violet jade.

Wei Lan gathered the twelve chosen pieces and stood. “Boss, how much silver for these jades?”

Ying Niang was surprised by Wei Lan’s selection. She initially thought Wei Lan was a casual buyer. She did not expect Wei Lan to buy so much, each piece larger than a face.

Ying Niang calculated. The materials were good, and this girl did not haggle. She offered a fair price. “Miss, you buy a lot. I will give you a discount. These stones cost fifty taels of silver. You can’t carry them back. I will send someone with a cart.”

Wei Lan nodded and took a money pouch from her chest to pay. “Alright, thank you, boss.”

“No trouble, no trouble. I like straightforward people like you,” Ying Niang said, smiling. Wei Lan always bought what she liked without needing persuasion.

Soon, Ying Niang’s clerks loaded Wei Lan’s stones onto a delivery cart. A clerk followed Wei Lan to the Lu Mansion.

At the back gate, the guards saw Wei Lan bringing goods and let them in. Some guards, eager to flatter, followed diligently, escorting her to Fuqu Pavilion. They carried the stones to her studio.

Wei Lan looked at the raw jade stones in the wooden boxes on the floor. She felt slightly reassured. She had enough material to keep her occupied for two or three months.

In her previous life, she worked with jade daily. Wei Lan never found carving too much. She found carving relaxing. It emptied her mind and let her focus on the jade.

Lu Zijin was in her study, handling affairs. She was distracted. Her mind occasionally wandered to Wei Lan. thought about it.

Lu Zijin picked up her brush and set it down. She paused, then said, “What does my lord do today?”

“My lord went out this morning. She bought many raw jade stones and returned. She stayed in her workshop, processing jade, and never came out,” Qian Qian said, cautiously watching her lady’s face. She felt Lu Zijin seemed unhappy.

Lu Zijin’s red lips pursed tightly into a line. She had slept poorly last night and was distracted this morning. Wei Lan seemed unaffected, doing what she always did.

Lu Zijin laughed in anger. Wei Lan distanced herself deliberately. What was she doing now? She married her only for appearances. Why did she care so much? Thinking this, Lu Zij forced herself to focus and stopped thinking about Wei Lan.

In the following days, she Wei Lan stayed mostly in her workshop. She began carving zodiac signs from Qiemo blue jade. Wei Lan planned to make a set and have Wan Xiao Nanyan sell them.

Lu Zijin was busy with imperial merchant affairs. The Lu family became the supplier of cloth for court officials. Many in Panyang City were unwilling to accept this. Seeing that the imperial merchant deal went to the Lu family, they hoped to subcontract some business. Many sent visiting cards to the Lu Mansion, but Lu Zijin rarely met them.

She ordered her people to stockpile all mulberry silk around Panyang City to prevent others from buying it first.

Chen Zhou paced in his study. He sent multiple visiting cards to the Lu Mansion, but Lu Zijin refused to see him. He wanted to send someone to find Yun Xiang at the Lu Mansion but feared discovery by the guards, like last time. Chen Zhou was nearly furious.

Finally, he had no choice but to ask his mother to send a visiting card to the Lu Mansion.

“Mother,” he said, “Lu Zijin refuses to see me today now. She The imperial merchant deal is hers with the Lu family. The court’s cloth demand is large. The Lu family can’t handle it alone. I want her to share some with Zheng us. Otherwise, I’ll lose the mulberry silk we stockpiled earlier will rot in my hands.”

Zhou Er Jade thought for a moment. “I recall,” she said, “you and Zijin were always close. Why does she suddenly refuse to see you today now?”

“How do I know?” he asked. “Maybe she learned I placed spies in her mansion.”

He sighed and continued, “And Mother, look at her—a Kunze woman, always out in public. It’s disgraceful! To keep her family’s Lu business, she found took a useless wife husband. She should have married me. I should lead the family Lu Mansion!”

“Don’t rush,” she said. “Your cousin likely still cares for you. Perhaps that useless man Qianyuan corrupted her. I’ll visit this afternoon. Her sister mother was my distant cousin. She’ll give me some face.”

“Hmm,” he said. “Mother, while you’re there, check on Yuya Yun Xiang. She hasn’t sent word in a long time.” After all, Tian Da was just a guard, far less important than Yun Xiang, Lu Zijin’s maid.

“I understand,” Zhou Er Jade said, sighing. “If you’d married sooner, the Lu family Mansion would be yours by now today.” She felt no affection for Lu Zijin. She only wanted her son to seize the household.

Now that Lu Zijin had another man Qianyuan, Zhou Er Jade felt she was unworthy of her son. If her son married Lu Zijin for the family’s Lu wealth, she’d choose concubines for him to avoid any grievance.

That afternoon, Zhou Er Jade arrived early at the Lu Mansion. Lu Zijin had someone lead her to the study. Zhou Er Jade felt slightly displeased.

She hid her feelings. “Zijin,” she said, “I heard from your cousin you’ve been busy. I worried about you, so I came to visit.”

Lu Zijin sat behind her desk. Her lips curved slightly. “I’m fine,” she said. “Aunt and cousin worry too much. Aunt, please sit.”

Lu Zijin had Qianxue bring a stool for Zhou Er Jade. Zhou Er Jade sat.

Zhou Er Jade’s brows furrowed briefly. She sat and looked at Lu Zijin. She felt Lu Zijin had changed since last year, lacking the warmth of family, treating her like a business associate.

“Aunt has been managing household affairs,” she said. “I haven’t visited you. You won’t blame me, will you?”

Lu Zijin smiled at her. “How could I?” she said. “The Lu family Mansion struggled before. It’s natural for relatives to distance themselves. Speaking of which, Chen Zhou took several of the family’s Lu businesses.”

Sweat beaded on Zhou Er Jade’s cheek. She knew of that matter. Her son exploited the Lu family’s Mansion’s chaos to seize some businesses. She didn’t expect Lu Zijin to remember it all.

Zhou Er Jade laughed awkwardly. “Your cousin did it for your good,” she said. “The family Lu was in danger then. Better the business went to him than to outsiders, right?”

Lu Zijin’s smile deepened, but her words were cold. “Not at all,” she said. “To me, a thief is a thief, no matter who.”

Zhou Er Jade nearly choked. She didn’t expect Lu Zijin to be so blunt. She forced a smile. “Zijin,” she said, “are you blaming me?”

“You know your own heart,” Lu Zijin said. “Don’t play innocent after gaining. Let’s keep our distance. It maintains surface respect. I won’t say harsh words. Please leave.”

She added, “Oh, tell Chen Zhou I’ve chosen partners for the imperial merchant deal. He needn’t dream.”

“Zijin,” Zhou Er Jade said urgently, “how can you speak like this? How heartless! I’m your aunt, and Chen Zhou is your childhood friend. How can you ignore family?”

“Family?” Lu Zijin said. “When the Lu family Mansion struggled, what did you do? You stole its businesses, craving more. Aunt, we’re merchants, not fools. Your pitiful act doesn’t work here. Please leave. Distant relatives like us need no further contact.”

Lu Zijin glanced at Qing Zhi. “Qing Zhi,” she said, “escort the guest out.”

“Yes,” Qing Zhi said. She had maids “escort” Zhou Er Jade out.

Zhou Er Jade cursed angrily. “Lu Zijin,” she said, “you heartless wretch! You think you can live with that useless man? If you want to marry my son later, you’ll only be his concubine.”

Lu Zijin looked coldly. “Rest assured,” she said, “only you treasure your son. I don’t fancy him.”

With that, Zhou Er Jade was “escorted” out.

Lu Zijin’s brows knitted. How could she like someone as scheming as Chen Zhou? His desire for the Lu family’s Mansion’s wealth was plain. Her little Qianyuan was better—obedient and charming.

But thinking of recent events, Lu Zijin pursed her lips. She hadn’t seen Wei Lan in days, and Wei Lan hadn’t sought her.

Lu Zijin felt displeased. She meant to distance Wei Lan, but now she felt ignored. Wei Lan seemed unaffected, carving her worthless stones daily.

This made Lu Zijin unhappier. She hadn’t slept well for days over this. Meanwhile, Wei Lan ate well, slept well, and carved her stones without delay.

Oh, the jade bracelet and plaque she promised? Were they finished?

Lu Zijin stared at her ledgers, unable to focus. She never imagined she’d ponder a Qianyuan’s thoughts, feeling restless for days.

Her fingers tightened. “Qianxue,” she said, “have a soft sedan prepared. I’ll visit my lord.”

She added, “Oh, fetch some pastries my lord likes from the kitchen.”

“Yes, young lady,” Qianxue said, hurrying to arrange it.

Lu Zijin felt relieved after deciding. If Wei Lan avoided her, she’d ask directly. Why torment herself with guesses?

She hadn’t slept well for days. She wanted Wei Lan to make up for it. Three or four sleepless days meant Wei Lan owed her three or four days of sleep.

Meanwhile, Wei Lan carved a rooster plaque in her studio, unaware Lu Zijin was coming.