Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The news spread quickly. Chen Zhou’s father was an old, improper man who only cared about eating, drinking, and having fun, ignoring business matters. The shopkeepers knew Chen Zhou had an incident, so they didn’t dare report business matters to him and instead informed Zhou Yuer.

Zhou Yuer could only suppress the matter for now. She had no good solutions. Right now, the most important thing was to help her son recover quickly and stop being paranoid like last night.

“Don’t tell Chen Zhou about this yet. He’s been unwell these days. Wait until he recovers, then report business matters to him,” Zhou Yuer said after thinking for a moment.

“Yes, Madam,” the shopkeepers replied quickly.

Zhou Yuer sighed and went to Chen Zhou’s room. At this time, the entire Chen Mansion was shrouded in smoke. The reason was simple: to keep Chen Zhou from being paranoid, Zhou Yuer had specially invited monks to perform rituals and sent people to burn lots of paper money for Yun Xiang, hoping she wouldn’t haunt Chen Zhou.

Meanwhile, in the City Lord’s Mansion, Lu Shihua was discussing ‘Rebirth of the Abandoned Consort of the Marquis’s Mansion’ with a few friends.

“What do you think Cui Niang will do to break the situation?” Lu Shihua asked eagerly, hooked by the book. She had been worrying about Cui Niang all day, afraid she’d be bullied in the Marquis’s Mansion.

“I don’t know. I’m curious how Wei Lan will write the rest,” one friend said.

“Exactly, exactly. But who is Wei Lan? It’s like she appeared out of nowhere,” another friend added.

“You’re right. I really want to ask her when the next books will come out. We’re not short on money,” Lu Shihua said, resting her chin on her arms, looking dejected.

“Hey, instead of waiting, why don’t we send someone to the Lu Family Bookshop to ask? That way, we’ll know,” one of the girls suggested.

“Good idea,” Lu Shihua said, calling for the maids and servants in the mansion.

In less than half an hour, the maids and servants returned.

Lu Shihua quickly asked, “What did you find out? Did you learn who Wei Lan is?”

“We did. The bookshop’s shopkeeper said the storybook’s author is their Lu Mansion’s master, Wei Lan,” a maid replied hurriedly.

“The one who’s Lu Zijin’s consort?” Lu Shihua asked.

“Yes, yes,” the maid confirmed.

“She can write storybooks?” Lu Shihua and her friends were shocked. They had only gossiped about this before as Panyang City’s rumors, never imagining the book they read was written by Wei Lan.

A friend nudged Lu Shihua. “Shihua, your father is the City Lord. Do you know Lu Zijin? Can you ask her how Wei Lan’s next books are coming along and when they’ll be sold?”

Lu Shihua pursed her lips and said, “My father never takes me to his meetings. I’ve only met Lu Zijin briefly a few times. It wouldn’t be proper to ask her directly.”

“Then what do we do? Just wait?” one friend asked.

“I really want to know what happens to Cui Niang,” another said.

“Me too. That ungrateful Marquis keeps pretending, but luckily Cui Niang already knows what he is,” a third friend added.

—

At this time, Wei Lan’s ‘Rebirth of the Abandoned Consort of the Marquis’s Mansion’ was fully completed. Since Siyun could read, she had become Wei Lan’s assistant, helping organize the manuscripts. Working in Wei Lan’s courtyard had its perks: she could hear the city’s most popular storybook first.

These days, the maids in the courtyard worked especially hard, eager to finish their tasks early to have time to listen to Siyun tell stories.

“How’s it going? Are the remaining five volumes organized?” Wei Lan asked.

“They’re all organized. I’ve sorted them into stacks as you instructed,” Siyun replied quickly.

“Good. Send someone to deliver volumes two and three to the bookshop. Have them hurry to carve the molds and print them for sale,” Wei Lan said.

“Yes, I’ll send someone right away,” Siyun said, calling over a quick-witted servant to deliver the items.

For this type of book, Wei Lan left a cliffhanger at the end of each volume. Instead of selling all the books at once, releasing them gradually like this worked better.

Having finished the six-volume set, Wei Lan planned to rest for a while. After all, writing was just to annoy Chen Zhou and steal business from the Chen Mansion. Her main craft was still jade carving. After not touching jade for days, Wei Lan’s hands itched. She planned to rest for a day and start carving her jade the next morning.

In the afternoon, Xiao Nanyan sent a calling card, saying she wanted to see the Lu Mansion’s master.

Wei Lan was stunned for a moment when she received the card. It had been at least ten days since she last visited Yuya Pavilion. Xiao Nanyan had probably sold out the twelve zodiac jade plaques from last time.

With that, Wei Lan quickly said, “Hurry and invite Boss Xiao to my study.”

“Yes,” a guard went to the gate to fetch her. Since it was Xiao Nanyan’s first visit to the Lu Mansion, she wasn’t familiar with the layout. Visiting formally, she didn’t use the back entrance and walked from the front gate to Fuqu Pavilion.

By the time Xiao Nanyan and her entourage reached Fuqu Pavilion, nearly half an hour had passed.

Hearing the commotion, Wei Lan hurried to the courtyard to greet her. “Come in quickly. I had some cheese prepared for you. Eat some first.”

Xiao Nanyan still wore a veil. Seeing Wei Lan, she smiled and said, “Your courtyard is really remote. It took me and my people half an hour to get here. It’s so far.”

“It is a bit far. I usually leave through the back gate. Come on, let’s go inside,” Wei Lan said, gesturing for her to enter.

Xiao Nanyan followed Wei Lan to the study. Once inside, she felt much better. Wei Lan’s study had ice blocks for cooling, much more comfortable than outside.

After the servants left, Xiao Nanyan removed her veil and sat by the table, eating the cheese.

After a few bites, Xiao Nanyan felt less hot. “Why haven’t you been to the shop these days? I sold out the twelve zodiac jade plaques. Do you have any new items?”

The last batch of plaques was very popular. Xiao Nanyan sold them for ten thousand taels of silver each, and even then, many couldn’t get one. Since Wei Lan hadn’t been to Yuya Pavilion for days, Xiao Nanyan came to check.

“I’ve been busy with other things and haven’t had time to carve jade,” Wei Lan explained.

“Busy with what? Did Lu Zijin assign you other tasks?” Xiao Nanyan asked quickly.

“No. You probably heard about the Lu Mansion’s dyeing workshop warehouse being burned. Chen Zhou was behind it, so we had to strike back and take the Chen Mansion’s business,” Wei Lan said.

Xiao Nanyan ate a few more bites of chilled cheese and said, “I heard your bookshop suddenly became popular in the city, stealing the Chen Mansion’s business. So, it was intentional.”

“Of course,” Wei Lan nodded.

“Good. When you make new carvings, come find me. Recently, many people have been asking about you, some not even from Panyang City, coming specifically to buy your jade carvings. Your name got big after the last jade appreciation contest,” Xiao Nanyan said, happy because more customers meant she could raise prices.

“Hmm, I’ll start carving jade tomorrow,” Wei Lan said with a smile.

“By the way, your bookshop’s storybook, something like ‘Rebirth of the Abandoned Consort of the Marquis’s Mansion’, I heard it’s been wildly popular. The author’s name is the same as yours?” Xiao Nanyan asked curiously.

Wei Lan pulled a book from her desk. “No need to wonder. I wrote it. Take it and read it when you’re bored.”

Xiao Nanyan looked at Wei Lan. She had doubted it when she heard the name, but since Wei Lan confirmed it, the book was definitely hers. “You can write storybooks too? Your Madam really hit the jackpot.”

Xiao Nanyan felt envious. Lu Zijin married a consort who could carve jade, write storybooks, and earn money while staying loyally in the Lu Mansion. A Qianyuan like Wei Lan was probably one of a kind in Panyang City.

“Of course, but I just write casually. I prefer carving jade,” Wei Lan said with a smile.

In the end, Xiao Nanyan ate another bowl of cheese before leaving. Worried she’d find the way back too far, Wei Lan let her use the back gate since they were close friends and didn’t need to follow formalities.

After seeing Xiao Nanyan off, Wei Lan finally had half a day to rest. She went back to her bedroom to nap and slept until evening.

Meanwhile, Lu Zijin had all the cloth in the warehouse inspected by the court. Officials from the capital checked each piece, and now all the cloth was packed, ready to be shipped back to the capital in a few days.

As for the payment, the court had promptly released the funds. With this task done, Lu Zijin wouldn’t be as exhausted as she had been for the past two months.

After finishing everything, Lu Zijin securely stored the five hundred thousand taels of silver earned as an imperial merchant in a hidden room in her bedroom.

Between Lu Zijin’s bedroom and the adjacent room, an eight-square-meter space was separated, with the entrance behind a bookshelf in her bedroom. A secret door led directly to the hidden room.

Lu Zijin had the room specially treated. Its walls were fireproof and waterproof, sealed with steel plates. Even if someone tried to dig from the roof, they couldn’t get in.

After this, Lu Zijin had dinner prepared.

Thinking she hadn’t seen Wei Lan in days, she asked, “What has the master been doing these days?”

Qianxue quickly replied, “The master finished her full set of storybooks. Volumes two and three have been sent to the bookshop to be carved and printed urgently.”

After a moment, Qianxue added, “Also, Boss Xiao sent a calling card today. She visited the master’s courtyard this afternoon and stayed for a while before leaving.”

Lu Zijin’s eyes flickered. She had been tired and planned to rest after dinner, but now she decided to visit Wei Lan.

After dinner, Lu Zijin rode a soft sedan to Wei Lan’s Jingchen Courtyard.

When she arrived, Jingchen Courtyard was quiet. She learned Wei Lan was still resting.

Lu Zijin stopped the maids and servants from bowing and walked directly to Wei Lan’s bedroom door, gently pushing it open.

A candle burned on the round table in the room, casting a dim light.

Lu Zijin carefully walked to the bed, lifted one side of the curtain, and saw her little Qianyuan sleeping soundly, showing no signs of waking.

Lu Zijin’s eyes softened, her lips curling slightly. She sat carefully on the bed and leaned down to kiss the corner of Wei Lan’s lips.

As she pulled back, Lu Zijin caught a faint rose scent on Wei Lan. It was subtle, but as a Kunze, sensitive to Kunze scents, she noticed it.

Even knowing Wei Lan and Xiao Nanyan were just friends, the presence of another Kunze’s scent on Wei Lan made Lu Zijin uncomfortable.

Looking at the sweetly sleeping Qianyuan, her eyes darkened. Lu Zijin leaned down and bit Wei Lan’s lip, deliberately trying to wake her.

Sure enough, Wei Lan soon opened her eyes groggily. She felt Lu Zijin biting her lips. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lu Zijin’s kiss silenced her. Only when Wei Lan was breathless and pushed Lu Zijin did she pull back slightly.

Wei Lan’s eyes were still misty, her eye corners flushed, looking soft and delicate.

She caught her breath and said, “Madam, why are you here?”

Hearing this, Lu Zijin felt a pang of jealousy. She leaned down and bit Wei Lan’s lip again. “I came to see you, of course. But it seems the master hasn’t been good, carrying someone else’s scent.”

Hearing Lu Zijin’s tone, Wei Lan sensed danger. She quickly explained, “Xiao Nanyan came today. She hadn’t seen me at Yuya Pavilion for days, so she came to ask if I had new items.”

Lu Zijin knew this, but she still didn’t want her little Qianyuan to carry another’s scent. She felt jealous.

Lu Zijin pinched Wei Lan’s chin, her thumb gently rubbing Wei Lan’s slightly swollen lips. “Is that so?”

“Hmm, hmm,” Wei Lan said, staring at Lu Zijin, opening her arms to act spoiled. “I missed you so much these days.”

Lu Zijin’s eyes deepened. Her long lashes fluttered softly, and she said gently, “I missed you too.”

With that, Lu Zijin kissed her again, urgently and heavily, occasionally nibbling Wei Lan’s lips. A little Qianyuan should be kissed silly.

After a while, Lu Zijin pulled back slightly. Her fingertips precisely found the patch on Wei Lan’s neck and peeled it off. The scent of fresh snow filled the air, and Lu Zijin felt completely at ease.

She leaned down, nuzzling her nose intimately against Wei Lan’s neck, hearing Wei Lan’s delicate voice.

“It tickles, Madam, stop nuzzling,” Wei Lan said, shrinking her neck. Her mark was very ticklish.

Lu Zijin didn’t let her off, biting down. The scent of fresh snow overwhelmed her senses, filling her nose and taste buds with Wei Lan’s fragrance.

After nibbling and sucking for a while, Lu Zijin rested against Wei Lan with her eyes closed. Though her eyes were shut, her hands weren’t idle, fingertips lightly brushing Wei Lan’s neck, making her shrink and try to dodge.

Lu Zijin didn’t open her eyes but knew Wei Lan’s neck was sensitive. She said deliberately, “Don’t dodge.”

As expected, after Lu Zijin spoke, Wei Lan stayed still, enduring the tickling as Lu Zijin played.

After a while, Lu Zijin regained some energy. She kissed Wei Lan’s lips and asked, “Are you hungry?”

“A bit,” Wei Lan said, her stomach growling.

Lu Zijin’s lips curved up. She peeled off the patch on her own neck, lifted her dark hair, and leaned down, bringing her mark to Wei Lan’s lips. “Eat,” she said softly.

Wei Lan’s cheeks flushed. She meant she was hungry for food, not this.

But with her wife offering, it seemed impolite not to partake. Nervously, Wei Lan pressed her lips to the mark. Even knowing this world’s rules, she feared hurting Lu Zijin and only dared to suck gently.

This puzzled Lu Zijin. Normally, a Qianyuan with a beloved Kunze would love biting the mark, even losing control. But Wei Lan was different, always gentle, as if afraid of hurting her.

Lu Zijin felt warmed but also uneasy. Did she lack appeal to Wei Lan, making her uninterested in her mark? Thinking this, Lu Zijin’s mood worsened.

She had offered herself to her little Qianyuan, yet Wei Lan wouldn’t bite hard. Was her scent not appealing? Why was Wei Lan always so rational and never initiated touching her mark?

With that, Lu Zijin stopped Wei Lan’s light sucking and slumped dejectedly onto her.

Wei Lan’s stomach growled again. She patted Lu Zijin’s waist gently. “Madam, I really need to eat. I’m so hungry.”

Lu Zijin propped herself up, glared at Wei Lan, and bit her lips hard again. Eat, eat, eat—did her little Qianyuan only care about food? Was she less appealing than those dishes?

Wei Lan, bitten, just hugged Lu Zijin’s waist, letting her do as she pleased.

Seeing Wei Lan so obedient, Lu Zijin couldn’t bear to tease her further, thinking she’d find other ways to entice Wei Lan later.

With that, Lu Zijin pulled back slightly, pinched Wei Lan’s cheek, and said, “Alright, get up and eat. You eat first. I’ll bathe.”

“Hmm, hmm,” Wei Lan said, limply getting off the bed once Lu Zijin moved.

Her lips stung, likely swollen from Lu Zijin’s bites. But since it was her wife, it didn’t matter.

Wei Lan poured herself a cup of water. Lu Zijin opened the door, instructing the maids and servants to prepare. Soon, Wei Lan’s meal was ready.

Siyun and several maids placed dishes on the round table. Siyun noticed the master’s lips seemed swollen.

She didn’t dare look too long but guessed it happened whenever the Madam visited—the master’s lips always swelled.

After serving the food, the maids retreated.

Wei Lan sat at the table and looked at Lu Zijin. “Madam, I’m eating now. Want to join me?”

“I’ve eaten. You eat,” Lu Zijin said, sitting beside Wei Lan, watching her eat the delicious food on the table.

Lu Zijin sighed. When would Wei Lan savor her as much as she savored food? Her little Qianyuan only cared about eating.

“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” Lu Zijin said, serving Wei Lan a bowl of sweet fermented rice soup and placing it by her hand.

“Thanks, Madam. I’m starving,” Wei Lan said, devouring the food on the table.

Lu Zijin glanced at Wei Lan and sighed softly.

Soon, the maids prepared bathwater. After dismissing them, Lu Zijin went to bathe.

She soaked in the tub for a while, her lips curling slightly. She looked toward Wei Lan beyond the screen, seeing only her shadow. It seemed Wei Lan had finished eating and was drinking the sweet soup.

Lu Zijin’s eyes curved. “Wei Lan, come help me scrub my back.”

“Oh, oh, alright, Madam, I’m coming,” Wei Lan said, finishing the last sip of soup and walking slowly to the screen.

Lu Zijin was undressed, making Wei Lan shy to approach.

When Lu Zijin looked back, she saw Wei Lan inching toward the tub, eyes fixed on the floor, not daring to look at her.

Lu Zijin sighed. Her Qianyuan was too polite. What could she do?

She shook her head with a smile and urged, “Hurry up, I’m waiting.”

Hearing this, Wei Lan quickened her small steps.

Lu Zijin laughed. When Wei Lan reached the tub, Lu Zijin turned, gently pinching Wei Lan’s hand on the tub’s edge, and asked softly, “Why won’t you look at me? Does the master not like me anymore?”

She deliberately played with Wei Lan’s palm.

Wei Lan glanced up, her face flushing from cheeks to toes, her mind blank. Lu Zijin was too beautiful, with fair skin and a lovely scent.

Wei Lan swallowed and stammered, “You’re not wearing clothes, so I’m shy to look. It’s not that I don’t like you.”

Lu Zijin nearly laughed. Of course, she knew she wasn’t dressed for a bath, or why would she call Wei Lan over? Yet Wei Lan, ever polite, looked once and blushed, averting her eyes.

Lu Zijin sighed. At this rate, she wouldn’t need to delay having a baby. Her soft Qianyuan might not even manage it if she wanted to.

Oh well, they hadn’t been married long. Since Wei Lan wasn’t ready, she’d take it slow and not force her into closer intimacy. With that, Lu Zijin pointed to a wooden tray on a stool with a washcloth. “Help me scrub my back.”

“Oh, oh, okay,” Wei Lan said, picking up the washcloth, wetting it, and shyly scrubbing Lu Zijin’s back.

Lu Zijin’s romantic thoughts were dispelled by Wei Lan’s politeness. Now she just wanted a back scrub. She realized an overly obedient Qianyuan wasn’t always a good thing.