Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

“Please share your advice, Boss Wei,” the chef said eagerly.

Wei Lan pointed at the roast duck on the table. “This roast duck is well-cooked, and the slices are cut nicely, evenly thick. In the future, when serving roast duck, you can cut cucumbers into strips and shred scallions into strips too. Serve them together. Besides this sauce, add a small dish of sugar. The duck skin tastes best dipped in sugar,” she said.

“Good, I’ve noted it. I’ll have someone bring them soon,” the chef said, seeing Wei Lan’s close relationship with their boss and responding eagerly.

“Also, I don’t know if you make those very thin, translucent pancakes. Bring a few. Those pancakes, along with what I mentioned, can be sold as a roast duck set for a bit more silver,” Wei Lan continued.

“Thin pancakes? We can make them, but no one’s eaten them that way before,” the chef said, puzzled by Wei Lan’s unusual suggestion.

“No matter. You just hadn’t met me. Now that you have, someone’s eating it like this, right?” Wei Lan said casually.

The chef, stumped by her words, bowed and went to prepare.

Steaming pancakes took little time, and cutting cucumber and scallion strips was quick. Soon, everything Wei Lan requested was ready.

Xiao Nanyan had the chef stay to watch Wei Lan eat, finding her fascinating. Wei Lan not only carved jade and wrote novels but seemed to have other quirky skills, which Xiao Nanyan now found normal.

Wei Lan wiped her hands with a clean cloth, took a thin pancake, and laid sauced duck slices on it. She added cucumber and scallion strips, then some sugar-dipped duck skin, and rolled it up.

Seeing Xiao Nanyan watching, Wei Lan handed her the rolled pancake. “Try it. This is tastier than eating duck alone. Duck by itself is too greasy,” she said.

Xiao Nanyan took the pancake skeptically, seeing Wei Lan’s serious expression. She took a bite, and her eyes lit up.

The duck’s flavor mixed with cucumber and scallions, with sugar-dipped duck skin adding crispness. The outer pancake blended meat, vegetable, and starch aromas, exciting all her taste buds with one bite.

Xiao Nanyan nodded eagerly. “Hmm, delicious. We’ll do it like this from now on,” she said.

Wei Lan smiled, rolled herself a duck pancake, and ate, savoring the lingering flavor.

The chef, seeing them enjoy it, was skeptical. Xiao Nanyan instructed him to sell roast duck this way. The chef accepted and left.

Xiao Nanyan, finding it tasty, ate only two duck pancakes. Wei Lan ate most of the remaining food.

In terms of eating capacity, Kunze couldn’t outdo Qianyuan.

Sated, Wei Lan planned to return to the mansion to rest. But as she left the private room, someone called her.

“Sister Wei Lan!”

“Sister Wei Lan, why haven’t you held a book signing lately?”

Wei Lan looked over and saw six young girls rushing toward her.

She recognized them and smiled. “I’ve been busy with other things lately. Are you eating here too?” she said.

“Yes, we asked at the bookshop several times, but the manager didn’t know when you’d hold another signing,” Lu Xun said, her tone carrying a hint of grievance.

Wei Lan felt a bit embarrassed. She wrote novels to compete with Chen Zhou, who was now in jail. She focused on jade carving, which earned money faster than signings or writing.

“Sorry, everyone. I wrote novels on a whim. I have other things to handle. If I hold another signing, I’ll have the manager post it on the board outside,” Wei Lan said, smiling to appease them.

“That’ll take so long. It’s been over half a month since we saw you,” one said.

“Yes, after reading your novels, others’ don’t interest us,” another said.

“When are you free? We want to invite you to eat,” Lu Xun said after hesitating.

Surrounded by the six girls, Wei Lan saw Xiao Nanyan watching amusedly from the side. She’d heard Wei Lan was popular with young Kunze, and it seemed true.

Xiao Nanyan watched the scene, then felt a gaze. Turning, she saw Lu Zijin, with guards and maids, ascending to the second floor.

Xiao Nanyan glanced at Lu Zijin, nodded with a smile, then looked at Wei Lan, still surrounded and talking, unaware of Lu Zijin.

Xiao Nanyan smirked, wondering if Wei Lan would face trouble later. She didn’t warn her, curious to see Lu Zijin’s reaction.

Lu Zijin had been negotiating nearby that morning, inspecting Lu family grain shops. At noon, she came to eat here, tired of her own tavern’s food, occasionally dining elsewhere.

She hadn’t expected to see Wei Lan, her Qianyuan, surrounded by six young Kunze, chatting and oblivious to her. Oh, and Xiao Nanyan was there too.

Qianxue cautiously observed her master’s expression, seeing Lu Zijin’s lips curve into a smile. Qianxue lowered her head, sensing her master’s wife was in trouble.

Lu Zijin smiled faintly at Xiao Nanyan. “Boss Xiao, what a coincidence. You’re eating here too?” she said.

“This is my tavern. Assistants, come serve Boss Lu properly. Put her bill on my account,” Xiao Nanyan said, smiling back.

Hearing Lu Zijin, Wei Lan looked over, seeing her wife. She grinned widely, but Lu Zijin ignored her, chatting with Xiao Nanyan.

“Madam,” Wei Lan called pitifully, ignoring the girls around her.

Lu Zijin, hearing Wei Lan, pretended to just notice her. “Oh, my wife’s here too?” she said.

“Yes, I discussed business with Boss Xiao, then came to eat,” Wei Lan said obediently, wanting to approach but blocked by the crowd.

Lu Zijin’s gaze swept over the young Kunze around Wei Lan, saying lightly, “My wife seems busy. I won’t disturb you.”

Wei Lan reached out quickly. “Madam, wait for me,” she said.

Lu Zijin raised an eyebrow. “Something else?” she said.

“Yes, I’ll eat with you,” Wei Lan said, smiling eagerly, her imaginary dog tail wagging.

Lu Zijin smiled kindly, her expression understanding. “No need. You seem busy. Keep chatting with these girls,” she said.

She then led her guards and maids to a private room.

Wei Lan’s heart alarm blared. No way—her wife seemed angry.

She quickly said to the girls, “Please, step aside. I need to find my wife. We’ll talk another time. Excuse me.”

Squeezing through, Wei Lan glanced at Xiao Nanyan. “Nanyan, you go back first. I have something to handle,” she said.

Xiao Nanyan looked at her, half-smiling. “What? Coaxing your wife?” she said.

She covered her lips, chuckling, her veil hiding her grin, but Wei Lan saw her amusement.

Wei Lan glared, ignoring her, and headed to Lu Zijin’s room.

At the door, Qianxue stopped her, saying awkwardly, “My wife, Miss said she doesn’t want interruptions while eating.”

“I’m her wife, not an outsider,” Wei Lan said, eager to explain, but Qianxue blocked her.

“Miss specifically said not to let you in,” Qianxue said, lowering her voice.

“What?” Wei Lan said, pouting. It was confirmed—her wife was truly angry.

Standing at the door, she couldn’t enter, and leaving might anger Lu Zijin more. She stood obediently beside Qianxue. “I’ll wait for Madam,” she said.

The girls, seeing Wei Lan barred from the room, were furious.

“This Lu Zijin is too much, making her stand outside,” one said.

“Exactly. We’d love to eat with Wei Lan, but we don’t get the chance. How can her wife do this?” another said.

“Her wife’s awful, not giving Wei Lan any face,” Lu Xun said, fuming. They couldn’t stand seeing their beloved sister treated this way.

The girls exchanged glances and approached Wei Lan again.

“Sister Wei Lan, want to have tea snacks with us?” one said.

“Yes, the tea snacks here are great. We’ll keep you company,” another said.

“Your wife’s awful, not letting you in. Unlike us, we only care for you, Sister,” another said.

Wei Lan grew more panicked, waving them off. “It’s really not convenient today. Please go back, okay? Please,” she said.

Hearing this, the girls left, but they didn’t understand, thinking Lu Zijin treated Wei Lan poorly.

“Her wife’s so bad, treating her like that,” one said.

“Sister must suffer a lot in the Lu Mansion,” another said.

“Poor Sister Wei Lan. If she divorced Lu Zijin, it’d be better,” another said.

“Yes, Sister Wei Lan should belong to everyone,” another said.

“Shi Huai, your father’s the city lord. Can’t you do something to save Wei Lan from this mess? Look how bullied she is,” one said.

“That Lu Zijin’s awful, treating her like that,” Lu Xun said, heartbroken. Their beloved sister was being mistreated, and she couldn’t stand it. If Wei Lan were her wife, she’d treat her well.

The girls had varied thoughts, but all were deeply upset by this.

Wei Lan, unaware, stood outside the room, signaling Qianxue. Qianxue shook her head, indicating Miss was still angry.

Wei Lan stood obediently, not intending to talk much with the girls—they approached her. She was so unlucky, running into her wife then.

Lu Zijin, eating inside, decided to let her puppy stew to stop her from attracting others.

She looked at the roast duck on the table, noticing added cucumber, scallions, sugar, and thin pancakes, frowning. “I didn’t order these. Why the pancakes?” she said.

The assistant serving said, “Miss, these are our tavern’s new items. Duck skin dipped in sugar is delicious. Roll duck meat, cucumber, and scallions in the pancake for a unique flavor. Try it.”

“Really? I came a few days ago, and you only sold roast duck,” Lu Zijin said, curious. Her family had taverns, so she was interested in dishes.

“It’s our boss’s friend, Boss Wei, who just taught our chef this dish,” the assistant said, smiling.

“Your boss’s friend?” Lu Zijin said, her brow furrowing. Xiao Nanyan said this was her tavern, so her friend surnamed Wei was her Wei Lan, right?

Lu Zijin laughed, exasperated. Fine, her Qianyuan was good at pleasing other Kunze. She never showed such care for their family’s tavern, but taught dishes at someone else’s. Great, just great.

“Miss, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go,” the assistant said.

Lu Zijin took a breath, waved him off, signaling him to leave.

After he left, Lu Zijin picked up chopsticks, took a piece of duck skin, dipped it in sugar skeptically, and ate. It wasn’t greasy as expected; the duck’s fat aroma balanced the sugar’s sweetness, crisp and delicious.

Lu Zijin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, picked up a pancake, laid sauced duck meat on it, added cucumber and scallion strips, and topped it with sugar-dipped duck skin.

She rolled the pancake and took a bite. The cucumber and scallions cut the duck’s grease, and the pancake made the flavors vivid. Individually ordinary, they combined wonderfully.

Lu Zijin ate two, growing angrier. Wei Lan was impressive, teaching Xiao Nanyan’s chef such a good dish. Fine, just fine.

Wei Lan, unaware of Lu Zijin’s thoughts, stood outside for half an hour. Lu Zijin finished eating and walked out slowly.

Seeing Wei Lan still there, Lu Zijin smiled. “Oh, my wife didn’t go with those girls?” she said.

Wei Lan shook her head quickly, fearing trouble if slow. “No, no, they’re not as important as you. I love you most, Madam,” she said.

Lu Zijin smiled kindly. “Really? I thought you enjoyed chatting with them. And you’re quite attentive to Boss Xiao,” she said.

“No, no, Nanyan and I are business partners. We only talk business,” Wei Lan said, explaining, wanting to cry. Why was Xiao Nanyan involved?

“Nanyan? Quite close, aren’t you? I have things to do, so I won’t keep you. If you’re bored, find Nanyan or those girls,” Lu Zijin said.

She quickened her pace, guards and maids following, leaving the tavern.

Wei Lan wanted to cry. She just came to eat—how did she anger her wife again?

Sighing, Wei Lan went downstairs, called Xi Ye and the other servants, and headed to the Lu Mansion.

On the way back, Wei Lan was listless. From experience, her gland’s pheromones were likely doomed.

She decided to sleep first, recharge, then go to Lu Zijin’s courtyard to face punishment.

Thinking this, Wei Lan quickened her pace home.

Back in her bedroom, she closed the door, stripped off her outer dress, and slept, lamenting her bad luck in running into Lu Zijin.

Wei Lan woke at mid-afternoon, dressed, drank a bowl of iced cheese, and fully woke up.

She pulled out the one hundred sixty-four thousand taels, planning to give one hundred sixty thousand to coax her wife, keeping three thousand as personal funds and giving one thousand to her little sister.

She’d been too busy to give Wei Qing pocket money. The girl, not wanting to bother her, stayed in her room or strolled in the Lu Mansion’s garden, rarely seeking her out.

Thinking this, Wei Lan hid her three thousand taels in batches to avoid her wife confiscating it all, then tucked the one hundred sixty thousand taels into her dress’s inner layer. Ancients, lacking pockets, stored banknotes in dress linings.

As for the one thousand taels, Wei Lan opened her door, went next door, and knocked. “Wei Qing, are you there?” she said.

The girl opened the door, eyes brightening at Wei Lan. “Sister, you’re not carving jade today?” she said.

“Hmm, resting today. What are you doing?” Wei Lan asked.

“I’m embroidering purses. Last month, I sold one for two taels,” Wei Qing said, smiling happily from earning money.

Wei Lan smiled back. “Having a hobby is nice,” she said.

She found embroidering purses, like carving jade, relaxing.

She handed over the banknotes. “I earned some silver selling jade today. Take this one thousand taels as pocket money. Buy what you want,” she said.

Wei Qing, literate from their once-wealthy family, ruined by Wei Wenyuan, stared at the banknotes, eyes wide. “One thousand taels? Sister, take it back. It’s too much. I don’t need it,” she said.

“Keep it. You need money for security. But don’t give any to Wei Wenyuan. We don’t have that father anymore,” Wei Lan said, stuffing the banknotes into Wei Qing’s hands.

Fearing she’d crease them, Wei Qing held them carefully, wanting to say more, but Wei Lan ran off.

Wei Qing sighed at the banknotes. Her sister didn’t lack money, but she had no use for so much. She stored them, planning to save them for Wei Lan’s future needs.

Wei Lan, with maids, headed to Jingchen Courtyard. Having angered her wife, she needed to make amends, even if it meant a few gland bites.

She decided to bathe first at Lu Zijin’s, preparing early so her wife could bite her upon return.

Thinking this, Wei Lan quickened her pace.

Arriving early, Lu Zijin wasn’t back. Wei Lan ordered Qing Zhi to prepare hot water, then ate iced cheese in the bedroom, waiting.

She placed the banknotes under the pillow to give to her wife later, then bathed.

She washed thoroughly, ready for Lu Zijin to bite.

After drying her hair, half an hour passed, and Lu Zijin still wasn’t back.

Wei Lan stripped her outer dress, climbed into bed to nap, knowing she’d need energy for the evening’s bites.

She slept through.

At dusk, Lu Zijin returned to Jingchen Courtyard. Seeing her, Qing Zhi reported, “Miss, my wife came this afternoon. She’s likely asleep now.”

Lu Zijin nodded at Qing Zhi. Her puppy was proactive, but she was still sour and not ready to let Wei Lan off.

Entering the bedroom, where maids, to avoid disturbing Wei Lan, lit only one candle on the round table, Lu Zijin saw Wei Lan sleeping without the bed curtains down, clearly visible.

Lu Zijin hummed lightly, walked to the bed. Her puppy angered her today yet slept so soundly.

She leaned down, biting Wei Lan’s exposed gland. The skin, tender, woke Wei Lan with pain and itch.

Seeing Lu Zijin atop her, biting and sucking her gland, Wei Lan softened. “Madam, you’re back? Wah, you’re sucking too hard. It’s itchy,” she said.

Hearing her coquetry, Lu Zijin sat up slightly, her dark eyes fixed on Wei Lan like a predator.

She bit Wei Lan’s lips, kissing urgently and heavily, ignoring if she could breathe.

“Wah,” Wei Lan struggled to breathe, trying to push Lu Zijin but lacking strength, ending up softly kissed to tears.

When Lu Zijin pulled back, Wei Lan gasped heavily. “I couldn’t breathe. You bullied me again,” she said.

Seeing her little Qianyuan’s flushed face, chest heaving, eyes misty, Lu Zijin’s gaze darkened further.

She pinched Wei Lan’s gland, squeezing deliberately. “Who let my puppy disobey? Tell me, who were those female Kunze?” she said.

“They were readers from my signing. I don’t know how I ran into them. We just chatted a bit. I didn’t expect to meet you,” Wei Lan said pitifully, explaining her plight.

Lu Zijin’s lips curved, looking gently at Wei Lan. “So, my wife blames me for ruining your fun? You wanted to chat more with those sisters, right?” she said.

Wei Lan shook her head quickly, her gland’s pheromones leaking as Lu Zijin squeezed. Holding Lu Zijin’s wrist, she explained, “No, I didn’t want to chat with them. I planned to say a few words and leave. I only like you.”

This angered Lu Zijin more. She bit Wei Lan’s gland again, sucking deliberately, making Wei Lan moan uncomfortably.

“And the tavern’s roast duck? Did you teach the chef?” Lu Zijin said, sucking a small mark beside the gland. Her puppy was naughty, so she’d mark her to show she was taken.

Wei Lan, both comfortable and distressed, teared up, sniffling, clutching Lu Zijin’s sleeve. “I just mentioned it tasted good while eating. Xiao Nanyan called the chef, and I taught casually. We’re friends, so I taught a bit,” she said.

Hearing her puppy’s defiance, Lu Zijin bit her lips again. Wei Lan felt dizzy from her wife’s kisses. When Lu Zijin pulled back, Wei Lan’s tongue was numb—her wife was too forceful.

Sniffling, Wei Lan didn’t understand why teaching a dish angered Lu Zijin, but she didn’t dare argue.

Lu Zijin tapped Wei Lan’s nose, scolding, “You’re so attentive to Xiao Nanyan, teaching her chef good dishes. Why not think of our family’s tavern? Why not teach our Lu family tavern’s chef? Always favoring outsiders. And attracting those girls. Know your mistake?”

Wei Lan paused, realizing she forgot. The Lu family had many businesses, and she hadn’t sorted them out. She knew they had a tavern—Chen Zhou was jailed over it—but she mentioned the dish casually, not expecting to anger her wife.

“I know my mistake. Madam, don’t be angry. I’ll teach better dishes to our tavern’s chef. I promise, really delicious ones. I’ll start preparing tomorrow,” Wei Lan said quickly.

Lu Zijin’s expression softened slightly, but she played with Wei Lan’s earlobe, asking softly, “Find those girls pretty? I heard them call you Sister Wei Lan. Like them calling you that, hmm?”

Wei Lan wanted to cry. Her wife held grudges. Just resolving the dish issue, she returned to the girls.

She shook her head quickly. “Don’t like it, don’t like it. They’re just bookshop customers, like those buying rice or noodles. I talked to them for the bookshop’s business. Don’t misunderstand me,” she said.

“Really? My wife cares so much for the bookshop?” Lu Zijin said, half-smiling, clearly not believing her nonsense.