Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Five days passed in this manner. Wei Lan spent her days, aside from eating and sleeping, immersed in her jade studio. Each time she emerged, jade shavings from carving clung to her body.

Li Zhufeng watched Wei Lan finish lunch and head to the room next to her bedroom. She shook her head at Zhao Linghui with disdain. “Our lord is hopeless. She’s a son-in-law, yet she doesn’t hurry to the lady’s side daily. In a few days, the lady won’t even remember who she is. I’m baffled. She doesn’t care about her own affairs at all.”

“Exactly. She knows the lady runs the Lu Mansion, but she doesn’t try to get close to her. She’s just waiting to be divorced,” Zhao Linghui mocked.

At that moment, Wei Lan worked diligently in her studio, unaware of the maids’ frustration with her. She enjoyed her current life immensely.

She ate, slept, and carved jade daily. Wei Lan felt content here. She had a comfortable life, and Lu Zijin was decent, not interfering with her activities or demanding anything from her. Their relationship thrived on mutual non-interference.

Wei Lan felt satisfied with her life and continued carving jade. Today, she worked on a hollow-patterned jasper green snake ornament.

Meanwhile, Lu Zijin sat in her study, listening to shop managers report their work, akin to a modern monthly meeting.

Lu Zijin required all shop managers to report to her at the mansion at the end of each month. She periodically checked shop accounts to prevent false records or embezzlement.

Today was no different, but after half the managers reported, Lu Zijin felt tired. Her body felt weak and uncomfortable, like the onset of her rain dew period.

Lu Zijin’s thoughts drifted. She could no longer hear the managers’ words. She propped her forehead with one hand and waved at the managers on both sides. “Stop for now. Report these matters to me in a few days. Return to your shops for now.”

The managers, unsure why Lu Zijin halted them, respectfully bowed and agreed.

After everyone left, Lu Zijin, still holding her forehead, called out, “Qing Zhi, send someone to fetch Doctor Deng. I feel unwell, like my rain dew period is coming.”

“Yes. Qianxue, help the lady to her bedroom,” Qing Zhi instructed Qianxue, then quickly arranged for someone to fetch the mansion’s doctor, Deng Jin.

Qianxue, a senior maid and Lu Zijin’s personal guard, promptly supported Lu Zijin and walked toward the bedroom. Yun Xiang noticed, her eyes darting, and hurriedly joined Qianxue to help Lu Zijin inside.

Lu Zijin sweated heavily. Qianxue and Yun Xiang removed her outer dress, leaving her inner garments. She lay on the bed, feeling drained and feverish.

She recognized these symptoms as the start of her rain dew period. Knowing this, Lu Zijin felt particularly angry. A Kunze’s body relied heavily on Qianyuan, and even the most capable Kunze remained influenced by Qianyuan pheromones, as if all her efforts still required a married Qianyuan to stabilize her situation.

Thinking of this, Lu Zijin’s head ached terribly.

Soon, Deng Jin arrived with her medical box. Seeing Lu Zijin’s condition, she already had a guess.

She pulled a stool to the bedside. “Miss, I’ll check your pulse. You seem to be nearing your rain dew period.”

Hearing the words “rain dew period,” Lu Zijin felt deep disgust. She closed her eyes, nodded, and placed her hand on a silk wrist cushion.

Deng Jin placed her fingers on the pulse and frowned slightly. “Miss, you’ve taken too many pheromone-suppressing pills. They no longer work for you. Because you suppressed your rain dew period for so long, this one is coming fiercely. If not relieved soon, your life could be at risk.”

Lu Zijin’s brow furrowed, her pale skin beading with sweat. Typically, Kunze married at sixteen or seventeen, bonding with Qianyuan. After bonding, the Qianyuan helped them through the rain dew period, easing the torment.

But Lu Zijin was different. She never wanted to be under a Qianyuan’s control and loathed the rain dew period. She always used suppressing pills, which had weakened her body.

“Is there any way? Are there other drugs to suppress it?” Lu Zijin asked, enduring her discomfort.

Deng Jin shook her head. “Miss, there’s no other way. The lord is in the mansion. You can call her to help.”

“Silence,” Lu Zijin interrupted coldly. The thought of another’s pheromones entering her body was unbearable.

“But Miss, with your current condition, calling the lord is the best option. You can exchange pheromones. Otherwise, if the rain dew period causes a coma, you may have to bond,” Deng Jin said, knowing Lu Zijin dreaded bonding. How could a Kunze like her accept Qianyuan control?

Lu Zijin closed her eyes tightly. After a long pause, she gritted her teeth. “Go fetch the lord.”

Qing Zhi, seeing Lu Zijin’s expression, quickly said, “Yes.”

“Wait. Tell her to bathe and clean up before coming,” Lu Zijin said, opening her eyes with a chilling gaze.

The maids in the room fell silent, even Yun Xiang, who had wanted to speak, held her tongue. Angering Lu Zijin now could mean expulsion from the Lu Mansion.

“Yes,” Qing Zhi replied, fearing the younger maids might miscommunicate. She took a few maids and headed to Fuqu Pavilion herself.

When she arrived at Fuqu Pavilion, the servants and maids in Wei Lan’s courtyard lounged idly in the sun.

Their courtyard was indeed neglected, but it seemed fine. The lord had few demands. They swept the courtyard, prepared meals, and fetched bathwater. Beyond that, they had little to do, as the lord spent her days tinkering with jade, too busy to order them around.

Seeing Qing Zhi, Li Zhufeng’s eyes lit up. She approached eagerly. “Miss Qing Zhi, why are you here? Does the lady have orders?”

Qing Zhi nodded. “Prepare hot water. The lord will need it for bathing soon. Where is the lord?”

“In the room next to the bedroom. I’ll take you there,” Li Zhufeng said eagerly, leading Qing Zhi to Wei Lan’s workshop door.

Li Zhufeng knocked and called, “Lord, Miss Qing Zhi from the lady’s side is here.”

Wei Lan was carving jade and frowned slightly at the knock. She disliked interruptions during work.

But she recalled her current role. To keep her comfortable life, she couldn’t be too stubborn. She decided to meet the visitor.

She set down the palm-sized jasper ornament and said, “Come in.”

Li Zhufeng eagerly opened the door for Qing Zhi, and Zhao Linghui stood attentively nearby.

Qing Zhi paused at Wei Lan’s attire but bowed with the maids. “Lord, the lady’s rain dew period has arrived. She needs you to come. I’ve arranged for water. Please bathe, change, and go.”

Wei Lan paused, then recalled what the rain dew period was. This world differed from her previous one. Both Qianyuan and Kunze had rain dew periods, but Kunze’s were longer and more intense.

Wei Lan considered. Since she wanted to maintain her comfortable life, helping with the rain dew period was reasonable. She stood and said, “Alright, I’ll go after bathing.”

Qing Zhi bowed and waited to the side.

Soon, the servants poured hot water into a large wooden tub, mixing in cold water to adjust the temperature.

Wei Lan bathed and changed into a light yellow dress.

She planned to tie a simple bun and leave, but Li Zhufeng signaled her frantically.

Wei Lan smiled and asked, “Li Mammy, what’s wrong with your eyes?”

Li Zhufeng’s mouth twitched. Glancing at Qing Zhi, she said, “Lord, let us help with your hair. You haven’t seen the lady in days. You should dress up before going.”

Wei Lan scoffed lightly. “No need. This is fine.”

She inserted a jasper crane hairpin into her bun. She had carved the hairpin herself, with a crane at the end and hollow diamond-shaped sections in the middle, both neat and stylish.

Wei Lan secured the hairpin and walked out. Qing Zhi and the maids followed immediately.

Li Zhufeng fumed, whispering to Zhao Linghui, “Look at her. She ignores advice, locking herself in her room to tinker. What future does she have? A smart lord would stick to the lady daily. Now, when the lady finally calls, she doesn’t even dress up properly.”

Zhao Linghui sighed. “She’s clearly not one to vie for favor. She’s bound to be divorced. We’d better find another path. Following her leads nowhere.”

“Exactly,” Li Zhufeng agreed.

Wei Lan was unaware of her maids’ drama. She had no interest in vying for favor. She wished Lu Zijin would forget her, as long as she received monthly funds.

She followed Qing Zhi briskly to Jingchen Courtyard. Upon arriving, she saw many maids and servants bustling about.

They greeted Wei Lan politely, except Yun Xiang, who bowed reluctantly and muttered, “Don’t think the lady will use your pheromones just because she called you. Are you worthy?”

Her voice was too soft for others to hear clearly, including Wei Lan, who assumed it wasn’t kind.

“Lord, please,” Qing Zhi said, leading the way. She opened the door slightly, gesturing for Wei Lan to enter.

Wei Lan stepped inside, immediately overwhelmed by the heavy sandalwood scent filling the room.