Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 36

The man stroked his chin and looked up at the sky.

Lin Chu asked in a low voice, “Husband, where’s the stretcher?”

Ignoring her question, Yan Mingge turned to Tang Jiu and said, “Tang Jiu, take your sister-in-law to find a place to settle down first. The rest of you, come with me to report to the commander.”

Jing He, supported by someone, noticed the subtle tension between Lin Chu and Yan Mingge. Once Yan Mingge and his men walked away, she hesitated for a moment before asking, “Madam, is something wrong between you and the master?”

Lin Chu pressed her lips together, her mouth curved upward in a forced smile, while a sharp glint flashed in her half-narrowed eyes. “Nothing…”

Her voice, however, was filled with gritted teeth.

Tang Jiu, who was standing nearby, shivered slightly. Why did Lin Chu’s smile seem so eerie?

Were she and Yan Mingge really not a family? Because they sure acted like they were cut from the same cloth.

According to military rules, women weren’t allowed in the camp. However, since almost all the civilians of Jintong Pass had already packed up and fled south, the entire city was practically deserted. Tang Jiu easily led them to an abandoned inn.

The battle at Jintong Pass had lasted for nearly half a month. The tables and chairs in the inn were covered in dust. The yellow-faced man, Song Tuo and his men quickly cleaned up a few rooms for them.

Lin Chu was just about to ask Tang Jiu to fetch a military doctor from the camp when, unexpectedly, one arrived on his own. Along with him came a cart full of rice and vegetables. The soldier delivering the supplies said it was all arranged by Yan Mingge.

Lin Chu took the doctor upstairs to check on Jing He’s injury.

Having eaten only dry rations all day, Song Tuo and the others were fed up with it. After tidying up the kitchen, Zhao the cook started preparing a late-night meal.

The doctor examined Jing He’s crushed leg. No matter how he tested for pain response, she didn’t seem to feel anything. He diagnosed a fractured shinbone that required rest and carefully applied medicine before securing her leg with splints.

Jing He remained calm, but Lin Chu was deeply worried. A simple fracture shouldn’t cause complete loss of sensation in the leg!

She didn’t dare ask in front of Jing He. Only after escorting the doctor downstairs did she finally ask in a slightly trembling voice, her eyes turning red, “Doctor, please tell me the truth—how bad is her injury?”

The doctor shook his head and sighed. “Madam, it’s not that I’m withholding information, but this kind of injury… it’s hard to say. It all depends on fate. Keep applying the medicine on time and let her rest. We’ll have to see if there’s any improvement over time.”

Lin Chu knew that ancient medicine wasn’t as advanced as modern technology. Traditional Chinese doctors relied on observation and experience, unlike modern medical devices that could provide precise diagnoses. She swallowed the emotions welling up inside her and forced a smile as she thanked the doctor.

Once everything was settled, Tang Jiu left with the doctor, returning to the military camp.

Jing He had been trained in martial arts since childhood, making her hearing exceptionally sharp. She had overheard Lin Chu’s conversation with the doctor downstairs word for word.

When Lin Chu returned to the room, Jing He said, “Madam, please don’t worry. It’s just a leg. Even if I have to use crutches for the rest of my life, I can still protect you.”

Hearing this, Lin Chu’s heart ached. She sat down by the bed, gently holding Jing He’s hand. “Silly girl, don’t say such things. Of course, your leg will heal. If the doctors here aren’t skilled enough, we’ll go to the capital. The world is vast—there will be a miracle doctor somewhere.”

Jing He was so moved by those words that she nearly shed tears.

Lin Chu, too, felt a deep sorrow in her heart, but at the same time, she became even more determined to earn money.

Right now, the border was cut off from its salt supply. The merchants here must be desperate, trying to buy salt from the south. However, the imperial court wouldn’t be able to provide enough in the short term. The salt traders wouldn’t dare transport it openly, so they’d have no choice but to smuggle it.

Transporting salt from the capital to the outer borders required passing through multiple checkpoints. The bribes for the officials alone would cost an astronomical amount, making the price of salt skyrocket once it reached the frontier.

If she sold her salt directly to these border merchants, they would undoubtedly choose to buy from her.

But those merchants would then resell the salt at outrageous prices, exploiting the poor. To them, profits were all that mattered. They didn’t care if sky-high salt prices would push struggling families to the brink of death.

Along the way, Lin Chu had seen countless refugees—frozen, starved, or dying of illness, their bodies abandoned by the roadside, unburied. She used to think only about her own survival, but after witnessing such suffering, her heart grew heavier.

“When armies march through the ruins of Qin and Han, palaces once grand crumble to dust. When a dynasty thrives, the people suffer; when it falls, the people suffer.”

Whenever war broke out, it was always the common folk who suffered the most. Because they were at the very bottom, every class above them could exploit them.

It was the poor who paid taxes and fought in the wars. It was the poor who were preyed upon by corrupt officials and greedy merchants. And in times of war, it was always the poor who were abandoned first…

Lin Chu could profit from this batch of salt, but she refused to exploit the struggling common folk. She wasn’t a saint, but she still had a conscience.

If she lacked the ability, that would be one thing. But now that she had plenty of salt, she could easily arrange for Yan Mingge’s soldiers to distribute some to the poor.

A gift in times of crisis was far more memorable than favors given in prosperity. If she helped Yan Mingge’s army earn the trust of the people at the border, then in the future, if he ever needed support, they would rally behind him without hesitation.

Although Lin Chu didn’t understand court politics very well, she still knew the saying, “Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.”

As for the merchants, with this batch of salt, they could only do business with wealthy families. Lin Chu wasn’t worried about them retaliating—after all, it was the military that had seized the salt, and now it was the military distributing it. If anyone had grievances, they wouldn’t be directed at her.

Everything was planned out; now, she just needed Yan Mingge to get her an official salt permit.

After a quick dinner, Lin Chu had Song Tuo and the others clear out the kitchen. She planned to refine the raw salt as soon as possible.

When Yan Mingge arrived at the inn, the kitchen was bustling with activity as everyone worked hard to boil the salt.

The inn’s kitchen was spacious, equipped with filtering racks normally used for making tofu. The firewood burned fiercely, making the salt refining process much more efficient than when they had attempted it earlier in Lianqing Mountain.

As Yan Mingge stepped inside, he saw his petite wife standing in front of several large pots, directing the burly men to add water one moment and scoop out the brine for filtering the next. Beneath the stoves, the fire burned bright as the men pumped the bellows vigorously, filling the kitchen with roaring flames. Despite the winter night, everyone inside was drenched in sweat.

Yan Mingge leaned against the doorframe for a while before Lin Chu finally noticed him.

The pot had already been treated with baking soda, and now they just had to wait for the sediment to settle before filtering. The rest of the steps were straightforward, and Song Tuo and the others knew what to do. Only then did Lin Chu step away and walk over to the doorway.

“Why are you here?” she asked, looking at Yan Mingge.

His gaze softened as he saw the sweat beading on her forehead and nose. With a hint of tenderness in his eyes, he removed his iron wrist guard and wiped her sweat away with his sleeve. 

“I finished my duties at the camp and came to check on you,” he said.

His eyes drifted past Lin Chu to the large pots where salt crystals were gradually forming. 

“So this is how salt is made?”

Lin Chu nodded. 

“But this method is too tedious. Once the weather gets warmer, sun-drying salt will be much faster.”

“Drying salt in the field?” Yan Mingge asked in surprise.

Lin Chu hadn’t expected him to know about salt production. She nodded. 

“You’ve heard of it?”

Yan Mingge’s voice was calm. 

“I once fought a battle near the Bohai Sea and saw the locals making salt this way. I just didn’t expect lake water could work too.”

“Not all lakes can,” Lin Chu chuckled. She didn’t bother explaining the difference between saltwater and freshwater lakes, so she left it at that.

Yan Mingge didn’t press further. Instead, he pulled out a document from his coat and handed it to her.

Lin Chu took it, flipped it open, and… didn’t recognize a single word.

Still, the large red official seal stamped on it confirmed that it was indeed the salt permit.

Her eyes squinted slightly, and her lips curled into a delighted smile. 

“Thank you, husband!”

Yan Mingge found her reaction amusing and was about to say something when she quickly stuffed the document into her coat and dashed back into the kitchen.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a little frustrated. Hands in his sleeves, he slowly followed after her.

The moment he stepped into the kitchen, the atmosphere changed. Song Tuo and the others, who had been working efficiently just moments ago, suddenly became stiff and uneasy. Their movements slowed, and their efficiency dropped.

Lin Chu noticed it too. She turned to Yan Mingge and suggested, “Why don’t you head back to the camp? This is going to take a while.”

Yan Mingge: “…”

Seeing his expression darken, the group grew even more nervous. Finally, Song Tuo spoke up, “Madam, I’ve memorized the entire salt-boiling process, including how much baking soda to add per batch. You’ve been working all day—why don’t you go rest?”

Lin Chu hadn’t hidden anything from Song Tuo and his men because she had been planning to train them from the start. She was quite pleased to see that Song Tuo had caught on quickly. If she intended to make a business out of selling salt, she couldn’t always oversee the process herself.

However, tonight, Lin Chu just wanted to get it all done as soon as possible. She shook her head. 

“I’m not tired. Just keep working.”

Yan Mingge’s expression turned even gloomier. He grabbed Lin Chu’s wrist and pulled her out of the kitchen.

“Hey! What are you doing?” she protested, frowning as his grip tightened. It stung a little.

Yan Mingge stopped in the inn’s main hall, where there wasn’t a single soul—everyone was still busy in the kitchen. He pressed one hand against the wall and used the other to grip Lin Chu’s chin, trapping her between himself and the wall. His deep voice carried a hint of frustration. 

“I rushed over the moment I finished my duties, and this is how you treat me?”

Hearing that, Lin Chu instantly understood what he was upset about.

But right now, all she could think about was the salt business. And now, this man was throwing a tantrum? Lin Chu felt a headache coming on.

“Dear husband, the war situation is tense,” she tried to reason with him. “The sooner we refine the salt, the sooner we solve a major problem.”

Yan Mingge’s expression didn’t soften. 

“Go rest. Let Song Tuo handle the kitchen.”

“How can I sleep at a time like this?” Lin Chu sighed, looking weary. “I don’t even know if Jing He’s leg can be healed. Once this batch of salt is sold, I’ll have enough silver to send for a renowned doctor from the capital to treat her. Right now, seeing this salt being processed is the only thing that puts my mind at ease.”

Yan Mingge stared at her for a long moment, his gaze deepening.

In her heart, even a servant girl mattered more than him, didn’t she?

For over twenty years, he had never cared about pampering anyone. But now, after offering his heart, she didn’t even acknowledge it. That left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He knew she was doing all this for his sake, and he felt a deep affection for her. But at the same time, a man’s pride stung at the lack of reciprocation.

“Lin Chu,” he said, his voice low and firm. “One day, anything you desire—I will personally place it in front of you.”

With that, he let go of her and walked away without looking back.

Lin Chu watched his figure disappear through the inn’s entrance. Not long after, the sound of horse hooves faded into the distance. She rubbed her wrist, which still ached from his grip, feeling both frustrated and confused.

She could tell Yan Mingge was angry. But why?

Was he upset that she wasn’t affectionate enough? Would a villain really be this childish?

She couldn’t figure it out, and she had no time to dwell on it.

In the following days, all the raw salt they had brought from Lianqing Mountain was refined into fine salt. Lin Chu divided it into two batches—some were sent to the military camp, where supplies had been running low, much to the frustration of the commander.

Yan Mingge had managed to obtain the salt permit quickly by convincing the commander that a salt merchant was willing to donate salt to the soldiers, but because she was selling illegal salt, she needed official permission.

Under normal circumstances, the commander wouldn’t have agreed. But with the current crisis and the court refusing to allocate funds for salt, he was already furious. So, he approved it immediately.

After securing the military’s salt supply, Lin Chu had Song Tuo contact local merchants and spread the word that they had salt for sale.

Many of these merchants didn’t have official salt permits. Some were merely wealthy landowners who exploited the common folk.

Lin Chu’s price was too high for them, and they hesitated. Song Tuo asked if they should lower the price, but Lin Chu insisted, “The price will only go up, never down.”

Then, one day, Tang Jiu suddenly burst into the inn, looking battered and disheveled. 

“Yan Mingge was severely wounded in battle,” he said, his voice urgent. “He’s on the brink of death.”

Lin Chu immediately dropped everything and rushed to the military camp.

But when she entered Yan Mingge’s tent, she saw a delicate young woman tending to him, her clothes slightly disheveled.

Lin Chu twitched her eye.

Lately, the villain’s luck with women seemed to be on the rise.