Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 37

The woman had her back to Lin Chu and didn’t realize she had arrived. She was carefully feeding Yan Mingge medicine, holding a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. Yan Mingge was half-sitting against the bed frame, and the moment Lin Chu appeared at the doorway, his gaze landed on her. However, he didn’t say a word—he just watched her silently, his deep eyes fixed on her.

Lin Chu hesitated, debating whether to enter. Then, she caught sight of the spoon near his lips and decided she’d rather not be a third wheel.

Lifting her skirt slightly, she quietly slipped away without making a sound.

But to Yan Mingge, it looked like she was leaving in a huff!

He immediately raised an eyebrow, his expression unexpectedly filled with excitement. That clueless girl finally knows how to get jealous!

Just then, the woman holding the medicine bowl smacked him right on the eyebrow. Her voice was raspy from years of smoking as she grumbled, “What’s with your eyebrow twitching? Having a spasm or something?”

Yan Mingge: “……”

The woman stirred the dark brown liquid in the bowl and muttered, “Why isn’t your wife here yet? This is already the third bowl, and it’s about to go cold.”

She scooped up another spoonful and brought it to his lips. “I might as well practice on you. Otherwise, my senior brother will say I can’t even feed someone properly…”

Tang Jiu had been worried that some busybody would start gossiping about Lin Chu, a woman, entering the military camp, so he specifically went to inform the young officer guarding the gate. After settling that, he hurried back—only to see Lin Chu walking out.

A bad feeling rose in his gut. Could it be that Brother Yan’s act of being gravely injured was exposed this quickly?

“Sister-in-law, are you… heading back?”

Tang Jiu had always been quick with words, but now, he was at a loss. He could only greet her awkwardly.

Lin Chu saw that it was Tang Jiu and smiled cheerfully, nodding.

She didn’t seem like she had figured out Yan Mingge was pretending to be injured, which left Tang Jiu even more confused. He hesitated before asking, “Sister-in-law, aren’t you staying to take care of Brother Yan?”

Lin Chu scratched the back of her head. “I’d rather not join the excitement.”

Tang Jiu was dumbfounded.

He was about to head back to the tent and ask Yan Mingge what was going on, but as soon as he stepped inside, he saw a delicate-looking woman sitting by Yan Mingge’s bed. She was so fair and fresh-faced, she looked like a sprouting green onion.

Tang Jiu’s vision darkened. “B-Brother, what’s going on here…?”

Yan Mingge wore a sour expression. “Where is she?”

Of course, he was referring to Lin Chu.

Tang Jiu nearly cried. “Sister-in-law left!”

Yan Mingge’s face darkened further. She just left because she was jealous? Can’t she fight for my attention a little?

Tang Jiu rubbed his temples, looking exasperated. He said coolly, “Brother, I think this situation is going to be hard to fix.”

Yan Mingge shot him a sharp look.

Tang Jiu sighed. “Women need to be coaxed! You won’t even lower your head a little. You finally got an excuse to bring Sister-in-law here by pretending to be injured, and now you go and make her mad?”

Thinking about that, Tang Jiu turned and stared at the woman next to Yan Mingge with obvious hostility.

But before he could say anything, the delicate-looking woman set down the medicine bowl and smacked Yan Mingge right in the corner of his eye.

“You little brat! Why didn’t you tell me your wife was here?!”

Her voice was deeper and huskier than a man’s, shocking Tang Jiu so much his eyes widened.

Yan Mingge’s face looked even worse as he covered his left eye, which had just taken a hit. “Wei Rou, that’s enough!”

The “delicate” woman, Wei Rou, rolled up her sleeves and propped one foot up on a stool, looking ready to fight. 

“Brat, I’m your senior sister! Since when do you just call me by my name?”

Tang Jiu was completely stunned.

At that moment, Yuan San entered the tent, about to report military affairs to Yan Mingge. When he saw Wei Rou, he clearly paused for a moment before quickly recovering. He cupped his fists and greeted her, “Second Miss.”

The moment Wei Rou saw Yuan San, she immediately put her foot down, smoothed her sleeves, and transformed into a shy, gentle young lady. She even curtsied demurely. 

“Brother Yuan San…”

Tang Jiu felt like he’d been struck by lightning. Women changing faces so quickly… really was something else.

Seeing that Yan Mingge and Yuan San seemed to have serious matters to discuss, Wei Rou tactfully prepared to leave. Before she left, she said, “Brat, I’ll go coax your wife back for you!”

Yan Mingge instantly reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. 

“You’re not allowed to go!”

Wei Rou gave him a disdainful look. 

“Ungrateful little brat. Think about it—what exactly does she get from marrying you? You don’t cherish her, and you deliberately make her mad. If Master and Mistress were here, they’d break your legs!”

Yan Mingge felt a headache coming on and quickly shot Yuan San a look. Yuan San sighed in mild exasperation but still said, “Second Miss, a batch of weapons in the army has been breaking too easily. Since you’re here, could you take a look?”

Wei Rou instantly shifted into a gentle and refined demeanor. 

“Since Brother Yuan San is asking, how could I refuse?”

After letting Tang Jiu take Wei Rou to the armory, Yan Mingge rubbed his forehead and asked, “Any news from the barbarians?”

Yuan San replied, “Hu Yanlie thinks his arrow seriously injured you, and the barbarians’ morale has been high these past few days. Since many of our generals have suffered losses in battle recently, they’re even boasting that no one in Jintong Pass is strong enough to fight them. Today, Shi Liu brought news that the barbarians have been cutting down trees on the mountain—they’re likely preparing to build siege ladders.”

“Let them stay overconfident for a few more days. Tell Wang Hu to stay patient. When the time is right, we’ll wipe them out in one fell swoop. As for the Marshal… I’ll talk to him and have Jintong Pass put up a ‘No Battle’ sign for a few days.”

Yuan San nodded, then casually asked, “Second Miss… why did she suddenly leave the mountain?”

Yuan San had known Yan Mingge long before he arrived in Qiang City. Like Song Tuo, he had once been a private soldier trained by the Yong’an Marquis Manor. He had accompanied Yan Mingge when he went up the mountain to study martial arts.

Yan Mingge rubbed his temples. 

“That person came down the mountain. Master and Mistress have been traveling the world these years, and with no one keeping an eye on her, she somehow found out I was in Jintong Pass and came looking for me.”

Yuan San had encountered Lin Chu earlier and pondered for a moment before saying, “Song Tuo mentioned that Madam has been exhausting herself over the salt business and has even been looking for doctors in the capital…”

Yan Mingge’s lips pressed tightly together. “Did those merchants make things difficult for her?”

“Not exactly, but they’re all seasoned players in the trade. If Madam wants to gain an advantage, it won’t be easy. She’s doing all this for you. She even plans to distribute the extra salt to the border citizens under your name…”

Yan Mingge suddenly realized how childish and ridiculous his recent sulking was. He wouldn’t admit it, but deep down, he really wanted that woman to understand his feelings.

After Yuan San left, Yan Mingge reached under his pillow and pulled out a thick bronze mirror. There was a deep scratch on the back—a mark left by a sharp weapon.

If not for this mirror blocking Hu Yanlie’s arrow, he’d already be dead.

He traced the scratch for a long time before sighing gloomily. 

“What am I going to do with you, you stubborn fool?”

Meanwhile, Lin Chu, riding back to the inn, suddenly sneezed. Rubbing her nose, she muttered, “Who’s cursing me?”

“They were too stingy to spend a few silver coins to get an official salt permit, so they bought salt from me and resold it to common people. That’s already illegal salt trading. They wouldn’t dare make a big fuss about it. Besides, it’s the military distributing the salt to the people, not me. Even if they’re upset, they can’t blame us.”

Lin Chu had already considered these issues long ago, so she answered calmly.

Even if those merchants suspected her, they wouldn’t dare act rashly. Seeing that official salt permit, they’d only assume that someone powerful from above wanted to interfere in border trade. While it’s true that an outsider can’t easily overpower local forces, this salt business had already given those merchants a strong warning. If she ventured into other businesses in the future, they wouldn’t dare try to trip her up so easily.

Song Tuo bowed and stepped back, feeling even more admiration for Lin Chu. For a woman to have such a broad vision was truly remarkable.

Meanwhile, Yan Mingge was deliberately withholding any news from the inn. He was waiting for Lin Chu to give in first.

However, Lin Chu was completely clueless that he was playing hard to get. With the salt business settled, she threw herself fully into making money.

Men are unreliable, but the silver in her own pockets? That was solid security.

Even though Yan Mingge had helped her a lot in securing the first big profit from salt trading, she had repaid him in a fair and balanced way. She didn’t feel she owed him anything.

Still, things couldn’t stay this tense between them forever. Yan Mingge would never be the one to back down, so she had to take the first step to ease things.

Afraid of running into an awkward situation at the military camp, Lin Chu chose a different approach—she simply made nourishing soups at the inn every day and had Song Tuo’s men deliver them.

Completely unaware of her real intentions, Yan Mingge thought Lin Chu had finally come to her senses and happily drank the soup every day.

Even someone as slow as Jing He started to notice something was off.

One day, while Lin Chu was going over the account books, chatting with Jing He, her hands moved quickly on the abacus, the clacking sound crisp and clear.

Seeing the increasing silver on the ledger, Lin Chu grinned from ear to ear.

“Madam…” Jing He finally spoke cautiously after observing for a while.

“Hmm? What is it?” Lin Chu looked up from the account book.

“Are you and Master fighting?” Jing He had a troubled expression.

Lin Chu was taken aback. “No?”

Jing He gave her a knowing look, as if she had seen through everything. “Then why hasn’t Master come to the inn these days?”

Lin Chu scratched her head. “He got injured in the last battle, so it’s probably inconvenient for him to come over.”

She still hadn’t figured out the identity of the woman taking care of Yan Mingge, but she didn’t bother to investigate. If he really wanted to take a concubine or something, that wasn’t something she could stop. Besides, she couldn’t exactly say that to Jing He—it would just make her worry unnecessarily.

Jing He, however, felt that things were even more worrisome. Master was injured, yet Madam was this calm?

She earnestly advised, “Madam, this is exactly when you should be taking care of Master!”

Lin Chu casually brushed it off. “I make soup for him every day and have it sent to the military camp.”

Jing He glanced at the large bowl on the table, realizing something—so she and the Young Master had been drinking from the same pot of soup?

Under the table, Little Gray was gnawing on a bone, occasionally letting out contented little grunts.

Oh, even the dog was chewing on the same kind of bone.

Jing He silently pitied Yan Mingge for a few seconds.

The final stop at Jintong Pass arrived sooner than Lin Chu had expected.

As the sun barely peeked over the horizon, the streets were lined with bleak, run-down houses. The morning dew hadn’t dried, the cold wind howled, and under the shifting clouds, a row of soldiers in dark armor sat silently on horseback.

Everything was eerily quiet—not even a single bird chirped.

When Lin Chu heard that Yan Mingge had come to the inn, she was surprised. Stepping outside, she saw the man on horseback.

She narrowed her eyes. They say clothes make the man, and horses need good saddles. Dressed in full battle armor, this notorious villain looked even more striking!

Beautiful things always catch the eye, and an armored war hero? That was definitely worth a second glance!

Yan Mingge gazed at his little wife standing in the doorway. Thinking about the soups she had been sending to the military camp, the frustration he had been holding onto these past days vanished.

But for the sake of his pride, he kept a cold tone and said, “Come here.”

Lin Chu obediently walked over, her smile bright. “Husband, how do you have time to visit today?”

She didn’t mean anything by it, but Yan Mingge immediately overthought it, assuming she was jealous. He coughed twice and replied, “Just passing by.”

Yet, his sharp eyes scanned her from head to toe.

Her hair was a little messy, her clothes were plain, lacking any bright colors—it looked like she hadn’t been dressing up at all these days. The dark circles under her eyes and her slightly tired expression…

She must have been losing sleep, worrying about what happened that night.

And now, seeing him, her eyes were sparkling with delight. She must not have expected him to come, right?

The more he looked, the more his heart ached.

Dismounting swiftly, Yan Mingge strode toward Lin Chu and pulled her into a firm embrace before she even had time to react.

The sudden hug left Lin Chu momentarily stunned. She patted his back lightly as a symbolic response.

She had been so busy with the salt business these past days, staying up late every night to do the accounts. Her dark circles were practically permanent now. She didn’t know how to style her hair in ancient fashion—Jing He used to help her, but lately, for convenience, she just tied it into a ponytail. As for clothes… she only had two plain outfits that she alternated between.

Yan Mingge said, “You’ve worked hard these days.”

Lin Chu: “Not at all.”

Why did this conversation feel a bit weird?

The armor on his body was hard and uncomfortable. Feeling slightly squished, Lin Chu patted his shoulder, signaling him to let go.

Yan Mingge seemed to realize this as well and released her.

“Um… Husband, why don’t you come inside and sit for a while?” Lin Chu shivered slightly in the early morning breeze.

Besides, standing outside like this felt a little awkward.

Yan Mingge shook his head. “We’re leaving the city soon. I won’t go in.”

“Leaving the city?” Lin Chu asked, puzzled.

“Another battle is about to start, but this should be the last one at Jintong Pass.” At the mention of war, Yan Mingge’s eyes darkened slightly. He looked at Lin Chu. “If you’re scared, you can go somewhere safe for now.”

From his tone, Lin Chu could tell that victory was certain.

She immediately flattered him, “With my husband fighting outside the city, how could I be afraid?”

Uh… She had read too many romance novels. That sounded way too cheesy… Lin Chu felt a bit embarrassed.

Yan Mingge’s eyes, however, brightened noticeably. He coughed twice and said, “Then I’m off.”

“I will be waiting for my husband to return victorious and safe,” Lin Chu replied with a warm smile.

That wasn’t the response he wanted. Yan Mingge silently touched the protective heart mirror hidden under his armor.

Lin Chu remembered that he was still injured and voiced her concern. “Husband, you’re still hurt. The battlefield is dangerous, and swords don’t have eyes. Please, be extra careful.”

Yan Mingge looked at her and said, “The bronze mirror you gave me—I always keep it with me.”

“Huh? Oh, well… Safety first. Better to be prepared…” Lin Chu started, but he cut her off.

“That woman you saw at the military camp that day—”

“Boss, the troops are all assembled!” A loud voice suddenly rang out from down the street. It was Wang Hu, his booming voice like a temple bell.

Yan Mingge’s face darkened slightly from being interrupted. Just as he was about to continue, Lin Chu nodded obediently and said, “She’s an excellent young lady. If my husband is interested, I can arrange for her to join the household on an auspicious day.”

Yan Mingge: “…”

Suddenly, he didn’t feel like talking to his silly wife anymore.

“Stop worrying about nonsense,” he said, flicking his reins and riding off, leaving Lin Chu utterly confused.

She had been so understanding and generous—why did it seem like the villain wasn’t happy at all?

Back at the inn, Lin Chu planned to wait for news peacefully. However, she hadn’t sat for long before she heard a commotion downstairs.

When she went down to check, she saw a delicate-looking young woman standing at the entrance, looking as fresh as a green onion. The moment she spotted Lin Chu, her smile nearly stretched to her ears.

“Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!”

Song Tuo and his men stood guard, watching warily. A few burly men lay on the ground, clearly knocked out by this seemingly fragile woman.

Lin Chu glanced at the dainty girl, then listened to her husky, smoke-roughened voice. The contrast was unsettling.

She signaled Song Tuo and the others to step aside and approached the young woman, politely asking, “May I ask who you are looking for?”

The woman looked puzzled. “Aren’t you Lin Chu?”

Lin Chu was even more confused. The fact that this woman knew her name meant she wasn’t a stranger. But she definitely couldn’t be Yan Mingge’s sister—he was the last remaining bloodline of the Yong’an Marquis household. Then why did she just call her “sister-in-law”?

“I am,” Lin Chu confirmed, waiting to see what this woman had to say.

The woman immediately beamed. “That brat Yan Heng is going to war. Come on, I’ll take you to the city wall to watch the battle!”

She grabbed Lin Chu’s hand and started pulling her outside.

Lin Chu, however, was too shocked by what she just heard. “You… are related to my husband?”

Otherwise, how would she know Yan Mingge’s original name? And from the way she spoke, going into military camps and climbing city walls seemed like no big deal to her. Lin Chu became even more curious—this woman didn’t exist in the original novel.

“I’m his senior martial sister!” The woman casually threw an arm around Lin Chu’s shoulders, then pulled out a sketch of a pulley mechanism that Lin Chu had drawn before. “I heard you designed this? I hammered iron for days to make it, and it looks pretty fun, but I have no idea how to use it. Let’s go try it out on the city wall!”

Hearing that this woman was Yan Mingge’s senior martial sister, Lin Chu immediately searched her memory for anything about his sect. But the novel never really explained it in detail. Still… a cute, delicate girl who could forge weapons?

Lin Chu swallowed nervously and asked, “May I ask your name?”

“My master named me Wei Rou. Since you’re my junior brother’s wife, just call me Senior Sister like he does!” Wei Rou said cheerfully.

Meanwhile, Lin Chu was internally freaking out.

This woman… was the female lead’s mother!

The female lead’s mother was the villain’s junior sister!

Lin Chu felt a little horrified.

This world was way too small. Not only was the male lead’s father an old acquaintance of the villain, but now the female lead’s mother was, too.

As Lin Chu was still processing this mess, she heard Wei Rou mumbling, “Yan Heng was originally going to give this blueprint to our master, but Master and Mistress went traveling two years ago. I got curious, so I made it instead. Since our eldest senior brother just came down from the mountain, I came to see him and figured I’d bring this to that brat Yan Heng too.”

Wei Rou tried to pull Lin Chu along again, but Lin Chu quickly stopped her.

Wei Rou seemed like the type to do whatever she wanted, but after Lin Chu’s last experience with Li Jianye, she wasn’t about to take risks. She found two sets of men’s clothing and disguised both herself and Wei Rou before heading toward the city wall.

Jing He was worried about Lin Chu and gave her a long lecture before letting her go. Lin Chu was touched.

When they arrived at the military camp, the battle had already begun. The soldiers were busy defending the city against the invading barbarians.

To be safe, Song Tuo sought out Wang Hu, who was stationed inside the pass. Wang Hu immediately provided Lin Chu and the others with armor disguises, allowing them to blend in as ordinary soldiers.

Wei Rou was clearly a battle enthusiast. The moment she saw the barbarians attacking, she got excited. She casually picked up a massive boulder from the city wall and hurled it down.

Lin Chu watched the distance the boulder traveled and fell silent.

Was everyone from Yan Mingge’s sect some kind of muscle-bound powerhouse?

Mini-Theater:

Yan Mingge: “I’m going to war.”

Lin Chu: (whispers) “The villain is off to terrorize people again.”

Yan Mingge: “I’m leaving now…” (dropping hints left and right)

Lin Chu: (flattering) “Wishing my husband a triumphant and safe return!”

Yan Mingge: “…”

No kisses. No hugs. No good luck charms. (Unhappy.)

Wife is such a blockhead… such a blockhead…

T/L notes:

Dear readers! I hope you’re all enjoying the novel translations. I really wanted to stick to the usual update schedule, but unfortunately, I couldn’t keep up this month. For now, both advance and free chapters will be updated/unlock once a week—every Saturday—just for this month.

I’m really sorry about this! School has been super hectic, and I’m drowning in assignments and oral reports (which I honestly don’t enjoy… huhu 😭).

Despite everything, I hope you’ll continue to support my translations. Thank you for understanding!