Transmigrated into a Historical GL Novel as the Scumbag Heroine - Chapter 11

As it turned out, her “cheap” younger brother could actually be quite reliable. By the time Qiu Luo made her way to their vegetable greenhouse, asking directions along the way, she found Qiu Erlang already supervising the workers.

“Sis, what are you doing here? Has Sister Cheng left already?”

He looked genuinely surprised. It was barely dawn—shouldn’t those two lovebirds still be cooped up together, being all lovey-dovey?

Qiu Luo glanced at the busy workers and nodded. “She left. How are things going here? Everything on track?”

Though she had inherited both the original host’s identity and memories, she still couldn’t fully trust this good-for-nothing younger brother.

Qiu Erlang immediately puffed up with pride. “Relax! All the seeds have been sown. After today, we just wait for the watermelon seedlings to sprout. Don’t you worry when your own little brother is handling things!”

He held his head high. He might not be as capable as his sister, but he still carried some weight in the Qiu household. He’d saved every coin he could for her education, even mooching meals outside just to cut costs—he had earned his stripes in this family.

Qiu Luo nodded in satisfaction. She took out several dozen taels of silver and handed them to him with a stern reminder. “Make sure wages are paid on time. Save where it makes sense, but don’t skimp where it doesn’t. If you want to succeed, you have to be willing to invest.”

It didn’t matter the era—earning money as a commoner was never easy. Especially for these seasonal farmhands—every copper counted. She loved money, sure, but she wasn’t a stingy miser.

Grinning, Qiu Erlang accepted the silver, nodding eagerly. “Got it. Trust me—I know what I’m doing. I’m not that kind of person!”

Qiu Luo rolled her eyes. “I hope not.”

She silently prayed he’d stay dependable. If he ended up being the kind of dead weight that dragged her down, even Zhuge Liang reincarnated couldn’t save them.

She glanced around. Apart from their greenhouse, the surrounding land was all plain farmland. A thought occurred to her.

“Erlang, maybe you should move into the greenhouse full-time. I’ll pay you wages. It’ll help you save up to get married.”

The ruckus they’d stirred up in Qiu Village had already drawn attention. If anyone got jealous and sabotaged them, it could spell disaster. As the saying goes—better safe than sorry. The watermelon venture needed to be protected at all costs. It wasn’t just about gaining Cheng Yu’s trust—it was Qiu Luo’s golden ticket to real wealth.

Qiu Erlang wasn’t thrilled, but after glancing around, he realized her concern wasn’t unfounded. He nodded. “Alright, but how much are you paying me? Don’t expect me to work for peanuts.”

They’d be growing watermelons for three months at least—ten taels wouldn’t cut it.

Qiu Luo raised a brow and smiled. “Three months, huh? How about fifty taels?”

It was a generous offer. Not a cent of it going to outsiders. From what she remembered, Qiu Erlang might be unreliable, but he wasn’t a bad kid. He did genuinely care for his sister. If she could help him become independent, all the better.

Then she could finally relax and enjoy life.

“Fifty taels?!”

Qiu Erlang’s eyes widened. His jaw nearly hit the floor. That kind of money could buy him a wife outright! Who needed to save? With a sister like her, he was already halfway to easy street.

“Deal! Fifty taels it is—no take-backs!”

Qiu Luo kept her composure. “I never go back on my word. But remember, if something happens to those watermelons, not only will you not get fifty taels—you won’t get five copper coins. You’ll be begging in the streets.”

Qiu Erlang waved it off. “Isn’t that why we’ve got the Cheng family? Even if it doesn’t work out, once you marry into the Cheng family, we’ll be living the good life anyway! Speaking of which, why are you putting yourself through all this for a watermelon farm? Why not just wait and marry into wealth?”

He really didn’t get it. His sister had changed. She used to care for nothing but books and didn’t lift a finger for anything else. Now, after earning her title as a scholar, she was pushing him to work and chasing wealth on her own terms. Making money wasn’t that easy, was it?

Still… if they really managed to sell watermelon in winter, maybe it would turn a profit.

He glanced at the greenhouse again, a little uncertain. They’d sunk a lot of silver into this. What if it flopped?

Luckily, they still had the Cheng family as backup—as long as the engagement held.

Qiu Luo fixed him with a steady gaze. “Erlang, listen to me—people need to rely on themselves. Cheng family money is Cheng family money. Even if your Sister Cheng ends up in charge, do you really want to live

under someone else’s thumb? You want to beg for pocket money every time you want a drink? Or do you want to spend freely with your own silver?”

Qiu Erlang rolled his eyes. “Of course I want my own money. But that’s just not realistic. And anyway, Sister Cheng seems nice—she dotes on you and probably won’t treat me badly either. Living under her roof won’t be so bad, right?”

He could already picture it—his sister married into the Cheng family, and him enjoying the perks of being a brother-in-law to the city’s richest family.

Qiu Luo could see the dreams playing out in his eyes. Nope. His thinking needed serious correction.

“Erlang, even if this engagement works out, we came from nothing. Don’t you remember what it’s like to not know where your next meal is coming from? You’re an adult now. Stop relying on others. I want you to build something for yourself. I believe in you.

If you’ve got ideas, tell me—I’ll support you. But don’t say those kinds of things again. Besides, your Sister Cheng is busy preparing for exams. All her family business has been taken back by Lord Cheng.”

If that concubine of his really gave birth to a son, who knew where the family fortune would end up?

That sobered Qiu Erlang. If Cheng Yu didn’t inherit, all his dreams would go up in smoke. He’d pinned his hopes on the Chengs—but what if they weren’t as solid a backing as he thought?

“Sis… what if the watermelon doesn’t grow? What if we lose everything?”

He suddenly looked a little pale.

“We’ve already put so much into this,” he muttered, “and what if Cheng Yu can’t help us in the end?”

Qiu Luo didn’t even lift her eyes. “That’s why you must guard the greenhouse. Do your part. As long as we do this right, we’ll earn. Would I lie to you?”

Qiu Erlang nodded earnestly. She wasn’t just anyone—she was his sister. They’d been through so much together. Even if she was strict, she never once betrayed him.

Qiu Luo studied him quietly. His mindset could be reshaped over time. But the money-making venture? That couldn’t wait.

With Erlang holding the fort, she could finally go home and plan her next big move. Once the watermelons matured, things would get even busier. This wasn’t just any partnership—she and the heroine were splitting profits fifty-fifty. If this succeeded, she might just achieve financial freedom in one go.

Ancient palaces, bustling capitals, mountain views, rivers and lakes—here she comes.
________________________________________

Back in Cheng Manor, County Seat

Cheng Yu tucked away the three contracts and entered the study. In the Southern Moon Kingdom, the path of civil exams went: Tongsheng → Xiucai → Juren → Jinshi.

She was now a Xiucai, and the Juren exam would be held in the spring—less than five months away.

Whether to meet her father’s expectations or to better herself, now that she wasn’t bogged down in business affairs, it made sense to give the exam a shot.

Passing would qualify her for a government post—not centrally appointed like Jinshi, but still enough for a respectable job.

Her thoughts drifted to Qiu Luo. She couldn’t run the family business herself right now, nor could she use her own name to do it. But Qiu Luo seemed trustworthy enough. With contracts signed and officially filed

at the county office, there was little to worry about.

She summoned her maid Xiao Miao and handed her a banknote and a letter.

“Take these to Qiu Village. Deliver them personally to Qiu Luo. Wait for her response. If she agrees, have her send back a signed contract. If she refuses, bring everything back.”

Xiao Miao nodded and set off.

She’d long seen through her mistress—Cheng Yu was clearly smitten with Qiu Luo. Showering her with silver, visiting multiple times, even spending the night there? It didn’t take a genius to see she was serious.

At the Qiu residence, Xiao Miao delivered the letter and silver to Qiu Luo, then waited patiently outside.

After reading the letter, Qiu Luo couldn’t help but smile. Running a business under the Qiu name didn’t sound so bad after all.

Somehow, she felt she’d officially locked in her connection with the heroine. She wasn’t just Cheng Yu’s business partner now—she was her hidden support.

And being the heroine’s support? That sounded… kind of awesome.

Tucking the letter and banknote away, Qiu Luo stepped outside.

“Tell your miss I agree,” she said.

Xiao Miao stared at her. “And?”

“What do you mean, ‘and’?”

“My miss said you should send her a signed contract. Best to make two copies. One for filing with the magistrate.”

Qiu Luo paused. That was a problem. Not only did the contract need to be written in formal script, but her handwriting was nothing like the original Qiu Luo’s. If Cheng Yu ever noticed, it’d raise too many questions.

Still, this was a big deal involving serious money—a verbal agreement simply wouldn’t do.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

No one could know about her deal with the heroine. Her cheap brother should be safe to trust. Maybe she could say her hand hurt and have him write it for her.

But that idea quickly fell apart.

“Sis, I barely know a few characters. My writing looks like chicken scratch. Why not ask Qiu Shuang to help?”

Qiu Shuang was the original Qiu Luo’s friend and study partner. But this wasn’t something she could let outsiders know about.

Qiu Luo sighed and patted Qiu Erlang’s shoulder. “Erlang, you really need to learn to read and write. Someday, when you’re in business, you’ll get cheated if you can’t even keep your own books.”

“Read?”

He looked horrified. But thinking about it… what if he really did become rich and couldn’t manage his own finances?

He was the Qiu family’s pillar now. He had to step up.

With great reluctance, he nodded. “Okay. You win. I’ll study. I’ll learn accounting and a few more characters.”

He couldn’t let his ignorance be his downfall. How hard could it be to memorize a few characters?

Qiu Luo smiled. “I knew you had potential. I believe in you.”

Then she turned back to Xiao Miao, who was still waiting.

“I’ll go with you to Cheng Manor. This kind of thing is better discussed face-to-face.”

Xiao Miao blinked, then glanced back at the carriage. Realizing this was her future mistress, she helped her aboard without another word.

Back at Cheng Manor, the servants knew not to interfere. Xiao Miao told the coachman to park near Cheng Yu’s courtyard and sent everyone else away.

Once alone, she called out, “Miss Qiu, we’re here. No one’s watching.”

Qiu Luo’s lips twitched. Why did this feel like sneaking around to do something shady? Still, it was better than facing Lord and Lady Cheng.

Inside the study, Cheng Yu greeted her unexpected guest with a calm smile.

“Why come in person? I had Xiao Maiao explain—you could’ve just sent back the signed contract.”

Qiu Luo cleared her throat awkwardly. “I thought it best we speak in person. As for the contract… I’m not experienced. I’d rather you write it. I’ll just stamp my handprint.”

In the novel, the heroine was always written as upright and morally sound—but Qiu Luo wasn’t taking any chances. If her true identity ever came out, who knew what Cheng Yu might do?

You can never bet on human nature. Even the most righteous heroine deserved a little caution.

The last thing Qiu Luo wanted was to end up as some freakish subject for ancient “research.”