Transmigrated Into an Ancient Famine Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Ye Qing nearly choked on Jiang Jinhuang’s question. She coughed lightly, dodging with, “Well, I just caught it, and it’s almost cooked now, right, Yangyang?”

“Yes!” Thrilled about meat, the little one didn’t care if the chicken was wild or domesticated.

Ye Qing gave the little one an approving smile, then raised an eyebrow at Jiang Jinhuang. “You just woke up. Rest a bit and don’t worry about where the chicken came from. It’s going to be eaten soon anyway.”

“Exactly, exactly!” The little one clapped her hands, echoing Ye Qing.

Jiang Jinhuang looked at Ye Qing, then at her sister, feeling helpless. She found Ye Qing harder to understand. Before, Ye Qing always produced fresh meat, and their rice seemed endless. How did Ye Qing do it?

Seeing Jiang Jinhuang still frowning in thought, Ye Qing, worried she might suspect something, changed the topic. “Jinhuang, let’s make a deal. Can you bite me lighter next time? It’s all swollen.”

Jiang Jinhuang snapped back, staring at Ye Qing in disbelief. About to retort, she saw several pink strawberry marks on Ye Qing’s neck, with messy tooth marks on her bonding mark, swollen as if toyed with for a long time.

“How could I? I wouldn’t do that to you,” Jiang Jinhuang said, guilty but firm, refusing to lose face.

But thinking of the tooth marks on Ye Qing’s mark last time, and now these, her ears reddened. Only the three of them were here. Excluding Ye Qing, that left her and her sister…

Jiang Jinhuang didn’t dare think further. A refined lady from the Minister of Rites’ mansion wouldn’t recklessly molest a Qianyuan. And Ye Qing’s neck wasn’t just bitten at the mark—other spots had bites too.

Unable to accept she’d done it, Jiang Jinhuang looked away, avoiding Ye Qing’s gaze.

Seeing Jiang Jinhuang distracted, Ye Qing relaxed. She didn’t want Jiang Jinhuang to take responsibility—just to shift focus from the rooster’s origin. She’d succeeded.

But the little one glanced between Ye Qing and her sister, innocently defending Ye Qing. “Sister, I saw you bite Sister Ye’s neck.”

Ye Qing looked at the little one, shaking her head with a laugh. Saw it? With her fingers spread so wide while “covering” her eyes, how could she not?

Jiang Jinhuang’s ears and cheeks visibly flushed. She scooped up the little one, scolding, “Yangyang, don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t I tell you not to look? Were you naughty again?”

The little one shook her head, looking obedient, her big eyes blinking at Jiang Jinhuang. “No, I was good. I covered my eyes.”

Ye Qing, stirring the chicken to reduce the sauce, burst out laughing. The little one covered her eyes, but it was as good as not covering them.

Hearing Ye Qing’s laugh, the little one sought her support, turning to ask, “Sister Ye, didn’t I cover my eyes?”

Holding back laughter, Ye Qing nodded. “You did.”

Satisfied, the little one grinned proudly at her sister. “See? I was good.”

Jiang Jinhuang looked at Ye Qing, then her sister, sensing they shared a secret.

When Ye Qing caught her gaze, she mimicked the little one’s eye-covering, spreading her fingers wide. While the little one wasn’t looking, Ye Qing pointed at her back, winking at Jiang Jinhuang.

Jiang Jinhuang understood instantly—her sister “covered” her eyes like that. But glancing at Ye Qing’s neck, she felt uneasy. Could she really have bitten her? No, she wasn’t that impulsive. She wouldn’t do that to Ye Qing.

Not daring to dwell, she shifted focus, scolding the little one. “Yangyang, did you really cover your eyes properly?”

“I did,” the little one said, giggling.

Jiang Jinhuang tapped her nose. “Show me how you covered them.”

The little one spread her fingers wide, covering her eyes. Her big eyes peeked through, twinkling at Jiang Jinhuang, who laughed happily.

Jiang Jinhuang pinched her hand, amused and exasperated. “That’s how you cover your eyes? What’s the difference?”

“I covered them. I was good,” the little one insisted, nuzzling her sister affectionately.

Jiang Jinhuang’s eyes softened, amused by her little one. She wasn’t really upset—just diverting attention. It worked; Ye Qing’s focus had shifted.

Ye Qing didn’t mention the strawberry marks again, stirring the chicken, then taking the pot off the fire to avoid burning.

Seeing Ye Qing remove the pot, the little one’s eyes lit up. “Wow, can we eat?”

Ye Qing nodded, smiling. “Yes, wait a sec. I’ll serve the rice.”

Using a rag, she took the clay pot off, opened the lid, and the rice’s aroma wafted out. The rice was soft and sticky, just how Ye Qing liked it.

Jiang Jinyang wriggled in her sister’s arms, wanting Ye Qing. “Sister, let me go. I want Sister Ye.”

“Go ahead,” Jiang Jinhuang said, not stopping her. In her heat period, her stamina was low, and holding the little one tired her.

The little one scampered to Ye Qing, her big eyes fixed on the fragrant chicken.

Seeing the little glutton nearly drooling, Ye Qing grabbed her small bowl, put a piece of chicken in it, blew on it, and held it to her mouth.

The little one opened wide, biting down. The chicken’s flavor filled her mouth, tastier than ever, and she chewed eagerly.

“Mmm… chicken’s so good, so yummy,” she mumbled, eating heartily.

“If it’s good, have more. There’s plenty,” Ye Qing said, taking her bowl, adding half a bowl of rice, and placing a big chicken leg in it.

To make eating easier, Ye Qing moved a large stone nearby, setting the bowl on it for the little one.

The little one ate some rice, then gnawed the chicken leg, her mouth greasy.

Ye Qing filled another bowl with half a bowl of rice for Jiang Jinhuang, topping it with the other chicken leg, and handed it over. “Eat up.”

“Thanks,” Jiang Jinhuang said, seeing the big leg. “You take this leg. You’ve been caring for us both—it’s been hard.”

Ye Qing smiled, declining. “No need. The meat’s all the same, and you’re still in your heat period. You need to nourish yourself. Eat.”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded, her gaze drifting to Ye Qing’s neck, then quickly looking away.

Ye Qing served herself a bowl, picking out the gizzard. It was fragrant and chewy. She ate a chicken wing next.

Maybe it was her imagination, but the chicken from her space was plump and flavorful, with no gamey taste—just delicious. She ate both wings, the head, and the neck.

The little one, meanwhile, devoured her chicken leg, leaving it clean, her mouth oily.

Ye Qing touched her belly, laughing. “Yangyang, your tummy’s all round.”

“Hehe, so yummy. I’m so full,” the little one said, hugging her bowl and nuzzling Ye Qing.

Ye Qing got the water gourd from the cart, opened it, and cleaned the little one’s mouth, wiping it with a cloth.

“Want a drink?” Ye Qing asked.

The little one nodded, gulping several sips from the gourd, then sighing in relief.

Ye Qing, amused, took the gourd to Jiang Jinhuang. “Have some water. You sweated a lot when you were out.”

“Thanks,” Jiang Jinhuang said, taking it. She felt she’d forgotten something. After drinking, it hit her.

Was Ye Qing’s gourd that big? Why did it seem like the water never ran out?

Her relationship with Ye Qing had improved, and she wasn’t as scared of her anymore. She asked directly, “Why does it feel like the water in these gourds never runs out? Do you feel that?”

She watched Ye Qing’s expression closely.

Ye Qing looked at her, laughing awkwardly. “Huh? Really? I didn’t notice. Maybe I refill it often, so you got that impression.”

“Speaking of, my bonding mark’s still sore…” Ye Qing deflected. As expected, mentioning the mark silenced Jiang Jinhuang.

Ye Qing noticed Jiang Jinhuang’s ears turn pink, and she grinned, happily cleaning the pots and bowls.

Jiang Jinhuang shot Ye Qing a sneaky glare. Whenever she asked about these things, Ye Qing brought up the neck marks and bonding mark, making her too guilty to press further.

Huffing in frustration, Jiang Jinhuang buried herself in her blanket to rest. Fine, she’d figure it out eventually.

Ye Qing washed the dishes. They’d eaten all the rice, but plenty of chicken remained. She planned to add water and crumbled flatbread later for chicken stew.

While tidying, she heard the system’s prompt: “Congrats, dear! Female lead Jiang Jinhuang’s favorability +30. Current favorability: -100.”

Ye Qing’s eyes lit up. She turned to Jiang Jinhuang, who was resting. Surprised, she wondered why her favorability suddenly jumped.

Though lying down, Jiang Jinhuang wasn’t asleep. Ye Qing’s shelter, though simple, was warm, with three sides windproof and a fire in front. It wasn’t cold at all.

She felt safe in her blanket. Without Ye Qing, during her heat period, she and Yangyang would be starving and freezing. Ye Qing had worked hard this journey.

Thinking of the marks on Ye Qing’s neck, Jiang Jinhuang didn’t dare dwell. She still disliked Ye Qing, but that feeling had lessened, and she knew it. Especially since she’d bitten Ye Qing this time, she felt even guiltier.

Ye Qing told the system to save the 30 favorability points, adding to the 10 she hadn’t spent. She planned to check the system panel later when less busy.

Gaining 30 points at once was great news.

Ye Qing added larger logs to the fire and joined the little one in the shelter to rest.

Jiang Jinhuang was better today, not needing Ye Qing to hold her, so Ye Qing snuggled with the little one.

Happy from eating, the little one was in high spirits, chattering nonstop.

Finally, Ye Qing playfully “shut” her mouth, and she quieted. But having slept a lot at night, she couldn’t nap.

Seeing her restlessness, Ye Qing gave her a task. “Yangyang, if you can’t sleep, keep watch. If anyone or anything comes near, wake me right away, okay?”

“Okay!” The little one, thrilled to have a job, watched their camp seriously.

After a busy half-day, Ye Qing was exhausted. The little one’s watch was better than nothing. She needed to sleep before dark, staying alert at night.

Ye Qing slept deeply, the shelter warm and cozy under the blankets.

Meanwhile, near their old cave, the escaped trafficker and the refugees he’d bought were hiding nearby.

The trafficker whispered, “We’re close to Huai City. I promise, kill that female Qianyuan, and I’ll take you to the city to live well.”

“She’s alone. With so many of us, she’s no match.”

“Yeah, no match,” several refugees echoed.

On the way, the trafficker found his companions’ bodies. Searching them, he found no money. Furious, he realized Ye Qing likely took the silver and copper coins they carried. Losing that much, he couldn’t let it go and rallied the refugees to act.

They hid in the woods near the cave for nearly half an hour, but there was no movement. The trafficker sent two male Qianyuan to check. They crept to the cave, and the smaller one peeked, finding it empty.

He stood and shouted, “There’s nothing here!”

The trafficker didn’t believe it. He led the others from the woods, rushing into the cave. It was empty, the fire long extinguished.

Furious, he cursed, “Damn it, they sure ran fast.”

But letting Ye Qing go wasn’t an option. His companions had over 70 taels of silver and 2,000 copper coins—a huge sum. He couldn’t let Ye Qing have it.

He shouted, “Find that female Qianyuan. Whoever brings me her head won’t be sold in Huai City. You’ll work with me, well-fed, no need to sell your body. I keep my word.”

This stirred many. Already hoping to survive in the city, now they had a path without selling themselves. They grew eager.

“Just a female Qianyuan? With so many of us, we can’t lose.”

“Yeah, split up and search. We’ll find her.”

The crowd scattered, the trafficker leading some into the woods. This time, they carried weapons—mostly long sticks for the refugees, and a dagger for the trafficker.

Soon, someone noticed something. A teenage male Qianyuan spotted hoofprints. He didn’t keep it secret, knowing Ye Qing had a knife and was skilled, too risky to face alone.

He shouted, “Look here! Hoofprints! They must’ve fled.”

The trafficker pushed through to see. In this remote woods, hoofprints meant Ye Qing. He ordered, “Follow the tracks. No city until we find her.”

His threat spurred them. The group of over twenty chased the hoofprints.

At Ye Qing’s camp, the little one, seeing Ye Qing and her sister asleep, played with her hands, keeping watch. Sister Ye had said to alert her if anything approached, and she remembered clearly.

Bored after a while, she grabbed a stick to draw on the ground, playing happily.

Vaguely, she heard noises in the woods. Standing to look, she saw nothing and thought she misheard. Squatting to draw again, she heard footsteps approaching.

Not taking chances, she dropped the stick and ran to Ye Qing. “Sister Ye, Sister Ye, I think bad guys are coming.”

Ye Qing woke instantly, alert even in deep sleep.

Hearing the little one, she leapt from the shelter. Jiang Jinhuang woke too. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s coming. Jinhuang, protect Yangyang,” Ye Qing said, rushing to the cart and grabbing her long knife.

The noisy footsteps suggested many people, troubling her.

Jiang Jinhuang grabbed a dagger, stepping out of the shelter, shielding the little one.

Ye Qing’s face hardened. Soon, she saw the group—the trafficker she’d spared and the refugees.

Her expression grew colder. She’d spared the trafficker for the twenty-some innocent refugees. Now, they weren’t innocent, coming to harm her.

Pointing her knife forward, Ye Qing shouted, “One more step, and I won’t be polite.”

Her presence intimidated many Kunze in the crowd, who hesitated.

The trafficker yelled, “What’re you scared of? They’re just three, one a kid. We’re over twenty. Afraid of her? Kill them, and we head to Huai City tomorrow. I keep my word.”

Terrified of hunger, the refugees, hearing they could reach Huai City sooner, mustered courage and advanced.

Ye Qing’s lips curled. A classic farmer-and-snake tale. Her kindness had given them an opening. Truly, pitiful people often had hateful traits.

Over twenty, some so weak they’d fall in a breeze, clearly starved for days, Ye Qing didn’t fear them—just found them sad and laughable.

She warned again, “I’ll say it once more. Leave now, and I won’t act. Otherwise, don’t blame me.”

“Don’t listen! She’s alone. Whoever takes her head works with me, fed and clothed!” the trafficker urged.

Starved for days, the refugees were on the edge, devoid of reason. To them, Ye Qing was a fat sheep. They didn’t consider the trafficker’s promises’ validity, clinging to them like a lifeline, determined to kill her.

The crowd surged with rage, as if Ye Qing were their sworn enemy.

The trafficker laughed gleefully. “Go! Don’t fear her. They’re few!”

“Don’t fear! Kill her, and we’re in Huai City, no more hunger!”

“Kill her! I want a full meal in Huai City.”

“Kill her.”

Ye Qing watched them coldly, but she was oddly calm. These people had lost basic judgment, mere puppets manipulated by others.