Transmigrated Into an Ancient Famine Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Ye Qing thought Jiang Jinhuang just wanted fresh air. She held Jiang Jinhuang and sat by the fire warmly.

“Speaking of it, Second Highness probably returned to the capital,” Ye Qing said, smiling. “She likely sent your letter to your family, so don’t worry too much.”

“Yes, probably,” Jiang Jinhuang said, looking at Ye Qing. “But we didn’t know where we’d go then, or my family would’ve sent someone.”

Then she continued talking about her family. “My parents are alive,” she said. “I have an elder sister, two years older, all easy to get along with.”

“Oh, oh,” Ye Qing said, nodding twice. Why was Jiang Jinhuang suddenly talking about her family?

Seeing Ye Qing only nodded, Jiang Jinhuang sighed and glared at her. “It’s still cold,” she said. “Hold me tighter.”

“Maybe we should use a blanket,” Ye Qing said. “It’s warmer.” She reached for the blanket again.

Jiang Jinhuang pulled away from her arms. She huffed at Ye Qing coldly and returned to the cart.

Didn’t she know blankets were warmer? She wanted to be close to Ye Qing and talk intimately. But Ye Qing didn’t get it. She was exasperated.

Ye Qing saw Jiang Jinhuang leave. She felt confused. Why did she seem angry again?

She pulled the blanket closer. It was indeed cold. She draped it over herself.

Ye Qing stayed until midnight, then woke Song Zhao. She went to rest. The night passed uneventfully.

Ye Qing’s group ate breakfast early and headed to a nearby town. These towns, once locked due to the disaster, reopened now that it was under control.

At noon, Ye Qing’s group ate snacks simply and continued to the town. They reached it before dark.

Compared to Raozhou, this town was sparsely populated. With night falling, the streets were nearly empty.

Ye Qing’s group found an inn. They left cart items outside, took only evening essentials, and entered.

The inn’s hall was quiet. Only two or three tables had people eating or drinking. Ye Qing’s group sat at an empty table casually.

A worker rushed over quickly. “What would you like to eat?” he asked eagerly.

Ye Qing glanced at the menu. She saw a few common dishes listed plainly.

“Red-braised carp, roasted chicken, stir-fried leek with potato…” Ye Qing ordered several dishes. The worker went to prepare them happily.

Soon, the dishes arrived one by one. Ye Qing’s group ordered the most food among the patrons.

The little one was hungry. She pointed at the chicken on the table. “Sister, I want that,” she said eagerly.

“Okay, I’ll get it,” Jiang Jinhuang said. She broke off a chicken leg. It was too big for the little one, so she split it in half.

While the little one ate the leg, Jiang Jinhuang picked fish bones for her.

She poured fish broth over rice, added deboned fish, and fed the little one with a spoon carefully.

Ye Qing and Song Zhao didn’t hold back. They ate heartily. Ye Qing paired fish with rice and finished a bowl quickly. As she got a second bowl, a few male Qianyuan at the wall table, seemingly drunk, staggered toward them with wine bowls.

Ye Qing noticed them. She ignored them initially. But one man with a bushy beard headed toward Jiang Jinhuang.

Ye Qing stood and blocked Jiang Jinhuang. The bearded man, clearly drunk, had red cheeks and reeked of alcohol. Two other male Qianyuan behind him were the same.

Seeing Ye Qing block Jiang Jinhuang, the bearded man spoke unhappily. “Tch, move,” he said. “I want to talk to that sister.”

Ye Qing looked at him coldly. “Get lost,” she said. “Don’t think a bit of liquor lets you do whatever.”

“What are you?” the bearded man said loudly, reeking of alcohol. “You dare control me? I’m just asking the sister for a drink. You dare disrespect me? Ask around town who I am.”

“Get lost,” Ye Qing said coldly. “Don’t ruin our meal.”

Song Zhao stood too. She glared at the two male Qianyuan behind the bearded man.

The bearded man laughed loudly. “Fine, if the Kunze won’t drink with us, you can,” he said. “So pretty, but a pity you’re a Qianyuan.”

Ye Qing saw he wouldn’t listen. She grabbed his wine bowl and splashed the wine on his face.

“No mirror in hand?” Ye Qing said calmly, her tone mocking. “No piss in your bladder to look in? You think you’re worthy to make me drink?”

She hated drunkards like him. Too cowardly to bother Qianyuan, they targeted Kunze, teasing verbally, asking for drinks to take advantage, or worse, plotting misdeeds while drunk.

Ye Qing wouldn’t tolerate such people.

The bearded man, splashed with wine, sobered slightly. Seeing the slim female Qianyuan and his two friends behind him, he didn’t want to lose face.

“Fvck, you’re asking to die,” he said. “You don’t want face.” He reached to grab Ye Qing.

Ye Qing slapped him hard with full force. He stumbled back several steps and fell to the floor.

He held his face with one hand and pointed at Ye Qing with the other. “You, you dare hit me?” he said, shocked.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Ye Qing said. “We were eating peacefully. You caused trouble first.”

“Fvck, pretty boy, I’ll fight you,” the man said. He struggled up and charged at Ye Qing.

Ye Qing kicked him, sending him flying. He crashed into his two friends. The three fell in a heap, their wine bowls shattering on the floor.

Ye Qing sneered at them. “With such little skill, you dare cause trouble?” she said. “Go home before you embarrass yourselves further.”

The three lay in a daze. Other tables stared, pointing at them and whispering.

The bearded man’s drunkenness nearly faded, beaten out of him. Realizing Ye Qing wasn’t easy to mess with, he pulled his friends to flee.

“Wait,” Ye Qing said sarcastically. “Haven’t paid yet? Planning to beat people and dine for free?”

The bearded man’s face flushed and paled. He didn’t dare provoke Ye Qing again. He pulled out a few dozen wen from his chest and tossed them on the table, trying to leave.

“Wait,” Ye Qing said coldly. “Innkeeper, check if his money’s enough. Don’t forget, they broke three bowls.”

The innkeeper, fearing Ye Qing, counted the money. He found only thirty wen, but their meal cost seventy.

The innkeeper spoke up. “Your meal was seventy wen,” he said. “I didn’t count the bowls. You gave thirty. Planning to dine for free?”

Other tables pointed and whispered at the three.

“Drunk and forgot their name,” one said. “They deserve this.”

“Exactly,” another said. “Good thing that Qianyuan’s skilled. Those guys are disgusting.”

“Can’t afford a meal but come to an inn,” another said. “Trying to skip the bill. Disgusting.”

“Such a disgrace,” another said.

The bearded man searched his pockets angrily. “Why’s your food so expensive?” he said.

The innkeeper was speechless. “Sir, we price clearly,” he said. “You can’t dodge the bill with drunken antics. Pay, or we’ll report you.”

Finally, the bearded man’s friends scraped together seventy wen and paid the innkeeper.

Ye Qing returned to eat. She took another bowl of rice, tore off smoked chicken, and mixed it in.

Soon, the innkeeper brought a plate of tremella and lotus seed soup. “Guests, this soup is our apology,” he said. “Sorry for earlier. We didn’t expect such customers.”

“No problem,” Ye Qing said. “Thanks.” She didn’t refuse. She was thirsty and poured a bowl of soup.

The soup was soft and sweet with rock sugar. Ye Qing drank two bowls eagerly.

The little one loved it too. After eating so much, she drank a bowl of soup herself.

After dinner, Ye Qing’s group went to the second floor to rest. Few stayed at the inn. They took three adjacent rooms for safety.

Jiang Jinhuang and Yangyang’s room was in the middle. Ye Qing’s was near the stairs. Song Zhao’s was inside.

Ye Qing ordered water. They’d camped outside last night. Now, with an inn, she wanted to bathe properly.

Ye Qing soaked in the tub. She felt much more comfortable. After bathing, she slept early.

The next morning, Ye Qing’s group rose early. They ate breakfast at the inn and prepared to pass through the town to continue their journey.

At a snack stall, Ye Qing bought some snacks and a pack of sauced beef for lunch.

Soon, Ye Qing’s group left the town. They continued north along the mountain road.

Not far from the town, Ye Qing saw seven or eight people blocking the road, sitting or standing. Three were familiar.

Song Zhao pointed ahead. “Master, it’s the three drunks from the inn last night,” she said.

Ye Qing recognized them too. She thought they were a brief encounter. She didn’t expect them to follow her group out of town.

Ye Qing pulled the reins, stopping the horses. She sat on the cart and shouted at the group ahead. “You’re blocking the road,” she said. “What’s your intent?”

“What intent?” the bearded man said. “This is a public road. You can travel, so can we.”

He sneered at Ye Qing darkly. “You made me lose face last night,” he said. “Think you can leave town safely? Pretty boy, give us your Kunze to play with. Then kneel and kowtow three times. I might spare you.”