I Marry a Wife for my Big Brother, Starting Out With Exile - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Yam and Meatball Soup

“You’re very good, too.” Courtesy demands reciprocity.

Sensing those two bowls of piping-hot yam and meatball soup, Li Chenghuan couldn’t suppress the joy in her heart. She looked at Jiang Jinyue with a beaming smile and asked, “Sister-in-law, are you hungry?”

If possible, she wanted to get a bit more food or drink; only when one had provisions in hand could one feel secure at heart.

A look of scrutiny crossed Jiang Jinyue’s eyes. This person had suddenly shaken off all her depression and was even smiling so foolishly—her mood shifted far too quickly and without any warning whatsoever.

She curled the corners of her lips and smoothly replied, “I am a bit hungry.” She wanted to see just what tricks this person was playing at.

Under the bright moonlight, the person who was usually as cold as frost wore a rare smile, making her brows and eyes look gentle. It was like a peerless painting that had initially been brushed with only a few strokes of ink, yet was already stunning enough; that faint smile blooming forth now was like a splash of watercolor suddenly spread out, adding just the right touch of color to the scroll.

Exquisite and mesmerizing, yearningly captivating.

Li Chenghuan instinctively clutched her chest, her heart beating uncontrollably faster.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Jiang Jinyue remained nonchalant, her voice clear and melodious.

Li Chenghuan snapped abruptly back to her senses, thinking to herself how close that was. Beauty could lead one astray; she had almost fallen for it… Well, not that kind of fall, just a pure appreciation of beauty, forgetting where and when she was because she had been admiring her too intently.

Right, exactly that.

She lowered her hand, ignored her pounding heart, and tried hard to regain her composure.

“I’m fine. I just remembered that Grandmother still has some food on her side; wait for me a moment.”

Having said that, Li Chenghuan turned around and ran back. She wanted to strike while the iron was hot—ah bah, strike while the iron was hot.

Especially since her cold-beauty sister-in-law had even turned gentle; if she didn’t farm the golden finger now, when would she?

Running back into the procession in one breath, Li Chenghuan saw someone looking over and fabricated a story on the spot: “Grandmother, sister-in-law fainted from hunger. Hurry up and come with me to carry sister-in-law back.”

Grandma Li leaped straight to her feet: “The jinx fainted? Where is she, lead me there quickly.” Heaven has eyes; she finally didn’t have to endure it anymore! Taking advantage of the jinx fainting, she was going to go search her from head to toe right now—no good thing would escape her grasp.

At that exact moment, Wang Yue also popped up to her feet: “This prince will go with you all and help carry her back!”

Jiang Jinyue—the person Grand Tutor Yu had spoken of was Jiang Jinyue, the one who had already resolved to follow her.

Although she hadn’t noticed it herself, she trusted Grand Tutor Yu. What was the meaning of treating scholars with courtesy? Lending a hand at a time like this, followed by a few words of concern, would ensure that once Jiang Jinyue woke up and learned of her actions, her heart would be won over.

Grand Tutor Yu remained silent and followed Wang Yue over as well.

In a flurry of panic, Li Chenghuan blurted out, “Your Highness, men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving things; there’s no need to trouble you.”

Wang Yue’s face twisted slightly. She was a woman, and she had already recovered her female identity—what kind of “men and women shouldn’t touch” nonsense was this? This person was intentionally making fun of her.

“Your Highness, those three should be able to carry Miss Jiang back.” Seeing the guards glancing in their direction, Grand Tutor Yu made a decisive judgment and pulled Wang Yue back.

Li Chenghuan let out a silent sigh of relief and was about to take Grandma Li and Li Chenglale away when her steps were halted once more.

“What is all this commotion about?” Boss Gu frowned as he looked over.

“Why aren’t you coming over to report?” Zhou Yuan called out with sharp situational awareness.

Li Chenghuan turned around helplessly with heavy steps. Tonight, she truly had to fool one person after another without any end in sight.

Wishing to do something for Wang Yue, Grand Tutor Yu waved at Li Chenghuan and took the initiative to step forward and explain.

Soon, Zhou Yuan shouted loudly, “Stop standing around, get back to whatever you were doing.”

The implication was that they could go carry the person back now.

Li Chenghuan let out a long breath of relief and turned to walk away immediately, fearing any further twists and turns.

Just to bring her family a bowl of meat soup to drink, had she had it easy?

Grandma Li hurriedly took her younger granddaughter’s hand and followed closely behind. After running a certain distance and seeing Li Chenghuan stop, she looked around and asked, “Where’s that jinx? Why don’t I see her?”

She was going to search thoroughly and comb through everything on the jinx’s body.

“You guys wait for me a moment.” Li Chenghuan regulated her breathing, bypassed a nearby tree in two or three steps, bent down while retrieving a bowl of meat and yam soup, and feigned pulling it out from beneath the tree.

“Sister-in-law is fine. Grandmother, hurry and drink the soup with third sister.”

“The jinx didn’t faint?” Grandma Li felt somewhat disappointed, but immediately grew excited afterward—what was that smell she caught? The scent of meat!

The soup the ill-fated granddaughter was holding in her hands had meat in it! It was meat soup!

Grandma Li took it excitedly. All thoughts of body searches and good things were cast to the winds.

She took a deep breath—it smelled so good, and it was still piping hot.

The yams were soft, sweet, and tender, while the meatballs burst with rich fragrance and juice—it was too delicious!

Squinting her eyes, the old lady drank half the bowl and nearly shed tears on the spot.

“We’ve only been exiled for two days, so why does this old woman feel like I haven’t eaten meat in lifetimes?” Handing the bowl to her younger granddaughter, she looked at Li Chenghuan with eyes brimming with maternal affection.

“Chenghuan, your eldest brother is gone, so Grandmother is counting entirely on you now.”

The old man had passed away early, leaving her with only a single son. In past years, he had insisted on learning from others and becoming a merchant, only to leave with his wife and never return, remaining missing to this day while dumping three children on her hands.

Her eldest grandson, Li Chengsi, loved studying the most and possessed great talent, yet he died young…

Her younger granddaughter, Li Chenglale, had a coarse frame and plenty of strength, but simple-minded and dull-witted—she couldn’t be counted on.

Her second granddaughter, Li Chenghuan, was much smarter. Not only was she delicate, pretty, and quick-witted, but she also handled interpersonal matters thoughtfully everywhere—she had great potential.

Under the moonlight, Li Chenghuan couldn’t see the old lady’s expression, so she opened her mouth to continue fabricating: “You’d better count on sister-in-law instead. This meat soup was given by sister-in-law. Don’t ask how sister-in-law got it either; since we’ve gotten the benefit, let’s keep it buried in our stomachs so as not to cause trouble for sister-in-law.”

She wasn’t wrong in saying this—she herself was counting entirely on Jiang Jinyue.

Grandma Li’s expression stiffened for a moment, and she asked casually, “Where is your sister-in-law?” Fine, as long as there’s food, I’ll endure a bit more. Isn’t it just coaxing that jinx? I can do it.

Taking the empty bowl back, Li Chenghuan put on a profound air and said, “Sister-in-law is right ahead, probably making some arrangements. Just wait patiently, I’ll go check.”

Since she kept pulling things out time and again, there had to be some origin for them; minor misleading was fine, no big deal.

Hearing this, Grandma Li couldn’t help letting her imagination run wild. Arranging things? Arranging what? And arranging whom?

Right, the jinx was a high-ranking official’s daughter; there must definitely be someone protecting her from behind the scenes.

Her ill-fated granddaughter was right; the three of them along this road truly had to depend on that person.

“Go quickly, and tell darling Jinyue that Grandmother understands everything in her heart and will absolutely never cause her any trouble.”

The corners of Li Chenghuan’s mouth twitched slightly. The old lady really knew how to bend and stretch; she even rolled off endearing terms like “darling Jinyue” so smoothly.

Halfway back, she pulled out the remaining bowl of yam and meatball soup, took a deep breath, and walked toward Jiang Jinyue.

“Sister-in-law, hurry and drink this soup.”

The moment she saw her, Li Chenghuan handed the bowl over like offering a treasure.

Jiang Jinyue instinctively took it; it was warm…

Instead of drinking the soup right away, she asked with feigned casualness, “Did the guards give this?”

Definitely not. Exile was meant to make prisoners suffer, working them to death one by one; as long as a few were left to fulfill the quota, that was enough.

Li Chenghuan gave an ambiguous reply: “Not the guards, it’s—cough, cough… Anyway, don’t ask about all that, just drink it quickly.”

The exact same hint, delivered a second time.

Jiang Jinyue’s gaze deepened, her imagination running wild as well. Not the guards, and even less likely a prisoner, which meant someone was following closely in secret, and still doing it for the sake of the Li family…

Just as she was pondering, the person in front of her fished a lapis lazuli cup out from her bosom.

Li Chenghuan pushed the cup forward slightly, her tone light: “Sister-in-law, I’m hungry too. Can you pour me a little bit?”

She had messed up; she had been entirely focused on feeding both sides while forgetting that she hadn’t even tasted a single drop herself.

The reward she had worked so hard to farm had only given her a whiff of the scent until now.

She was genuinely going to cry. (/▽＼)

The next second, Li Chenghuan almost wept tears of joy.

[Heroine’s corruption value reduced by two, rewarded with one bucket of coconut water.]

Jiang Jinyue said nothing, reaching out to support the cup and carefully pouring the soup into it.

It was unclear whose fingers were slightly cool, but the cup filled up rapidly, the piping-hot soup instantly warming each other’s fingers.

As the hands pulled away, the warmth diminished slightly, yet Li Chenghuan’s heart blazed with heat.

Ah-ah-ah, a bucket of coconut water! And a twenty-liter large bucket at that!

She really wanted to cry; her cold-beauty sister-in-law was truly her great savior, and giving this meat soup was worth every single bit!

(I love coconut water.)