She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 6

Some things, once they happen, cause emotions to progress. Even if the depths of Qiang Ning’s heart remained cold, she could only watch helplessly as she fell.

In truth, she hadn’t done much; she had merely bitten Lin Dongruan in a fit of pique.

But ever since that act occurred, she subconsciously began to categorize Lin Dongruan as her own personal possession.

Every night when they went to sleep, she would proactively embrace the other woman for warmth. When she couldn’t sleep, she would openly observe her face. If the other was fast asleep, she would also secretly lean in to kiss her cheek.

This winter was not long. After the skies cleared and the snow melted, she continued to follow Lin Dongruan to the town to see patients and help supplement the household income.

Qiang Ning was constantly trying to find ways to shove money toward Lin Dongruan, so she summoned a group of her physically imposing subordinates to visit Lin Dongruan’s medical stall for consultations.

After checking the pulses of several martial artists in a row, Lin Dongruan finally noticed something amiss: “You all are free of illness and pain; why have you come here to join the commotion?”

Standing behind Lin Dongruan, Qiang Ning glared coldly and sharply at her useless subordinates.

The subordinates looked at her, trembling with fear, and beat around the bush to find an excuse: “We brothers aren’t here to cause trouble. We truly have… a hidden ailment that is difficult to speak of. We need you, Doctor, to take a good look at us.”

Seeing that these men were clearly trained martial artists, Lin Dongruan didn’t doubt them. She simply assumed they had been afflicted by some strange and exotic poison that she, with her insufficient medical skills, could not identify.

Lin Dongruan pressed her brow in frustration, exhausting her mind trying to recall how many exotic poisons existed in the world. Qiang Ning stood behind her, watching her think. One was standing while the other sat; Qiang Ning rested her hands on Lin Dongruan’s shoulders, embracing her in a possessive stance.

Qiang Ning said, “It’s not that they aren’t sick; perhaps they all have the same illness.”

“Perhaps.” Lin Dongruan still couldn’t figure it out, so she asked them, “Do you feel any discomfort in your bodies?”

The subordinates froze. Under Qiang Ning’s threatening gaze, one of them firmly fabricated an absurd lie: “We brothers were originally from a security bureau. Who would have thought that while escorting a precious object, we would be intercepted and robbed by mountain bandits? We were few and weak; not only did we fail to protect the goods, we suffered the humiliation of being stripped of our clothes. Later, when we woke up, we all felt soreness in our limbs and a bloated, suffocating pain in our lower abdomens. We fear… we fear we are pregnant with children.”

Qiang Ning: “Huh?”

Useless trash. How could you make up something so ridiculous? Never mind Lin Dongruan—no normal person would believe such a lie. Men getting pregnant? Is this a joke?

Her face instantly darkened. She gritted her teeth while looking at this good-for-nothing, wishing she could chase him away immediately to stop him from ruining her plans.

Lin Dongruan looked serious: “You are all highly skilled martial artists. Logically, you shouldn’t have been so easily victimized. Think back—did you touch any cursed or infested objects?”

“You can get pregnant just by touching something?” Even Qiang Ning found this preposterous. She actively sabotaged the lie, saying, “Sister, I think they simply have a problem with their heads. It has nothing to do with being pregnant.”

“We must not jump to conclusions.” Lin Dongruan noticed the irritability of the person behind her and pressed down on Qiang Ning’s hand to soothe her. “There is a place in the world called the ‘Zimu River.’ It is said that the water there can cause all living beings to become pregnant. Previously, four monks on a journey to fetch scriptures accidentally drank the water and suffered from unbearable abdominal pain and bloating…”

Oh, that was content from a storybook. Qiang Ning had heard it before, but somehow it had become a real-world rumor that had actually fooled Lin Dongruan.

Fine. As long as she didn’t suspect the truth, this would be easy to handle.

Qiang Ning cleared her throat and flicked her eyes to signal the men to find a way to leave the money. Her subordinates were quick-witted and immediately caught her drift. They instantly put on a performance of weeping as if they had found their savior, acting as if they wanted to kneel before Lin Dongruan. They shouted “Living Goddess of Medicine” while begging for their lives.

Lin Dongruan had no idea how to save them. She frowned, not daring to promise a cure, only saying she would try her best.

“Please, Divine Doctor, accept this small token of our gratitude.” The subordinate hurriedly presented a pile of money, heaping it onto Lin Dongruan’s stall, and performed a respectful martial arts salute. “This illness is truly too shameful to speak of. Please do not tell outsiders. This is not just for our treatment, but also a ‘hush money’ fee from us.”

“It’s too much; there’s no need for such extravagance.” Lin Dongruan didn’t want to accept it, explaining, “A physician has a benevolent heart. A patient’s condition is never revealed to others. You are also in a difficult position; after being robbed by bandits, you have no travel expenses. Keep this for yourselves. I haven’t even prescribed any medicine; I have no reason to take this money.”

The subordinates had finally completed the task of giving the money away and were in no way willing to take it back. Hearing her words, they quickly refused: “Money is a worldly possession. We brothers have hands and feet; we can earn more.”

Lin Dongruan: “Even so, there is no need for this much money. A-Ning, give the money back to them.”

The subordinates froze, carefully glancing at the Princess’s expression.

“Sister, let’s just accept it.” Qiang Ning was naturally happy to funnel money to Lin Dongruan. She wasn’t polite at all and directly packed the money away.

Lin Dongruan frowned: “A-Ning, be good. One shouldn’t receive rewards without merit. Give it back.”

Qiang Ning crossed her arms and talked back: “I won’t.”

In public, she couldn’t disregard the other’s dignity, so Lin Dongruan remained silent and didn’t say anything more to her. It wasn’t until dusk, when they were packing up to go home, that Qiang Ning realized Lin Dongruan hadn’t spoken a single word to her for half the day.

“Sister, you’re angry.” Qiang Ning grabbed her wrist and offered a half-hearted apology. “Don’t be angry. We made a lot of money today. Come, I’ll buy you a new dress.”

“A-Ning, wealth must be acquired through the right path. We should not have accepted such a large amount of property. Do you realize that this much gold and silver is equivalent to the annual salary of a third-rank official in our dynasty? It is the savings of many commoners to buy land or a house.”

Qiang Ning had intended to happily give Lin Dongruan money to spend, but she hadn’t expected this person to be so unappreciative. Not only was she not happy about getting money, but she even turned around to criticize her. A wave of grievance instantly surged within Qiang Ning. At the same time, she thought with some irritation—it’s only a bit over 130 taels. Is that a lot? Is it worth making such a fuss?

“How they earn money and how they spend it—what does it have to do with us? Sister, your ‘saintly heart’ is far too broad.” Qiang Ning almost directly pointed out that Lin Dongruan was being nosy. She snorted, still without the slightest intention of repenting. “Aren’t you happy to have money? Do you have to live a bitter life just to feel comfortable?”

The more she heard these fallacious words, the deeper Lin Dongruan’s sorrow grew. Having not been an Imperial Tutor for many years, she once again took on the mantle of a strict teacher, shedding her usual gentleness: “The security guards of our dynasty risk their lives to protect goods, yet they earn very little. They cannot accumulate much wealth in a year. Those men came from a bandit den yet had no external physical injuries. Even if they lost the goods they were guarding, they still had a massive amount of wealth. That wealth is eight or nine times likely to have been stolen back from the bandits. Have you considered this reason?”

No, because it was all made up. Why would she consider any of that?

Qiang Ning was indifferent: “Of course I considered it. But gold and silver are things that change hands. Why distinguish if they came from the noble or the lowly? Sister, don’t go thinking this money is ‘dirty’; just take it and use it with peace of mind.”

“A-Ning, your thoughts and actions are improper; they must be corrected.” Lin Dongruan looked into her eyes, her voice persistent. “Coveting illegal wealth is inappropriate behavior. I hope you can discard this bad habit as soon as possible.”

“I don’t want to hear these pedantic lectures.” Qiang Ning’s good mood was completely gone. Lacking patience, she showed a bit of irritation. “Isn’t it just about a little bit of money? Sister, do you have to scold me in public for so long?”

Lin Dongruan’s brow remained furrowed: “A-Ning.”

They had lived together for quite some time, yet Lin Dongruan hadn’t known Qiang Ning possessed such a temperament. She felt both saddened and surprised.

The girl before her was young, but her figure was already mature. Standing there, her bones carried a sense of pride. Lin Dongruan looked at her eyes and suddenly realized they were quite contrary to the lower half of her face. Below were a jade-like mouth and a fine nose, soft and pretty like a young girl’s; her cherry lips were always slightly pursed as if she were an innocent child. But if one covered that lower half… A-Ning’s eyes were so sharp and vibrant. The slightly upturned corners, combined with thick lashes, possessed a strong sense of aggression alongside her power.

“A-Ning, come here.” Lin Dongruan sighed, ultimately wanting to correct her. “Go over there and pick up a smooth wooden branch.”

Qiang Ning was still sulking. Hearing this request, she was somewhat confused. Naturally, out of curiosity, she complied.

There weren’t many branches by the roadside. Qiang Ning managed to find a relatively decent thin branch and handed it to Lin Dongruan: “What do you want a branch for?”

Lin Dongruan didn’t speak. She only glanced at her, then lowered her head to snap off the offshoots, trimming the thin branch until it was smooth and slender.

“Let’s go home first,” Lin Dongruan said. “There are too many people here.”

The child is grown; it is inconvenient to hit her here.

Because Lin Dongruan’s thoughts were often eccentric, Qiang Ning didn’t think much of it. With a naive face, she followed the other woman on the road home.

After a while, the two finally left the most crowded area of Wusang Town. Their home was in the most remote part of town. By the time they were almost home, the road was completely deserted.

The moonlight was poor tonight. It was hard to see the path while walking. When they reached the door, Qiang Ning suddenly noticed the person in front of her stop and take something out.

Lin Dongruan stood there quietly and said, “A-Ning, hold out your hand.”

Qiang Ning thought she was going to hand her something, so she subconsciously complied. But in the next instant, her palm was struck by the wooden branch. A long, thin switch to the palm truly hurt; the place where she was hit instantly went numb with pain, followed by a burning sting.

“Hiss…” Qiang Ning looked at her palm in disbelief and questioned her, “You actually hit me?”

“If a mistake is made and not corrected in time, it deserves a beating.” Lin Dongruan held the branch, supporting Qiang Ning’s hand, and said coldly, “Raise your hand and open your palm.”

As a Grand Princess, Qiang Ning had left her Imperial Father at a young age, and her mother had passed away early. No one in the world could restrain her, let alone smack her palm so disrespectfully. Qiang Ning was too shocked. When something that had never happened before occurred, she was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to react.

Consequently, during that pause, she took another hit.

“Presumptuous!” It wasn’t until she was struck a third time that Qiang Ning finally reacted. She withdrew her hand in anger. “I don’t allow you to hit me!”

She subconsciously reverted to her princess-like demeanor. After a sharp rebuke, she suddenly realized she was still hiding her identity—how could she be so overbearing?

So, Qiang Ning rubbed her hand and swallowed her anger, ignoring the other woman.

“Do you know you’re wrong?” Lin Dongruan asked her.

Qiang Ning retorted, “What have I done wrong?”

Lin Dongruan: “Do you know why I am angry?”

“Why? It’s nothing more than being angry at my bad attitude and me talking back to you. Angry that I am greedy for ill-gotten gains.” Qiang Ning didn’t think this was a big deal and could have argued for a long time.

“When so much money appears in the marketplace, how many eyes will be watching? If you encounter such a situation again in the future, you must not be so greedy for wealth.” Lin Dongruan pressed Qiang Ning’s shoulder, half-pushing her, and locked her inside the door. She said, “You go inside first.”

Qiang Ning stood by the door and teased her: “Sister, a person like you actually knows how to hide wealth? Weren’t you the one who used to leave the doors unlocked at night and leave medicinal herbs randomly in the courtyard?”

Outside the door, Lin Dongruan’s voice suddenly became calm and serious. She whispered an instruction to Qiang Ning: “Someone has come with a knife to rob us.”

Qiang Ning understood. It wasn’t that Lin Dongruan had suddenly learned the wisdom of hiding wealth; it was that the robbers had already followed them to the door.

She leaned against the door. Although her palm was still stinging painfully, she ultimately felt the other’s protection. That person had actually told her to hide inside while she faced the bandits alone.

Qiang Ning smiled, her lips carrying a hint of sweetness. Joyfully, she pulled a blade from beneath the bed board. After wiping away the dust, she unhurriedly hid the knife in her sleeve and then pulled open the door to head out.