The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 38.2

Chapter 38.2

Youqin Mingyue put down her chopsticks.

Her good appetite had suddenly vanished.

In the past, when Lin Yanran wanted to accompany her for a meal, she found it annoying and wished she would simply disappear. Now, when Lin Yanran accompanied others for a meal, she also found it annoying.

Especially upon discovering this shift in her own emotions, her mood grew increasingly irritable.

Was she being affected by her susceptibility period (heat), or had she truly grown accustomed to having Lin Yanran accompany her during meals?

Lin Yanran was still concerned about the domestic violence Lin Cuicui was suffering. After finishing her meal, she instructed Chen Xiaohua to go and call Lin Dahai over.

Unexpectedly, “speak of the devil and he shall appear”—Lin Dahai arrived at the door of his own accord.

All four of Lin Shan’s limbs had been broken. A doctor had seen him and said it was impossible for him to return to his original state, but if there was silver, he could recover enough to walk with crutches.

Refusing to accept this, Lin Dahai had gone to the county town to find a famous doctor, only to return dejected by the exorbitant fees. Hearing from neighbors that many strangers had arrived at Lin Yanran’s house and that a large boat was docked at the river entrance, he immediately decided to come and see what was going on—and to see if there was an opportunity to swindle some silver out of her.

“Yanran, what’s with all these strangers in your house? I’m telling you, now that the Northern Barbarians are invading, the Commander has ordered us to drill day and night. As a Qianyuan, you must take the lead in drills starting today. You must not be absent, or I won’t let you off!”

Lin Yanran rolled her eyes grandly. She told Chen Xiaohua to go fetch Lin Dashan while she started dealing with him in the courtyard.

“What? You want to recruit workers? You want to hire everyone in Phoenix Town?”

Lin Dahai’s small eyes widened into circles. He thought to himself: If Yanran is suddenly hiring so many people, has she come across some heaven-sent business deal again?

Hiss… I have to bite off a piece of that fatty meat no matter what. I can’t let her earn all the money alone!

His eyes rolled as he shook his crossed legs. “Yanran, I am the Village Chief; everything in Phoenix Town is decided by me. If you want to recruit, I only need to raise my arm and everyone will be willing to work for you. However, you have to explain exactly what kind of business it is. If it’s something wicked, I’ll be the first to disagree!”

Ha! She hadn’t even mentioned a business yet, and Lin Dahai was already clamoring for it. She could see through his flowery schemes even through his skin.

She turned her head; her rattan chair had once again been moved to the corridor by Liu Zhenzhen to serve Feng Gu. She then glanced at Wang Shouchun, who was watching the scene with interest, and deliberately adopted a rogue-like manner. “Miss Wang, why haven’t you brought me a chair yet?”

Wang Shouchun had been secretly sizing her up.

Being a newcomer, she was inevitably a bit nervous, especially regarding this benefactor of hers—who had both the side of an upright gentleman and the side of someone who didn’t play by the rules. She couldn’t see through her at all.

Seeing her suddenly put on the air of a hooligan, Wang Shouchun actually felt a bit relaxed. What plan is the Benefactor hatching now?

She put on a submissive act and truly went into the main room to drag out a curved-back armchair.

However, being a Kunze and needing to maintain a weak appearance in front of others, she dragged it with great effort, stopping and starting along the way. This kept Lin Yanran on edge, fearing she would trip over the threshold and fall—because then she would have to go and help her up.

She needed to show off her authority in front of Lin Dahai right now to suppress his arrogance!

With great difficulty, Wang Shouchun dragged the chair over. Lin Yanran plopped down into it, and finding no place for her feet, she twisted her body and propped her long legs up on the corridor railing.

Then she began to shake her legs nonchalantly. That posture was even more cocky than Lin Dahai’s.

She spoke: “That’s right! This time it’s a massive business deal. You know Phoenix City, right? The Prefecture city. A Miss from the Gu family—a rich person. I saved her. Now, out of gratitude for saving her life, she wants to build a pharmaceutical workshop in our town!”

Lin Dahai’s mouth had already hung open, distracted by Wang Shouchun’s beauty. Upon hearing this, his mouth opened even wider. He rubbed his ears and leaned in closer.

“Yanran, what did you say? A rich lady from the Prefecture city wants to come to our town to build a workshop?”

Lin Yanran thought to herself: The old man sure knows how to catch the keywords. But then again, those keywords were exactly what she wanted him to focus on.

She immediately raised her voice, loud enough that she wished the whole town could hear her.

“Yes! A high-born lady from the Prefecture, a lady from a wealthy family! I saved her, and she wants to build a workshop next to my house!”

Lin Dahai’s eardrums were nearly shattered. He hurriedly backed away, but his appetite was hooked. He didn’t dare be fierce with Lin Yanran; instead, he asked flatteringly, “Really? Where is she? Let me see?”

Lin Yanran ignored him and continued loudly: “I said our town is broken and small, and the roads are hard to travel, so how could a workshop be built here? But Miss Gu is a person of deep gratitude; she insists on building it next to my house, saying it’s the only way to repay my life-saving grace. I figured since she’s so sincere, we can’t let her down. So I wanted to ask you, Uncle, are there people available in our town?”

Lin Dahai understood now and said hurriedly, “Yes, yes, yes! Phoenix Town has nothing else, but it has plenty of idle people! Yanran, is this workshop business for real?”

Liu Zhenzhen and her master were sitting on the porch drinking tea and sunbathing. At this, she covered her mouth with a smile and said to Feng Gu, “Master, just watch. Lin Yanran is about to start playing him.”

Feng Gu was still quite unhappy about being refused by Youqin Mingyue earlier. Hearing this, he glanced at Lin Yanran and said with great dissatisfaction, “She doesn’t cultivate the path of medicine properly and instead wastes her time on this. She is truly ‘rotten wood that cannot be carved’!”

Liu Zhenzhen said with a beaming smile, “Master, she indeed neglects her proper duties. I’ve never seen her read a medical book, and she rarely searches for herbs. Instead, she idles about all day. And yet, her medical path is startling. Don’t you think she’s a genius?”

This sentence was like a stab to Feng Gu’s heart. He was so angry he rolled his eyes on the spot and said repeatedly, “A waste of natural talent! Truly a waste of natural talent!”

Despite saying that, his eyes couldn’t help but drift toward Lin Yanran, wanting to see what trick she was playing.

Yesterday, when Lin Yanran identified two types of pills he produced in succession, he hadn’t thought much of it. But when she identified the ointment in the iron box, he was truly moved.

It had taken him three days and three nights to identify that ointment, yet this girl had identified it with just a glance!

Feng Gu had always considered himself a genius, but only now did he know what a true genius was. He was desperate for Lin Yanran to bow down and joyfully ask to be his disciple, yet this “blockhead” of a girl remained completely unmoved.

How could such a genius associate with crude villagers in this backwater place?

Feng Gu was simultaneously anxious, indignant, and filled with unbearable curiosity.

Youqin Mingyue had no appetite for lunch. After Chen Xiaohua took the dishes away, she felt her body growing hotter and her head becoming groggy. She actually ended up falling asleep at the table.

Suddenly, she was startled awake by a commotion in the courtyard. It was midday; the sun was bright, and the spring scenery was beautiful. Lin Yanran was talking loudly to someone in the yard.

That voice was loud enough to lift the roof off.

She bit her lip in anger. What trick is this commoner playing now, disturbing one’s peace in the middle of the day?

She stood up, went to the window, and pulled back a crack. She saw Lin Yanran sitting nonchalantly in the armchair, her legs crossed and shaking away.

That top courtesan from Chunxiang Pavilion was standing beside her submissively, holding a teacup in one hand and fanning her with the other.

Youqin Mingyue: “…”

Suddenly, she felt like killing someone.

Then she realized she had sent all her Death Guards away.

She stared gloomily at Lin Yanran. The heat within her body rose again; inexplicable emotions and murderous intent surged together, submerging her like wave after wave.

She heard Lin Yanran say while shaking her leg, “Uncle, it’s not that I’m saying anything, but what kind of people are available in our town? They’re all just crude hunters. How many people as smart and clever as me can there be? Forget it, forget it. I’ll just tell Miss Gu to move the workshop elsewhere.”

Lin Dahai jumped up from his chair in a hurry, his eyes widening. “You girl! How can you let ‘fertile water flow into someone else’s field’? When there are benefits, naturally you should think of your own people! If a wealthy lady wants to build a workshop, you should persuade her to do it! Our Phoenix Town has good mountains, good water, and the people are hardworking and capable. How can we not compare to other places?”

Lin Yanran frowned. “Uncle, it’s not that I don’t trust everyone, but this is a truly massive business. Once it takes root, it’s a business that will go on for generations. And what we’re selling are medicine pills. You know about medicine pills, right? Even the most ordinary pill costs several taels of silver. The more precious ones are worth a thousand pieces of gold each. Do you think I can feel safe building such a massive business in this desolate backwater?”

“No, no. The more I talk, the more I feel it’s not right! I’m going to find Miss Gu to discuss this further—”

The more she said this, the more anxious Lin Dahai became, his mouth nearly smoking from stress. He quickly grabbed Lin Dashan, who had just arrived, and together they blocked her path.

“Yanran, listen to your Uncle. Let her build the workshop here. Whatever you lack, I’ll find a way for you. Deal?”

Lin Yanran immediately knew the old fox was completely hooked. She decided to add more fuel to the fire, so she waved her hand impatiently. “Oh, move aside a bit, don’t block my breeze! Miss Wang, get that fan moving!”

Wang Shouchun blinked. Beneath her long, curled lashes, a strange glint appeared in her bright eyes. She had finally realized that this Benefactor was just putting on an act. She began to wave the cattail leaf fan rapidly, saying in a delicate, weak voice, “Young Master, I am already trying very hard~”

This sentence almost gave Lin Yanran goosebumps.

However, the effect was excellent. Lin Dahai’s eyes immediately went straight again, and he asked stutteringly, “Yanran, th-th-this… which family’s daughter is this young lady?”

Lin Yanran deliberately put on an unbridled air, stretched lazily, and said, “She’s someone I found to be my housekeeper. Miss Gu said she’d bring me along to get rich in the future. Once the family business grows, I’ll need a housekeeper to manage things, don’t you think so, Uncle?”

Lin Dahai’s eyes turned red with envy, and his mind began to wander even further. The workshop Yanran mentioned hasn’t even opened yet, and she can already afford a beauty as a housekeeper. What will happen once the workshop is built? Won’t she hire eight or ten beautiful maids to serve her while she eats and drinks the best?

Hiss—that would be a life fit for an immortal!

No, no. I can’t let her get rich alone. I have to follow along and eat well too!

In an instant, Lin Dahai made up his mind. A solemn expression of “burning his bridges” appeared on his face. He rolled up his sleeves and said, “Yanran, just say it! What do you lack for the workshop? If you lack people, I’ll find them. Oh right, building a workshop, you must lack land? I’ll allocate land for you—as much as you want! Do you still lack carpenters? Tilers? Masons? I’ll find the best hands from all the surrounding villages for you! I have only one requirement: you must keep the workshop in our town, deal?”

Lin Yanran thought to herself: It’s coming. Finally, it’s coming. What I want is the land!

Youqin Mingyue also understood the trick. Lin Dahai was mercenary and greedy; if Lin Yanran had asked to buy land directly, he would have opened his mouth wide for an exorbitant price. By using this method to bait him, she made him offer the land himself—it was truly a case of “one villain grinding down another.”

Hmph. She then let out a cold snort.

That damned commoner. While she still holds the status of my ‘husband,’ she dares to find a ‘housekeeper.’ Aside from high officials and noble lords, which ordinary person looks for a housekeeper? Isn’t an ordinary person’s housekeeper their own wife?

Now she actually dares to find a top courtesan to be her housekeeper right in front of my face. Where does that leave me?

The more she thought, the angrier she became, and the more the heat within her body intensified. She wished she could immediately grab Lin Yanran and give her a severe scolding.

Lin Yanran had no idea she was being targeted by the villain again. She was feeling quite proud of herself—Lin Dahai had taken the bait, and next, she would start pulling in the net.