The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Lin Yanran returned, she saw only an empty bowl on the table with a tiny droplet of medicinal dregs at the bottom. She couldn’t help but grin.

The antagonist isn’t that violent after all.

She placed a small white cloth bag in front of Youqin Mingyue, rolling down the edges to reveal its contents.

“These are dried apricots I bought after scouring all of Phoenix Town. They’re made from red apricots that just grew this spring, with honey added. They’re very sweet; you’ll definitely like them.”

Youqin Mingyue’s willow brows furrowed tighter and tighter. By what right does this scum claim I will definitely like them?

Lin Yanran spoke and then walked out again. Only then could Youqin Mingyue not resist inspecting the bag of dried apricots. They were orange-red, the fruit flesh was plump, and they glistened with a golden honey glaze, looking very enticing.

Her mouth was currently suffering from a terrible bitterness; her tongue was numb from the taste. To suppress the extraordinary fragrance in her body, she had drunk countless medicines since childhood, and she had loathed taking medicine since she was young.

Back then, to coax her, her Imperial Mother would always prepare all sorts of dried fruits and preserves. Once she drank her medicine obediently, her mother would personally pick a few pieces of candied fruit to feed her, gently coaxing: “Mother’s Mingyue is so, so good, isn’t she?”

Those were the warmest moments of her childhood.

Mother…

A deep sorrow welled up in her eyes. She stared at the dried apricots for a while, then reached out two translucent, jade-white fingers to pinch a small piece of apricot flesh, examining it closely against the light. There was no dust or grass debris; it was clean.

Hearing movement outside, she hurriedly popped it into her mouth.

Lin Yanran walked in again, carrying in the bamboo reclining chair. Youqin Mingyue was forced to keep the dried apricot in her mouth. Lin Yanran lowered the back of the chair and placed a pillow at the top.

“It’s time to change your dressing.”

She took out a round-bellied green porcelain bottle and uncapped it, revealing a milky-white ointment. This was the scar-removal cream she had specifically asked Liu Zhenzhen to prepare.

Youqin Mingyue’s expression changed, but with the dried fruit in her mouth, it would be ungraceful to speak. She gave Lin Yanran a hateful glare, reached out to pour a cup of water, took a small sip, and swallowed the piece of apricot along with it.

Only then did she say coldly, “I can change the dressing myself. Get out.”

Lin Yanran saw her displeasure, but she really didn’t trust her to reach down and apply medicine to her ankle, especially the back of the heel where it was hard to see clearly. Simply put, when you have many debts, one more doesn’t hurt; the antagonist hating her once is hate, and hating her ten times is still hate.

She sighed softly and said, “Let me do it. Physician Liu specifically taught me the technique for applying the medicine; it will help you heal faster.”

Youqin Mingyue suddenly raised her head, staring straight at her. “I said, I’ll change it myself.”

Lin Yanran met her gaze.

Three seconds passed, then five. Those deep, ink-colored eyes grew colder and colder. Lin Yanran felt increasingly self-conscious, thinking to herself that this woman was indeed a future Empress—those eyes were as sharp as swords, a gaze no official would dare meet.

She steeled herself and said, “Think about it. Every day your injury lingers is a day you’ve wronged yourself. If you get better sooner, you won’t have to let this scum be so smug.”

After saying it, she almost bit her tongue. How did that just come out?!

Youqin Mingyue looked at her meaningfully. Lin Yanran simply explained frankly, “I said long ago I am not her. Everything I am doing now is just to atone for that scum’s sins.”

Youqin Mingyue’s gaze was inscrutable. Naturally, she didn’t believe her words, but her mindset was undergoing subtle changes. She possessed a golden, precious body; since birth, she had been pampered and served by countless attendants. If she let this scum apply the medicine, she would just treat her as a servant.

Thinking this way, she became less resistant. Her gaze took on a hint of high-and-mighty condescension as she nodded slightly: “Acceptable.”

She believed she was looking down upon an ant, letting her disdain override her hatred so it wouldn’t count as humiliating herself for the sake of survival. She failed to notice that every time Lin Yanran advised her, she was unknowingly agreeing.

Seeing her consent, Lin Yanran helped her lean back in the reclining chair, then moved a stool to sit at her feet. She placed a plain white dry cloth over her own knees before gently lifting the snowy foot to rest upon it.

Her movements were gentle, and her frankness showed her sincerity. Youqin Mingyue could truly feel the meticulous care, and her heart felt a bit better—this was how her servants used to attend to her with such devotion.

With her mind at peace, the application went smoothly. Lin Yanran was skilled; she first removed the gauze and cleaned the edges of the wound with fresh water. Youqin Mingyue noticed she didn’t use her hands to wash her, but instead used a small wooden stick with the bark stripped off, wrapped in soft cloth, to carefully wipe the injury. The dampened cloth was very soft, and her movements were so light that it hardly hurt at.

For a simple application, Lin Yanran spent nearly half an hour, showing her dedication. By the end, Youqin Mingyue noticed a layer of fine sweat beads on the tip of Lin’s nose. Her gaze deepened as she couldn’t help but reflect on that sentence:

“I said long ago I am not her. Everything I am doing now is just to atone for that scum’s sins.”

Lin Yanran packed up the ointment and water basin and said, “You shouldn’t move right after the medicine is applied. It’s mid-afternoon; why don’t you take a nap?”

A nap? Youqin Mingyue was somewhat confused.

Lin Yanran’s gaze swept over her long, fair neck. Somehow, she suddenly thought of the romantic atmosphere of that night. Though it had been a mere glimpse, she already knew what kind of soft, jade-like skin lay beneath that coarse cloth dress.

She suddenly crouched down and asked, “Is the chair uncomfortable? Do you want to sleep here or go back to bed?”

Startled by her proximity, Youqin Mingyue instinctively struggled. Lin Yanran gently pressed down on her shoulders. “Don’t be afraid. I really won’t hurt you.” Her tone was soft and inexplicably warm, possessing a strange, calming effect.

Youqin Mingyue’s heart was conflicted and pained. Hatred and this unidentifiable emotion intertwined, turning into a deep unease. She barked coldly: “Get out.”

Lin Yanran looked at her, then leaned down and quickly scooped her up. Before she could struggle, Lin preempted her by saying, “I’ll carry you to the bed and leave as soon as I set you down.”

This sentence worked its calming magic again. Youqin Mingyue gripped the corner of her clothes tightly and indeed stopped struggling. Lin Yanran felt the lightness of the person in her arms once more, a sense of pity welling up in her heart. Her movements in setting her down became even gentler. She adjusted the pillow and tucked in the quilt.

“Have a good sleep. I’m going out to supervise the work. Don’t worry, I’ll lock the gate and tell them not to make noise. Just sleep.”

Youqin Mingyue heard her light footsteps leaving, followed by the gate closing. Then, Lin Yanran’s scolding voice echoed in the yard; those vulgar hunters indeed stopped joking around. Her hand gripping the quilt relaxed, and she burrowed deeper into the bedding. Being wrapped up brought an immediate sense of security. It was a rare moment of relaxation, and she actually felt a wave of sleepiness wash over her. It was a long-lost feeling, leaving her somewhat dazed.

Lin Yanran sat on the porch, holding that red Cooling Pill, looking at it with absolute fascination. In her past life, she had been a knowledge-hungry scholar; now, faced with the challenge of an inhibitor, she was instantly hooked. She held the pill up, touching it, smelling it, and holding it up to the sunlight to inspect its color.

Not until the sun began to set behind the western mountains did she heave a long sigh of relief, revealing a satisfied smile. Today was a good harvest; she had already identified seven of the herbs within it.

At this point, Lin Dahai wiped sweat with his sleeve and shouted, “Yanran, come take a look. We’re finished.”

Lin Yanran hurried over to inspect. The kitchen had been renovated; a counter had been built for cutting vegetables, a shelf stood at half-height for vegetables and grains, with hollow space below for split wood, and there was a simple wooden rack specifically for pots and pans.

The woodshed had been turned into a washroom. Once the custom-made bathtub arrived, she could soak comfortably. The washroom had the fewest changes; the woodpile was simply moved out, and a person-high wall was built to split the room in two—one for bathing, one for changing and storage.

The adjacent storage room was turned into a latrine. A hole was cut in the back wall for a ventilation window. The area for the pit was deliberately raised into a square platform, with the pit dug into the center in a steep slope leading to the cesspool behind the house. This way, after using it, one only needed to pour water to flush the waste away. Lin Yanran had also specifically ordered a porcelain lid to cover the pit and prevent odors from spreading. As for a flush toilet… she’d have to wait; she was very poor right now.

Lin Dahai led her to the east end of the yard, pointing at the row of newly built woodsheds, storage rooms, and doghouses. “I figured you’ll have children in the future, and when the family grows, you’ll want to raise chickens and ducks. So, I took the liberty of making the doghouse bigger. Later, you’ll just need to build a low wall to have a chicken coop and a duck coop.”

Lin Yanran was extremely satisfied. Seeing the leftover bricks and mortar piled in the yard, she said readily, “Uncle, please help me throw these out before you leave. I’m willing to pay an extra ten coppers.”

Lin Dahai, still brooding over her not sharing the good food with him, said grumpily, “This pile of mud and bricks is heavy as death. You’ll need to pay twenty coppers before we help you throw it out.”

Lin Yanran cursed him inwardly for being a sly old fox. Just as she was about to agree, she noticed Lin Cuicui peeking at her, her eyes full of longing. She walked over and asked, “Is something the matter?”

Lin Cuicui didn’t dare look at her, whispering, “Sister Yanran, if you don’t want the leftover bricks and sticky rice mortar, I want to take them back. I won’t charge you money.”

Lin Yanran asked curiously, “What do you want them for?”

Lin Cuicui was a bit timid, keeping her head down, her voice small: “During the autumn hunt last year, I found an injured female leopard. She’s about to give birth, and I want to make a den for her.”

Lin Yanran was amazed. “A pregnant female leopard?” Hearing no trace of the usual disdain or misunderstanding in Lin’s voice, Lin Cuicui looked up with a shy smile. “Yes.”

Only then did Lin Yanran notice she had large, bright eyes that turned into crescents when she smiled. She said, “Why are you afraid of me? I don’t eat people.”

Lin Shan and Lin Feng burst out laughing. “You beat your wife every day and broke her leg—how can they not be afraid of you?”

Lin Yanran gave the two a glare and said to Lin Cuicui with a smile, “Don’t listen to their nonsense. My wife and I are deeply in love, sweet as honey; our relationship is excellent.”

Inside the room, Youqin Mingyue happened to wake up just in time to hear this sentence. Her face instantly turned cold.

She knew this scum’s true nature was hard to change.