The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 12

The direct question took Song Luoning by surprise. She looked up and saw the young woman’s sallow cheeks were slightly flushed, her beautiful peach blossom eyes looking especially lively. The young woman was staring at her with a hint of resentment, as if Song Luoning had committed some heinous crime.

Song Luoning pursed her lips, and after a moment, let out a soft sigh. Since she’d have to live with this tomboy, there was no point in arguing over such a trivial matter. She put on a look of feigned grievance and said, “My dear husband, how could you think that of me? I said that because I truly trust you.”

Xiao Yu felt a pang in her chest.

Instead of feeling better, her chest felt even tighter than before.

Who asked for her trust?

No, that’s not right. She didn’t need Song Luoning’s trust at all, did she?

Something still didn’t feel right.

Song Luoning smiled sweetly. “Since my dear husband doesn’t like it, and it’s getting late, we should buy the carriage and head home early.”

“…”

“Song Luoning, why did you lie if you didn’t believe me? I’ll just tell you what happened.” Xiao Yu followed Song Luoning down the stairs.

“My dear husband worries too much. I never thought that way, and what I said about trusting you was true.” After explaining, Song Luoning coughed a few times, then continued, “My dear husband, if we don’t go buy the carriage now, the market will close, and we really won’t be able to get home.”

With that, she was already on the first floor, ready to leave. She turned to look at Xiao Yu, who was still standing at the top of the stairs, and frowned slightly. “My dear husband, aren’t you coming?”

The woman’s voice was clear and pleasant, filled with confusion and a hint of helplessness.

Xiao Yu pursed her lips and hesitated for a long time. “Song Luoning, you can wait here for me, and I’ll come back to pick you up after I buy the carriage.”

Song Luoning: “Are you worried about me?”

“…”

She had hit the nail on the head.

Who… who was worried about her?

The cough syrup was gone. Where would she get more medicine for her if she started coughing again?

Xiao Yu turned her face away and denied it grumpily. “What are you talking about? I just think you walk too slowly. At this pace, when will we ever get home?”

She was worried about being angered to death by her, not about her health.

Song Luoning didn’t seem to mind her attitude and smiled, slowly walking back. As she passed by Xiao Yu, she said softly, “Thank you for your trouble, my dear husband.”

Xiao Yu didn’t say anything.

She watched Song Luoning return to her seat on the second floor and flash her a calm, gentle smile.

Xiao Yu pursed her lips. This arrangement was actually quite good, but… Song Luoning’s readiness to agree felt off.

It was as if she had dug a hole and was waiting for her to jump into it. But then again, that didn’t make sense. No matter how clever Song Luoning was, she couldn’t have guessed that she would volunteer, could she?

Never mind, it was just her going alone. Xiao Yu waved her hand. “Wait here and don’t wander off. I’ll be back soon.”

Song Luoning smiled slightly.

The market was not far from the teahouse, located under a bridge on the east side of the county. Horses and livestock were traded there, and the horse dealers also sold carriages, making the transaction very convenient.

Following a horse dealer’s recommendation, Xiao Yu chose a sturdy-looking reddish-brown horse. She also chose a good-quality oak carriage. In the end, the horse and carriage cost her 370 taels of silver.

After deducting the cost of the carriage and the money she had already spent, Xiao Yu was left with only 600 taels.

If she remembered correctly, everything except for those two outfits had something to do with Song Luoning. On top of that, she had also spent money on a bottle of cough syrup and a bowl of medicinal porridge for her.

So, had she been working for nothing?

Xiao Yu was silent, her emotions very complicated.

No matter how she looked at it, she was at a loss.

Xiao Yu drove the carriage back to the teahouse. The middle-aged man on the stage was still telling the same story. To enter the teahouse again, she’d have to pay another 10 coppers. Xiao Yu called a waiter and asked him to tell Song Luoning to come down. She waited outside.

As soon as Song Luoning came out of the teahouse, she saw Xiao Yu standing by the carriage. Her lips curved into a smile as she walked over. “Did my dear husband choose this horse? It’s so strong. It’s clearly an excellent horse.”

“…”

Xiao Yu pursed her lips. Every time, Song Luoning would say something nice first, and then trick her into serving her.

And every time, she fell for it, and ran off to do her bidding like a fool.

The thought of it made her lose face.

This was an old trick; she couldn’t fall for it again.

Sure enough, the next moment, Song Luoning said softly, “My dear husband, I have nothing to do at home. Would you mind going to the bookstore to buy a few books for me?”

Ha.

Xiao Yu scoffed. What else could she say? “Why do you have so many things for me to do?” she asked with a look of disdain.

She couldn’t be nice to her now. Why hadn’t she asked who was going to pay for the carriage when she went to buy it? Now she had spent 370 taels, and this woman hadn’t even mentioned the money, and now she wanted her to go buy books for her, too?

No way!

Xiao Yu was fuming. She held out her hand to her.

It was fine if she didn’t pay for the carriage, since she would use it too, but she had to pay for the books. She was too busy to read.

She had to pay for the books herself.

Song Luoning froze for a moment when she saw her outstretched hand. She lowered her head and said, “Thank you, my dear husband. If you can put the stepping stool down, I can get on the carriage myself.”

“…”

What was Song Luoning’s meaning?

A stepping stool? Did she think she was her maid?

Was she asking her to help her into the carriage?

She was asking her for money!

Was this woman playing dumb with her?

“Is something wrong, my dear husband?” Song Luoning feigned concern.

She wanted money? No way!

Xiao Yu was silent for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh. With a sullen face, she took out the stepping stool and placed it in front of the carriage. She watched Song Luoning slowly get into the carriage before putting the stool away.

She was really indebted to her.

Xiao Yu drove the carriage silently to the front of the bookstore. Without a word, she jumped off the carriage and went straight into the store. A moment later, she came out with a stack of storybooks in her arms.

Xiao Yu gritted her teeth. Another tael of silver!

She shouldn’t have been greedy for Song Luoning’s bath barrel. In the end, Song Luoning only spent five taels of silver, while she spent 380 taels.

“What a pain.”

Xiao Yu got back on the carriage, pushed open the carriage door, and shoved the books into Song Luoning’s arms. Without even looking at her, she got back out of the carriage.

Song Luoning wasn’t upset by her attitude. Instead, the corners of her lips curved up. “Thank you, my dear husband.” The words, with a hint of a lilt, came from inside the carriage.

She knew Song Luoning was insincere, but Xiao Yu was numb to it by now.

She drove the carriage all the way back to Chenjiacun. It was already getting dark by the time they arrived home.

A crescent moon hung askew in the dark sky, with a few faint stars scattered around it, emitting a weak, glimmering light.

Xiao Yu looked at the bath barrel placed at the gate of the courtyard, pursed her lips, and jumped off the carriage. She then took out the stepping stool and placed it on the ground, dutifully serving her young miss as she alighted.

“Thank you, my dear husband.”

“Mm.” Xiao Yu responded faintly.

She didn’t expect the young miss to help, and she was just thankful she could carry her own books.

Xiao Yu first opened the courtyard gate. The solid wooden bath barrel was half a person tall and weighed a good 50 to 60 kilograms. It had no handles, so she had to rely on her arm strength to move it. If it were her original body, this would be no problem, but she was in the original owner’s body, who had been malnourished for years, had a sallow, emaciated face, and would get out of breath after just a few steps. Moving this thing would be a death sentence.

And the young miss wouldn’t help.

There was no other way. Xiao Yu had to move it bit by bit, wiggling it left and right. It took her a long time to get the bath barrel into the house.

Her legs and arms were already weak and a bit sore.

The room was small, and the bath barrel alone took up most of the space. There was nowhere to put it for now.

The kitchen would be a good place, but it was an open-plan kitchen. Taking a bath there would be no different from bathing in the open air.

Renovating the house had become a top priority.

She wondered if the young miss would pay for it then?

After all, she was living there too, wasn’t she?

Song Luoning followed her into the house and frowned at the position of the bath barrel, but she didn’t say anything.

Xiao Yu took out the paper she had bought at the bookstore today, went to the kitchen, made a bowl of flour paste, and re-sealed the doors and windows.

Now, she wouldn’t have to worry about the cold wind blowing in through the doors and windows at night.

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