The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 22

What a sin, I don’t know what the original owner was thinking.

But now that she’s here, she naturally won’t be like the original owner. Her dream is to make a fortune in ancient times, so she must draw a clear line with the original owner’s former scoundrels.

Chen Ziyi nodded, not dwelling on the topic. He pointed to the pot behind him: “The lime can only be used after boiling with water. We’ll dig a pit in the ground first and put the boiled stones into the pit to preserve them.”

Following his gaze, Xiao Yu finally saw the large iron pot behind him. Two people stood beside the pot, they were probably the helpers Chen Ziyi had hired.

Xiao Yu nodded, half understanding. Modern houses use steel and cement, and this was the first time she had come into contact with these things.

But fortunately, Chen Ziyi was helping. The original owner must have had a brain full of water. With such a good friend, she didn’t cherish him, and instead hung out with that scoundrel, Chen Ergou.

She ended up being kicked out of her home by her own mother, a situation that harmed others and herself, and ultimately led to her transmigrating into this body.

Chen Ziyi waved to the two people. They each held two shovels and handed one to Chen Ziyi and Xiao Yu. The four of them dug together until evening, when they had dug a large pit about six meters long, three meters wide, and as deep as a full-grown man.

Jumping out of the pit, Xiao Yu glanced at the sky, feeling a little absent-minded. She wondered what the young lady was doing now. Xiao Yu missed her a little.

Chen Ziyi patted the dust off his body: “Let’s stop here for today. We’ll come back tomorrow.” Before Xiao Yu could speak, he called the other two to leave.

Xiao Yu knew he was worried she would ask them to stay for dinner, and her heart warmed.

After they left, Xiao Yu tidied up the remaining things before returning to the house.

Song Luoning was reading. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her expression indifferent. The commotion outside was so loud that she could still hear it through the wall, and she knew this person was building a house.

Yet, she hadn’t been told, and her heart felt heavy.

Coupled with the fact that she recalled that person asking her for money last night, Song Luoning pursed her lips and clenched her palms. She sneered to herself, what did her building a house have to do with her? After all, their relationship was just a financial one.

It was normal for her not to tell her.

She was too lazy to ask.

“What are you reading?” Xiao Yu walked to the washing stand, washing her hands while talking to her. Seeing the young lady again, her heart was still thumping, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Song Luoning looked up and gave her a cold glance, then continued to stare at the book in her hand as if she hadn’t heard.

Xiao Yu: “…”

What was going on?

Everything was fine at breakfast this morning. Was it because she didn’t make lunch for her?

It couldn’t be, she was busy then, didn’t she bring her back buns?

Xiao Yu frowned, glancing at the paper bag on the table. It was placed there exactly as it was at noon.

Xiao Yu’s heart sank. The young lady didn’t eat lunch!

At this moment, Song Luoning was leaning against the bed curtain, looking listless, like a sick cat with no energy. Xiao Yu’s heart tightened. She walked over, stood by the bed, and hesitated before asking softly, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Why didn’t you eat the buns?”

“No.” Song Luoning didn’t even lift her eyelids, her voice cold.

If not, why didn’t she eat?

Xiao Yu’s heart gave another thump. She moved closer, squatting on the ground and looking up at her, trying to see her face: “If you’re not unwell, are the buns not to your liking?”

“No.” Song Luoning put down her book, her lips pressed together. Seeing the worried look on Xiao Yu’s face, her heart felt inexplicably more comfortable.

Song Luoning turned her face away, worried that she would see her thoughts. She said perfunctorily: “I’ve been doing nothing all day, so I don’t have much of an appetite.”

Is that so?

Xiao Yu stared at her suspiciously, the worry in her heart not decreasing at all. Instead, her brows furrowed. Since coming to Chen Family Village, the young lady had only gone to the county town twice and hadn’t really left the house. No, she had also gone to the fields with her once and got sick the next day.

She thought about whether she should take the young lady out for walks every day. Appropriate exercise is good for sick people. A normal person would get sick from being cooped up for too long, let alone the young lady whose body was already weak. She needed to exercise even more.

So, Xiao Yu coaxed patiently: “Just bear with it for a while. After this busy period, I’ll accompany you on a walk every day. It’s not good to be cooped up at home all the time.”

Song Luoning’s hand tightened. She…

She turned her head to meet her gaze. That person’s eyes were clear, and the worry in her eyes couldn’t be faked. Her heart was filled with mixed feelings.

She just mentioned it casually, and she immediately said she would take her for walks. Looking at her expression, it was difficult to tell if it was true.

Song Luoning bit the soft flesh inside her lip, lowered her eyes, and hid the emotions within.

What exactly did this person mean?

One moment she wants to sell her, the next she’s getting medicine for her. One moment she’s asking her for money, the next she wants to take her out for a walk.

And she’s not willing to tell her anything.

For example, about building a house, such a big deal, she didn’t even mention it to her. She only found out by eavesdropping. She clearly didn’t care about her. She was just after her money, which was why she was acting so presumptuously.

The more Song Luoning thought about it, the angrier and more wronged she felt. She bit her teeth secretly.

This damn pervert.

She simply turned her face away, not wanting to talk to her anymore.

How did she get angry again?

Xiao Yu frowned, wanting to coax her, but the young lady was already ignoring her.

She glanced at the darkening sky and thought that the young lady hadn’t eaten lunch, so she must be hungry now. Xiao Yu stood up: “I’ll go cook first. It’s not good for your eyes to read in the dark. Rest for a while, I’ll be right back.” Saying this, Xiao Yu tidied up the buns and headed to the kitchen.

Song Luoning’s eyes were downcast.

After the person left, she murmured half a beat later: “I know.”

Xiao Yu quickly returned with the heated buns and porridge, placed them on the table, and called out to Song Luoning: “Eat first, I have something to discuss with you.”

The moment she mentioned it, Song Luoning felt even angrier. She was still mad, but she was acting as if nothing had happened.

Although she didn’t know what she was angry about.

But this pervert had better not talk about money, otherwise, she would have a hard time in the future.

Song Luoning got up and walked to the round table, sat down, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and took a small bite of a bun.

“Song Luoning…” Xiao Yu touched her nose. The way Song Luoning ate with such elegance was something she could never learn.

It was a feast for the eyes, just watching was enough to make one’s food taste better.

Song Luoning looked up, subtly avoiding her gaze, and gave a faint “mm.”

Xiao Yu weighed her words, deciding not to tell her about the seed drill and winnowing machine yet. This time it wasn’t because she was afraid of her laughing at her, but because she wasn’t sure she could make them. After all, the books she read didn’t describe them in detail, and many parts needed to be done through practice.

She reorganized her thoughts: “You see, the house we live in now is small and broken, and it’s not safe. I was thinking of building a new one, on the plot of land next door. You know, I bought a homestead a while ago…”

“Mm.” So?

Was she here to inform her?

Song Luoning bit into a bun, suppressing a strange sense of grievance.

“Husband, you can make your own decisions. You don’t have to discuss it with Luoning,” she said, feigning nonchalance.

She was just telling her now. She didn’t care at all. This scoundrel could build whatever she wanted. Why come and talk to her about it?

She just took three hundred taels from her yesterday, and today she’s building a house.

What a scoundrel.

Xiao Yu frowned.

This sounded strange. It sounded like she was blaming her. Was Song Luoning mad at her for not discussing it with her in advance?

She was jealous!

Xiao Yu felt like she had discovered a great secret. So the young lady cared about her so much!

Xiao Yu got a little carried away and quickly tried to please her: “I wanted to discuss it with you, but I was so busy I forgot. It’s all my fault, don’t be angry. I promise that from now on, I’ll discuss everything with you first.”

“…”

Song Luoning looked up. Was that what she meant?

She didn’t care at all.

Song Luoning turned her face away unnaturally. This pervert was getting more and more out of line.

“Are you still angry? I already promised, so why are you still mad?” Xiao Yu pitifully dragged her stool closer, coaxing her: “Wife.”

Song Luoning’s breath hitched. This pervert was now taking advantage of her verbally. It was too much. She must teach her a good lesson in the future.

Song Luoning gritted her teeth and bore it, giving a gentle smile. The spring snow seemed to melt in her eyes, and a pair of faint dimples at the corners of her lips were very cute.

“Husband is overthinking it. How could Luoning be angry with her husband?”

She sneered in her heart, “You hateful pervert!”

“…”

Xiao Yu was stunned, her gaze falling on Song Luoning’s rosy lips. She swallowed hard, then forced herself to look away, saying unnaturally, “It’s good that you’re not angry, it’s good.”

Oh my god, the young lady’s beauty was lethal.

She almost jumped on her and became a beast.

Just because of this, she didn’t dare sleep in the same bed with her at night. It wasn’t that she had poor self-control, it was that she was too seductive.

Xiao Yu resolutely put an end to the idea of sleeping together.

But there was still one thing she needed to discuss with the young lady. Before she could speak, she heard Song Luoning cough.

Xiao Yu’s hand trembled, and all her romantic thoughts vanished. She quickly got up, went to Song Luoning, and gently patted her back. The warm palm patted her back rhythmically. Song Luoning’s body stiffened, and her face flushed.

This pervert!

She was so bold. Just now she was only taking advantage of her verbally, and now she wants to use her hands? Was it because she knew she had no silver left, so she could openly take advantage of her?

And that gaze was naked, as if she wanted to devour her.

Song Luoning pinched her fingertips, subconsciously reaching for her sleeve pocket.

Xiao Yu was so worried, she patted her back while regretting that she had neglected the young lady today.

Song Luoning’s body stiffened as she tried to dodge her patting: “Cough… I’m fine, husband. Can you get me a cup of tea?”

“Oh, okay, wait for me, I’ll get it right away.”

Xiao Yu picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea.

“Thank you.” Song Luoning took the teacup, sipped it, and took a breath. Her breathing was still a little unsteady. She asked, “Husband, what did you want to say to Luoning just now?”

“Hmm?” Xiao Yu froze, pursing her lips and looking at her with a pained expression.

Song Luoning’s brow twitched. What was this pervert up to now?

“Husband, what did you want to say to Luoning?” Song Luoning took a deep breath and asked again.

Xiao Yu bit her lip, and after a while, she confirmed: “Are you really okay?”

Song Luoning nodded: “Mm.”

Xiao Yu’s brows relaxed slightly and she said: “Then you must tell me if you have any problems.”

Song Luoning pursed her lips: “Mm.”

Xiao Yu finally felt at ease. She looked at her suspiciously, and after a moment, she continued: “It’s like this. The people for building the house were all found by the village chief. We initially agreed to just provide lunch for them, but I was thinking, making lunch for these people is too much trouble. It would be better to pay them. This would save a lot of effort and we wouldn’t owe them a favor. What do you think?”

She wasn’t that stupid.

Song Luoning pursed her lips: “Husband is right. Luoning has no objection. But how much do you plan to pay each person?”

Xiao Yu thought for a moment: “Before, I paid them thirty coins a day to help transport the bricks because they used their ox cart. For simply building the house, I plan to pay each person twenty coins a day. There are seven people in total, and it should take about a month. That’s about 140 coins. If we provide food, after deducting the cost of the cook, it would also cost about the same amount to feed them. What do you think, wife?”

The analysis was clear and logical. It was obvious to anyone which option was better.

Song Luoning nodded and said: “Let’s do as husband says.”

With Song Luoning’s approval, Xiao Yu’s eyes curved into a smile. She pushed the last remaining bun toward her.

“Husband, you eat it. Luoning is finished,” Song Luoning paused, lowered her eyes, and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.

Xiao Yu looked at the bun and swallowed. She wasn’t full yet. Since the young lady was full, she ate the last bun and a bowl of porridge. Only then did she feel a little full.

She rested one arm on the table and rubbed her stomach with the other.

Then she looked at Song Luoning, who was elegantly picking up her teacup and sipping it. There was a faint smile on her lips, and her skin was as white as porcelain.

She couldn’t help but sigh, “My wife is so beautiful!”

The next day, Xiao Yu woke up at dawn. Song Luoning had finished her medicine, and she planned to go to the Ming Shan Hall in the morning to ask if Jiang Ziyan had finished her research.

Xiao Yu first went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, covered it with a bowl, and placed it on the table so Song Luoning could eat when she woke up.

Then, she led the horse out to leave. As soon as she got out, she saw that many of the blue bricks she had brought back yesterday were gone.

Xiao Yu was shocked. She quickly tied the horse to a tree stump and walked over to check. She had specially counted the blue bricks yesterday, and now at least a hundred of them were missing.

Who stole them?

Xiao Yu frowned. There were no surveillance cameras or fingerprints to check in ancient times. She could only investigate. Just as she was at a loss, Chen Ziyi and Chen Yu also arrived.

Chen Ziyi had seen the blue bricks yesterday and immediately noticed that so many were missing.

Chen Ziyi was shocked: “What’s wrong with these bricks?”

“As you can see, they were stolen. But for the time being, I can’t figure out who stole them,” Xiao Yu explained to Chen Ziyi.

“Why don’t we report it to the authorities? Let the government help us investigate, since we have no leads right now,” Chen Ziyi suggested.

Xiao Yu bit the soft flesh inside her lip, frowning as she looked at the remaining blue bricks. Reporting it to the authorities would probably be of little use. Ancient times lacked modern investigative methods. However, she still had to report it.

“Ziyi, I’ll have to trouble you to make the trip. I want to take another look here,” Xiao Yu said.

“Xiao Yu, did you offend someone?” Chen Yu, standing by, frowned, a little impatient.

Who knows if she had offended someone outside again? After all, they had been dragged into trouble by her before.

This time, she hoped it wasn’t the case. Otherwise, she would definitely go home and tell her aunt not to help her anymore.

Offended someone?

With that reminder, Xiao Yu suddenly remembered the incident of her talking back to Chen Ergou yesterday.

Could it be him?

If it was him, it would make sense. In the original owner’s memory, Chen Ergou had done his share of thieving. If it was him, it seemed she would have to be more vigilant against him. It would be best to find a permanent solution to get rid of him.

However, she couldn’t be sure at the moment.

Xiao Yu: “Chen Ergou did come by yesterday.”

Chen Ziyi: “Let’s go. Let’s go to his house and check.” He was about to leave, but Xiao Yu stopped him.

Xiao Yu said seriously: “Ziyi, I’ll have to trouble you to go to the authorities.”

Chen Yu was impatient: “No, Xiao Yu, you already suspect Chen Ergou, why bother A’Yi to go? Just go find him.”

Xiao Yu smiled: “That won’t do. We aren’t officials. How can we just arrest people? Besides, it’s just a guess now. Reporting it to the authorities is the safest option.”

Chen Ziyi felt that Xiao Yu’s words made sense. He gave Xiao Yu a few more instructions, then rode Xiao Yu’s horse toward the county town.

Chen Yu was suspicious: “Will reporting it to the authorities be of any use?”

“I didn’t hear a sound last night. If someone from another village stole it, they would have used a cart. I didn’t hear a sound last night, which means it was someone from the village. Whether it’s Chen Ergou or not, this person is definitely from the village. The blue bricks are such a big target, they’re hard to hide. When the authorities come, they’ll find them with a search. If we don’t report it, relying on just ourselves, do you think anyone would be stupid enough to let us search?” Xiao Yu patiently explained to Chen Yu.

At this moment, Song Luoning came out of the house. Hearing her analysis, she frowned tightly, her eyes filled with a murky, unreadable expression.

Could a good-for-nothing be so clear-headed?

Was she just pretending before?

During the time she had been married to her, what she had seen was different from what she had heard.

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