The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 33

As if sensing her confusion, Xiao Yu didn’t hide anything and carefully explained what had happened today.

Song Luoning nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. She had only offered a small bit of advice, but she hadn’t expected this person to come up with such a brilliant plan. It seemed she had underestimated her before.

“Wifey, after lunch, I plan to go to the surrounding villages again to see if I can collect more rice. Many people bought my rice today, and after they try it, they’ll definitely want to buy more,” Xiao Yu said.

Song Luoning mused for a moment. This was a good idea. In the future, when the court promoted farm tools, it would gain more recognition. Besides, this libertine had boundless energy; it was better for her to have some work to do than to be constantly by her side, taking advantage of her at every opportunity.

Moreover, small-scale ventures wouldn’t earn much anyway.

Let her do as she pleased.

Xiao Yu wanted to hold her little hand again, but Song Luoning gently slapped her hand away with the book she was holding. “Go make lunch first. Aren’t you going to collect rice this afternoon? I’ll go with you then.”

She didn’t get to touch her.

Xiao Yu felt a pang of regret and sighed softly. Her wife’s words were absolute. “Then wait for me.” She cast one last reluctant glance at Song Luoning before scurrying off to the kitchen.

Song Luoning lowered her gaze. A few days ago, she had received a letter from her father confirming that person’s identity and instructing her to contact them if there was anything.

Should she tell that person about this?

After thinking for a while, she felt a little frustrated. She simply put down the book, got off the carriage, and stood in the courtyard.

When she recalled the libertine’s dejected look yesterday when the rice didn’t sell, she felt a pang of sympathy.

Forget it. The court was unstable right now, and the emperor was apathetic. Even if her father submitted a petition, it might not be taken seriously.

It was better to just let the libertine do her thing for now.

It didn’t take long for Xiao Yu to finish cooking. It was stir-fried greens and spicy rabbit meat. Ever since Xiao Yu learned how to set traps, she went into the mountains every day, and they had rabbit meat for almost every meal these past couple of days.

Song Luoning wasn’t particularly fond of meat, but Xiao Yu loved it. She was practically a carnivore, and she always ate a huge bowl, looking as if she wanted more.

Before, they had only eaten vegetables, so it seemed she had been neglecting her.

Song Luoning couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“What are you laughing about, Wifey?” Xiao Yu looked up from her bowl, staring at Song Luoning with a puzzled expression.

Wait.

She suddenly leaned closer.

Song Luoning’s body stiffened, and her smile froze.

“Wifey, don’t move. You have a grain of rice right here. I’ll help you get it off.” Xiao Yu swallowed, her heart pounding. Before Song Luoning could react, she leaned in, swept the grain away with the tip of her tongue, and then smacked her lips in satisfaction.

When the warm tongue touched her, Song Luoning’s mind went blank. The person’s face was magnified before her, and her lips were momentarily wet.

The person had already retreated.

The warm sensation seemed to linger on her lips, slowly spreading, burning, as if it was about to melt her.

“Xiao Yu!” Song Luoning stood up abruptly, like a startled little beast. She could no longer maintain her usual composure, baring her sharp teeth and glaring fiercely, as if she could pounce and bite at any moment.

“…” Xiao Yu’s mouth twitched, and she instinctively swallowed.

Who could tell her what was going on?

Didn’t the young miss love her very much?

Xiao Yu calmed down. Song Luoning was radiating coldness. Could she have really gone too far?

“Wifey, I just… really, I just saw a grain of rice there. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Xiao Yu tried her best to explain clearly. It wouldn’t do to be labeled a libertine in the young miss’s mind again. She was a respectable person, not some casual sort.

Xiao Yu cautiously peered at her.

Song Luoning’s eyes were filled with coldness. She stared at Xiao Yu coldly. She had indulged her before, but she hadn’t expected her to become so bold.

What would she do next?

The burning sensation from a moment ago was something she had never experienced before, and it had completely exceeded Song Luoning’s understanding. The guard she had let down over the past few days returned in an instant.

“My husband, I know what kind of person you are in my heart, but you must remember not to act like this again in the future.” Her voice was icy and devoid of emotion.

Xiao Yu choked up, feeling wronged. What couple didn’t act affectionately? Why couldn’t she? But she didn’t dare to protest. She looked at Song Luoning, her eyes brimming with a sense of grievance.

She answered in a low voice, “I understand. Are you still coming to collect rice with me later, Wifey?”

“My husband can go by yourself,” Song Luoning replied coldly. She turned and left the hall, heading for the carriage.

Xiao Yu bit her lip, suppressing the feeling of being wronged. After a moment, she took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen to wash. After waiting for a while, she came out, got the ox cart ready, and hesitated before returning to the carriage. After a two-second pause, she said, “Wifey, I’m going now. I’ll make dinner when I get back.”

For a long time, there was no reply from the carriage. Xiao Yu sniffled, finally realizing that she was being given the silent treatment by the young miss. She felt helpless, and her entire demeanor drooped.

After a moment, she was about to leave.

“Wait.” A cold voice came from inside the carriage. As she spoke, Song Luoning pushed open the carriage door and coldly swept her gaze over her. “I’m coming with you.”

Hearing that she would go, Xiao Yu didn’t dare to show her joy. She bit her lip and stood obediently beside the carriage. When she saw Song Luoning about to get off, she tentatively reached out to help, but upon meeting Song Luoning’s icy gaze, she withdrew her hand.

“My husband, have you decided where to collect the rice?” Song Luoning asked, her voice still just as cold.

Xiao Yu’s heart sank, and she felt even more wronged, as if she wasn’t the one who had been too forward, but rather Song Luoning was the one who had committed a heinous crime.

When she didn’t get an answer for a long time, Song Luoning’s tone became impatient. “My husband, do you not want Luoning to come?”

“Huh?” Xiao Yu instantly regained her senses and said quickly, “No, I’m collecting from nearby villages.”

“Then let’s go.” Song Luoning was the first to step out.

Xiao Yu scratched her head and quickly took a soft cushion from the carriage, placed it on the ox cart, and then drove the cart out of the courtyard. After Song Luoning got on, she flicked the leather whip, and the ox cart slowly started to creak along.

The roads in the village were uneven, and Xiao Yu drove extremely slowly, worrying about the young miss’s comfort. Fortunately, the surrounding villages were close. After entering the village, she saw some women gathered and chatting. She went up to them and gave each of them two coppers, asking them to help her inquire with each household to see who had extra rice to sell.

The women who received the money were more than happy to help.

Xiao Yu drove the ox cart to the shade of a tree. She glanced at Song Luoning on the cart, took out the silver that was left over from the last time she collected rice, and said, “Wifey, if anyone comes to sell rice later, I’ll be in charge of weighing it, and you can be in charge of paying.”

She handed over the money pouch. Song Luoning glanced at it, said nothing, and took it.

She glanced at Xiao Yu, feeling a little more at ease.

Her voice was faint. “Understood.”

Seeing that she wasn’t as icy as before, Xiao Yu felt relieved. She carefully and tentatively moved a little closer.

Seeing that she still didn’t say anything, she became more presumptuous and moved even closer.

In fact, as soon as she moved closer, Song Luoning noticed. She shot a cold glance at her but said nothing. Who knew this libertine would dare to be so brazen?

She closed her eyes. “My husband, you should go see if anyone has arrived yet.”

She tried to send her away.

At this moment, her heart was in turmoil. She had a mind to kill Xiao Yu, yet in the end, her heart softened, and she came out with her. The thought of it made her feel frustrated.

Most importantly, this libertine had no sense of awareness and was just lingering in front of her.

Xiao Yu looked up and saw Song Luoning again. She said with a wronged expression, “I know.”

She moved away and stood to the side, waiting. It didn’t take long for villagers to come to sell their rice. Originally, each family didn’t have much rice saved, and what they could sell was what they had scrimped and saved. However, with each household contributing a bit, the ox cart was full by the end of the afternoon.

Xiao Yu let Song Luoning sit in the driver’s seat while she led the ox in front. The two villages were next to each other, so the round trip wasn’t tiring.

After they returned, Xiao Yu put the collected rice in the side courtyard and went out again the next day to collect more. When she had collected enough, she began to husk the rice. A few days later, she took the husked white rice to the county town again.

She had made an arrangement with the teahouse owner by the overpass, so Xiao Yu drove the ox cart directly there. She took out the sign she had made before and set it up, and before long, several people gathered around.

When enough people had gathered, Xiao Yu began to tell a story, just like last time. After the story was over, she collected money and gave away rice. The entire cart of rice was gone in just one morning.

For the next few days, Xiao Yu came every three or four days. Over time, everyone knew there was a storyteller at the teahouse by the overpass in the east of the city. Not only were the stories well-told, but there was also free rice to be had, which attracted many scholars, including some young masters and misses from influential families. Xiao Yu had no trouble selling her rice. Even if she didn’t tell a story, people would actively seek her out to buy rice.

It wasn’t long before this matter reached the grain store owner.

This day, as soon as Xiao Yu finished selling her rice, the owner came up to her. “Young Master, please wait.”

Not long ago, the store’s rice wasn’t selling well, so the owner had decided not to sell this kind of rice. But unexpectedly, the store’s white rice had sold out all of a sudden.

He asked around and found out that someone was telling stories and giving away rice by the overpass in the east of the city. He came to see and found that it was Xiao Yu.

He had backed out on the deal and rejected her rice before, so now he felt a little awkward coming to talk to her.

Xiao Yu stopped what she was doing. When she saw who it was, she smiled. “Ah, it’s the owner. Long time no see.”

The owner felt embarrassed. “Young Master, are you heading back?”

Xiao Yu smiled and put the sign on the ox cart. “Yes, it’s getting late. I’m getting ready to head back now.” As she spoke, she jumped onto the ox cart, ready to leave.

“Oh, Young Master…” The owner stopped her.

“Is there something else?” Xiao Yu asked.

Even though the business deal hadn’t gone through, Xiao Yu was a friendly person. When he suddenly stopped her, she had a rough idea of the reason.

He probably wanted her to continue supplying him with white rice. But this was good, too. She didn’t want to come out and tell stories all day. Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time with the young miss?

When she asked, the owner became a little flustered. He rubbed his hands and hesitated for a long time. “It’s like this, Young Master. Could you continue to supply the store with white rice? As long as you are willing to supply the store with white rice, I’m willing to pay thirteen coppers. How about it?”

For wholesale, thirteen coppers was a very high price. Xiao Yu hadn’t expected him to raise the price. After thinking it over, she agreed.

The owner thanked her profusely.

Xiao Yu had earned over a hundred taels of silver during this time. Although she had given all of it to the young miss to manage, today’s fifteen taels were still in her hands. She had a habit of wanting to buy things for the young miss whenever she had money, and that hadn’t changed at all. Xiao Yu remembered that the young miss had liked the pastries she bought for her a few days ago, so she drove the ox cart to a pastry shop.

When she came out, she had several bags of pastries in her hands.

The thought of the young miss made her eager to get home, and she drove the ox cart very fast.

Just as she reached the doorstep and was about to push the door open, she heard a man’s voice from inside. The smile on Xiao Yu’s face instantly froze.

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