The Yandere Queen's Manual for Training Her Wife - Chapter 5

It seemed to be a blessing in disguise for Xia Mingtang. Despite her blunder last night, she had successfully persuaded Qin Yan to let her help out during the day.

The next day, she woke up early and spent two hours on a full-face makeup routine worthy of a red-carpet event, hoping to completely captivate Qin Yan the moment she appeared. Now, her eyes were wide as saucers.

“Picking mushrooms?”

“The mountains just had some rain a couple of days ago, so it’s the perfect time to go mushroom picking. The path is slippery, though, so it’s best if you change into something more comfortable, Xiao Hua.” Qin Yan seemed not to notice the astonishment on Xia Mingtang’s face, explaining gently.

Today, Qin Yan wasn’t in her usual qipao. She wore a simple, plain cloth outfit with her long hair tied up in a bun, exuding a natural, unadorned beauty.

Even the habitually self-assured Xia Mingtang couldn’t help but sigh, “Boss Qin is indeed exceptionally beautiful.”

However, her infatuation was outweighed by her bewilderment. “Hehe, I never thought your work was so… diverse, big sister.”

You don’t seem very busy, she swallowed the rest of the sentence.

While tidying tools in a bamboo basket, Qin Yan spoke slowly and patiently. “Yun Town is built against the mountains. The wild mushrooms are a gift to everyone in town. Every household goes picking, and the guests at the inn love them, too. If you don’t want to go, I can just ask Yi Yi to accompany me.”

“I want to go, I want to go!” Afraid of missing this opportunity, Xia Mingtang quickly showed her loyalty, scampering back to her room like a rabbit. “Wait for me, big sister. I’ll just change, and I’ll be right back.”

When the two arrived at the foot of the mountain in a three-wheeled vehicle, Xia Mingtang looked at the ground covered in shrubs and fallen leaves, a little puzzled. Where are the mushrooms in a place like this?

Qin Yan got out of the car with the bamboo basket. Xia Mingtang finally remembered she was here to help out and earn brownie points. She belatedly stepped forward to take the basket.

Qin Yan didn’t argue with her. As she walked up the mountain path, she explained, “These mushrooms mostly grow on rotting wood and under piles of fallen leaves. You’re young and have sharp eyes, Xiao Hua. If you see any small mounds on the ground, feel free to dig them up and take a look.”

“No problem. You can count on me.”

Suddenly praised, Xia Mingtang’s confidence bloomed again. She was determined to perform well and show her charm. In just a dozen steps, she rushed forward and rummaged through five piles of leaves, only to find that they were, in fact, just piles of leaves.

This made her suspicious of the entire mountain. “Big sister, I heard that mushrooms mostly grow in the summer and autumn. It’s already winter. Are there really mushrooms in the mountains?”

“There are. This part of the mountain has a special terrain, and the seasons are two months behind the outside world. It’s the perfect time for mushrooms to flourish now…” As Qin Yan spoke, she squatted down and used a small shovel to peel back the leaves next to a piece of rotting wood, revealing a small white umbrella-shaped mushroom.

“A mushroom!” It was the first time Xia Mingtang had seen a growing mushroom. Her eyes lit up with excitement. She grabbed her small shovel and started digging away.

Qin Yan guided her, “Dig in this direction. Be careful not to damage the root.”

With their “combined efforts,” a whole little white mushroom was quickly unearthed.

Holding the small umbrella-like thing, Xia Mingtang felt a sense of accomplishment. “Big sister, can we eat this directly?”

Qin Yan leaned in for a closer look. “This is a termite mushroom. It’s incredibly delicious. We’ll use it for soup when we get back to the inn. You’re so amazing, Xiao Hua. You found such a perfect and tasty mushroom on your first try.”

“Hehe, I told you I’m very capable. Let’s go deeper into the mountain. There must be even more mushrooms there!”

Receiving this affirmation, Xia Mingtang was filled with energy. Now, even the most inconspicuous little tuft of grass by the roadside would be carefully examined.

Qin Yan, on the other hand, had become her personal commentator and praise squad.

“The golden one is an egg-shaped bolete. It’s slightly poisonous, but it can be eaten after proper preparation.”

“White beech mushrooms. They’re quite rare in this area and can be used for stir-fries.”

“You even found such a rare matsutake! Many people go into the mountains ten times and might not even find one. You truly are a lucky star, Xiao Hua.”

With every mushroom Xia Mingtang collected, she received a word of praise. Before long, the small bamboo basket was already half-full of colorful mushrooms.

Xia Mingtang, flushed with compliments, brushed her bangs behind her ear with her muddy hands, ready to throw herself back into the great mushroom-digging endeavor.

Qin Yan, however, couldn’t bear to see her looking like a little calico cat.

She patted her pocket, realizing she had used up all her tissues. She turned and walked toward a small stall near the pavilion on the hillside. “Wait for me for a moment.”

Xia Mingtang glanced at Qin Yan’s back. She was a bit messy right now but didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

She crouched down next to a piece of rotting wood, focusing on digging up more mushrooms. Her phone, however, vibrated at that moment.

She opened the message app. It was from her business partner, An Ran.

[We’ve acquired 20% of Ji’s National Distribution’s scattered shares in batches. The other side seems to have noticed, so the subsequent acquisition will slow down.]

[How have you been in Yun Town these past two days? Are you getting used to it?]

Xia Mingtang messaged An Ran back, assuring her she was safe and telling her to proceed with the acquisition at her own pace.

She had always trusted her senior and business partner’s capabilities, or she wouldn’t have entrusted her with such a confidential and crucial matter.

The Xia family started with the production of electronic components. The reason they were so keen on a marriage alliance with the Ji family wasn’t just because the Ji family was one of the four major families in Rong Circle, but more importantly, because Ji’s National Distribution firmly controlled over 80% of the parts export channels in the Rong Circle.

If the Xia family wanted to achieve a comprehensive supply, production, and sales system and further expand its business, it had to go through Ji’s National Distribution.

In truth, while Ji’s National Distribution was very important to the Xia family, it was just a side business for the Ji family, which had already shifted its focus to real estate.

If Grandma Xia were to handle the acquisition herself, taking over a mere Ji’s National Distribution would be a breeze.

However, business people value harmony. There’s no need to offend people if a matter can be resolved peacefully.

Besides, the third young lady of the Ji family, who was in charge of Ji’s National Distribution, was a talented and promising individual. For her to marry the Xia family’s troublemaking little demon, it looked like the Xia family was getting the better deal.

The entire Xia family was delighted with this marriage arrangement. The only person who wasn’t was Xia Mingtang herself.

Since begging and pleading didn’t work, she had no choice but to resort to dirty tricks.

As bad thoughts brewed in Xia Mingtang’s mind, her digging became more forceful. A fist-sized mushroom was quickly uprooted in a few strokes.

“This golden one… Qin Yan said it was called an egg-shaped bolete, I think. It even has small scales on it. How pretty. Of course, I found it.”

Xia Mingtang had dug up over a dozen mushrooms but still hadn’t seen Qin Yan come back.

Feeling a little bored, she looked toward the pavilion on the hillside. She wondered if she was seeing things, but a black figure flashed past the back of the pavilion at lightning speed and then disappeared.

She rubbed her eyes. When she looked again, only Qin Yan was walking toward her with a packet of tissues.

“Xiao Hua, have you been waiting long? Here, wipe up.”

Xia Mingtang was still pondering the black figure and didn’t reach out. She probed casually, “Did you run into an old friend, big sister? You two seemed to be having a good chat.”

“You must have been mistaken, Xiao Hua. It was just someone asking for directions. If you don’t wipe your face soon, you’ll really turn into a little calico cat.” Seeing no response from her, Qin Yan’s slender fingers tore open the plastic package, pulled out a tissue, and leaned closer to Xia Mingtang.

Who wears black and is so agile in broad daylight?

As Xia Mingtang was seriously analyzing the situation, she felt a sudden coolness on her cheek, a soft touch that was gone in an instant.

She looked up at Qin Yan’s face, now so close, as if a filter had been applied. Every feature was magnified, and her ears inexplicably felt a little warm.

That’s strange. Qin Yan is the one being secretive, so why am I the one who’s nervous?

Before Xia Mingtang could think more deeply, Qin Yan had already stepped back, folded the used tissue, and nodded in satisfaction. “Clean now. My Xiao Hua is a beautiful girl indeed.”

Xia Mingtang had heard countless compliments throughout her life, but none of them could compare to the satisfying and ego-boosting praise from a beauty who looked like she had stepped out of an ancient painting.

So, despite her best efforts to act reserved, she couldn’t help but let her lips curl into a wide, ear-to-ear grin.

Qin Yan didn’t stare at her for too long. She turned her attention to the bamboo basket nearby and exclaimed with surprise, “You’ve gathered so many mushrooms again! You truly have a gift, Xiao Hua.”

“You’re too kind, big sister. It’s because you’re a good teacher.” Xia Mingtang finally found her “humility,” her tone much more polite than usual.

I guess Boss Qin is a pretty nice person after all, she thought. If she wasn’t on the Ji family’s side, maybe we could even become good friends.

In this harmonious atmosphere of mutual compliments, the two of them gathered a full basket of mushrooms. By the time they returned to the inn, dusk had already fallen.

It had been a very pleasant day for Xia Mingtang, yet she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that she had forgotten something very important.

Support