《Shock! The Stubborn Crown Prince Became My Husband》 Chapter 1 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Yaoyao, how many days has the husband you bought been sick? Why hasn¡¯t he recovered yet? If this is what we got, I think even three taels of silver is too expensive!¡± He¡¯s weak like a small girl. What can we do with him?¡± Mrs. Bai, who was over thirty years old and still looked as delicate as an unmarried girl, complained in a bad mood. Hearing this, Bai Jinyao, who was decocting the medicine, smiled helplessly. ¡°Mother, did you forget? I¡¯m already eighteen years old this year. If I still don¡¯t get married, the government will come to us and claim this year¡¯s single tax! Buying a live-in son-in-law with three taels of silver is better than paying the single tax of ten taels! Am I right?¡± Mrs. Bai sighed. ¡°Well, I guess so. Never mind.¡± ¡°Mother, the medicine is done. I¡¯ll go in now.¡± Bai Jinyao took the bowl of medicine and left after informing her mother. The air in the room was filled with the smell of medicine, and the words ¡°Just Married¡± were pasted on the window and door. A handsome man was lying on a bed with a red curtain. His face was flushed and his eyes were closed. Bai Jinyao saw that the man was sweating due to the fever, and his white inner clothes were soaked with sweat. She lifted his quilt and wanted to untie his belt to change him into a new set of clothes. But just as her hand touched the belt, a big wet and hot hand grabbed her wrist! The force was so great that it seemed as if he wanted to crush her wrist! Bai Jinyao raised her eyes and met Luo Xichu¡¯s red and cold eyes. Even though today was the third day that Bai Jinyao had transmigrated into the novel, and even though she had already committed the plot of the original novel and the system¡¯s mission to memory¡­ But at this moment, when she practically looked into Luo Xichu¡¯s eyes and recalled the ending of the female lead in the original book, Bai Jinyao couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified of Luo Xichu. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Luo Xichu¡¯s voice was hoarse and nasal, but Bai Jinyao could hear that he had squeezed those words out through his teeth! Bai Jinyao calmed herself down. Then she said, ¡°I saw that your clothes were wet with sweat and wanted to change your clothes. I have also brought you the medicine. Since you are awake, I suppose you can take the medicine and change your clothes.¡± After Bai Jinyao finished speaking, she tried to break her wrist out of Luo Xichu¡¯s firm grip. Luo Xichu had a fever for a few days, so his strength could not be compared to Bai Jinyao, who had been selling pork for several years and cutting meat with a knife all day long. Bai Jinyao broke free easily. She rubbed her wrist and found some clothes for Luo Xichu to change into. She then placed the bowl of medicine on the small table by the bed. ¡°I¡¯m going out. You can change your clothes and drink the medicine. Don¡¯t worry, the medicine is not poisonous.¡± Bai Jinyao opened the door and went out. After she closed the door, Bai Jinyao finally heaved a sigh of relief. She wiped her forehead and realized that she was breaking out in cold sweat! Today was the third day that she had transmigrated into a female-themed novel that she had once read. The female lead in the story was also called Bai Jinyao. When she was 18 years old, she found the unconscious male lead on the mountain. Because she couldn¡¯t afford to pay the single tax, she had no choice but to carry the male lead home, intending to make him her live-in husband. After that, she constantly gave the man a hard time by scolding and hitting him because he had a fever and tried to run away, which antagonized him. It was all until she found he was the crown prince. After the male lead escaped and became the Emperor, the first thing he did was vent his anger on the female lead. On the day she transmigrated here, the feverish male lead had already been beaten and scolded by the original female lead, and had been locked in the bridal chamber for two days! Chapter 2 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She was so scared that she hurriedly went to find a doctor to treat the male lead. Fortunately, the male lead¡¯s brain was not damaged. However, he had engraved the pain that the male lead had suffered at the hands of the original female lead in his heart! Bai Jinyao sighed and became worried about her future. ¡°Host, your mission is to protect your life and not be killed by the male lead. It¡¯s still not too late. As long as you treat the male lead well, he will definitely not kill you!¡± The system¡¯s mechanical voice sounded in Bai Jinyao¡¯s mind. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll give it a try. I¡¯ll try to please the male lead while he¡¯s sick, and when he¡¯s better, I¡¯ll let him go!¡± She¡¯d want any other man than him! Bai Jinyao had just finished speaking to the system in her heart when someone knocked on the door. ¡°Is anyone home?¡± ¡°Coming. Coming!¡± Bai Jinyao responded loudly and quickly went to open the courtyard door. There were two soldiers standing at the door. When they saw Bai Jinyao¡¯s fat body, her chubby chin, and the red and black acne and marks on her chubby face, a look of disgust flashed in their eyes. ¡°Manager Bai, we heard that you got married a few days ago. We¡¯re here today to register your husband.¡± When Bai Jinyao heard what the two soldiers said, she immediately recalled the situation in the original book. In the original book, there were indeed soldiers who came to register Luo Xichu¡¯s information. At that time, the original female lead had just randomly given Luo Xichu a name. She remembered he seemed to be called Doggy or something. She thought if she also gave the crown prince such a cheap name, Luo Xichu would probably kill her as soon as he recovered! In the end, after careful consideration, Bai Jinyao came up with a name for Luo Xichu. ¡°Sirs, my husband¡¯s name is Jiang Tieniu. He came from the backwoods.¡± ¡°From the backwoods? Did he live in the mountains? How many people are there in his family? Do they own any houses or land?¡± The officer held a brush in his hand and wrote and drew on the papyrus. ¡°He¡¯s the only one left in his family. His family members are gone. He came out of the mountains because he was the only one left. In the end, he fell down on the mountain and I picked him up. Tieniu said he wanted to repay me for saving his life. As a matter of fact, he¡¯s willing to become my live-in husband and marry me. ¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s mouth moved calmly as she spoke as if she was speaking the truth. ¡°I see. Alright, we¡¯ll take note of this. Then, Manager Bai, you don¡¯t have to pay the single tax this year. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Why is this fat woman so reasonable today? it¡¯s like she¡¯s a different person.¡± The two soldiers turned around and left. Bai Jinyao happened to hear what they were whispering about. Bai Jinyao was speechless. Bai Jinyao lowered her head and looked at the few layers of fat on her waist. She then closed the door silently. At the very least, he had managed to fool the officials. But when Bai Jinyao turned around and met Mrs. Bai¡¯s puzzled eyes, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Yaoyao, when you brought that man back home that day, you said that you bought that man from Xinghua Village and that his name is Doggy. Why did he suddenly become the Jiang Tieniu that you picked up from the backwoods?¡± Mrs. Bai¡¯s tone was full of doubt and confusion. Bai Jinyao started to feel anxious again. In the original book, the female lead did say this to Mrs. Bai when she carried Luo Xichu back. But she had actually forgotten about this! Bai Jinyao braced herself and explained, ¡°Mother, I said that on purpose. You know how the government doesn¡¯t allow human trafficking, right?¡± If I told them the truth, what if they have me arrested?¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Moreover, if I told them the truth, they sure will go to Xinghua Village to find Doggy¡¯s parents and relatives to verify this matter. By then we¡¯ll be screwed.¡± But if I said Doggy is from the backwoods and he¡¯s the only one at home, that would save us a lot of trouble down the road, right?¡± When Bai Jinyao said this, Mrs. Bai also felt that it made sense. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Have you explained it clearly to Doggy¡¯s parents? Since they¡¯ve sold Doggy, then Doggy is a member of our family! We can¡¯t go back to their house.¡± Bai Jinyao nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear. Mother, we can just call him Tieniu from now on. Doggy is not a good name.¡± ¡°Doggy is indeed not a good name, but Tieniu is no better.¡± Mrs. Bai muttered in a low voice. Bai Jinyao choked. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll let you get back to it.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll leave you alone. Just go.¡± Mrs. Bai waved her hand and went back to her room. Seeing that her mother believed her, Bai Jinyao heaved a sigh of relief. She reckoned that Luo Xichu should have changed his clothes and finished drinking the medicine by now, so she wanted to go in and check in on him. However, as soon as she pushed open the door, she could already feel the coldness exuding from Luo Xichu¡¯s body. Although Luo Xichu¡¯s eyes were closed, the aura around him made Bai Jinyao suddenly cower. She stood at the door, not knowing whether to enter or leave. She suddenly remembered that this room wasn¡¯t soundproof. She thought Luo Xichu might have heard what she had said to the soldiers just now. ¡°Is that why he is so angry now?¡± she thought. If she didn¡¯t explain it clearly, Luo Xichu¡¯s hatred for her would only grow deeper! For the sake of her life, she decided she had to explain. Bai Jinyao quietly walked into the room and closed the door. ¡°Well, I can explain,¡± Bai Jinyao coughed. But the only answer she got was silence. Luo Xichu¡¯s eyes were closed as if he was asleep. On closer inspection, one could see that his eyelids were trembling slightly. He was obviously awake, but he did not want to talk to Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao gritted her teeth and continued to explain. ¡°I apologize for locking you in the room a few days ago and not getting a doctor for you. I¡¯ve thought it through these few days. I shouldn¡¯t have forced you. You¡¯re still sick and weak. Even if I let you go, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to get out of bed. So when you¡¯ve recovered, you can leave if you want. I won¡¯t stop you. Also, I made up your identity with the soldiers just now because the people in the town knew that you and I got married a few days ago. If I didn¡¯t say this, I¡¯m afraid they wouldn¡¯t let us get away with this so easily. When you¡¯re good to leave, I will take the initiative to go to the government to register our divorce. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Bai Jinyao looked at Luo Xichu and said to him in a serious tone. Before she transmigrated here, she couldn¡¯t explain the bad things that the original female lead did to the male lead. She could only apologize even if he didn¡¯t believe her. Now she just needed to explain. She would not force him to stay. She would not hit or scold him. He would not lock him in a small black room either. Not only that, she would even worship him as God and take good care of him until he was good to go. Then she decided she should try to please Luo Xichu and change his opinion of her. That way, even if Luo Xichu left, she wouldn¡¯t be executed because of what the original female lead had done! With this in mind, Bai Jinyao¡¯s desire to let Luo Xichu recover immediately and send him away became stronger! Chapter 4 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, even after Bai Jinyao said these words, Luo Xichu¡¯s eyes were still closed and he did not respond. Bai Jinyao was speechless. It seemed that Luo Xichu didn¡¯t believe her. She guessed it was acceptable because the original female lead had been too mean to him. It was understandable that Luo Xichu didn¡¯t believe her. However, she didn¡¯t care because she had done what she could. After thinking for a while, Bai Jinyao walked to the bed and picked up the empty bowl. She picked up Luo Xichu¡¯s clothes and was about to leave the house. But just as she turned around, Luo Xichu¡¯s voice was still hoarse and cold. ¡°Is what you said true?¡± ¡°Of course! I, Bai Jinyao, have always kept my word!¡± Bai Jinyao immediately turned around and looked at Luo Xichu. Even the fat on her body trembled. ¡°Then let¡¯s sign a contract to hold this legally binding.¡± Luo Xichu looked at Bai Jinyao coldly. Her eyes seemed to be betting on whether Bai Jinyao would dare to sign the contract. Once the contract was signed, if Bai Jinyao went back on her words and refused to let him leave, Luo Xichu could file a lawsuit against her! Beiluo Kingdom was very strict with the management of contracts. As long as a contract was signed, it would be protected by the government and the officials. When Bai Jinyao heard this, she immediately agreed without any hesitation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go get the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s straightforwardness made Luo Xichu seem a little surprised, but he only hummed in agreement and didn¡¯t show it on his face. Bai Jinyao quickly brought over a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone and ground the ink. ¡°Are you going to write it? Or do you want me to write it?¡± Bai Jinyao picked up the brush and thought for a while before asking Luo Xichu. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Luo Xichu sat up with some difficulty. His untied black hair hung behind her, and a few strands fell on his flushed cheeks. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat, and his clothes were slightly open, revealing his delicate collarbones. Luo Xichu was already very good-looking, and now his slightly burning and red face almost drove Bai Jinyao crazy because she was all for the looks of men. She came back to her senses and quickly coughed to look away. Luo Xichu got up and staggered to the round table to sit down. She picked up the brush and pondered for a moment, then began to write on the paper. Soon, Luo Xichu finished writing on a piece of paper and handed it to Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao took the contract and looked at it. There was only one sentence written on the white paper. After Jiang Tieniu had recovered, Bai Jinyao had to keep her promise by divorcing Jiang Tieniu and allowing him to leave the Bai family. It was simple and straightforward. Moreover, the name Luo Xichu had written was not Luo Xichu, but Jiang Tieniu, who had already been registered as Bai Jinyao¡¯s live-in husband with the government. This way, even if Bai Jinyao were to go back on her word, Luo Xichu, who was now Jiang Tieniu, could take this contract and report Bai Jinyao to the authorities. Luo Xichu saw Bai Jinyao staring at the contract for a long time before he forced himself to ask. His body was weak from the fever. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Bai Jinyao nodded, picked up the brush, and wrote her name on it stroke by stroke. She signed and stamped her thumbprint. There were two copies of the contract. Luo Xichu and Bai Jinyao each kept one copy. Seeing that Bai Jinyao had signed her name so readily, Luo Xichu¡¯s confidence in Bai Jinyao grew a little more. Luo Xichu solemnly folded the contract and put it in his arms. Then, he stood up with the help of the table and wanted to go back to bed to rest. However, his vision suddenly turned black, and he fell to the ground before he could even take two steps! Chapter 5 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinxi quickly reached out to support Luo Xichu. Bai Jinyao¡¯s head was only to Luo Xichu¡¯s shoulders. When she looked up, she saw that Luo Xichu had fainted with his eyes closed. She had no choice but to carry Luo Xichu and put him on the bed, then covered him with the quilt. Bai Jinyao put the contract away and left the house with the empty bowl and clothes. Bai Jinyao went to the kitchen and saw Mrs. Bai picking vegetables. Mrs. Bai glanced at the empty bowl in Bai Jinyao¡¯s hand and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know when Tieniu¡¯s illness will be cured. Yaoyao, why don¡¯t you go and sell pork first? I will help you look after him. You can¡¯t always waste your time on this man!¡± When Mrs. Bai mentioned this, she couldn¡¯t help but bring up the past. ¡°If your father hadn¡¯t been enlisted by the army and died out there, you wouldn¡¯t have taken on the responsibility of the family at such a young age! If your father didn¡¯t die, your grandmother and the others wouldn¡¯t have disowned us and let the three of us make a living on our own! Your little brother is still young and can¡¯t share the burden. I thought your life would change for the better when you finally land a husband, but he¡¯s so sick!¡± Mrs. Bai was on the verge of tears as she spoke. Bai Jinyao couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how beautiful her mother was. Although the original female lead was extremely fat, her face would probably be as beautiful as her mother¡¯s if she managed to lose some weight. As she thought about this, Bai Jinyao raised her hand and touched her face. She felt goosebumps all over her face as if she was touching an uneven piece of land. Bai Jinxi felt goosebumps all over her body. She rubbed her arms to comfort Mrs. Bai and agreed to her words. ¡°Mother! Tieniu will recover in a few days! I will be going to sell pork tomorrow. I have rested enough these few days, so mother will have to take care of Tieniu for now. ¡± Mrs. Bai wiped the corners of her eyes and nodded. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, Yaoyao. I will take good care of Tieniu. ¡­ After Bai Jinyao and Mrs. Bai finished cooking, they brought the dishes and the medicine to the bridal chamber. Luo Xichu was still unconscious, and his forehead was covered in sweat. Bai Jinyao gently wiped his sweat and called out to him softly. ¡°Wake up. It¡¯s time to eat.¡± Luo Xichu¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened her eyes. Bai Jinyao¡¯s chubby face, which was even a little scary, came into his sight, but there was no change of emotions in his eyes. He didn¡¯t have the obvious disdain in his eyes like the others. Bai Jinyao noticed this, but she couldn¡¯t tell what she was feeling. Luo Xichu sat up with difficulty and sat down at the round table to eat. In order to let Luo Xichu recover as soon as possible, Bai Jinyao¡¯s dishes were simple but nutritious. She sat by the side and watched Luo Xichu eat his food expressionlessly. Luo Xichu did not eat quickly, but her movements looked very elegant. After he finished his meal, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Bai Jinyao glanced at it and took out a white handkerchief from her arms and handed it to Luo Xichu. ¡°Here, it¡¯s clean.¡± Luo Xichu nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You should rest. Remember to take your medicine. I¡¯ll clean up the bowls and chopsticks.¡± Bai Jinyao stood up as she spoke, quickly packed up, and went out. There wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of ambiguity. This made Luo Xichu feel at ease, but at the same time, it also made him feel that the current Bai Jinyao was completely different from the one he was with a few days ago. Chapter 6 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio It was as if she had become a different person. However, he didn¡¯t think too much about it. After he recovered, he believed he would never have the chance to meet Bai Jinyao again! Luo Xichu picked up the bowl of medicine and drank it in one gulp. The medicine was obviously bitter, but Luo Xichu drank it like it was plain water without any taste. He didn¡¯t even frown. This was because Luo Xichu had never experienced taste and smell before. For as long as he could remember, he realized that he couldn¡¯t taste anything, nor could he smell anything. For the past 23 years, it had been like this every day. Even though he was already used to it. But this time, because he had no sense of smell and taste, he was poisoned! The poison had completely sealed his internal strength and he was unable to resist it! If he hadn¡¯t escaped to the mountains, he would have been caught by that person who poisoned him. But being taken here by a wench was still something beyond his imagination. Luo Xichu clenched his teeth tightly at the thought of this. Although he didn¡¯t know why this woman suddenly became a different person and was willing to let him leave after he recovered, he decided this was a chance for him to recuperate! ¡­ Since Bai Jinyao was going to set up a stall to sell pork tomorrow, she went out to a pig farmer that the original female lead had worked with before and agreed to kill a pig for her to sell. The trip had taken up a lot of time, and by the time Bai Jinyao returned, the sky had already turned dark. Bai Jinyao¡¯s mother was already asleep. After washing up, Bai Jinyao planned to go to bed. After all, she had to get up at four or five in the morning to get the pig. But just as her hand touched the door, she suddenly remembered that there was only one bed in the room. Luo Xichu was lying on the only bed! Other than the bed, there was not even a soft couch in the room. If she were to rest in the bridal chamber tonight, she would have to sleep with Luo Xichu! However, she had finally convinced Luo Xichu that she really didn¡¯t want to force him to stay and that she didn¡¯t have any feelings for him. If she had really slept with Luo Xichu, then this misunderstanding would be a little difficult to explain. Bai Jinyao¡¯s face wrinkled in distress. Her fair hand touched the door and retracted. After repeating this a few times, she turned around and returned to her brother, Bai Jinyan¡¯s room. She thought that she might as well sleep in her brother¡¯s room for the night. However, when Bai Jinyao pushed the door open and entered, she realized that her brother¡¯s bed was empty. Not to mention a blanket, there was not even a cushion! Bai Jinyao was speechless. She remembered her younger brother had gone out of town and would be back in a few days. That was why her mother washed all of her brother¡¯s bedding today! ¡°Host, you can go back to the bridal chamber and tell the male lead. He probably won¡¯t mind.¡± The system¡¯s cold and mechanical voice suddenly rang in Bai Jinyao¡¯s mind, almost giving her a shock. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll agree. After all, on the night of our wedding, the original female lead almost forced herself on him. Luo Xichu should still be a little traumatized, so he won¡¯t agree to share the bed and blanket with me so easily.¡± Bai Jinyao recalled the plot and sighed. It was no wonder Luo Xichu hated the original female lead so much. After all, the crown prince had almost been molested by the original female lead! If she was in his shoes, she would bear this in mind for a lifetime! ¡°Host, you can give it a try. I think the male lead will agree.¡± The system¡¯s mechanical voice was emotionless, but Bai Jinyao was not sure if it was just an illusion. She always felt that the system was egging her on. Bai Jinyao bit her nails and struggled for a while. Between sleeping on a wooden board, which would give her a sore body tomorrow and give her a hard time at work, and sleeping on a soft bed, which would give her a refreshed mind and improve her efficiency at work, she went with the latter. Chapter 7 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She walked to the door of the bridal chamber, took a deep breath, and mustered her courage to knock on the door. There was no sound in the room, so she gently pushed the door open. It was pitch dark inside. Bai Jinyao pushed the door open, and the moonlight poured in from behind her, allowing her to see Luo Xichu lying on the bed with his eyes closed. [Host, go in. While the male lead is asleep, you can have some sleep first. Anyway, you will get up early tomorrow morning, so the male lead won¡¯t notice you.] Bai Jinyao felt that the system¡¯s words made sense. Sick people usually sleep very deeply. Even if she slept next to Luo Xichu, he wouldn¡¯t find out so easily. Hence, she entered the room and closed the door. Because the windows in the room were also closed, the faint moonlight that shone through the window gap was not enough for her to see the furnishings in the room. She could only follow the original owner¡¯s memory to approach the bed slowly. The air in the room was filled with the smell of medicine for the past few days. Other than the smell of medicine, there was also a familiar and pleasant smell. She knew that it was Luo Xichu¡¯s smell. When she smelled this, she knew she had already walked to the verge of the bed and was very close to Luo Xichu, who was lying on the bed. She reached out and fumbled around, trying to find support to climb onto the bed. Suddenly, her wrist was pinched by a big, hot hand! Bai Jinyao was shocked, thinking that she had woken Luo Xichu up. But then, a strong force pulled her wrist and threw her directly into the inner side of the bed! Her current weight was almost two hundred catties. With this throw, she was like a giant stone that fell on the bed with a bang. The sound was so loud that Bai Jinyao¡¯s heart was in her mouth, fearing it would wake her mother up. But she couldn¡¯t figure out how Luo Xichu, who was still running a fever, could have such great strength to throw such a heavy person like her up. She swallowed and suspected that Luo Xichu had not only woken up, but his high fever might have also almost subsided. Otherwise, how could he suddenly have such great strength? Just as she was thinking this, the pleasant smell in her nose became stronger. Then, a heavy object was suddenly pressed on her body. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that it was a heavy object. Because the person who was pressing her down was Luo Xichu. Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t dare to move. However, the self-defense skills she had learned in the modern world for many years made her subconsciously put her arms in front of her chest in a defensive posture. Even if Luo Xichu wanted to strangle her to death now, she could kick him down easily. However, Luo Xichu did not move at all. He laid down and buried his head in Bai Jinyao¡¯s neck! Feeling the heat of breath on her neck, Bai Jinyao was embarrassed. Immediately, she got goosebumps all over her body. She was single since birth and really couldn¡¯t adapt to the current situation! She took a deep breath. Luo Xichu¡¯s breath filled her entire chest, making her feel dizzy. ¡°Tie, Tieniu?¡± Bai Jinyao was worried that Luo Xichu would infect her with the fever, so she quickly let out a breath and called Luo Xichu softly. But what answered her was Luo Xichu¡¯s somewhat rapid breathing. [Host, the male lead is not awake.] The system gave her a friendly reminder. Hearing the system¡¯s words, she heaved a sigh of relief. She simply turned Luo Xichu over and lay him down. Chapter 8 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, hearing Luo Xichu¡¯s rapid breathing, Bai Jinyao felt something was wrong. She sat up and reached out to touch his forehead. It was burning hot. Obviously, the temperature that had dropped a little during the day rose again. She had no choice but to get up and grope for warm water to wipe his body. Then, she boiled some medicine soup and pinched Luo Xichu¡¯s chin before pouring it into his mouth. Finishing, she dizzily lay down on the inner side of the bed and was ready to rest with her clothes on. In a daze, she was still thinking it would be great if Luo Xichu¡¯s fever had subsided by the time she returned from selling pork tomorrow. Then she could send him away. However, she had a dream in her sleep. She dreamed that the following day, Luo Xichu¡¯s fever not only did not go down, but it was even more severe! He had even been turned into a fool by the high fever and chased after her all day, asking for a hug and mother. ¡°No!¡± This dream was too scary for her. She screamed, opened her eyes, and realized it was already dawn. She was stunned for a few seconds. Recalling the scene in her dream, she was so frightened that she quickly turned her head and looked at Luo Xichu, who was lying beside her. His breathing calmed down, and his face didn¡¯t look too red. She touched his forehead and found that his fever had subsided a little. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief and wipe the sweat off her forehead. Fortunately, the fever didn¡¯t burn him into a fool! She quietly got out of bed, washed up, and boiled the medicine soup. Then she left home with a small cart. Finishing, she pulled the slaughtered pig onto the small cart before heading to the market. The original owner used to sell at a stall and had to pay the stall fee every day, but the stall was not fixed. It was all about snatching and occupying a vacancy. And she had a fiery personality, a loud voice, and was quite good at scolding people. Moreover, she was quite big. Just by standing there, she would not be pushed away easily by those who were thinner. That was why no one dared to snatch her stall. However, when the original owner had just started selling pork, her stall had also been robbed, but at that time, she was so angry that she didn¡¯t sell pork anymore. She just scolded the person who had robbed her stall for the whole morning! She stopped only after the other one had sold out all his things and left. From then on, no one dared to occupy the stall of the original owner. Even the few stalls around the original owner¡¯s stall were rarely occupied. Unless all the stalls in other places were occupied, no one would come to the stalls around her. And no one was willing to talk to her. Therefore, since the original owner picked up Luo Xichu from the mountain a few days ago and got married hastily until now. Even if Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t set up her stall, her stall was always vacant, and no one dared to occupy it. She looked around and saw that all the stalls were occupied. Only her stall was vacant. Moreover, when everyone saw her, they looked as if they had seen a ghost. Bai Jinyao was speechless. She coughed and raised her voice. ¡°Long time no see, everyone. I got married a few days ago, and the preparations were hasty. So I didn¡¯t invite everyone to the wedding feast. I¡¯ve brought some wedding candies for everyone to share the happiness.¡± As she spoke, she took out a small bundle under her arms and took out the wedding candies to distribute to the people who looked familiar to her at the stalls around. The people who received the wedding candies were a little dumbfounded. Each one of them had a look of disbelief on their faces. Some people thought they were dreaming and pinched themselves until they grimaced in pain. Some people looked up at the sky to see if the sun had risen from the west today. Chapter 9 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao looked at their reaction and felt a little embarrassed. She silently pulled the cart to her stall and easily placed the whole pig on the chopping board. Then, she took out a knife, sharpened it, and began to cut the pork. However, she was thinking about how to sell the meat as she cut it. The original owner had been selling pork for several years. But to be honest, her business was really bad. Originally, selling pork was a very profitable business in Qianshui Town, but because the original owner was fierce and stingy, she deliberately lowered the weight to earn more. If she disagreed with the customers, she would even quarrel with them. Therefore, very few people would buy pork from the original owner. In particular, Qianshui Town was not so big. Bad news traveled fast. Everyone knew what kind of person the original owner was, and no one would be willing to buy pork from her. It was also because of this that the original owner of the body, who was clearly doing a profitable business, could not collect enough money to pay the single tax for the year she turned eighteen. Bai Jinyao recalled these things and felt a little worried. Because of this, she went to the pig farmer last night and specially picked a pig that wasn¡¯t too big. If it couldn¡¯t be sold out by today, she could only think of another way. ¡°M-manager Bai, thank you for the wedding candy. I wish you and your husband a happy life! I, I¡¯ll buy some pork, okay?¡± A timid voice was heard. Bai Jinyao raised her head and saw a skinny woman standing in front of her stall. ¡°Auntie Zhang, you¡¯re welcome. Which part of pork do you want? I¡¯ll cut it for you.¡± She asked with a smile. The original owner¡¯s appearance was similar to Mrs. Bai¡¯s, and she was quite good-looking. However, for some reason, she started to gain weight at the age of twelve or thirteen. After she gained weight, her beautiful facial features were deformed, and she had some pimples on her face. The original owner didn¡¯t like to dress up and looked sloppy. Moreover, she had a shrewish personality and always pulled a long face as if everyone owed her a lot of money. Not only was she fat, ugly, and unkempt, but she also looked like a resentful woman. Moreover, she had been selling pork for several years, and her strength was growing day by day. She showed up in public all day long, and the men in town didn¡¯t want to marry her. That was why no one came to her house to ask for marriage after she had reached marriageable age. However, Beiluo Kingdom had a small population, so the emperor issued a law. All unmarried women who had reached the marriageable age of fifteen had to pay a single tax of 10 taels a year. If they couldn¡¯t afford it, they would have to accept the arrangements of the government and get married to the arranged marriage partner. However, the partner arranged by the government didn¡¯t was not selected by age or status. It was very likely that a woman of marriageable age would be arranged to marry a man who was old enough to be her father. Therefore, many women would either quickly settle their marriage before reaching marriageable age. Or, they would save money to pay the single tax. In the small Qianshui Town, very few families could afford this amount of silver. Of course, the original owner couldn¡¯t afford the money either, so she secretly carried Luo Xichu home when she saw him unconscious. The surrounding people had never seen the original owner smile before. Today, they saw Bai Jinyao suddenly smiling. Although her face was still fat and full of pimples, everyone felt that she seemed to have changed. They were all stunned. ¡°Auntie Zhang?¡± Bai Jinyao saw the woman in front of her looking at her in a daze and called out to her. Chapter 10 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Auntie Zhang came back to her senses and looked embarrassed. ¡°Auntie Zhang, which part of pork do you want?¡± Bai Jinyao continued to ask with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± ¡°Okay, I sold this part at fifteen pennies per catty before, but since I¡¯m finally married, I¡¯ll sell it at a lower price today. Thirteen pennies. It¡¯s just enough for one catty here.¡± She said sweetly while nimbly cutting the meat. ¡°Auntie Zhang, you¡¯re the first person to patronize my shop today. These are some snacks made by my mother. Take them back for your youngest son.¡± As she spoke, she took out some unknown snacks from her pocket and stuffed them into Auntie Zhang¡¯s hands. Auntie Zhang was stunned, and so were the others. It had only been a few days since they last met, but why did Manager Bai seem to have changed into a different person? In the past, she was very calculative when selling pork. Not to mention giving the customers a discount of two pennies, it was fortunate enough that she didn¡¯t give short weight. But why was she suddenly so nice? That usually droopy, fat face that looked like someone owed her a lot of money smiled today! Bai Jinyao¡¯s change made everyone look as if they had seen a ghost. Because they were too curious, all sorts of gazes fell on her. She accidentally met their eyes and smiled kindly at them without saying anything. This made everyone even more surprised. After all, the original owner had a terrible temper. If she noticed anyone¡¯s gaze, she would scold that person to tears. Perhaps Bai Jinyao¡¯s change was too abrupt. Everyone was immersed in disbelief and unable to extricate themselves. Therefore, the market that was supposed to be noisy was very quiet today. This puzzled the folks who came to buy vegetables, wondering what had happened. Until someone secretly told them about Bai Jinyao¡¯s actions just now. The folks scoffed. ¡°Are you guys so tired that you¡¯re hallucinating? How could that fatty smile and give you wedding candy?¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s a blessing if she doesn¡¯t dig out all the silver in your pocket!¡± ¡°If that fatty can change, pigs can fly!¡± ¡­ The folks discussed animatedly but in hushed tones. Although they dared to talk about her, they only dared to talk about her behind her back. Only those who did not care about their lives and were prepared to be scolded by her would dare to complain loudly. Although they had lowered their voices, Bai Jinyao still heard it to some extent. She was helpless, but she could understand. After all, the original owner¡¯s mother and brother were probably the only ones who would not despise her. Since she had already become the host of the body, she naturally wanted to change. Then make the change now. She didn¡¯t care about the discussions of the people around her and continued to cut the meat. After a while, a tall and burly middle-aged man with a rough appearance suddenly appeared in front of her stall. ¡°Manager Bai, I¡¯d like one catty of fat.¡± The man¡¯s voice boomed. Bai Jinyao noticed that the man in front of her was the one who had been talking about her with the people just now. Was he here to test if she had really changed, as the others said? A smile appeared on her chubby face. She nimbly cut off a catty of fat and even gave the middle-aged man more fat before his eyes. ¡°Uncle, here. I got married a few days ago. Today, I want to share the happy atmosphere and wedding candies with everyone.¡± Chapter 11 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao handed the fat to the man and grabbed a handful of wedding candies for him. The middle-aged man looked at her. Not only did she not give him short weight, but she gave him more fat. She even smiled and gave him a handful of wedding candies. His expression was obviously stunned and surprised. When the surrounding folks saw this scene, they finally believed that what everyone had just said was true. ¡°See, Manager Bai is different from before! In the past, she would never smile like this and be so generous!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I almost thought that pigs were flying today. Also, did you notice that Manager Bai¡¯s clothes and hair are much cleaner today? She doesn¡¯t look sloppy anymore!¡± Some observant people had already noticed it when she came to the market. Now that someone mentioned it, everyone came to be aware of it. ¡°Exactly! I don¡¯t know what happened to Manager Bai these days. She seems to have changed into a different person!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Manager Bai marry a live-in son-in-law? Maybe she is more sensible since she has a family now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible! Perhaps that live-in son-in-law will be able to control her!¡± ¡°Perhaps Manager Bai¡¯s unkempt appearance was cleaned up by her husband this morning.¡± ¡­ Everyone lowered their voices and discussed with each other because Bai Jinyao¡¯s transformation was too shocking for them. They had all forgotten that they were here to buy or sell vegetables. All of them just stood there and chatted. As a result, Wang Dazhu, who came to collect the stall fee and protection fee, brought a group of men to the market and saw such a strange scene. Everyone was watching and discussing. The only business open was Bai Jinyao¡¯s pork stall. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wang Dazhu asked a random citizen in a rough voice. When the woman saw him, she shuddered. Although she was afraid, she told him about Bai Jinyao¡¯s change. Wang Dazhu laughed. ¡°That fatty has changed so much? I don¡¯t believe it! Don¡¯t just stand there. Hurry up and hand over the stall fee and protection fee for today!¡± Wang Dazhu shouted. His men scattered and asked for money from the stall owners. Bai Jinyao heard his shouts but did not stop cutting the meat. She continued to cut the meat for the guests in an orderly manner. After that, she grabbed a handful of wedding candies to show her appreciation. In a short time, she had almost sold out all her pork. Thanks to the curiosity of the people and her wedding candies. Otherwise, with the influence of the original owner, this pig wouldn¡¯t have been sold out so quickly. ¡°Hey! Fatty! It¡¯s time to pay the silver!¡± Wang dazhu picked up a stick from somewhere and knocked on her stall. Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t say anything but just used a clean handkerchief to wipe her oily hands, took out three copper coins from her pocket, and handed them to Wang Dazhu. Wang Dazhu took the copper coins and shook them in his hand, waiting for her to continue handing him the protection fee. But instead of receiving the protection fee, he saw her pick up the knife and continue to cut the meat. He frowned. ¡°Fatty! Protection fees! Hurry up and stop dawdling!¡± However, Bai Jinyao continued her work as if she did not hear his urging. Wang Dazhu was a relative of the head of Qianshui Town and had always been arrogant. He had always looked down on the original owner. In the past, whenever he saw the original owner, he would always call her fatty. Chapter 12 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Although the original owner was a shrew, she picked on the weak as her target. She didn¡¯t dare to provoke people like Wang Dazhu, who had influential relatives. Wang Dazhu initially thought that Bai Jinyao would be the same as before. He scoffed and did not believe it when hearing the folks talk about her change. But now, Bai Jinyao ignored him and did not pay the protection fee! His temper flared up immediately! He picked up the stick and smashed it at her. Seeing this, everyone¡¯s pupils contracted, and they were all stunned. Even those not frightened would not dare to provoke Wang Dazhu for her. Just as everyone thought the stick in his hand was about to hit her head¡­ Bai jinyao, who had kept her head low, suddenly raised her head. She raised the knife and cut the stick in Wang Dazhu¡¯s hand in two. Her sudden action shocked everyone. Wang Dazhu did not expect her to do this suddenly. He was still holding half a stick in his hand, but because Bai Jinyao had used too much force when cutting the stick with the knife, his hand had become numb from the impact. He unconsciously let go of the stick, and it fell on Bai Jinyao¡¯s stall. The market fell silent again. Everyone looked at this scene in shock. ¡°You! How dare you fatty to treat me like this!¡± Wang Dazhu looked at the broken stick that rolled on the stall and the broken stick that Bai Jinyao had cut in two. He felt that the stick was not a stick but his pride and honor. His pride was ruined by this fatty! Bai Jinyao raised her head and stared coldly at him. ¡°My name is Bai Jinyao, not fatty. If you want to talk to me, you can call me Manager Bai. I will communicate with you properly.¡± She originally didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but after hearing Wang Dazhu calling her a fatty, she was furious. A surge of anger suddenly burst out of her heart. It should be the anger left behind by the original owner¡¯s body. After all, no seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl was willing to be called a fatty. The original owner could endure it, but she couldn¡¯t! ¡°Bah! You¡¯re already as fat as the pigs you sell, and you don¡¯t let people call you fatty? Fatty! Fatty! Fatty! Bah!¡± Wang Dazhu was getting more and more excited. He was like a shrew, cursing ceaselessly and relentlessly. Bai Jinyao gritted her teeth. The anger in her was getting heated. She slammed the knife in her hand on the stall with a bang! The tip of the knife was stuck in the chopping board, buzzing and shaking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me being fat? Did I eat your rice or your meat? You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s thin! You¡¯re a grown man, but you are as thin as firewood. I can beat you down with one punch!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think you can collect protection fees from us just because you¡¯re a relative of the town head. The town head is an honest and upright person. How could he have such an embarrassing relative like you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯m not paying any protection fees! If you make me angry, I¡¯ll personally go to the head town and see if he¡¯ll deal with you, a relative who has tarnished his reputation!¡± Bai Jinyao put her hands on her fat waist. The scolding words that came out of her mouth were not dirty at all. Although the original owner also scolded people when she was shrewish, the words she used were basically to greet the other party¡¯s ancestors, which was too rude to hear. Over and over again, she used those words. It made people feel vulgar and uncomfortable. Hearing what Bai Jinyao scolded Wang Dazhu, the folks who didn¡¯t want to pay the protection fee initially but feared Wang Dazhu¡¯s identity as the town head¡¯s relative all mustered their courage and echoed with her. Chapter 13 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Everyone seemed to have gathered their courage and echoed Bai Jinyao¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right! We won¡¯t pay the protection fee! We¡¯ve been paying protection fees for such a long time, but you didn¡¯t even protect us!¡± ¡°Yeah! You bunch of hooligans are always taking my meat buns without paying! Why should we pay you protection fees?¡± ¡°Return all the protection fees we paid before! Otherwise, we¡¯ll go to the town head!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The town head is a clean and honest man. He will never tolerate a relative like you!¡± ¡°If you threaten the town head and he colludes with you, we¡¯ll go to the county magistrate!¡± ¡°Right! To the county magistrate!¡± ¡­ The people were all talking, and Wang Dazhu was dumbfounded. He did not expect the people who had always been obedient to him to suddenly rebel because of Bai Jinyao¡¯s words. He had been collecting protection fees without the town head¡¯s knowledge because he was sure that the people would pay up and didn¡¯t dare to complain to the town head. But he was afraid that the people would really listen to the fatty Bai Jinyao¡¯s instigation and go to the town head to complain¡­ A hint of fierceness crossed the bottom of Wang Dazhu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Boss, what should we do now?¡± Wang Dazhu¡¯s men all came up and asked Wang Dazhu in low voices. Wang Dazhu didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t plan on explaining anything to the people. He glared at Bai Jinyao coldly and turned to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The underlings were still thinking about the protection fees that they had yet to collect, but seeing that their boss was about to leave, they could only follow. When the people saw Wang Dazhu and the rest leaving, they stopped shouting. It was just that after they had calmed down, everyone began to feel fear. ¡°Wang Dazhu left just like that? Will he take revenge on us?¡± ¡°Should we still ask him to return the protection fees to us?¡± ¡°Do you dare to ask him for it? It¡¯s good enough that he didn¡¯t collect our protection fees this time! But Manager Bai, I¡¯m afraid Wang Dazhu will hate you for this!¡± A lady, who had just bought meat from Bai Jinyao, looked at Bai Jinyao worriedly. Bai Jinyao put down the knife in her hand and smiled at everyone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Even if he hates me, he¡¯ll only secretly make things difficult for me. If he really dares to do anything to me, I¡¯ll definitely go to the town head! ¡°As for the protection fees, don¡¯t worry. If the town head knows about this, I believe he¡¯ll definitely seek justice for us!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d better be careful, Manager Bai!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Manager Bai, are you still selling the meat on the board? I¡¯ll buy some.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy some too. I was just about to buy meat!¡± The people suddenly had a good impression of Bai Jinyao because of what had just happened. Those who came to the market to buy pork came to Bai Jinyao to buy meat. Naturally, Bai Jinyao would not reject a business delivered to her door. She smilingly cut the meat for everyone and weighed it. In the end, she did not forget to grab a handful of wedding candies for everyone. Bai Jinyao heaved a sigh of relief when the little pig¡¯s meat was finally sold out. She casually packed her things and left the market with her small cart, preparing to go home. However, halfway there, Bai Jinyao suddenly remembered that Luo Xichu¡¯s medicine seemed to be out, so she had to buy some for him. Bai Jinyao pulled the small cart and went to the pharmacy to buy medicine. Then she huffed and puffed as she dragged her legs, which were heavy because of her fat, back home. She walked into a small alley. As long as she passed through this alley, she would not be far from her house. However, Bai Jinyao had only taken a few steps into the alley when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Chapter 14 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio A few men came from the opposite alley. The man in the lead looked quite familiar. Although Bai Jinyao had expected Wang Dazhu to take revenge on her, she did not expect them to come so quickly. ¡°Fatty, you didn¡¯t expect this, did you? Right now, this entire alley is filled with my men! Let¡¯s see how you can run! ¡°I¡¯ll change my name if I don¡¯t teach you a good lesson today!¡± Wang Dazhu rolled up his sleeves as he cursed at Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao, who was pulling the small cart, sneered. ¡°It seems that I have to go to the town head.¡± ¡°Bah! Don¡¯t try to scare me with the town head! I don¡¯t think you fatty would have the guts!¡± ¡°Boss, it¡¯s probably she doesn¡¯t have the chance to see the town head.¡± ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right! Although I don¡¯t hit women, this fatty can¡¯t be considered a woman, right?¡± ¡°What kind of woman is she? Her live-in husband probably didn¡¯t even want to be in the same bed with her. Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m afraid that this fatty can kill her live-in husband with a casual punch!¡± ¡­ Wang Dazhu and his men started to mock Bai Jinyao without restraint. Bai Jinyao clenched her fist. The original owner didn¡¯t dare to go against Wang Dazhu, but she wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°Fatty, you just made me lose face in front of so many people. I¡¯ll change my name if I don¡¯t teach you a good lesson today!¡± Wang Dazhu repeated his threat and walked towards Bai Jinyao fiercely. Bai Jinyao placed the small cart against the wall and started to move her wrists. Bai Jinyao¡¯s actions made Wang Dazhu and his men laugh. ¡°Hey, did you see that? This fatty actually wants to fight with us! She really made me laugh.¡± ¡°Fatty, don¡¯t tell me you want to use your fat to crush us to death? Hahaha! Everyone, why don¡¯t we just kill a pig here!¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll just this fat pig! Anyway, no matter what Boss does, the town head will allow it!¡± ¡­ Wang Dazhu¡¯s men were getting more and more arrogant. Wang Dazhu didn¡¯t want to kill Bai Jinyao at first. But when he heard these words, he had the urge to kill Bai Jinyao to avenge today¡¯s incident. He narrowed his eyes and charged toward Bai Jinyao while his men were still shouting. Wang Dazhu¡¯s sudden movement stunned his men, but Bai Jinyao¡¯s attention was always on Wang Dazhu. When she saw Wang Dazhu suddenly charging at her, she immediately dodged. However, the alley was narrow, and Bai Jinyao¡¯s body was really wide. Although Wang Dazhu missed her because of her movement, she still hit the wall. Bai Jinyao gasped. ¡°Fatty, why are you dodging? Weren¡¯t you very arrogant when you were scolding me?¡± Wang Dazhu glared at Bai Jinyao fiercely, holding a dagger in his hand at some point. Bai Jinyao could tell that Wang Dazhu really wanted to kill her. The alley wasn¡¯t remote, but it was still early in the morning, so there weren¡¯t many people passing by. And even if someone were to pass by, they would definitely not meddle in their business when they saw Wang Dazhu. It seemed that she still had to save herself. Bai Jinyao became alert and paid close attention to the movements of Wang Dazhu and his men. Wang Dazhu saw that Bai Jinyao was ignoring him¡­ Chapter 15 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He was getting angrier. He gritted his teeth, raised his dagger, and stabbed it at Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao¡¯s eyes widened, and she subconsciously wanted to avoid it. However, these hooligans seemed to have seen through Bai Jinyao¡¯s actions and blocked Bai Jinyao¡¯s way from both sides. Seeing that the sharp blade was about to pierce her face, Bai Jinyao took a deep breath and dodged it. Then, she used all her might to kick Wang Dazhu¡¯s chest. Although Bai Jinyao was fat, she was not simply fat but strong. Wang Dazhu didn¡¯t expect her to kick him like that. He was only in a daze for a moment, and his back hit the wall with Bai Jinyao¡¯s kick. Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t just let it go. She reached out and pulled Wang Dazhu¡¯s man, who was trying to help Wang Dazhu up, over and threw him down on Wang Dazhu. The others really did not expect Bai Jinyao to still be able to dodge even at this point. Everyone was stunned, but at the same time, they rushed toward Bai Jinyao fiercely. ¡°You fatty! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s eyes flickered. Without panicking, she picked up all the men and threw them at Wang Dazhu like she was picking up garbage bags. Before Wang Dazhu could get up from the ground, he was pinned down by his men one after another. Very quickly, a ¡°human pile¡± was formed. Bai Jinyao dusted off the non-existent dust on her hands and picked up her small cart. Her cold eyes fell on Wang Dazhu. ¡°Wang Dazhu, I didn¡¯t want to fight you. You wanted to deal with me, but you were not as good as me, so I taught you a lesson! ¡°If you still want to deal with me next time, I hope you won¡¯t cry when I beat you up!¡± After she finished speaking, Bai Jinyao dragged her small cart, carried the medicine bag, and left the alley while humming. As she walked out of the alley, the dim environment suddenly brightened up. Bai Jinyao¡¯s mood improved a lot when she saw this. Wang Dazhu and the others watched Bai Jinyao leave helplessly. They were helpless, and all of them were furious. ¡°Boss, what should we do? It seems like we have to come up with a better idea next time.¡± Some of them were already thinking about how to deal with Bai Jinyao next time. But Wang Dazhu, who was at the bottom of the human pile, cursed, ¡°F*cking get out of the way and let me get up! ¡± Everyone seemed to have just realized their current position, and they hurriedly got up one by one. Wang Dazhu spat on the ground and looked fiercely in the direction that Bai Jinyao had left. However, when Bai Jinyao was about to reach her house, from a distance, she saw a lot of people surrounding her house. There were also familiar voices coming from the courtyard. Bai Jinyao found this voice in the original owner¡¯s memory, and her brows immediately furrowed. She quickly pushed through the crowd and walked into her house. The neighbors watching the commotion and the people passing by saw Bai Jinyao coming over. Other than gloating over her misfortune, everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with obvious disdain for Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao couldn¡¯t care about this now. When she entered the courtyard, she saw an old woman with messy white hair and a woman who looked to be in her thirties. That woman¡¯s face was sallow, and she looked mean. They were standing in front of her mother and pointing at her. Chapter 16 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Hey, listen. Last time, Yaoyao said that she would give us silver every month! ¡°It¡¯s already been a month, but the silver hasn¡¯t been delivered to us. Hurry up and give me the silver. ¡°We¡¯re hungry after coming from the village. Go make something to eat! ¡°By the way, I heard that Yaoyao married a live-in son-in-law. How much dowry did the in-laws give? Where is the son-in-law? Let him come out and meet us. How can he be so rude?¡± The old woman frowned and spoke loudly, his saliva splattering everywhere. The woman standing beside the old woman chimed in after the old woman finished speaking. ¡°That¡¯s right, sister-in-law, let that son-in-law come out and meet us. Yaoyao got married in such a hurry, so it¡¯s fine that she didn¡¯t have time to call us to attend her wedding. ¡°But this son-in-law has to come out and offer us tea, right?¡± That woman looked sharp and unkind, and she was not an easy person to get along with. On the other hand, Mrs. Bai looked delicate, fair-skinned, and weak. Not only did she not look like a person in her thirties, but she also looked like she had no fighting power at all. Mrs. Bai¡¯s eyes turned red with anxiety as she listened to the other party¡¯s words and the discussion of the people outside. ¡°Mother, Cuihua, there is really no more silver at home. Yaoyao¡¯s wedding cost some silver. And Tieniu is sick and needs to buy medicine. I really don¡¯t have any more silver!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! You live in a good house in the town. Our family is still living in the village. How can you not have any money? ¡°Besides, Yaoyao said that she would give us silver every month in place of her father to show filial piety to me. ¡°So, now you want to deny it?¡± Old Madam Bai glared at Mrs. Bai with her turbid eyes as she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right! I think your hairpin is quite valuable, so why don¡¯t you just give it to me?¡± As she spoke, the gaze of Aunt Bai fell on Mrs. Bai¡¯s hair bun, and she reached out to pull the silver hairpin away. However, before her rough and sallow hands could touch Mrs. Bai¡¯s hair, her wrist was suddenly pinched. ¡°Who the f*ck¡­¡± Before she could finish her scolding, Aunt Bai turned her head and saw Bai Jinyao, who was looking at her with a fat face. She immediately swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue, and a flattering smile appeared on her sallow face. ¡°Oh, Yaoyao, you are back. Your mother said you went out to sell pork. It seems that you have sold all of it today. Your business is not bad, so how much silver did you earn?¡± Aunt Bai saw Bai Jinyao and asked about the silver directly. In the past, the original owner would stupidly take out the silver she earned, and then the original owner¡¯s grandmother and aunt would coax and deceive her to take all the silver away. The original owner would not say anything and would even take the initiative to invite them to dinner. But now, Bai Jinyao would not do the same thing as the original owner. Not to mention anything else, when the original owner¡¯s father was reported to have died on the battlefield, the Bai family said without mercy that Mrs. Bai was a jinx who killed their son. And they immediately wanted to drive Mrs. Bai and the original owner out of the Bai family. As for the original owner¡¯s younger brother, because he was a son and still a child, the Bai family naturally wanted to keep the grandson. Bai Jinyao thought about these things that had happened. Everyone in the Bai family was no longer worthy of Bai Jinyao¡¯s good treatment. But the original owner didn¡¯t think so. She even felt that it was because of her mother that her father was enlisted and died on the battlefield. Chapter 17 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio But, of course, the original owner wouldn¡¯t say this out loud. She only thought so in her heart. Because of the lack of love, the original owner had always hoped that one day she could return to the Bai family in Qianshui Village and get the favor of her grandmother¡¯s family. That was why she took the initiative to say that she would take care of her grandmother instead of her father. Almost every month, the Bai family¡¯s people would come to the original owner to ask for silver. And the original owner would do as she was told. Mrs. Bai had tried to persuade the original owner, but the original owner didn¡¯t listen. Originally, the original owner didn¡¯t earn much by selling pork, and she had to give a sum of silver to the Bai family every month. Therefore, although the original owner¡¯s family lived in the town and did the most profitable business, they couldn¡¯t even afford to pay the single tax of ten taels of silver a year. Fortunately, the original owner¡¯s younger brother, Bai Jinyan, would copy and sell handwritten notes from time to time to maintain the livelihood of the family¡­ Otherwise, Mrs. Bai and her two children wouldn¡¯t be able to survive. As for the way the original owner said to show filial piety to her grandmother, naturally, it was to give silver. But now, Bai Jinyao would not even let them eat a single grain of rice at home, let alone give them silver. ¡°Aunt Bai, how much silver we earned is a private matter of my family. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not very good for you to ask in front of so many people.¡± Aunt Bai did not expect Bai Jinyao to say such a thing. The flattering smile on her face froze for a moment. ¡°Yaoyao, I¡¯m only asking because I care about you. If you find these people outside too annoying, why don¡¯t you just chase them away?¡± As she spoke, Aunt Bai was about to chase the people outside away, but her wrist was held tightly by Bai Jinyao, and she couldn¡¯t break free. ¡°Yaoyao, let go of me. I¡¯ll help you drive them out.¡± Aunt Bai felt that today¡¯s Bai Jinyao seemed to have changed, but she couldn¡¯t tell what exactly had changed. She could only continue to coax Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao looked at Aunt Bai coldly. In her heart, she was even more speechless towards the original owner. She even hated that she had not lived up to her expectations. The relationship between the original owner¡¯s family and their neighbors was half-ruined by the original owner herself. The other half was ruined by the Bai family. In the past, Aunt Bai was also like this. When people were watching, she would openly say how much the original owner hated her neighbors and the people in town. When she went to chase away the people around her, she even shouted out the name of the original owner. She made the surrounding people think that the original owner had asked her to drive them away. And everyone naturally set this resentment on the original owner. However, the original owner didn¡¯t know anything about this. She was still full of hope that she could use the things she did to gain the love and favor of the Bai family. Bai Jinyao took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions in her heart. ¡°Aunt Bai, these are all our neighbors. What¡¯s wrong with them coming to take a look out of concern? How could you drive everyone away without my permission? ¡°You used to be like this too, Aunt Bai, Grandma. You drove away the neighbors who cared about us without my mother¡¯s and my permission! ¡°They¡¯re all good people here. How could you do this?¡± Bai Jinyao deliberately raised her voice so that the onlookers outside could hear her. It also explained that it wasn¡¯t the original owner¡¯s fault that everyone was chased away before. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment. They did not come to watch because they were concerned about Bai Jinyao and her mother. They really just wanted to watch the commotion and have some fun¡­ Chapter 18 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio However, since Bai Jinyao said this, the onlookers felt that if they didn¡¯t say a few words for Bai Jinyao, they would be letting Bai Jinyao down when she said that they were good people. Therefore, everyone stared at Old Madam Bai and Aunt Bai, waiting to hear what they were going to say next. As long as they said something unpleasant, they would help Bai Jinyao to criticize them. Aunt Bai heard Bai Jinyao¡¯s words, and her expression turned ugly. ¡°What are you saying, Yaoyao? I¡¯m doing this for your good.¡± ¡°Aunt Bai, you keep saying that it¡¯s for my good. Why don¡¯t you lend us some silver? I just married a live-in husband and spent a sum of silver. My husband is sick, and I have to buy medicine for him every day. ¡°We can¡¯t even feed ourselves at home. Grandma, Aunt Bai, since you are here and have said that you¡¯re good to me, can you lend me some silver? I don¡¯t need much, just one tael. ¡°After all, in the past few years, I¡¯ve given you at least five taels of silver, if not ten. If it¡¯s only one tael of silver, I think you will be able to come up with it, Grandma, Aunt Bai.¡± Bai Jinyao raised her voice as she spoke, and her eyes fixed on the face of Aunt Bai. As she listened to Bai Jinyao¡¯s words, the smile on Aunt Bai¡¯s sallow face slowly froze. As for Old Madam Bai, her face was drooped, as if Bai Jinyao owed them silver. ¡°Yaoyao, you know that our family just built a house a few days ago. Where would we find any extra money? ¡°And didn¡¯t you say you would give us a sum of silver every month? It¡¯s just that our family is almost out of food, so we came to ask you if you could help us with the cash flow. ¡°Why are you bringing up the past now, Yaoyao? You were the one who brought up the matter of giving us the silver!¡± Although Aunt Bai did not look too good, she tried her best not to fall out with Bai Jinyao directly. Old Madam Bai¡¯s face was gloomy. She moved her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but Aunt Bai pulled her sleeve, so she didn¡¯t say anything. Bai Jinyao observed their actions and spoke indifferently. ¡°Grandma, Aunt Bai, did you write my words down when I said I wanted to be filial to Grandma?¡± Old Madam Bai and Aunt Bai looked at each other. They seemed to feel Bai Jinyao¡¯s words were a little off today. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t write it down, many people heard it when you said it,¡± Aunt Bai quickly said. She was just short of telling Bai Jinyao that she better not try to go back on her words. ¡°Then did I clearly say that I¡¯m showing my filial piety to Grandma with silver?¡± After Bai Jinyao said this, her eyes and tone turned cold, and her attitude also changed. ¡°Without a contract, without a clear method of how to show filial piety, I can just deny what I said back then. ¡°But have you counted how much silver I¡¯ve given you all these years? My family can¡¯t even afford to eat. You didn¡¯t think of sending us some food but instead wanted to ask me for silver. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask about me marrying a live-in husband, nor did you give any blessings! You keep asking me for silver! ¡°I¡¯m telling you! Back then, your Bai family had already driven my mother, my brother, and me out of your Bai family. ¡°Then you people from the Bai family can¡¯t come and ask me for silver! Otherwise¡­¡± Chapter 19 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°I can go to the local government to sue you! I want you to return all the silver I gave you before!¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s sudden tough attitude caught the Bai family off guard. It also made Mrs. Bai and the onlookers stunned. Everyone knew what the original owner¡¯s attitude was like when she was facing the people of the Bai family who came to ask her for money. She was almost groveling to them. But today, Bai Jinyao did not give the Bai family money. She even rebuked the Bai family with a tough attitude. While everyone was surprised, their attitudes toward Bai Jinyao also changed. In particular, when the women who were close to Mrs. Bai saw this scene, they also felt quite gratified for her. Old Madam Bai and Aunt Bai were stunned for a moment and immediately got angry. ¡°Bai Jinyao, what¡¯s the matter with you? Do you know what you just said? I¡¯m your grandmother! How dare you speak to your grandmother like that?¡± ¡°Your mother indirectly caused your father¡¯s death. I really don¡¯t want to take care of you and your mother.¡± ¡°Sh*t! You and your mother are just jinxes!¡± Old Madam Bai put her hands on her hips and scolded Bai Jinyao and her mother harshly. She was calling the two of them jinxes, which made Bai Jinyao very angry! If Old Madam Bai was not an old woman, Bai Jinyao would definitely beat her up. ¡°Shut up!¡± Bai Jinyao sternly stopped Old Madam Bai. Her cold voice made Old Madam Bai tremble and Old Madam Bai subconsciously stopped scolding Bai Jinyao and her mother. ¡°Grandma, you know better than anyone else how my father was taken away by the army! If you don¡¯t want me to tell everyone about what happened back then, you¡¯d better stop saying anything bad about my mother!¡± Old Madam Bai seemed to be shocked at that time. Obviously, she didn¡¯t expect Bai Jinyao to know about that! ¡°What? Well, forget about it. Let¡¯s not talk about such irrelevant things. You did say that you would treat me very well, right? So¡­¡± Old Madam Bai changed the topic and rubbed her fingers as she spoke, indicating that as long as Bai Jinyao gave her the silver, she would not say anything else. Bai Jinyao sneered. It seemed that this old shrew had not figured out who was the one being threatened! ¡°Did I say that? I don¡¯t think I remember that¡± ¡°You! Bai Jinyao, don¡¯t go back on your word! The people of the Bai family and many people in the village have heard what you said! Don¡¯t be so long-winded! Hurry up and give us the silver!¡± Aunt Bai had lost her patience. They had come to town today to find this fatty girl, Bai Jinyao, for silver! They didn¡¯t want to hear her lecture! The two of them didn¡¯t know what was going on with this fatty girl today. It was as if she was a different person. However, Aunt Bai didn¡¯t want to waste time talking to her! ¡°Without a contract, how can you prove that? I didn¡¯t say that! Don¡¯t ever come to my house again!¡± ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll sue you for breaking into my house!¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s voice was cold. Before Aunt Bai could say anything again, Bai Jinyao stared at Old Madam Bai. ¡°My good grandma, if you don¡¯t want your secret exposed, you¡¯d better leave with your daughter now!¡± Old Madam Bai felt a little worried, but she did not think that Bai Jinyao would know her secret. But now, when Old Madam Bai met Bai Jinyao¡¯s eyes, that cold gaze made Old Madam Bai more worried. Chapter 20 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Old Madam Bai finally believed that Bai Jinyao was not joking with her! If Bai Jinyao really told others about the secret, the situation would be really bad. At the thought of this, Old Madam Bai calmed down. ¡°Yaoyao, I¡¯m still your grandmother. Even if you and your mother and brother have left Qianshui Village, we¡¯re still related!¡± ¡°Now that your father has passed away, you only have us, the Bai family, as your backer. If there is something wrong, we could figure it out together.¡± ¡°But I hope you can keep your word. It seems that you¡¯re not in a good mood today, so we¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll come back someday!¡± Old Madam Bai stopped being a shrew and suddenly became reasonable, which made Bai Jinyao even more vigilant. Old Madam Bai left with her daughter after she finished speaking. Aunt Bai did not know why her mother suddenly wanted to leave. She was unconvinced and wanted to say something more, but Old Madam Bai pulled her and left. The onlookers were dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t expect the excitement to end like this. It was obviously different from what they had expected. Bai Jinyao glanced at the crowd and took a deep breath. Then she smiled at the people around. ¡°A few days ago, I was in a hurry to get married, so I didn¡¯t invite you guys to the wedding. I¡¯m really sorry. These are the wedding candies for you guys.¡± As Bai Jinyao spoke, she took out a bag full of candies and handed it to the woman closest to her. ¡°Auntie Li, I¡¯ll have to ask you to distribute these wedding candies to them.¡± The woman who was addressed as Auntie Li by Bai Jinyao subconsciously took the bag. ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll distribute the candies to them. Well, Manager Bai, I wish you and your husband a happy life!¡± ¡°Yeah! We all wish you two a happy life! Hope you get a kid soon!¡± The rest of the neighbors who finally came out of their trances also started to give their blessings to Bai Jinyao. ¡°Thank you for your blessings, thank you!¡± Bai Jinyao thanked them with a smile and chatted with them for a while before closing the door to the courtyard. As soon as she turned around, she met Mrs. Bai¡¯s worried and somewhat surprised gaze. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was shocked by her mother¡¯s expression. Could it be that her mother felt that she had changed too much and was suspicious of her? However, from the day she came here, she had already told her mother that she was going to make changes. Her performance today was also one of the changes she had told her mother about. ¡°Yaoyao, you¡¯ve really grown up! As expected, it¡¯s because you have a family, right? And when did you buy those wedding candies? I didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t think of asking you to buy some wedding candies to share with the neighbors.¡± ¡°And have you really thought it through? You really didn¡¯t give your grandmother any money!¡± ¡°In the past, I had told you many times, but you didn¡¯t listen. Now, you¡¯ve finally thought it through! I am really happy for you!¡± Mrs. Bai could not hold back her tears as she spoke. She said that she was happy, but her tears kept streaming. Bai Jinyao heaved a sigh of relief. It was good that her mother did not suspect her. ¡°Mother, I said that I would make some changes and I definitely will. Don¡¯t cry anymore. Let¡¯s make breakfast.¡± Bai Jinyao changed the topic. Mrs. Bai wiped her tears and nodded. Chapter 21 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make breakfast. By the way, Yaoyao, have you sold out all the pork today?¡± Mrs. Bai suddenly remembered this. ¡°Yeah. I brought small pigs this morning so there¡¯s not much meat. They¡¯re sold out quickly.¡± As Bai Jinyao spoke, she passed the money she had earned from selling pork to Mrs. Bai. ¡°Mother, this is the money we earned today, please take it.¡± Mrs. Bai was a little surprised. ¡°You want me to take the silver?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If I need money, I will ask you for some. If I keep it, what if one day I¡¯m confused and give the money to grandma?¡± Bai Jinyao said that half-jokingly. When Mrs. Bai heard this, she felt that it was indeed reasonable, so she carefully put away the silver. Bai Jinyao seemed to have thought of something and said, ¡°By the way, mother, please find a private place to hide the important things in the house, such as the silver and the title deed. It¡¯s safer that way. Don¡¯t put them in the cabinet for the time being.¡± ¡°Yaoyao, why would you suddenly say that? What happened?¡± Mrs. Bai had been a timid person. Just hearing Bai Jinyao¡¯s words, she started to panic. Bai Jinyao quickly comforted her mother. ¡°Mother, nothing happened. I just wanted to alert you just in case. Don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°Really? Nothing happened?¡± Mrs. Bai asked. She still seemed worried. ¡°Really!¡± Bai Jinyao almost wanted to swear in front of her mother. ¡°Alright. I will go to hide the silver first. Yaoyao, go to the kitchen and cook the rice.¡± Mrs. Bai then quickly went back to her room. Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. If she told her mother that she had offended the town head¡¯s relative, which might cause them some trouble, her mother would probably freak out. Therefore, she did not think she should tell her mother about this now. Bai Jinyao and her mother prepared the food and the medicine. Bai Jinyao took the food and medicine bowl to the bridal chamber to see Luo Xichu. Bai Jinyao felt a little guilty about her sleeping quietly next to Luo Xichu last night. She also felt that Luo Xichu seemed to know about this matter. This caused Bai Jinyao to be a little afraid to face Luo Xichu. After all, she and Luo Xichu had signed a contract. If Luo Xichu misunderstood her and developed hatred and killing intent toward her, it would be a little difficult for her to complete her mission. However, it was time to eat and take medicine, so she had to bring the food and medicine to Luo Xichu. After hesitating for a while, Bai Jinyao still went in. Mrs. Bai must have come into the room. The window was slightly open, and the floor was very clean. Luo Xichu, who was lying in the bed, still had his eyes tightly closed. Her handsome face was a little red, and it seemed that his fever had not gone. Bai Jinyao entered quietly and placed the tray on the table. She walked toward the bed, planning to wake Luo Xichu up to let him eat breakfast and drink his medicine. Before she could speak, Luo Xichu slowly opened his eyes. It seemed that he had woken up when Bai Jinyao approached him. ¡°You¡¯re awake. I¡¯ve brought the food and medicine over. You can get up and eat.¡± In order to let Luo Xichu know that she really didn¡¯t have any ill intentions toward him, Bai Jinyao was already trying really hard. Of course, it was a mistake last night. She would definitely not do that again tonight. Chapter 22 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Luo Xichu said okay and slowly sat up with his hands on the bed. Bai Jinyao looked at Luo Xichu, who seemed to be really weak, and wanted to reach out to help him. However, she resisted it after a moment of hesitation. She had to avoid suspicion. Bai Jinyao inwardly told herself that she had to avoid suspicion three times. She saw Luo Xichu sitting by the bed, so she brought the food and medicine over and placed them on the small table in front of Luo Xichu. ¡°You can eat now. I¡¯ll come in later to clean up.¡± After that, Bai Jinyao planned to go out first. She really felt uncomfortable and depressed when she was alone with Luo Xichu. She should just leave. Bai Jinyao was about to turn around and leave when Luo Xichu called out to her. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bai Jinyao asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a look at the prescription and the dregs of this medicine.¡± Luo Xichu looked at the dark medicinal soup as he spoke in an indifferent voice. Hearing this, Bai Jinyao frowned and put on a serious look. ¡°Are you suspecting that there¡¯s something wrong with the medicine I gave you?¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s voice was cold. Luo Xichu was indeed a crown prince. The words he said were always kind of commanding, which made her feel very uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯m not suspecting. I just want to take a look. If there¡¯s no prescription and the dregs are thrown away, then forget it. Luo Xichu lowered her head and didn¡¯t ask further, as if he was not suspecting Bai Jinyao and only wanted to have a look. Bai Jinyao looked at Luo Xichu¡¯s nonchalant expression and suddenly felt that she had judged a gentleman with her own mean measure. She bit her lips and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and look for it. Wait a moment.¡± Bai Jinyao left the house after she finished speaking, so she didn¡¯t see Luo Xichu¡¯s beautiful eyes light up. After a while, Bai Jinyao brought the prescription and the medicinal dregs to Luo Xichu. Bai Jinyao said, ¡°This is the prescription. I invited a doctor to take a look at you that day. The doctor wrote the prescription on the spot. I have bought the medicine for the past few days according to the prescription.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Luo Xichu thanked Bai Jinyao and continued to look at the prescription. Bai Jinyao glanced at Luo Xichu and simply cleaned up the table before leaving the new house. After Bai Jinyao left, Luo Xichu took out the dregs and carefully looked at them. He had lost his sense of smell and taste, so he could only rely on his eyes to distinguish the herbs. There was nothing wrong with the prescription. It was indeed for fever. The dregs should be fine too. But if there was nothing wrong with the medicine, why was his body still not getting better after taking the medicine for a few days? Was it really because of the poison that suppressed his inner force? Luo Xichu looked kind of upset. If he had the sense of smell and taste, he might be able to try to detoxify himself. Since there was no problem with the prescription, he would try to take the medicine for a few more days. As long as Luo Xichu was cured, he could leave here. After Bai Jinyao washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, she went to the water tank in the courtyard. She lowered her head and looked at the reflection of her current appearance. However, she closed her eyes again. To be honest, ever since she came to this place, she had never really taken a good look at this face. Every day, she would close her eyes and just wipe her face with a handkerchief. But now, she had to be more careful. Other than solving the interpersonal relationships and other problems of the original owner, she had to make her appearance better. Chapter 23 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao had to take care of her spare fat. She opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the clear water. There were four or five layers of fat on her chin, and her face was full of pimples and acne. She really had to do some weight loss and skin care. Actually, the original owner also wanted to look beautiful, however, she suddenly became fat and felt self-abased. Then she stopped caring about her appearance. Bai Jinyao thought that perhaps one of the reasons why the original owner was so sloppy was that she didn¡¯t want to face her terrible appearance. That was why the original owner didn¡¯t try to make herself look pretty. However, since she had become Bai Jinyao, she could not tolerate this. At the very least, she would work hard to lose weight and take care of her skin before the mission ended! Bai Jinyao¡¯s eyes were firm. She looked at her own face in the water again and didn¡¯t look away until she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. For now, she should try to do some exercises. Bai Jinyao rolled up her sleeves and started jogging in the yard. However, this courtyard was too small, and she was big and fat, so she could not really do some useful exercises. Moreover, although the original owner looked big, she was actually kind of strong. When the original owner was selling pork before, she would carry the fat pigs every day, cut the meat, and so on, which made her strong. So after Bai Jinyao ran a few rounds, she did not feel tired, nor did she sweat. It seemed that if she wanted to lose weight, she had to do some strenuous exercises. Bai Jinyao looked up at the sky which was still bright and then at the mountain peak not far from her. After 15 minutes, Bai Jinyao appeared at the foot of the mountain. The foot of the mountain here was just opposite Qianshui village. In order to avoid encountering the villagers of Qianshui Village, Bai Jinyao bypassed the village. It was still early, and she needed to exercise. She could just come and climb the mountain! Bai Jinyao touched the basket on her back and strode up the mountain. The mountains and rivers here were beautiful. As expected of a mountain that had yet to be ruined by humans, the natural scenery was still preserved. Bai Jinyao looked around as she climbed the mountain. From time to time, she would also see whether there were pheasants, hares, or other prey. There seemed to be some edible wild herbs and other edible things on the mountain. However, Bai Jinyao had lived in the city in the modern era and had never seen crops in the fields. So she actually couldn¡¯t really tell the difference between the grains in the field. As for the original owner, before her father was taken by the army, the most she did in the village was to gather pigweeds. The original owner¡¯s father was very good to her and didn¡¯t let her go to the fields to help. Therefore, the original owner didn¡¯t know much about farming and the things in the village. Otherwise, the original owner would not have chosen to sell pork. Hence, the original owner did not know about edible wild herbs, and neither did Bai Jinyao. She could only look for some animals in the mountain. Bai Jinyao was confident that she could catch small animals like pheasants and hares. However, being confident did not help her catch the animals. When Bai Jinyao chased after the pheasants, she failed to catch them. She actually fell down when running after the pheasants. Finally, she got tired. Bai Jinyao lay on the ground, panting from exhaustion. Large beads of sweat went down her forehead and flowed down her cheeks. After a while, Bai Jinyao felt that her whole body was drenched in sweat. It was quite exhausting to catch the pheasants. Chapter 24 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao got up from the ground and looked at the pheasant that was still flapping its wings not far away. It seemed to be tired of running away from her. She gritted her teeth and pounced on it. In the blink of an eye, a sharp arrow flew out of nowhere and shot directly at the pheasant on the ground. Bai Jinyao, who was about to pounce on the pheasant, heard the sound of a sharp arrow. She also saw the arrow coming toward her. She was so frightened that she quickly dodged. Fortunately, she dodged in time. She was not hurt by the arrow and the arrow pierced through the pheasant¡¯s body. In an instant, a few drops of warm blood from the pheasant flew onto Bai Jinyao¡¯s face. That burning hotness gave Bai Jinyao goosebumps. She had seen other people kill pigs and chickens before, but this was the first time she had warm blood on her face! ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± An unfamiliar man¡¯s voice sounded. Bai Jinyao raised her head in embarrassment and saw a man in black clothes and a black mask standing there, looking at her. Bai Jinyao was kind of shocked This man looked like an assassin. This was clearly the night suit she had seen on TV. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Bai Jinyao got up from the ground and dusted off the dirt and leaves on her clothes. The man in black asked again, ¡°Miss, are you a villager living at the foot of the mountain?¡± Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t know who this person was, but when she saw that he was wearing a night suit, she became a little wary. Hence, she said half-jokingly, ¡°My relative lives at the foot of the mountain. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, the reason why I shot an arrow at this pheasant was that I happened to see you catching it.¡± ¡°It looked kind of hard for you, so I decided to help you.¡± As the man in black spoke, he bent down, pulled out the arrow from the dead pheasant and handed it to Bai Jinyao. ¡°You found this pheasant first, so it naturally belongs to you.¡± Bai Jinyao scratched her head and did not immediately take the pheasant. ¡°How can I take it? You caught it with your arrow. If you didn¡¯t do anything, this pheasant would have escaped. It should belong to you.¡± The man in black chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite. I actually live in the mountain, so it¡¯s very convenient for me to get one of them. Miss, you should take this pheasant.¡± ¡°In the future, you might come to the mountain again. At that time, if you catch more animals than you want, you can give some to me then.¡± Hearing this, Bai Jinyao took it. ¡°Alright. Appreciate it.¡± The man in black said casually, ¡°That¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to be so polite. I wonder if I can ask you a question?¡± Bai Jinyao smiled and nodded. She knew that the man must have his purpose. ¡°I want to know if you have heard that someone saw an injured man on the mountain a few days ago. Or have you heard that someone saved that man?¡± As soon as the man in black said this, Bai Jinyao was kind of shocked. ¡°An injured man? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of it. I¡¯ve only been at my relative¡¯s house for a few days, so I haven¡¯t heard them mention it.¡± ¡°Is that injured man a friend of yours? You seem to be very anxious.¡± The man in black seemed to be a little disappointed. He then said, ¡°Right. He¡¯s my friend.¡± Chapter 25 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I haven¡¯t been able to find a trace of him so I¡¯m living in the mountains. I¡¯m just waiting to find him and bring him home. ¡°Miss, if you have heard of this, please do tell me! I will definitely repay your kindness!¡± The man¡¯s voice became hoarse as he spoke. Bai Jinyao quickly nodded. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll try my best to help you find out more about this!¡± ¡°Many thanks, Miss!¡± The man in black exchanged a few more words with Bai Jinyao before leaving. Bai Jinyao watched the man in black leave and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She looked at the pheasant in her hand and wondered if she should stay in the mountain for a while longer. she thought for a while and did not go down the mountain immediately. Bai Jinyao had seen many novels and television shows in the modern era, which gave her some inspiration. Regardless of whether the man in black was a good person or a bad person, she still had to be more vigilant. ¡°Don¡¯t let others follow you all the way to your doorstep without you knowing!¡± she warned herself secretly. Bai Jinyao carried a pheasant and continued to wander around the mountains to see if he could get some gifts from nature to fill her stomach. Bai Jinyao saw a pile of mushrooms and ran over excitedly. But when she pulled them apart, she found that they were all poisonous. Even though she couldn¡¯t differentiate between food and vegetables, she more or less knew that bright-colored mushrooms were poisonous and shouldn¡¯t be eaten. Bai Jinyao could only get up and continue to wander around in frustration. She didn¡¯t know if she was in luck or what. Bai Jinyao had only taken a few steps when a loud bang suddenly sounded behind her! She jumped in shock and turned around, only to see a white rabbit knocked unconscious at the foot of the tree! Bai Jinyao suspected that she was really lucky today. This rabbit actually had itself delivered to her door! It turned out that there was indeed such a thing as a free meal in the world. Bai Jinyao happily pulled the rabbit¡¯s ears and lifted it up. She realized that it was a pregnant female rabbit! ¡°I¡¯m so da*n lucky!¡± She couldn¡¯t suppress her excitement. She thought she could wait for the rabbit to give birth to more rabbits and sell them to make money. Bai Jinyao looked like she had discovered a great business opportunity. She put the rabbit and pheasant in the basket, picked up some things that looked like wild vegetables, and covered them. Then she happily prepared to go down the mountain. However, Bai Jinyao was smart. She did not go straight to town after she left the mountain. Instead, she walked around the foot of the mountain and the village before returning. By the time Bai Jinyao returned home, it was already four or five o¡¯clock in the afternoon. It was time to prepare dinner. Bai Jinyao¡¯s mother saw Bai Jinyao¡¯s disheveled state and was even carrying a basket on her back. She asked in confusion. ¡°Yaoyao, where have you been?¡± ¡°Mother, I just went to the mountains. Come and see what I got in here!¡± Bai Jinyao smiled mysteriously and put down her basket and took out the things inside. When Mrs. Bai saw the pheasant and white rabbit in Bai Jinyao¡¯s hands, her eyes widened. ¡°Yaoyao, this, this is the prey you hunted in the mountain?¡± ¡°Yes. I caught this pheasant with the help of someone. And this rabbit knocked itself unconscious at the foot of the tree. When I saw the rabbit, I quickly caught it. I didn¡¯t expect it to be a pregnant female rabbit! ¡°Mother, let¡¯s raise this rabbit first. When it gives birth to the little bunnies, we¡¯ll sell a part of them and raise a part of them. That way we can make money! ¡°As for this chicken, let¡¯s cook it tonight.¡± Chapter 26 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao babbled on happily. Today was the happiest day since her transmigration. Mrs. Bai nodded. ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll do as you say, but do you know how to raise rabbits? And do you know how to slaughter a chicken? if you want to eat, I will only cook it casually. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t taste good.¡± Mrs. Bai was a little embarrassed. Bai Jinyao was dumbfounded. She recalled the original owner¡¯s memories and realized that her mother really didn¡¯t know how to cook. In the past, when the host¡¯s family was still living with the Bai family in Qianshui Village, Old Madam Bai had asked Mrs. Bai to cook. However, not only did Mrs. Bai¡¯s cooking taste bad, but it also was a waste of rice and oil. Old Madam Bai hated to see her food go to waste, so she simply didn¡¯t let Mrs. Bai cook again. Later, the original owner and her brother and mother were driven out of Qianshui Village. Without a place to stay, the three of them had to come to Qianshui Town to seek shelter with a friend of the original owner¡¯s father. The original owner¡¯s father¡¯s friend happened to have an empty house that hadn¡¯t been rented out yet. For the sake of the host¡¯s father, he lent the house to the original owner¡¯s mother and her two children. Mrs. Bai felt bad and proposed to rent a house. After the three of them settled down here, Mrs. Bai began to learn how to cook. The original owner also began to try to find work to maintain the family¡¯s livelihood. As for her younger brother, Bai Jinyan, he was still a student. From time to time, he would write some calligraphy and couplets and sell them to increase his family¡¯s income. However, although Mrs. Bai had been cooking for several years, for some reason, the taste was still not very good. Obviously, her family was not rich, but Mrs. Bai was like a rich lady, knowing little about keeping a home running. However, the original owner and her younger brother were not picky about food, so they would eat whatever Mrs. Bai cooked. As for the new year, the original owner would be in charge of cooking. Although she didn¡¯t know how to cook either, she was more skilled than Mrs. Bai and knew more recipes. After recalling the original owner¡¯s memories, Bai Jinyao¡¯s expression became a little complicated. Now she knew why she always felt that something was missing these days when she ate Mrs. Bai¡¯s cooking. Sometimes, there was not enough salt, and sometimes, it was too salty. she couldn¡¯t tell her mother about it, so she could only eat it. It seemed that if she had time in the future, she would be in charge of cooking. However, she really didn¡¯t know how to raise rabbits. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll cook tonight, but I don¡¯t know how to raise rabbits. Why don¡¯t we ask someone else? Do you know who keeps rabbits over here?¡± Bai Jinyao put down the chicken in her hand and picked up the rabbit. ¡°It seems that Auntie Li has rabbits at home. She gave you wedding candy this morning.¡± Mrs. Bai said after thinking for a while. ¡°Then, mother, why don¡¯t you go and ask Auntie Li? let¡¯s hurry up before it¡¯s dark,¡± Bai Jinyao suggested. ¡°Alright, then you go and cook first. I will go check with her.¡± After Mrs. Bai finished speaking, she went out with the rabbit in her arms. Bai Jinyao looked at the chicken and thought back to the scene of others slaughtering the chicken and shedding its feathers in the market. She tried to do it bit by bit. In the past, she would always buy the chickens that the shop had already slaughtered, take them back, chop them, and cook them. This was the first time she was shedding the fur of a chicken. Fortunately, the pheasant had already been shot to death by the sharp arrow. It was completely dead, so there was less trouble. However, Bai Jinyao frowned when she thought of the man in black. Chapter 27 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She thought the injured man that the man was talking about should be Luo Xichu. At that time, when the original owner picked up Luo Xichu in the mountain, it was still raining heavily. Luo Xichu was unconscious like a drenched chicken. Although Luo Xichu didn¡¯t have any external injuries, he had a high fever and looked quite miserable. But she didn¡¯t know if the man in black was a good person or a bad person. She thought she¡¯d better ask Luo Xichu later. She assumed maybe she could send Luo Xichu, the crown prince, packing earlier if that man was a good person. As Bai Jinyao thought about this, she sped up her movements. Soon, she had feathered the pheasant, washed it, cut it into small pieces, and began to prepare the seasoning. She was planning to make stewed chick with mushrooms. It just so happened that there were mushrooms and ginger at home. She saw there was no cooking wine, so she decided to use yellow rice wine instead. She wanted to make it more nourishing so that Luo Xichu could recover and leave earlier. Bai Jinyao¡¯s mind was filled with this thought. She nimbly put the chicken into the pot and boiled the blood away. Then, she took out a ceramic pot and put the chicken pieces in it. She poured water in and put the lid back on after she was done. After the chicken was cooked for a while, he put the mushrooms in. The dish would be almost done. When the chicken was being stewed, Bai Jinyao started to make other side dishes. Bai Jinyao¡¯s preference for food was similar to the original owner¡¯s. Both of them liked spicy and sweet food. She thought perhaps this was the reason why the original owner had pimples on her face. However, now that Bai Jinyao was on a diet, she had to eat less spicy food and sweet food. It just so happened that Mrs. Bai liked to eat light food. Luo Xichu was a patient and also needed to eat light food. Therefore, Bai Jinyao simply made three light side dishes. By the time Bai Jinyao finished cooking, Mrs. Bai had already returned with the rabbit. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re back. I¡¯ve already prepared the food. Why don¡¯t you put the rabbit in the basket and come to eat?¡± Bai Jinyao saw that her mother had returned and shouted. Mrs. Bai responded, washed her hands, and came in to help bring the dishes to the living room. Although there were only the two of them at home, Mrs. Bai had always been attentive to the formality. Bai Jinyao prepared Luo Xichu¡¯s medicine and ate with her mother. Mrs. Bai looked at the delicious food, smelled the chicken soup, and praised her with relief. ¡°Yaoyao, your cooking skills are really good! If my cooking was half as good as yours, then I would be able to share some of your burden.¡± ¡°Mother, you haven¡¯t tried it yet. You said it¡¯s delicious, but what if it¡¯s not?¡± Bai Jinyao laughed as she scooped a spoonful of chicken soup for her mother. ¡°It¡¯ll definitely be delicious!¡± Mrs. Bai seemed to be full of confidence in Bai Jinyao. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious! Yaoyao, why don¡¯t you teach me how to cook? I have always felt that my cooking skill is really not good, but you and Jinyan never complain about my cooking.¡± ¡°I really feel sorry for you. You would eat whatever I make for you.¡± Mrs. Bai took a sip of the chicken soup, and tears were about to come out as she spoke. Bai Jinyao took out a handkerchief and wiped Mrs. Bai¡¯s tears. ¡°Mother, why are you crying again? If you want to learn, I can teach you, but you don¡¯t have to force yourself. If I have time at home, I can also cook.¡± ¡°But, I just feel that I can¡¯t be of any help to you at home.¡± Mrs. Bai seemed to have a nervous breakdown, and her tears kept flowing. Bai Jinyao comforted her for a long time before she was finally relieved. Chapter 28 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio After the mother and daughter finished their meal, Bai Jinyao changed the topic by asking about raising rabbits. ¡°Mother, did you go to Auntie Li¡¯s house and ask for the method of raising rabbits?¡± Bai Jinyao took out the pregnant female rabbit from the basket. Mrs. Bai said, ¡°I did. It sounded quite simple. I think we have everything we need at home.¡± ¡°Then, mother, why don¡¯t you settle the rabbit first while I bring the food to Tieniu. His medicine is already ready.¡± Bai Jinyao was worried that her mother would have nothing to do and let her thoughts run wild again, so she decided to keep her mother busy. When Mrs. Bai heard this, she immediately became enthusiastic. ¡°Alright, you can go. I will definitely settle the rabbit!¡± Bai Jinyao carried the dishes and medicine into the bridal chamber. Luo Xichu was still lying down with his eyes closed, but he looked in better shape now. He seemed to have heard the sound of Bai Jinyao pushing the door open and slowly opened his eyes. He propped his body up and leaned against the bed. ¡°Tieniu, how are you feeling? I can see that you look a lot better now.¡± Bai Jinyao asked casually and nimbly placed the food on the small table next to the bed. ¡°Yes, I feel much better.¡± Luo Xichu felt a little more comfortable and even his tone when talking to Bai Jinyao was much better. ¡°In a few days, you should be able to recover and leave. You can rest assured. If you need anything, just let me know. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± She thought this would be her last few moments with him and she would not have any more interactions with him after he left. Just thinking about it made her happy! Bai Jinyao couldn¡¯t hide the happiness in her tone and even her steps seemed to have become lighter. Luo Xichu looked at Bai Jinyao¡¯s happy expression and furrowed his eyebrows. He suddenly felt a little strange. Back then, Bai Jinyao had locked him up and refused to let him leave. Although she had signed a contract with him, he still did not believe that Bai Jinyao was willing to let him go. After all, as long as he was around, Bai Jinyao did not have to pay the single tax of ten taels. But now, Bai Jinyao¡¯s happiness was visibly clear to him. It was obvious that she was happy that he could recover and leave. He wondered if Bai Jinyao had earned money. He assumed she might be able to afford to pay the ten taels of silver now. So it didn¡¯t matter if he left or stayed now. Luo Xichu¡¯s expression was a little complicated, but he didn¡¯t think he wanted to stay here. He had wanted to leave for a long time. ¡°Okay then, thank you.¡± Luo Xichu lowered his head and ate his food. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. However, Tieniu, I just met a gentleman in the mountain where I found you. He asked me if I had seen an injured man in the mountain. ¡°I think he¡¯s talking about you, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s someone you know.¡± Bai Jinyao recalled what happened in the mountain and told Luo Xichu about it. Luo Xichu was eating when he suddenly heard this and was stunned for a moment. He swallowed the food in his mouth and put down his chopsticks before he asked Bai Jinyao again. ¡°You said you met a man in the mountain? What did that man look like?¡± ¡°That man was wearing black clothes and a black mask. He looked like the bad guys I¡¯d seen before. He said that he lives in the mountain and is a friend of the injured man. If we find him, he will take him home¡­¡± Chapter 29 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio As she spoke, Bai Jinyao told him almost everything that happened between her and the man on the mountain. Hearing this, Luo Xichu furrowed his brows tightly, and his expression didn¡¯t look too good. Bai Jinyao glanced at Luo Xichu. Then, she asked tentatively, ¡°Sir, if that young man is really your friend, do you need me to bring him here to see you?¡± ¡°Not for now. Maybe I¡¯m not the one he wants. Anyway, if you see him again, remember not to mention my existence to him.¡± Luo Xichu carefully instructed Bai Jinyao. Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t ask any more questions and nodded. ¡°Alright, I got it.¡± According to the plot of the novels she had read in the modern world, the man in black on the mountain might have come to kill Luo Xichu. The reason why Luo Xichu had told her this was probably because he had guessed this. However, if that was the case, then wouldn¡¯t she be unable to go up the mountain before Luo Xichu left? If she met the man in black again, and that man happened to know Luo Xichu¡¯s whereabouts, she would be in danger. Although she knew how to defend herself, she didn¡¯t know if she could defeat these professional assassins. If she couldn¡¯t go up the mountain for the time being, where should she exercise and lose weight in the future? Bai Jinyao frowned as she pondered this question. After Luo Xichu slowly finished his meal, he picked up the bowl of medicine and prepared to drink it in one gulp. Even though he had no sense of smell or taste, he was used to drinking the medicine in one gulp. However, as soon as the medicine entered his mouth, Luo Xichu instantly felt a taste he had never experienced. He swallowed it and took another sip of the medicine, but this time, he couldn¡¯t taste anything. Luo Xichu was a little disappointed. He thought that the taste just now was just an illusion. He finished the black medicine in one gulp, but he still couldn¡¯t taste anything. Seeing that Luo Xichu had finished eating, Bai Jinyao cleaned up the dishes and left the room. By the time Bai Jinyao was done cleaning up the kitchen, Mrs. Bai had already settled the rabbit. ¡°Look, Yaoyao, this will be the rabbit¡¯s nest in the future. This nest is quite big, and when the rabbit gives birth to the little rabbit, the little rabbit can also live here.¡± Mrs. Bai had already forgotten about her bad mood earlier and was now happily introducing the rabbit¡¯s nest to Bai Jinyao. ¡°It looks pretty good. Mom, why don¡¯t you take the task of feeding the rabbit in the future?¡± Bai Jinyao suggested. With something to do, Mrs. Bai would not let her imagination run wild. ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t worry, Yaoyao. I will definitely take good care of the rabbit and let it give birth to the little rabbit.¡± There was a little more light in Mrs. Bai¡¯s beautiful eyes. Bai Jinyao and her mother watched the rabbit for a while before she got ready to go out. ¡°Mom, I have to go and see the pigs. I haven¡¯t ordered the pigs to be sold tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Yaoyao, do you want me to go with you? It¡¯s dark now, so it¡¯s better for you to have a companion. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Mrs. Bai was a little worried as she looked at the dark sky. ¡°No need, Mom. I¡¯ll be back soon. It¡¯s fine. You should close the door and sleep first.¡± Bai Jinyao did not know what would happen tonight, but she would come back as soon as possible. With her around, even if something really happened, her self-defense skills would more or less come in handy. Chapter 30 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio ¡°Then, Yaoyao, be careful on the road. I will wait for you to come back and rest.¡± Mrs. Bai reminded her repeatedly as she watched Bai Jinyao leave the house. The sky had turned dark, and there were not many pedestrians on the road. Bai Jinyao deliberately took a detour and did not pass through the small alley just in case. It didn¡¯t take her long to reach the pig farm. ¡°Mr. Weng, give me a pig. I¡¯ll take it away tomorrow. This time, I want a pig that¡¯s a little fatter than last night¡¯s.¡± Bai Jinyao said with a smile. However, the pig farmer was in a difficult position when he saw Bai Jinyao. ¡°Manager Bai, did you offend Mr. Wang? Mr. Wang sent someone to tell me not to sell the pig to you, or else he¡¯ll come and find trouble with me. ¡°So¡­¡± The pig farmer¡¯s meaning was already very clear. Hearing this, Bai Jinyao frowned. She knew that Wang Dazhu would hate her, but she only thought that he would attack her on the way. She really didn¡¯t expect Wang Dazhu to come to the pig farm to cut off her source of income. However, did he really think that she had no other work to do other than selling pork? Bai Jinyao ground her teeth. ¡°Mr. Weng, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect Wang Dazhu¡¯s grudge against me to involve you. I¡¯ll take care of it. I hope you can continue to sell pigs to me.¡± Bai Jinyao said this to the pig farmer seriously. ¡°Manager Bai, I will continue to sell pigs to you if you can settle this, but I really can¡¯t do it now. When you are done with this, you can come back. I will leave a big and fat pig for you.¡± The pig farmer was relatively easy to talk to as he did not reject Bai Jinyao firmly. Bai Jinyao could only leave after thanking him. She walked to the street and pondered over the problem as she walked. If she wanted to solve this problem, she would have to find Wang Dazhu. However, she had just beaten up Wang Dazhu and his men in the morning. Wang Dazhu must be very angry at her. From this incident alone, it could be seen that Wang Dazhu was very vengeful. However, there was a way to suppress Wang Dazhu. If that method succeeded, there would be no worries for the time being. However, if she failed, there would be endless trouble. Even her family of three might not have a place in Qianshui Town. Bai Jinyao¡¯s expression turned serious. She had to think of a way. Thinking of this, Bai Jinyao quickened her pace. She started running and directly ran back home. Bai Jinyao opened the door and saw her mother sitting in the courtyard, looking worried. When she saw Bai Jinyao, Mrs. Bai was finally relieved. ¡°Yaoyao, you¡¯re finally back. Did anything happen on the way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. You should go and rest.¡± Bai Jinyao pushed Mrs. Bai back into the house. She did not intend to tell Mrs. Bai about her failure to buy the pigs because of Wang Dazhu. If Mrs. Bai knew about this, she might really cry non-stop. Bai Jinyao locked the courtyard door. Before going to bed, she jumped around in the courtyard and did a few actions. Then, she washed up and prepared to go to bed. However, when she reached the door of the bridal chamber, she began to feel troubled again. Luo Xichu¡¯s condition today was obviously better than yesterday, so he shouldn¡¯t have slept too deeply at night. If she still went to lie down next to him, with her weight, she might wake Luo Xichu up with a casual movement. Chapter 31 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao hesitated for a while and decided to go to her younger brother¡¯s room to make do with it for a night. The weather was good today, and the bedding in her brother¡¯s room had already dried up, so she had a blanket to cover herself with. However, before she could turn around, she heard the creak of the door being pushed open, followed by her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°Yaoyao, why aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Bai Jinyao coughed. ¡°Mom, I was just about to go in.¡± ¡°Then you should go in quickly.¡± After Mrs. Bai finished speaking, she continued to stretch her head out and look at Bai Jinyao. It was obvious that she intended to wait until Bai Jinyao entered the bridal chamber before she went back to sleep. Being stared at by her mother, Bai Jinyao had no choice but to push the door open and go in. She closed the door and leaned against the door to listen for any movements outside. She wanted to go out after she heard the sound of her mother closing the door. However, she didn¡¯t hear the door close for a long time, so she curiously opened the door a little and looked out. And when she opened the door, she met her mother¡¯s puzzled gaze, which frightened her so much that her heart almost stopped. ¡°Mom! What are you still doing here? I was scared to death. Don¡¯t be like this in the middle of the night. It¡¯ll scare others.¡± Bai Jinyao patted her chest and complained in a low voice. ¡°Why would you be scared if you didn¡¯t do anything wrong? What were you looking at outside when you opened the door a little? ¡°Are you waiting for me to fall asleep so that you can do something you don¡¯t want me to know?¡± Mrs. Bai asked in a low voice. Bai Jinyao was speechless. Although her mother was a silly and sweet person, she was actually quite sensitive. ¡°Mom, what are you saying? What can I do? Don¡¯t you already know what I¡¯ve done? ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Mom, you should go to sleep. I just want to go to the toilet.¡± As she spoke, Bai Jinyao pushed the door open and walked towards the toilet under Mrs. Bai¡¯s gaze. However, Mrs. Bai didn¡¯t leave. She watched Bai Jinyao enter the bridal chamber and close the door. She waited for a while before she returned to her room. Bai Jinyao, who was leaning against the door, finally heard her mother close the door. She heaved a sigh of relief. If she went out now, she probably wouldn¡¯t be caught by her mother again. She was about to open the door when a voice suddenly rang out in the quiet room. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She sucked in a breath of cold air and turned her head to see that Luo Xichu had already sat on the bed and was looking at her indifferently. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re not asleep? Or did I wake you up?¡± Bai Jinyao asked softly. ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping. Are you going out for something?¡± Luo Xichu asked this obviously because he had heard the conversation between Bai Jinyao and Mrs. Bai. Bai Jinyao paused. ¡°I¡¯m planning to go to my brother¡¯s room to sleep.¡± Bai Jinyao was trying her best to prove that she had no intention of taking advantage of Luo Xichu. Hearing this, Luo Xichu seemed to have thought of something. He continued, ¡°Your mother should have been paying attention to this room. If you go out, she might immediately come to find you.¡± Bai Jinyao was speechless. Luo Xichu¡¯s words made her a little confused. She thought, ¡°Then what?¡± She wondered if Luo Xichu meant to invite her to stay. ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s no place for me to sleep here.¡± Bai Jinyao said honestly as her gaze fell on the bed where Luo Xichu was lying. Her tone seemed to have a little resentment. It was as if she was saying that if Luo Xichu had not occupied her bed¡­ Chapter 32 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She would have a place to sleep in her room. Luo Xichu, who miraculously understood Bai Jinyao¡¯s meaning, was speechless. ¡°I can make a bed on the floor. You can sleep on the bed,¡± Luo Xichu said. ¡°No, you¡¯re a patient. What if you have a fever again? You¡¯ll be delayed for a few more days.¡± Bai Jinyao immediately refused without thinking. Luo Xichu once again heard Bai Jinyao¡¯s desire for him to get well and leave. For some reason, Luo Xichu felt even more upset. He wasn¡¯t angry or sad. It was an emotion that Luo Xichu didn¡¯t understand. He pursed his thin lips and sat up, moving in to make room. Luo Xichu patted the space beside him and said coldly, ¡°Since this is your bed, you can come over and sleep here.¡± After he finished speaking, Luo Xichu lay down and turned sideways, leaving Bai Jinyao with his back view. The room was dimly lit, so Bai Jinyao couldn¡¯t see Luo Xichu¡¯s expression and eyes clearly. However, she felt that Luo Xichu now seemed to be angry with her. ¡°Be angry with me?¡± Bai Jinyao thought. She immediately denied it as soon as this thought appeared in her mind. She thought, ¡°What a joke! ¡°That was the crown prince! ¡°That was the male lead, the crown prince Luo Xichu who dismembered the original owner¡¯s body in the original book! ¡°How could Luo Xichu be angry with me?¡± Bai Jinyao looked at the empty space beside Luo Xichu. She hesitated for a moment but still didn¡¯t dare to lie down. It was said that the people of the royal family had lived in a complicated and deceitful palace since they were young. They were not only very vigilant but also had complicated and ever-changing thoughts. What if she really lay down next to Luo Xichu tonight, but Luo Xichu started to hate her again tomorrow because of this? Then wouldn¡¯t all her efforts these past few days be in vain? At the thought of this, Bai Jinyao decided to sleep on the floor. No matter what, it was better to stay away from Luo Xichu for the next few days after he recovered. This was all to protect her life. Bai Jinyao held her breath and listened carefully to Luo Xichu¡¯s breathing. She could hear that Luo Xichu seemed to have fallen asleep. Then, she quietly opened the door and went out. Soon, she returned with Bai Jinyan¡¯s blanket. She simply made a bed in front of the bed and lay down in satisfaction. Bai Jinyao closed her eyes and was about to sleep, but when she looked up, she saw that the blanket behind Luo Xichu was open. She was worried that he would catch a cold and that his fever would become more serious, so she got up and tucked Luo Xichu in before lying back down and continuing to sleep. The moonlight poured down, and the room was quiet. Luo Xichu did not fall asleep. He knew everything from Bai Jinyao¡¯s hesitation to her coming in and out to her tucking him in with the blanket. His emotions also went from angry and embarrassed at the beginning to complex now. As the crown prince, he only knew how to give orders to others. And those who were ordered by him would mostly obey his orders and would not disobey him. But now, Bai Jinyao had disobeyed his orders. It made him experience a feeling that was different from when he was sitting in the position of the crown prince. Bai Jinyao did not know his true identity, so it was understandable that she would not listen to his orders. However, what made him even more curious was Bai Jinyao would rather sleep on the floor than lie down beside him. Why was this so? Was it really as Bai Jinyao had said? Would she really let him leave and not let him stay to be a live-in son-in-law? This was what he wanted to see, but why did he have such complicated emotions? Chapter 33 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Waves of dizziness came from his head, and Luo Xichu couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he might have such an illusion because of his fever. He glanced at Bai Jinyao, who had fallen asleep on the floor, covered himself with the blanket, and prepared to sleep. However, after a short while, he suddenly heard a noise outside the house. It seemed to be caused by someone. Because Bai Jinyao was quite tired today after going up the mountain during the day, she fell asleep very quickly after lying down. The commotion outside could not wake her up at all. Luo Xichu had no choice but to get up and casually put on a robe. He walked to the door dizzily, then gently opened the door a crack and looked outside. A few burly men had appeared in the courtyard. They were holding a jar in their hands and pouring something against the wall of the courtyard. If Luo Xichu had a sense of smell, he would have smelled the faint smell of tung oil in the air. Nonetheless, as the crown prince, he had seen all kinds of dirty things. When he saw their actions, a guess suddenly appeared in his mind. He counted, and there were at least five men in the yard. His inner force was sealed now, his head was heavy, and his eyes were blurry. He was no match for these people, obviously. If he were to force himself, he might even implicate Bai Jinyao. The only solution was to rely on her. At the thought of this, he closed the door again and pushed Bai Jinyao to wake her up. Although she had fallen asleep because of exhaustion, she was still tense because of Wang Dazhu. Therefore, she woke up without Luo Xichu calling her with much effort. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Luo Xichu, who was very close to her, and she was stunned. However, she immediately calmed down after listening to his words. ¡°You mean there¡¯s someone pouring oil outside to burn us to death?¡± She asked in a low voice. Suddenly, she sniffed and smelled the smell of tung oil in the air. Her pupils contracted, and she stood up quickly. The smell of tung oil in the air was getting stronger and stronger. She gritted her teeth, pulled the door open, and picked up the stick standing at the door. The men in the courtyard heard her opening the door, looked up, and happened to meet with her eyes. ¡°Wang Dazhu, it¡¯s you!¡± Bai Jinyao gritted her teeth. She didn¡¯t expect Wang Dazhu to be so bold as to set fire to them. Seeing his conspiracy was discovered, Wang Dazhu did not panic. He sneered and spat on the ground. ¡°Damn fatty! Today is your last day! I¡¯ll see what else you can do to escape from here! Light up the fire!¡± He shouted arrogantly and ordered his men to ignite. The man seizing the burning torch in his hand was about to light the oil on the ground. Bai Jinyao¡¯s pupils contracted, and she rushed to the yard subconsciously, picked up a bucket full of water, and threw it at Wang Dazhu and the others. The perfect amount of force put out the torch in Wang Dazhu¡¯s subordinate¡¯s hand. Wang Dazhu felt his pride was also put out by the water, and even the wound on his face started to hurt. ¡°You damn fatty! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± He flew into a rage out of humiliation and rushed toward Bai Jinyao. Chapter 34 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Not to be outdone, Bai Jinyao picked up her stick to smash at Wang Dazhu directly. Seeing their boss being beaten up, the other subordinates rushed to help. Standing aside, Luo Xichu also picked up a stick and wanted to help, but Bai Jinyao¡¯s defense was so skillful that she knocked down a person in a few moves. He forced himself to be at ease, walked to the door, opened it, and left. Bai Jinyao did not see him leaving because she was busy fighting. Such a commotion finally woke Mrs. Bai up. After opening the door, she saw the chaotic and dangerous scene in the courtyard and almost fainted from shock. Bai Jinyao was fighting against five men alone. If she was not tired, she could definitely beat them all. However, her body was still exhausted. After she beat Wang Dazhu and the other three men to the ground¡­ The remaining man wanted to run away. But when he saw Mrs. Bai standing at the door with a shocked expression, he had an idea and rushed toward her. Bai Jinyao noticed his actions and subconsciously wanted to stop him. However, her body was already exhausted, and her actions were slow. She watched helplessly as that person took control of Mrs. Bai and even took out a small dagger from somewhere and placed it on Mrs. Bai¡¯s neck. Seeing this, her pupils contracted. She gritted her teeth and suddenly thought of Luo Xichu. She quickly looked around. But after looking around the courtyard, she found that Luo Xichu was already gone. The door to the courtyard had been opened. It was obvious that Luo Xichu had sneaked out when she was fighting with Wang Dazhu and the others. Bai Jinyao¡¯s heart sank. She thought she had been good enough to him during this period, but she didn¡¯t expect him to run away secretly at such a dangerous moment. She gritted her teeth, anger rising in her heart. If she saw him again, she wouldn¡¯t care if he was the crown prince or the emperor and would beat him up before locking him up in the small black room. ¡°Damn fatty! Your mother is in my hands right now! You¡¯d better not move! Otherwise, the dagger in my hand doesn¡¯t show any mercy!¡± The man who was controlling Mrs. Bai spoke arrogantly. The dagger in his hand was stuck to mother Mrs. Bai¡¯s neck, looking extremely dangerous. ¡°What do you want to do? Let go of my mother!¡± Bai Jinyao clenched the stick in her hand tightly and stared at the man. ¡°Damn fatty! Now you finally fear! You beat up our boss so badly. Do you think you can still stay in Qianshui Town? I¡¯m telling you. You¡¯re dreaming!¡± To her, the man¡¯s harsh words were just nonsense. But now, Mrs. Bai was being controlled by that man. She was afraid the man would attack Mrs. Bai if she made any movements. She didn¡¯t know what to do for a moment and could only continue the stalemate with him. It would be great if someone could help her now. Luo Xichu¡­ Bai Jinyao couldn¡¯t help but grind her teeth at the thought of Luo Xichu, who had secretly run away. She was in a worry when her ears twitched. Footsteps seemed to be coming from outside. Logically speaking, it was the middle of the night, and with the original owner¡¯s popularity. Even though her house had made such a loud noise, the neighbors around might just stay out of it and not meddle in her business. But the footsteps outside¡­ Chapter 35 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio She suddenly had a bold idea. It was a bold idea, but she felt it might just be her imagination and would never come true. However, as the people outside suddenly pushed open the door to her courtyard and walked in, she turned her head and realized that her imagination had come true. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A solemn voice was heard. Bai Jinyao found the information about the person in front of her from the memory of the original owner of the body. It¡¯s the head of Qianshui Town. Also, a relative of Wang Dazhu. Her eyelids twitched. Then, she saw Luo Xichu, who looked too weak to withstand a gust of wind, standing beside a group of guards. So he had gone to call for an official? Bai Jinyao was a little embarrassed and felt guilty for misunderstanding him. ¡°My lord, these people broke into my house in the middle of the night and even poured tung oil in my courtyard to burn my family to death!¡± ¡°Even after I knocked down the four of them, this person actually held my mother hostage!¡± ¡°My lord, please give me my justice!¡± She saluted first and told the town head everything that had happened. The town head was a middle-aged man in his forties, and he didn¡¯t look like an upright person. He was frowning after being woken up in the middle of the night to deal with some matters and looked irritated and impatient. ¡°Did you have a conflict with them before?¡± His question sounded quite interesting. He was just short of saying that if she had not had a conflict with them, they would not have set fire to her yard in the middle of the night. A cold light flashed through Bai Jinyao¡¯s eyes. ¡°My lord, I do have a conflict with Wang Dazhu. He claimed to be your relative and used your reputation to bully the people!¡± ¡°While I loved and respected you and didn¡¯t want your reputation to be ruined by Mr. Wang.¡± ¡°So I boldly proposed to him, hoping he would stop ruining your reputation.¡± ¡°However, Mr. Wang felt that I had embarrassed him. Not only did he bring people to block my path in the alley, but he also instructed the pig farmers not to sell pigs to me.¡± ¡°Tonight, he even sneaked into my house in the middle of the night with the intention of burning me to death!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done wrong. Please look into it!¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s words left the town head speechless. He intended to solve this matter quickly but now had to deal with it properly after hearing her words. When Bai Jinyao said this, Wang Dazhu, who had been knocked unconscious by her with a stick, slowly woke up. He happened to hear her words and was so angry that he immediately started cursing. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, you fatty? What the hell do you know? The town head asked me to collect protection fees. Do you think¡­¡± The stupid teammate Wang Dazhu said the key sentence. The town head¡¯s eyebrows twitched. He immediately tipped the people beside him a glance and asked them to gag Wang Dazhu¡¯s mouth. However, it was already too late. Wang Dazhu¡¯s voice was loud, and the night was quiet. Besides, somehow a crowd had already gathered in front of Bai Jinyao¡¯s house. Almost everyone heard the most crucial sentence. The town head¡¯s face at once turned red and green, then black and white. Chapter 36 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio He already felt the urge to beat Wang Dazhu to death. Seeing that the town head was already embarrassed, Bai Jinyao sneered in her heart and continued to speak. ¡°My lord, could it be that Mr. Wang has been provoked by something? It¡¯s fine if he slanders a commoner like me, but how could he also slander you, the town head? ¡°I had a conflict with Mr. Wang because he had slandered you. And now, he is still slandering you, my lord.¡± Bai Jinyao had a pained expression on her face. Seeing this, the town head couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. I will surely give you justice!¡± He coughed. His eyes fell on the man who was holding Mrs. Bai hostage and stunned when he saw the town head and the guards. ¡°You better put down the dagger! Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite to you!¡± The own head¡¯s words did not sound threatening at all. It sounded like he was negotiating with the man. Bai Jinyao was not interested in how he would treat that man. She was only worried that the man would become angry out of embarrassment and attack her mother. However, her worry was unnecessary. Wang Dazhu was stupid, and the man who worked for him was also stupid. The town head was already giving him a way out, but he raised his dagger. ¡°My lord! We¡¯re almost killed by this damn fatty! You have to seek justice for us!¡± Bai Jinyao was speechless. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the town head¡¯s face was turning red again. She no longer wanted to give him a way out. The town head had too many stupid teammates, and even the town head himself indulged them. So why should she help him? Her patience was running out. She couldn¡¯t wait for the town head to slowly say some more vicious words to deceive people. If she dawdled any longer, her mother might really faint from terror. She looked at the town head. ¡°My lord, can I save my mother first?¡± After saying this, she did not wait for the mayor to reply but simply threw the stick in her hand in the direction of the man with the dagger. Her action was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations, including the man. Seeing the stick coming in his direction, he was so scared that he let go of his mother and dodged to the side. As soon as he dodged, the stick was aimed at where Mrs. Bai was standing. Mrs. Bai had long been scared stiff and did not know how to dodge. Just as the stick was about to hit Mrs. Bai. Bai Jinyao, who had already run to her side, reached out and grabbed the stick that was flying toward her. It also prevented the stick from passing over Mrs. Bai and smashing her door. Everyone present was silent for a few moments. After helping her mother sit down, she quickly restrained the man before he could react and pulled him in front of the town head. ¡°My lord, this man is too dangerous with a dagger. So I took the initiative to restrain him first.¡± ¡°If you are hurt by him, all town folks will be sad!¡± Every word of her made the mayor choke, and he didn¡¯t know what to say. What she said sounded like it was for the good of the town head. Moreover, there were so many people around watching¡­ Chapter 37 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio If the town head sided with Wang Dazhu, it would undoubtedly confirm what Wang Dazhu said just now. The town head did ask them to collect protection fees. In order to prove his innocence, the town head would not side with Wang Dazhu. Hence, the town head had no choice but to let the guards arrest Wang Dazhu and his guys. ¡°Manager Bai, don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t bully you again in the future! If you didn¡¯t tell me that Wang Dazhu and his guy had used my name to bully the people, I will still be fooled by them and even misunderstood by the people in the town. Thank you very much!¡± After the town head said those insincere words to Bai Jinyao, he looked at the people who were crowding in front of Bai Jinyao¡¯s house. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry! In the future, if anyone bullies you, you can come to the local government and tell me!¡± ¡°As the town head of Qianshui Town, I will definitely protect the people of Qianshui Town!¡± When the people in Qianshui Town encountered problems in the past, they tried to report them to the officials. However, the town head only dealt with these problems perfunctorily and left those people alone after that. Over time, the people knew that the town head didn¡¯t care about them at all. But tonight, Bai Jinyao¡¯s words and actions, as well as the town head¡¯s words, gave the people a new understanding. Regardless of whether the town head¡¯s words were true or not, the people in the town treated them as the truth for the time being. Some of the courageous guys even began to complain to the town head. In an instant, the town head was surrounded by the people, talking one after another. It was as noisy as if they were in a market during the daytime. Seeing that there was nothing that she could do now, Bai Jinyu quietly closed the door. Luo Xichu had been leaning against the wall with his head lowered the entire time. And he was wearing some really light clothes. Bai Jinyao walked in front of him. She bit her lips and had a complicated expression. ¡°Mr. Luo, thank you¡­¡± Before Bai Jinyao could finish speaking, Luo Xichu¡¯s body suddenly shook and he fell straight toward her. Bai Jinyao was shocked and subconsciously reached out to catch Luo Xichu. Luo Xichu¡¯s head hit Bai Jinyao¡¯s shoulder and Luo Xichu¡¯s whole body was in her arms. Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t have time to say anything. She felt that the person in her arms seemed to be burning up. She was shocked and quickly carried Luo Xichu back to the bridal chamber and put him on the bed. Luo Xichu¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, and his face was red. He was so heated that he was talking nonsense. Bai Jinyao covered him with the quilt and went out to boil some water to decoct his medicine. However, as soon as she went out, she found that Mrs. Bai, who was sitting on the chair just now, had fallen to the ground and even fainted! Bai Jinyao was shocked and her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly ran up and squatted in front of Mrs. Bai. ¡°Mom! What happened, mom? Wake up!¡± Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t know what was going on with her mother, so she didn¡¯t dare to move her. She called out a few times, but Mrs. Bai did not respond. Even though it was summer, the ground would still be fairly cold at night. Bai Jinyao planned to go outside to get a doctor, but she was worried about her mother and Luo Xichu, who had a fever. She ran back to the house and took out a quilt to cover Mrs. Bai. After that, she took a wet handkerchief and put it on Luo Xichu¡¯s burning forehead. Then she hurriedly went out to find a doctor. Fortunately, the town head was still surrounded by the people outside. Chapter 38 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Bai Jinyao simply asked the town head for help. ¡°Sir, please help me!¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s roar attracted everyone¡¯s attention. The town head was kind of shocked when he saw Bai Jinyao. ¡°What happened, Manager Bai? Please calm down and tell me about it.¡± The town head asked Bai Jinyao about the situation as he pretended to inadvertently leave the crowd. Bai Jinyao explained the situation to the town head and he immediately sent someone to get a doctor. Luckily, there was a doctor who lived nearby among the crowd. That doctor happened to be the one that Bai Jinyao had invited to her house to treat Luo Xichu. Bai Jinyao quickly invited the doctor in to take a look at Luo Xichuand her mother. The courtyard was in a mess, and even if those people wanted to go in and watch the excitement, they did not know where they should stand. In order to show how much he cared about the people as the town head, he immediately asked the guards to help tidy up Bai Jinyao¡¯s yard. The town head then asked the other commoners to return to their homes to rest. The town head massaged his eyebrows in frustration and looked at the yard in disgust after those people left. At this time, the doctor was examining Mrs. Bai. The town head knew that he should not go in, so he stood at the door and shouted, ¡°Manager Bai, how is your mother?¡± Bai Jinyao heard the town head¡¯s voice and frowned slightly. She walked to the door, and put on a tearful look. ¡°Sir, the doctor said that my mother fainted because she was too frightened! And my husband has a high fever again! I don¡¯t know what to do now!¡± As Bai Jinyao spoke, the doctor also walked over and echoed, ¡°Sir, Manager Bai¡¯s mother must have been frightened by the hostage just now and has fainted. I¡¯ve already acupunctured her, but I don¡¯t know when she will wake up.¡± ¡°Even if she wakes up, I am not sure that she will be mentally normal.¡± ¡°Manager Bai¡¯s husband had been running a fever for a few days, but his condition was slightly better today. ¡°However, because he had caught a cold in the middle of the night, his fever was even worse. If his fever continued like this, it might damage his brain.¡± Bai Jinyao¡¯s words did not sound so serious. The doctor¡¯s words made the town head totally stunned. In short, this was what the doctor meant. If Wang Dazhu did not break into their house in the middle of the night with the intention of burning the house down, Bai Jinyao¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t have fainted from shock, and Luo Xichu wouldn¡¯t have caught a cold and had a high fever. The town head kept frowning. He was really nervous. Everyone in Qianshui Town knew that Wang Dazhu the town head¡¯s relative. But now, this matter was really difficult to deal with. If the town head sided with Wang Dazhu, those people would definitely revolt against him. Thinking of this, the town head made a decision. ¡°Manager Bai, don¡¯t worry. I will punish Wang Dazhu and his guys and give you justice! As for the money for the treatment of your mother and your husband, you don¡¯t have to worry about that, I will take care of it!¡± After Bai Jinyao heard this, her eyes filled with tears. Then she repeatedly thanked the town head. ¡°Thank you, Sir! I knew you are not like what Wang Dazhu and his men said! You are clearly a good person! A good official! Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Yeah, the town head is a good official! Everyone was fooled by Wang Dazhu!¡± Chapter 39 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio The doctor also said that the town head was a good person. The town head said a few more polite words to Bai Jinyao and left with the guards. Bai Jinyao¡¯s courtyard had also been tidied up by the guards. Although it wasn¡¯t tidied up very well, it was much better than before. After the town head left, Bai Jinyao looked at the doctor with a serious expression. ¡°Doctor, is what you just said true? Is my mother really not going to wake up?¡± When the town head came to the door just now, the doctor only gave a rough explanation and did not go into detail. Therefore, when Bai Jinyao was speaking to the town head, she just described the situation to be a little bit more serious than what the doctor had just told her. But what the doctor said to the town head made Bai Jinyao really shocked. Right now, she hoped that the doctor would tell her that he wasn¡¯t telling the truth. But the doctor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, everything I said just now is true. Manager Bai, did your mother suffer some kind of shock in the past? Or did he suffer a head blow?¡± Hearing this, Bai Jinyao was stunned for a moment. ¡°Some kind of shock? Head blow? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any.¡± Bai Jinyao recalled the original owner¡¯s memories of her mother. Indeed, there was no such thing. Her mother had never been injured or fainted from shock. The doctor muttered to himself for a moment, and then he said, ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll observe her for a while longer. However, Manager Bai, you should also be mentally prepared. Even if your mother wakes up, I can¡¯t guarantee that she¡¯ll be in a normal state.¡± ¡°As for your husband, he can have the medicine I prescribed. I will also prescribe some new medicine for him. You can come to the clinic tomorrow to get the prescription.¡± ¡°As long as your husband¡¯s fever is gone, he¡¯ll be fine. So, you¡¯ll have to watch our mother and your husband tonight.¡± The doctor left after giving Bai Jinyao his instructions. Bai Jinyao sighed to herself and suddenly felt very tired. She went in to check on Mrs. Bai. Mrs. Bai was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Her face was pale, and she looked so weak that she could die at any time. Bai Jinyao bit her lips tightly. She was very upset. She tucked Mrs. Bai in and went to the next room to check on Luo Xichu. Luo Xichu¡¯s eyes were also tightly shut. His face was red his clothes were already wet with sweat. Bai Jinyao first went to boil some water and found some clean clothes. She closed the doors and windows of the bridal chamber and then was about to change Luo Xichu¡¯s clothes. Bai Jinyao was strong, so it was easy for her to help Luo Xichu up from the bed. She helped Luo Xichu up and unfamiliarly undressed Luo Xichu¡¯s clothes, which were already drenched in sweat. Bai Jinyao was trying to be polite so she changed Luo Xichu¡¯s clothes and put him on the bed without looking at his body. After a while, she brought some warm water to wipe the sweat off Luo Xichu¡¯s body. After the medicine had cooled down, she planned to pinch Luo Xichu¡¯s jaw and force the medicine into his mouth, just like she did two days ago. However, she did not know what was wrong with Luo Xichu tonight. No matter how hard Bai Jinyao tried, she could not force the medicine into his mouth. Even if she fed him little by little, the liquid would still flow out from the corner of Luo Xichu¡¯s mouth. It was the same after Bai Jinyao tried it a few times. She did not know what she should do now. If she didn¡¯t make Luo Xichu have the medicine tonight, his condition would get worse. Chapter 40 Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio No one knew if Luo Xichu would turn into a fool in the middle of the night. But she had no other choice. However, Luo Xichu was the male lead in this book, so he had to be really lucky for no reason. If Luo Xichu couldn¡¯t have the medicine, with the good luck that he should have, he wouldn¡¯t become a fool so easily, right? Bai Jinyao pondered as she slowly placed the bowl of medicine on the table. However, the system¡¯s mechanical voice sounded in her mind. [If the male lead becomes a fool or dies due to the high fever, the mission will end in failure.] Bai Jinyao was speechless. But she couldn¡¯t make Luo Xichu have the medicine. If she used more strength to open Luo Xichu¡¯s mouth, she was worried that Luo Xichu¡¯s jaw would be dislocated by her. [You can try to feed the medicine to him in a primitive way.] The system gave Bai Jinyao a suggestion. ¡°In a primitive way? What does that mean?¡± Bai Jinyao didn¡¯t understand what the system meant. ¡°How can I feed the medicine to him in a primitive way? I¡¯m now directly trying to open Luo Xichu¡¯s mouth to feed the medicine to him. Isn¡¯t that primitive? However, the liquid would still flow out of his mouth.¡± Bai Jinyao complained to the system inwardly. [You can change the way you feed the medicine to him. For example, you can do it like how a mother feeds babies.] After hearing what the system said, Bai Jinyao immediately thought of a scene and she finally understood what the system meant. Her expression was complicated then. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think so. If the male lead finds out, he might not believe my explanation!¡± [You can do it!] After the system spoke in a mechanical voice that sounded like it was cheering Bai Jinyao up, it stopped talking. Dead silence reigned around Bai Jinyao again. She could only hear the sound of her own heartbeat. Bai Jinyao reached out and touched Luo Xichu¡¯s forehead, which was extremely hot. After hesitating for a while, she could only use this method. Bai Jinyao went to the next room to check on her mother¡¯s condition. Then, she went back to the kitchen and poured the last bit of medicine in the medicine pot into the bowl. That was all the medicine she got now. Bai Jinyao returned to the bridal chamber with the bowl of medicine and found that Luo Xichu¡¯s fever seemed to have gotten worse. She stood in front of Luoxi¡¯s bed and hesitated for a moment. Then she took a deep breath and took a big gulp of the medicine with a determined attitude. The bitter taste made Bai Jinyao frown immediately. She recalled Luo Xichu¡¯s expressionless face when he was drinking the liquid. Bai Jinyao only wanted to praise Luo Xichu for being so tough! Then, Bai Jinyao put down the bowl, pinched Luo Xichu¡¯s chin with one hand, and bent down. She moved her lips closer to Luo Xichu¡¯s. This was a magical experience for Bai Jinyao, who had been single since she was born. And to Luo Xichu, who was burning hot in the nightmare, the cold touch was like salvation, making him want more. However, the sudden bitter taste shocked Luo Xichu, which made him clear for a moment. He didn¡¯t have any sense of taste but why did he feel something bitter? Luo Xichu tried to open his eyes to see what was going on, but his eyelids seemed to be stuck together. He failed to open his eyes. Bai Jinyao stood up and continued to drink and feed the medicine to Luo Xichu. Fortunately, Luo Xichu was quite cooperative this time, and he finished the bowl of medicine in a short while. Bai Jinyao was so tired that she was sweating profusely, and her mouth was still filled with a bitter taste.