Becoming the Cannon Fodder Wife of Crazy and Powerful Official - Chapter 26

Song Shi sucked in a mouthful of phlegm and spat it right on the ground, nearly hitting the brand-new embroidered toes of Xin Yueying’s shoes, “Pah!”

Xin Yueying, “……”

A fierce glint shone in Song Shi’s eyes. “How dare she act up with me? Hmph, she went out this morning.” Song Shi looked around and lowered her voice. “I was afraid she’d go see that wild man again and bring trouble on us, so I followed her.”

Song Shi swallowed and whispered even quieter, “She went near the old locust tree. A man came to meet her, but it wasn’t the same one hiding last time. That man gave her money. Then she headed toward the market. I wasn’t wearing a veil, so I couldn’t follow her without being noticed. Don’t know what she did.”

Probably went to get a new medicine chest.

After all, along with Bai Lan’er’s disappearance, her medicine chest had vanished too.

“What did the man look like?”

Song Shi, “Not tall. Average looking. She cried with him for a while. Don’t know what they said.”

Xin Yueyingnodded. “Alright, Auntie Song, I need to go take care of something.”

“You go ahead, go ahead.”

East of the entrance to Niujiagou Village, under the old locust tree.

A long line of people snaked into the distance. Meng Ruxin sat under the old locust tree behind a small table, treating patients.

She wore a veil and sat upright and proper. Villagers came in an endless stream, their eyes filled with piety and respect as they looked at her, as if gazing upon a Bodhisattva.

The long queue stretched far into the distance.

Xin Yueying led her donkey, squeezing through the crowd, cutting across the line before finally making it to Lame Ma’s house.

She stood in Lame Ma’s yard, looking at the tightly closed doors and windows of the small house.

Xin Yueying tethered the little grey donkey to the fence and walked to the door to knock.

She waited for a good while. There were only hurried footsteps inside, but no one answered.

She knocked faster.

“Coming,” Lame Ma answered, flustered, accompanied by the clinking sound of porcelain bottles colliding, but the door still didn’t open.

After a long moment, the door finally opened, but only a narrow crack. Lame Ma peeked out furtively with half his face. Seeing it was Xin Yueying, he looked behind her and asked sneakily, “Are you alone?”

Xin Yueying, “…….”

If Old Ma isn’t cooking up some poison plot in there, then I’ll eat my hat! Or rather, write my name backwards!

Xin Yueying pushed the door open directly, ignoring Lame Ma’s attempts to stop her, and marched straight into the room.

Her sharp eyes swept over the somewhat messy small room, noticing some fine white powder residue still on the table.

Xin Yueying turned to look at Lame Ma.

Lame Ma looked utterly guilty, offering Xin Yueying an awkward smile. “Are you thirsty? Let me get you some water.” He limped over to the water jug.

“No need.” Who knows if he’s washed his hands? Better not poison me by accident.

Xin Yueying, “Mr. Ma, do you live alone?”

“Yeah, why?” Lame Ma asked.

Xin Yueying, “Never married?”

Lame Ma, “I’m a cripple. Who’d have me?”

He was just an old bachelor, alone and unencumbered, free to poison someone without a second thought.

Xin Yueying stared at Lame Ma. Lame Ma stared back. Probably feeling guilty, Lame Ma averted his eyes, refusing to meet her gaze. His shifty eyes looked at the ground. “I get the feeling you have something to say.”

“Yes, I do.” Xin Yueying raised her hand and pointed at Lame Ma’s nose. “I’m hiring you. Name your price.”

“What?!” Lame Ma looked at Xin Yueying in shock.

Xin Yinying, “Name your price. Yearly or monthly, I’m fine with either. Just name your price.”

Lame Ma’s mouth hung open as he stared at Xin Yueying in disbelief. “What kind of hiring?” He seemed flustered. “What would I need to do?” Since Xin Yueying had asked about his personal situation, Lame Ma had naturally misunderstood. He lowered his eyes and grinned,

“I’m a decent man. I don’t do that Ximen Qing stuff. Your husband is still alive, for goodness’ sake. And honestly, there’s too big an age gap between us. Also, I think you’re a bit short…”

“Hey! I mean I’m hiring you to treat my husband!!!”

Madmen, madmen, they’re all madmen! There isn’t a single normal person in this village!

Xin Yueying frowned at Lame Ma. “Master Ma, can I call you Master Ma? Please don’t cause trouble. I’ll give you ten taels of silver every month. Just focus on treating my husband, alright? Can you not think about anything else?”

Lame Ma quickly grew wary, his expression turning grave. “I feel like you’re hinting at something.”

“Master Ma, don’t be rash. We have time on our side. We’ll find a way to deal with her.”

Lame Ma’s face changed dramatically. His eyes darted around. He decided to lay his cards on the table, “Do you know something?”

Xin Yinying, “I don’t know anything, but I have a feeling you’re planning something.”

She glanced back at the pile of powder on the table, then turned to Lame Ma. “That night I came to find you, what were you sneaking around doing?”

“Stay out of this!” Lame Ma became agitated.

“I’m not a busybody! I never asked who shattered your husband’s knees! I never asked who tortured his legs! I never even asked why you live in a remote mountain valley! I don’t pry into your affairs, so you stay out of mine!” His eyes instantly reddened. Agitated, he stomped to the window and shoved it open.

The line outside hadn’t dispersed. The bustling crowd was chatting idly, some even pointing at Lame Ma’s house.

He slammed the window shut with a “bang!” “That brat has pushed me around right on my own doorstep! How can I swallow this anger?!”

He slapped his chest and roared, “My Ma family has practiced medicine for generations! My grandfather, my grandfather’s grandfather, my grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather were all deeply respected by everyone in Niujiagou! But by the time it got to me, Lame Ma, not only is my reputation ruined, I even ran my ancestors’ shop into the ground! If I don’t go all out against her, how can I face my ancestors after I die?!”

He limped aggressively towards Xin Yueying, “Please leave. Mind your own business.”

Xin Yueying was grabbed by the shoulders. She said, “Stop shoving me.”
Lame Ma said, “I am shoving you, you busybody, I’m shoving you.”
He was, after all, lame and unsteady on his feet. Xin Yueying shrugged her shoulders, and Lame Ma stumbled back two steps, losing his grip.

Xin Yueying, “Today, my husband specifically sent me. He said his legs have improved significantly under your care! That proves that girl’s medical skills are inferior to yours!”

Lame Ma said, obviously, “I don’t need you to tell me that?!”

Xin Yueying stepped forward, “She treats people for free. She doesn’t understand ‘a sheng of rice earns gratitude, a dou of rice breeds enmity.’ Don’t you understand? Master Ma, what is human nature like? If you treat them for free and they get better, everyone’s happy. If you mess up, they say you were practicing on them; no wonder it was free. She’s making enemies for herself. Just watch, her future won’t be peaceful.”

Xin Yueying said solemnly, “Furthermore, unless she treats people for free for the rest of her life, the moment she starts charging, no one will come anymore. All that will be left are people coming to find fault with her. Think about it. She’s breaking the rules. Will the other doctors let it go? Wouldn’t it be better for you to sit back and watch the tigers fight?”

“Damn her grandmother!” Lame Ma grew even more agitated. “Then I need to finish her off quickly! Before someone else gets the jump! I don’t want anything else! I just want to vent this rage in my heart! If I can vent this anger, I’m willing to die!”

“……”

No wonder he’s the villain. His thought process is just different from normal people’s.

Lame Ma pointed at the door, “You! Leave! Mind your own business!”

Xin Yueying, “Will you still treat my husband or not?”

“I’m so angry I’m about to be terminally ill myself!” At this point, Lame Ma hiccuped, seeming genuinely furious.
He threw his head back, hands on his hips, and hiccuped again.
“Hear that?! Ironclad proof!” He pointed at his upper abdomen and glared at Xin Yueying.

For heaven’s sake.

Xin Yueying tilted her head and turned to leave, but Lame Ma stopped her, “Come back!”

She turned to look at him, her eyes lighting up with rekindled hope. “What is it, Master Ma? Changed your mind?”

Lame Ma tossed a packet of medicine to Xin Yueying. “This is for your husband’s hot compress. Five qian.”

“……” Xin Yueying took the medicine. Lame Ma glanced at her coldly, “Don’t give me extra money. I, Lame Ma, don’t care about money. I care about justice.”

Xin Yueying placed five qian of silver on the table and walked out.
The door was quickly shut behind her by Lame Ma.

Xin Yueying looked up at the sky in despair.
She didn’t leave. She led the little grey donkey to a tree across the way.
She sat there all afternoon, staring fixedly at Lame Ma’s room.

What should I do?
Lame Ma’s madness seems imminent.