Becoming the Cannon Fodder Wife of Crazy and Powerful Official - Chapter 27

Xin Yueying had finally found a doctor for Shen Qingqi, and he was just starting to show improvement. How could she just stand by and watch this doctor throw his life away?

Yes, throw his life away, because in the end, the only victim would be Lame Ma himself.

Telling Lame Ma this would be futile; he definitely wouldn’t believe her.

Xin Yueying scratched her head helplessly.

Lame Ma wouldn’t attempt poisoning in broad daylight. If nothing else worked, she could come and keep watch at night.

Even though Lame Ma wasn’t afraid of her, if she saw him sneaking out, she could just shout loudly, “Oh, Master Ma, going for a pee? Huh? Wait, what’s that sneaky thing you’re holding?”

If she made enough noise for the neighbours to hear, Lame Ma probably wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.

That’s the plan for now!

Once she made this decision, Xin Yueying felt like a genius.

She rode her donkey home, gave the medicine to Huo Qi, grabbed some provisions from the kitchen, and said to him, “I’ll be away for a few days.”

Huo Qi thought she was joking. “Where are you going?” He pointed towards Xie Asheng and Shen Qingqi, who were deeply engrossed in studying blueprints.

Huo Qi said, “We’re in the middle of work and need people, and you’re running off? Do you think that’s appropriate? You don’t have to cook or buy groceries, but could you at least boil some water or hand over a sweat towel? That would show you’re making an effort.”

Xin Yinying: “I have important business.” She said gravely, “Lame Ma might not come anymore.”

Huo Qi was taken aback, “Why?”

Xin Yueying briefly explained about seeing the powder on Lame Ma’s table that day and Meng Ruxin offering free consultations under the old locust tree. Finally, she hinted to Huo Qi, “I’m afraid he might act impulsively. I need to keep an eye on him for the next few days.”

Huo Qi said it was simple; he could just tie the old man up.

Xin Yinying, “Oh my! I’m doing all this so he’ll willingly treat your Second Master’s legs! What’s the point of tying him up? Will he treat Second Master willingly then?!”

Huo Qi shook his fist in front of Xin Yinying, “I’ll beat him until he’s willing.”

“……” Xin Yueying looked up at the sky in despair.

She was so tired.

Suppressing her anger, she pushed Huo Qi’s fist down and said sternly, “Go tell Shen Qingqi that the noise here is bothering me, and I’m going back to my parents’ house for a couple of days.”

Huo Qi thought about it and agreed.

Xin Yueying packed her provisions and returned to Lame Ma’s doorstep.

The table in the Shen family’s yard was set with food. Xie Asheng and Huo Qi were starving. They looked at Shen Qingqi, who still hadn’t picked up his chopsticks. His gaze was fixed in the distance.

Huo Qi forced a smile, “Second Master, let’s eat. We told you, she’s gone back to her parents’ house for a few days.”

Shen Qingqi’s gaze was distant. He smiled faintly, as if talking to himself, “How interesting. She still has a parents’ house.”

Huo Qi said, “Her family is in Xin Village.”

Shen Qingqi’s smile vanished, his eyes sharp. “Her home is definitely not Xin Village.”

Huo Qi and Xie Asheng looked at him in confusion.

Shen Qingqi said calmly, “Huo Qi, you’ve become increasingly bold lately.” He paused, giving him a cold look. “Still not going to tell the truth?”

***

There was a crooked-neck tree opposite Lame Ma’s house.

Xin Yueying was squatting under the tree, munching on her provisions. The sound of a wheelchair moving approached from afar. She turned her head and saw Shen Qingqi propelling himself towards her in his wheelchair.

She looked at him in surprise.

So much for relying on Huo Qi! But to be this unreliable?! It hasn’t even been a few hours, and he’s already spilled everything?!

After getting close Shen Qingqi said, “Not sleeping in the middle of the night, coming here to keep watch?” He leaned forward and snatched the provisions from her hand, “Come back and eat.”

“I have to stay here,” she refused to leave.

Shen Qingqi said, “He won’t do anything drastic for now.”

Xin Yueying completely disbelieved this, especially after witnessing Lame Ma’s frenzy firsthand today.

Shen Qingqi continued, “If you really want to come, just check during the day. When you see him buying clothes he usually wouldn’t splurge on, carrying a jug of good wine, or treating himself to a lavish meal at a restaurant, that’s when he’s about to make his move.”

Xin Yinying said suspiciously, “Would he do that?”

Shen Qingqi nodded, “A person’s emotions need to build up to a certain point before they explode. He said a lot to you today; he probably got a lot off his chest. He hasn’t reached that breaking point yet.”

Xin Yueying thought Shen Qingqi made a good point. She stood up, pushed open the fence gate quietly, tiptoed to the door, and pressed her ear against it. Sure enough, the sound of Lame Ma’s snoring came from inside.

Only then did she feel relieved. She patted her chest, turned her head, and smiled at Shen Qingqi.

They shared a smile.

Xin Yueying walked over and naturally began pushing Shen Qingqi’s wheelchair.

The manor was tranquil at night. The two of them moved silently toward the mountains.

“What were you originally planning?” Shen Qingqi asked her lightly, though his gaze remained fixed intently on the dry rations in his hand.

Xin Yueying asked, “Planning for what?”

Shen Qingqi hesitated for a moment, as if steeling himself before speaking, “During the day? Where did you plan to sleep?”

Xin Yueying replied, “Catch some sleep at Auntie Song’s place, or just nap under that tree. It doesn’t really matter.”

Shen Qingqi lowered his face slightly, his voice low, “It does matter.”

“Huh?” Xin Yueying tilted her head.

She didn’t see Shen Qingqi’s tightly pressed lips, nor did she see him looking down sadly at his own two legs. He was trying extremely hard to restrain something, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. Finally, he said casually, “Looking so pitiful like this, if others saw you, they would surely say I mistreat you.”

“Pfft, who cares what they say,” Xin Yueying shook her head. “As long as your legs can be healed, that’s what matters. Even if they can’t be fully healed, just making sure the pain isn’t constant would be good enough. And let me tell you, having sensation and pain is actually better than feeling nothing, you know? It means your nerves aren’t dead yet.”

Shen Qingqi didn’t understand what ‘nerves’ were, but he knew one thing: she was the only person in this world willing to speak the plain truth to him.

He remembered that after he was released from the great prison, everyone tiptoed around him.

They didn’t even dare mention the word ‘leg,’ let alone words like ‘run’ or ‘walk.’

But no one knew that his self-esteem had already been completely shattered within that prison.

Xin Yueying pushed Shen Qingqi all the way home.

She ate her meal, bathed in the kitchen, and was about to go to sleep when she noticed Shen Qingqi was still in the yard, busy weaving parts for the wheelchair.

“Let me help you,” she said, walking over.

“No need,” he said. “I’m not sleepy anyway. You go to sleep.”

Xin Yueying looked at Shen Qingqi curiously, her head tilted, her dark, liquid eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Shen Qingqi also looked up at her. He suddenly thought she resembled a little puppy.

Yes, just like a puppy.

He had raised a small puppy once before. It also liked to squat in front of him like this. When it encountered something puzzling, it would tilt its head and stare at him with big, round eyes.

He broke into a warm smile and said gently, “Go to sleep. Be good.”

Xin Yueying obediently stood up and went back into the house.

The next morning, she woke up, again with the sun already high in the sky.

There was still the sound of work coming from outside.

She yawned, scratched her bird’s nest of hair, and glanced around casually, noticing that there was actually new furniture in the room.

It was a carved dressing table. She slipped on her shoes, got out of bed, walked over, and saw an exquisite vanity case placed on the table. She reached out, opened the vanity case, and inside were neatly arranged the various pieces of jewelry Shen Qingqi had bought for her.

“You’re awake?”

Shen Qingqi wheeled himself into the room.