Chapter 39

Xiao Wanling had no idea how she got home. When she opened her eyes, she saw Shen Qing entering with a basin of water. He used a warm cloth to carefully wipe her face, wrists, and hands.

After disposing of the water, he shut the door. Seeing the blush on her cheeks and those innocent eyes staring at him, Shen Qing’s heartbeat quickened. He swiftly blew out the lamp.

The warm, soft woman beside him leaned over, wrapped her arms around his, and rested her head on his shoulder.

Shen Qing’s breath grew uneven. The fragrance on her body intoxicated him—he wanted her, badly.

Xiao Wanling sensed Shen Qing pressing down on her. She reached out to push him but couldn’t budge him. Remembering there was something she still had to say to him, she placed a finger on his lips. “Shen Qing, I need to confess something.”

He kissed her finger, desire threatening to consume him. “Say it.”

Xiao Wanling said, “Your betrothed, the original bride, is no longer around. I only pretended to be her out of necessity. I’ll make it up to you. Whatever amount of money you want, I’ll give it to you!”

Shen Qing had thought she was just talking nonsense in a drunken stupor. But the smile vanished from his face as he grabbed her slender wrist. “Don’t even think about leaving. You’ve already slept with me.”

Xiao Wanling cried out, “If there’s anything you want, I can give it to you!”

Realizing he had hurt her, Shen Qing gently blew on her wrist and mumbled, “I only want you.”

Xiao Wanling blushed even more and smiled, “Then what do you like about me?”

Shen Qing thought seriously, Everything.” The good and the bad. He slipped off his outer robe and reached for her robe—only to have his hand suddenly caught.

His heart clenched, fearing she would reject him at the last moment.

Xiao Wanling said, “No! I don’t want to get pregnant!”

“Then we won’t.” Shen Qing held her close and whispered in her ear, “Help me.”

****

Sunlight spilled over the door as it creaked open. A pillow was tossed out through the doorway.

Shen Qing strode out, picked up the pillow, patted it off, and sheepishly stood aside with his head lowered. Xiao Wanling stormed out, fuming. “You sleep in a separate room!”

Shen Qing said, “We’ll sleep together tonight!”

Xiao Wanling shot him a glare and climbed onto the oxcart. When she saw him still spacing out, she drove the cart herself.

Shen Qing snuck back inside, put their pillows together, smiled foolishly, locked the door, and hurried after the cart. He jumped on and took the reins. “Wanling, don’t be mad! You can hit me or scold me tonight!”

Xiao Wanling turned her head away. “You took advantage of me while I was drunk! You can only do it three times a month at max!”

Shen Qing tried to bargain, “But I miss you!”

Xiao Wanling glared at him. “I heard from Jiang Ting that women in the village can only marry local men. What if our daughter falls for someone from outside? And our son would have to serve in the army or build roads and never be able to leave.”

Shen Qing had known this since he was a boy and had thought about it. “When I earn enough military merit, our children can get official positions in the village.”

Xiao Wanling went quiet. She wanted to earn lots of money so as to let her children live in a peaceful and prosperous world.

When they arrived at the teahouse, there were only a few vendors and hardly any customers.

Shen Qing opened the teahouse, dissolved yeast cakes in water, and watched the rice slurry rise. Every day he had been away, he had recalled their time together. He moved skillfully through the process.

Xiao Wanling lit the fire and brewed tea. Suddenly, a stranger approached the teahouse. He wore a black cap and a brocade round-collared robe. Dismounting quickly, he strode up. “Is Madam Xiao here?”

Shen Qing and Xiao Wanling both paused their work and looked at him. He looked like a refined scholar. From his clothing, it was clear he wasn’t from the village.

Jin Jiaran cupped his hands. “Madam Zhang sent me to deliver some rice and grain to Madam Xiao.”
He pointed to the distance, where a cart full of sacks could be seen.

Xiao Wanling recognized him—it was the same man who had come before to request grain. “Since when are the Jin and Zhang families so close?”

Jin Jiaran wasn’t offended. “It’s a partnership.”

In truth, he had volunteered to help. “Madam Zhang is busy with her business and couldn’t get away.”

Xiao Wanling accepted the goods. Worst case, she’d test them for poison first.

At that moment, the Han family’s general store door opened, and Han Shuyi walked out with a contemptuous smile. “Cousin Jin, don’t get your hopes up. She’s a married woman!”

Jin Jiaran chuckled and lowered his eyes. “Unlike you, who can’t stand seeing others do well and just lives to ruin things.”

Han Shuyi’s shame turned to fury. “Forget Madam Zhang! The man she likes is him!” She pointed at Shen Qing, whose face was visibly sour.

Shen Qing scowled, “If you’re going to argue, take it elsewhere.”

Xiao Wanling exchanged a glance with Shen Qing. Neither of them believed a word of that nonsense.

Jin Jiaran gave them a nod and left with the oxcart. Han Shuyi immediately chased after him.

Jin Jiaran shot back bluntly, “Right back at you. Stop coveting what isn’t yours!”

Han Shuyi hadn’t expected him to be so rude and snapped, “Your Jin family sent an illegitimate girl to the palace. Sharing a husband with her aunt—how shameless!”

Jin Jiaran raised a fist toward the heavens. “Slandering His Majesty? The Han family sure has guts!”

The two of them were soon shouting furiously. The Jin family’s servants looked helpless and didn’t dare leave.

Han Shuyi yelled, “Don’t expect the Han family to supply Jin Cloth House anymore!” Without the Han family to provide fabrics, how can the Jin family compare with other shops?

Jin Jiaran shot back, “Gladly!”

He was tired of being manipulated. Those earlier arrangements were just temporary. Madam Ji had already warned them not to associate with the Han family. As for his illegitimate sister—she had entered the palace of her own accord.

Later, Sister-in-law Lu and Cheng Qiao’er came to buy face and body balm from Xiao Wanling. Cheng Qiao’er wore new clothes and shyly said, “I want to have fair skin like you!”

Xiao Wanling replied, “It’s all at home. I’ll bring it to you tonight.”

The three women stood outside the teahouse when Jin Jiaran and Han Shuyi’s argument grew so loud that it drowned out their conversation.

Cheng Qiao’er spotted Xue Cui. She was charging at Han Shuyi. Xiao Chai, the maid, rushed from the village to help her mistress but was blocked.

Sister-in-law Lu rolled up her sleeves and grabbed Xiao Chai’s other hand.

Han Shuyi was no match for Xue Cui’s strength. Xue Cui pushed her to the ground, sat on her, and began slapping her face.

In no time, Han Shuyi’s hair came undone. Her red hairpin fell to the ground, and her cheeks swelled red. She screamed and clawed at Xue Cui’s waist.

Blood trickled from Han Shuyi’s mouth. Jin Jiaran snapped at the stunned shop assistants, “What are you staring at? Pull her off!”

The clerks finally sprang into action, dragging Xue Cui away. Xue Cui kicked at Han Shuyi in fury, “You’re the one who poisoned people! You ruined me! Why should you get away unscathed?”

Sister-in-law Lu and Cheng Qiao’er let go. Xiao Chai ran to help her mistress, crying, “Miss!”

Han Shuyi covered her face, humiliated beyond words. “Call the authorities! Arrest Xue Cui!”

Xue Cui yelled back, “Fine, call them! I’ll tell them you ordered the poisoning! We have witnesses!”

Soon, villagers gathered around the Han and Jin families, demanding justice. The patrol guards arrived, and everyone, stirred up, sent their testimonies to the magistrate.

Han Shuyi cleaned up before going to court and accused Xue Cui of public assault.

Xue Cui knelt and sobbed uncontrollably. “She’s the one who gave me the arsenic, claiming it was for digestion! She wanted people dead!”

The village head, the three supervisors, Chen Gui, Eldest Brother Xue, and the former Han shop assistants all testified against Han Shuyi for attempted murder.

The tea supervisor cried, “Your Honor, soldiers risk their lives on the battlefield. If their families were killed by this wicked woman, how many would have lost heart?”

The gavel slammed. “Apply the sentence!”

Only then did Han Shuyi feel fear. The bribes she sent hadn’t been accepted?

She turned to her maid, Xiao Chai.

Xiao Chai turned pale and trembled. She knew that look too well—it was the same one that had doomed her father, brother, and nephews.

Biting her lip, she knelt with a thud and kowtowed hard. “Your Honor, it was me! It wasn’t my mistress—it was my idea. I resented Madam Xiao for stealing Han family business, so I gave Xue Cui the poison!”

Xue Cui screamed, “Liar! It was her!”

Xiao Chai suddenly dashed forward and smashed her head into the wall—killing herself.

Seeing her maid’s body, Han Shuyi exhaled in relief. “Your Honor, I was negligent in my discipline.”

The patrol guards evicted the Han shop assistants and sealed the shop doors. “The Han family is barred from doing business in Qishan Village!”

Years of rent and hundreds of taels of silver were now wasted. Her trusted maid was dead. Han Shuyi gritted her teeth in hatred. “Madam Xiao, Xue Cui, just you wait.”

She climbed into her carriage and slunk away in disgrace.

Shen Qing watched the Han family’s carriage depart. “Wanling, see? Even if they have power, if we’re united, we can win!”

Xiao Wanling said, “Xiao Chai was only the accomplice. The real culprit got away.”

Shen Qing felt that winning one battle was enough for now and things had to be handled one step at a time.

The Han family posted red notices on their four stores, listing them for sale at fifty taels a stall.

Shen Qing pulled Xiao Wanling over. “The Han shops are quite spacious. We already paid two years’ rent. I’ll buy one, hire a clerk so you won’t have to get up so early anymore.”

Xiao Wanling wanted to buy, but she also wanted to haggle. No one else would buy these shops right now. And the Han family, having suffered losses here, would surely clash with the Zhang family in Jin City.

She thought of the soybeans the farm supervisor had sent. No one dared eat what was made in the kitchen. And now that the men were back, they weren’t eating there anymore.

Those plump soybeans were perfect for tofu pudding. If soaked and ground into soy milk, then filtered and cooked, it yielded silky, smooth tofu pudding.

Drizzled with syrup, it was soft and sweet. Or topped with savory sauce—fried scallions, garlic, wood ear, shiitake mushrooms, and thickened with starch.

Lines formed again at the teahouse, everyone wanting to try the silky tofu pudding.

Among the crowd, a sneaky-looking man whispered to the person ahead, “Did you hear? Someone said arsenic was put in the beans.”

When they heard about arsenic, the crowd went crazy! They looked at the young woman in the teahouse in fear and confusion.