Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 4

The old man stroked his beard. Although he was only half-convinced by Yu Qizhe’s words, he still held great hope that the boy could sit for the imperial exams again and bring honor to the Yu family. After a moment of hesitation, he finally said, “Since Wulang says so, we’ll leave it to fate.”

The third branch couple looked visibly displeased and were about to speak when the old man added, “None of you are allowed to treat that troublemaker from the Meng family. If she pulls through, then it’s fate on her side. Also, our family’s food isn’t even enough for ourselves right now. Anyone who dares give her food will go hungry instead.”

As he said this last part, he gave Madam Song a pointed look.

The old madam had been a bit unhappy too, but upon hearing that no one was to treat Meng Yujiao, her expression softened slightly.

Yu Hanshan, the third son, had lashed out in anger. When he beat her with the cane, he didn’t hold back. Even an average man would’ve been half-dead from it, let alone a woman like Meng Yujiao, who had coughed up blood just last night. If she wasn’t treated soon, she definitely wouldn’t survive.

The matter was settled for now.

Madam Song hadn’t expected her own son to stand up for Meng girl, and the old man had actually listened. It was clear that her father-in-law still cared deeply for Qizhe.

She went with Madam Zhang from the main household to wash dishes in the kitchen. When she saw Yu Qizhe return to his room, she whispered, “Take the food from our room to Meng girl.”

Yu Qizhe didn’t respond. Madam Song assumed he was unwilling, so she planned to bring it herself after finishing the cleanup.

While scrubbing a pot, she happened to glance out the small window and saw her son walking out of the east room with a bowl in hand. She smiled to herself. Her son might have a cold face, but his heart is kind.

The courtyard was empty as Yu Qizhe made his way to the small shack. He pushed open the wooden door with a creak. Inside, Yu Jiao lay on the straw, eyes shut, appearing to be in a deep sleep. Her delicate face looked peaceful, though her willow shaped brows were slightly furrowed.

Without a word, Yu Qizhe placed the bowl of food on the floor next to her, then picked up an empty water bowl and returned to the east room.

Yu Mengshan looked surprised when he saw the empty bowl. “The Meng girl finished it that quickly?”

“No,” Yu Qizhe replied curtly.

He filled the bowl with warm water and returned to the shack. This time, the sound of the door woke Yu Jiao. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Yu Qizhe paused for a brief moment, avoiding her clear, watery gaze. He squatted down, placed the ceramic bowl within her reach, and stood to leave.

Yu Jiao, still aching all over, called out, “What dynasty is this?”

Yu Qizhe halted and looked back at her, surprise flickering in his peach blossom eyes. Propping herself up with one hand, she forced herself into a half-sitting position, wincing at the pain in her chest. She asked again, “What dynasty is this? Who… am I?”

His gaze darkened. After a pause, he replied, “Taiyan. You… are Meng Yujiao.”

Upon hearing that, Yu Jiao clenched her fingers tightly around the edge of her robe. After a long, deep breath and some silence, she asked, “You’re Yu Qizhe, Fifth grandson of the Yu family? And I married you for the purpose of warding off bad luck?”

Yu Qizhe had originally assumed the beating had damaged her mind, but hearing her clearly mention “married to ward off bad luck,” his face flushed, ears turning red. Anger flared in his eyes as he snapped, “If you knew, then you should’ve had the decency not to do something so shameless!”

With that, he turned sharply, slammed the wooden door shut, and strode away. Yu Jiao, still half-sitting against the muddy wall, groaned internally.

Damn it. Heaven really was screwing with me.

When she was half-asleep earlier, she had a strange dream. In it, she was also called Yujiao, surname Meng. She was a bride bought by the Yu family to ward off misfortune for the sickly son of the second household.

But clearly, that wasn’t a dream. It was a memory from the body she now inhabited.

She had thought she was just dreaming weirdly, but no, she had died. Dead as could be. Now her soul is stuck in the body of a woman from some dynasty with no historical records, and they just happened to have the similar  sounding name.

This realization gave her a massive headache. The original Meng Yujiao had left her with a royal mess.

The original owner knew the second household’s son was sickly and likely to die soon. So, encouraged by someone in the Yu family, she set her sights on the most promising young man in the family, Yu Jinyan. The youngest son of the third household, the fourth grandson. 

While he was home from the academy, she took off her clothes and climbed into his bed. But… Yu Jinyan turned out to be a modern-day Liu Xiahui. The moment he saw her lying naked in his bed, he turned and left, then immediately told the family.

Panicked, Meng Yujiao ran out of the Yu residence. Afraid that the scandal would hurt Yu Jinyan’s reputation, the family chased after her. She fell at the foot of the mountain, broke a rib, and was dragged back.

Yu Jinyan’s father, Yu Hanshan, was furious. He beat Meng Yujiao nearly to death with a cane and locked her in this shabby little room. She must’ve died shortly after and that’s when her soul arrived.

Now remembering how she had flirted with Yu Qizhe right after waking up, Yujiao felt her headache worsen.

In Meng Yujiao’s memories, Yu Qizhe was a serious, stiff, and proper man. He was like a flower on a high mountain, cold, distant, and proud. He never even let Meng Yujiao step into his room. In all her time at the Yu household, they’d exchanged fewer than ten words.

Yet here she was, right after the original Yujiao had thrown herself at Yu Jinyan, taking over her body and shamelessly flirting with Yu Qizhe. She’d probably just sealed the “promiscuous woman” label in his mind forever.

Still, Yujiao didn’t let herself feel ashamed for long. Her legs had been severely beaten. If left untreated, the wounds could easily become infected in this heat. If that happened, she might lose them altogether.

Unfortunately, she was locked up in this rundown shack. Even with all her medical knowledge, she couldn’t treat herself without tools.

She picked up the bowl of rice that Yu Qizhe had brought. Though she had little appetite, she made herself eat. At least she was the type who could adapt quickly, no point in panicking now.

Back in the east room, after Madam Song finished cleaning the dishes, she returned to find Yu Qizhe already sitting at his desk reading. She hesitated a bit before asking, “Qizhe… are you really feeling better?”

Without looking up, he replied flatly, “No, I lied to Grandfather.”

Though she had suspected as much, she still couldn’t help holding on to a sliver of hope.

Hiding her disappointment, she forced a calm smile and said, “Go check if Meng girl has finished eating. Bring the bowl back before someone sees it.”