The Wife of a Loyal Servant - Chapter 4

“Is everything packed? Time to head out. The sooner we go, the sooner we’ll be back.” Seeing her sitting still, lost in thought, Cheng Shaotang reminded her.

“All packed! Let’s go!” Ling Yu neatly put away the money box. She had just picked up her small bundle when Cheng Shaotang took it from her, and she simply let him. But the moment she stepped outside, she suddenly stopped. Before Cheng Shaotang could even ask, she hurried back inside, dragged over a thin blanket, and pressed it down over the hidden compartment holding the money box.

She stroked her chin, mulled it over, then felt that this was far too obvious—like shouting, “There’s silver hidden here!”* So she moved the blanket aside again, smoothed out the straw mat, checked it left and right, and only when she was certain nothing looked unusual did she finally relax a little.

(*TL’s note: 此地无银三百两 (cǐ dì wú yín sān bǎi liǎng) Meaning: “There are no three hundred taels of silver here.” It’s a folktale about someone hiding silver and accidentally exposing it, but the meaning is that a clumsy attempt to cover something up only reveals it more.)

“I should buy an iron lock in the county and properly lock the box,” she muttered to herself.

Don’t blame her for being so cautious. In her previous life, she’d had her family’s savings stolen not once but twice, leaving her with gut-wrenching regret. Now, no matter where she hid her money, she could never feel truly at ease.

Cheng Shaotang watched her little series of actions, lost in thought.

“Let’s go,” Ling Yu said, not paying him any mind.

The couple stepped out and walked along the village road. The scenery was both familiar and strange. Occasionally, they passed villagers who knew them, and hearing people call her “Shaotang’s wife” or “Shitou’s mother” made her once again clearly realize that all of this was really, truly happening.

To die and live again—this was probably Heaven’s greatest mercy to her.

Cheng Family Village wasn’t far from the county town. With a quick stride, it took less than an hour; by cart, barely half. Only Grumpy Old Lu in the village owned an oxcart. On normal days, he’d wait at the entrance for folks heading into the county town and give them a ride. But today, the couple was unlucky; Grumpy Old Lu had just set off.

Cheng Shaotang, trained in martial arts and having traveled extensively, didn’t consider this distance anything noteworthy. He was simply a little worried about his wife.

Ling Yu, however, still carried the mindset of herself as a woman who had once carried a child while fleeing a disaster, one where she could walk for half a day without resting. A mere stroll like this was nothing in her eyes. Seeing her so indifferent, Cheng Shaotang believed her.

But before half an hour had even passed, Ling Yu was already gasping for breath, her legs heavy as lead. Only then did she realize that the woman who could sprint several streets without panting was her from a previous lifetime, not this body that hadn’t even fully recovered a year after childbirth.

“Get on.”

She wiped the sweat from her brow, hesitating about whether to rest first, when she suddenly noticed Cheng Shaotang half-squatting before her, turning his head to call out to her.

She paused, then realized what he meant, quickly shaking her head. “No need, I can still walk.”

Cheng Shaotang frowned and insisted. “Get on.”

Why was this man so impossibly stubborn? In broad daylight, what would people think if they saw this? Ling Yu was exasperated.

But seeing his determined expression, as if he wouldn’t listen until she got on, left her no choice but to surrender.

Fine, fine. If someone wanted to volunteer as a free human sedan chair, not afraid of being laughed at for carrying his wife on his back, why should she feel embarrassed?

With that thought, her hesitation vanished. She took the bundle from the crook of his arm, then climbed onto his back without further fuss, letting him carry her onward.

This was the first time in her life she’d ever been carried like this. The mountain breeze brushed her face, cool and refreshing, sweeping away the lingering heat.

She gazed at the man beneath her, his footsteps steady and sure, and her eyes drifted into a soft daze.

Regardless of his past life, this man had always treated his family well. Though not a man of many words, he was filial to his mother, affectionate toward his brothers, doting on his son, and considerate to his wife.

Take this moment, for instance—what ordinary man would willingly let a woman weigh down on his back like this? Only he treated it as if it were nothing at all.

A pity he died so young!

She let out a soft sigh.

This broad, sturdy back carried a quiet strength, as though it could shield her from every ill intention and harm in the world. She thought that if he had lived longer in their previous life, someone would have shared her burdens, and perhaps she would not have had to endure so much hardship.

Her arms, looped around his neck, tightened unconsciously. She secretly made up her mind that, even if for no other reason than to make her own life easier, she would find a way to keep this man alive.

The woman’s soft sigh brushed clearly past his ear, making Cheng Shaotang’s brows tighten again. He couldn’t help wondering if he had been gone too long, which made his wife feel distant from him, maybe even a little displeased.

He was never one for chatter. And for Ling Yu, after five years of living like a widow, her husband felt nearly like a stranger. So the two moved along in silence, not exchanging even half a sentence.

After Cheng Shaotang had carried her for several miles, they spotted a carriage pulled over by the roadside. A thin, long-faced middle-aged man was half-squatting in front of it, while a plump woman beside him snapped impatiently, “Still not fixed?”

“Just wait a bit! Damn this useless heap! I should’ve replaced it ages ago!” The man cursed and, in a burst of frustration, gave the carriage another sharp kick.

“Kick, kick, kick! Keep that up and you won’t fix it even by nightfall!” The woman said anxiously.

After resting for so long, Ling Yu felt her strength had returned. And now that there were strangers around, she couldn’t very well keep letting herself be carried. She struggled a bit and whispered, “Put me down. I can walk on my own.”

This time, Cheng Shaotang didn’t argue. He set her down obediently, told her, “Wait here,” and walked toward the pair ahead.

“This brother, is there anything I can help you with?”

Ling Yu wasn’t the least surprised to hear him offer assistance.

That was simply who he was. Or perhaps it was a natural sense of chivalry and righteousness among martial artists. They would lend a hand in anything they could.

She shrugged. 

In his mind, there probably weren’t many things in the world he couldn’t help with.

Her gaze drifted toward the three thin, ragged little girls standing beside the carriage, then toward the plump woman. In an instant, she recognized her identity—a trafficker.

In these unsettled times, news of starvation is everywhere. Many impoverished families, unable to raise their children, have no choice but to sell them for a few coins. Even in Chengjia Village, which fares better than most, selling sons and daughters is not uncommon.

The future of the sold children remains completely uncertain.

Even the future Empress, blessed with extraordinary fortune, had once been sold by her parents to a trafficker. By a twist of fate, she entered Prince Qi’s residence, starting as an ordinary maid and rising step by step: first a concubine, then a secondary consort, later Noble Consort Liu, and finally the Empress herself.

But such staggering luck is not something ordinary people can dream of!

These three little girls must have been bought by the matchmaker from a nearby village.

Thinking of the legendary Empress Liu from her past life, Ling Yu couldn’t help stealing another glance at them. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the tallest girl looked strangely familiar.

She studied the child more closely. Though pale and gaunt, the girl’s eyes were strikingly bright. Her features seemed plain at first, but upon closer inspection, they revealed a quiet, uncommon charm.

She thought that if the little girl were given proper care for a while, she would surely blossom into a beautiful young lady. But right now, she was powerless to change her fate. Her future rested entirely in the hands of others. In times like these, a striking face was hardly a blessing.

Sensing her gaze, the girl looked up. As their eyes met, Ling Yu felt that strange sense of familiarity intensify, and an odd thought flashed through her mind—she shouldn’t look like this.

A beat later, she felt inexplicably confused. A poor family’s daughter shouldn’t look like this… So what should she look like?

Pushing the thought aside, she gave the girl a warm smile. The child seemed startled for a moment before quickly ducking her head.

Ling Yu didn’t understand but didn’t dwell on it. Meanwhile, with Cheng Shaotang lending a hand, the carriage was soon repaired.

“Brother, we really owe you this time!” the thin middle-aged man exclaimed gratefully. Even the matchmaker looked grateful.

“It was nothing, just lending a hand,” Cheng Shaotang said lightly, wiping his palms with the handkerchief Ling Yu offered him.

“This must be your wife? Such a pretty one. You’re a lucky man,” the matchmaker remarked with a grin, having already taken notice of Ling Yu.

With her husband beside her, Ling Yu only needed to act the part of a demure little wife. She pressed her lips together in a shy smile and let Cheng Shaotang handle the small talk.

“Are you two heading to the county as well?” the middle-aged man asked.

“That’s right.”

“Since we’re headed the same way, how about I give you two a ride?”

Ling Yu shot a sideways glance at the not-so-spacious carriage, then at the three silent girls and the plump matchmaker inside, deeply doubting it could hold two more people.

Cheng Shaotang seemed to share that doubt and declined politely.

Seeing his insistence, the pair also realized their shabby little carriage really couldn’t fit anyone else, so they didn’t insist. The three girls climbed aboard one after another, and after the matchmaker and the middle-aged man thanked Cheng Shaotang repeatedly, they finally drove off.

As the carriage rolled farther and farther away, shrinking to a black dot, a spark of realization hit Ling Yu.

Concubine Liu!! No—Her Majesty the Empress!!

That tall girl—wasn’t she the future concubine of Prince Qi and later the Empress herself?!

“In the end, the Liu family really was blessed with luck. They just gave the empress a meal when she was down on her luck, and who would’ve thought it’d bring such enormous fortune!”

The words she’d overheard at the noodle stall in her previous life echoed in her mind, and she smacked her forehead in frustration.

Back then, when she’d gone to Prince Qi’s residence to look for her husband, she’d even seen the future Empress’s face with her own eyes. How had she not realized earlier?! If she had, that ‘meal of kindness’ could’ve been hers!

“What’s wrong?” Cheng Shaotang asked, puzzled by her dramatic distress.

“Nothing. I just suddenly realized I accidentally missed out on a few hundred taels.”