Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“What? You want me to bring you food? No way, absolutely not. What if I get caught?” Jiang Chunlan was tying her clothes when she heard Zhang Qing’s request. She was so frightened that she hurriedly refused. She had become a startled bird, terrified that Han Yu and the people from the Su Family might suspect her. She didn’t dare touch this matter, but since Zhang Qing had approached her, it was not something Jiang Chunlan could simply shirk.”

“No way?” Zhang Qing looked at Jiang Chunlan with a mocking smile, as if to ridicule her naivety.

“You wretched woman, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this predicament. And now you think you can just walk away from it all? Do you think things work that easily in this world? If you’re unwilling, rather than starving to death in the mountain forest, I might as well go find Han Yu right now and let him know what his dear cousin has done. We’ll see if your Cousin will forgive you,” Zhang Qing threatened unabashedly.

In fact, Jiang Chunlan didn’t hold so much sway that she could compel Zhang Qing and the others to do such things. Although they had agreed to do so because they had tasted some benefits from Jiang Chunlan, it was also due to their excessive greed. At this time, however, Zhang Qing was pushing all the responsibility onto Jiang Chunlan.

Jiang Chunlan, with her limited intelligence, couldn’t possibly comprehend all this. She was petrified by Zhang Qing’s threats.

“You, you better not go looking for Fourth Cousin. I’ll bring you food, alright? But I’m staying at the Han Family home right now, and the food I can get is really limited, or else it’ll get discovered,” she said.

“That’s none of my business. That’s your problem. You brought this upon yourself, and now you’re in this state because of me. If you can’t handle it, hmph! Besides, haven’t you saved up some private money? If the Han Family doesn’t have enough, you could use that money to buy some food from the village. Moreover, you’ve taken your fair share from us brothers in the past. Don’t think you can deceive me with those excuses. You can’t afford the consequences!”

It was after hearing Zhang Qing say this that Jiang Chunlan finally gave up and agreed to do as he said. What else could she possibly do?

Zhang Qing didn’t linger once his objective was achieved. He believed that the most dangerous place could also be the safest, which is why he had hidden himself in the nearby mountains instead of fleeing further away. Now, it seemed his decision was right, as some of his fellow bandits who had fled were caught by Han Yu and the people from the Su Family. Even so, he knew he couldn’t stay here for long. If he were spotted by someone familiar, it wouldn’t be good. It was best to return to the mountains for now.

These past few days, with the Han Family’s people bustling about in pursuit of the bandits, nobody paid much attention to Jiang Chunlan. Although Han Yu harbored suspicions against her, none of the captured bandits, for reasons unknown, implicated Jiang Chunlan, leaving him with unresolved suspicions. Despite knowing that the matter was related to Jiang Chunlan, he did not take action against her. Instead, he focused on pursuing Zhang Qing, the main culprit who had injured his daughter-in-law—the ringleader of the bandits. As for Jiang Chunlan, she could be dealt with sooner or later—it was only a matter of time.

While others didn’t notice Jiang Chunlan’s unusual behavior, Mrs. Liu was different. She had always loathed Yang Juxiang and her daughter, and the gossip she had told Su Wenyue had convinced her that something about this incident must be related to Jiang Chunlan. So upon seeing Jiang Chunlan’s sneaky actions, she became even more vigilant.

Han Yu and the people from the Su Family searched for several more days. They had almost turned Xinye City and the nearby towns upside down without finding a trace of anyone. Considering Zhang Qing had fled hastily without taking all his belongings and lacked the means to buy a horse or a horse carriage, he wouldn’t have been able to get far on foot. Yet, despite an extensive search, his whereabouts remained a mystery, which was truly unusual.

Unable to find the man, Han Yu returned and sat quietly for a while to gather his thoughts. He had been too eager for revenge for his daughter-in-law, which caused him to overlook some details. Just then, Mrs. Liu came to report Jiang Chunlan’s recent odd behavior, and Han Yu’s face darkened, his eyes filled with a chilling intent.

“Jiang Chunlan, such an absurd and foolish woman!”

Previously, because of his birth mother, Han Yu did not want to make Mrs. Yang uncomfortable. Although he ignored Jiang Chunlan, he did not take any action against her—it was simply a matter of maintaining a cold attitude. He had been quite tolerant in many ways. Sadly, Su Wenyue’s injury hit Han Yu’s limit, and now, he had no intention of letting Jiang Chunlan off.

As Su Wenyue lay in bed recuperating, strictly following the doctor’s orders with Han Yu supervising, she obediently rested for several days. Once her spirit had recovered and improved, she could not stand lying in bed any longer.

“Miss, the doctor told you to rest quietly in bed, and Uncle specifically instructed this before he left. You promised,” Xiao Xi said.

As soon as Su Wenyue was injured, Su Hengxuan called Xiao Xi back from Zhuangzi to take care of her, while another experienced worker was sent to Zhuangzi in her place. At the moment, Xiao Xi looked helplessly at her mistress, determined to enforce the doctor’s and Uncle’s orders.

“Xiao Xi, your Miss has been lying in bed for several days now, and my bones are almost soft. Please, just let me out for some fresh air,” Su Wenyue pleaded. Although she had only hurt her neck and was fine after the wound healed, the doctor and Han Yu treated her as if she had a severe illness that required her to rest in bed.

Especially Han Yu, who seemed to have been scared by the recent events, stubbornly adhered to the doctor’s orders without compromise. If it weren’t for the need to deal with the criminals, he would be personally watching over Su Wenyue by her bedside. Even though he was busy, he still left strict instructions for Xiao Xi.

Xiao Xi felt guilty for not insisting on accompanying Su Wenyue home that day, which led to Su Wenyue’s misfortune. Although no one blamed her afterward, she was deeply remorseful. This time, she resolutely followed Han Yu’s orders. She wouldn’t budge on his words unless necessary,

Seeing Xiao Xi so determined, Su Wenyue couldn’t help but feel helpless. Whose servant girl was she to follow Han Yu’s commands so meticulously? After all the talking, Su Wenyue had become tired again and fell asleep in a daze.

Xiao Xi, looking at her mistress in this state, was worried. Could the Miss be suffering from some serious illness? Otherwise, why would the doctor insist on these requirements? Moreover, the Miss had looked unwell these past few days, always apathetic as if she hadn’t woken up properly and extremely sleepy. Xiao Xi couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more than just drowsiness; things had to be closely monitored. Later, she would have to inform Uncle and request another doctor’s examination for the Miss.

After all, Xiao Xi was a servant girl who had never been married. Although trained to be capable by the Su Hengyi brothers, she lacked experience in some matters and didn’t consider alternative explanations.

While Su Wenyue slept soundly, turmoil erupted outside. Ever since Mrs. Liu had voiced her suspicions about Jiang Chunlan, Han Yu had kept an eye on her, and he caught Jiang Chunlan secretly delivering food to Zhang Qing. Of course, she couldn’t escape their attention, and Jiang Chunlan was bound along with Zhang Qing and brought back by Han Yu.