Chapter 21 Wrong Letter

Song Luoning slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the oil paper package on the table, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

"For me?" Why is that?

Was she going to the county town not to sell herself? Or was being nice to her just a way to get a better price?

But why does she tend to...?

Song Luoning lowered her eyes, picked up a pastry and put it in her mouth, effectively concealing the turmoil in her eyes. The pastry was soft, sweet and fragrant, and quite exquisitely made, so it must not be cheap.

Why did she...?

Xiao Yu didn't understand why she asked that, and said in surprise, "If I didn't buy it for you, who else would I buy it for? Oh right, Song Luoning, I also bought meat and eggs today. There are still a few mushrooms left from the other day, I'll make you some soup later."

The Last Supper?

Song Luoning pursed her lips, staring at the pastry in her hand without saying a word.

Seeing her lost in thought, Xiao Yu felt a little uneasy and asked uncertainly, "Don't you like it?"

I remember the young lady really liked the mushroom porridge I made last time. Is she feeling unwell again?

Xiao Yu looked worried.

Song Luoning shook her head: "There's nothing I don't like. I like everything my husband makes."

Xiao Yu then asked, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Suppressing the sorrow in her heart, Song Luoning forced a smile and said, "No, husband, don't worry."

"That's good." Xiao Yu stared at her for a while, and seeing that she seemed to be really alright, she was relieved: "Wait a moment, I'll go cook now."

Song Luoning nodded.

Xiao Yu went to the kitchen. She had wanted to make mushroom soup for the young lady before, but unfortunately she didn't have eggs or lean meat. Today she specially bought them. Fortunately, she still had a few mushrooms left, enough for one bowl of soup.

Moreover, Chen Ziyi had promised to take her to the mountains to pick mushrooms when he had time, and they could dry any that they couldn't finish eating and save them for later.

The young lady can eat whenever she wants.

The thought of Song Luoning drinking the mushroom soup he made made Xiao Yu feel inexplicably good.

Is this the joy of feeding?

It seems pretty good. No wonder so many people like to keep pets. Who wouldn't like something fragrant and soft?

Actually, there was something else she wanted to discuss with Song Luoning. Right now, Song Luoning needed treatment, which would definitely cost a lot of money. She didn't have any income for the time being and could only pin her hopes on the earthen huller and the fan. But to make these two tools, she first needed to solve the problem of the courtyard wall.

But she didn't even have enough money to buy medicine for Song Luoning next time.

If... she meant if Song Luoning could lend her some more.

Of course, she didn't necessarily want Song Luoning to lend her the money; she was discussing it with her, since she had spent all her money on Song Luoning.

Shouldn't Song Luoning at least borrow this money?

While pondering, Xiao Yu had already washed the meat she bought with water and chopped some into small cubes. Next, she would stir-fry it in oil. Xiao Yu took a deep breath, put aside the matter of borrowing money, and focused on cooking. She lit a fire, heated the pan, added oil, and stir-fried the meat cubes until fragrant. Then she added mushrooms and water, and after the water boiled, she cracked in an egg. In no time, the fragrant mushroom soup was ready. Finally, she used the egg and flour to make an egg pancake for Song Luoning.

This simple and nutritious meal is now ready.

Xiao Yu smiled and her eyes crinkled.

It seemed that Song Luoning was enjoying the meal even more than if she were eating it herself.

Suddenly startled, Xiao Yu realized she must be going crazy. She thought back on her unusual behavior over the past two days and exhaled a sigh of relief. Although she was certain that she had feelings for Song Luo Ning, it hadn't gone this far, had it?

Why does it seem like I'm obsessed with being in love?

To ask her to change her attitude towards Song Luoning back to what she used to be would be impossible. Xiao Yu felt a surge of irritation. "Forget it, I'll stop thinking about it for now," she thought, shaking her head. She carried the food back to the room, glanced at the young lady, and her heart inexplicably raced. She pursed her lips, the word "wife" stuck in her throat. "Forget it, I'll just call her by her name," she thought.

Xiao Yu cleared his throat: "Song Luoning, come and eat."

Song Luoning didn't say anything, but got up and sat down at the table.

The two ate in silence. Xiao Yu was silent because of his sudden change of feelings for Song Luo Ning, which made him feel awkward. Song Luo Ning, on the other hand, felt that it was better not to mention it.

However, the young lady was quite accommodating today, not only drinking all the mushroom soup but also eating a piece of egg pancake.

This was probably the most I've eaten in a while.

After dinner, it was time to bring up the matter of money with the young lady. Xiao Yu opened her mouth, but found it difficult to speak.

Seeing her like this, Song Luoning's heart skipped a beat, her lips slowly pursed into a straight line, and she lowered her eyes.

Does this mean I should sell myself?

But it's fine, we're even now, and I won't have any more expectations of her.

Song Luoning gave a bitter smile, a resolute glint in her eyes.

Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Song Luoning's eyes gradually hardening, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Song Luoning, look, I paid for the carriage last time, and I also paid for the medicine this time. I'm not asking you for money, but could you lend me another thousand taels? Don't worry, I will definitely pay you back."

As soon as she finished speaking, Song Luoning was taken aback.

You damn lecherous scoundrel!

Did he want to get some more money from me before selling himself?

That makes sense. How much is your own worth if you sell yourself? It's better to squeeze yourself dry before selling yourself.

Song Luoning pinched her fingertips and gave a self-deprecating smile.

She has money, that's true, but why should she have to use it? Song Luoning pursed her lips: "To be honest, husband, I only have three hundred taels left. Why don't you take it first? As for the rest, I'll write a letter to my father and ask him to send someone over. How does that sound?"

I'll pay for the medicine myself.

The scoundrel couldn't refuse outright, so he just dragged it out. Anyway, she didn't know how much money he had, and when the money would arrive was entirely up to her.

That scoundrel won't cheat me out of another penny.

Hearing her say that, Xiao Yu didn't think much of it. Three hundred taels it is. Let's build the courtyard wall first. If all else fails, we can borrow some from my stepmother.

As if afraid she would worry, Xiao Yu smiled reassuringly and assured her repeatedly, "Three hundred taels is fine too. Don't worry, I will definitely pay it back."

Three hundred taels is fine? How dare she even ask that?

Song Luoning remained silent, her eyes filled with gloom. She turned around and took out three one-hundred-tael silver notes from under her pillow, handing them to Xiao Yu.

Her tone was sincere, and she seemed extremely dependent on her: "Luo Ning has handed over all her wealth to her husband."

Hearing this, Xiao Yu felt a warmth in her heart. She hadn't expected Song Luoning to trust her so much. She would treat Song Luoning even better in the future. If she could stay married to Song Luoning forever, it wouldn't be a big deal.

I was being too extreme in the past.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yu's cheeks flushed, and he dared not look Song Luo Ning in the eye. Whenever he met those bright and kind eyes, his heart would pound uncontrollably. He had no way to tell Song Luo Ning these secret thoughts.

Now that he knows that the young lady is quite dependent on him, and there are still some things that haven't been said, he still doesn't know what Song Luoning is thinking. So many days have passed since their wedding, and she should be allowed to go back to bed to sleep.

But why isn't it there?

Why don't you ask?

Xiao Yu felt a little embarrassed to suddenly bring up the topic of sharing a bed. After hesitating for a long time, she didn't open her mouth. After all, she was a girl. What if Song Luoning refused?

After hesitating for a long time, I decided to wait and see.

Love can wait; right now, the most important thing is to make money to support my daughter. Thinking about this makes me feel much happier.

Song Luoning secretly observed her and saw the change in her expression after she received the silver note. Her eyes were icy cold. This was good. It would be best to solve the problem with money, but she couldn't let this lecher know her true colors.

Without thinking any further, she turned and went back to bed.

Seeing Song Luoning return to bed, Xiao Yu instinctively wanted to say something: "Song Luoning, you can't sleep right after eating. How about I tell you another story?"

Song Luoning raised her eyes, nodded after a long while. The story of that lecherous man was indeed novel. Since she couldn't sleep anyway, there was no harm in listening.

Besides, I had already paid for it.

Why won't you listen!

Seeing her nod, Xiao Yu's lips curled up and her peach blossom eyes curved slightly: "Then wait for me a moment, I'll be right there."

As she spoke, she quickly cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, started brewing the medicine, and then returned to the house.

Song Luoning leaned against the bed, her face cold and expressionless, lost in thought.

"Song Luoning".

The girl's cheerful voice rang out, pulling Song Luoning back from her wandering thoughts.

A smile curved her lips as she whispered, "Are you done with your work?"

"Mmm." Xiao Yu moved the stool closer to the bed, instantly closing the distance between them.

Song Luoning frowned, and subconsciously pinched her fingertips to steady herself.

"What story will you tell Luo Ning this time, my husband?" Song Luo Ning asked, her eyes flickering slightly, feigning composure.

What story?

Xiao Yu thought for a moment and decided that it would be better to tell a love story in this situation: "Let's tell a story about a white snake that becomes a spirit and returns to repay a debt of gratitude."

Song Luoning nodded, leaning against the bed curtains. Her tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and her attention was drawn to her story. She listened attentively.

Seeing Xiao Yu stop, he couldn't help but ask, "Did the White Snake end up with that woman?"

Why did this lecherous man stop halfway through his story?

What a bastard!

Xiao Yu stood up, noticing her dissatisfaction, and quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll go get the medicine first, and I'll tell you later."

He turned and opened the door, heading towards the kitchen.

Song Luo Ning's heart skipped a beat, and she pursed her lips tightly.

She returned shortly afterward with the medicine: "Drink your medicine first."

Song Luoning looked at the thick, ink-like medicine and drank it down in one gulp without hesitation, then took a bite of a jujube.

Seeing how well-behaved the young lady was, Xiao Yu felt both tender and heartbroken.

"Can we continue now?" Song Luoning's voice was indifferent, but if you listened closely, you could hear a hint of resentment in it.

Xiao Yu didn't want to make her wait too long like before: "Lie down first, and I'll tell you."

Song Luoning hesitated for a moment, then reached out and lowered the bed curtains, pulled up the quilt and lay down, only her head showing. She looked obedient, but under the quilt, she tightly gripped a hairpin in her hand, like a small animal with a strong sense of vigilance.

Seeing that she was lying down, Xiao Yu continued to finish the story.

The little beast on the bed had already succumbed to sleepiness and fallen asleep.

......

The people who helped build the courtyard wall were the village head's helpers. Early in the morning, Xiao Yu went to the village head's house and borrowed an oxcart. The bricks for building the courtyard wall had to be picked up from a brick kiln far away. Considering that the oxcart could not bring back many bricks at a time, Xiao Yu asked Chen Ziyi to help borrow a few more oxcarts in the village and settled the payment with them according to their wages.

The news that Xiao Yu wanted to build a wall around her courtyard quickly spread throughout the village, especially the truckloads of blue bricks. In the village, who would be willing to use blue bricks to build a wall around their courtyard? Even their houses were made of stone and yellow mud. The mud house that Xiao Yu was living in was very likely to collapse when it rained heavily.

"Look at these blue bricks, she really spared no expense."

"Who says otherwise? Who knows where she got the money?"

"Look, isn't that Chen Ergou? How could Xiao Yu possibly change for the better? She's still hanging out with Chen Ergou. Yesterday I heard that Chen Ergou was cornered at home by people from the casino. The screams he made were awful."

Chen Ergou walked up to the group of people, spat, and cursed as he walked toward the open space where the blue bricks were piled up. When he saw the blue bricks, his eyes, like those of a venomous snake, revealed a greedy glint.

He never expected Xiao Yu to be so rich. How much money must all those bricks have cost? He needs to find a way to get Xiao Yu to pay off his debts.

Perhaps we can gain some more benefits.

A calculating glint flashed in his eyes as he thought about it.

Xiao Yu led the oxcart team back four or five times in total, and the oxcarts were neatly stacked together, forming a small mountain.

I bought some more lime.

Xiao Yu paid each person thirty coins, and with the purchase of blue bricks and lime, the total cost was thirty-two taels of silver. Originally, he thought that he would just get a courtyard, but after thinking about it carefully, he decided to build another room. The original owner's small mud house was so dilapidated that it was no exaggeration to say that it was a dangerous building.

Building a house was just a side project for safety reasons.

Besides, the young lady's body can't stay in that kind of environment forever.

So I bought more blue bricks than I expected.

"Xiao Yu, these blue bricks must have cost a lot of money, right?"

A sudden sound interrupted Xiao Yu's thoughts. Turning around, she saw Chen Ergou looking at her lewdly.

Why is he here again?

Xiao Yu's eyes showed displeasure. She thought that Chen Ergou hadn't come to see her for a long time since the last incident, but she didn't expect him to appear again.

Since they've already broken off all pretense, there's no need to pretend anymore. She's not the original owner of this body, so she won't fool around with him.

Xiao Yu didn't stand on ceremony with him, not even bothering to be polite: "What are you doing here?"

If you're polite to this kind of person, they'll take it personally.

Furthermore, her physical condition has improved significantly after these days of training, so she is not afraid of him even if a fight breaks out.

Upon hearing Xiao Yu's tone, Chen Ergou immediately became displeased. He was willing to play along with Xiao Yu, which was a courtesy to her, but he didn't expect her to be so insensible. He would deal with her after he got his hands on her money.

Suppressing his displeasure, Chen Ergou said in a flattering tone, "What are you saying? Of course I'm here to help my brother build a house."

snort!

He had just seen Xiao Yu give money to those people, and the thought of that money made his heart ache. If he had taken that money, he could have gambled away several rounds.

But it doesn't matter. If I can appease Xiao Yu first, maybe all the money in her hands will be mine. Thinking of this, I smiled ingratiatingly again.

Xiao Yu frowned. She really didn't expect Chen Ergou to be so shameless. Even after they had broken off all pretense of brotherhood, he could still act as if nothing had happened and call himself a brother.

The original owner fell for this, but she didn't.

"Alright, stop pretending. My mother only gave birth to me, I don't have any brothers."

"You..." Chen Ergou was speechless, looking at Xiao Yu with resentment and gritting his teeth: "Xiao Yu, I'm doing you a favor by asking you to hang out. If you continue like this, don't even think about me taking you out to hang out in the future."

Heh~

Could you change your reason? Does he think he can threaten me like this? Not playing along suits me perfectly.

"I couldn't be happier. Don't bother me while I'm working unless you have something else to say," Xiao Yu said bluntly.

What's wrong with you? What's wrong with Xiao Yu? I've ignored him for so long, why is he still like this?

Chen Ergou was still not giving up: "Xiao Yu, if you apologize to me now, maybe I'll take you with me next time we go out."

Xiao Yu raised her eyes and looked at him coldly. Did this person not understand human language?

Is this all you're going to use to blackmail yourself?

She's not the original owner of this body; only someone with a brain full of water would associate with someone like that.

Wouldn't it be better to spend that time making money?

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Xiao Yu, Chen Ergou was unwilling to give up and said angrily, "Xiao Yu, you'll regret this later."

Xiao Yu couldn't help but roll her eyes. Regret?

Are you kidding me?

Unwilling to waste any more time with him, Xiao Yu walked past him and began counting the number of bricks. She needed to make sure there were enough materials before starting work.

At this moment, Chen Ziyi arrived with several people, and Chen Ergou left sheepishly.

"What's he doing here?" Chen Ziyi frowned.

Xiao Yu shrugged: "I don't know."

Chen Ziyi: "You're not going to hang out with him again, are you?"

Xiao Yu was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing: "What are you talking about? I'm not stupid."

Isn't he an idiot?

Chen Ziyi didn't speak, but frowned and stared at her, as if trying to see through her true thoughts.

After a long pause, he stammered, "That would be best, considering how difficult it has been for your mother and Xiaoyu all these years."

"Don't worry, I won't hang out with those kinds of people anymore. I've turned over a new leaf," Xiao Yu said.

The original owner of this body has caused a lot of harm. The one who must have suffered the most over the years is probably the stepmother. If she wasn't so disappointed, why would she have kicked the original owner out and then secretly sent her food?