In the novel, the female lead wasn’t supposed to cross paths with the vicious supporting female character for quite some time. Unexpectedly, they met this soon.
Xu Mingzhu remembered that during their first encounter in the original story, the original host had clung possessively to Song Ci’s arm and publicly announced that she was carrying his child, all to assert her claim over him. And thus began the second step on her path to self-destruction.
If she kept playing the vicious supporting character, now would be the time to steal the male lead and make life difficult for the heroine at every turn.
Tsk. As if she would.
Sure, the male lead was handsome. He possessed the refined elegance of a man painted in thin-gold script, with the upright bearing of pine and bamboo, carrying a faint scent of ink wherever he went. No wonder he was the novel’s undisputed visual standout.
But compared to staying alive, none of that mattered. Cherish life. Stay away from the main characters.
Besides, she and Song Ci would soon separate anyway. The heroine didn’t need to know she was his soon-to-be ex-wife. By introducing herself as his cousin, she shouldn’t offend either the hero or the heroine.
Song Ci stared at the speaker before him, his brows knitting slightly.
Seeing that Xu Mingzhu was supposedly Song Ci’s cousin, Wen Yining quickly asked, “A Ci, how come you’ve never mentioned that you had a cousin?”
Without looking at Song Ci, Xu Mingzhu forced herself to continue. “You must be Divine Physician Wen. I’m Xu Mingzhu, Song Ci’s cousin. I’ve heard my cousin mention you before. He said you’re not only beautiful, but your medical skills are exceptional as well. We’ve wanted to meet you for a long time.”
As she spoke, she shot Song Ci a meaningful glance. Unless he’s an idiot, he should know I’m helping him.
Wen Yining’s cheeks immediately reddened. Song Ci had mentioned her to his relatives?
“Mingzhu, since you’re A Ci’s cousin, that makes you my cousin too. I noticed you were moving your arm just now. Were you injured?”
Xu Mingzhu rotated her arm and feigned ease. “It’s just a minor injury. I’m fine. We still have things to take care of at home, so we’ll be leaving first.”
Seeing that the moment was right, Xu Mingzhu knew any further assistance would only backfire. Turning toward Xu Ming’an, she called out, “Second Brother, it’s getting late. Let’s head back.”
“Oh.” Though Xu Ming’an had no idea what his little sister was up to, since she had deliberately concealed their true identities, he played along and pretended not to know either.
After they had gone some distance, Wen Yining watched their retreating figures. “A Ci, your cousin is quite adorable. If she hadn’t reacted so quickly just now, that child could have been in serious danger.”
“Mm.” A complicated look flashed across Song Ci’s face.
That woman had injured herself saving someone, yet she asked for neither compensation nor complaints. Even more strangely, despite usually wanting the whole world to know he was her live-in husband, she hadn’t mentioned it once today. Her eyes were clear and sincere. They had been married for over half a year. He spent most of his time at the academy, and whenever he returned home, they rarely got along. Yet now, Xu Mingzhu didn’t seem nearly as unbearable as the rumors claimed.
“A Ci?”
Hearing Wen Yining call his name, Song Ci lowered his gaze and bowed politely. “Yining, thank you for treating my father’s illness. I’ll pay your medical fee as soon as possible.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. Uncle Song used to live next door to us. I practically grew up eating meals at your house. Why are you being so formal with me?”
“That’s a different matter. If you refuse to accept payment, then I won’t ask you to treat my father anymore.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll accept it. But there’s really no rush. Be careful with your eyes when you’re copying books. Otherwise, Uncle and Auntie will worry. They’re getting older now and can’t handle too much emotional stress.”
Once they had left the city, Xu Ming’an finally couldn’t hold back and spoke. “Little Sister, are we really just leaving like this?”
Xu Mingzhu looked at him. “Otherwise? What else are we supposed to do?”
“But that’s your man.”
“He won’t be for much longer.”
“What do you mean?”
As they walked, Xu Mingzhu said, “Second Brother, I liked him, but he doesn’t like me. So I don’t like him anymore. Besides, once I make money, what kind of man won’t I be able to find?”
Xu Ming’an clapped his hands in approval. Those were words he had wanted to say for a long time. The problem was that his little sister had always been too stubborn. Other than Song Ci, she had eyes for no one else. She’d even resorted to having him knock Song Ci unconscious just so they could share a bed. So why had she suddenly come to her senses now?
Seeing the confusion on his face, Xu Mingzhu casually made up an excuse. “It was Father’s words. They made me see things clearly. Anyway, in a few days, I’ll get a divorce.”
“Oh, right. Don’t tell Mother about this yet.”
“Got it.”
When they returned home, Xu Mingzhu set her things down. Mother Xu and Madam Zhou were still out gathering wild vegetables, so neither was home. She took out twenty copper coins and handed them to Xu Ming’an.
“Second Brother, take this.”
Xu Ming’an froze. “Little Sister, why are you giving me money?”
“We harvested the honey together. I should really be giving you more, but the business hasn’t taken off yet, so this is all I can give you for now.”
Xu Ming’an immediately pushed the coins back. “Little Sister, I’m already happy that I can help you. How could I take your money? Besides, business is never easy. People always say that the beginning is the hardest part. You’ll need money for plenty of things, so keep it yourself for now. When you really make it big one day, just remember to help your second brother find a wife.”
Seeing that he insisted, Xu Mingzhu tucked the money back into her pocket. “All right. Then we’ll count this as your investment. Once we start making money, I’ll give you your share. As for a wife, if I come across someone suitable, I’ll definitely help you.”
Xu Ming’an grinned from ear to ear when he heard that. Taking the items out of the basket, he asked, “Little Sister, what do we do now? I’m bursting with energy.”
His enthusiasm rubbed off on Xu Mingzhu.
“Help me start a fire. Let’s use hot water to clean the pig offal first.”
The brother and sister worked in the kitchen all afternoon before finally cleaning everything.
During the hardest years of her previous life, Xu Mingzhu had done everything herself: serving customers, acting as head chef, and washing dishes. Now that she was doing grueling manual labor again, a flood of emotions welled up inside her. If she wanted to carve out a decent life for herself, she simply had to swallow hardships with a smile.
Once the cleaning was finished, Xu Mingzhu rendered the pork fat that had been given to them. Pot after pot of clear, fragrant lard was produced and stored away in jars.
The remaining cracklings were fried until golden and crispy. While still hot, she drizzled honey over them. The sweetness blended with the rich aroma of rendered fat, forming an irresistible scent.
As Mother Xu and Madam Zhou neared home, they caught the strong smell of cooking fat and couldn’t help swallowing repeatedly.
“Whose house is it? Have they stopped caring about saving money? That smells like an awful lot of lard. Just how much fat are they rendering?”
“Probably the village chief’s family,” Madam Zhou said enviously, glancing toward the end of the village. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had eaten meat. Ever since her father passed away, there had been hardly any meat on their table. Xu Mingzhu had managed to eat some a few times, but the rest of them could only watch. If not for Xu Mingzhu, their family’s life probably wouldn’t have fallen to such a miserable state.
Madam Zhou sighed and pushed open the courtyard gate with half a basket of wild greens on her back.
“Eldest Daughter-in-law, don’t you think the smell is getting stronger?”
Madam Zhou sniffed the air. “Now that you mention it, it really is. Even if we can’t eat any, just smelling the aroma of meat is enough to make me happy.”
Just then, Xu Ming’an came running out. “Mother! Sister-in-law! Hurry and wash your hands and come eat! Little Sister made something delicious!”
The two women stared at him for a moment, momentarily stunned.
Madam Zhou spoke first. “Second Brother, didn’t you say you were going to help your elder brother quarry stones? Why are you still at home?”
“Sister-in-law, I’m not going anymore. Little Sister is starting a business, and I’m going to work with her.”