Niu Shi listened to Jiang Xiu’s words and immediately understood her thoughts.
She smiled and gently patted Jiang Xiu’s shoulder. “You don’t know if you’re a disaster star, but in the past couple of years, people in the village have been talking about it. At first, everyone thought highly of him. After all, it’s not easy to pass the exam and become a scholar at sixteen. Look at your third uncle!”
Niu Shi cast a nervous glance towards the door, hoping her mother-in-law wouldn’t overhear.
“If you like him, I don’t see why it would be a problem. Your grandfather hasn’t objected to him staying at home to recover, so it seems fine.”
Jiang Xiu’s face turned even redder, and she hurriedly denied it. “Mother, I don’t like him! Don’t say nonsense.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything,” Niu Shi reassured with a laugh. “But if you really like him, you could find more chances to interact with him.”
“But if Sister finds out…” Jiang Xiu thought of how someone so handsome could become Jiang Ning’s husband, and the anger surged in her heart.
“Don’t worry, your father told me that your grandfather can’t stand that brat anymore. He’ll sell her off soon. Then, you’ll be the one to replace her as the scholar’s wife.”
When Jiang Xiu heard Niu Shi’s words, she felt both shy and expectant.
She had been jealous of Jiang Ning for having a fiancé like Zhuang Yunqing. If she could marry Lu Xiucai, she would eventually become the wife of an official.
After dinner, Niu Shi made a bowl of meat porridge and asked Jiang Xiu to deliver it to Lu Huai’an. Jiang Xiu took the porridge with a nervous excitement, carefully holding it as she feared it would spill.
When she arrived at Lu Huai’an’s room, she gently pushed the door open. Lu Huai’an, hearing the noise, thought it was Jiang Ning returning.
But when he looked up, he saw Jiang Xiu walking in with the bowl, a shy and delicate smile on her fair round face. His expression immediately turned cold.
Seeing Lu Huai’an’s suddenly cold expression, Jiang Xiu’s heart tightened.
She lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes, and softly said, “Mother asked me to bring you some meat porridge. She said you’re injured and need to replenish your energy.”
“Just put it here,” Lu Huai’an said with a detached tone.
Jiang Xiu wanted to say that she could feed him, but before she could, she heard Jiang Ning’s voice coming from outside the window.
“What are you doing?”
Jiang Xiu was startled. She didn’t expect Jiang Ning to return so quickly, and she was annoyed that Jiang Ning had spoiled her plans.
Though upset, Jiang Xiu didn’t want to show it in front of Lu Huai’an.
She quickly masked her emotions and said obediently, “I-I brought porridge for Lu Xiucai.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Ning walked into the room. Her eyes scanned between Jiang Xiu and Lu Huai’an.
“Alright, put it on the table. You can leave now.” With that expression, anyone could see what was going on, Jiang Ning sneered.
Jiang Xiu carefully placed the bowl on the table. She noticed that Jiang Ning was holding a bundle of medicinal herbs and quickly said, “Sister, did you buy the medicine? I’ll help you brew it.”
Jiang Ning refused. “No need. I’ll brew it myself later.”
Perhaps due to her experience with palace dramas, Jiang Ning had become very sensitive to medicine since arriving here. Even though she was tired, she insisted on brewing it herself. She didn’t trust the Jiang family.
Moreover, she planned to use spiritual spring water to brew the medicine, as she wanted to heal Lu Huai’an as quickly as possible. They had enemies lurking, and without a healthy body, they couldn’t deal with them effectively.
Jiang Xiu’s hand froze awkwardly in mid-air, and there was a flash of resentment in her eyes.
She withdrew her hand, tried to remain calm, and said in a pitiful tone, “Yes, Sister. If you need any help, just let me know.”
Jiang Xiu turned to leave, unwilling to look at Lu Huai’an. She noticed he had ignored her and left feeling frustrated.
After Jiang Xiu left, Jiang Ning turned to Lu Huai’an, who was staring at her. She asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Huai’an didn’t speak, only shaking his head.
Jiang Ning went over to support him, helping him lean against the bed. She then took the porridge and handed it to him. “Eat. They shouldn’t have poisoned it.”
Lu Huai’an took the bowl, but before drinking the porridge, he suddenly said coldly, “I don’t like seeing that woman.”
His voice was icy, with an unmistakable tone of disgust.
Jiang Ning was somewhat surprised by his reaction but smiled. “What’s wrong? Someone’s serving you and you’re not happy?”
“Hmm, seeing her makes me want to kill her,” Lu Huai’an thought to himself, remembering how he poisoned Xue Qingling in his previous life.
“Geez, who would have thought you, a frail scholar, would have so much murderous intent? Alright, hurry up and finish your porridge. I still need to brew medicine for you.”
Seeing she didn’t take him seriously, Lu Huai’an glared at her and gritted his teeth. “Didn’t you say I’m yours? If you let her take advantage of me, won’t you be the one at a loss?”
Jiang Ning glanced at him. Since he had already said that, it was clear he really disliked Jiang Xiu. She nodded. “Hmm, you’re right.”
Jiang Ning decided she would warn Jiang Xiu not to enter Lu Huai’an’s room again.
Once she knew Jiang Xiu had understood, Lu Huai’an finished the porridge. Afterward, he placed the bowl on the table and turned away from Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning didn’t get angry. She cleaned up the bowls and went to the kitchen to brew medicine.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xiu, who had been told not to approach Lu Huai’an anymore, was inside her room angrily throwing things.
Her heart was full of fury. She couldn’t understand why Lu Xiucai had such a strong prejudice against her. It must have been Jiang Ning’s doing. No matter what, she was determined to find an opportunity to change Lu Xiucai’s opinion of her.
Jiang Ning didn’t care whether Jiang Xiu was angry or not. The man she worked so hard to bring back was not someone for Jiang Xiu to benefit from.
After making food and brewing medicine for herself, she watched Lu Huai’an finish his medicine.
Jiang Ning also arranged for Jiang Dashan to stay on the couch in the outer room to take care of Lu Huai’an’s needs.
Everyone needed to eat, drink, and take care of bodily functions. She could handle the food and drink, but for the other needs, Jiang Dashan would have to step in.
With so much labor in the house, it couldn’t be wasted.
She had to make use of everyone.
Jiang Dashan, who had many thoughts in his mind, was also thinking about his wife’s plans. Perhaps he could even become the father-in-law of an official.
He would be even more willing to serve Lu Huai’an.
After settling Lu Huai’an, Jiang Ning went to the wood shed to fetch a hoe and returned to the hut.
She locked the door and entered the space to till the land.
Jiang Ning had never farmed before, but she roughly knew she needed to loosen the soil first. The soil in the spiritual fields and medicinal fields was soft, so she didn’t have to work too hard to prepare the land.
There weren’t many seeds, so she dug small holes in the tilled earth. Then, she placed different seeds in the holes and covered them with a layer of soil.
Using a basin, she collected spiritual spring water and watered the field.
After finishing the planting, she was covered in sweat, so she went to the bathhouse to wash up and change into clean clothes. She was eager to make some new clothes because she really didn’t want to keep wearing ragged ones.
Back in the space, she checked the wound on her forehead in the mirror. Though it was large, it wasn’t deep, and the scab wasn’t itchy.
She wasn’t sure if it was thanks to the spiritual spring water, but it felt much better, and she didn’t need to bandage it anymore.