Ling Jingren slowly regained consciousness.
Outside, he could hear the sounds of a maid sweeping the courtyard, accompanied by occasional shouts that seemed completely out of place.
The plump Concubine Guan was actually practicing martial arts.
He remembered the miraculous pill she had fed him.
Its taste was unlike any medicine he had ever taken. The pill seemed to have been sealed in wax, and she hadn’t crushed it beforehand. She had simply stuffed it directly into his mouth.
Yet its effects had been remarkable.
It had relieved pain and reduced fever with astonishing speed.
Even the finest imperial medicines in the palace weren’t this effective.
His wounds no longer hurt as much, and his fever had subsided.
Could there be a hidden miracle doctor living in this tiny county of Quqing?
If more of these miraculous medicines existed, they would be invaluable on the battlefield.
Slipping a hand inside his clothing, Ling Jingren checked the account ledger hidden against his chest.
It was still there.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Yesterday, he had escaped to the Zhou residence while running on sheer determination. He still didn’t know how long it would take before he could move freely again.
Although he had left behind secret markers, there was no telling whether his guard, Chen Shi, would discover them.
Lost in thought, he saw Guan Xiyue push open the door.
She carried a tray containing steamed buns, plain porridge, and a few simple side dishes.
Today, Guan Xiyue wore an apricot-yellow blouse and a green lily-patterned skirt.
She wore no jewelry at all.
Her long hair was simply gathered into a bun and secured with a single silver hairpin.
Her complexion was fair.
Although the colors she chose were still bright, the overall effect was surprisingly fresh and clean.
Unfortunately, she was simply too overweight.
Any discussion of beauty ended there.
Noticing his gaze lingering on her, Guan Xiyue snorted.
Men were all visual creatures.
Surely this ancient fellow wasn’t going to see past her current clumsy appearance and recognize the clever, sophisticated soul hidden inside.
Walking directly up to him, she placed a hand on his forehead.
“Mmm,” she muttered. “Your immune system is pretty good. The fever’s already gone.”
Then she glanced around the room and casually added,
“It must be inconvenient for you to get to the latrine. I’d better bring a chamber pot.”
Ling Jingren’s face instantly turned bright red.
He coughed several times in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
Guan Xiyue snorted again.
With an amused smile, she said,
“People eat grains. People have bodily needs. These are normal physiological functions. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
A little later, she quietly returned carrying a chamber pot.
Ling Jingren didn’t know where to look.
What a shameless woman!
And yet…
He desperately needed that humiliating chamber pot.
After wandering around the courtyard for a while and enjoying the sunshine, Guan Xiyue found herself growing even hungrier.
She instructed Xiaoyun,
“Go fetch some more food.”
Xiaoyun curled her lip.
“Concubine Guan, everyone has a fixed allowance. This is the standard meal for a concubine. Going back to the main kitchen won’t help.”
Guan Xiyue sneered.
“Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been skimming off the meat dishes. The past few days I was recovering and didn’t mind eating lightly. Now I’m feeling much better.”
“I want meat.”
Xiaoyun wasn’t intimidated.
“If you don’t believe me, go ask the kitchen yourself.”
Inside the storage room, Ling Jingren listened to the exchange and shook his head inwardly.
A concubine arguing with her maid over food…
Clearly, her life wasn’t easy.
She probably wasn’t favored by her husband either.
Come to think of it, he had never once seen her husband visit this courtyard.
Guan Xiyue couldn’t be bothered to argue.
As someone whose soul came from the twenty-first century, she still believed in equality at heart.
She didn’t view servants as inferior beings.
To her, they were simply coworkers.
Still, this chubby body was suffering.
Being hungry felt awful.
Especially since she had already given more than half of her food to the wounded soldier hidden in the storage room.
At the moment, she felt hungry enough to see green.
Although she desperately needed to lose weight, there was no need to rush it.
So Guan Xiyue headed toward the main kitchen herself.
Along the way, she took the opportunity to stroll through the estate.
Housing prices certainly weren’t as outrageous as they had been in her previous life.
Besides, this was merely a county town, and the Zhou family was wealthy.
Their estate occupied a substantial area.
Estimating the distance, she figured that walking around the entire property would amount to two or three li.
The small courtyard where she lived was shabby, but the garden itself was quite elegant.
Towering pines and cypresses stood lush and green.
The lawns were soft and verdant.
Various flowers bloomed in the flowerbeds. Though none were particularly rare, they flourished beautifully and possessed their own charm.
A stream of clear water wound through the garden.
A curved bridge stretched toward the pond.
Stone pathways led to a massive rock formation resembling a small mountain.
Atop the rocks stood a pavilion, furnished with a stone table and several stone stools.
Pavilions and terraces lined the lakeshore, creating a tranquil and comfortable garden with an understated elegance.
Of course, Guan Xiyue had seen plenty of beautiful scenery in her previous life.
The garden didn’t astonish her.
What felt different was her perspective.
In her former life, a place like this would have been a tourist attraction.
Now, she was expected to become part of the scenery herself.
When she arrived at the main kitchen, several workers were busy at their assigned tasks while chatting among themselves.
Although most of them had never met Concubine Guan in person, her reputation was already legendary.
After all, she was the woman who had boldly thrown herself at the eldest young master.
Her “fearless” image had spread throughout the household.
So when this infamous “ferocious concubine” suddenly appeared, everyone froze.
Was she here to cause trouble?
Yet the woman before them wore a cheerful smile.
Her plump face somehow appeared rather sweet and innocent.
Sweet and innocent?
The kitchen staff felt a chill run through them.
Impossible.
They must be imagining things.
Guan Xiyue casually greeted everyone before getting straight to the point.
“As you can all see, I’ve got a rather large body to support.”
“I’m hungry quickly.”
“So, is there anything available to eat right now?”
The kitchen workers finally reacted and handed her a cornbread bun.
Concubine Guan looked distinctly unimpressed.
“Do you have meat buns?”
Of course there were meat buns.
But those were reserved for the household’s masters.
Concubine Guan was only a concubine.
Being fed at all was already generous.
Besides, her regular meals contained a little meat.
How greedy.
How ungrateful.
That was what everyone was thinking.