The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

Chapter 226

A certain thought entered the minister’s mind, causing the old man’s hand to clench tightly. He couldn’t believe he had been outwitted by a woman. Naturally, Yueqian had anticipated that the old man would eventually figure things out, and she wanted him to cough up blood from anger more than anything.

She had chosen to act against both of them to show that the Governor of Red Earth City and his wife were not to be trifled with easily. From now on, every move they made would have to be more cautious, though it would also become less frequent. She still had the Wang as a formidable barrier, and she also had the members of the Art Institute who were hiding here.

Even if she had no one, Yueqian was never afraid of these people. If she wanted, she could simply send a message to her master and fellow disciples, and they would be ready to storm the Bai Region with her, turning the place into a poisoned wasteland. Just thinking about it was amusing.

"Qian’er, stay in the study and behave yourself today. Don’t cause any trouble, understand?" The young man, who had the dual role of husband and future father, said worriedly. He feared his little wife might create another complication, and it truly concerned him.

Even though she was not yet pregnant, he constantly worried about her. Now that she was pregnant, her body had become much weaker due to the energy being diverted to their unborn child. It was only natural for his concern to deepen.

He truly wanted to stay at his wife’s residence, but with Gui Zhong and others waiting at the pavilion, there was much work to be discussed today. The plans for agriculture needed to be ensured that Red Earth City could manage on its own, without the need to expand the cultivation of the Ming Fa flower elsewhere. There was also the matter of securing fair exchanges that Red Earth City deserved. Today would be a day to discuss the rewards for their past hardships.

"Understood," Yueqian replied, not wanting her husband to worry too much. Mu Heng looked at her once more and nodded, satisfied that his wife was being obedient. He then turned to the six newly purchased maids tasked specifically with caring for her and gave them further instructions.

"Do not let my furen overwork herself. Ensure she gets plenty of rest."

"Understood, Master," the female servants responded obediently. They were recently purchased to assist his wife with her tasks.

Whether it was the skilled embroiderer "Geng Zhi," a small but highly capable young girl, she could sew quickly. Although her work wasn’t particularly ornate, it was efficient, making the clothes they wore presentable. Her role was primarily to handle repairs.

Another was skilled in cooking. She typically worked in the kitchen but would attend to the mistress of the residence when not cooking. Since Mu Heng and Yueqian weren’t picky about their food and could eat the same meals as the servants, there was no need for multiple preparations, except for the nourishing dishes brewed for the mistress every meal, which didn’t take long. This task was handled by "Yang Ji," with assistance from "Fan Yu," who was competent enough. One was a strict middle-aged woman, and the other was her niece whom she met at the slave market, thus she was asked to come and serve her.

Next was a woman experienced in being a wet nurse. She had previously worked for an old noble house, but two years ago, the household was arrested for smuggling, leading many to be sold into slavery, including this wet nurse. She was knowledgeable about caring for pregnant women and had extensive experience.

In truth, Yueqian didn’t really need her, as she had all the tools to assist herself, from supplements to medical equipment for health monitoring and weight management, which she could obtain from the department store.

Nonetheless, she accepted her for Mu Heng’s peace of mind and because it would be useful to have someone to help raise the child in the future. Therefore, "Wan Gui" was hired for this reason.

Another woman, slender in build, was literate and capable of reading and writing, aiding Yueqian with budget management or assisting Mu Heng with gathering information. She was assigned to oversee their study. Of course, Yueqian’s own writings, stored in her personal dimension, weren’t part of this woman’s duties, keeping the other party from discovering this secret.

Although this literate woman was quite obedient, Yueqian wasn’t entirely satisfied with her. Unfortunately, she was the only one at the slave market who had the ability to read and write. Until a better candidate could be found, she planned to assign her to other tasks away from herself or her husband.

The young lady was named "Ji Fei." Though she spoke sweetly, her words were often laced with lies. She was once the daughter of a concubine, but after committing the offense of beating the family’s eldest young miss, she was stripped of her family name. When she was sold, it was clearly stated that she had no surname, only retaining the name "Ji Fei."

She was secretive and untrustworthy. If she were truly sincere, she should have revealed her background to the master who bought her. It was fortunate that both Yueqian and her husband agreed that they needed to find a replacement for her in the future.

The last person was the youngest, with relatively good but slightly dark skin, reportedly because her father was from a nomadic tribe. Her family was impoverished, but since she was the most capable in the household, she sold herself to earn more money, demonstrating her great filial piety.

Her name was "Rui Beng." Though not very prim and proper, she was honest and forthright, speaking her mind with enthusiasm. Initially, they hadn’t intended to bring her in, but Yueqian felt an instant liking for her when she saw her. So, she took the other party into the manor.

Fortunately, Rui Beng was skilled at cleaning. The young girl’s agility allowed her to finish the morning chores quickly. Therefore, most of the work was done by Rui Beng, who was like a close servant.

After giving his orders, Mu Heng swiftly turned to leave and get his work done, evident from his quick pace. Normally, Mu Heng was meticulous and slow in his actions, quite unlike his current state.

Yueqian shook her head at her husband’s anxiousness. She lifted the pumpkin juice prepared by Yang Ji and took a sip. The warm pumpkin juice had calcium added to strengthen the baby. If the capital had an abundance of small fish, she wouldn’t need such supplements. Unfortunately, small fish were hard to find. At most, they could find fish that were bigger than a palm.

In these difficult times, with people fearful of diseases, no one dared to interact much with outsiders, making it hard to bring in goods for sale. Items that were already scarce in the capital had become even rarer.

"Miss, would you like to start calligraphy now?" Rui Beng asked. If the mistress wanted to begin her work, she would quickly fetch the necessary supplies.

"Hmm, yes," Yueqian nodded, not letting Rui Beng leave first. Ji Fei, who had been waiting for the opportunity, quickly volunteered.

"In that case, I’ll go get the supplies," Ji Fei offered immediately. Yueqian said nothing and merely nodded, allowing the maid to leave quickly, leaving the simple-minded Rui Beng standing there awkwardly.

Once Ji Fei was gone, Yueqian immediately took out her own supplies from a box. Rui Beng’s eyes were filled with slight surprise, as were the others’. They couldn’t recall the mistress having kept supplies in there. What puzzled them more was why... if the mistress had the supplies, she had sent Ji Fei to fetch items from the study.

"Um, Miss, should I call Ji Fei back then?" Rui Beng asked, confused.

Yueqian smiled slightly and waved her hand dismissively, hiding her mocking expression.

"It’s alright. Come help me grind the ink. Oh, Geng Zhi, I have a task for you too." Yueqian handed the ink tray and inkstone to Rui Beng, positioning her a bit further away so she couldn’t see what Yueqian was writing. The ink in her tray was already plentiful, and the extra ink Rui Beng ground would be stored in a bottle for future use.

Geng Zhi, upon being called, quickly approached her mistress. Yueqian handed her a fabric pattern. It was a simple rectangular piece of cloth, not very complicated, making it easy for Geng Zhi to handle.

"Is this a handkerchief?" The maid was slightly surprised, but the pattern and size drawn by the mistress seemed much larger than a typical handkerchief.

"No, it’s a diaper for the baby," Yueqian shook her head.

In this era, diapers weren’t used. Babies were usually wrapped in thick cloth all day and night, which could be uncomfortable. So, Yueqian planned to use diapers for her baby. When it wasn’t too cold, she wouldn’t wrap them too tightly. Besides, diapers were easier to clean.

"A diaper?" Geng Zhi was surprised. However, as the mistress didn’t offer further explanation, she could only accept the task and go to buy the cloth as instructed. The quantity requested was quite large, so completing the task quickly would be very helpful.

After Yueqian had given Geng Zhi her orders, she paid no further attention to the others. They had their own tasks to attend to. Yang Ji would soon need to prepare lunch and make nourishing food for her, with the help of Fan Yu. Wan Gui assisted Rui Beng and occasionally tried to teach Yueqian to prepare her for when the child was born.

The five of them, including Yueqian, sat for a while. They began to feel puzzled. Clearly, the mistress had already copied three pages. Although she was known for her speed in calligraphy, it was unusual that Ji Fei, who had been sent to fetch the calligraphy supplies, had not yet returned, right?

What was going on? Had the mistress given Ji Fei another task? That seemed unlikely since everyone had been present. Initially, Rui Beng was supposed to fetch the supplies. Did this mean that Ji Fei had been gone for such a long time just to fetch the calligraphy supplies?

"Miss, where has Ji Fei gone? She’s much better at grinding ink than I am, but why did she disappear like this? If she were here, the ink stick would have been ground more efficiently," The young girl, Rui Beng, who couldn’t sit still for long, complained while grinding ink, a task usually handled by Ji Fei.

"Miss, should I go find her?" Wan Gui felt a bit uneasy as well and could only hope that nothing would go wrong as she feared.

Having worked in a noble household for a long time, Wan Gui was well-acquainted with the malicious schemes of women vying for power. Although she was just a wet nurse, she had raised numerous children, encountering various misses, each with different temperaments. Her experience had sharpened her instincts.

The former eldest young miss, who kept her family name a secret, had an air of simple arrogance and came from a concubine. She must have learned quite a bit of mischief.

Even so, as a bought wet nurse, and with the mistress being so generous, this small manor was more peaceful than anything she had ever experienced. Therefore, she fully supported the mistress and did not want the household to suffer the same tragedies as others. Given that the master was earnest and loved the mistress deeply, she hoped nothing untoward would happen.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!