Chapter 38 – Eldest Brother-in-Law

Wen Lan’s casual statement, “My ambitions lie elsewhere,” instantly piqued Xuan Yue’s curiosity.

He very much wanted to know what kind of ability a country girl like her thought she had to make such bold declarations.

“Then where do your ambitions lie?” he asked.

Wen Lan tilted her head. Truthfully, she didn’t really know what her future path looked like, but it probably involved a big city.

“The capital,” she said. The Emperor’s place should count as a big city.

“You?” Xuan Yue let out a cold laugh. “The capital isn’t a place someone like you can survive in.”

Let alone the strict household registration system—even with her wild personality, she probably wouldn’t even be accepted as a mere errand girl in a wealthy household in the capital.

Xuan Yue thought back to the disrespectful things she had said to him earlier while up in the tree, pointing at the boar.

If she’d done that in the capital, she would have long been beaten senseless and thrown out onto the street.

“I don’t believe that,” Wen Lan said with a shrug. How could someone like her—a modern woman from the 21st century—possibly fail to make it in a world that had regressed by hundreds of years?

Never mind anything else—just from the stories she’d read in novels, she could easily set up a stall under a bridge and make money telling ghost stories.

“How about we make a bet?” Wen Lan patted her chest confidently and said to Xuan Yue, “If you take me to the capital and I don’t manage to make something of myself, then I’ll admit I’m a pig!”

“Hmph!” Xuan Yue snorted in disdain, tinged with mockery.

Seeing his cold and arrogant expression, Wen Lan’s budding admiration for him crumbled in an instant. This hunter was still the same as before—maybe not a bad person, but deep down, he didn’t think much of women.

Especially rural girls like Lin Furong.

Wen Lan’s pride took a hit. She stood up and pretended to admire the surrounding scenery, no longer bothering to talk to the hunter.

At this moment, she realized that the rule the hunter had made about not speaking wasn’t just for his benefit—it worked for others too, because talking to him required serious courage.

After a short rest, the two continued on their way.

Hurt by Xuan Yue’s snort, Wen Lan didn’t speak to him the entire journey—not even to herself.

On Xuan Yue’s end, he had assumed that once Wen Lan got permission to talk to herself, she would chatter endlessly. But unexpectedly, she walked in complete silence.

Perplexed, he couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times. The little village girl was trudging along with her basket, chin held high like someone owed her two hundred silver coins, though her walking posture looked a bit off.

Seems that fall earlier really did a number on her.

Walking and resting intermittently, they finally returned to the hunter’s home.

Wen Lan went ahead to open the gate, but suddenly, a figure darted out from behind a camphor tree near the entrance. Before she could even get a good look, the person had rushed right up to her.

It was Hehua.

“Hehua? What are you doing here?” Wen Lan exclaimed in surprise, glancing anxiously at the hunter behind her.

The hunter turned his face away, clearly angry.

“There’s been trouble at home,” Hehua said urgently. “Auntie Song from next door dropped dead at our house!”

What?

Wen Lan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Lin Hehua.

Auntie Song from the Song family was dead? And she died in their home?

“What exactly happened?”

“I’m not sure. This afternoon we served some venison you brought back to a few elders from the village. Auntie Song and her whole family insisted on squeezing in to eat with them. But partway through the meal, she suddenly collapsed and passed out.”

“Uncle Song saw her collapse and immediately claimed our venison was poisoned. Right now, he’s making a huge scene at our house!”

“Then I have to go back!” Wen Lan dropped the basket on her back and grabbed Lin Hehua, ready to rush home.

But Lin Hehua turned and ran over to the hunter instead, calling out sweetly, “Brother-in-law!”

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