Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 255

Chapter 255: Chapter 255

The bright moon hung high while the March wind rustled the trees in the mountains.

Shen Wenchen’s entourage was galloping on the official road.

Someone from behind, looking at the distant flickering lantern lights, asked, "General, shouldn’t we find an inn to rest?"

Shen Wenchen was solely concerned about escorting the prisoners to the capital as soon as possible, only realizing that night had fallen when he heard his subordinate’s question.

"Let’s stop at the inn ahead for a rest then."

"Good!"

Everyone was naturally pleased when the general spoke.

The prisoners in the convoy also sighed in relief.

After last two days, being confined in the prison carriage was a great hardship indeed!

Which among them wasn’t raised in luxury? None of them had ever endured such suffering!

As they approached, they realized that the light came from a mere roadside inn – regardless of their fatigue, everyone frowned.

"General, are we going to stay here?" someone asked.

Shen Wenchen frowned at the sight of the roadside inn, then looked back at his men, finally shaking his head: "Twenty miles ahead there is a posthouse, let’s stay there."

Since Shen Wenchen had said so, naturally, no one objected. They continued their journey.

While staying at a roadside inn was usually fine, currently, they were escorting prisoners. It was better not to take unnecessary risks.

The prisoners in the carriage stiffened upon hearing this, they could only maintain their positions after being glared at.

Su Tao looked a little tired; the carriage ride was uncomfortably bumpy.

Shuangshuang, seeing that her young mistress was tired, handed her a warm cup of tea.

"Miss, should we rest at a roadside inn first?"

Shuangshuang worriedly suggested. Although she hadn’t been to the capital before, she had heard that it was far from Yan City. To her concern, the young mistress had always been delicate, and her recent wound was not fully healed yet.

"No need, let’s continue the journey."

Su Tao took a sip of her hot tea, but her mind was filled with last night’s letter from the young lord of the He family and the system’s words.

The young lord of the He family had declared his love for her, saying it wouldn’t change because of her social status, yet he couldn’t offer her the position of a legal wife.

The moment Su Tao saw the word ’concubine’, her heart turned cold.

She had spent a lot of luck on improving intimacy, which naturally increased the common people’s good feelings toward her. Even if the system drained her luck, it wouldn’t affect these people much.

Over the past two years, she amassed considerable wealth through her own abilities. Yet it still did not reach even one-tenth of what the "task-takers" in the system’s words could achieve.

Perhaps the young lord He was genuinely in love with her but couldn’t resist the temptation of power and wealth in this world.

Perhaps God gave her this system so she could live a more unrestrained life; why should she live so hard because of her so-called "shame"?

Now that she had this shortcut known as the system, why constrain herself?

"[Host, have you figured it out?]"

The system’s voice no longer held its usual coldness. As it stated before, other task-takers could become the top existence in a small world with the help of the system and points. Su Tao, however, stubbornly wanted to achieve greatness through her shallow knowledge in the past two years, which was merely a waste of time.

As a system capable of traveling through different worlds with task-takers, it naturally didn’t want to spend a dull century in this place with Su Tao.

Looking at the passing scenery outside the window, Su Tao looked indifferent. She leaned her cheek on her hand, looking out the window, her green jade bracelet slipped down her wrist, leaving a chilly feeling wherever it touched.

Su Tao’s eyes darkened. Everyone said that good jade was warm and smooth, then why had the bracelet on her wrist stayed cold as ice after two years?

Was it because this wasn’t her chance to seize?

She left a large gift for Madame He, hoping she would like it.

With a soft laugh from Su Tao, Shuangshuang was momentarily entranced.

The moonlight fell on Su Tao’s face, making her look like a fairy who had accidentally strayed into the mortal world. Shuangshuang didn’t dare to speak, fearing that any sound might startle the fairy and make her leave.

For several days in succession, Nanzhi devoted all her attention to the restaurant, discussing the layout and menu with Shen Miaomiao all day, or arranging and tidying the tables and decorations with the workers.

Until Uncle Ping couldn’t bear it any longer.

The young proprietors were a bit flustered due to their age. Uncle Ping, having been a manager before, patiently explained to them what he knew.

It was only then that Nanzhi realized that they hadn’t yet purchased the restaurant’s supplies.

Although she was only planning to open the first floor in the first month, the restaurant had a large demand for firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. In addition, her cumin beef and lamb dishes would also need to have a steady supply.

In the end, the two girls discussed and decided that Nanzhi would sort out the issue with the beef and lamb, while Shen Miaomiao would arrange for the firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.

Fearing Shen Miaomiao might be overwhelmed as firewood and seasonings were two different categories, Nanzhi hesitated but eventually asked Aze to help. An Wazi was also asked to join.

Watching An Wazi following her around, Shen Miaomiao finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

It wasn’t just about letting her and Aze go out together.

Aze resembled Shi’er and she was afraid she might mistake him for Shi’er.

While Nanzhi was thinking about the meat, she left the house at the hour of the ox.

The butcher shops selling the most beef and lamb were all on North Street. The shop owners would fetch their cattle and sheep at midnight and then slaughter them one by one.

The beef she bought a few days ago only had two taels left as the price on that day was a bit expensive. Usually, the beef and lamb would sell out by noon.

When Nanzhi arrived at North Street, two or three butcher shops had already half opened their doors. The shopkeepers were somewhat curious when they saw her.

"Miss, are you here to buy meat?" The shopkeeper of Li Family Butcher Shop was a man in his thirties. Despite the chill of the early March morning, he had taken off his jacket and was wearing only a leather apron. There was still a faint smell of blood in the air. He must have just slaughtered the meat.

"Do you have beef or lamb for sale?" Nanzhi asked politely.

"Beef or lamb?" Shopkeeper Li raised an eyebrow, sizing up Nanzhi.

"I only have lamb for sale today. However, if you want to choose the meat now, the price won’t be the same as it is during the day. It’ll be ten wen more expensive."

Nanzhi looked bewildered. "Why is that?"

Shopkeeper Li’s wife was somewhat plump. Seeing Nanzhi’s confusion, she laughed: "You’re here this early for the first time, aren’t you? Cattle and sheep are hard to procure. The earliest meat of the day can be chosen first, but the price will be ten wen more expensive. That’s the rule here."

Nanzhi still seemed somewhat confused when a man in a grey cloth shirt, looking like a servant of some family, appeared beside her.

"Shopkeeper Li, I came to pick up the five taels of lamb I ordered yesterday."

The man bowed to Shopkeeper Li and then stood to the side.

"We’ve prepared it. You can come in and get it," Shopkeeper Li said with a smile.

The man followed Shopkeeper Li into the house. Meanwhile, Shopkeeper Li’s wife beckoned Nanzhi over.

"If any butcher shop in the North Market has beef or lamb, it’s probably been pre-ordered by one of the four largest families. You can still buy meat now if you want. It just depends on whether you want it."

"I need both for my business every day," Nanzhi awkwardly said.

"I see." The woman hesitated, then pointed to a shop on North Street with a white lantern hanging in front of it.

"If you need meat every day, ask the shop over there. I’d like to do business with you, but recently it’s been hard to get hold of cattle and sheep. I can’t let you down."

"Thank you, Sister."

Nanzhi thanked her, then headed in the direction she had pointed.

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