Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 417

Chapter 417: 417

Qian Er was out of jail, but he had already turned into a gravely sick man.

Hence, Hen Xiang had no option but to bring him back to their shack, which was battered by wind from all sides.

Qian Er’s father was lucky and managed to gamble for several days with the one tael of silver that they had. Hen Xiang had no other choice but to tirelessly take care of Qian Er. Whether it was cooking for him or cleaning after him, she did it all. Yet, just after three days, she was on the verge of breaking down.

The reason was very simple. Qian Er had been ruined.

This was no sham. He had brutally been turned into a "eunuch".

Not the hands of government officials but his debtors were behind his current state.

Qian Er was always a peculiar man. A few years back, he borrowed two taels of silver from a man, promising to repay him in two months. However, a whole half year passed and he did not return a single wen coin.

Originally, the man knew he was unlikely to see the silver again as he got no response after repeatedly asking for it.

While the man’s family was not rich, they were getting by.

But then they fell on hard times. Illness took his parents and a separate accident took his wife. He was left with his six-year-old son alone.

Everyone he had lent money to turned a blind eye to his desperate situation. They ignored him and his son as they suffered hunger and cold, showing no intent to repay him.

Then, just half a year ago, his family had gone broke. Unable to buy new clothes for winter, his young son contracted a severe illness due to the cold.

Out of options, he went to those who owed him money, hoping that they might return the silver so at least he could buy his son a jacket or some medicine. Not only did he not retrieve any money, but he was also mocked.

Ultimately, his son died in his embrace and he lost his sanity. He picked up a kitchen knife and injured several people.

Back then, he also sought Qian Er to recover two taels of silver. But Qian Er denied owing him any money and even gambled away the last thirty wen coins right in front of him.

With thirty wen, one could buy the cheapest and oldest garment from a second-hand store.

It could also provide a few doses of medicine from the medical hall.

But Qian Er casually threw the bag, filled with thirty copper plates, onto the gambling table. In less than half an hour, he lost it all.

Afterwards, people began saying that Qian Er was lucky because the madman was apprehended quickly during his rampage. Otherwise, he would certainly have sought out Qian Er and his father, cutting them down without hesitation.

Qian Er thought he had dodged a bullet, yet never imagined that he would eventually end up in the madman’s hands.

The prison guard knew about their grievance and sympathised with the madman, who had already chopped several people. In response, he quietly put Qian Er in the same cell.

Thankfully, the madman hadn’t completely lost his senses. He left Qian Er in a state between life and death.

For two taels of silver, a child was dead, a teenager went insane, a few people got crippled, and now a eunuch was added to the tally.

Qian Er lay on the bed, moaning in pain. When he saw Hen Xiang come in, he couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope in his heart.

Those sisters of Hen Xiang should be wealthy, they would lend her some money, wouldn’t they?

"Hen Xiang, how did it go? Did you borrow any silver?"

Qian Er struggled to raise his half-body with a grunt.

During his time in the jail, he had not been given any medical treatment. The wounds on his buttocks had already deteriorated, oozing with pus. Combined with the injury to his manhood, he could not help but lay sideways, experiencing excruciating pain with the slightest movement.

"You should drink some water first." Hen Xiang did not respond directly, instead handing over the cup of warm water in her hand.

In just a short span of ten days, Hen Xiang’s complexion had become deathly pale. As she looked at Qian Er right now, her face showed nothing but exhaustion.

"I couldn’t borrow any silver. They got angry with me and were not willing to lend me any."

Hen Xiang only felt tired. As she looked at the man lying on the bed, she was overwhelmed by a sense of defeat.

Inwardly, she was beginning to regret her decisions.

Qian Er had taken a couple of sips from the water bowl when he heard Hen Xiang say she couldn’t borrow any silver. His smile froze on his face and immediately gave way to a look of doubt.

"They really did not lend you even a single wen coin?"

He did not believe for a moment that Hen Xiang was completely penniless.

"No." Hen Xiang’s face also turned cold.

The sweet days of the past are over, the longed-for freedom has not arrived, the man who once vowed to protect her, is now but a useless man, paralyzed in bed and requiring her care.

"Hen Xiang, I admit my tone was not great just now, I only worry about overworking you, that’s why I want to get better soon, to earn money and provide for you, right? It’s my fault, don’t be angry."

Seeing her change in expression, Qian Er hurriedly changed his tune, squeezing out a smile on his face.

He still needs someone to take care of him in his current state.

His own father couldn’t be relied on, and after all, Hen Xiang was purchased with his silver. He couldn’t possibly drive her away before he could even enjoy the benefits of her.

Moreover, his injuries were actually because of her...

"You take a rest first, I’ll go make some porridge." Looking at Qian Er’s unkempt and vulgar appearance, Hen Xiang’s eyes flashed with disgust. But she still covered him with a quilt, then went to the kitchen.

Although they called it a kitchen, it was just a broken shack with a collapsed roof, containing only a worn-out stove and a rusty iron pot.

The Qian family had nothing to eat, except for the half pound of old rice in a clay pot, which was also bought by Hen Xiang a few days ago.

She actually had some silver on her, but after these three days, she was ready to give up.

During the seven days that Qian Er was in jail, she still had high hopes, always hoping that he could come out and go to the county office to free her from her slavery.

Then the two of them could get married, and live their lives peacefully.

But reality slapped her hard in the face.

It rudely swept away the veil that had been obscuring her eyes.

Qian Er was not the person who truly wanted to marry her.

The ’home’ he mentioned was just two leaky and dilapidated houses.

Her so-called freedom was a life of hunger and cold, and the continuous care of Qian Er.

When she was in the small courtyard, all she had to do every day was make jam and tidy up things with the sisters, and she could leisurely pass the day.

She could also get a monthly allowance of one or two silver coins.

Looking at the sparse grains of rice in the pot, Hen Xiang couldn’t help but shed a few tears.

She regretted quarreling with the sisters because of Qian Er, regretted blindly believing his words without seeing the whole picture.

She regretted not listening to the words of the owner.

The wedding between Wang Jingzhi and Miss Zeng was to take place on the ninth day of next month. At the end of this month, the Zeng family reserved banquet seats at the Sanwei Residence.

Although Wang Jingzhi was marrying into the family, Master Zeng didn’t want his son-in-law to be looked down upon. He had the Sanwei Residence booked for the whole day.

Nanzhi naturally accepted the request, let Xu Chou and Chef Lu set the menu in advance, and then had everyone prepare together.

The business of the Hot Pot Building was only good for half a month, and it started getting worse as days passed.

Even the regulars of Sanwei Residence have come back to eat and drink here.

"Owner, the old regulars are back." Liao Da’s eyes were full of delight.

They thought this month’s business would continue to be bad.

Nanzhi was not too surprised.

After all, resources in this world were limited. Wanting to make a genuinely good hot pot would not be cheap.

With high costs, naturally, it won’t be cheap.

Moreover, the strong flavor of the hot pot was off-putting to the more affluent people in Yan City, who didn’t like their body smelling of something else.

In this case, the hot pot would certainly lose some customers.

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