Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 438: Strange Things Happen Every Year

Chapter 438: Chapter 438: Strange Things Happen Every Year

A thick layer of snow weighed heavy on the bamboo branches in the courtyard, scattering in all directions at the faintest gust of wind.

Ling Long walked around the blanket of snow on the ground, only draped in a cloak.

"Ling Long, why have you only returned now?"

A host of young ladies swarmed her in the courtyard, offering her their hand warmers and gently brushing off the accumulated snow from her shoulders with a feather duster.

"The snowfall held us up for a while. These are gifts from the master, he wanted me to bring them back and share them with everyone." Ling Long said with a smile - the master was never a stingy man. With New Year’s Eve approaching, he had bestowed upon them quite a few gifts.

"Come on in." The girls hurried Ling Long towards the house, leaving behind the muddied snow in the yard.

Nanzhi’s belly grew larger with each passing day. That nauseous feeling had considerably subsided, leaving behind a heavy sensation in her stomach that caused her to lose her appetite rather often.

"Mother, aren’t we going to watch the lanterns tonight?"

Shen Zhiyu looked up at her, his fair and innocent face full of anticipation.

Yan City was known for lighting up lanterns at the onset of the twelfth lunar month. The four marketplace streets would be ornamented with lanterns of all shapes - their glow filled viewers with awe from a distance.

Crafty lantern makers created masterpieces using a plethora of colors and themes, from common animals to celestial events depicting legends such as Chang’e Flying to the Moon and the descended fairies.

In previous years, his father had been too busy to accompany him, so he would always go watch the lanterns with his uncles. This year, both his mother and father were there, so he wanted to go see the lanterns with his parents.

Moreover, his mother had not been out for quite some time, he thought she would enjoy this refreshing change.

Life was better now, with more prosperous times and the care of his parents, Shen Zhiyu radiated angelic innocence, much like a character from a fairy tale. His play activities with Lin Zihan and his friends garnered the attention of many girls, painting a blush on their faces. There were quite a few cheeky women who joked around, expressing interest in making him their future son-in-law.

"Alright, let’s go together once your father returns home."

Nanzhi looked at her son’s handsome face, feeling happy and proud.

Neither Nanzhi nor Shen Wenchen were particularly renowned for their beauty, but their son was blessed with the best features of both his parents.

"Great!" Upon receiving Nanzhi’s approval, Shen Zhiyu cheered and ran out of the room, grinning from ear to ear.

Brother Xiaomi had been anxiously waiting for Shen Zhiyu in the courtyard. Seeing his contented expression, he surmised the positive outcome. His tension dissolved into relief. He had been worried that the mistress would not consent.

"Brother Xiaomi, we’ll go watch the lanterns together tonight!"

"Alright!"

The reply made Xiaomi nod in agreement, and his heart swelled with happiness.

Only when the skies started to darken and lanterns began to light up outside, did Shen Wenchen trudge back home, covered in snow.

"What happened?" Nanzhi dusted off the snow from his body and noticed his exhausted gaze, causing her worry.

"Nannan, do you remember the letter Yun Tian previously sent?" Shen Wenchen, alleviating the stress radiating from his forehead, finally broke his silence.

"Yes..." Nanzhi nodded. Suddenly, as if she realized something, her elated expression stiffened a bit, seeming somewhat lost.

"Did something happen to our fields?"

Observing his wife’s concerned expression, Shen Wenchen sighed, took a deep breath, and gently explained, "Today we visited our manor. Most of the grain there has spoilt. Nearby villages are also experiencing a rat plague, leaving the villagers scrambling for sustenance, with hardly enough to last the winter."

"How did the rat plague happen?" Nanzhi was puzzled; never before had she heard of a rat plague.

"Yan City hasn’t experienced a rat plague in nearly two decades. This sudden incident took everyone by surprise." Shen Wenchen’s voice sounded heavy with a hint of despair.

We’ve also observed that most of the fields outside the city have turned completely black, emanating a repugnant stench. Even the crops have rotten in the fields. Nearby trees close to these fields have also rotten into the mud.

We are likely going to face some hard times ahead."

Earning sustenance was paramount for survival. But Yan City, a thriving economic hub, thrived on trading gold, silver, jewelry, silk, satin, not producing essentials like grain. They primarily relied on grain sourced from the south.

But now, with calamities hitting both Xiejiang and Yan City, providing food for the people was now a conundrum.

What Shen Wenchen did not mention was that the villagers had narrated how each day at dawn, massive hordes of rats emerged out from their fields, disbanding only when the cocks began to crow in the morning. Even their nocturnal hunting seemed meaningless as the rats, just as dawn approached, appeared to deflate themselves like a punctured water bag.

This unusual event had forced him to question whether this was perhaps a sign of the world headed towards straight self-destruction.

Xiejiang, though a thousand miles away from Yan city, had reported similar strange occurrences a month and a half ago.

It seemed like an irreversible situation was setting in.

Looking at his heavily pregnant wife, Shen Wenchen felt like his heart was being pricked by needles.

He wondered, given his prowess as an antagonist, why did he still feel so powerless?

"So, what do we do now? Should we stock up on more grain?" Nanzhi was visibly worried - after all, Shen Wenchen was the city’s chief, they had more than just their family to look after.

"I’ve sent a letter to Kyoto regarding this. I’ve also sent someone to buy grain from the south. You don’t need to worry too much." Shen Wenchen reassured Nanzhi, gesturing towards her protruding belly.

He didn’t want to cause any distress to his wife or child.

He had already prepared for such unforeseen circumstances. Even before returning home, he had asked his men to buy grain and store it in the grain shop to assure that neither Nanzhi nor Zhiyu had to go hungry.

"Should we tell everyone about this situation, so they can stock up on grain too?"

"That wouldn’t be prudent. It would only instigate fear among the people, leading to potential chaos," Shen Wenchen reasoned.

"But the New Year’s Eve is just round the corner..." Nanzhi murmured, suddenly interrupted herself. "Since New Year’s Eve is near, all households will be stocking up on provisions for celebrations. Should we sell some grain?"

Shen Wenchen raised an eyebrow, taken aback.

"If we, the owners of the restaurant, sell the grain at lower prices, would it attract people to buy?"

"That wouldn’t be a good idea. It would disrupt the market dynamics and the grain prices. Plus, after we run out of grain, there would be no assurance that the grain shop would be willing to sell at the lowered price; if anything, they’d likely increase it," Shen Wenchen explained.

"So, what should we do now?"

Seeing his wife puffing her cheeks in annoyance, Shen Wenchen loosened up a little and pulled Nanzhi closer.

"There is a way, but it might be a little inconvenient for you."

Nanzhi twisted her head to face her husband.

"What, are you planning to marry another woman from a wealthy family to raise funds?"