Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 24 - 21: Returning the Money

After Meng Jintang left, Chen Wanqing lowered her head, lost in thought for a good while. Then, she picked up the mattock from the ground and threw herself into the great undertaking of digging for huangqi.

However, after just a few swings of the mattock, she heard another sound.

From the sound, she could tell it was a man’s footsteps. Chen Wanqing thought Meng Jintang had come back. Without thinking, she spoke, "Why are you back again? We’ve already said everything that needed to be said. I don’t want any apology from you, and you don’t need to feel guilty toward me."

"In the end, your insistence on going to the Prefecture for the Provincial Examination back then was partly to save face for me. You met with disaster because of it and nearly lost your life. I couldn’t save you, and I’ve been tormented by guilt ever since."

"Thankfully, that’s all in the past now, and you were lucky enough to survive. You’re married with a child now, so you should treat your wife well. I have my own future and prospects for marriage, so you needn’t worry about me..."

Her words faded, but for a long time, there was no reply.

Only then did Chen Wanqing look up. But it wasn’t Meng Jintang at all. Standing there in the sunlight, who else could it be but Zhao Jing?

In that instant, Chen Wanqing was mortified.

Beyond her embarrassment, she also felt a strange sense of apprehension.

Because in the moment she looked up, the look in Zhao Jing’s eyes made her heart pound.

’That predatory urge, like a hunter finding its prey, that possessiveness so thick it was suffocating... Maybe I saw it wrong?’

When she looked closer, a cold wind brushed against her face, making her shiver.

In the blink of an eye, the young man standing in the sunlight’s features were relaxed, and his handsome, refined face held an elegant, composed smile. He was the very picture of noble character, as clear as the moon and as refreshing as the wind; just looking at him was enough to put one at ease.

"Sister," he said with a smile, "it’s me. Did you mistake me for someone else?"

Chen Wanqing snapped out of her thoughts and couldn’t help but glance in the direction Meng Jintang had left.

Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, her heart was thumping wildly, as if dozens of rabbits were trapped inside.

When she confirmed that Meng Jintang had left in a different direction from where Zhao Jing had arrived, she breathed a sigh of relief. She followed it with a smile, "I did mistake you for someone else."

She didn’t mention Meng Jintang, and Zhao Jing acted as if he had no idea someone else had been there before.

He strode over and stopped in front of Chen Wanqing.

Zhao Jing was quite tall, just like Mr. Zhao. It was said that because Mr. Zhao was so tall and straight-backed, and possessed such handsome features, he had nearly been "seized as a son-in-law" after the examinations.

Now, he was standing only a step away from her.

Chen Wanqing couldn’t help but feel awkward again.

She put down the mattock and quickly stood up straight. "Jing, did you come all the way here to find me for something? If there is, just say it. If I can help, I will."

Zhao Jing gave an elegant smile.

He took out two taels of broken silver from his sleeve. "Sister, I really did have a proper reason for looking for you... I came to pay you back for the medicine."

Realization dawned on Chen Wanqing. She had almost forgotten about that whole matter.

She didn’t refuse it, but two taels was too much. She had only spent one tael and five qian on the medicine for Mrs. Zhao.

If she were at home, she could have given him change, but they were out in the wild. Where was she supposed to find copper coins for him?

Chen Wanqing couldn’t help but glare at Zhao Jing. "Aren’t you supposed to be the most sensible one? You know the medicine only cost one tael and five qian, yet you deliberately bring this much. Aren’t you just trying to make things difficult for me?"

Hearing this, Zhao Jing couldn’t help but laugh. "Sister, you’ve wronged me. Although I often go to the apothecary to get medicine, the prices aren’t always the same. If the required herbs are in short supply, the price will be higher. If the herbs produced in Qingshui County come to market, the price will be lower. But the approximate price is always between one tael and four qian and two taels. I can’t say the exact amount until the medicine is actually purchased."

Chen Wanqing was taken aback by his explanation.

This was truly a blind spot in her knowledge.

But thinking back, she needed to add medicinal herbs when making her incense, so she had dealt with apothecaries quite a bit. And the herbs she bought indeed didn’t always have the same price.

’Ugh, my brain must be filled with paste. How could I forget something so important?’

"But I didn’t bring my purse with me, so I can’t give you change. Jing, why don’t you just go to my house..."

"No need for change. I was also planning to ask if I could buy some Moonlight Fragrance from you, Sister."

"The ones De’an gave you for your birthday, have you already used them all?"

Zhao Jing seemed embarrassed. A faint blush colored his handsome face. He gave a light cough. "I’m taking the examination next year, and I’ve been reading a lot lately. Whenever my head feels dizzy and muddled, I light some Moonlight Fragrance to clear my mind."

Chen Wanqing knew that Zhao Jing urgently needed to achieve official rank to support his entire family, but he already studied hard enough as it was.

De’an had told her that ever since Jing began his studies, he had only slept for three hours a day. After Mr. Zhao passed away, he became even harsher on himself, cutting his rest time by another half an hour each day.

He was still young and could endure it, but not like this.

Chen Wanqing said in disapproval, "I’ll have De’an bring you the Moonlight Fragrance later. But, Jing, even a simple girl like me understands the principle of ’too much is as bad as not enough.’ You’re a scholar. You should know better than I that a bowstring pulled too taut will eventually snap."

"Jing, you’re still young. Even if you don’t pass this time, there’s always the next. There’s really no need to push yourself so hard. Besides, you were taught by Mr. Zhao himself since you were a child, and your scholarship has always been first-rate. If even you can’t pass the Scholar examination, then I doubt anyone else in this county can."

Zhao Jing covered his lips with his hand, coughed lightly, and couldn’t help but turn his head to the side with a soft laugh.

"You have that much faith in me, Sister?"

Chen Wanqing nodded. "You certainly have the ability. If you still don’t pass the Scholar examination, it could only be due to external factors. It would never be because your studies and preparation were insufficient."

"Alright, Jing, you should take the silver and go back for now. Come by my house this afternoon, or I’ll have De’an bring the Moonlight Fragrance to you. I won’t say I don’t want your money; we’ll do a proper exchange—goods for payment."

Zhao Jing naturally agreed, "Alright."

But he didn’t head down the mountain right away. Instead, he took the mattock from Chen Wanqing’s hands and said, much to her astonishment, "Sister just told me not to keep the bowstring so taut, and to loosen up when appropriate. This work of digging for huangqi seems perfect. I can stretch my muscles and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?"

"Oh my, you’re a scholar! This is no work for you!"

"Why can’t I? You know as well as I do, Sister, my father has passed, leaving only my mother and young sister at home. Daily tasks like fetching water and chopping firewood—should I let them do it? Even the laundry, in the late autumn and cold winter, how could I let my mother and little sister suffer through that? Of course I have to do it myself."

This thing Zhao Jing mentioned—not only did Chen Wanqing know about it, but even her mother did. And it was precisely why her mother looked upon De’an with increasing disapproval.

They were both scholars, and Zhao Jing’s scholarship was even better than De’an’s, yet Zhao Jing handled all matters at home, big and small. And De’an? If you didn’t scold him senseless, he wouldn’t even clean his own room. When his shoes started to stink, he wouldn’t even think to take them out and wash them.

Comparing De’an and Zhao Jing... it was better not to even think about it.

Just as she was thinking of De’an, Chen Wanqing suddenly jolted. "Did you see De’an on your way up?"

"Of course I saw him. De’an was the one who gave me directions to find you. He didn’t follow; I told him to go back and study. Sister, this huangqi is growing so lushly. With such a large patch, you probably won’t be able to use it all yourself. Do you want to sell some to the apothecary?"

Hearing this, Chen Wanqing nodded and said, "Selling some would be good."

But in her mind, she was taking a little whip and lashing De’an until he spun like a top.

’That thoughtless De’an! Even if he trusts his good brother’s character completely, he can’t just leave him alone with his own sister!’

’This is all because Zhao Jing has no improper intentions. But what if he did?’

’By then, it would be too late for him to cry.’