Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 277 - 269: He Was Demoted Here as Merely a Piece in the Emperor’s Game
"Mianmian, has something really happened to Ah Huai? He was so... so..."
"It’s just a temporary measure."
Seeing her aunt so anxious, and considering that she’s a hot-headed person, Ruan Mian worried it might lead to more trouble.
That’s why she decided to tell her the truth. After all, her aunt knew about her space, so there was nothing that couldn’t be said.
Between the aunt and niece, they had long worked together with one mind and no secrets.
However, upon hearing this, her aunt suddenly felt her brain wasn’t enough to comprehend, and paused: "A tem... temporary measure?"
"You mean he’s not dead? So where has he gone?"
"Being demoted to this place was itself part of a chess game set by the Emperor. Now that the game has reached the later stages, he has to go back and do what he needs to do."
The eldest aunt knew Xie Huai’an had intricate connections in Capital City, and now, with the unstable current situation involving court maneuvers, they were unable to help.
Perhaps the fake death plan was to avoid certain mortal dangers.
But her aunt still felt somewhat worried.
"He’s going back to Capital City alone? Is the fake death to secretly investigate those treacherous officials and prevent rebellious plots? Isn’t that very dangerous?"
"Since you have the space, should we..."
Ruan Mian knew what her aunt wanted to say, so she told her about the warning from the space system.
Upon hearing this, her aunt couldn’t contain herself and started cursing angrily.
"Is the system so stupid?! Saying not to interfere with karma, you’ve already interfered with everyone’s karma by time traveling here!"
"Even the karma of my rebirth has changed, and with such a great advantage, you can’t protect your loved one? Damn, is this system a pirated version?"
Her tirades made Ruan Mian burst into laughter.
After all, what her aunt said echoed her own thoughts.
No matter what, it’s good that the person isn’t really dead.
"Mr. Xie is a good person, he treats you well, and you’re a great match. I’m really happy for you that you could escape that scum Qi Nanfeng and find someone you truly like."
"So, I really don’t want such a wonderful man to just disappear like that; what a pity it would be!"
"Although, even if he were gone, you could become a wealthy widow and have all the handsome men you’d want then. Thinking about it like that, there seems to be nothing to be sad about. Men are like clothes."
Her aunt took a deep breath and patted Ruan Mian on the shoulder.
"But you’ll have to act for a few days. I’ll cooperate with you on my sister-in-law’s side and help you put on the show."
"If it’s really hard to act, you should just retreat to the shop in the garrison for a few days, and at that point, say you’ve thought things through. Moreover, as I see this weather getting worse, if there’s a freeze disaster, it will be hard to go to the garrison by then."
"Even with the White Tiger Beast, it wouldn’t be easy to explain to others. If exposed, it wouldn’t be good. With disaster looming, let’s not trouble Little Tiger Tiger, so might as well go to the garrison and watch the shop for a few days."
Realizing her brother’s matter was still unresolved, Ruan Mian wasn’t in the mood to visit the garrison shop.
"I’ll stay in the house for now; there are still many things that need handling. Aunt, don’t worry about me. Especially with my brother’s matter, I want to send more Birds and Beasts to help search."
When the lost Ruan Qingsong was mentioned, her aunt also looked troubled.
"Mianmian, I’ve privately sought out many people to search in Xingjia, but there’s still no news. In these times, it’s hard to do anything, let alone find someone. I think if you can send out as many Birds and Beasts, do it. Whether dead or alive, we need an explanation."
"He couldn’t have vanished into thin air. But for now, we’ll have to rely on your space to lend a hand. I’ll keep an eye on the shop in the garrison, so you needn’t worry."
In the following days, Ruan Mian frequently captured various small birds in Longchang Mountain, raising them into Birds and Beasts, then dispatching them to surrounding towns, even not sparing Longchang Mountain itself.
Her family spoke cautiously around her these days, fearing she’d be devastated by Xie Huai’an’s "death."
Ruan Mian knew they were all worried about her, just that there were things she couldn’t tell them.
In her previous life, struggling to survive in the apocalypse, apart from her brother’s care, she had always been solitary, never feeling the mutual help of family nor contributing together with so many people as she did now.
Unknowingly, she had grown to like life here.
And she didn’t want to leave these people.
So, the top priority now was to find her brother and then develop Wuheng City into what she’d envisioned so that those living here could enjoy a prosperous, stable life. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
If she had a chance to help Ah Huai, that would be even better.
It snowed less this year than last; the winter supplies they’d hoarded earlier should be enough.
But man proposes, God disposes. Her aunt’s words came true as a freeze disaster indeed occurred.
Though the snow wasn’t as enormous as last year, it had rained more since winter began, and the cold weather, carrying moist air, had surprisingly frozen all cold-resistant crops in the fields.
Even the winter wheat was not spared, after two nights of harsh winds, much of it was ripped from the roots, lying flat over a large area!
That morning, as the cold air was biting, people were already spreading the news throughout the village.
Seeing the crops they’d worked hard growing frozen to death, everyone guessed there wouldn’t be much harvest this winter.
They all quickly checked their cellars to see if they had enough stored grains; if not, they’d better buy or collect what they could now, especially wood for burning.
Cui Zhu and the others joined the villagers in busying themselves, having taken a break from schooling for days, as everyone hustled to gather more supplies for the winter.
Ruan Mian hadn’t anticipated Manager Yi to personally escort several carriages of duck down goods from Ru Ning to this place at such a time.
When the message from the post station arrived, Ruan Mian immediately rode over.
As soon as he saw her, Manager Yi hurriedly stood up.
"Miss Ruan, you’re here."
"Really sorry, this shipment should have arrived half a month earlier, but the sudden weather change on the road delayed the trip. Please check if the count is correct. If nothing unexpected, the next shipment can only be sent after spring."
"Though it hasn’t snowed as heavily as last year, the temperatures have been exceptionally low. We exhausted all the coal we had prepared for two trips just to get here, and can only buy more for the return trip from the city."
Upon hearing that, Ruan Mian promptly said, "You’re too good, always delivering the goods personally. Don’t worry about the coal; I prepared some specially for you, and I’ll have it sent over soon, certainly enough to keep you warm on the way back. I’ve also got other essentials such as animal hides, fur blankets, and down vests as well as hand warmers ready for you."
Such items were plentiful in Ruan Mian’s space, and she wouldn’t let those working hard for her suffer.
Manager Yi was filled with gratitude, momentarily at a loss for words. After thinking for a while, he suggested, "These items are quite an expense. Miss Ruan, how about you deduct it from this batch of goods?"
