Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 419: The Bow and Arrow Snapped

Song Zhang stared at Qin Yao for three seconds. Seeing her expression gradually turn cold, he cautiously started to speak:

"Miss Qin, are you interested in making a deal with me?"

Qin Yao replied decisively, "No!"

Song Zhang: "..."

After a moment of being at a loss, he quickly changed his approach, "I can purchase a rundown house in the village and renovate it."

Qin Yao responded sincerely, "We can talk about that."

Such a genuine reaction left Song Zhang speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth, not really wanting to speak, forced a smile, and followed Qin Yao across the bridge, up the slope, and into her home.

Liu Ji had just gone out to the outhouse and was returning through the back door. Hearing someone in the front yard, he guessed it was Qin Yao, and poked his head out to catch a glimpse of her.

To his surprise, there stood the Lord County Magistrate himself, not wearing his official robes.

Liu Ji hastily came out to greet him.

"Ji is late, unable to welcome the esteemed guest, I hope you don’t mind, my Lord!"

After saying this, he bowed, and without waiting for Song Zhang’s reaction, continued:

"I have urgent matters, so I won’t keep you company. Feel free to sit as if you were at home, Liu Ji will now take his leave!"

With that, he bowed again and hurried back to his study without a backward glance.

Song Zhang was a bit bewildered, "Miss Qin, what’s with your husband?"

Qin Yao waved her hand, "It’s nothing, he’s studying. We don’t need to mind him."

She gestured for him to enter, "Please sit inside, my Lord. I’m afraid this humble abode is quite simple, forgive any shortcomings in hospitality."

"Ah Wang, bring tea!"

Qin Yao called out to the courtyard, unsure of where Ah Wang was.

But he must be nearby, and would appear in the kitchen upon hearing her voice.

"...Okay." Song Zhang responded hesitantly, instructing his attendant to watch the horse outside as he followed Qin Yao into the main room and sat down.

He was just wondering if Ah Wang was a dog when, after he sat down, a figure suddenly appeared in the previously empty kitchen, casually brewing two cups of hot tea and bringing them out.

Song Zhang looked at the person in surprise, an ordinary-looking man with an ordinary presence, who nearly blended into the background when he stood by the door.

Something just seemed strange about him.

Song Zhang, full of suspicion, took a sip from the coarse ceramic teacup. He was parched from the journey, having had nothing to drink along the way.

It was a bit hot; the tea leaves hadn’t fully steeped, and the water was rather hard, but it quenched his thirst.

Yet seeing Qin Yao drink the tea like water, Song Zhang understood: Qin Yao’s tea was equivalent to water.

Putting down the cup, Song Zhang glanced around the simply furnished yet tidy room, feeling he understood Qin Yao a bit more, which gave him more confidence.

He had taken a gamble coming here this time.

Confronting someone as formidable as Qin Yao with only one attendant was itself a risk.

If he displeased her, even as a County Magistrate, he might end up at her mercy.

After all, she had dealt with Jin Chan Chu without regard for his influence.

More so for him, an outsider County Magistrate?

"Feel free to speak your mind, my Lord. Let’s cut the small talk and be efficient," Qin Yao spoke up after waiting for Song Zhang to initiate the conversation.

Song Zhang had been pondering how best to start, and when Qin Yao pitched the opening, he immediately followed her lead, asking back:

"Does Miss Qin have any troubles?"

Qin Yao nodded, "I do have a significant trouble."

Song Zhang’s eyes lit up, "Feel free to share."

As long as it isn’t difficult, he could help her solve it.

"This shouldn’t be difficult for you, my Lord," Qin Yao thought of Liu the carpenter leisurely at home, showing some envy, and enthusiastically said:

"I started a factory, but I’m rather lazy. Do you have any good solutions to keep my factory earning me money while allowing me not to move?"

Song Zhang was clearly taken aback. That’s it?

This was hardly a problem. The solution would be to find a loyal and reliable servant.

"Is there nothing else?" Song Zhang probed further.

Eager for her to ask for more.

Qin Yao shook her head, "No, just that one."

Song Zhang sucked in a breath, deeply. This small issue was a minor task for him, as he happened to have a servant back home who met Qin Yao’s criteria, gifting her a person would be no problem.

But in turn, it posed some difficulty for him.

A deal depends on the stakes, and if hers were so small, his demands couldn’t far exceed hers.

Seeing a look of disappointment on Song Zhang’s face, Qin Yao curiously asked, "My Lord, are you facing some difficulties?"

She mimicked his words, encouraging him to speak freely.

Song Zhang gazed at her for a while, as if contemplating if she could be trusted, causing Qin Yao to smile. She thought to herself, if you don’t trust me, why did you come to me?

Surface-wise, she was patient, motioning to Ah Wang to bring a plate of wolf jerky, munching on snacks without pressuring him to speak instantly.

The room was filled with the sound of Qin Yao chewing on jerky, and she kindly offered the plate, "Would you like to try, my Lord? Wolf jerky is hard to find in the city."

Song Zhang glanced at her; Qin Yao nudged the plate, encouraging him. Only then did he hesitantly pick a piece and put it in his mouth, chewing carefully.

"How is it? Isn’t it surprisingly good?" she inquired, continuing without waiting for an answer:

"Wolves seem fierce and hard to handle, but killing them is quite simple. With sharp weapons, even the fiercest wolf is no match for humans."

"Hearing you say so, Miss Qin, it does sound rather easy." Song Zhang chuckled, intrigued by what weapon she used to kill wolves.

Qin Yao generously went to her room to bring out her bow and arrow for him to see.

Song Zhang frowned suspiciously, "All broken arrows?"

Qin Yao picked up the bow and damaged arrows, stringing one while smiling, "It’s fine. Usable arrows are good arrows."

Saying this, she pulled the bow fully, fingers releasing the taut string with a "whoosh," sending the broken arrow soaring, tracing a perfect arc in the air before it fiercely pierced the soil in the yard outside.

Song Zhang hurriedly stood to look, seeing only half a broken feather trembling helplessly in the drizzling rain.

Qin Yao gave Ah Wang a look, and Ah Wang nodded, striding out to the arrow, taking great effort to extract it deeply embedded.

He brought back the arrow, gently placing it on the small table before Qin Yao and Song Zhang.

Song Zhang examined it closely, the moist dirt covering nearly the whole arrow shaft, indicating its power.

Alarm flickered through Song Zhang’s eyes; he finally understood why Wang Mawu and others spoke of Qin Yao with such dread.

"Damn!"

The room suddenly resounded with Qin Yao’s frustrated curse.

Song Zhang turned to see that the bow in Qin Yao’s hand couldn’t withstand further strain, and the bow snapped abruptly.

Qin Yao was speechless, it had performed well while hunting wolves. Today, after only one shot, it snapped.

Thinking about it, she had been using it harshly for nearly two years, perhaps it was time.