CMWKSD -Chapter 54 Ji Chaomian Can Walk Now

After dinner, the three of them didn’t dare say another word. They went straight back to their rooms and began studying. They had no choice—this was literally a matter of life and death.

Ji Wanqiao was the smartest of the three. He wasn’t like Ji Zhouye, whose brain was ruled by his loins. He took after his father, Ji Dahu—had a bit of cleverness about him.

On the way back, he had already taken stock of everything at home.

New robes. New cloth shoes. Preserved fruits and pastries everywhere. The kitchen piled full of meat and rice.

All of it had been brought back by Jiu Yue. It had to be said—this family had never seen so many good things before.

It wasn’t that he didn’t study. It was just that he felt he needed someone to push him. And this time, borrowing the matter of poison, he’d given himself that push.

Besides, since it was poison, if Jiu Yue dared to let them eat it, she definitely had an antidote. At the very least, they wouldn’t die right now.

Since Jiu Yue wanted them so badly to study and pass the exams, then he would study and pass one. And with studying as an excuse, he wouldn’t have to do any labor or chores.

There were new clothes for him to wear, so much good food for him to eat.

He’d enjoy what was in front of him first. When he placed high in the exams someday, that would be the day of Jiu Yue’s death!

Ji Wanqiao thought viciously.

What he didn’t know was that before he even passed an exam, he’d already be running around everywhere cleaning up after his second sister-in-law, terrified that one careless mistake would land his entire clan in a “nine-generations extermination package.”

Second sister-in-law! Terrifying beyond measure!

It really wasn’t that Jiu Yue was some clueless sucker insisting on supporting the Ji family’s education. It was simply that Jiu Yue understood all too well how hard it was to stand alone in ancient times.

Especially as an official—standing alone was even harder. Look at officials: which of them weren’t like towering trees, with branches spreading everywhere?

Yet even a mere favored concubine of a small prefect dared to make her suffer grievances. Jiu Yue could endure anything—except being wronged.

Make her swallow injustice, and she’d drag everyone down with her.

So she wanted more members of the Ji family to become officials. That way, she wouldn’t have to endure grievances, and she could swagger about arrogantly.

What’s more, she was now, after all, the Ji clan’s matriarch wife. As long as she remained in the Ji family, she couldn’t escape this responsibility. Just thinking about it made her angry!

Back in Dark Moon, who didn’t fawn over her and treat her like an honored guest? After all, the people they didn’t dare kill, she dared. The places they didn’t dare go, she dared.

For that reason alone, even the leaders of the base wouldn’t give Jiu Yue a hard time over her little temper tantrums.

Of course, even now, Jiu Yue wasn’t one to suffer grievances.

When Lady Yun heard the steward’s report, her heart turned to ash. “Y-you… what did you say?”

The steward hadn’t expected that after only a little over a month away in Qingshui County, returning to the prefect’s residence would find everything turned upside down. Not only did Lady Yun have no place left to stand—

Even he himself was about to lose his footing.

Hearing Lady Yun’s words, he secretly spat in disdain, cursing himself for his short-sightedness back then—how he’d rushed to stand on Lady Yun’s side early on. Now he was truly stuck, riding a tiger he couldn’t dismount.

“That Doctor Jiu Yue really did cure the county magistrate. He can walk, jump, eat, sleep—but he’s become a fool. And he even slipped out and was seen by all the people of Qingshui County.”

The steward glanced at Lady Yun and sighed. Back then, how luxurious this courtyard had been. Yet in just a little over a month, many of the good things had already been stripped clean.

This was what happened to a concubine without favor—forgotten like mud buried in dust, without the slightest chance of rising again.

Lady Yun’s nails nearly dug into her flesh.

“And also—the appointment for Magistrate Li has already come down. He has officially become the county magistrate of Qingshui County!”

Crack!

Lady Yun snapped her own fingernail clean off. One hand was bloody, yet she seemed not to feel any pain at all.

“H-how could this happen?”

The steward spoke earnestly, “Concubine Yun, what on earth has happened to you?” Thinking of the cold mockery he’d received upon returning to the residence—

He had long been used to flattery in the manor thanks to Lady Yun’s favor. When had he ever suffered this kind of treatment? Yet he didn’t even dare discipline the servants.

After all, those who dared mock him were either servants of the prefect’s wife or of the currently favored concubine.

If he dared dismiss even one of them, Lady Yun would immediately be implicated.

How could Lady Yun explain it? Facing a man, how could she possibly say she was the prefect’s woman? How could she dare say it?

How could she tell outsiders that every time she shared the bed, she emitted a strange odor that disgusted the prefect? Wouldn’t that make her the laughingstock of all?

Lady Yun wiped the blood from her fingertips, unable to understand—completely unable to understand—what had gone wrong.

If only… if only she hadn’t taken those body-shaping medicines.

Back then, for the sake of competing for favor, she’d desperately swallowed pills meant to maintain her figure.

She only thought about seizing the benefits in front of her, ruining her body in the process and leaving herself unable to conceive.

Thinking of those pills—said to keep her slim and give her body a faint, exotic fragrance from time to time—

Lady Yun collapsed onto a stool in despair. Could it be backlash from taking too much of them?

“I… I…” She hardened her heart. “Go find a physician for me.”

The steward didn’t know how Lady Yun had fallen from favor. Hearing her ask for a doctor, he thought she must be suffering from some serious illness.

“What kind of physician?”

Lady Yun’s face was ashen. Every doctor in the prefectural city who could be summoned had already been summoned—but none of them helped. No one knew what was wrong with her.

“I…” Lady Yun sighed deeply—and fainted on the spot from agitation.

The steward shouted and hurriedly ordered the old women to fetch a doctor.

When the prefect’s wife heard that Lady Yun had fainted from anger, she burst out laughing. Years of resentment she’d suffered at Lady Yun’s hands were finally vented.

Pretty, coquettish concubines were everywhere. As long as the prefect didn’t go to Lady Yun even once, she could forget about ever rising again for the rest of her life.

Jiu Yue rolled medicinal pills between her fingers, watching Ji Chaomian in the courtyard, leaning on a crutch as he practiced walking.

Everyone in the family—every single one—had gone to the fields to work. In the next couple of days, they would be sowing wheat. That was a year’s livelihood—a major matter.

Aside from Ji Youqin, who had been left behind to cut pig fodder and chicken grass and to wash clothes and cook, everyone else went—including Ji Yiqing.

Seeing Ji Chaomian sweating profusely, Jiu Yue walked out with the pills still rolling in her palm.
“That’s enough. Just this much walking is fine. Don’t rush it, or it’ll do more harm than good.”

Ji Chaomian answered in agreement. Ji Youqin threw away the pig-fodder knife and hurried over to support him.

“It’s fine. Big brother isn’t tired.” Ji Chaomian’s heart burned with warmth. Being able to stand again—no matter how much hardship he endured, it didn’t feel bitter.

Ji Youqin looked at Ji Chaomian with tear-filled eyes, recalling how Jiu Yue had tossed the crutch aside for him earlier that day.

Then recalling how her big brother stood up—

The heavy gloom pressing on her heart completely dissipated. She wiped her hands on her apron, walked over to Jiu Yue, and looked at her with shining eyes.

“Second sister-in-law, is there anything you’d like to eat at noon? I learned several dishes from Second Aunt—they’re all really delicious.”