The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 117

Chapter 117: The House Is Built

After this incident, Lin Shuang indeed cut off all contact with Qin Chong and focused on tending to her few mu of medicine field.

It was getting cold, and fearing that the snow would freeze the medicine seedlings, she spread straw and thatch from the mountain on the medicine field to keep the seedlings warm. But Changping County was in the central region, and although it was cold in the winter, the snow was not thick and would usually melt after a day or two. These medicine seedlings were not cold-sensitive herbs like ginseng and sanqi, so they could withstand the wind and frost.

The house would be finished in two days, and Jiang Huaizhen was with the workers, putting on the finishing touches.

She had expected that Qin Chong would not give up so easily. After all, he had died before Lin Shuang, and Lin Shuang had ten years more experience than him. He needed such a powerful ally to help him take back the power of the Qin family.

Sure enough, less than five days after he had last looked for Lin Shuang, he had sent someone to their door again to invite her.

But this time, the letter would not reach Lin Shuang’s hands.

The runner looked at Jiang Huaizhen, who was blocking his way, and said cautiously, “The young master said that this letter must be delivered to Miss Lin in person…”

Jiang Huaizhen took the letter from his hand with a blank expression, opened it in front of him, and after a glance, said, “Go back and tell your young master that I will be there on time tomorrow.”

The runner hesitated for a moment.

“Aren’t you leaving? What are you waiting for?” Jiang Huaizhen stood there and scolded coldly.

Although she was beautiful, the sharpness in her eyes and her identity as an executioner still made the young runner’s heart tremble. He did not dare to look at her directly and, after a slight hesitation, he turned and left on his horse.

The next day.

Qin Chong was waiting in the teahouse early in the morning.

The door curtain was suddenly lifted, and a cool figure stepped in.

He looked up and saw a woman in a white dress standing at the door, her eyebrows like frost, her whole body as if it were wrapped in a layer of biting cold.

“And you are?” he put down his teacup and frowned slightly.

“Jiang Huaizhen, the executioner of Changping County, and also the head of the household where Lin Shuang currently resides,” Jiang Huaizhen stood there in plain white, which made the seated Qin Chong feel a wave of pressure.

Qin Chong was stunned for a moment, then he forced a smile. “So it’s Miss Jiang. The fact that Lin Shuang did not enter my Qin family and become my wife must be thanks to you?”

Hearing the word “wife” from his mouth, a chill seemed to settle over Jiang Huaizhen’s entire presence, her gaze turning sharp enough to freeze ice.

“Young Master Qin already has a wife. Please have some self-respect when you speak.”

Qin Chong knew Jiang Huaizhen’s identity, but he didn’t know where the other’s hostility came from. From the moment she had entered the door, before she had even spoken, the two of them were already in a state of confrontation.

He had been bedridden for a long time, and his aura was clearly much weaker than Jiang Huaizhen’s. Although he was dissatisfied with Jiang Huaizhen’s attitude, he still suppressed his displeasure and said slowly, “I have a concubine, but the position of the legitimate wife is still empty. Although it is presumptuous, it is a fact.”

With that, a hint of dissatisfaction appeared on his face. “I have something important to discuss with Lin Shuang. Please be accommodating, Miss Jiang.”

“I can’t be accommodating,” Jiang Huaizhen said without any hesitation. “Lin Shuang was bought by me with real money. Her business is my business. If you have anything to say, you can say it to me.”

Qin Chong narrowed his eyes. “How much silver did you spend to buy her back then? I’ll give you double.”

“She’s not for sale,” Jiang Huaizhen said faintly.

“You!” Qin Chong suddenly gripped the armrest, his knuckles turning white. “Is Miss Jiang deliberately going against me today?”

“I don’t have the time for that,” Jiang Huaizhen looked at him. “I just came to remind you that she doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, so stay away from her.”

Qin Chong suddenly smiled. “You care about her so much that you even have to come and stand up for her personally?”

Jiang Huaizhen: “That’s right.”

Qin Chong said, “If you care about her, and if she has a grudge, you should take revenge for her, right?”

Jiang Huaizhen said coldly, “If she has a grudge, I will naturally take revenge for her. It’s not for you to worry about.”

“Just you?”

Jiang Huaizhen slowly raised her eyes, and a murderous intent suddenly appeared in her eyes. “If I kill your two children, I can at least take half of the revenge.”

Qin Chong’s face changed drastically, and he said sternly, “Miss Jiang, I have no grudge against you. Why do you curse my children?”

Jiang Huaizhen said with a blank expression, “Didn’t you say you wanted to take revenge for Lin Shuang? Aren’t your two children one of her enemies?”

Qin Chong had never expected that Lin Shuang would actually tell a third party about her rebirth. His heart couldn’t help but pound. He lowered his voice. “Miss Jiang, please don’t joke!”

“You know in your heart whether it’s a joke or not,” Jiang Huaizhen took a step closer. “If you dare to get close to her again, I’ll have your two children’s heads hung at the main door of the Qin residence immediately! I believe that Mrs. Qin will be very happy to see this result. After all, she wishes she could cut you and your children into a thousand pieces!”

After Jiang Huaizhen finished speaking, she turned and left, her clothes bringing a cold wind.

Qin Chong stared at her retreating figure until that plain white figure had completely disappeared outside the door. Only then did he slam his fist on the table, and the teacups clattered.

Downstairs, when Wang Chun’er saw Jiang Huaizhen leave, she carefully went upstairs. When she pushed open the door, she met Qin Chong’s gloomy gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly lowered her head, not even daring to breathe.

“Heh…” Qin Chong suddenly sneered, his voice as if it had been squeezed from between his teeth. “Lin Shuang said she’s already married, but we’ve checked it clearly. After she was bought by the Jiang family, she was clearly still unmarried! Today, Jiang Huaizhen even dared to threaten me with Qingsheng and Wan’er’s lives… she’s just a bought slave, and she’s so protective of her!”

His fingertips tapped heavily on the table. “Lin Shuang even dared to tell her such a secret. She’s putting her own life in someone else’s hands! The two of them… who is lying?”

Wang Chun’er clutched her sleeves.

She suddenly remembered that over a year ago, when she had met them at the Everlasting Peace Apothecary, the intimate look in their eyes, and last time, when she had gone to Whitewater Village to deliver a message, Jiang Huaizhen’s protective appearance in front of Lin Shuang…

An absurd thought suddenly came to her, and she was so startled that she quickly cut it off.

But Qin Chong said faintly, his voice as cold as a viper’s hiss, “Do you think… they have a preference for rubbing mirrors?”

Wang Chun’er instantly froze, even her breathing stopped.

And on the West Mountain Valley side.

When Jiang Huaizhen returned home, she really didn’t say a word, just as usual.

The next day, just as it was getting light, Lin Shuang was already busy at the stove.

The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and the flames in the stove were already crackling. The steam from the steamer was wrapped in the fragrance of rice, creating a warm atmosphere in the kitchen.

Today was the last day of the house being finished. She had specially prepared a few more hard dishes and had been stewing meat and steaming fish since early in the morning. In the cold weather, her forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

The workers arrived one after another and smelled the fragrance of the food from a distance. Someone couldn’t help but smile. “Miss Shuang, we’re not here to work. We’re clearly here to enjoy a good meal!”

Lin Shuang wiped her hands, her eyes curving into a smile. “Everyone has worked so hard for so long. Of course, you have to have a good meal.”

The wages were settled in the afternoon.

The house had been busy for nearly two months, and each person received one to three taels. The workers clutched the heavy silver, their faces wreathed in smiles.

In the evening, Lin Shuang made a table of good dishes to reward them.

The braised pork knuckle was soft and flavorful, and the pieces of braised pork were as thick as an axe. There was also a jar of home-brewed rice wine, which was fragrant and fragrant. The workers pushed cups and exchanged glasses, and their laughter almost lifted the roof.

Before they left, Lin Shuang gave each of them a small red envelope with a few dozen copper coins in it, as a token of good luck.

“Miss Shuang, if you have any work in the future, you can just call on us!” the workers patted their chests and waved goodbye, drunk.

As the night deepened, the courtyard finally quieted down, and only two large tables of messy cups and plates were left. Lin Shuang rubbed her sore waist and said to Jiang Huaizhen, “It’s too late. You can get some water for Grandma and Ping’er to take a bath. I’ll clean up the rest.”

Jiang Huaizhen turned to look in Old Madam Jiang’s direction and said softly, “You can rest for a while. After I’ve gotten the water, we can clean up together.”

Lin Shuang smiled. “Alright.”

Although she hadn’t helped with the work, cooking for several tables of people was not a small matter. She had been busy at the stove from morning to night, and her neck and waist were already sore and stiff. Now that she had relaxed, her whole body was like it had been boneless. She lay on the recliner and stretched lazily.

Jiang Huaizhen brought the water to the bathroom and called for the old woman to take a bath.

She then got a basin of hot water and got some clothes for Ping’er, letting her wash outside.

When she came out to the main hall, she saw Lin Shuang curled up on the recliner, motionless like a sleepy cat.

Hearing her footsteps, Lin Shuang struggled to get up.

Jiang Huaizhen took two steps forward and pressed her down on the recliner. “Rest well. I’ll clean up.”

Lin Shuang shook her head, her voice with a coquettish softness. “No. You’ve been tired all day. Let’s clean up together.”

Jiang Huaizhen said, “I’m not tired.”

Lin Shuang still couldn’t bear to. She was just a little lazy, not that she couldn’t do it. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Jiang Huaizhen’s neck and sat up. “Kiss me, and I’ll have the strength to work.”

Jiang Huaizhen let out a low laugh, bent down, and kissed her.

The two of them hid in a corner and kissed for a while. Only then did Lin Shuang let go of her arm and say, “Alright. Let’s clean up first. We can kiss again when we go to bed.”

Jiang Huaizhen pulled her up, and the two of them each took charge of a table.

It had just rained heavily, and there was a flood. Every family was short on food. It was impossible for there to be any leftovers. The bowls and plates were all scraped clean, so it was actually quite easy to clean up.

Jiang Huaizhen carried the bowls and plates to the kitchen to wash, while Lin Shuang wiped the tables and swept the floor.

By the time the two of them were done, the old woman and Ping’er had also finished their baths and had come out.

“Go and wash up. After you’re done, you can rest early,” Old Madam Jiang couldn’t help but urge.

There were only two girls in the family, and they had to entertain so many people. She, an old woman, was tired just from watching these people come in and out. Not to mention the two of them.

The two of them agreed and went to take a bath, one after the other.

By the time they lay down, it was already the Hour of the Pig(9:00 PM to 11:00 PM).

It was very cold, and Lin Shuang shrunk into Jiang Huaizhen’s arms.

Jiang Huaizhen suddenly remembered the word “wife” that Qin Chong had mentioned yesterday, and then she thought of how Lin Shuang had gone to the Qin family for a chongxi marriage in her past life. Although there was nothing between the two of them, she had still been his concubine for so many years. She couldn’t help but feel a little sour in her heart and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

Lin Shuang felt her tightened arms and, thinking that she wanted it, she squeezed her arm and said, “Wasn’t last night enough? The bed is loose. If we make any more noise, Grandma will be able to hear it.”

This bed had just been repaired a while back. Perhaps it was because it was old, or perhaps it was because they had been so sweet recently. Almost every night, when she wasn’t on her period, they would do it. The old bed couldn’t take the torment, and after just a few days of being repaired, it had started to creak again, even more so than before.

Last night, this person had been so stimulated by Qin Chong that she had gone crazy for her when she came back. Later, the bed had been so loud that she was afraid the old woman would hear, so she had had to get out of bed and do it standing by the cabinet.

Now, she had just finished her bath, and the quilt was warm. Lin Shuang didn’t want to get up and stand by the bed, naked, for half the night.

In the past, if she had said this, Jiang Huaizhen might have stopped and held her to sleep.

But now, she didn’t say a word.

Lin Shuang lifted her head from her neck and rubbed her chin.

“Do you still want it?”

Jiang Huaizhen didn’t speak, her long, slender palm caressing her waist, her heart sour with jealousy.

That look on Qin Chong’s face yesterday, he was eager to use Lin Shuang to help him take revenge and seize power, but at the same time, it was clear that while the cooperation was real, so was his personal motive. He must have liked Lin Shuang.

Once this awareness appeared, it could not be dispelled.

Lin Shuang didn’t know what she was thinking. Seeing her so insistent, and being rubbed by her until a fire was lit, she patted her waist and said softly, “If you’re not afraid of the cold, you can sit on top. I’ll eat you.”

Jiang Huaizhen hesitated for a moment, then let go and sat up, took off her dress, and knelt down with her legs apart.

Lin Shuang raised her chin and followed the fragrance to kiss her.

Just as her tongue had licked her once or twice, her mouth and the tip of her nose were wet.

Compared to Lin Shuang, Jiang Huaizhen was much more reserved and hardly made a sound. Only when they were very close could you find that she was panting slightly.

Her two long, slender arms were tense, and she was holding onto the frame of the bed tightly.

A crack had appeared in the long beam of the bed frame. With a slight push, it would creak. The two of them were extremely restrained, not daring to make any big movements.

Jiang Huaizhen’s two cheeks were burning hot.

Old Madam Jiang next door would occasionally let out a couple of coughs, which were particularly clear in the quiet night. The wind was howling outside the window.

She swayed her waist slightly.

It was so tempting that Lin Shuang couldn’t stand it.

It wasn’t until she was bitten that she shivered and tensed up, clamping Lin Shuang’s head.

After a long time, she finally relaxed.

She turned over and lay down in the quilt.

Lin Shuang climbed over and kissed her on the lips.

She tasted her own taste.

“Did you come?” Lin Shuang asked softly.

Jiang Huaizhen hummed in agreement.

Lin Shuang said, “I want it too.”