Chapter 28 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

After seeing Zhao Chengnan off, Xiao Zimo returned to the Wu residence with Wu Bai and Wu Kang'an's fulang.

 

Upon finding Wu Kang'an waiting alone at the gates, Xiao Zimo felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. But remembering he had done nothing wrong, he quickly straightened his posture.

 

Anticipating his first encounter with his future in-laws, Xiao Zimo quickly checked his attire, ensuring he was presentable, before following Wu Bai and the others into the residence.

 

"Second Brother, where are Father and the others?" Wu Bai asked, glancing around without seeing anyone.

 

"They didn't come," Wu Kang'an replied, helping his fulang into the house.

 

"How could that be?" Wu Bai asked, puzzled.

 

"Well, Eldest Brother's fulang is expecting, and the child will be born soon. Father and Mother were worried about leaving them alone, as they have no experience caring for an infant. They decided to stay and will come to the capital if an opportunity arises," Wu Kangan explained.

 

Xiao Zimo: "…" He felt his heart breaking again.

 

"But… what about my marriage with Bai ger?" Xiao Zimo asked anxiously.

 

Hearing this, Wu Kang'an burst into laughter, mentally lighting a candle for Xiao Zimo.

 

"Don't worry," he said with feigned reassurance. "Our Bai ger is still young. Once, when he thought Mother and Father were going to marry him off, he got so scared he fell ill. After that, they decided to keep him home for a few more years. It's only a few years, right? I'm sure you can wait."

 

Xiao Zimo felt as if the sky was collapsing. He looked at Bai ger with a pitiful expression, but Bai ger, unsure how to console him, simply slipped away.

 

…

 

That evening, when Xiao Zimo returned home, he noticed an unusual quietness in the air. He summoned a servant and asked, "Why are things so calm today? Did something happen with the lord and madam?"

 

The servant thought for a moment and replied, "Earlier, I overheard the lord and madam discussing something about the 'Minister of Rites' and an engagement, but I don't know the details."

 

Xiao Zimo immediately grew anxious. He feared his parents might have visited the Minister of Rites' residence to arrange a marriage without consulting him.

 

After dismissing the servant, Xiao Zimo hurried to his parents' quarters.

 

They were surprised to see him approach them on his own, and greeted him warmly. "Zimo, what brings you here?"

 

With a tense expression, Xiao Zimo struggled to control his frustration and asked in a low voice, "Did you go to the Su family to propose a marriage on my behalf?"

 

Seeing his concern, his mother gave a cold snort. "You must be dreaming. When we suggested going to the Su family, you adamantly refused. Well, now it's too late—Su Li is already engaged to someone else. Even if you regret it, there's nothing to be done."

 

"What? Su Li is engaged?" Xiao Zimo froze, but relief quickly washed over him, and he walked away with a smile.

 

After he left, his mother looked at his father, bewildered. "What was that? Is he happy or disappointed?"

 

His father rolled his eyes. "Are you serious? You thought he'd be regretful? His heart is set on that Wu family ger, Bai ger. I bet he overheard something outside, thought we'd arranged a marriage for him with the Su family, and came here to confront us!"

 

"Hmph! He wouldn't dare!" Madam Xiao said, fuming.

 

"Oh, he would dare. Did you see the look on his face when he walked in? It almost scared me to death. For a moment, I thought the old lord himself had come back to life!" Father Xiao patted his chest, still shaken.

 

Recalling his son's grim expression, Madam Xiao felt his anger rise. Tossing his sleeves, he muttered, "Fine, let him marry whoever he wants. I won't meddle anymore!"

 

Father Xiao fanned himself and shrugged. "That's the spirit. Honestly, all your scheming around the estate has accomplished nothing. The boy doesn't listen to you at all. Just accept it: whoever he marries, they'll still have to respect us. After all, we're the elders. He wouldn't dare neglect his duty to us!"

 

"Oh, so now you're making me the bad guy, as if this was all my idea?" Madam Xiao glared at him, voice sharp with indignation. "Now that Su Li is engaged elsewhere, you're washing your hands of the whole affair, leaving me to take all the blame? Think again—you're not getting away with this!" He lunged at him in anger.

 

Xiao's father dodged, wary of his long nails, lest he scratch his face.

 

The chase continued around the courtyard until Madam Xiao, out of breath, finally gave up. Only then did he manage to escape unscathed from his wrath.

 

***

 

"Su Li is marrying someone else, and he's already engaged. My parents aren't pressing me to wed him anymore, so it's been wonderfully peaceful at home lately," Xiao Zimo said, almost wistfully.

 

Wu Bai shot him a glance. "What, are you regretting it? Want the house to be lively again?"

 

"Of course not! I just want to bring you into my home as soon as possible, so I can listen to your voice by my side every day," Xiao Zimo replied, smiling.

 

"So you're saying I'm naggy, is that it?" Wu Bai teased.

 

"Absolutely. But I like it," Xiao Zimo replied with a grin.

 

"Oh, is that so? You think I nag? Let's see if you like this!" Wu Bai laughed, chasing after him as they playfully fooled around.

 

Without realizing it, the two of them had wandered into a secluded alley.

 

A sudden cold wind swept by, and then they heard a faint voice coming from the shadows.

 

"Help…"

 

In the unfamiliar alley, Wu Bai jumped in fright, instinctively hiding behind Xiao Zimo.

 

Xiao Zimo protectively shielded him, calling out toward a certain corner, "Who's there?"

 

"Help… please help me…" The voice came again, weak and pleading.

 

"Wait, that voice sounds familiar," Wu Bai murmured, uncertain.

 

"Let's go take a look. It might be someone we know. But you have to stay behind me," Xiao Zimo said, shielding Wu Bai as they cautiously moved toward that dim corner.

 

The figure in the shadows must have sensed their approach but couldn't see them clearly and cried out again, "Please, I beg you, save me…"

 

Wu Bai peeked cautiously from behind Xiao Zimo's shoulder and, though the person looked dishevelled, he recognized him at once. "The Dong family's ger?"

 

Hearing Wu Bai call out his identity, the man looked up and recognized Wu Bai too. His eyes filled with despair, and perhaps because of the emotional strain, he fainted on the spot.

 

When he came to, he found himself lying in an inn room.

 

Wu Bai walked in. "You're awake?"

 

"You… saved me? Why would you help me?" the ger asked, looking at Wu Bai in confusion.

 

"Saving a life is a virtue beyond measure. I saved you simply because I wanted to. Why ask for a reason?"

 

"Don't you hate me? I once tried to push you into the river…"

 

"Oh, I hate you, of course. But didn't I already settle that score? Or did you think I'd let you off that easily?" Wu Bai replied, eyebrows raised.

 

The man's face turned pale as he recalled how he'd fallen ill shortly after returning home back then. Only now did he realize that had been Wu Bai's payback. He even remembered feeling smug at the time, thinking Wu Bai was weak, unable to retaliate.

 

Wu Bai watched him turn pale, then flush, his amusement growing as he said nothing, just observing.

 

The ger sighed heavily. "Aren't you even curious why I ended up like this?"

 

"No, I'm not. But if you wish to tell me, I'll listen." Wu Bai spread his hands, unconcerned.

 

Seeing Wu Bai's nonchalance, Ning Qiao felt heartbroken, but he still said slowly, "It's all because of Dong Heng. He's set his sights on a ger from a powerful family, wanting to make him his legal spouse*, so he abandoned me to this wretched state."

 

[T/N: 正夫 refers to the primary or legal spouse in the context of a marriage, particularly in a traditional setting. The term 正夫 specifically denotes the position of the formal, recognized husband in a marriage, often distinguished from a side husband or concubine, which were common in historical or traditional Chinese society.]

 

Wu Bai reflected on the original host's past life. He too had been betrayed by Dong Heng, when he had sought a connection to a prestigious family. Dong Heng's ambition had led to the original host's ruin, and his own family had suffered for it, falling victim to mountain bandits Dong Heng had hired to silence them. Now that Wu Bai had not married Dong Heng, had Dong Heng decided to ruin Ning Qiao instead?

 

Seeing Wu Bai's silence, Ning Qiao grew anxious. "Don't you want to join forces with me against Dong Heng? I know that the relationship between your two families is not good. Helping me would be helping yourself."

 

Wu Bai "..."

 

"If it weren't for my marriage to Dong Heng, it would have been you in trouble instead. I know he's had his eye on you for some time." Ning Qiao's hatred for Dong Heng was clear, and he was determined to pull Wu Bai into his scheme for revenge.

 

"Very well. You're right about one thing: if you hadn't married Dong Heng, it would have been me who suffered." Wu Bai replied. The original host had already suffered once; seeing how Ning Qiao had endured the same fate, and knowing that he still had to avenge the original host, Wu Bai decided to lend a hand.

 

Seeing that Wu Bai was willing to help, Ning Qiao's expression brightened, and he eagerly asked, "How do you plan to help me?"

 

"It's simple. Go to the yamen* and accuse Dong Heng of attempting to murder his fulang. The officials will arrest him for investigation. As long as you have evidence to support your claim, Dong Heng won't escape the death penalty." Wu Bai's tone was calm and direct.

 

[T/N: The term yamen (衙门) in historical Chinese context refers to a government office or administrative bureau, especially one that handled local governance and law enforcement during imperial China.]

 

"But Dong Heng is an official now. Is there any use in going to the yamen to sue him?" Ning Qiao hesitated.

 

"Take it to the Dali Court*. If I recall, they accept cases against officials," Wu Bai suggested after a moment's thought.

 

[T/N: The Dali Court (大理寺, Dàlǐ Sì) was a high-ranking judicial institution in ancient China, particularly during the Tang and Song dynasties. It served as the highest court of justice, primarily responsible for overseeing legal matters, investigations, and trials, especially for serious criminal offenses, and had jurisdiction over both civil and criminal cases.]

 

Just then, Xiao Zimo entered, his voice curious. "I heard something about bringing an official to court. What's going on?"

 

Wu Bai glanced at Ning Qiao, who nodded, then recounted the situation to Xiao Zimo.

 

"Wait, the Dong Heng you're talking about—isn't he the Dong Heng from the Hanlin Academy?" Xiao Zimo asked, surprised.

 

"That's him. Why, is there something wrong with that?" Wu Bai asked.

 

"Not exactly. Remember I mentioned Su Li's engagement? The groom is none other than Dong Heng. Who would've thought? The Minister of Rites believed he'd found a reputable match for his ger, yet he's chosen a man who'd discard his first fulang so mercilessly."

 

"What? Su Li's intended is Dong Heng?" Wu Bai's shock was palpable. So, this was the connection. It all began to align with what he'd read in the book in that mysterious space.

 

"What? Su Li is going to marry Dong Heng?!" Wu Bai was completely stunned, his shock beyond measure. In the book he had seen in that mysterious space, the two protagonists had no apparent link to him or the original host, so what was the purpose for him to transmigrate in this world? It turns out, the connection had been made here. Now, it was all beginning to make sense.

Last Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

 

❧ Join Bella Novels' Newsletter by clicking here ↫ and
receive an email for each New Update -͙✧˖*°࿐