After Transmigrating Into An Idiot - Chapter 5

Only after Young Master Gu heard Song Jianshuang’s definite answer did he turn his head and stride after Butcher Gu.

“Don’t tell me she really calculated it correctly?” the busybody from earlier could not help asking.

A plump, fair-faced auntie beside him picked up the conversation. “Correct, my foot. That boy from the Gu family is hardworking, sure, but I heard from my son that his comprehension is only average. His teacher said it’s uncertain.”

“Then why don’t you have her calculate for your son?”

“My son will definitely pass. I’m not wasting money on that.”

As they chatted, the crowd scattered once more. Yet in their hearts, they were all curious about tomorrow’s results. Would that boy from the Gu family really pass?

This time, although Song Jianshuang had gotten her first customer, Young Master Gu remained her only customer. For the next hour, no one came to ask for a divination.

She raised her head and glanced at the sky, then folded up the white cloth and put away the yellow-covered book.

Qiu Liang looked at the neglected table and stool, and her expression stiffened. This woman couldn’t be planning to make her carry all of these back, could she?

Could she pretend to be stupid and refuse?

She was a fool. What couldn’t she do?

Just as she made up her mind, Song Jianshuang was the first to leave. “Miss Qiu, aren’t you going back?”

Qiu Liang really wanted to keep playing dumb, but she still could not help glancing at the table and stool left behind. They were just leaving like this?

A brand-new table and stool, used only once. This young lady from the capital was truly rich and extravagant.

Inside her little woodshed, aside from a wooden plank bed, there were only piles of firewood.

At this moment, she suddenly wanted to carry them back after all. If she carried them back, could she use them herself?

It would be such a waste to throw them away…

“You want to carry them back? Then you’ll have to carry them here again tomorrow.” Song Jianshuang revealed a knowing smile. Her bright eyes seemed to ripple with a teasing, captivating charm.

Qiu Liang immediately lifted her foot and walked away. Only if she had nowhere to spend her strength would she carry them.

Since she needed to leave the Qiu family as soon as possible, what did a table and stool matter? It wasn’t as if she needed to receive guests in her little woodshed.

On the road, the two of them did not communicate much either.

Qiu Liang was thinking about Song Jianshuang’s purpose in setting up a fortune-telling stall. It couldn’t be to earn money. Hadn’t she seen that the money she threw away was far more than what she earned?

Was it to make a name for herself?

That was not very likely either. With skills she learned and sold on the spot, getting it right once was good luck. Could she be lucky every time?

Then what was it for?

It couldn’t possibly be to make Qiu Liang believe her, right?

Did this woman have nothing better to do? Going through so much trouble just to gain her trust?

It wasn’t that Qiu Liang was belittling herself. It was simply that Song Jianshuang had no need to do so. The original owner had been a fool who grew up in the countryside. To a noble young lady from the capital, she was not worth mentioning.

Even if she was no longer foolish now, she was only a village girl who wasn’t stupid. At most, if one thought further, her biological parents were unknown. She was not worth Song Jianshuang making so much effort.

After all, the original owner’s biological parents had abandoned her for eighteen years. Even the Qiu family no longer had any scruples now and planned to sell the original owner to a widower. How great could the original owner’s background possibly be?

Then what exactly was Song Jianshuang doing this for?

Qiu Liang could not figure it out. She looked at the figure only a few steps ahead of her. But…

Had this woman forgotten something?

Song Jianshuang’s posture was straight, and her steps did not stop, as if she had completely forgotten there was someone following behind her.

Seeing that they were about to enter the village, Qiu Liang could not hold back anymore.

She quickened her pace and blocked Song Jianshuang’s path.

Could this woman be trying to play dumb? What about the one tael of silver she had promised as payment?

Song Jianshuang stopped. “Miss Qiu isn’t pretending to be stupid anymore?”

There was a smile at the corner of her lips, and her gaze was calm, as if she had been waiting for this exact moment.

Qiu Liang turned a deaf ear and held out one hand.

Whether she was stupid or not was up to her to decide. She had already thickened her skin and acted as a shill for this outrageous woman. She absolutely had to get the silver.

A faint trace of disappointment slipped through Song Jianshuang’s eyes. She fixed her gaze on Qiu Liang and slowly said, “I feel rather uneasy living alone. Would Miss Qiu be willing to keep me company tonight?”

The corner of Qiu Liang’s mouth twitched slightly. Sleep with her?

That would cost extra.

Right now, cut the nonsense. Hand over the silver.

Seeing that Qiu Liang did not respond, Song Jianshuang smiled helplessly and took a piece of broken silver from her purse. “Two taels. I’ll have to trouble Miss Qiu to accompany me to the county town again tomorrow.”

Qiu Liang reached out to take it, but the hand holding the silver refused to let go.

Song Jianshuang smiled. “Miss Qiu hasn’t agreed yet.”

Qiu Liang nodded somewhat dispiritedly. The tips of their fingers lightly touched, then each withdrew.

The silver was finally in her hands, but Qiu Liang’s breathing sank.

In that extremely brief instant, the moment their fingers touched, another image flashed through her vision.

It was Young Master Gu!

The young man was full of pride and satisfaction, holding a grand banquet.

So he really had passed!

No, wait. Why had she seen Young Master Gu?

And once again, it happened during physical contact with this woman…

Qiu Liang glanced at Song Jianshuang’s hand, somewhat tempted.

“If Miss Qiu is willing to accompany me tonight, ten taels,” Song Jianshuang said with a soft laugh.

If she did not know that the person before her had no such intentions toward her, Qiu Liang might even suspect she was being flirted with.

One night, ten taels. It seemed like quite a good deal.

Should she agree or not?

Should she continue pretending to be stupid, or should she pretend while not delaying her chance to earn money?

“Miss Qiu is very short on silver, isn’t she? Ten taels is enough for you to leave the Qiu family and live without worry for a while.” Song Jianshuang curved her lips. “Or could it be that you’re afraid?”

Qiu Liang’s expression did not change. She stared blankly at Song Jianshuang without making a sound.

She was not afraid of this woman. She simply did not understand. Unknown things always made it difficult for people to feel at ease.

“As for Aunt Bai, I naturally have a way to speak with her.” The smile at the corner of Song Jianshuang’s lips carried a trace of confidence. The Qiu family was not easy to deal with, but they were also simple. Any problem that could be solved with silver was not a problem.

To her, the most important thing was to figure out as soon as possible whether Qiu Liang was the variable her father had spoken of.

Qiu Liang could also be solved with silver. Since the problem was simple, why waste time?

While Song Jianshuang was thinking, she saw the person before her take a step closer and stretch out her hand.

??? Song Jianshuang was puzzled. Did she still want more silver?

Qiu Liang’s gaze, however, landed on her hand.

Not understanding, Song Jianshuang raised her hand. What did this mean?

Qiu Liang continued holding out her hand, staring intently at Song Jianshuang’s.

Something stirred in Song Jianshuang’s heart. She tentatively clasped Qiu Liang’s hand. Her palm was dry, and her fingertips were slightly cool.

There were thin, rough calluses. This was a hand used to farm work.

At that moment, the other party suddenly gripped tightly.

Song Jianshuang’s body tensed for an instant, then relaxed again with extreme speed.

The beauty’s expression was dazed. Her lashes were thick, fluttering lightly like feathered fans. Even with confusion in her eyes, she was still stunning.

Before she could react, Qiu Liang had already heartlessly let go and strode quickly toward Song Family Village.

She said neither yes nor no.

Song Jianshuang pursed her lips. That fool just now… What was that supposed to be? Could she have been taking advantage of her?

She could not be blamed for thinking this way. In the Baiyue dynasty, marriage between people of the same sex was permitted. Back in the capital, other women had once confessed their feelings to her.

After all, everyone loved beauty.

Song Jianshuang naturally knew that her appearance was outstanding. Her beauty had made her famous throughout the capital, but it had also brought disaster upon her.

Sometimes, for a woman, being too beautiful was not a good thing.

For example, this time, when she had taken refuge in Song Family Village…

If Qiu Liang had such thoughts, then this would be difficult.

If silver could not solve it, would she have to use beauty?

Song Jianshuang’s heart was filled with hesitation. When she came back to herself, she saw that Qiu Liang had already run out of sight.

Qiu Liang returned all the way to the little woodshed, her brows tightly furrowed. Just now, she had seen nothing.

Hesitation was not in her nature. Since the opportunity to test it had been right in front of her, it would have been a waste not to test it.

Besides, Song Jianshuang had been the one to hold her first, Qiu Liang thought with complete peace of mind.

She absolutely would not admit that her own behavior had been too abrupt, and that Song Jianshuang had simply failed to react in time, while also harboring the intention of testing her, which was why Qiu Liang had muddleheadedly succeeded.

But why had she seen nothing?

Had she guessed wrong? Was physical contact not the so-called trigger?

However, she had not agreed to Song Jianshuang at the time. She did not know whether that woman still had some other move prepared.

Ten taels of silver. Just as Song Jianshuang said, if she had ten taels of silver, even if she left the Qiu family, she would not have to worry about starving to death for the time being.

But to admit she was pretending to be stupid and allow Song Jianshuang to control her, just for ten taels of silver—Qiu Liang could not do it.

To her, Song Jianshuang was merely a stranger she had met by chance. No matter what the other party’s purpose was, it was not enough to make her treat her honestly.

Whether she should pretend to be stupid, and when she should stop pretending, had to be decided by her.

Although she thought this in her heart, Qiu Liang was still full of anticipation for what came next. To someone utterly penniless like her, ten taels of silver was a large sum.

If Song Jianshuang could be a little more persistent and come directly to find Madam Bai, then Qiu Liang could continue pretending to be stupid and muddle her way through one night. That would still be fine.

Unfortunately, Qiu Liang waited until her stomach growled with hunger and the sky had gone dark, yet Song Jianshuang never walked into the Qiu family’s small courtyard.

At this time, Song Jianshuang was also somewhat restless. She was not short of silver, and she also wanted to confirm Qiu Liang’s identity as soon as possible.

But that did not mean she had no bottom line at all.

So, did that fool Qiu Liang want silver, or was she coveting her beauty?

The more Song Jianshuang thought about it, the more she felt she had to be cautious. She could not underestimate anyone. Looking down on others was a great taboo when handling matters. She had to stay steady.

Advance while staying steady.

Because she had such thoughts, Song Jianshuang did not go to the Qiu family that night. The next day, she patiently waited until noon before carrying a bolt of fine silk and heading out.