Chapter 18: The Poor Little Concubine

Shen Youwei lowered her head, her gaze overflowing with intense disgust and hatred.

"Until one day, they brought two men, and they stood in front of the dog kennel where I was locked, turning my identity, my purity, and my chastity into bargaining chips, shouting back and forth." Her voice trembled a bit.

Chen Wuji felt his scalp tingle as he listened.

Anyone who has experienced something like this would probably want to destroy the world.

All that being human turned into things measured like a beast's bite or a weight in jins; who could have that fall on their head without breaking down?

Shen Youwei quickly readjusted her mindset, a hint of mockery at the corner of her mouth, she sneered and said, "They discussed at length right in front of me; I could see those two men were attracted to me, but they were even more curious why I was locked in a dog kennel."

"At first, my husband refused to speak, until those two men tossed out the reason 'no talk, no sale'; only then did he stammer to give a reason. In the end, the deal still fell through; those two couldn't accept my fiery temperament, fearing they'd spend a fortune to buy me back only to use me once, and I'd die."

Chen Wuji let out a light sigh.

He could no longer muster any guard against this woman.

She did nothing wrong at all.

"Sister, go home. My household may be poor, but my wife is very gentle, and I am also sensible; you won't be bullied, just don't bully me." Chen Wuji forced down his nausea, imitating the tone of a four‑year‑old child.

When speaking to Huo Sanniang like this, he now casually employs every coquettish, cute trick at his disposal.

But with others, he finds it hard to open his mouth.

Shen Youwei chuckled lightly, "I think I haven't finished."

"Miss, you don't need to continue." Huo Sanniang reached out and helped Shen Youwei up from the ground.

"Go home, I'll boil water and wash you properly, clean away these past memories. Silly Wuji was right just now; this home may be poor, but no one will bully you. If you wish to stay, stay; if not, rest for a while before deciding."

Shen Youwei glanced at Chen Wuji, "I am now his concubine; if he doesn't let me go, I won't leave!"

"Also, I want to finish what I just said…"

"They couldn't close that deal; they saw me as a rotting piece of meat by the pot and decided to eat me. To survive, I had to do that, but the cruelty was because I truly hated them."

"They don't deserve to be human!"

Huo Sanniang was startled, "How could they… how could they even dare to eat a person?"

"The lingering ailments from the disaster years ago, they've already eaten, adapted to it; seeing that I can't be used nor sold, they thought of eating me, at least I'm meat." Shen Youwei sneered.

"Besides, I suppose I'm still tender, delicate flesh…"

Huo Sanniang pressed her lips tightly, suppressing the nausea churning in her chest, "Miss, stop speaking, you've suffered enough. Come, take a bath first; I'll make fish soup for you. Silly Wuji just caught a big fish yesterday, it'll nourish you well."

Chen Wuji watched the two enter the room, feeling a massive stone pressing on his chest.

A few years ago, Nan Jun suffered a severe drought, followed by floods; countless civilians died or were injured, and his own body had witnessed corpse after corpse along the road.

The corpses that lay scattered in daylight vanished completely by the next day.

Almost all were dragged away at night and eaten.

The practice of swapping children to eat, at that time, was not merely an idiom.

This era truly couldn't be called good at all…

Huo Sanniang hastily boiled a pot of Mugwort Water, then pulled Shen Youwei into her room.

Chen Wuji sat in the shade by the doorway, preparing traps for the mountain.

He thought of a piercing trap, planning to craft it and test it on the mountain.

Besides that, he needed to prepare more arrows.

Among the inheritance left by his father and brothers, there were only two Three-edged Iron Cluster Arrowheads; he couldn't afford new ones, so he would first make some wooden arrows to make do, reducing the awkwardness of having a bow but no arrows by sheer quantity.

In Huo Sanniang's room, the sound of water flowed continuously, accompanied by the two women's soft murmuring.

Chen Wuji had little interest in Shen Youwei, a woman from a wealthy family yet whose fate was harsher than bitter herbs, and he was more curious whether Huo Sanniang would accompany the washing.

If Huo Sanniang's petite figure were soaked in a large wooden basin, even the tyrant who once toyed with foxes would probably be unable to bear it.

When Chen Wuji finished the third wooden arrow, Huo Sanniang's door opened.

After washing, Shen Youwei, her hair damp and clinging to the sides of her head, carried the wooden basin and walked out.

In the instant he looked at her, Chen Wuji suddenly thought of the mountains after rain.

Fresh, clear, pure and flawless.

Her appearance should be the ideal image of the neighbor girl in countless men's minds.

So pure that one is reluctant to exert force.

Huo Sanniang's looks are already pure and charming, but compared to her, she leans a bit toward a mature lady.

He set down his tools and walked over.

No needless words; he directly took the wooden basin from Shen Youwei's hands.

He had just gotten used to playing the fool in front of Huo Sanniang, yet now faced the dilemma of not being able to act foolish before others. So, if he could stay silent, he would, which was quite a self‑imposed difficulty.

"Um… where is the latrine?" Shen Youwei suddenly asked softly.

Chen Wuji tilted his head, "I'll point it out for you."

Beyond the courtyard, turning left, Chen Wuji pointed to a makeshift latrine hidden in a corner, its walls made of bundled branches forming a half‑circle.

Poor families naturally have latrines that aren't any better.

Shen Youwei gave Chen Wuji a slight smile and walked over.

Chen Wuji was about to pour dirty water aside when he turned his head and saw Shen Youwei already lifting her skirt.

When a flash of snow‑white emerged as she squatted, Chen Wuji was instantly stunned.

"No, miss, at least wait for me to step away before you go up."

"Can't you see this is an unbeatable semi‑open panoramic latrine?"

Shen Youwei not only gave no avoidance, but also looked directly at the stunned Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji: …

"Fine, you really don't treat me as an outsider."

However, since you want to let me see, please let me see more clearly.

This pose, he seems only able to lie on the ground to see the whole view.

After the water splashed for a moment, Shen Youwei stood up and tidied her skirt.

"I don't know whether I need to avoid my husband in this matter; seeing how serious you are, I won't avoid it. If my husband feels there is any impropriety, I will change next time." Shen Youwei walked over, saying with a solemn expression.

If there weren't that hint of flush on her face, her expression right now could even be considered solemn.

Chen Wuji gave Shen Youwei an encouraging look, "I think it looks pretty good."

"However, if my husband wants to look, actually next time he doesn't need to wait for me when I'm using the toilet; looking at other times seems... better." Shen Youwei's expression had a hint of helplessness.

Chen Wuji feigned realization, "Oh, seems so too; then can you let me look now?"