Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Crime of Gender 70

Earlier, Qin Shuangshuang had thought the things inside the box were surely valuable, but upon opening it, she found that the items were even more expensive than she had imagined! It was a pair of golden hairpins twice the size of the hairpins Qin Shuangshuang and her group had, and a pair of large gold bracelets with coiling silk dragons.

Qin Shuangshuang frowned. Her mother was really kind to Fang Yao, but Fang Zhongyi, as a teacher, was also very good to her. There was no need to give such expensive gifts!

Qin Shuangshuang didn’t want to accept these gifts, but they weren’t for her; they were for her mother, Mrs. Bai. Qin Shuangshuang looked up to get her mother’s opinion, only to see Mrs. Bai staring blankly at the jewelry in her hand.

When she caught her mother’s attention, Mrs. Bai quickly coughed and turned her head to observe the nearby stalls. Qin Shuangshuang’s heart suddenly skipped a beat; her mother’s reaction was exactly the same as her teacher Fang Zhongyi’s previous response!

Suddenly, the jewelry box in Qin Shuangshuang’s hands felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds. Her mind became muddled, and she didn’t even know how she felt, only wondering when exactly her mother and Fang Zhongyi had taken a liking to each other!

With this thought, many previously overlooked incidents suddenly came to mind. She remembered how her teacher used to be very careful to avoid suspicion, never speaking to Mrs. Bai or getting close to her, and his gaze never lingered on her, fearing he might ruin Mrs. Bai’s reputation!

However, ever since they all traveled to the border city, Fang Zhongyi had changed. Unbeknownst to when it started, Fang Zhongyi, who never used to approach them, now wandered within her sight all day long and occasionally exchanged words with Mrs. Bai!

Though Fang Zhongyi never got excessively close or made any inappropriate moves, his frequency of appearance was simply too high!

Moreover, during times of food scarcity, Fang Zhongyi always found a way to gather food during the team’s rest stops, and he gave it all to Qin Shuangshuang.

This was not surprising to Qin Shuangshuang because Fang Zhongyi had always been so kind to her, and she was accustomed to receiving things from him. After being saved by Fang Zhongyi in a previous life, he always acted this way because he knew Qin Shuangshuang did not keep the food to herself; giving it to her meant Mrs. Bai, Qin Miao, and Fang Yaoyao all had a share.

Later, after leaving the disaster-stricken area, when they could hunt prey, their meat supply increased, but every time Fang Zhongyi would also bring back many fresh wild vegetables. While Qin Shuangshuang, unlike Fang Zhongyi, wasn’t purely carnivorous, she didn’t particularly enjoy vegetables either. So, these wild vegetables naturally ended up in the mouth of Mrs. Bai and Qin Miao, who especially loved greens.

At that time, Qin Shuangshuang didn’t think much of it. Looking back now, the wild vegetables Fang Zhongyi later sent were exactly Mrs. Bai’s favorites!

What once seemed utterly normal now seemed completely suspicious in hindsight. Fang Zhongyi’s intentions were already so glaring back then, yet she remained oblivious!

Even after reaching the border city, where customs were open, Fang Zhongyi actually set his tent right next to her home, which was way too close. What was infuriating was that she hadn’t realized anything wrong, and looking at Mrs. Bai now, it seemed she was intentional about it!

Qin Shuangshuang’s mind was in chaos, unable to tell what she felt. Rationally, she knew Fang Zhongyi was an absolutely good man, a great match, but emotionally, she had an obsession and possessiveness towards her mother, Mrs. Bai!

In both past and present lives, Mrs. Bai was the best to her, with no one surpassing her! Qin Shuangshuang had deep feelings for her mother and felt that any man daring to make advances on her mother was like touching her reverse scale!

If that person hadn’t been Fang Zhongyi, her esteemed master whom she admired and revered as a father figure, she would have gone off and beaten the person half to death!

Qin Shuangshuang didn’t even know how she proceeded afterward, drifting about with her mind full of this issue!

At times, she was adamant about taking her mother far away from Fang Zhongyi, making it so he couldn’t even brush against her mother’s clothing. Yet, at other times, she convinced herself that her mother was still young and had suffered much. If a man could take care of her mother together, it might make her mother’s life happier. A daughter’s filial piety could never replace having a life partner.

”Shuangshuang, Shuangshuang!”

Qin Shuangshuang snapped back from her thoughts to find her mother calling her. A bit dazed, she returned to her senses, seeing before her a lineup of about ten people of all ages, genders, and states, even some children, and glanced around at a crowd of people in ragged clothes. Her mother had apparently chosen people to hire, now seeking her approval.

Qin Shuangshuang looked at these people, who all appeared to be unhealthy and physically frail. It was clear they were a family, their eyes filled with both anticipation and anxiety, evidently fearing the presence of women and children might deter Qin Shuangshuang from agreeing to hire them.

Mrs. Bai’s selection, without even needing to ask, was driven by her soft-heartedness and kindness. Naturally, Qin Shuangshuang wouldn’t oppose something her mother wished to do!

Besides, Qin Shuangshuang didn’t have any particular objections. This was a time when families kept all members, not abandoning girls to reduce population burdens. They still held onto the idea of keeping the family together, suggesting their character couldn’t be too poor.

Qin Shuangshuang wasn’t fearful of hiring anyone who might have eaten human flesh! The disaster victims who had resorted to cannibalism were already rounded up and imprisoned with harsh conditions before being forcibly moved to the border city.

Those cannibalistic disaster victims were likely dispatched to labor-intensive places like quarries as punishment. Did they really think there would be no law during times of disaster? Eating people without accountability? The court assures, at all times, the law is still in effect!

This particular family comprised more than a dozen members, many of whom were strong laborers. Although there were quite a few women, they all appeared capable of working. With the whole family, they should be able to manage the two to three hundred acres of land, so Qin Shuangshuang decided not to hire additional people.

It was common for land rental agreements to split the crops 70/30, but some conscientious families opted for a 60/40 split. Qin Shuangshuang naturally planned to adopt this more generous 60/40 arrangement. Even though the crops for this year’s land had been planted, and by rules, a share should be deducted, working on barren fields was exhausting, so Qin Shuangshuang decided not to deduct any share.

Qin Shuangshuang’s generous offer couldn’t be more benevolent. The expressions of the family opposite were filled with joy, though the elder leader still nervously rubbed his hands, trying to negotiate with Qin Shuangshuang about changing this year’s dividend to be issued in grain!

Their main concern was their lack of money; they had to eat upon reaching the border city but without money, buying food was impossible. Despite Qin Shuangshuang’s generous terms, it couldn’t alleviate their immediate need, so naturally, she agreed.

When they arrived, everyone traveled by ox-cart. When returning, they had a bunch of people, and the ox-cart was loaded with various purchases and the tenants’ clothing, so they all slowly made their way back on foot.