The Prime Minister’s Little Wife

Chapter 11: Wang Shishi’s True Nature

Jin Zijun’s clever plan had backfired. The original Xu Zhizhi, whom he had pushed to her limits, was already gone. The one who had broken off the engagement was the modern-day Xu Zhizhi, a university graduate with several years of work experience.

Although Xu Zhizhi had never been in a relationship, she could immediately see through Jin Zijun’s scoundrel nature (mainly because she had inherited all the original host’s memories). She knew he was just using her as a meal ticket and had no intention of marrying her. That’s why she had decisively ended the engagement.

Now, things were about to get interesting. Jin Zijun had rushed to propose to Wang Shishi because he had lost his meal ticket and would soon go hungry. Previously, Father Xu and his family had been supporting Jin Zijun and his mother.

If Wang Shishi didn’t agree to the proposal, would she continue to give them money? If she did, things might be fine. But if she didn’t, how would Jin Zijun and his mother survive? The Jin family had long since split up, and they had no one else to rely on.

Xu Zhizhi couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. The gossiping aunties probably hadn’t thought this far.

She decided to do a good deed and remind them.

“Aunt Hua, what are you all talking about? Miss Wang once told me that she has plenty of money and doesn’t care about my poor treatment of Brother Zijun. She said she would hire a maid to take care of Aunt Jin in the future. That’s why I broke off the engagement,” Xu Zhizhi said, pretending to be heartbroken.

After saying this, Xu Zhizhi quickly pulled her brothers away to go home and cook.

“Really? If Miss Wang doesn’t agree to Jin Zijun’s proposal, will she still give him money to hire a maid?” Aunt Hua immediately chimed in.

“If she doesn’t, what will Jin Zijun and his mother eat?” one aunt exclaimed, suddenly realizing the implications.

“The village hasn’t produced a scholar in years. Will the village chief expect us to support them?” Aunt Ma added.

The crowd erupted into chatter.

Human nature is such that when something doesn’t affect their own interests, it’s no big deal. But once it does, even the smallest matter becomes a huge issue.

Now, the voices criticizing Wang Shishi grew louder. If it weren’t for her flirting with Jin Zijun, he wouldn’t have broken off the engagement, and the Xu family would still be supporting him and his mother.

The Xu family had been doing just fine before. Their son could even attend the private school. But ever since the engagement with the Jin family, the Xu family had become thin and dark-skinned from hunger. It was clear how much of a burden supporting two extra people had been.

Wang Shishi and her maid, Qingzi, arrived under the big tree just in time to hear the crowd criticizing her. She couldn’t understand why they were so upset. She had simply rejected Jin Zijun’s proposal, just like she had rejected all the others.

In the six months she had been in Qili Village, many men had proposed to her, and she had turned them all down. These ignorant villagers had always admired her, calling her a fairy and saying that the men weren’t worthy of her. They had even mocked the men for “a toad lusting after swan meat.”

But today, after rejecting yet another scholar, the villagers were speaking so harshly.

Wang Shishi was seething inside, but she maintained a gentle smile as she approached. “Aunt Ma, what are you all saying about me?”

“Oh, Miss Wang, have you eaten yet?” Aunt Ma stammered, unsure how to respond. After all, it was awkward to be caught gossiping about someone.

“We’ve already eaten and came out for a walk to digest,” Qingzi said with a dark expression.

“Our young lady is the daughter of the Minister of Rites. She’s not someone you ignorant peasants can casually slander.”

Qingzi didn’t mention that her mistress was actually a concubine’s daughter. Because of her beauty, she had caught the eye of the fiancé of the main wife’s daughter.

The main wife and her daughter had tried to kill Wang Shishi several times, but she had cleverly avoided their schemes. Before she could retaliate, she had been framed and sent back to this remote countryside by her father.

Qingzi had been saved by Wang Shishi when she was six and had remained fiercely loyal to her ever since.

Hearing these villagers she despised slandering her perfect mistress, Qingzi couldn’t hold back and blurted out her thoughts.

Wang Shishi thought to herself, This is bad. She still had to stay in this village for a while. Calling the villagers “ignorant peasants” would ruin the gentle, kind, and virtuous image she had carefully cultivated.

“Qingzi, how can you speak like that? Aunties, I’m so sorry. Tomorrow, I’ll have Wang Shitou deliver a pound of meat to each of you as an apology,” Wang Shishi said sweetly.

The village aunties and grannies were naturally kind and simple. Although a few were notorious for their sharp tongues, they felt a bit guilty after being caught gossiping.

When Qingzi called them “ignorant peasants,” they were naturally displeased. They had planned to criticize Wang Shishi harshly after she left.

But now, with the promise of free meat, their tone changed.

“Miss Wang is so kind-hearted, even offering meat as an apology!”

“Miss Wang is as beautiful as she is kind.”

“With such a prestigious background, how could Jin Zijun ever be worthy of Miss Wang?”

“A toad lusting after swan meat!”

The tide of opinion shifted instantly. Free meat was a rare treat, and they eagerly showered Wang Shishi with praise.

Wang Shishi thought to herself, I grew up in a noble household and survived the schemes of the main wife and her daughter. Do you think I can’t handle a bunch of ignorant peasants?

Aunt Hua, however, wasn’t swayed. She was worried that if public opinion turned in Wang Shishi’s favor, Jin Zijun might try to win Xu Zhizhi back.

That couldn’t happen. Her husband had said that Xu Zhizhi had become a clever and good girl after breaking off the engagement. If Jin Zijun ruined her again, especially now that Father Xu was injured and needed two months to recover, it would be a disaster.

“Miss Wang, that day we all saw Jin Zijun forcing Xu Zhizhi to kneel and apologize to you. That’s why she broke off the engagement,” Aunt Hua said loudly.

She wasn’t ungrateful for the offer of meat—it was worth half a day’s wages—but she was determined to help Xu Zhizhi, who had given her family five hundred coins.

Aunt Ma chimed in, “That’s right, Miss Wang. That day, you and Jin Zijun looked so happy together. Now that he’s a scholar and so handsome, if he passes the provincial exam next year, he’ll become an official.”

“Miss Wang, you’re sixteen now. If Jin Zijun becomes an official next year, you’ll be an official’s wife.”

“Miss Wang, your family is so wealthy. You could continue supporting Jin Zijun until he becomes the top scholar. Then he’ll be a high official in Luocheng.”

The aunties chattered on.

Wang Shishi was furious. These ignorant peasants could see what she already knew. But she was already sixteen and couldn’t afford to wait. Besides, her family hadn’t sent any money, and the funds she had brought with her were almost gone due to her and Qingzi’s lavish spending.

She could play coy with Jin Zijun—after all, he was the most talented man in this poor village, and it was flattering to be pursued by him while he was still engaged. But she wasn’t ready to marry him now. What was wrong with that?

Wang Shishi blamed all of this on Xu Zhizhi and grew to hate her.

(End of Chapter)