Chapter 262: Eastern Barbarians Pirate Attack
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by AI
Gumihou: Nearly half of the chapter had been slashed, so have this chapter as a reference. If you do not wish to burn your eyes with bad content, do head over to the Edited Version
“This cat is rebelling! It dares to make me uncomfortable without even asking who is in charge of this house.”
After changing into a clean pair of cloth shoes, Jin Fengju looked at the disgusting dead rats in his shoes from yesterday and was so angry that his mouth almost twisted. Even Fu Qiuning couldn’t defend the old cat. With so many people in the house, the cat didn’t bother anyone else, only Jin Fengju. Fortunately, it was summer, and Jin Fengju only wore cloth shoes. If it was autumn or winter when he wore boots, and the cat put these things in his shoes, he would have to stick his foot in the boot to find them. How disgusting would that be?
Seeing Jin Fengju getting angry, Fu Qiuning helplessly looked at the old cat snoring under the chair. Her mind raced, thinking that she couldn’t let the young Marquis’s anger escalate without finding an excuse to appease him. Otherwise, if he had a cerebral hemorrhage at such a young age, wouldn’t it be all my fault? While thinking, she suddenly remembered some posts she had seen in the modern world about cat behavior.
“Perhaps you don’t know,” Fu Qiuning said, “People always say that dogs are loyal while cats are cunning, but that’s really unfair to them. When I was on the estate, there were a few cats there, and one in particular from an old lady’s house was very well taken care of. Its fur was sleek and shiny. I asked her why it was so well cared for, and she said that the cat was like her daughter. By doting on it, she naturally took good care of it. She also mentioned that cats are actually loyal. They often bring back dead mice, birds, and snakes because they’re afraid their owners won’t be able to find food. They do it in case their owners starve. So, it’s not that the old cat is teasing you. It probably just recognized your authority as the head of the household and deliberately brought these things to please you, but it ended up being counterproductive.”
Jin Fengju rolled his eyes and looked at Fu Qiuning. “Alright, Qiuning, your mind works fast. You can even come up with such nonsense to defend this old cat.”
Fu Qiuning coldly snorted, “What do you mean by nonsense? I’m telling the truth. That lady also told me a joke. She said that one day when she was sick and wanted to rest in bed, her cat, afraid that she would starve, brought a cockroach in its mouth and chewed it up to feed her. Of course, she refused to eat it, so the cat thought she was being picky about food when she was about to starve to death. How could that be allowed? So, it reached out its paw and slapped her face…”
Before Fu Qiuning could finish, everyone, including Jin Fengju, burst into laughter. Only Fu Qiuning didn’t laugh, not because she had remarkable self-control, but because she had already laughed like crazy when she saw these jokes on social media in her previous life. So she managed to hold back her laughter this time. Seeing Jin Fengju’s gaze toward the old cat become “friendlier,” she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the old cat had escaped this calamity.
In her previous life, Fu Qiuning had many friends who were cat lovers and had heard many interesting stories about cats. She mentally listed them all and planned to continue using them as tools to “influence” Jin Fengju in the future. Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard Jin Ming’s voice urgently outside the door, “Master, a messenger from the Anti-Eastern Barbarians Defense Force at Quanhai just arrived. He said that a group of Eastern Barbarians invaders landed last night and completely plundered and burned a small village.”
Jin Fengju didn’t even wait for Jin Ming to finish speaking before he stood up abruptly, pounding the table with his fist and cursing, “They dare to be so arrogant. Jin Ming, prepare the horse. I’m going to the Anti-Eastern Barbarians Defense Force at Quanhai immediately. Not a single one of those Eastern Barbarians invaders is allowed to escape.” With that, he had already walked out the door in large strides.
The lively atmosphere in the room just now disappeared in an instant. Jian Feng and Qiu Yu were both born and raised in the big mansion. They had never heard of such cruel things happening before, not even from the Mongolian Tatars, who were fierce and brutal. At most, they would capture people and bring them back to the desert to make them slaves.
Qiu Yu hesitated and said, “Could the messenger have made a mistake in his report? Could it be that all the people in a village were killed? How is that possible? Even wolves wouldn’t be able to do something like this…” Before she could finish, she saw Fu Qiuning’s face turn cold, and she said in a low voice, “The Eastern Barbarians invaders are a group of animals even more despicable, cunning, and vicious than wolves. If you haven’t seen them with your own eyes, you can’t imagine how cruel they are.”
Qiu Yu and Jian Feng looked curiously at their second grandmother, which made Qiuning realize that she had misspoken. She stood up and said calmly, “Why are you looking at me like that? I haven’t seen them with my own eyes either. If I had, my soul would probably have crossed the Naihe Bridge by now. It’s just that when my husband comes back, he often talks about how cruel these Eastern Barbarians invaders are. I don’t know how many innocent people along the coast have suffered because of them, so that’s why I said that.”
Jian Feng and Qiu Yu suddenly understood and became worried again. They whispered, “Will Young Master be in danger this time when he goes out?”
Fu Qiuning remained silent. She knew very well that Jin Fengju was not the kind of person who would back down in the face of battle. And the Eastern Barbarians invaders were indeed a formidable group of wolves. In such a situation, how could there not be any danger? But what could she say? After all the thoughts that went through her mind, she could only let out a long sigh. In her heart, she silently prayed for her beloved.
On that day, Jin Fengju did not return to the mansion. They were the families of the government officials, so there were no messengers coming to report to them. Fu Qiuning sent two servants to the government office, and only then did she find out that after the small group of Eastern Barbarians invaders landed, several thousand more had arrived yesterday afternoon. Jin Fengju was busy fighting the Eastern Barbarians invaders with all the soldiers in Quanhai. The entire government office of Quanzhou was in chaos, with all the officials busy running around.
This is truly shocking news. When the two servants returned to report, their faces were devoid of any color. Fu Qiuning knew they were scared. Indeed, setting aside the safety of Jin Fengju, Quanzhou Prefecture was not far from the coastline. If they failed to resist the Eastern Barbarians invaders, the pirates would enter the city, and the situation would be disastrous.
“No wonder he didn’t send someone to inform me of his safety. He probably didn’t have the time,” Fu Qiuning muttered to herself after sending the two servants away. As she sat in her chair, several children came to pay their respects. She instructed them, “Your father is not here in the mansion, so you must not go out without permission. If I find out, there will be consequences. When your father returns, he will administer appropriate punishments. Do you all understand?”
Jin Zangfeng and the others responded together. Jin Zhenyi, who couldn’t keep his words to himself, noticed that Fu Qiuning’s complexion was pale. He stood up and asked with concern, “Madam, you don’t look well. Are you sick? Should we call a doctor?”
Fu Qiuning forced a smile and replied, “I’m fine, there’s no need to call a doctor. You all just need to behave and stay at home.” Then, she heard Jin Zhenxuan say, “Madam, you mentioned earlier that Father was going to invite a scholar for us. Why haven’t we seen anyone yet?”
Fu Qiuning said, “It’s only been a few days. It hasn’t even been ten days since he left. How could a good scholar be invited so quickly? For now, focus on studying diligently. Don’t let people underestimate you when the scholar does arrive; otherwise, your father’s reputation will suffer.” As she spoke, she couldn’t help but think about the swift arrival of the Eastern Barbarians pirates. Could there be some people behind it?
Lost in thought, Fu Qiuning suddenly saw Jian Feng hurriedly enter and whispered, “Madam, several ladies from the other mansions have come. They are waiting outside. Should you see them?”
Fu Qiuning knew they must have received the news. She stood up and said to Jin Zangfeng and the others, “You all go back to study for now. I have guests to receive.”
The children bid farewell, but Jin Zhenxuan intentionally lagged behind. After Jin Zangfeng and the others had returned to their rooms through the back corridor, he quietly turned back and sat behind the wooden door.
Fu Qiuning’s expectations were correct. All the women knew about the landing of the Eastern Barbarians pirates because they had heard it from the yamen. However, they didn’t know any details about the progress of the war. Worried about their husbands, they couldn’t contain themselves and decided to come here, thinking that the first wife, Fu Qiuning, might have some news. So they all came to inquire.
Seeing this, Fu Qiuning smiled bitterly and said, “Sisters, you overestimate me. I know as little as you do. I only heard from a servant that people on the streets dare not go out anymore. Every household has closed its doors, and many shops have shut down. Apart from a few officials, almost all the adults and yamen runners from the prefectural yamen have gone to the coast to pursue the pirates. Fortunately, there are still over a thousand soldiers guarding Quanzhou City, so it should be fine…”
Bai Zhang sighed and shook her head, saying, “Madam, you don’t know. Five years ago, Quanzhou City was plundered by the Eastern Barbarians pirates. At that time, were there not thousands of soldiers guarding the city gates? Yet, they still managed to break through and ravage the city before leaving. My husband was transferred here at that time. Although he didn’t witness the aftermath of the pirate attack himself, the desolate streets and the terrified people are still fresh in my memory. And now, five years later, we face another large-scale invasion by the pirates. How can we not worry?”
Fu Qiuning had yet to speak when the plump woman who had caused a scene outside the side gate earlier and was the first to move back in was frightened and exclaimed, “If that’s the case, then we can’t stay in Quanzhou City anymore. We should find a way to escape. Otherwise, are we just going to wait here to die? I need to make it clear…”
Before she could finish speaking, there was a “thud” as Fu Qiuning calmly placed her teacup on the table with a firm but measured force. The plump woman shrunk back and immediately dared not say anything more.
[Gumihou: Goodness, even the dramatic moments are so trite]
Come join kitchennovel’s subscription!
Or, you can still support us through Patreon or tip us via Kofi~!
Although… it’s, um, you only get half the benefits… but, the decision is in your hands!
Do also comment at Novelupdates and raise our ratings!
