Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“I truly don’t know what’s wrong with that wooden box. I just found it strange, that’s all. Don’t you think the appearance of that dilapidated wooden box is somewhat off?” Su Wenyue didn’t know what else to say, but saying nothing wouldn’t do either. Han Yu was astute enough to notice something fishy. A misunderstanding would be unfortunate, which is why she deliberately pointed out the flaws in the situation.

Han Yu, initially, like everyone else, had his attention on the black wooden box. Upon hearing what Su Wenyue said, he too realized that the dilapidated wooden box was indeed odd. It wasn’t the box itself that was unusual, but rather the place where it appeared—predictably, Su Wenyue continued speaking.

“At first, I didn’t think much of it and just felt it was a bit strange. But later, I noticed the positions of the women in red. They seemed to be guarding the black wooden box, yet the dilapidated box was within their protected area. Moreover, these people are obviously well-trained. There’s nothing superfluous on the stage, only this dilapidated wooden box, which really shouldn’t be there. I don’t even know when it appeared on the stage, and it seems the black wooden box is a decoy to divert attention and create confusion, drawing everyone’s gaze.”

Though Su Wenyue was speaking partly to appease Han Yu, not entirely truthful, but not deceitful either, as the actual situation was indeed as such. Su Wenyue particularly felt that something was off about the dilapidated wooden box, which had spurred her to notice the anomaly. She had a strong feeling that the colorful exquisite lamp was inside that dilapidated box, a very strong feeling. If unsure about other things, she was confident in trusting her instincts about the colorful exquisite lamp.

“Wife, you’re right,” Han Yu said with more meticulous observation and martial arts practitioners’ sharper detection of certain details. He hadn’t noticed anything before, but now, reminded by Su Wenyue, he discovered many unusual aspects. Su Wenyue relied on intuition, while Han Yu’s conclusions were based on precise analysis.

Having reached a conclusion, Han Yu’s expression became stern. The arena’s host had arranged this for a reason—so many people guarding it, yet still using subterfuge by placing the object in a dilapidated wooden box. This showed that the competition for the colorful exquisite lamp was even fiercer than anticipated, involving not only those openly competing but likely also others fighting in secret. If they failed to win first place, it might still be alright, but if they did, they feared that peace would not last.

Han Yu brought Su Wenyue to Shangguan Wuyou and said, “Brother Run Zhi, I have some matters to arrange. Would you mind taking care of my wife for a moment?”

As Han Yu spoke, he whispered a few more words in Shangguan Wuyou’s ear. Shangguan Wuyou’s expression also became serious, knowing Han Yu must be arranging for this event. He nodded, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of my younger sister-in-law.”

After saying this, Shangguan Wuyou gave a few orders to a subordinate, who then left. People like them never placed their hopes or initiative in others’ hands.

“What’s the matter? Has something happened?” Ye Xinxin asked curiously, not displaying any worrisome emotions.

Shangguan Wuyou had no intention to explain, “It’s nothing; you keep enjoying the spectacle cheerfully.”

In just a short while, all eight pairs had been selected and stepped onto the arena. Sun Qianru was among them, accompanied by three scholars. Su Wenyue didn’t recognize them, but Shangguan Wuyou did, saying they were great scholars from Chang’an City.

Indeed, they were great scholars invited from Chang’an. The Sun Family had really invested heavily in this Lantern Riddle Contest. No wonder Sun Qianru looked so smug, gazing down on others with her chin up. It was likely she too was aiming for the colorful exquisite lamp.

Sun Qianru gave Su Wenyue a somewhat provocative look. Originally, she would have only been able to watch the contest from the sidelines. The outcome was vital for the Sun Family—they had to secure the colorful exquisite lamp. It was with considerable effort that she convinced her father to let her join the three great scholars on the arena. Now, at last, it was her time to be proud. She awaited Su Wenyue and her group’s defeat, anticipating them leaving the stage in disgrace.

If it had been an ordinary day, Su Wenyue might have paid some attention to Sun Qianru. But now, preoccupied with her thoughts, she could not be bothered to engage, causing Sun Qianru’s triumphant smile to freeze stiffly on her face. Exasperatingly, just when she finally had a chance to gloat, this Mrs. Su woman had the nerve to ignore her!

It wasn’t long before Han Yu returned, apparently having made arrangements. Su Wenyue casually asked and, satisfied with Han Yu’s preparedness, didn’t interfere further. Her mind was in disarray, not only troubled by the inexplicable pull of the dilapidated wooden box but also by the colorful exquisite lamp. She knew of the lamp before but had never heard the legend—that within the colorful exquisite lamp lay a secret treasure of immortality.

While Su Wenyue was absorbed in thought, the competition had advanced through several rounds and had reached an intensely critical phase. Four pairs had been eliminated—those remaining were Su Wenyue’s group, Yiyang Prefecture’s Four Great Talents, Sun Qianru’s group that had managed to stay, and an old man on his own.

The next phase wouldn’t eliminate anyone. It would operate on a scoring system. The first place in the Lantern Riddle Contest would emerge from these four groups. Yet, as each group boasted considerable strength, after several rounds, they proved evenly matched. Even Shangguan Wuyou, famed as a genius, could not secure an advantage, and the situation grew tense.

The host on the arena also hadn’t expected such a scenario. All the challenges they set were being solved one by one, leaving them momentarily without any harder questions. Then, a young boy approached and handed a note to the host.

Upon seeing the note, joy spread across the host’s face—it seemed he had found a solution. His anxious expression calmed as he loudly addressed the crowd, “Today’s Lantern Riddle Contest has been exceptionally intense. The problems we’ve posed have all been answered by our talented participants. The next round’s questions will not be set by me. Instead, we will pair the four groups into two, and they will challenge each other. The winning pairs will then compete to determine today’s victor.”

After the host finished speaking, he had the servants bring two boxes for a draw to decide the pairings.

The results of the draw pitted Su Wenyue’s group against Sun Qianru’s, while the odd old man was matched against Yiyang Prefecture’s Four Great Talents.