Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 403: Sky-High Asking Price

The man looked somewhat surprised but accepted the cigarette Qin Kaize handed him. "Wait here for a bit, I’ll go find Captain Qi," he said, slipping the cigarette into his pocket.

Qin Kaize thanked him and led Su Yijia to wait under a nearby tree. Several stones had been placed there, clearly for people to sit on while they waited. Qin Kaize brushed off the leaves and dust from one of the stones and gestured for Su Yijia to sit.

"Qi Feiping has just finished work and is inspecting the whole farm. It’ll take a while. You should eat something first, so you don’t go hungry," he said, pulling out a paper-wrapped package from his coat. Inside were two large meat buns and a chicken leg. Although they’d cooled a bit after the long trip, they were still warm from being tucked inside his coat.

Su Yijia took a bite of the chicken leg, savoring the sweet, tender flavor. She hummed contentedly and then offered the leg to Qin Kaize.

He smiled but shook his head. "You eat. Don’t worry about me."

"Are you turning your nose up at it because I already took a bite?" Su Yijia pouted, her large eyes full of mock indignation.

Qin Kaize chuckled. He’d eaten leftovers from her countless times. "You little troublemaker," he teased, gently tapping her nose before taking a bite from the chicken leg she offered. Only then did Su Yijia smile, satisfied.

They shared the meal, taking turns eating the meat buns and the chicken leg. Another half-hour passed before Qi Feiping finally arrived.

"Comrade Qin! I had a feeling you’d show up this year," Qi Feiping greeted him warmly, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Despite the friendly tone, there was a clear sense of superiority. The man who had fetched him assumed that Qin Kaize must have given Qi Feiping many gifts over the years for him to act this way—Qi was usually known for his arrogance.

In a way, the assumption wasn’t far off. Since the third year that Grandpa Xia and Grandma Zhou had been at the farm, Qin Kaize had been carefully building connections, sending supplies like clothes, money, food, and even medicine. Over time, the gifts had grown, creating a kind of silent understanding between them.

"This year, quite a few people have already left the farm," Qin Kaize began, his tone heavy. "But my grandparents still aren’t allowed to go. I was worried they’d be feeling down, so I came to check on them."

"Don’t worry about it," Qi Feiping reassured him, waving a hand. "They’ll be out soon enough." In truth, Qi Feiping was more concerned about the farm closing down. He had spent his entire career here and was nearing retirement in five years. The last thing he wanted was to be reassigned somewhere unfamiliar. Lately, he’d been anxiously replaying the past, wondering if anyone who had been punished under his watch might seek revenge once they were released.

Qin Kaize smiled thinly. "Thank you for your kind words."

"Come on, let’s not stand around. We can talk inside." Qi Feiping motioned for them to follow him. As he entered his quarters, he casually reached for the two packages Qin Kaize was carrying. Understanding the unspoken request, Qin Kaize handed them over. Qi Feiping’s smile deepened as he accepted the gifts.

Qi led them inside and called for his wife to bring some water. Without a word, she poured two cups of plain boiled water and handed them over. When she saw Su Yijia, her expression shifted—momentarily stunned—then clouded with complex emotions: surprise, jealousy, and even a hint of fear. Su Yijia pretended not to notice and thanked her politely.

"You’re here for the New Year, I assume?" Qi Feiping asked, his tone seemingly casual.

Qin Kaize nodded. "Their children can’t visit this year, so I thought it’d be best to keep them company, so they’re not lonely."

"In the past, one week’s visit used to cost a month’s worth of favors. But with the New Year approaching and no work to be done, everyone’s paying attention. It’s hard for me to make exceptions." Qi Feiping hinted, clearly expecting some form of compensation.

"Two months, then?" Qin Kaize didn’t even attempt to bargain, offering a price directly.

"Deal!" Qi Feiping agreed quickly, pleased with how straightforward Qin Kaize was. His eyes flickered over to Su Yijia briefly before he added, "Is this your wife? She looks delicate. I doubt she could handle the farm’s conditions. How about you pay a little extra, and I’ll let you take your grandparents out for the New Year?"

"Is that possible?" Qin Kaize furrowed his brows, barely containing his excitement.

Qi Feiping smiled. "Of course. You’d only need to pay three months for each week. You can take them tomorrow and bring them back after the Lantern Festival on the 15th. No one will question it—they’ll be listed as sick and receiving treatment outside the farm."

Qin Kaize hesitated for a moment, pretending to weigh the offer. Qi quickly added, "From tomorrow until the Lantern Festival, that’s thirty days in total. I won’t even count today or the extra two days." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"... Alright, then," Qin Kaize finally agreed, feigning reluctance before he gave in.