5 - Little Peasant Wife

At this moment, it became evident to everyone why scholars were often criticized for their lack of integrity and principles. Seeing Jing Ao Xue's interaction, their previous fear dissolved and was replaced by a wave of sympathy and a touch of warmth. Jing Ao Xue, witnessing this shift, was inwardly delighted, but outwardly she wore a heartbroken expression. She reached into her waistband and pulled out a jade pendant. "This was left with me by Han Ju Ren years ago as a token with the words, 'Should prosperity befall you, do not forget.' Han Lao Tai Ye, although your conduct disappoints me, Han Ju Ren is a man of his word," she lamented with a sigh. Han Lao Tai Ye, hands trembling, recognized the pendant as belonging to his grandson. Years ago, a tutor informed him of his grandson's extraordinary potential and, in anticipation of his future achievements, had entrusted him with the Han family heirloom, hoping he would earn fame and status. His grandson had indeed kept it close until he mentioned the risk of losing such a precious item a few years ago, so it was stored away, no questions asked. Unexpectedly... His face ashen, Han Lao Tai Ye commanded, "Indeed, this is a Han family heirloom. Han Da Lao Ye, fetch my money box from my room." Though Han Da Lao Ye was about to object, a glance from Han Lao Tai Ye silenced him, sending him to retrieve the box obediently. Their resources were depleted due to the day's banquet, meant to please both the locals and potential influential connections. Everything had been going smoothly until Jing Ao Xue disrupted their plans, leaving the Han Family humiliated. Heart heavy, Han Da Lao Ye returned with the box of valuables and passed it to his father. Shakily, Han Lao Tai Ye took out several property deeds. "These are our family's last reserves. Jing Xiao You, please see if they cover your debts." Jing Ao Xue, beaming, inspected the documents: a house deed and twenty acres of land. While it was insufficient by monetary standards, she decided against pursuing the matter further to maintain her newly improved image. She nodded, securing the documents in her clothing. "Han Lao Tai Ye, your openness is admirable. Thank you for your generous hospitality. I lost my parents young and lacked guidance, so if I've offended anyone, I hope you'll be magnanimous. Let’s meet again for drinks and a meal at my home, with my thanks." Returning the jade pendant to Han Da Lao Ye, she bowed slightly, then asked Jing Liu Er, "Have you eaten enough? Shall we go home?" Jing Liu Er, still dazed by her mother's transformation, could only nod. Spotting someone outside the Han family's gate, her eyes lit up, and she smiled softly before dashing towards them. As Han Er Lao Ye handed over some packed food and wine, he avoided her gaze, clearly wanting to avoid confrontation, which Jing Ao Xue found amusing. She cheerfully accepted the items and started to leave. "This is all a misunderstanding," Han Lao Tai Ye called out. "These gentlemen are my guests—could you spare them?" Jing Ao Xue raised an eyebrow. "Of course. I merely pressed their pressure points; they’ll be free in half an hour. They overturned the tables and wasted food, though—a lesson for them. Any disagreements can be settled with me in the village." Unconcerned by Han Lao Tai Ye's dark expression, she cheerfully headed in the direction where Jing Liu Er had run. The villagers created a path for her, and in her good spirits, she greeted them happily. Her principles, honed in a troublesome world, remained simple: Respond to threats with retaliation. With numerous tasks ahead, worrying over trivial matters was out of the question. The change in Jing Liu Er was puzzling until Jing Ao Xue viewed her embraced by a young woman, likely the original spouse of the body she inhabited. Supposedly, this woman had gone to town—how was she back so soon? She pondered how long the woman might have stood there watching, opting not to join the gathering but instead observing from afar—a behavior that seemed peculiar. As curiosity took hold, the young woman nodded acknowledgment from a distance, then, without waiting for a response, turned with Jing Liu Er in hand, leaving Jing Ao Xue to wonder. She had anticipated that the original owner of the body had mistreated the woman, who, despite being capable, had stayed, perhaps out of love. However, the coldness in this reaction suggested otherwise—there was a distinct lack of fondness. Could her out-of-character actions have exposed the truth to the spouse, prompting her to leave immediately? Jing Ao Xue pondered, scratching her chin. Unconvinced by her musings, she resolved to follow the woman's path closely. Chapter 5: Cultivation Although Jing Ao Xue caught up to her body’s original spouse, she was perplexed about how to interact with her. Having grown up an orphan, she never formed close relationships with others. Before the apocalypse, she was an outcast at school—her demeanor was withdrawn and peculiar, lending her no friends. After the apocalypse, trust was nearly impossible, and she maintained a high level of vigilance towards everyone. Now, unexpectedly transported to this strange new world, she had two close relations, whom she couldn't view in the same way as the Han family or the other villagers. Interacting with Jing Liu Er, a little girl, already made her feel awkward; dealing with her spouse—someone with whom this body had been intimate—was bewildering. Her spouse clearly regarded her warily, like some fearsome beast, and hurried ahead at a brisk pace, leaving Jing Ao Xue far behind. At first, Jing Ao Xue attempted to keep up despite her still feeble condition, but eventually she reconsidered. Chuckling at her predicament, she slowed down and leisurely wandered behind. The open skies and serene atmosphere soon enveloped her. She took a deep breath, appreciating the peace. In many ways, her unexpected journey to this world was a blessing. After ten years in a society ravaged by the apocalypse, she had forgotten what normal life felt like. It had been ages since she'd seen such vast greenery or smelled such fresh flora. Despite being in a world of mere mortals, where spiritual energy was scarce, it was still abundant enough for her. In the initial days of the apocalypse, she had been fortunate to awaken with wood-based abilities. Powers were considered humanity's greatest assets during those times; once mastered, wielding them was as natural as moving one's limbs. Currently, her abilities were dormant, leaving her feeling unstable as if her hands and feet were bound. She resolved to restore her wood-based powers quickly. Many methods existed to enhance abilities, the most common being the absorption of energy from zombie nuclei. Given enough, these could break barriers, advancing one's abilities naturally. However, nothing like these nuclei existed in this world; alternate methods were needed. From the original owner's memories, she learned about energy sources akin to the nuclei, known among cultivators as spirit stones. Had she been in a cultivation realm, using spirit stones would be feasible. Yet in this mortal domain, spirit stones, if any appeared, were seen as rare treasures of unimaginable value. Thus, she faced a slower path: absorbing energy released by wood-based life forms. Suddenly determined, she realized this village had excellent security; she needn't worry about attacks from zombies or beasts. Standing still, she closed her eyes, attuning to the wood element around her. The world thrived with vegetation, and the wood element pulsed vibrantly. This pleased her more than she'd anticipated. Concentrating, she sensed the flow of wood energy, pinpointing an area of exceptional activity—those same mountains she initially intended to explore. With eyebrows raised in intrigue, she changed course toward the mountains. Meanwhile, Jing Liu Er was back home with her parent, Shen Lü Man. Eyes darting from her parent to the door, she searched in vain for her mother, her face falling in disappointment when she found no trace. Shen Lü Man noticed, frowning slightly. She crouched to meet her daughter’s eyes. “Did she harm you?” Jing Liu Er shook her head. “Mother, she... she was kind today. Didn’t hurt Liu Er and took me to have... delicious food,” she stammered. Hearing this, Shen Lü Man frowned deeper. Her early return today was prompted by inexplicable anxiety, a foreboding of calamity at home. Accelerating her pace with a touch of her latent energy, she had reduced her two-hour journey to just half. On arrival, neither spouse nor daughter was present, increasing her alarm. Though logically, her partner should cherish their child, like a mother tiger, Jing Ao Xue had never embraced Liu Er as her daughter. Shen Lü Man entered the esteemed family at ten, working as a maid where Jing Ao Xue lived. She knew Jing Ao Xue’s temperament all too well: aloof and prideful externally, yet internally vengeful, sparing none who provoked her. When her spiritual abilities were destroyed at sixteen, societal ostracization compounded her nature. Assigned to a strategic marriage, though unwilling, she pragmatically accepted it as her lifeline. Jing Ao Xue viewed it as salvation, but Shen Lü Man's disclosure dashed all prospects, severing alliances and extinguishing all hope from the family head. Consequently, she was cast out from the cultivation circles. Jing Ao Xue's resentment towards Shen Lü Man was understandable and justified. Burdened with guilt, Shen Lü Man had always yielded in their interactions. Despite abuse, which she could have effortlessly countered, she never left Jing Ao Xue’s side. Partly this was due to unspeakable truths; partly because Jing Ao Xue’s actions inflicted negligible pain on her personally.