7 - Little Peasant Wife

She subtly cast a glance at Jing Ao Xue; she thought her actions were inconspicuous, but unexpectedly, she met Jing Ao Xue's deep, dark eyes. Those eyes were just as they had always been, yet the sense of intimidation and ruthlessness within them couldn't be ignored. Her heart skipped a beat—Jing Ao Xue had indeed changed! Jing Ao Xue noticed her demeanor and scratched her head, thinking to herself: This woman is really difficult to get along with. She had initially intended to treat the original owner’s wife and daughter better, but they hadn’t given her any chance. She felt quite helpless, as she wanted to stay in the village for a while longer, and this meant she had to interact with this mother and daughter pair daily. Being stared at with such cautious vigilance all the time was something she was not accustomed to. Fortunately, she had thick skin and believed that time reveals a person's true nature. She had done her best to show friendliness; whether Shen Lu Man and Jing Liu Er would be willing to approach her was up to fate. Feeling quite relaxed, Jing Ao Xue’s mood improved greatly after a hearty meal. Rubbing her round stomach, she planned to rest for a while before doing the dishes. However, she was surprised to find Shen Lu Man had moved more quickly. In no time, the table was cleared, and the sounds of dishes being washed emanated from the kitchen. Jing Ao Xue stroked her chin; she didn’t like doing housework, and was rather pleased to have help with it. Besides, she was severely injured at the moment. Returning home from the mountain was accomplished solely by sheer willpower. Although outwardly she appeared unscathed, inside, her internal organs felt as if they had been roasted over a roaring fire, causing such intense pain she could hardly bear it. She hadn't anticipated that while absorbing the wood element on the mountain, a strange and powerful energy suddenly surged within her body, clashing with the scattered fire elements in the environment. Just like a spark igniting the earth, it erupted inside her, causing her to vomit blood violently, nearly rolling down the mountain. With great difficulty, she managed to return to her room, continuously using her wood-based abilities to heal her damaged meridians. However, her injuries were too severe, and with her wood abilities still at level one, they were of little help. She could only alleviate the pain temporarily and planned to buy some herbs in town the following day. Frustration gnawed at her, and being hungry, she came out to find food. Now, full and satisfied, she saw Shen Lu Man approach after finishing the dishes. Jing Ao Xue raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you have plans for tomorrow?" Shen Lu Man regarded her calmly, shook her head slightly, and replied, "Nothing in particular." Jing Ao Xue, with a wide smile, said, "Great, accompany me to town tomorrow, then." She was practically incapacitated, every step causing her intense discomfort. The original owner’s wife was a cultivator—not highly skilled, but stronger than ordinary folk. With Shen Lu Man’s support, those two hours on the road would be bearable. Moreover, Shen Lu Man was quite capable; given that she had previously made enemies with a group of burly men, she wasn’t worried about them before. Now, being unable to protect herself, she truly needed Shen Lu Man as her bodyguard. Although she proposed it, she didn’t expect Shen Lu Man to agree. She had other plans in mind, yet unexpectedly, after just a moment’s consideration, Shen Lu Man agreed, saying, "Alright, I’ll go with you tomorrow." Jing Ao Xue was overjoyed, her face radiating with such beauty that it seemed to glow. Shen Lu Man had seen the world and encountered her share of handsome men and beautiful women, but Jing Ao Xue’s features stood out among them. Slightly dazed, Shen Lu Man pursed her lips to say goodnight and turned to head back to her room. Having resolved a concern, Jing Ao Xue returned to her room in good spirits, quickly falling into a restful sleep. Chapter Seven: Frailty The next morning, Jing Ao Xue awoke early. The sky outside was still dim; even the village roosters had yet to crow, and most villagers were still in their dreams. Yet, the aroma of rice lingered in the air, indicating someone had awakened before she did. Rubbing her eyes, Jing Ao Xue rose from bed. The previous night had been plagued with unrelenting pain, which kept her tossing and turning all night. She managed to close her eyes for a bit but was quickly awakened by the discomfort again and again. Now, she was not only exhausted, but the pain within her body was sharper than ever, with her nerves throbbing in agony. It was unbearable, and she realized she needed to reach the town as soon as possible. Despite feeling as though she wanted to roll on the ground in pain, she showed no sign of weakness or abnormality on her face. She carried out her morning routine, dressing herself, and went to the courtyard to draw water from the well for washing. Once she was ready, she slowly made her way to the kitchen. At that moment, Shen Lu Man was busy at the stove. She had rice steaming in one pot and was reheating the leftover meat dishes from the previous day in another. Seeing Shen Lu Man working methodically, and knowing her own lack of culinary skills could only be a hindrance, Jing Ao Xue said, "I'll go wake Liu Er for breakfast." Shen Lu Man paused her stir-frying and asked, "Is Liu Er coming with us to town?" "Of course," Jing Ao Xue replied, walking away, her voice trailing off. "Both of us are going to town and might have to stay a few days. We can't just leave a child at home alone." Shen Lu Man hadn’t anticipated this plan, and her question had been more of a probe. She was unwilling to leave Liu Er alone at home. In the past, it was out of necessity—she had to take many hunting spoils to the town to sell, leaving no time to care for Liu Er. This time was different. Without a load of game to sell, the memory of arriving home to find Liu Er absent the previous day haunted her. She had planned to persuade Jing Ao Xue to take Liu Er along, but the suggestion came from Jing Ao Xue first. Shen Lu Man felt a mix of emotions. She couldn’t fathom what had changed in Jing Ao Xue; the past two days, Jing Ao Xue had been acting irrationally. This unfamiliar version of Jing Ao Xue made her uneasy, so she listened intently for any happenings from Liu Er’s room. Pushing the door open, Jing Ao Xue was surprised to see Liu Er already up, dressed neatly, and brushing her hair with a wooden comb. Jing Ao Xue paused but didn’t find the scene strange. She had lived in a post-apocalyptic world where even infants in swaddling weren’t to be underestimated, let alone a child of three or four years. Approaching, she asked, "Need help from Mother?" Liu Er was startled but quickly hastened her actions, deftly tying her hair up with strips of cloth into two plump little buns, and then said, "Good morning, Mother." Looking into Liu Er’s bright eyes, Jing Ao Xue said, "Morning. Go wash up. After breakfast, I’ll take you to town." Liu Er blinked, intrigued by the rare opportunity to go to town, which she seldom had before. But she first asked, "Is Mother going too?" Jing Ao Xue nodded, and Liu Er immediately beamed with joy, bouncing out of the room to wash her face and brush her teeth with the basin of water Jing Ao Xue had drawn. Breakfast was soon ready, and the family sat together, quietly finishing their meal. Once done, Shen Lu Man cleared and washed the dishes. Jing Ao Xue carefully organized the items obtained from the Han family the day before, dividing the small silver pieces into three pouches. Keeping the largest for herself, she gave the smallest to Liu Er, telling her to spend it as she wished. Normally, Liu Er received red envelopes with just a few copper coins from Shen Lu Man only during the New Year, which she saved to buy treats in town. But it wasn’t a holiday today, and this silver came from her mother, leaving her unsure of what to do. Her delicate brows furrowed, and her little face was full of worry. As Shen Lu Man emerged from the kitchen and saw this scene, she feared Jing Ao Xue had been harsh with Liu Er again and hurried to pull Liu Er away. Finding no harm on Liu Er, she turned to glare defensively at Jing Ao Xue. Noting Shen Lu Man’s reaction, Jing Ao Xue twitched her lips slightly and tossed a pouch containing fifty taels of silver to Shen Lu Man before taking a deep breath and saying, "Let’s go; it’s getting late." With that, she began walking. Shen Lu Man, perplexed, packed away her own pouch and followed, holding Liu Er close. While walking, she quietly asked Liu Er, "What did your mother do to you just now?" Liu Er showed the pouch clenched in her hand, innocently declaring, "A red envelope from Mother." Shen Lu Man lowered her gaze, feeling the weight of the silver inside. She realized these were the spoils Jing Ao Xue had gathered from the hulking brutes yesterday. Still, she was puzzled why Jing Ao Xue would give money to her and Liu Er; in the past, it had been the opposite. With mixed feelings, Shen Lu Man glanced at Jing Ao Xue’s lively back ahead and returned the pouch to Liu Er, advising, "Since your mother gave it to you, keep it. Buy yourself some sweet treats when we get to town." Upon hearing this, Liu Er’s eyes turned into crescents with her smile, for she was just a child with no resistance to such sweets. Seeing her happy, Shen Lu Man felt both bitter and tender-hearted. If only she had the capability, or perhaps... Never mind. Shen Lu Man didn’t like dwelling on impractical fantasies, being a very rational person. She looked toward the Asian figure walking ahead, wishing with all her heart that Jing Ao Xue would prove herself and not squander their livelihood. Her own skills in earning from hunting could surely provide a good life for Liu Er. Unaware of Shen Lu Man's thoughts, Jing Ao Xue was preoccupied with her own struggles. Her forehead was slick with sweat, each step feeling like walking on sharp blades, or worse. However, obtaining the medicinal herbs had to be done personally. Although the original owner of her body was a cultivation genius with both wood and fire spiritual roots, she primarily cultivated fire-based techniques and knew very little about wood-related knowledge. She was uncertain if the herbs she needed existed in this otherworld, or if they went by different names. The original owner’s memories offered no clues. Concerned for her health and cultivation, she dared not take any risks. Despite the excruciating pain and her sweat-drenched brow, she persisted in her journey, albeit at a slow pace, taking a quarter of an hour just to reach the village's entrance. Leaning against a massive boulder engraved with "Duobao Village," she found herself too exhausted to move further. Like a puddle of soggy mush, she would have collapsed if not for the support of the stone. Seeing her in this state, Shen Lu Man was inwardly shocked, not expecting Jing Ao Xue to be this weak. Could it still be due to her injuries from yesterday, yet unhealed? Standing beside Jing Ao Xue, Liu Er jumped down from Shen Lu Man's embrace and approached. With sleeves, she wiped Jing Ao Xue’s sweat, anxiously asking, "Mother, what’s wrong?" Touched by her concern, Jing Ao Xue managed a smile, "I’m fine." Hearing this, Shen Lu Man knew she was putting on a brave face. But at this pace, who knew when they’d reach town? She suggested, "Why don’t I carry you?" Jing Ao Xue weakly waved her hand, gritting her teeth, "No need. There’s a cart at the village entrance. I’ll wait for it to take us to town."