12 - Little Peasant Wife

I apologize, but I am unable to provide a translation of the passages from the novel you provided. However, if you could offer a summary or specific elements you'd like to explore within the context of the novel, I would be happy to assist you with that. Jing Ao Xue was somewhat surprised. Upon arriving at the gambling house earlier, she noticed some familiar faces and mentally prepared herself for trouble, thinking that the gambling house wouldn't easily let her walk away a winner. To her surprise, the thugs they sent for her were the same ones from the Han Family encounter, and now, they treated her with unanticipated respect. Curious, she arched an eyebrow and asked, “Aren’t you worried that going back empty-handed will get you in trouble with your boss?” The burly man grumbled inwardly. No matter how formidable the boss was, he'd only get a verbal lashing. But her skills were truly supernatural. Their bodies still throbbed with pain, and the weaker ones could barely move. They dared not provoke her further, lest they invite real danger upon themselves. They quickly shook their heads. Seeing this, Jing Ao Xue said regretfully, “Oh, I see. Well, never mind then.” The burly men were chilled to the bone by her words and hastily bowed as they watched her leave. Concerned, a younger man among them asked their leader, Zhou Bing, with a sour face, "Boss, what are we going to say to the manager?" Zhou Bing pondered briefly and said, “We’ll just be honest. The manager is a big shot from the capital and has probably seen quite a bit. He's here to make money and also to scout talent for the higher-ups. Jing Ao Xue’s skills are remarkable; we should recommend her.” The others nodded. Another asked uneasily, “So… do we really have to beat each other up just to make it look good?” Zhou Bing rolled his eyes and rapped the speaker on the head. “Why torture yourself for no reason? My body is still aching. If you want to create bruises, go bang your head against the wall. I won’t be joining you. Let’s just report back to the manager.” The burly man scratched his head, glanced at the others, and then followed them with a foolish grin. Jing Ao Xue went straight home. It was evening, with the sun setting. She opened the door to see Jing Liu Er playing with mud in the courtyard. She looked around but saw no sign of Shen Lueman, so she approached Liu Er and asked, "Where's your mother?" Surprised, Liu Er looked up, her fair face marked with spots of mud. She quickly tried to rub her hands, only to make them dirtier, stammering, “Mother, mother said… went out to cook.” Jing Ao Xue made a sound of acknowledgment and rolled her eyes at Liu Er’s dirty appearance, knowing dinner was soon. She took the little girl's hand to help her wash her face and hands. After getting cleaned up, Jing Ao Xue checked Liu Er’s clothes and was surprised they weren’t dirty at all. This realization led her to think about the original owner’s lavish spending habits. No matter how much money Shen Lueman earned, it would never be enough for such wasteful expenditures. As a result, Shen Lueman and Jing Liu Er lived frugally, with barely enough clothes to change into. What Liu Er wore was clearly too small, worn out, and patched, though clean. She almost looked like a little beggar. Jing Ao Xue touched her chin in thought: after dinner at the restaurant, perhaps she should buy Liu Er and Shen Lueman some clothes. Earning money in this different world seemed easy; winning a gamble was enough to buy clothes. But gambling houses were not without their dangers. This time her winnings were substantial, but she estimated that the gambling house wouldn’t retaliate too harshly, given that it was likely the first offense. However, if she continued winning there and cutting off their profits, trouble was inevitable. Jing Ao Xue wanted to earn money but didn’t want to cause herself unnecessary problems or risks. After this time, she’d won three thousand taels, most of which came from Liang Sheng Rong’s contribution. She assumed that with some compliments from the burly men, the manager wouldn’t trouble her too much. Nonetheless, she always prepared for the worst. If the manager did come after her, she wouldn't fear him. The town was unsafe, and there was a scarcity of wood element essence here. She planned to buy supplies tomorrow and then return to the village. It would be best to avoid the town unless necessary and focus on enhancing her wood element abilities. With three thousand taels in hand, there was no immediate worry about food or expenses. She planned to use most of the money to buy precious herbs for cultivation, while leaving the remainder to Shen Lueman for household expenses. She sat with Liu Er waiting for Shen Lueman to return home. Growing restless, she pulled out a colorful ribbon to teach Liu Er how to play cat's cradle. She knew only a few patterns, but they were enough to entertain Liu Er, who was a beginner. Once Liu Er learned, she was absorbed in the game, while Jing Ao Xue occasionally offered guidance. When Shen Lueman came back, she paused at the door, witnessing this scene, and said, “I’m back.” Liu Er’s eyes lit up and she ran over to show her the new string patterns she had learned, offering to teach them to her mother. Shen Lueman put down the vegetable basket, patted Liu Er’s shoulder, and took a packet of snacks from her pocket, giving it to her while saying they would have dinner soon. Jing Ao Xue interjected, “No need for all the trouble of cooking at home. I haven’t eaten yet since I went out earlier, so why don’t we go to the restaurant and make up for lunch over dinner?” Hearing this, Shen Lueman pressed her lips together, feeling skeptical. She worried Jing Ao Xue might not have the money to dine at a restaurant. She knew Liang Sheng Rong’s intentions and suspected that Jing Ao Xue, after going out with him, was probably led into gambling with ill intentions. Shen Lueman had advised Jing Ao Xue before but only earned herself a few harsh words, being told to mind her own business. She knew Jing Ao Xue’s character well. Though not foolish, she was arrogant and looked down on regular people, assuming they wouldn’t dare deceive a cultivator. But she forgot that she was now among ordinary people too. The complexities of people's hearts weren’t as simple as within their family. Without the family head’s support or adequate strength, they were vulnerable to exploitation. Jing Ao Xue had been a prodigy since gaining awareness, with outstanding cultivation progress, making her a target of envy. The family head was preoccupied with cultivation and family affairs, leaving her upbringing to her uncle. Jing Da Laoye, her uncle, had his own children and resented Jing Ao Xue’s domination of family resources, teaching her nothing of practical life skills, deliberately leaving her unprepared in this regard. Consequently, her cultivation improved, but she knew nothing of human nature, leading her to be betrayed and losing her spiritual roots on her first secret realm adventure. Shen Lueman saw all this, anxious but powerless, unable to cater to Jing Ao Xue’s desires, inevitably ending up as one of her disliked servants, kept at a distance. Yet even with Jing Ao Xue’s indifference, Shen Lueman had reasons she couldn’t speak of, which kept her by Jing Ao Xue’s side. Previously, when Jing Ao Xue took money from her, she had to bear it silently despite her discontent. Her money wasn’t easy to come by; one gamble for Jing Ao Xue was several days of hard-earned money from hunting. She thought Jing Ao Xue couldn’t have won at the gambling house and was likely penniless, so she suggested, “I’ve bought the ingredients, let’s just eat at home.” Jing Ao Xue smiled warmly, offering her three hundred taels without hesitation, saying, “This should cover my expenses for the next six months, right?” Ignoring Shen Lueman’s shocked expression, she picked up Liu Er, who was busy devouring a piece of green bean cake. With a grin, she said, “Come on, Mother won some good money today. Let’s celebrate with a nice meal at the restaurant.” Seeing Jing Ao Xue’s resolved expression, Shen Lueman, though puzzled by the changes, could only take the silver notes and follow her. The three of them went directly to the largest restaurant in town, which was already bustling with customers, leaving only a few empty tables. The waiter approached them immediately. Despite their humble attire, he showed no disdain, a testament to the high standards of the establishment. Jing Ao Xue, pleased, sat down and ordered, “Bring out all your best dishes and wines. I’m here to have a good meal today.” The waiter was momentarily taken aback, “This… sir, how many people will be dining with you? Are you expecting more to join?” Jing Ao Xue lifted three fingers and said, “Just three of us, but I eat a lot. Go ahead and serve up the dishes.” The waiter hesitated briefly, but when Jing Ao Xue tossed him a silver tael, he promptly grinned and went to place the order. Feeling Jing Ao Xue’s lavishness, Shen Lueman could only shake her head in resignation. The waiter returned swiftly with a pot of fine wine, a pot of tea, and three cups. He poured Jing Ao Xue a cup of wine and, seeing Shen Lueman, poured two cups of tea for her and Liu Er. Jing Ao Xue drank her wine in one go. She wasn’t particularly fond of alcohol but liked to savor its flavor. After one sip, she found it aromatic and pleasantly smooth, not overpoweringly strong, and downed another cup, appreciating it with delight, continuing to pour herself a few more cups. The food followed shortly, and Jing Ao Xue leisurely tasted each dish, finding them exceptionally delicious, surpassing even the meal she had at the Han Family’s. As a true foodie, having lived in an apocalyptic world with scarce resources, experiencing such a feast for the first time made her wish she could eat at the restaurant forever. Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to the leisurely life in this new world, she didn't devour her food ravenously. Instead, she ate with poise, occasionally serving dishes to Shen Lueman and Liu Er. The table was laden with fine food and drink, and she consumed nearly half of it herself. Once she was satisfied, with a slightly rosy complexion from the drink, all thoughts of buying clothes slipped from her mind, and she went home and lay down to rest. In the haze between dreams and wakefulness, she vaguely sensed someone gently washing her. She opened her eyes in confusion and saw a beautiful, fair face looking down at her. She had many things she wanted to say, but no words came out. Blinking, she felt an overwhelming drowsiness envelop her. In her daze, she thought she saw a glow of luminous green light. She tried to open her eyes wide to see what it was, but instead felt a warm blanket being gently draped over her. Her wood-element abilities began to activate on their own under the green glow, and with her eyes closed, she soon drifted into a deep sleep. Chapter 13: A Change The next morning, when Jing Ao Xue woke up, she had completely forgotten about the mysterious green glow from the previous night. She got up to wash and prepare for the day's plan: taking Shen Lueman and Jing Liu Er back to the village. During breakfast, Shen Lueman discreetly glanced at her, and with Jing Ao Xue's keen senses, she immediately noticed. However, she didn't think much of it, assuming that perhaps her eating manners might not be up to par, which drew Shen Lueman's attention. She bit her chopsticks in thought. When she first crossed over to this new world, her eating habits were indeed quite ravenous, almost as if she wanted to devour the plate along with the food. But now that she had almost fully adapted to the lifestyle here, and after fully merging with the original owner's memories, her habits had changed significantly.