14 - Little Peasant Wife

**"Simply put, her nature was excessively timid, and she stuttered when she spoke.** For Liu Er's future, it was necessary to refine her character. She couldn't allow her to remain so weak forever. After all, kindness can be taken advantage of, just as a docile horse is easily ridden. Being an orphan herself, Jing Ao Xue had suffered countless hardships and injustices. She was determined not to let Liu Er endure the same, never wanting her to be easily bullied. Moreover, the stuttering was a habit that needed to be corrected. People often view others through tinted lenses, and the world of children is both more innocent and more brutal. Liu Er, while playing with peers, if she opened her mouth and stuttered, would easily become the subject of ridicule. For Liu Er, who was naturally gentle, it would be a considerable blow. Just the thought of this scene made Jing Ao Xue's blood boil. She narrowed her eyes and recalled similar cases from her past life, having seen them in novels and on television. The principles were the same. Few are born stutterers; most acquire it through neglect. When she was a few years old, she imitated others' speech patterns, which became a habit. As she grew older, realizing it was undesirable, she consciously worked hard to break this habit. Liu Er was only four, with plenty of time and opportunity to correct it. However, Jing Ao Xue first needed to ascertain whether Liu Er's stutter was congenital or acquired. The original owner of Liu Er had always been indifferent to her, so she couldn't deduce the reason from memory alone. Shen Lu Man, who had raised Liu Er with her own hands, surely knew the truth. With this in mind, she raised her head and asked Shen Lu Man, "Has Liu Er's stuttering been present since she was little?" Hearing her name being called, Liu Er tilted her head and nodded, "Y-yes." Jing Ao Xue knew she didn't understand, so she raised an eyebrow and looked toward Shen Lu Man, waiting for her response. Initially, Shen Lu Man was taken aback, seemingly surprised by the question. Seeing Jing Ao Xue's eyes fixed sharply on her, she began to ponder and replied, "I suppose so. Liu Er has been like this since she started talking." Jing Ao Xue frowned, feeling troubled, "Could it really be congenital?" Seeing her expression, Shen Lu Man asked, "Why did you suddenly ask about this?" Jing Ao Xue hesitated briefly, patted Liu Er's shoulder, and said, "Liu Er is already four. She can't go on stuttering like this. Have you ever taken her to see a doctor to find out the cause?" Detecting the accusation in Jing Ao Xue's tone, Shen Lü Man inwardly scoffed, thinking: Whose responsibility was it not to bring Liu Er to a doctor? Her gaze grew cold, inadvertently reminding Jing Ao Xue of the foolish acts of the original owner. Jing Ao Xue awkwardly scratched her nose, worried that Shen Lu Man might snap back with harsh words. To break the tension, she gazed out the window, listening to the childish conversation between Shen Lu Man and Liu Er. Eventually, she joined in, exchanging comments. From then on during the journey, the two adults devised ways to engage Liu Er in conversation. When the carriage reached their destination, a half-hour later, they had arrived at Duobao Village. Considering the load, Jing Ao Xue promised the coachman an extra silver coin to drive the carriage to their doorstep. At the yard, Jing Ao Xue began unloading the items, one by one, into the courtyard. The coachman, a stout man in his thirties, small but strong, was honest. Seeing her struggle, he stepped down to assist, and together they managed to unload all the goods after several trips. Jing Ao Xue paid the coachman the remaining half of the fare, and he left with a smile. As she surveyed the items now filling much of the courtyard, she noticed Shen Lu Man already busy tidying up. Jing Ao Xue quickly interjected, "No rush, let's sort this out tomorrow." Shen Lu Man, though puzzled, saw Jing Ao Xue's determination. Since the items weren't in the way, she said no more and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Jing Ao Xue sighed, entered the house, and emptied all the valuable items from her person and the room onto the table, beginning to calculate. She had spent a significant amount of silver while shopping in town earlier, leaving her with over five hundred taels remaining—a substantial sum. Given the many future expenses, she carefully sorted and secured the banknotes and coins. Besides, she had two property deeds: one for the current courtyard they lived in, the other recently acquired from the Han family. Checking the address on the deeds against her memory of Duobao Village, Jing Ao Xue realized the property was a dilapidated thatched cottage at the foot of the hill she had passed days ago while gathering wood element energy. The place seemed abandoned for years, practically worthless. Jing Ao Xue scoffed, noting how the old Madam Han had dared to fob her off with such a ruin. Examining the land deed more closely, she found it was indeed fertile farmland. Otherwise, she'd have stormed back to the Han family for a confrontation. With plans to cultivate medicinal herbs essential for her cultivation, the fertile land proved fortuitous. It lay near the thatched cottage, at a place in Duobao Village rich in wood element energy. Jing Ao Xue already planned to relocate there. It was due to this consideration she had refrained from letting Shen Lu Man unpack. With both the land and house ready, albeit slightly rundown, simple repairs would make it livable. Jing Ao Xue decided to inspect the site the following day. During dinner, she mentioned the plan to Shen Lu Man, who seemed indifferent and left the decision to her. Though Shen Lu Man remained expressionless, Jing Ao Xue couldn't shake the feeling she was still upset about the criticism earlier. Feeling guilty and unsure how to placate her, Jing Ao Xue suddenly offered, "Tonight, let me prepare a medicated bath for you." **Chapter 15: Beautiful** Upon hearing this, Shen Lu Man slowly raised her head, looking at Jing Ao Xue with a strangely complex expression. Jing Ao Xue, misinterpreting her reaction as reluctance, began to explain persuasively, "A few days ago, during cultivation, I accidentally suffered a severe injury. I truly thought my days were numbered. But, fearing death and unwilling to succumb, I reflected on many things, regretting the foolish mistakes of my past, having let you and Liu Er down. Meanwhile, I sifted through my memories of the Cultivation World, searching for a way to survive." Her tone was sincere, prompting Shen Lu Man to unconsciously put down her chopsticks and press her lips together. She thought to herself: If that's the case, then the sudden changes in Jing Ao Xue all have a reason. In the Realm of Cultivation, when cultivators face life-threatening situations, they often experience introspection and enlightenment, breaking through barriers in cultivation, which also leads to changes in character. Such occurrences were common in the Cultivation World, as honing one's mental state was part of the practice. Shen Lu Man easily accepted her explanation for this reason. Seeing her belief, Jing Ao Xue continued, "It seems I was lucky. Previously, during a secret realm exploration, I accidentally obtained a jade slip from an alchemist that documented various ailments and their remedies. One of the treatments matched my condition at that time perfectly. Thinking it was my last shot, I bought herbs and used mortal methods to create medicine and a medicinal bath. With a hopeful heart, I took them, and unexpectedly, my body began to recover. Within a few days, I was fully healed." She said this with a theatrical sigh. Liu Er, captivated by what sounded like a story, eagerly asked, "And, and then what happened?" Jing Ao Xue placed a piece of meat into Liu Er’s bowl with her chopsticks, saying, "I estimate that the alchemist who created the jade slip must have been of at least the Golden Core stage. The remedy was remarkably effective, not only repairing my damaged meridians but also partially restoring my wood spirit root. It was a blessing in disguise." Upon hearing this, Shen Lu Man immediately inquired, "And how is your spirit root now?" Jing Ao Xue smiled and replied, "You know my spirit root was previously destroyed. After a brush with death, I've long stopped expecting to continue cultivating. I only wish for good health." As she spoke, she lowered her head with a seemingly lost expression, internally criticizing herself: Nonsense, all made up. She barely understood what a spirit root was. None of the catastrophic despair felt by the original owner over its destruction affected her. To her, using the apocalypse-era developed potions was merely a means to assist in cultivating her wood-element powers. Whether or not it could restore a spirit root was not her primary concern, and she didn’t make any promises about it. Liu Er comfortingly patted the back of her hand and softly reassured, "M-mother, it’s okay; you, you will get better." Jing Ao Xue looked down at her, her eyes meeting Liu Er's clear, earnest baby-faced expression, filled with sincerity and concern. Her heart warmed, realizing what an adorable little sweetheart Liu Er was. Shen Lu Man’s expression, however, was heavy, as if deeply affected. It seemed she was quite invested in whether Jing Ao Xue could continue cultivating, which only confused Jing Ao Xue further. Yet, she was gradually becoming accustomed to Shen Lu Man's nature and didn't inquire further. Instead, she said with a smile, "After my personal experience, I found this formula quite effective. So I went through some similar recipes from the jade slip and purchased enough herbs from Bai Cao Tang. I plan to prepare them for you and Liu Er to try as well." Saying this, she looked expectantly at Shen Lu Man. Shen Lu Man hesitated a bit and said, "Could you perhaps write down the formula for me to see?" Fearing Jing Ao Xue might misunderstand her intentions, she lowered her head and quietly added, "Although I have the aptitude of a five-spirit root and my cultivation isn't high, I have a bit of interest in alchemy. During my leisure time, I bought a few jade slips to study. The properties of mortal-world herbs aren’t strong, but various herbs mixed together can create potent poisons. I want to analyze the formula to ensure safety for us." Jing Ao Xue nodded, saying, "Very well. You are a cultivator, and since this formula is intended for us, we naturally need to be cautious." Shen Lu Man hadn’t expected Jing Ao Xue to be so accommodating. She marveled at how different she was from her previous self, who would only criticize and insult. Now, with such gentleness, she couldn’t help but admire the profound effects of a cultivator's enlightenment.