16 - Little Peasant Wife

It seems that the spiritual energy in this world of cultivation is quite potent, but unfortunately for her, her spiritual roots were destroyed; otherwise, she would have loved to try integrating her wood-based abilities with this wood spiritual energy. Just then, Shen Lu Man leaned over to look at the pill in her hand. Jing Ao Xue handed it to her, urging her to take it quickly. She thought to herself with relief: Even if she lacks wood spiritual energy, Shen Lu Man has it, and they'll be together for a long time. In the future, whenever there's a need to brew a concoction, she can rely on Shen Lu Man to help out. With this thought in mind, she poured the dregs from the medicine pot into a porcelain bowl and then carried some hot water to the bathing area that had been set aside in the house. She poured the hot water into the bath barrel, and Shen Lu Man followed up by adding two buckets of well water. Testing the water temperature with her hand, Jing Ao Xue found it slightly warmer than body temperature and added the medicine dregs into the bath. Focused on stirring the water in the barrel, she said to Shen Lu Man, "It's ready. You can take off your clothes and soak in it." She waited a moment, but Shen Lu Man didn't react. Curious, she turned to see why she hadn't started undressing. She saw Shen Lu Man turn to the side, head lowered, and mumble, "Can you leave first?" "Huh?" Jing Ao Xue asked puzzled, "Why do I need to leave? Remember a few days ago when you helped me add hot water to the bath barrel? This herbal bath needs to be maintained at a certain temperature for the best results. I need to keep an eye on you to add more hot water if necessary." Hearing her serious and earnest tone, Shen Lu Man bit her lip unconsciously. Unlike Jing Ao Xue, she was born and raised in this world. Even if Jing Ao Xue was an outsider, in her eyes, she was akin to her spouse, no different from an ordinary couple. As a daughter, she felt embarrassed to undress in front of her wife. Not that she was worried Jing Ao Xue would do anything, it was just sheer shyness. Yet, Jing Ao Xue didn't seem to understand this, and curiously asked, "Are you on your period today? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Period? What is that? Confused, Shen Lu Man noticed that Jing Ao Xue showed no intention of leaving. With a deep breath, her hands trembled as she slowly untied her sash, removing her clothes piece by piece. Seeing her slow movements, Jing Ao Xue almost wanted to help her undress, uncertain why she was hesitant. Any longer, and the water would have cooled down. Sighing, Jing Ao Xue said, "Take your time then. I'll go boil some more hot water." Seeing her concerned expression, Shen Lu Man felt a bit apologetic, but also relieved. She gently shut the door, quickly removed her undergarments, and slipped into the bath. Immersed in the warm water, she closed her eyes, feeling the wood attribute spiritual energy flow throughout her lower core. Upon consuming the bright green pill earlier, she immediately felt a surge of pure wood spiritual energy coursing through her meridians and flooding her entire body. The effect was astonishing, and it caught Shen Lu Man off-guard. She rarely had the chance to consume pills from the cultivation world, primarily due to their high cost. She seldom had the opportunity to refine her own, and those she did were often sold to earn spirit stones. Nevertheless, she could tell this pill was far superior to any she had crafted. After the wood attribute spiritual energy repaired and widened her meridians, it settled into her lower elixir field, forming a small whirl that began circulating autonomously. And for some reason, unlike any spiritual energy she had absorbed in the cultivation world, this wood spiritual energy felt more vibrant and seemed almost sentient, compelling her inherent wood spiritual energy to circulate with it. In the brief time she soaked in the bath, she had already cycled through most of the wood spiritual energy she had cultivated over the past decade. Not only was the pill potent, but the light green water in the bath also proved effective. She felt a slight tingling on her skin, as if impurities were being stripped away, leaving her feeling refreshed. Looking at the water in the tub with a complex expression, she mused: Truly, it's a recipe worthy of a Golden Core cultivator; it has such a marvelous effect on her body. Yet, her thoughts drifted more toward Jing Ao Xue. This recipe was given to her by Jing Ao Xue. She could have kept it hidden, and no one would have blamed her, but she generously shared it, even buying today's herbs with her own money. With this realization, Shen Lu Man felt a subtle tug at her heart, and she unconsciously stirred the water in the bath. Lost in thought, she failed to notice Jing Ao Xue's footsteps until she pushed open the door and entered, startling her. She quickly crouched down, submerging herself deeper into the water. Jing Ao Xue carried in more hot water, not paying attention to her skittishness, and glanced at the tub. "You’ve been soaking for quite a while. The water temperature's probably cooled by now." Unconcerned, Jing Ao Xue approached, adding some hot water and stirring it with her hand to check the temperature. Shen Lu Man felt her whole body heat up, her cheeks getting redder. Her strange demeanor caught Jing Ao Xue's attention. Glancing at her, Jing Ao Xue remarked, "You don't need to dunk your face in too. Aren't you uncomfortable being submerged like that?" Flustered, Shen Lu Man shook her head rapidly, her heart pounding like a drum, seemingly about to leap out of her chest at any moment. Jing Ao Xue shook her head and said, "You claim you're comfortable, but your face is all red from holding your breath." Shen Lu Man: "..." Chapter Seventeen: Appeasing Shen Lu Man gritted her teeth, feeling an itch in her hand for no discernible reason. Jing Ao Xue noticed her expression and asked in confusion, "Is it because you care about your appearance? Well, just keep soaking then." Upon hearing this, Shen Lu Man surfaced from the water with a darkened expression. Jing Ao Xue continued, "Although the herbal bath can expel impurities from your body, the effects aren't very noticeable. How about I concoct a beauty-enhancing pill for you tomorrow?" "No need!" Shen Lu Man replied firmly, showing obvious refusal. Jing Ao Xue, not understanding, thought Shen Lu Man was just being bashful. After all, even in the post-apocalyptic world, women who had secured their basic needs would pay hefty prices for the beauty products from laboratories. Shen Lu Man was likely the same, just embarrassed from being caught soaking in the herbal bath and having her intentions exposed. With a cheerful smile, Jing Ao Xue said, "You don't need to be so polite with me; we're family, after all." As she spoke, she started contemplating the formula for a beauty elixir from her past world. Shen Lu Man wanted to refuse more, but seeing Jing Ao Xue deep in thought, it was clear her previous refusal hadn’t been heeded. Feeling somewhat miffed, she decided to close her eyes and avoid the situation. After finalizing the recipe in her mind, Jing Ao Xue was about to share it with her when she noticed Shen Lu Man, eyes closed, wearing an indifferent expression. This made Jing Ao Xue wonder, thinking to herself, "This woman is really hard to please; Liu Er is much more adorable." Standing idly for a while, she yawned out of boredom, realizing the water was probably cooling off, so she added more hot water to the bath. The night passed in this manner. When Liu Er rose from bed, Shen Lu Man finally emerged from the bath. By then, Jing Ao Xue was dozing off on a stool nearby. Seeing this, Shen Lu Man quickly changed into her clothes. She loosely tied her damp hair and walked over to Jing Ao Xue, giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder. "Thank you. It's still early; go rest in your room. I'll call you when breakfast is ready." Drowsily rubbing her eyes, Jing Ao Xue replied, "No need, I'm exhausted. You and Liu Er have breakfast first. I'll eat once I wake up." She wobbled slightly as she stood, noting how much weaker this body was compared to her original one. If it were before, staying up an entire night wouldn't have fatigued her to such an extent. In truth, she needed to strengthen her body and improve her cultivation. Yawning again, she added, "Alright, I'll head back to my room." Shen Lu Man nodded, watching her return to her room and immediately collapse onto the bed, neglecting to even close the door. After a moment’s hesitation, she tiptoed into the room, covered the sleeping Jing Ao Xue with a blanket, and silently exited, gently closing the door behind her. With her spirits lifted, she couldn't help but smile. Although she hadn't slept all night either, as a cultivator, she felt no fatigue. Appreciating Jing Ao Xue’s help, she decided to prepare a pot of nourishing soup in the kitchen, so that it would be ready for Jing Ao Xue when she woke up after a few hours of rest. Meanwhile, she and Liu Er settled for eating some porridge. Liu Er, not seeing Jing Ao Xue during breakfast, worried she had left for town again, a look of disappointment clouding her face. Only after Shen Lu Man explained did Liu Er blink and ask, "Mother, is she... sick?" Shen Lu Man shook her head, "She's just tired and needs some sleep. She'll be fine once she rests." Relieved, Liu Er smiled, but soon furrowed her brows again, "Will Mother stay... will she stay with us?" Shen Lu Man’s expression turned somber. She didn’t know how long Jing Ao Xue intended to stay in the village. It seemed she planned to settle, but given her temperament… Even if she had turned over a new leaf after her enlightenment, Jing Ao Xue lacked perseverance in all activities aside from cultivation. With a sigh, Shen Lu Man said, "Let it be. If your mother wants to stay with us in the village, let her. If not, don’t ponder over it too much. Just live with me as we always have, okay?" Liu Er pouted, hesitantly nodding, but feeling distinctly downcast, leaving her bowl of porridge unfinished. Seeing this, Shen Lu Man felt a pang of sadness but remained firm, knowing that things wouldn't be as simple as they wished them to be. Liu Er needed to grasp reality so she wouldn't be hurt by external changes in the future. They finished their breakfast quietly, and Shen Lu Man washed the dishes while Liu Er glanced at Jing Ao Xue's door, reluctantly approaching and murmuring softly, "Mother, stay... I'll be good, I promise." Of course, Jing Ao Xue, lost in her slumber, didn't hear her daughter’s plea. After washing up, Shen Lu Man instructed Liu Er, "Come here, don't disturb your mother while she sleeps." Liu Er walked over, and Shen Lu Man added, "Go to the study. Your mother bought quite a few books yesterday; I'll teach you to read." Hope sparked in Liu Er's eyes as she asked, "If I learn well, will Mother stay?" Tenderly, Shen Lu Man stroked her little face and, unable to crush her hope, nodded gently. Liu Er instantly perked up, bounding eagerly toward the study. Biting her lip, Shen Lu Man realized she wanted Liu Er to grow, to learn to face facts, but couldn’t bear to shatter her dream. Perhaps it was better to take it one day at a time. Maybe, just maybe, Jing Ao Xue really wouldn’t leave. Perhaps she'd truly changed and wanted to return to them. Shaking off her scattered thoughts, Shen Lu Man headed to the courtyard to fetch the books they had bought the day before and brought them to the study.