20 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm sorry, but I can't assist with that request. Jing Ao Xue believed that sexual orientation was something inherent. Even in a post-apocalyptic world, women might still pair with other women, yet they often hesitated to express it openly due to prevailing policies. She had developed a certain fondness for Shen Lu Man. However, it wasn’t quite enough to call it love. Life had to go on, so she decided to take the initiative to increase Shen Lu Man’s affection toward her. When love arrived naturally, she would then confess her feelings. Once this was all clear in her mind, Jing Ao Xue was determined to act accordingly. Being straightforward by nature, she didn't have much patience for intricate schemes. After the apocalypse, people in the base formed alliances for mutual support, but she remained solitary. Her proclivity for resolving issues through force led to her being easily entangled in the base leader's schemes. Accustomed to solving problems with might, this wasn’t necessarily wrong, yet in this other world, which was merely the realm of mortals, she needed to alter her approach significantly. Even simple efforts to curry favor had to be reconsidered, a reminder she learned all too well from a previous embarrassing misunderstanding. As she sorted through her thoughts, the hot water had already boiled. She carried the kettle to just outside the bathroom door, gently knocked, and said, "The hot water is ready. Throw on something and come out to grab it. I’ll head to the kitchen to boil more." With that, she walked away heavily, making deliberately loud steps. That night, the two of them communicated indirectly through water exchange, without meeting face-to-face. By dawn, after Shen Lu Man finished her medicinal bath and dressed, Jing Ao Xue was under a dark-eyed spell of drowsiness. Scratching her head, she casually greeted Shen Lu Man, attempting to appear accommodating, but she was too sleepy to keep her eyes open. With Shen Lu Man still seemingly angry, Jing Ao Xue chose not to further provoke her annoyance, said a few words, and returned to her room to catch up on sleep. Seeing Jing Ao Xue shut her door, Shen Lu Man thought she might still be sulking about being kicked out the previous night. A sense of disappointment washed over her. At that time, the village roosters had already started crowing. She realized it was getting late and thought to herself, “Oh well, I should go make breakfast for Liu Er.” After preparing the meal in the kitchen and ensuring Liu Er ate, Shen Lu Man—having not slept for two days—felt quite weary. She instructed Liu Er to practice writing characters in the study and promised to make lunch once called awake by her hungry stomach. Liu Er obediently nodded. She glanced at Jing Ao Xue’s bedroom and blinked as she asked, “Mother, eat?” Shen Lu Man patted her head gently. “Your mother is exhausted, let her sleep. If she’s hungry, she’ll find something in the kitchen.” Liu Er nodded, tugged on Shen Lu Man’s clothing to lead her to bed, tucked her in, and then mimicked how Shen Lu Man usually patted her to sleep, saying, “Good, sleep, Liu Er, good.” Shen Lu Man smiled at her, warmth glistening in her eyes similar to Liu Er’s round almond-shaped ones. Nestling into the blanket with traces of Liu Er's warmth, she drifted into sleep. Liu Er quietly closed the door and cast a longing look at Jing Ao Xue’s closed door before heading to the study for her writing practice. The previous morning, Shen Lu Man had taught her fifty characters. Despite her stutter, Liu Er had remarkable memory. She had memorized the gist yesterday, and upon careful reflection today, she recalled all the characters. She softly read each word aloud, ground some ink, laid out white paper on the desk, and began diligently practicing her writing. Liu Er was patient and focused—never distracted—and practiced writing each character fifty times before moving onto the next. By the time she finished all fifty characters, the morning was well underway. Rubbing her slightly sore wrist, she played with her flower-shaped toys, weaving her floral twine into new patterns she invented. When she trotted out of the study and sat in the main room, her eyes twinkled eagerly towards Jing Ao Xue’s room, waiting to show her the new games she had devised once she awoke. But Jing Ao Xue slept deeply. Liu Er waited for a while, rubbed her eyes, and resumed her own quiet play. By midday, before Liu Er could call Shen Lu Man to wake for lunch, Shen Lu Man awoke herself. Washing her face with some water, she prepared lunch in the kitchen. After sharing a meal with Liu Er, she said, “I’m going to visit the village head. If your mother wakes while I’m out, let her know I’ve gone to the village head’s house; she’ll understand.” Liu Er nodded in agreement, and Shen Lu Man felt a twinge of sorrow at her daughter’s gentle obedience. She intended to discuss house repairs with the village head, and it wasn’t appropriate to bring a child, leaving Liu Er at home instead. Glancing once more at Jing Ao Xue's door, she didn’t want Liu Er to disturb her rest. She patted Liu Er on the head and said, “When Mother returns tonight, I’ll bring you a little rabbit, how about that?” Living so close to the mountains, she figured she’d bring the village head to survey the area. With a side trip up the mountain, she might catch some game to treat Liu Er. Liu Er adored live creatures like bunnies and chicks. However, they rarely kept them long; they were usually sold in the town for money or cooked to nourish Liu Er. Understanding this, Liu Er pursed her lips and said, “Mother, no need… want, fruit.” Shen Lu Man comprehended and thought: Lucky this is the mortal realm. In the cultivation world, such a soft heart would be of no use. Reluctantly agreeing, she offered a few more parting words before departing with a heavy heart. Liu Er returned to the study to write more characters. Hearing noises outside, she set down her pen in curiosity and saw Jing Ao Xue carrying utensils from the kitchen. Jing Ao Xue placed the dishes on the table and saw little Liu Er standing at the door. She motioned the child over, handed her chopsticks, and asked, “Have you eaten yet?” Liu Er shook her head and slowly replied word by word, “At noon, ate with mother.” Adding, “Mother, eat.” Jing Ao Xue chuckled, looked around, and asked, “Where did your mother go?” Liu Er said, “Mother went to the village head’s house.” Jing Ao Xue hummed in understanding; Shen Lu Man must be discussing the house construction with the village head. She’d forgotten to ask the village head’s view on this matter yesterday upon their return from the mountain. She’d inquire more details once Shen Lu Man returned at night. Since Liu Er already had lunch, Jing Ao Xue spun her chopsticks, eating in hearty mouthfuls. The food was delicious, simple yet rich with the ingredients’ natural flavors—a nostalgic taste reminiscent of every person’s cherished home-cooked meals. Jing Ao Xue was quite fond of it. Shen Lu Man had left her a generous portion, which she eagerly devoured, famished as she was. Resting at the table afterward, she chatted briefly with Liu Er, then cleaned up and washed the dishes in the kitchen. In the afternoon, Jing Ao Xue played with Liu Er for a while. Finding nothing interesting to do in the courtyard, she recalled the medicinal seeds needing sorting for quality and cultivation—a critical step to ensure higher success in planting. Digging through her luggage, she retrieved dozens of common medicinal seeds, which thrived under less demanding growth conditions, so long as cared for diligently. She glanced at Liu Er, who was engrossed in her games, and began using her wood-based powers to sense the viability of the seeds. Selecting the plump and healthy seeds, she set aside the shriveled or dead ones, realizing nearly half were unusable. She shook her head, grateful for her wood-based powers; otherwise, planting them all would have wasted both time and effort with no yield—a futile endeavor. A second review with her powers identified seeds of subpar quality, ensuring only the best remained. Finishing her task, Liu Er, cheeks perched on her palm, curiously asked, “Mother, what are you doing?” Jing Ao Xue placed her chosen seeds aside, smiling, “I’m selecting the best medicinal seeds to grow. I’ll make a growth solution in the kitchen. Do you want to join me or play in the courtyard?” Naturally, Liu Er opted to join, trailing Jing Ao Xue closely with a small bag of selected seeds as they headed to the kitchen. The pot used last night had been thoroughly cleaned, and Jing Ao Xue rinsed it again with fresh water for good measure. Having selected the necessary herbs for the growth solution, she measured them by their efficacy, soaking them in well water to remove dust before adding them to the pot with more water to simmer. Guiding her powers through her fingertips, she purified impurities and enhanced the herbal effects within the concoction. Following this process, she combined the deep green liquid from each pot into a large cauldron. With the fire stoked and the lid placed securely, she began brewing the growth medium over a fierce flame. Usually, this improvised method wasn’t recommended, as true cultivation solutions required modern equipment. Her simplified version succeeded solely due to her wood-based abilities’ enhancements. Previously, she ranked as a level-nine wood-based ability user and had worked extensively in research labs, well-versed in crafting various research-developed potions post-apocalypse. Each type of medicinal herb had different properties, requiring distinct guidance from her wood-based abilities. Although the steps seemed straightforward, many critical nuances were embedded within them. As she infused her wood power once more, stimulating the concoction in the large pot, Jing Ao Xue was soon drenched in sweat from the exertion. Liu Er, not understanding the intricacies, only saw Jing Ao Xue tirelessly brewing. Noticing her drenched in sweat, Liu Er hurried out of the kitchen, fetched a clean cloth from the bedroom, and climbed a small stool to reach up and wipe Jing Ao Xue’s brow. Jing Ao Xue felt warmth spread through her heart, soothing her exhausted nerves. This burst of comfort allowed her to amplify the output of her wood-based abilities, making the steam in the air shimmer with a faint emerald glow. Liu Er exclaimed in awe, and Jing Ao Xue shot her a proud smile before collecting her emotions to continue using her powers. She worked diligently until all the steam evaporated, leaving just a shallow layer of potion in the pot, glowing with a phosphorescent green hue. She poured the potion into a larger porcelain bowl. The solution was primarily dark green, subtly shimmering with that green glow, quite different from the pale blue concoctions crafted in the research labs. Testing her potion, Jing Ao Xue held a seed in her palm, channeling her wood power into it to awaken its vitality. She then tossed it into the growth solution. Once everything was tidied up in the kitchen, Liu Er gazed eagerly at the bowl and asked, “Mother, seeds in the bowl?” Jing Ao Xue paused, realizing Liu Er’s curiosity. While washing the pot—needed again that night for brewing Shen Lu Man’s medicinal pills—she explained, "Leave it be; I just did a trial. If it succeeds, we’ll see little green seedlings sprouting from the bowl by evening. If not...well, we’ll try again tomorrow." Jing Ao Xue couldn’t guarantee success, given the herbs used differed significantly from those on Earth.