41 - Little Peasant Wife

After he finished speaking, the farmer beside him nudged him with an elbow. Wu Zhian pursed his lips and unwillingly turned his head in another direction. His demeanor suggested he was still upset about the previous fight she had with Wu Zhiyong. Jing Aoxue paid no attention to it and with a smile said, "I see, I understand. I won't be leaving for the time being." Wu Zhian muttered under his breath, "Good to know!" The farmer beside him gave Wu Zhian a sharp look and then turned to Jing Aoxue, speaking courteously, "Miss Jing, Madam Jing, I'm sorry for any trouble this reckless boy of ours may have caused you recently. I'll be sure to discipline him properly when we get back." Jing Aoxue already knew that he was the father of the Wu brothers and replied with a broad smile, "There's no need for that. I actually appreciate his straightforward nature. His brother Wu Zhiyong is my friend, and he is even more upright and wise. Both brothers are truly outstanding thanks to your excellent upbringing. My admiration for you is immense." Wu Shu, hearing her praise of his sons, felt immensely glad. His initial negative impression of Jing Aoxue had been greatly improved after his elder son praised her for several days. Today, seeing her well-mannered and articulate demeanor increased his liking even more. He continued chatting with Jing Aoxue for a while longer, until his wife, Wu Shen, subtly reminded him of their responsibilities, prompting him to take his leave. Jing Aoxue watched as the family left, with Wu Shu appearing to say something while Wu Zhian hesitantly nodded, followed by a light poke from his father, painting a warm family scene. Though she never said it out loud, she always secretly envied such familial harmony. She hoped that when she grew old, she could enjoy a peaceful and joyful life like theirs. Sitting on the ridge of the field, she leaned against Shen Lüman and watched as Liuer played with the children bursting with energy. As dusk approached, the children, hungry, dispersed and headed home. Liuer had noticed them earlier and came over a few times, but Jing Aoxue had urged her to continue playing. Now, Liuer approached, her cheeks flushed with happiness, and said, "Mother, let's go home." Jing Aoxue wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, asking, "Did you have fun today, Liuer?" Liuer obediently stood still as Jing Aoxue wiped her sweat and replied, "I did, they're nice." Though her speech was still stilted, initially too shy to speak for fear of being laughed at by other children, eventually when she couldn’t hold back and spoke, the boys laughed but were shushed by a little girl who told them not to laugh or they couldn't play with her rabbit, which stopped the laughter and even led them to mimic her speech playfully. Seeing her true happiness, Jing Aoxue felt pleased and said, "That's wonderful. You should go out more often and play with them." Liuer nodded but then shook her head, saying, "Need to study. Qiao'er, sister, said study, marriage, get married." My, such a young child already thinking about marriage! This girl named Qiao’er is quite precocious indeed. Wait, is this girl named Qiao’er the same little girl she discussed by the cottage earlier? Jing Aoxue frowned and asked, "What is Qiao'er's surname?" Liuer tilted her head curiously at her, not sure why her mother was asking, but answered earnestly, "Zhang." So it's confirmed, Qiao’er is indeed the daughter of Aunt Zhang. This could be troublesome. Still, it’s best to be certain. With that in mind, she gathered some information about Qiao'er from Liuer. Liuer didn’t know much, only that Zhang Qiao'er was a pretty little girl; that whenever she said no, none of the boys would do that thing, painting her as the role of a leader among the children. Hmm, she seemed like a commendable girl, and she was about to go to town in a few days to accompany the Liu family girl in her studies... Jing Aoxue pondered whether to get involved in this matter. Due to her naturally detached attitude towards outsiders, she was reluctant to get involved. The Liu family, like the gambling house manager, had connections, with relatives holding official positions in the capital, making them even more formidable. Confronting the Liu family would currently lead her to suffer losses. The best solution would be for Zhang Qiao’er to openly have some "incident," losing this good opportunity without offending the Liu family. It sounds simple, but executing it would be quite tricky. Jing Aoxue hated complications the most. She thought to herself: let's observe for a little longer and see if Zhang Qiao’er is indeed worth the effort to assist. Chapter 30 - Beautiful After they returned home and finished dinner, since Liu'er didn't need her medicinal bath today, she bathed early and went to bed. Shen Lüman sat by the bed, still shaken by the day's events, finding solace only in gazing at Liu'er’s peaceful sleeping face. Jing Aoxue leaned against the door, watching for a while. When Shen Lüman finally tucked Liu'er in and came out, Jing Aoxue asked softly, "Do you have any way to test for spiritual roots?" Shen Lüman was surprised by the question. After pondering for a moment, she replied, "No, in the world of cultivating immortality, testing for spiritual roots requires a Spirit Testing Stone. Even the Jing family only has one, so ordinary cultivators wouldn’t possess such a thing." Jing Aoxue made a sound of acknowledgment, and the two of them walked to the main room. Shen Lüman began sewing, asking, "Do you want to test Liu'er for spiritual roots?" With only the three of them in the household, and Jing Aoxue's roots destroyed, making cultivation impossible, her inquiry could only be for Liu'er. Jing Aoxue nodded, smiling, "You're very clever, my dear wife." Shen Lüman rolled her eyes, threading the needle, and began sewing. "Liu'er isn't of age yet; even if we had the testing stone, it wouldn't work now. There's no rush." Jing Aoxue nodded, "Alright then, I'll start teaching Liu'er some martial arts for self-defense tomorrow." Shen Lüman glanced at her, "You know how?" She remembered that Jing Aoxue was best at spells while in the Jing household. Many mages neglected physical training, often leading to trouble when their spiritual energy was exhausted. However, the idea opened new perspectives for Shen Lüman. With their conditions improving at home, she didn’t need to frequently hunt in the mountains for extra income, meaning she could spare time to teach Liu'er self-defense skills. Previously, Jing Aoxue's lackluster physical attacks bore little threat. Shen Lüman believed she was better at this than Jing Aoxue. Jing Aoxue felt slightly irked by the disbelief. Back in the apocalypse, she was a master of martial arts and felt her expertise was being questioned. Yet she understood clearly she wasn't who she used to be; she was Jing Aoxue now, who truly lacked physical prowess. Sighing, she watched Shen Lüman deftly sew and asked, "Who are you making clothes for this time?" "For you. You only have one set of new clothes, and you need another to change into.” Her heart warmed at this and while she was touched, she didn’t want Shen Lüman straining her eyes sewing at night, even with so many candles lighting the room dimly. No way she wanted Shen Lüman ruining her vision for her. Jing Aoxue stood and went over, "Stop, honestly, this outfit I have is fine. It’s too dark now, careful not to hurt your eyes." Shen Lüman wanted to continue, but Jing Aoxue, seeing no heeding, simply grabbed the items from her, leaning close to say, "Would you rather go to bed? Or… do I have to tie you up and make you?" The warm breath on her face reminded Shen Lüman of yesterday’s kiss, heating her cheeks instantly. Forgetting the unfinished clothes, she stood up hastily, "I’m going to bed." She departed quickly, leaving Jing Aoxue watching her retreat with a proud smile. After carefully placing the clothes and sewing supplies on the table, she stretched before heading for a shower and bed. Early the next morning, all three of them woke. After breakfast, the family went out to the foot of the mountain. Liu'er, holding her rabbit, played with the village kids, staying in their usual play spot. Shen Lüman watched them for a bit, noticing other adults keeping an eye on them, then thought of catching some small animals in the mountains for Liu'er to play with. Jing Aoxue noticed and said, "I'll go with you." "No, if we both leave, what happens if Liu'er gets into trouble?" Jing Aoxue was speechless. With so many people around, what could possibly happen? Shen Lüman was overly cautious, still scarred by past experiences. Still, she shared some concern. Liu'er’s nature truly was worrisome. She thought for a moment and remarked, "You're a cultivator. You should have some protective artifacts or talismans, right? Leave one with Liu'er so she can be saved if anything happens." Shen Lüman rolled her eyes, "Miss Jing, I’m just a sweeper maid from your courtyard. Where would I get the spirit stones for artifacts? I do have talismans, but they’re low-level, needing spiritual energy to activate. It’s impractical. You stay here and watch Liu'er. No running off!" Jing Aoxue pouted, "Alright, I understand." Shen Lüman, seeing her defeated look, couldn’t help but smile, softly saying, "I’ll be back soon, just wait for me." Jing Aoxue was captivated by her tender expression, her heart racing. If they weren't outside, she’d have grabbed Shen Lüman for a kiss immediately. Seeing Jing Aoxue lick her lips with a gaze full of longing, Shen Lüman blushed deeply and, with one more stern look, quickly walked away. Jing Aoxue sighed, seating herself on the grass, watching the children play with idleness. These kids were little, scattering in groups of twos and threes, engrossed in their own games. Nearby, Liu'er was with two girls and a boy. Jing Aoxue squinted to look closely at them. One girl stood out with a pale face and frail frame, looking as if a gust of wind might topple her over—a sign of constant sickness. She was curious who the girl belonged to. The other girl had rosy cheeks and a sweet smile, adorned with a cute dimple at the corner of her lips. Her expression carried a hint of pride and arrogance, her features were somehow familiar, reminiscent of Aunt Zhang she’d seen at the cottage yesterday. So, this must be Zhang Qiao’er. She really was a delicate beauty, even more so than her mother. Jing Aoxue clicked her tongue twice, then glanced at the boy, who was sturdy like a young bull, yet with a stream of snot bubbling under his nose, his gaze vacant and dazed. In a blink, several snot bubbles formed and burst. While he ignored them, until a gentle girl wiped his nose with a clean handkerchief, at which point he chuckled sheepishly.