43 - Little Peasant Wife

吴志安 could really have such a daughter? Jing Aoxue pondered, scratching the back of her head in confusion. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and a young woman walked over to open it. Upon seeing the two children, she sighed in relief and said, "You're finally back. Why did you return so late today?" After speaking, she noticed the three additional strangers. Upon recognizing them, Jing Aoxue thought to herself, Isn't this the young woman who was with Wu Zhian yesterday? She must be Wu Zhian's wife, surely, since Wu Zhiyong's wife passed away a few years ago. Back then, Wu Zhiyong was probably still in the army... Ah, war! Wu Zhian’s wife hurriedly asked, "You all are...?" The delicate girl explained, "Second Aunt, these are Lyu'er’s parents. They're here to take me and my brother home." Second Aunt? So the little girl isn’t Wu Zhian’s daughter but Wu Zhiyong’s? Jing Aoxue was shocked, studying the girl more closely. Upon hearing this, Wu Zhian’s wife immediately thanked them, beaming with a smile, and warmly invited them inside to be guests. Jing Aoxue hesitated for a moment, then declined, handing over a wild pheasant they had hunted. She said, "We had no idea our families knew each other. This little girl said she lives here, and since we'll be moving nearby in a few days, we thought we'd take the liberty of visiting. Quite the coincidence, isn't it?" Wu Zhian’s wife smiled apologetically as she accepted the pheasant, saying, "Then please come in for a while. My husband and father-in-law are working in the fields, but they should be back soon." Jing Aoxue politely declined, saying, "We still need to go home and prepare dinner, so we won't intrude. We'll visit another day when we have some time." Wu Zhian’s wife, upon hearing this, didn’t press further. She bid them farewell and watched as they left. On the way home, Jing Aoxue mused, "That little girl is actually Wu Zhiyong's daughter, how surprising..." Wu Zhiyong stood at least six foot three, with a well-built, muscular physique—every bit the picture of a robust man. Yet his daughter was delicate and fragile-looking, inviting protective instincts. Such a stark contrast suggests she inherited more from her biological mother. Lyu'er tilted her small head and said, "No, the little girl is Wu Mengqiu." Jing Aoxue nodded, thinking to herself that the name matched her demeanor—a certain scholarly elegance. She asked, "And her brother?" "He's called Wu Xunchun, Little Chun." Jing Aoxue made a sound of acknowledgment and asked, "Which one do you like better, Lyu'er?" "I like Qiaor better." Jing Aoxue was speechless for a moment, her expression complex. "Why?" Shen Luman asked. Lyu'er pondered and said, "She’s very capable, Lyu'er wants to be like her." Jing Aoxue breathed a sigh of relief, patting Lyu'er's little head gently. "Lyu'er will be even more capable in the future, I believe in you." Lyu'er's cheeks flushed with shyness, and she buried her little face into the soft, white fur of their dog. Seeing this, Jing Aoxue chuckled and lifted her up, saying, "Let's go home and eat some meat. Eating meat will help you grow tall and strong, and then you'll be as capable as her." Lyu’er eagerly nodded and agreed, "Okay." Shen Luman watched and thought to herself, No, if Lyu'er ever turned into the size of that snot-nosed boy, it would be a nightmare. She's much better just the way she is. ### Chapter 31: Moving After lunch at home, Liu'er hugged Da Bai and went out with Shen Lüman. From what Shen Lüman observed in the morning, she finally felt confident that the village was safe and that nothing would happen to Liu'er. Seeing Jing Aoxue seemingly bored watching the children play, she suggested Jing Aoxue start packing. She said, "The house at the foot of the mountain is almost ready. If you have time this afternoon, pack our things. If the weather permits tomorrow, we can start moving." Jing Aoxue agreed and began to pack after seeing them off. First, she toured each room in the courtyard to get an idea of how much needed to be moved, then started the process one by one. They had lived in this courtyard for several years, and yet there weren't many belongings. The main reason was the original owner had been quite reckless, spending all of the family's money frivolously, leaving very little in the house. Apart from some essential items, there wasn't much else. Jing Aoxue pulled her lips into a thin, dry smile, feeling fortunate that her workload wasn’t too heavy but also cursing the original owner once again. While she packed, she also cleaned, which slowed her down somewhat. For reasons she wasn't sure of—perhaps the body she inhabited was naturally weak—she couldn't do much work without needing to sit and rest on a bench. To think she used to stay up nights without feeling tired... yet now, she felt not only exhausted but sleepy all the time. When she woke, she felt so weak she had to constantly use her wood-based abilities to keep moving. This worried her, furrowing her brow. In the post-apocalyptic world, she could go days without sleep, relying solely on her natural resilience. All it would take was a short nap, and she’d be refreshed, even without using her abilities for recovery. It must be that this body was too frail. Then again, it made sense. The previous owner didn't focus on physical cultivation in the cultivation world. She was skilled in magic, but in nothing else. At age sixteen, she accidentally got injured, losing her cultivation and suffering serious bodily harm, drastically affecting her ability to bear children. In the end, it was her grandfather, the family patriarch, who covered up the news and arranged a good marriage for her. The incident, however, shattered Jing Aoxue’s confidence, leading her to give up on herself and drown her sorrows in alcohol confined in the courtyard. Later, when Uncle Jing banished her from the cultivation world and she ended up in the mortal world with Liang Shengrong, a notorious idler, she squandered what little money she had, lived irregularly, and neglected her health. Over the years, her health had deteriorated, and even though recently she had taken medicinal baths, consumed pills, and continuously nourished herself with her wood-based abilities, short-term recovery wasn’t feasible. She sighed, deciding that she should start each day early once they moved. Determined, she resolved to train herself more rigorously. When moving the items later, no matter how tired she grew, she didn’t pause to rest. By the time the sun set and Shen Lüman returned with Liu'er, Jing Aoxue had packed most of their belongings and was drenched in sweat. Seeing her like this, Shen Lüman was startled and quickly went to support her, asking, "What happened to you?" Jing Aoxue forced a smile, her lips barely moving. "I’m alright, just exhausted from being stubborn. Don't worry. Once I get some sleep, I'll be fine. Why don't you go make dinner? After we eat, I'll wash up and get some early rest." Frowning with concern, Shen Lüman helped her to a seat in the main room, saying, "I’ll make dinner. Rest here for a bit." She had plenty of complaints—urging her to rest if she was tired or just leaving the luggage for her to handle later wouldn’t have been a problem, as a cultivator she was used to such work. For her, it was no big deal. But seeing Jing Aoxue so drained that she couldn't keep her eyes open, she decided not to disturb her and led a worry-filled Liu'er to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Liu'er gently placed the small rabbit on the ground and uneasily tugged at Shen Lüman's clothes, asking, "Mama, will Mother be alright...?" Shen Lüman deftly sliced the ingredients, pausing to reassure her, "Your mother is just tired, that’s all. If you have time, help me wash the dishes and vegetables, okay?" Liu'er nodded promptly, her sleeves rolled up as she lent her assistance, albeit slowly. With her movements sped up deliberately today, Shen Lüman managed to prepare the meal at twice her usual pace. She even boiled hot water for later. She brought the dishes to the main room, watching as Jing Aoxue barely managed a single bowl before she was too full to continue, her appetite far less than normal. It was well-known that mealtimes were usually Jing Aoxue's most joyful times, often devouring several bowls if she was in a good mood. But today, just one. Shen Lüman's frown deepened, aching to take Jing Aoxue to see a doctor in town. Jing Aoxue knew her own body well. Seeing the hot water ready, she washed up and emerged from the bathroom, making her way to Shen Lüman. She leaned against Shen Lüman’s shoulder, where her wife remained worriedly watching her, making her feel guilty for overdoing it today. She resolved to moderate her training in the future. She smiled weakly, saying, "Don't worry, I'm fine, just exhausted. My body's never been great. I thought I should strengthen it a bit. Otherwise, how can I protect you and Liu'er in the future..." Shen Lüman pursed her lips. "You don't have to protect us. I can take care of Liu'er just fine." Jing Aoxue pouted. "That won't do. I'm the head of the family... wife, give me a kiss, and I'll go to sleep." Shen Lüman was annoyed by her playfulness but softened when she saw Jing Aoxue's half-closed eyes waiting hopefully. She kissed her gently on the forehead and helped her to bed. After making sure Jing Aoxue was asleep, Shen Lüman quietly shut the door. She looked at the packed items in the courtyard and sighed. She told Liu'er to wash up and get her rest, while she finished packing the rest of their belongings. By the time she was done, the courtyard was packed full. A small portion was recently purchased from town, while the construction materials they had bought the other day had already been used up at the base of the mountain. She thought it’d be best to hire two donkey carts for the move. Tomorrow, she’d ask some of the young men building the house if they'd help. Of course, she’d pay them for the effort. Rubbing her sore shoulders, she glanced up at the night sky. The clear night revealed a nearly full moon, which, unburdened by clouds, poured silver light alongside the dancing candlelight, brightly illuminating the courtyard. Her lips pressed into a tight line, she murmured uneasily, "It’s almost a full moon..." With the full moon, she usually vanished into the mountains once Liu'er was asleep. But this month, with Jing Aoxue returning, hiding the secret would be much harder. Then again, they'd move in a couple of days. While the house wasn’t completely finished, only some minor areas needed work. Once they were settled at the mountain's base, slipping into the mountains would be much easier. With that, she relaxed a little and turned to the bathroom to wash up before heading to bed. The next morning, Jing Aoxue didn’t wake up until the sun was high in the sky. Stretching and yawning, she thought, Exercising sure does improve sleep. It had been a long time since she’d slept so well.