52 - Little Peasant Wife

"Shen Luman heard from Liu'er that her mother had awakened and hurriedly asked, 'How is she now? Is there any blood vomiting?' Liu'er looked at her in confusion, 'Mother is fine.' Not getting much from Liu'er, Shen Luman decided to cover the pot and rushed off to see for herself. She found Jing Aoxue sitting on a stool, wearing a relaxed smile. The long-held anxiety and tension instantly disappeared, and Shen Luman regained her calm. Apologetically, she stepped forward, 'Is your injury any better?' Jing Aoxue pouted playfully, 'It still hurts a lot.' ‘Huh?’ Shen Luman panicked, 'What should we do? Get up quickly, I’ll take you to see a doctor in town.' Jing Aoxue chuckled, 'I was just teasing you, it doesn’t hurt that much. Otherwise, I'd still be lying in bed. Don't worry, it’s nothing serious.' Shen Luman, however, was not entirely convinced and insisted on checking herself before she felt at ease. Observing this, Jing Aoxue sniffed the air and reminded her, ‘Is something burning?’ Shen Luman remembered the braised pork in the pot and said, ‘It can’t be burning, I just added some water.’ She then realized this was just Jing Aoxue’s way of changing the subject. She sighed, ‘After lunch, you should take another pill, and also apply the ointment.’ ‘Will you apply it for me?’ Jing Aoxue asked with interest. Shen Luman blushed, ‘Of course I will. I accidentally hurt you.’ Jing Aoxue winked at her, her face full of excitement. Feeling even more embarrassed, Shen Luman quickly mumbled something about checking on the pot and hurriedly walked away. Jing Aoxue held her stomach, having laughed too hard and pulled at her wound. Still, it was worth it. She didn't know how to break down Shen Luman’s defenses. She saw the shadow and ruthlessness in Shen Luman’s heart, and couldn’t imagine the difficult life she had endured. Jing Aoxue felt anxious watching her. But she understood well that even if she pressured Shen Luman, she wouldn’t tell the truth. Rather than making her uneasy, it would be better to live a simple life like now, using warmth and sweetness to soften her defenses. She believed that her persistence wouldn’t be in vain and that Shen Luman would one day confide in her. After lunch, Liu'er went to her room for a nap, and Jing Aoxue returned to her room, lying on the bed and blinking innocently at Shen Luman, ‘Thank you, my lady.’ Shen Luman blushed and said, ‘You… just take off your outerwear yourself.’ ‘But I’m gravely injured, and I've coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. My body is frail, and undressing is too much for a patient like me...’ ‘Enough!’ Shen Luman couldn’t take it anymore. She walked forward, hesitated, bit her lip, and finally with determination, ignoring Jing Aoxue’s triumphant gaze, trembling, she loosened her belt and began to undress her. Jing Aoxue shifted her body to facilitate Shen Luman’s movements. Shen Luman kept her gaze elsewhere, and when she finished, her fingers touched Jing Aoxue’s warm body, startling her enough to withdraw her hand. Previously, when Jing Aoxue was unconscious, she didn’t mind. But now that she was awake with such an amused demeanor, Shen Luman felt very awkward. She suppressed her discomfort, applying the cool and slightly stimulating ointment to Jing Aoxue’s abdomen, then applied a plaster, dressed her, and pulled up the quilt. By the time she had finished everything, a thin layer of sweat clung to her face. Satisfied, Jing Aoxue smiled, sat up to take the pill, and teased, ‘I want grilled fish and chicken soup for dinner.’ Shen Luman retorted, ‘I’ll go find the ingredients now and cook for you tonight.’ Her feelings of guilt were mostly worn away by Jing Aoxue’s earlier antics. Jing Aoxue smiled sweetly, ‘You’re so good to me, wife, I’ll go to sleep.’ Shen Luman gently covered her with the quilt, ‘Yes, get some rest.’ Jing Aoxue closed her eyes, and under the effect of the medicine, soon drifted off to sleep." Chapter Thirty-Five: Massage Jing Aoxue’s injuries were quite severe. Though she appeared as healthy as a normal person on the outside, the internal damage wasn’t something that could heal easily. She had to lie in bed for several days before she completely recovered. Initially, Shen Luman thought Jing Aoxue was pretending to be ill. Given her complexion was good and the external wounds healed without a trace, Shen Luman assumed she had been well for a while. She thought the only reason Jing Aoxue stayed in bed was to enjoy her attentive care. However, as time went on, Shen Luman sensed something was amiss. Using her mildest wood spirit energy to probe inside Jing’s body, she discovered that her internal organs were injured. Despite the medication and ointments, it was going to take longer for her to heal; bed rest was essential. Such an injury would typically leave others bedridden for months. Compared to that, Jing Aoxue's recovery was remarkable. Still, Shen Luman was racked with guilt, silently chastising herself for her previous impulsiveness. As a result, she became more accommodating to Jing Aoxue, fulfilling her requests as long as they weren’t too unreasonable. If a request was excessively demanding, she would simply refuse with a stern face. One morning, Jing Aoxue awoke feeling considerably recovered. After freshening up with Liu'er, she decided to go for a jog. During her recovery days, Liu'er had maintained a strict morning routine, waking up early to wash up and then jogging along the riverbank for an entire hour before finally stopping to rest, drenched in sweat. As a result, Liu'er's complexion appeared increasingly vibrant. Jing Aoxue joined her for an hour-long jog, barely managing to keep up. Exhausted and frail, she finally leaned against a tree, feeling as though her bones were made of jelly. Watching her catch her breath, Liu’er frowned with concern and said, "Mother, I'll go call Mom." Jing Aoxue quickly waved her off, catching her breath, "No need. I'll be fine after a short rest." She thought to herself that she couldn’t continue like this. Even though she had planned to get fit, even Shen Luman, a cultivator, and Liu'er, a four-year-old, outpaced her easily. Where was her dignity as the head of the household? It was buried underground. Feeling rather dejected, Jing Aoxue rested a while longer before heading home with Liu'er. After breakfast, Liu'er prepared to take her pet rabbit, Dabai, to Wu Zhi An's house to meet her playmates, but Shen Luman stopped her. Emerging from the kitchen, hands still wet from washing dishes, Shen Luman said, "Wait a moment. Let your mother go with you." Seated in the main hall sipping tea, Jing Aoxue considered going to the bathroom to examine her newly healed body closely. Previous days had left her curious about this new sensation, but the need to rest and the pain from moving had put those thoughts on hold. With her injuries mostly healed today, it was the perfect time for exploration. Hearing Shen Luman’s suggestion, Jing Aoxue was reluctant to leave and said, "I’ve got something to do in a while. Let Liu'er go by herself. She knows the way, and Wu Zhi An's house isn't far." Shen Luman cast her a sidelong glance, "Don't you care about the herbal saplings in your room?" Jing Aoxue froze, having completely forgotten about those important plants. She sheepishly touched her nose, stood up briskly, and said, "Oh no! I've neglected them for days, they're probably dead by now." Shen Luman reassured her, "I've been caring for your saplings daily when I have time. These saplings are quite resilient, and yesterday, they seemed fine." Relieved, Jing Aoxue finally understood Shen Luman’s hint to visit Wu Zhi An's house. She said, "You're so thoughtful, wife. I'll go over to Wu Zhi An's now to check on the progress of our field work." Shen Luman nodded, "Go and return early." "Yes," Jing Aoxue responded and left with Liu'er. Wu Zhi An's house was indeed very close to theirs, visible from afar. The walk to his courtyard only took a few minutes. Leisurely taking their time, they approached and Jing Aoxue knocked on the door. Inside, there was a patter of footsteps, and Wu Meng Qiu peeked out, smiling at Liu'er, "You're here, come in." Liu'er greeted her with a smile, "My mother is here too." As she spoke, Jing Aoxue stepped forward and greeted, "Little girl, is your second uncle home?" Wu Meng Qiu blushed; she genuinely hadn’t noticed Jing Aoxue earlier, or she would have greeted her first. "Second uncle's home, Aunt. Please come in, I'll fetch him for you." Jing Aoxue nodded, entered with Liu'er. Wu Zhi An was indeed home, sitting in the courtyard crafting baskets from bamboo. Hearing Wu Meng Qiu’s voice, he didn’t cease his work nor look up, assuming, "It must be the little girl from the Jing family again. My son is still sleeping in. Go kick him out of bed; it's late already." Approaching, Wu Meng Qiu whispered to him, "Second uncle, Liu'er's mother is here." Surprised, Wu Zhi An looked up to see Jing Aoxue gazing at the baskets on the ground. Initially, he had held a grudge against Jing Aoxue over the incident with his elder brother, leaving him less than fond of her. But over the days, with Liu'er visiting to play with his children and witnessing Liu’er’s gentle and polite nature, he realized Jing Aoxue couldn’t be all that bad if she raised such a child. His previous interactions with Jing Aoxue were minimal, and his negative impression came mostly from village gossip. Now, seeing her in person, she didn't seem as terrible as he had thought. With his perspective altered, he welcomed her warmly, standing up and approaching, "What brings you here? Have you had breakfast? Stay and join us for a meal." Jing Aoxue, taken aback by his newfound hospitality, thought the world must be changing too rapidly. Just recently, he had been giving her cold looks, and now his attitude was entirely different. If she didn't know Wu Zhi An's character well, she'd suspect he was up to something. Her eyes darting around, she declined, "No need, I had breakfast before coming. Liu’er, go play with your friends." Liu'er acknowledged with a glance and followed Wu Meng Qiu to her room. Watching them, Wu Zhi An sighed, "My niece is quite shy and doesn't like playing outside much, feeling bored at home. Thankfully, she's befriended Liu'er and is much happier lately, with fewer coughs too."