62 - Little Peasant Wife

The soft pink was a color she disliked wearing the most. She felt like crying without tears, thinking to herself: The original owner of this body loved pink, though she usually wore white, which seemed to give her more of a fairy-like aura. The original owner was quite the little princess, wasn't she? So fragile and unable to withstand any setbacks. Jing Aoxue sighed again. Seeing this, Shen Lüman frowned and asked, "What's wrong? You don't... like it?" Jing Aoxue quickly shook her head and replied, "I do like it. As long as it's made by you, I like it. However... I'm no longer a teenage girl, and wearing such a bright pink outfit just feels a bit inappropriate." Shen Lüman, having just tied the horse to the carriage and fed it, walked over to her and said, "So what? As long as you like it, wear whatever you want. Why care about other people's opinions?" Jing Aoxue pouted; the problem was she just didn't like this color. Still, since Shen Lüman had worked hard to make it for her, she couldn't take it for granted and act spoiled. After all, it was just clothing, and since she had striking features, wearing pink wouldn't look too out of place. Thus, she said, "You're right, my dear. I'll head to the room and try it on." Shen Lüman nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go find Liu Er, and then we can set off." Watching Shen Lüman turn and leave, Jing Aoxue headed back to her room, reluctantly putting on the clothes. The outfit suited her well, and it didn't look too bad. Reluctantly, she decided she could wear it. Once Shen Lüman returned with Liu Er and had briefly gone to check something, Jing Aoxue quickly changed back into her old clothes. The group rode into town in the carriage, with Shen Lüman acting as the driver. Jing Aoxue held Liu Er by her side, and Liu Er curiously asked, "Mother, where are we going?" Jing Aoxue replied, "To the town. You need to be good, Liu Er. After your mom and I finish our tasks, we'll come back for you." Feeling uneasy, Liu Er asked, "Are you...?" Jing Aoxue reassured her by patting her little head, "We won't leave you alone, don't worry. As soon as we handle the situation, I'll come get you." "Can't Liu Er go with you?" Liu Er asked, still anxious. Shen Lüman glanced at her and said, "We're going to fight. Do you think you can take on an adult, Liu Er?" Liu Er lowered her head and fell silent. Jing Aoxue gave Shen Lüman a helpless look, then comforted Liu Er a bit more, finally making her feel at ease, reassuring her that her mothers wouldn't abandon her. With the little white rabbit in her arms to keep her company, Liu Er nodded obediently and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back." Chapter 40: Jealousy Upon arriving in town, they headed straight to Baicao Hall. At the moment, Dr. Gu Qing was instructing an apprentice on distinguishing between two similar-looking herbs. When he saw Jing Aoxue approach, he quickly wrapped up his lesson and walked over with a smile. "Ah, you're here again." He was about to tease her when he noticed the carriage not far behind her. Two figures, one large and one small, leapt down from it—it was none other than Jing Aoxue's wife and child, Shen Lüman and Jing Liu Er. Immediately, he altered his tone, smiling as he asked, "What medicinal herbs are you here to purchase today?" Jing Aoxue shook her head, saying, "I didn't come to buy herbs today. Actually, I need to ask a favor of you." Dr. Gu Qing responded, "Oh, it's inconvenient to talk here. Why don't we go upstairs?" Jing Aoxue smiled and said, "There's no need. It's nothing major. My wife and I need to handle something, and it's not convenient to bring Liu Er along, so I was hoping you could watch over her for a while." Dr. Gu Qing nodded in understanding and glanced at Liu Er, agreeing, "Of course, you can leave her here. I'll take good care of her." Jing Aoxue thanked him, taking a small purse from her sleeve and offering it to Gu Qing. "This is for her meals. We don't know when we'll be back, but we'll return as soon as possible. If we're delayed on our way, I hope you can—" "Nonsense," Gu Qing waved her off, frowning. "She's just a child, how much can she eat? If I agreed to look after her, naturally, I'll provide her meals as well. If you insist on giving me money, it just makes things feel transactional. Keep it, I know you don't lack for money. If you feel bad later, just invite me for a drink at the inn, haha..." Jing Aoxue couldn't help but laugh, gave Liu Er a few instructions, and then turned to leave with Shen Lüman. Walking down the street, Shen Lüman asked, "Do you know where Liang Sheng Rong lives?" Jing Aoxue affirmed, as the original owner of her body had once been on good terms with Liang Sheng Rong and often visited his home. Therefore, she knew not only where his house was but also its layout. Liang Sheng Rong had become wealthy over the years, living in a sizable residence located in a well-known affluent area of town. On the way, Jing Aoxue bought some snacks, leisurely making their way to Liang Sheng Rong's doorstep while sharing them with Shen Lüman. The door was closed when they arrived. Jing Aoxue narrowed her eyes and knocked. "Who is it?" asked a voice from within. With a cold smile, Jing Aoxue replied, "It's me, Jing Aoxue!" The door attendant paused. Jing Aoxue had visited the Liang residence frequently in the past. The workers all knew her, and Liang Sheng Rong was always cordial with Jing Aoxue, though in reality, he held disdain for her kind. The attendant's eyes darted about before he smiled and opened the door, saying, "Oh, it's you. You're here to see our master, but unfortunately, your timing's off. The master drank too much last night and left for the north to visit friends this morning." The story seemed plausible, and Jing Aoxue, chuckling, asked, "Do you know where exactly he went?" The attendant shook his head. "We're just servants; how could the master reveal his whereabouts to us? But if you really want to know, you might ask our lady." Hearing this, Jing Aoxue exchanged a look with Shen Lüman, pulled out two pieces of silver from her sleeve, and said, "Would you kindly inform the lady for me?" Upon seeing the silver, the attendant's eyes lit up, and he hurried off to fetch someone. Watching him go, Shen Lüman queried, "Can this person be trusted?" Jing Aoxue smiled and said, "I've tipped him generously in the past, so he treats me quite well. From what I've seen, what he says should be true." Shen Lüman surveyed their surroundings and commented, "But leaving so early in the morning seems suspicious in itself." "I noticed that too," Jing Aoxue replied, frowning. After a short wait, the attendant returned, but this time there was fear in his eyes as he glanced at Jing Aoxue. Nervously, he lowered his gaze and, attempting nonchalance, said, "Our lady also doesn't know where the master went. You should come back another day." Jing Aoxue exchanged a glance with Shen Lüman, confirming their suspicions. Smiling, Jing Aoxue approached the attendant and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder. The attendant felt as if a hundred-pound weight had been placed upon him, causing him to stagger and fall to the ground. Jing Aoxue crouched slowly before him, her expression cold. "Are you going to be truthful, or do I have to beat you half to death first?" Terrified, the attendant shook his head, stammering, "Please don't kill me! I know nothing. It's just... the lady said the master returned last night with blood on his shoes, rambling madly, and left at dawn to seek out an acquaintance." Jing Aoxue listened, frowning slightly. "Do you know who he went to seek out?" The attendant, flustered, replied, "I don't know. This is just hearsay from others. If I truly knew, I would've told you already..." "Then why are you so afraid of me?" Trembling, the attendant almost burst into tears, saying, "I was told by Xiao Cui, a maid serving Lan Yi Niang, about the master's crazy talk yesterday. I was terrified. I know you're not that kind of person; you surely wouldn't... wouldn't kill." Jing Aoxue considered his words and said, "Well, that's true; I wouldn't randomly kill people." She turned to Shen Lüman, who, after a silent moment, said, "You're saying that the person who helped the master pack was your house's Lan Yi Niang? Take us to her." Her tone was authoritative, causing the attendant to panic. Hearing Jing Aoxue's cold snort, he recalled the bloody tales shared earlier, nodding immediately. He attempted to stand but, slipping, fell back. Ignoring his pain, he saw Jing Aoxue offer her hand to help, prompting him to crawl back a couple of meters in fear before awkwardly standing, bowing as he said, "Please, follow me. I'll take you to Lan Yi Niang." Jing Aoxue thanked him with a smile as they all proceeded into the Liang estate's rear courtyard. Since his rise to wealth, Liang Sheng Rong had not wasted time, taking on a proper wife and several concubines, fathering six children in just a few years. From the original owner’s memories, Jing Aoxue knew that Liang’s wife had a meek personality—plainly speaking, she was ineffectual. The concubines and servants practically walked all over her, and she meekly endured, without complaint or protest. Liang Sheng Rong was aware of this, but he had married her only to elevate his social standing—beyond that, he lacked any care for her. With three beautiful concubines at home and many lovely women outside, he had no intention of tying himself to just one woman. And this Lan Yi Niang, the favored concubine, Jing Aoxue recalled, brought a tinge of embarrassment to her face. Walking beside her, Shen Lüman noticed her expression and quietly asked, "What's wrong?" Jing Aoxue scratched her cheek, internally cursing the original owner’s allure. Lan Yi Niang was from a brothel and had tried all manners of pleasure. The first time she met the original owner at Liang’s house, she immediately flirted with her. The original owner had no interest in women, finding the attention repulsive, and actively avoided engaging with Lan Yi Niang. Yet, perhaps being somewhat of a masochist, Lan Yi Niang became more intrigued, even openly and covertly offering the original owner many favors. Lan Yi Niang was clever enough to ensure no word of this reached Liang Sheng Rong. The original owner, viewing the situation as merely another woman offering cash, accepted the silver without reciprocating any affections and avoided Lan Yi Niang whenever possible. Now approaching her again, Jing Aoxue thought of the trouble... She swallowed nervously, not out of fear of Lan Yi Niang, but concerned Shen Lüman might misunderstand. When Shen Lüman inquired again, Jing Aoxue shook her head fervently. "Nothing, I was just thinking... Liang Sheng Rong sure has made a fortune."