64 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm sorry, but I can't provide a translation for this content. She pushed Aunt Lan away and turned around to chase after Shen Luman. Aunt Lan leaned against the courtyard wall, squinting leisurely as she murmured softly, "Truly an exquisite beauty, even in the world of cultivation, I've never seen a girl this stunning. Her temperament suits me well too. Alas, if I weren't currently busy fleeing for my life, I'd really want to spend some more days playing with her." Xiaocui, dropping her previous timid demeanor, stepped forward and calmly said, "Mistress, what should we do with this?" Aunt Lan laughed and said, "Naturally, give it to her. Let her learn how to make love to a woman first, and when she's skilled, tasting this delicacy will only be more satisfying. Go on." Xiaocui nodded, glanced at the dazed gatekeeper, and quickly ran off to deliver the box. She caught up with Jing Aoxue at the entrance, shoved the box into her arms as if fearing she wouldn't accept it, then quickly turned and ran back. Jing Aoxue looked at the box in her arms, unsure whether to take it or not, feeling a twinge of curiosity. Considering the days ahead, she eventually decided to accept it. By that time, Shen Luman was already far ahead, and she quickly went after her. As she caught up, she playfully asked, "Wife, should we go find Liang Shengrong now, or head to Baicao Hall to find Liu'er first?" Shen Luman seemed not to hear, walking with her head down, at a pace much faster than Jing Aoxue's sprint. Breathless, Jing Aoxue grabbed her hand and said, "You saw just now, I didn't say much at all, it was Aunt Lan causing trouble. I promise you, I have nothing to do with her. If you don't believe me..." She looked aggrieved and continued, "You can even check yourself. I don't even know how to be with you, let alone flirt with other women." Finally, Shen Luman turned to look at her, but her gaze fell on the box in Jing Aoxue’s arms. With a mocking smile, she said, "There's no need. Let's focus on our business. You're the legitimate daughter of the Jing family, and I'm just a sweeping maid. There's no need to explain so much to me." Jing Aoxue frowned, a bit angered by her words, pulled Shen Luman into a secluded alley. Despite the unpleasant surroundings and smell, she didn't care. Right in front of Shen Luman, she opened the box, saying, "Let's agree first, don’t burn what I painstakingly got like last time. Otherwise, I'll buy even more and use them all on you." Shen Luman didn't know what she was talking about and didn’t want to be sharp-tongued and unlike herself again. The sour, swelling feeling inside made her uncomfortable, causing her to inadvertently say hurtful things. She wanted to apologize, yet felt aggrieved. Never having felt such strange emotions before, she was even wondering if she was ill when she heard Jing Aoxue speak. Suddenly, she realized: last time? Burned it? Could it be... She recalled seeing a black package in the carriage before, filled with... quite indecent items. Unable to bear it and not wanting Jing Aoxue to be led astray, she had burned them. Back then, Jing Aoxue had said the items were gifts from the gambling den's steward, but now she claimed they were hard-earned. Realization dawned on Shen Luman, deducing that Jing Aoxue must have shown some interest for the steward to give them as a reward. Her gaze darkened as she looked at Jing Aoxue with a hint of dissatisfaction, thinking: so she does lie now, whereas she once disdained lying to me. Unaware of Shen Luman’s thoughts, Jing Aoxue flipped through the box contents, discarding the expensive box casually, and handed the booklets to Shen Luman, saying, "Don't destroy them in a rage; I need to study them." Shen Luman, guessing the nature of the items, felt her cheeks flush and slapped the booklets against Jing Aoxue, calling her a "rascal!" Jing Aoxue clumsily caught the booklets, holding them pitifully, saying, "I'm not messing around with others, just wanting to be with my own wife, what's wrong with that?" Isn't that just human nature? Hearing this, Shen Luman's face turned a deeper shade of red. Flustered and unsure, she simply pushed Jing Aoxue aside and ran away swiftly. Jing Aoxue sighed, flipping through the booklets briefly before discarding the text-filled ones and keeping only the illustrations, then hurried to catch up with Shen Luman. The two headed towards the dock, as the Lingbian Village Aunt Lan mentioned was downstream from this county, reachable swiftly and safely by boat. Upon reaching the pier, Shen Luman seemed slightly relaxed, her discomfort eased. Just as she was about to quietly apologize, Jing Aoxue, as if unfazed by previous events, held her hand and said, "Wife, look, isn't that Han Jurin?" Shen Luman squinted, spotting the young man with a refined smile by the dock and confirmed, "That's him." In the past, Jing Aoxue and Han Jurin had quite an affair, and the latter was much more persistent with him than the dubious behavior displayed by Aunt Lan earlier. Han Jurin was indeed Jing Aoxue's true favored one. Thinking this, Shen Luman cast a troubled look at Jing Aoxue, thinking: she really knows how to stir trouble. Jing Aoxue, stroking her chin in contemplation, recalled Han Jurin’s image from the original memories. Her earlier question to Shen Luman was merely a conversation starter. Now observing the grand, lavish houseboat behind Han Jurin, emblazoned with a large "Liu" character, it seemed he had linked up with the Liu family from town. Which Liu family member this might be, she wasn't sure. Jing Aoxue didn’t dwell on it, only admiring the original owner’s taste. Han Jurin certainly was talented, aside from his character flaws, being top-tier in the mortal realm in terms of talent and looks. However, failing to see past his character had cost the original owner dearly, even leading to the loss of wealth and life. It didn’t matter now; she was Jing Aoxue, and after glancing at Han Jurin and the boat, she lost interest and led Shen Luman to board a different vessel. Soon, they found a moderately-sized boat, its cabin able to hold thirty people. The vessel would depart for Lingbian Village in fifteen minutes. Feeling hungry after a busy morning, Jing Aoxue decided it was time to visit the market at the pier to buy some food. So they bought some snacks, hot meals, and two flasks of water before waiting at the dock for their departure. As they passed the bulletin board, Jing Aoxue casually glanced over, noticing multiple official notices for missing persons posted on several boards—drawings of women and children, totaling at least fifty by her count. Stopping, she browsed them one by one, frowning, "Why have so many women and children gone missing recently?" Nearby pedestrians, also examining the board, sighed, "Ah, it seems you’re not aware; times are indeed chaotic. While our town is relatively safe, over a hundred girls have gone missing in other towns... Such a big commotion has even alarmed high-ranking officials in the capital, and it’s said the National Master plans to investigate personally." "Wow, what a big scene!" Jing Aoxue remarked in surprise. Having heard of the National Master’s deeds recently, she knew of her prowess and status. Such involvement was unprecedented in her twenty years as a National Master. A passerby glanced at her and said, "Indeed, but with the National Master on the case, those bandits kidnapping women and children will soon meet their doom!" Jing Aoxue gave some perfunctory agreement, and hearing the boatman calling for departure, she wasted no time joining Shen Luman aboard. This was Jing Aoxue’s first real boat ride. Having lived inland within her motherland, she never had the chance before, with only glimpses from original memories of boat trips. She assumed she wouldn’t get seasick like the original owner, yet barely a short distance from shore, dizziness and nausea overcame her, and she vomited. Alarmed, Shen Luman quickly supported her to a seat by the boat’s edge, as Jing Aoxue palely muttered, "I... never used to get seasick." Wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, Shen Luman let her rest against her, saying, "No need to speak, just close your eyes and rest." Jing Aoxue obediently closed her eyes, but the spinning stars before her eyes worsened her dizziness, forcing her to open them again, just in time to meet Han Jurin's gaze from the pier. He glared, whispered something to his companion, then shot her a disdainful, cold smile. Finding his behavior absurd, Jing Aoxue would have jumped to confront him if not for her discomfort. Clenching her jaw angrily, Shen Luman traced her gaze and spotted the handsome Han Jurin. Her heart grew cold, tempering her worried expression. She said, "You stay here; I'll go ask the boatman if there's any remedy for seasickness." Jing Aoxue weakly nodded and, after she got up, lay flat on the bench, her stomach churning with discomfort. Shen Luman returned shortly, holding a bowl of dark, murky medicine. "Here, drink this. A nap afterward should help." Jing Aoxue took the bowl with trembling hands, contorting her face at the bitter taste. But remembering the agony of seasickness, she pinched her nose and forced down the rest, feeling as if half her life was drained away with it. Lying prostrate on the bench, eyes glistening with unshed tears, she whimpered, "Wife, I feel awful." Shen Luman still harbored some resentment, but seeing her in such a state, she softened. She pulled Jing Aoxue into her arms, letting her lean against her, and gently infused a trickle of wood-based spiritual energy into her body. Being a mortal, Jing Aoxue couldn't tolerate much, but even this stream of energy eased her nausea. Shen Luman produced a few candied dried fruits, nibbling on them until the bitter taste faded from her mouth. Realizing the improvement, Jing Aoxue also activated her wood-element abilities, providing some relief. She took another piece of dried fruit, offering it to Shen Luman’s mouth. Initially, Shen Luman resisted, only opening her mouth obediently when Jing Aoxue threatened to move away. Thus, for the rest of the journey, Jing Aoxue occasionally fed her snacks. The water route from town to Lingbian Village wasn’t very far, so after just about an hour and a half, they reached the village docks. Jing Aoxue's feet touched solid ground, but she still felt as if the earth was quaking, everything spinning and swaying around her.