73 - Little Peasant Wife

Jing Aoxue felt a surge of happiness and accomplishment as she waved at Liuer, saying, "Liuer, come here." Hearing her, Liuer glanced up, tossed the grass leaf in her hand to Dabai, and obediently walked forward. "Mother." Jing Aoxue gently wiped her cheek and asked, "Liuer, how was your day yesterday?" She knew Gu Qing was a good person and would certainly take good care of Liuer, but she still wanted to hear from her daughter about the previous day, what she did, and how it went. Liuer responded, "Had lunch at noon, watched others, healed some patients in the afternoon, slept at night, didn't take a bath, woke up early to exercise, ate, and sat by the door waiting for Mother and Mommy." Jing Aoxue was more than satisfied despite the summary sounding like a routine list, saying, "Liuer is so well-behaved." Liuer nodded with a smile, "Liuer is always well-behaved." Jing Aoxue gently pinched her nose and said, "You didn't take a bath yesterday, right? Let your mommy bathe you first, then I'll take mine." Liuer acknowledged with a nod, just as Shen Lüman announced, "The hot water is ready." She went to fetch water, clean her hands, and gather a towel and clean clothes for changing. Shen Lüman carried the hot water out and saw Jing Aoxue still reclining lazily on the chair. She approached and said, "Didn't you say you wanted a bath? The hot water is ready, what are you still doing lounging here?" Jing Aoxue looked at her with a smile, "Your daughter didn't bathe before bed last night, let her have a bath first. I'm really dirty and will take a while." Shen Lüman frowned slightly and replied, "Alright then." She turned to take the hot water to the bathroom, and soon the sound of splashing water filled the air. Jing Aoxue took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and thought, "Indeed, a peaceful life is the best. Returning home, I feel completely relaxed." Since arriving in this different world, she hadn't slacked off on her training, but too much time had been taken up by various matters, eating into her practice time. Last night's incident served as a stark reminder: she couldn't continue like this. She had always ensured to hold control in her hands and knew she had to accelerate her cultivation pace. The mountain's spiritual energy was the most abundant; the wood element was the most active there, ensuring her practice was quickest on the mountain. However, at the very start of her time in this new world, she inexplicably suffered severe injuries on the mountain, leaving her meridians throughout her body destroyed, making even breathing painful. Since then, she avoided that mountain, yet the mystery and confusion lingered in her heart. Now, she intended to force herself back to the mountaintop for another try. If she got injured again, then... she'd just suffer the wounds once more. Jing Aoxue smiled bitterly, thinking, "I've prepared various medicinal herbs. Even if I get hurt again, I can rely on pills and medicinal baths to recover quickly." She was determined to find out why she got injured there. And then there was the issue of why this body was so weak. She initially thought that the original owner disliking exercise might have led to such poor physical condition. However, after a long time adapting, she finally noticed something amiss. Even though this body had such a weak constitution, it was once at the eighth level of Qi refinement. After having impurities purged repeatedly through spiritual energy, most of the impurities were removed. Even if the spirit root was destroyed and cultivation abandoned, the body's meridians should still be more robust than an ordinary person's. Yet, the original owner constantly felt weak and powerless. After Jing Aoxue's transmigration, she also felt easily fatigued, needing to lie in bed for a long while just to recover from a single night's exertion. This body definitely had an issue. To improve her abilities, she had to uncover what was going on! With resolute determination in her eyes, Jing Aoxue thought, "People do need to be pushed forward. I've been too lazy during this peaceful time in this world, and this must serve as a lesson; I can't repeat past mistakes." She heard familiar footsteps behind her and turned, asking, "Is Liuer done with her bath?" Shen Lüman nodded, "I thought you had fallen asleep." Jing Aoxue reached out to hold her hand, gently caressing her smooth, jade-like hand, and smiled, "Not yet, but have you thought about what I mentioned before?" Initially, Shen Lüman didn't understand and asked, "What are you talking about?" It wasn't until she saw Jing Aoxue's ambiguous, meaningful smile that she froze and understood what she meant. Her cheeks flushed as she moved her lips, speaking softly, "I... Liuer, she..." "Shh!" Jing Aoxue kissed the back of her hand, "I don't want to hear a refusal. You better move into my room while I'm bathing, or else I'll personally come to fetch you later!" Shen Lüman's cheeks turned crimson as she tried to withdraw her hand, only for Jing Aoxue to capture her fingers between her lips. The warm tip of her tongue traced the spaces between her fingers, sending an itch spreading through her entire body, making her flush with heat. This feeling was utterly unfamiliar to her, leaving her flustered and bewildered, her whole body stiffening in confusion. Jing Aoxue, half-closing her eyes, raised an eyebrow at her, "Wife, your face is so red." Shen Lüman pulled her hand back, biting her lip, "You're seeing things!" Jing Aoxue tilted her head back in laughter, "Alright, it's my mistake. I'll go bathe now, but move quickly, okay?" Chapter 46: The Goddess of War Shen Lüman bit her lip as she watched Jing Aoxue head to the bathroom, struggling to suppress her embarrassment as she returned to her room to fetch a pillow and blanket. Liuer was lying on the bed and nervously asked, “Mommy, where are you going?” With cheeks flushed, Shen Lüman said, “Well... you're growing up. It's time you get used to sleeping alone. I'm going to sleep elsewhere.” Liuer, upon hearing this, curiously glanced at the blanket in her hand and suddenly understood, “Oh, Mommy is going... somewhere else to sleep. Okay, go ahead.” Shen Lüman had thought Liuer would be reluctant, but to her surprise, she readily agreed. Feeling both puzzled and a bit disappointed, she said, “Liuer, you...” Liuer smiled and said, “I know, Mommy is going to sleep with Mother and have a new baby.” Shen Lüman's cheeks turned a deep red as she sternly replied, “Don’t say such things. Make sure not to kick the blanket off while sleeping; I'll come over at night to tuck you in.” With an amused look, Liuer said, “Okay, Mommy, you better go now.” Shen Lüman, both annoyed and embarrassed, glared at her before reluctantly heading to Jing Aoxue's room. It wasn’t her first time in Jing Aoxue’s room; she had overseen its construction with the villagers and knew the layout and furniture well. However... What made her uneasy was the person living in this room. She wasn’t blind to how close Jing Aoxue had become to her over the past days. Especially the incident at noon by the docks. She still remembered the scroll was with Jing Aoxue, wondering if she had learned anything peculiar from it. She had considered, that if Jing Aoxue had such needs, she could perhaps help. Being half-demon and raised among demons, her perspective was influenced by their hedonistic ways. Demons embraced pleasure, and though young, nothing about such matters was ever hidden from her. She was well aware of many surprising 'playful' ways. Though she couldn’t satisfy Jing Aoxue as a man might, she was certain she could still make her comfortable. If Jing Aoxue wanted to... she would, of course, comply. Shen Lüman bit her lips, eyes shimmering with water-like brightness, her face a rosy red as she shook her head to dismiss those embarrassing thoughts. She shuffled slowly to the bed. The bed was ample for one but snug for two. After some hesitation, she placed her pillow next to Jing Aoxue’s. They had bought the pillows from town together, so their styles were similar, making them a perfect pair when placed side by side. She placed her blanket on the outer side, deciding to sleep on the edge. She was used to waking up earlier than Jing Aoxue and had to check on Liuer at night, making it convenient to sleep on the outer side. After some thought, she fetched the teapot from the table, planning to brew some tea in case Jing Aoxue wanted a drink at night. Just then, Jing Aoxue’s voice called from the bathroom, slightly muffled, “Wife, I forgot to bring clothes before the bath. Could you get me a clean set from the room?” Shen Lüman sighed internally at how Jing Aoxue could be as forgetful as a child, even forgetting to bring clothes for her bath. After preparing the tea, she returned to fetch Jing Aoxue’s clothes. On top of the wardrobe were some pink clothes she had sewn earlier. She selected the new outfit, focused eyes down, hanging it on the bathroom rack, and quickly retreated before Jing Aoxue could comment or tease. Jing Aoxue watched her hasty departure with a mix of amusement and resignation. During her bath, Jing Aoxue had flipped through a few pages of the erotic scroll. The content was indeed quite evocative; the positions depicted were ones she’d never heard of or seen before. While there were positions for men and women, more of them illustrated how two women could engage. Intrigued, she examined them closely and felt as if a new world had unfolded before her. Contrary to what she initially thought, female demi-humans in intimate relations relied less on the short "light sticks" and more on fingers, tongues, and other parts of the body. Looking at it with a researcher's curiosity, Jing Aoxue’s face turned crimson, barely avoiding a nosebleed. She worried if fingers would be too thin, or if they wouldn't satisfy Shen Lüman, but the women in the illustrations seemed quite content. Moreover, even with the tongue... she thought about it and found herself not against it, but somewhat eager. Holding her nose, she dared not look more, fearing she couldn’t resist turning into a ravenous wolf and devouring Shen Lüman. Ever since admitting to herself that she liked someone, her previous indifference towards such matters turned into curiosity and a burning desire to explore. However, she didn’t want to force Shen Lüman into anything. Having spent considerable time with Shen Lüman, she understood her character. If she initiated something, Shen Lüman might reluctantly agree, just like whenever she put her mind to something, Shen Lüman would do her best to help actualize it. Moved by such sincerity, Jing Aoxue resolved that she couldn’t act in such a manner. It would be no different from being a rogue or a bandit. These things should happen naturally, not be one-sidedly pursued. She and Shen Lüman still had many unspoken truths between them. Their hearts had yet to fully connect, and physically rushing ahead would make her no better than the scoundrel who was there before.