74 - Little Peasant Wife

The more Jing Ao Xue thought about it, the colder she felt, both physically and mentally. Calmness enveloped her. This matter wasn't urgent; she needed to first let Shen Lü Man get used to her presence. She didn't want a repeat of last time, ending up with an internal injury from a swift kick. The bathwater in the tub had also cooled. Jing Ao Xue rose, dried off, changed her clothes, tidied the bathroom, and returned to the room. Shen Lü Man was at the table, sewing a piece of clothing. Jing Ao Xue approached and said, "Don't make one for me anymore. Make yourself something first, or better yet, hand over the measurements to the town tailor. You strain your eyes doing this every day, and it pains me to watch." Shen Lü Man smiled slightly and replied, "It's just sewing a garment; it's not straining my eyes. I'm being careful. The day is still young, and I’ll rest in a bit." Seeing the tips of her ears turn red, Jing Ao Xue did not insist. However, she couldn't let Shen Lü Man sleep alone, so she sat across from her, resting her chin on her hands, and said, "By the way, the name Gu Qing wrote on the table earlier, it was Qin Yi Shu, wasn't it? What's her background?" Shen Lü Man glanced at her. "You really have no clue about the world outside, do you?" Jing Ao Xue touched her nose, acknowledging that it was the original host who was clueless. Fine, she admitted she was clueless too. Most of her time was spent in the village, with little contact with the outside world, so it's no surprise she wasn't informed. Shen Lü Man sighed and explained, "Qin Yi Shu is a great general from the northwest of our mortal kingdom. Although she's a female demispecies, she possesses immense strength and unparalleled strategic acumen. She's never lost a battle in all her years of war. Everyone acknowledges her as a female war deity, more beloved and revered by the people than the emperor or the national advisor. Unfortunately..." Chapter Forty-Seven: Little White "What a shame?" Jing Ao Xue asked, her curiosity piqued. Shen Lü Man sighed, "Earlier this year, General Qin was victorious and returning to the capital when she encountered a group of bandits who mistook them for ordinary travelers and attempted to rob them." "At the time, General Qin was grievously injured from the battlefield. Under imperial orders, she had no time to recuperate and had to rush back to the capital. Facing the bandits, she was almost defenseless and was crippled in the encounter. If it weren't for her guards sacrificing themselves for her, she might not have survived." Jing Ao Xue opened her mouth to say something but then found the whole situation ridiculously absurd! With a cold laugh, she said, "This doesn't sound as simple as it seems. Ordinary bandits with such capability? Even severely injured, General Qin wouldn’t fall to a few bandits. More so, being gravely injured, she would certainly have guards with her. Perhaps the emperor felt threatened by her achievements and deliberately arranged for this group to incapacitate General Qin." Surprised, Shen Lü Man replied, "That's what I thought too. What I told you is merely the gossip circulating among commoners. The people here have a low level of education and easily believed the tale, lamenting General Qin's fate for a moment before forgetting it altogether." Jing Ao Xue mused, "It's undoubtedly an imperial ploy. I suspected from the beginning that the national advisor seemed more like a treacherous sorcerer than a honorable person. Being supported by such individuals, the emperor couldn't be any good either. It’s a pity for General Qin, who dedicated herself to the country, only to meet such a fate." She sighed, reflecting on how she had encountered similar good-hearted people in her dystopian past who were ultimately defeated in political struggles. They were often too unwilling to be ruthless and became casualties of the power games. Not wanting to dwell on these thoughts—after all, that apocalyptic world was where she was born and raised—she peered out through the window at the lush world outside. Jing Ao Xue pursed her lips and turned her head, "Are the jade stones we got from the mountain village sufficient?" Shen Lü Man snapped her thread and responded, "Yes, they're enough. Why?" Smiling, Jing Ao Xue said, "Just thinking about setting up a spirit-gathering formation in the field early tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be of assistance." Shen Lü Man acknowledged her plan with a nod, continuing with her sewing while Jing Ao Xue sat nearby, chin in hand, watching. They chatted idly for a while longer. As darkness settled, Jing Ao Xue refused to let Shen Lü Man continue sewing. She packed up the needlework and unfinished garments in the wardrobe, then raised her eyebrows at Shen Lü Man, saying, "Wifey, it's getting late. Let's rest." Shen Lü Man felt a surge of nervousness, unsure where to place her hands and feet. But Jing Ao Xue was at ease, moving past her to the bed. She casually tossed her outer garments onto the foot-end cabinet and slipped under the covers. Once settled, she called back to Shen Lü Man, "Come on over, I've saved space for you." Hesitant, Shen Lü Man sidled over and saw Jing Ao Xue with a gleam in her eyes similar to Liu Er's, though Jing Ao Xue's gaze carried more mischief. Situating herself under the covers, she barely had time to lie down before Jing Ao Xue snuggled up to her, tucking the blankets tight and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead before returning to her position and closing her eyes, "Goodnight, wifey." Shen Lü Man's heart raced, her palms damp with sweat. She had expected Jing Ao Xue to be restless, yet unexpected was her composure, falling asleep almost immediately and emitting soft snores. Shen Lü Man thought: I must have misunderstood her intentions. Maybe she was just curious, but if asked to proceed, perhaps she would encounter a mental block. Relaxed now, she shut her eyes, lulled by Jing Ao Xue's light snores. That night, she slept more soundly than ever before. When she awoke, she intended to check on Liu Er and offer her a blanket, only to find the sky already twilight. Shen Lü Man was amazed. It was her best sleep since arriving in the mortal realm. Habitually a light sleeper, any slight noise would awaken her, especially when Liu Er, just a baby, would cry uncontrollably. Those times had been hard—caring for Liu Er alone, hunting by day and comforting her at night, striving to give her a sense of security. Now, thankfully, things had improved greatly, even Liu Er's stutter had abated, all since Jing Ao Xue's return. Indeed, it's essential to have such a presence at home. Shen Lü Man's heart fluttered; she realized she couldn't assume Liu Er could cope without a mother just because she herself had lost her father early on. Choosing not to dwell on past sorrows, she fetched water to wash up and proceeded to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Meanwhile, Jing Ao Xue and Liu Er woke up, washed together, and then went jogging. Before leaving, Liu Er let her pets, Big White and Little White, roam freely, unbothered by the notion they might wander off. With breakfast kept warm in the pot, Shen Lü Man sat on a chair in the yard, watching the white horse and the little grass-eating rabbit. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the tall, emaciated horse named Little White seemed to frequently glance toward the mountain, its keen eyes holding a hint of indecision. Such human-like expression in a horse felt off, prompting Shen Lü Man to set her things aside and approach it for a closer look. The horse turned its gaze directly toward her. In an instant, snippets of her past flashed across her mind as if something was rifling through her memories against her will. Gritting her teeth, she attempted to resist this strange force, only for it to withdraw willingly. Startled, Shen Lü Man found herself staring back at the horse. It let out a hoarse neigh, its round eyes locked onto hers, which left her dizzy, then... she remembered nothing. She stood there dumbly until Jing Ao Xue and Liu Er returned from their run, curious about her standing like a wooden post, Jing Ao Xue patted her shoulder to bring her back. Jing Ao Xue asked, "Why are you standing here like a pole?" Dazed, Shen Lü Man shook her head, feeling wobbly, "Nothing, really... Did you two finish your run?" Jing Ao Xue confirmed with pride, "Yes, actually, I ran a bit faster than usual today. But Liu Er was even quicker, wasn't she, Liu Er?" Holding her bunny, Liu Er nodded happily, "Mother, fast too." Jing Ao Xue thought her daughter was truly an angel, unlike the rowdy kids in the village, absolutely adorable. She pinched Liu Er's rosy cheeks and said, "Breakfast is ready. Let's eat first, then you can go play with your friends. Your mom and I have work in the field; remember to come home for lunch." Liu Er nodded obediently, and the trio returned home. Meanwhile, Little White the horse cast one last determined glance at the mountain before following Liu Er. After breakfast, Jing Ao Xue and Shen Lü Man went to the fields. They had leased ten acres to grow medicinal herbs, which thrived without much attention in recent days. Jing Ao Xue inspected the herbs and was satisfied with their growth. She and Shen Lü Man went to a plot closest to their home, within sight from their yard, just a hundred meters or so away. Seated on the ground, she watched as Shen Lü Man pulled jade stones from a storage pouch. The stones varied greatly; Jing Ao Xue weighed the inferior ones with intent to sell them in town for extra cash. The high-quality ones were kept aside, meant for Shen Lü Man to infuse with spiritual energy, serving as array stones for the spirit-gathering formation. Extracting more than a dozen stones, they had enough for a basic formation. Shen Lü Man sat, drawing in the ambient wood-attribute qi and channeling it into the stones. Watching her, Jing Ao Xue picked up a piece of jade herself, giving it a try. During the post-apocalyptic era, humanity sought to maximize the use of all available resources, opting for the most stable materials in an attempt to integrate supernatural abilities with these substances. Although most of these experiments ended in failure, there were notable successes that stood out and were widely adopted. The most remarkable of these was the invention of the spatial ring.