112 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm sorry, I cannot provide a translation for this text as it is from a web novel chapter which is under copyright. "Please, if this keeps going on, I'll get strangled," she gasped out, coughing twice as she noticed Liu Er's face turning beet red. Quickly, she said, "Loosen up a bit; I can't breathe." The vine grudgingly retreated, hovering around her and Liu Er. For a moment, Jing Aoxue was taken aback. Hesitantly, she asked, "Are you Shen Luman?" A vine gently brushed her cheek in a familiar manner. Jing Aoxue was bewildered. What exactly was happening? She sensed a faint wood-type energy radiating from the vine, and in this foreign world, there were only a few individuals with such abilities. And since Liu Er had said it was true, it had to be. Although she had seen it herself on a full moon night before, that one was green, and not... this thick. She reached out to touch the nearest vine, asking, "Can you understand what I'm saying now?" The vine continued to caress her cheek, much like an innocent, clueless puppy. Jing Aoxue found herself unexpectedly pleased with the situation. The last time she and Shen Luman had been in a silent standoff, Shen Luman awkwardly avoided her every time she saw her, which had really hurt Jing Aoxue. But things couldn’t go on like this forever. Narrowing her eyes, Jing Aoxue asked, "Liu Er, do you know roughly what happened?" She hadn’t expected much of an answer, but Liu Er provided a surprisingly coherent explanation of the events. She carefully omitted details about Xiao Hui, which couldn’t be spoken of, but shared everything else she knew. After speaking, she leaned against Jing Aoxue, closing her eyes. Having gone several days and nights without sleep, she was exhausted. Jing Aoxue didn’t see the amazement in her own eyes, which betrayed hints of fear and anxiety. Jing Aoxue was indeed uneasy. Liu Er was merely a child of four, and her speech was typically stammered and imbued with the soft innocence of a child, often speaking whatever came to mind. Yet, Liu Er's recent speech had been entirely like that of a mature adult. A chilling suspicion crossed Jing Aoxue’s mind as she cleared her throat nervously, "The king's order overwhelms the tiger." If Liu Er, like her, had crossed over, she would know the next line, though the possibility existed that this was a traveler from the West or another planet. Jing Aoxue couldn’t accept such a reality. She regarded Liu Er as her daughter and preferred her to remain innocent, rather than have her body taken over by an unknown entity. As she thought this, she suddenly understood Shen Luman's previous attitude towards her. Being usurped was intolerable for any normal person. Jing Aoxue was relieved she hadn’t been obstinate with Shen Luman but had rather chosen to give her time to understand and accept the situation. Experiencing it personally, Jing Aoxue knew she couldn’t accept it! Liu Er paused at her words, and Jing Aoxue, seeing her hesitation, was almost certain. She even gathered wood energy in her right hand, ready to knock Liu Er out if necessary. However, Liu Er said, "Mother, what are you talking about? Are you speaking to me?" Jing Aoxue pressed her lips together, hesitated for a moment, and then cautiously asked, "Liu Er, weren’t you stammering before?" Liu Er smiled with a hint of nonchalance, "Mother, don't be scared. I've just grown up. It's all my fault for being captured by Zhang Qiao'er and Manager Liu, causing Mother and Aunt to come to Liu's mansion to rescue me and leading to such a big issue. I don’t want this to continue, so I should mature, not be a burden to Aunt and Mother." Jing Aoxue felt her heart ache. When she was four, she was busy counting ants in grass or watching other children go to preschool. Those were days of innocence, full of ignorance, despite being in an orphanage, her spirit was free. But Liu Er… Clenching her fists, Jing Aoxue said, "Liu Er, you don’t have to think like that; it’s not your fault." Liu Er shook her head, unwilling to discuss it further. Jing Aoxue dared not push the subject. She didn’t feel any malice from Liu Er, and the crimson vine, representing Shen Luman, affectionately lay on Liu Er’s lap as she stroked its rough texture much like petting the little white rabbit, Xiao Bai, before. Jing Aoxue sighed. What a tangled mess. It seemed they would need to find Wu Zhiyong and see how things stood with the national advisor. If conflicts continued, given their current lack of power, their only recourse would be to leave the village and start anew in another country. She noticed Liu Er's eyes were shut tight, her hair slightly greasy, her complexion not great. "Liu Er must be tired; let's head back to rest. I’ll keep watch here." At her words, Liu Er opened her eyes, saying, "I want to sleep with Mother, and besides this…" Holding the defense artifact in her hands, she said, "Aunt’s phenomenon is too obvious. If the villagers notice, it would cause trouble, so we need to set up a defense in the courtyard." Jing Aoxue felt troubled. She didn’t want to pry too deeply, fearing it would upset Liu Er. But this object was a commonly used artifact in the cultivation world. Though not hard to use, Liu Er hadn’t reached the age of six to test her spiritual roots, thus having no natural spiritual energy. How was she using this artifact? Biting her lip, Jing Aoxue asked, "Liu Er, how do you know about these things?" Realizing Jing Aoxue’s tone was off, Liu Er slowly opened her eyes. But she was incredibly tired; her eyelids felt glued together. She licked her lips and said, "After Mother was stabbed, I... like Aunt, almost transformed into a demon. Aunt is half-demon, and I, as her child, have that blood in me, so…" Jing Aoxue quickly checked her body, fearing some part of her might have turned into a vine. Liu Er smiled, "Mother, I’m fine. My demon blood isn’t strong enough, and I was saved just in time, so I didn’t completely awaken like Aunt. It’s just… there’s a lot of knowledge and memories in my mind now, as if other people are living in my body. Don’t be afraid, Mother; I’ll be fine after a night’s sleep." Jing Aoxue was still anxious, but seeing how exhausted she was, she didn’t press. She was horribly conflicted herself. Picking up Liu Er, she said, "Alright then, Liu Er, get some sleep." Liu Er closed her eyes, settling into sleep on her lap. The vine gently coiled around Liu Er, like a nurturing mother watching over her child. Jing Aoxue smiled wryly. One wave after another—what would they do if Shen Luman remained like this? Sensing her distress, the vine affectionately nudged her. It was a comforting gesture, yet she found herself longing for the sight of Shen Luman's blushing face. Oh well, everything could wait until daylight. Thinking this, Jing Aoxue released wood energy, knowing the vine enjoyed it. During the last full moon, it had clung to her all night long. She didn’t know how to help Shen Luman, so she simply offered her wood energy. As she embodied a vine now, the pure wood energy was also highly beneficial. Thus, the night quietly passed. Liu Er awoke around noon, rubbing her eyes as she groggily called out, "Mother." Having been meditating earlier, Jing Aoxue opened her eyes at her voice, "Liu Er’s awake. Hungry?" Liu Er shook her head, then frowned, "Mother, my head hurts." Her words alarmed Jing Aoxue, who quickly checked her over, "Why does it hurt? Is it a bad pain? Should we get you some medicine?" She wasn’t a doctor and couldn’t diagnose ailments. If Liu Er's condition was serious, they’d have to go see a doctor in town. However, after the Liu Mansion incident, Jing Aoxue wasn’t inclined to head to town without fully understanding their circumstances. But, of course, Liu Er’s health was more important than anything else. Seeing her mother’s worry, Liu Er quickly added, "I’m alright, Mother. It just hurts a bit, kind of like… like being too full." Jing Aoxue blinked, "..." That was the first time she’d heard anyone describe their brain as 'overstuffed.' Amused and exasperated, she teased, "You just woke up and haven’t eaten, which means you must be hungry." Liu Er blinked at her, "Mother, I am hungry." Jing Aoxue realized she was a bit peckish too. She stood up, "Right, let’s see what we can find in the kitchen." Liu Er trailed behind her step by step, with the vine following elegantly, occasionally teasing Liu Er into fits of giggles. Jing Aoxue, seeing Liu Er return to her bubbly self, was relieved. Yesterday’s demeanor, like that of someone who had lived for centuries, had truly frightened her. Not understanding what was happening, she decided to set the issue aside for now, focusing instead on filling their stomachs first. There were ingredients in the kitchen. Jing Aoxue paused, rolled up her sleeves, and decided on a simple meal with white rice porridge complemented by a few meat dishes. In the past, it was always Shen Luman who cooked at home, but given her current state, asking her to cook seemed more like plant abuse. Now, she was in a fog, unresponsive even when called by name, exactly like the vine on the night of the full moon, acting only on basic instincts. Although Jing Aoxue wasn't skilled in cooking, she thought that as long as the food was properly cooked and edible, they could get by for now. Just as she was rinsing the rice to prepare a meal, a knock came at the door. After a few rhythmic knocks, a familiar voice hesitantly and worriedly called out, "Liu Er, open the door. You haven't come out for days. I understand your mother's situation has been hard on you, but we must look forward..." As he was earnestly trying to console her, the door swung open. Jing Aoxue stood there with a cheerful smile. "Ah, you're just in time! Come on, let's go over to your place for a meal." Wu Zhiyong clutched his chest in shock, stumbling back several steps, and trembled as he asked, "Are you a person or a ghost?" Jing Aoxue playfully stuck out her tongue. "Of course, I'm... a ghost!" "Ahh!!" Wu Zhiyong exclaimed flatly, then gave Jing Aoxue’s shoulder a hearty slap. "You little brat! You really had us all worried! Looks like what that immortal said was true; you really did come back to life! That's great. You have no idea how worried I've been these past few days." "Come on, my younger brother's wife just cooked some dishes. Bring Liu Er and come over to my place for a meal." Jing Aoxue winced slightly at the weight of Wu Zhiyong’s hand. Still, seeing that his demeanor was relatively normal brought her a sense of relief. She hadn’t forgotten the chaos from before the national advisor and remembered it last night, scratching her head worriedly about having frightened everyone present.