104.5 - Little Peasant Wife

Jing Ao Xue stared blankly, thinking: Is this my wife? Is this Shen Lü Man? Is this... a vine! She swallowed hard. The nine blood-red vines moved closer to her, wrapping her and Liu Er tightly, growing tighter by the moment. Being a wood-type ability user, she could somewhat communicate with intelligent mutated plants, so she sensed joy and closeness from the vines. But if this continued, they might suffocate. She coughed twice and seeing Liu Er's face turning crimson from lack of air, she hurriedly said, "Loosen up a little—I can’t breathe." The vines reluctantly released her, floating around her and Liu Er. Jing Ao Xue was in a daze for a moment before hesitantly asking, "Are you Shen Lü Man?" A vine approached and affectionately nuzzled her cheek. Jing Ao Xue was bewildered by the entire situation. She sensed a faint presence of wood-type energy from the vines, and in this foreign world, only a few people had such abilities. Since Liu Er had confirmed it, it had to be true. Though she had seen it on the full moon night before, those vines were green, and not... this thick. She reached out to touch the nearest vine and asked, "Can you understand what I’m saying now?" The vine continued to nuzzle her like a clueless little puppy. Jing Ao Xue couldn’t help but feel... quite happy about this, because she was previously in a cold war with Shen Lü Man. Shen Lü Man would awkwardly walk away upon seeing her, which had hurt her. But this couldn’t go on forever. Jing Ao Xue squinted her eyes and said, "Liu Er, do you know what's generally going on here?" She didn’t expect much, but Liu Er surprisingly articulated what happened clearly, although she skillfully omitted the parts about Xiao Hui, realizing she couldn’t talk about it. Once she finished, she leaned against Jing Ao Xue and closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept for several days and nights. She was exhausted. Hence, she didn’t catch the astonished look in Jing Ao Xue's eyes, which contained traces of fear and unease. Jing Ao Xue was indeed uneasy. Liu Er was merely a four-year-old child. Her speech was usually stuttering and carried the typical soft, naive tone of children who speak whatever comes to mind. Yet, just now, Liu Er spoke like a mature adult. A conjecture formed in Jing Ao Xue's mind. Clearing her throat with difficulty, she said, "The king covers the ground, and the tiger..." If Liu Er had crossed over like her, she'd surely know the next line. But what if the person was a Westerner or someone from another planet? Jing Ao Xue couldn’t accept such a possibility. She’d already considered Liu Er her daughter, preferring her to remain innocent and pure than to be overtaken by some unknown entity. This thought process made Jing Ao Xue realize why Shen Lü Man had behaved that way towards her before. To have one's nest usurped—such a thing was intolerable for any normal person. She felt thankful for her previous rational attitude, having chosen to give Shen Lü Man time to understand and accept instead of arguing. Experiencing this herself, she would definitely not accept it! Liu Er paused at the words, leaving Jing Ao Xue more certain, even readying wood-type ability in her right hand in preparation to subdue Liu Er if necessary. But Liu Er said, "Mother, what are you saying? Are you talking to me?" Jing Ao Xue bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before cautiously asking, "Liu Er, didn’t you stutter before?" Liu Er giggled, her smile bearing traces of indifference and nonchalance. She said, "Mother, don’t worry. I’ve simply grown up. It’s my fault for being captured by Zhang Qiao’er and Steward Liu, which caused Mother and Mom to come rescue me at the Liu estate. I don’t want to be like this anymore. I should grow up, so as not to become a burden to Mother and Mom." These words brought Jing Ao Xue indescribable heartache. At her age of four, she was counting ants in the grass or watching other kids go to kindergarten, utterly innocent. Though in an orphanage, her soul was free. But Liu Er... Jing Ao Xue clenched her fists tightly, saying, "Liu Er, you don’t need to think so much; it’s not your fault." Liu Er shook her head, unwilling to talk more about it. Jing Ao Xue dared not bring it up again either. She didn't sense any malice from Liu Er, and the blood-red vines that Shen Lü Man had transformed into were affectionately wrapping around Liu Er’s legs, letting Liu Er caress her coarse textures like the little bunny Da Bai. Jing Ao Xue sighed—what a situation this had become. It seemed she'd need to consult Wu Zhi Yong tomorrow to find out how things stood with the national teacher. If troubles continued, with their current lack of strength, they would have to seize the chance to leave the village and live in another country. She noticed Liu Er’s hair was greasy and her complexion off. "Liu Er, you’ve worked hard. Rest in the room for now. I’ll keep watch here." Liu Er opened her eyes at her words. "I want to stay with Mother, and this..." She held up a defensive artifact. "Mom’s form stands out too much. If people from the village see her, it’ll cause trouble. We must set defenses around the yard." Jing Ao Xue: "..." She had originally decided not to dig deeper, not wanting Liu Er to suffer, but this was a common magic artifact in the cultivation world... Although it wasn’t difficult to use, Liu Er hadn’t reached the age of six to test her spiritual roots. Naturally, she didn’t possess spiritual energy. So how could she activate this artifact? Biting her lip, Jing Ao Xue asked, "Liu Er, how do you know about this?" Liu Er sensed the wrongness in her tone, and though it was difficult, she opened her eyes, feeling a growing sleepiness overwhelming her. She licked her lips, saying, "When Mom was stabbed, I... I nearly transformed like her. Mom is a half-demon; as her child, I have demonic blood, so..." Jing Ao Xue quickly checked Liu Er's body, afraid she might have also turned into a vine. Liu Er smiled. "Mother, I’m okay. My demon blood isn’t strong enough, and someone saved me in time, preventing a complete awakening like Mom’s. But... there are many memories and insights swirling in my mind, like living with another person inside me. Mother, don’t be afraid. I’ll be okay after a night's rest." Jing Ao Xue couldn’t help her worry. But seeing Liu Er’s exhaustion, she chose not to press further, despite her own internal turmoil. She cradled Liu Er in her lap, saying, "Alright, sleep, Liu Er." Liu Er closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully on her lap. The vines wrapped gently around Liu Er, like a nurturing mother watching over her child. Jing Ao Xue chuckled bitterly. One wave after another—if Shen Lü Man remained like this, what would the future hold? The vines seemed to sense her distress, rubbing against her comfortingly. Such openness... yet she already longed for Shen Lü Man’s blushing cheeks. Forget it, everything could wait until morning. With this thought, Jing Ao Xue released her wood-type ability. She knew the vines enjoyed it; during the last full moon, the vines had clung to her all night. Not knowing how else to help Shen Lü Man, she decided to share her wood-type energy instead. Now that Shen Lü Man was truly a vine, such pure energy would certainly benefit her. Thus, the night quietly slipped by. Liu Er didn’t wake until noon, rubbing her eyes and mumbling, "Mother." Jing Ao Xue had been meditating, and upon hearing her, she opened her eyes and asked, "Liu Er, are you hungry?" Liu Er shook her head, then suddenly clutched her head. "Mother, my head hurts." "What!" Jing Ao Xue was alarmed, immediately examining her. "Why does it hurt? Is it severe? Do you need some medicine?" Not being a doctor, she couldn’t diagnose an illness. If Liu Er’s condition were serious, they'd need to go to town for a doctor. Yet, considering the incident at the Liu estate, Jing Ao Xue was reluctant to visit town without a clear understanding of their circumstances. Sigh! But ultimately, her daughter’s health was most important. Seeing Jing Ao Xue’s worry, Liu Er hastily said, "Mother, it’s fine, not serious. It just feels... overstuffed." Jing Ao Xue: "..." That's the first time she’d heard of someone saying they overstuffed their head. Bemused, she said, "You just woke up and haven’t eaten yet—hungry?" Liu Er blinked, looked at her, and said, "Mother, hungry." Realizing she was indeed a bit hungry herself, Jing Ao Xue stood up. "Let’s go, let’s check the kitchen for something to eat." Liu Er followed her closely, with the vines playfully teasing her, making her giggle. Jing Ao Xue felt a wave of relief seeing Liu Er acting more like herself. Yesterday’s mature demeanor akin to someone who’d lived for centuries had truly frightened her.