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墨書 Inktalez
Meng Family glared with dead fish eyes, gripping Tang Sanwan's collar tightly, gritting their teeth as they squeezed out a few words through clenched jaws.
When Meng Family got serious, they could do anything. This time, the plan to harvest Xia Family's crops was proposed by Zhou Qinglian. The previous incident involving Serpent God had cost the Wang Family a considerable amount of silver; just the ten doctors alone had cost them over a hundred taels. The Wang Family couldn't swallow this grievance and began discussing how to deal with Xia Muxin, that girl. However, they had no manpower and no money; the only valuable thing they had was the three acres of ripe rice. When Zhou Qinglian mentioned it, the Royal Family applauded in agreement. So, as soon as Xia Muxin left, they began to take action.
However, the last incident had angered the Wang Family even more, who blamed her husband for it and withheld half a year's salary from him. Not only that, but this year's crops also had to be contributed twice. All of this was caused by that girl, Xia Muxin. Why didn't she just go die? Ever since she returned from that matter regarding the concubine, her family hadn't had a single peaceful day.
Yet, facing the fury of Meng Family, she felt a sense of dread. With her collar in their grip, it felt as if her very head was being squeezed in their hand, which was quite uncomfortable. She dared not resist too much and could only cast a pitiful glance at Liu Mazi. But Liu Mazi didn't even dare to lift his head, staring intently at his own toes as if they were intricately embroidered.
Helplessly, she sought help from Lord Wang, but although he clearly saw her pleading gaze, he turned a blind eye, which made her anxious.
"Mother, please calm down; isn't this just going against your own health? Besides, what’s so worthy about that wretched girl to make you angry? Our family is prosperous; if it weren't for your and father's kindness, we would have burned down that dilapidated Thatched Cottage long ago and wouldn’t have given her any chance to bounce around here!"
Seeing the situation unfold, Zhou Qinglian stepped forward gracefully and gently pinched Meng Family's shoulder. She appeared weak and obedient but was actually quite cunning. Her casual words enlightened the Royal Couple.
"Hey, Lian'er is indeed clever!"
Wang Shoucai stroked his beard with satisfaction shining in his triangular eyes as he gave Zhou Qinglian a thumbs up for her performance.
Meng Family seemed to agree with Zhou Qinglian's words and finally released Tang Sanwan. Still shaken, Tang Sanwan bowed gratefully to Zhou Qinglian before retreating behind Liu Mazi.
"What’s that sound?"
Suddenly, faint noises came from outside. Since all the servants and caretakers were called here for a reprimand and there were generally no outsiders visiting except for business matters, the sounds outside inevitably drew their attention. Wang Dafu was already leaning against the door when he heard the noise and immediately rushed out.
"Ah... Xia Muxin! You wretched person! What are you doing? Ah..."
In just a moment, Wang Dafu burst out with a series of howls.
Upon hearing this, everyone else quickly grabbed their clubs and rushed outside.
"Well, you scoundrel, I've been looking for you. Where has my horse gone?"
Rushing out the door, Xia Muxin's sleeves brushed against her forearms as she held a small wooden bucket in one hand and placed the other on her hip. She seemed to be slightly out of breath from exertion. Upon seeing the Meng family and others emerge, she wasted no time and coldly declared, "Lord Wang and his wife must have eaten too much lard to be so blinded. I, Xia Muxin, have already made it clear that we should keep our distance. If you continue to bully me with your family's power, I won't hesitate to disregard our ties."
"Hey, who do you think you are? I, Wang Shoucai, rely on my numbers to intimidate you. What are you going to do about it? Do you dare retaliate?"
Having suffered several losses at Xia Muxin's hands, Wang Shoucai could no longer hold back. With his people backing him up, he felt emboldened and was determined to break this scoundrel's limbs and sell her off to the Red Chamber.
Azure Lotus had complained to him multiple times about how their household was constantly tormented by this wretched girl, which had left her too distracted to serve anyone properly.
This situation infuriated Wang Shoucai. The Meng family managed everything in their household, including every business transaction that required her involvement. Thus, he spent very little time at home and couldn't possibly visit Town every day. Besides, with such a beautiful woman in the house, how could he not enjoy her company?
Moreover, being with Fu'er was the most delightful experience.
Wang Dafu had just been struck by Xia Muxin and was now holding his head in pain. Zhou Qinglian emerged sobbing and called out a few times in distress while nervously tugging at his sleeve like a frightened little rabbit as she looked at Xia Muxin. Eventually, it was Meng Family who instructed her to help Wang Dafu inside before she reluctantly assisted him through the door.
However, no one noticed the cold smirk that crossed her face as she turned away.
As they left, others looked at Xia Muxin with disdain while brandishing their sticks, as if they had just heard the greatest joke.
Xia Muxin remained unfazed; she set the wooden bucket down on the ground and glanced at the gunpowder scattered at her feet. Rubbing her forehead, she reiterated, "If you don't want to suffer even greater losses, return my family's grain."
"Hahaha! What a joke! Your grain went missing and you're blaming my Wang family? Did your mother die and expect us to cover her funeral expenses too?"
At this remark, Wang Shoucai threw his head back in laughter. His shameless demeanor made Xia Muxin wish she could take his head off and kick it like a ball. Given that her mother was already in such a state and they showed no remorse but instead treated it as a joke, she decided not to hold back any longer.
With that thought in mind, she lifted the wooden bucket and splashed its remaining half bowl of oil all over Wang Shoucai. He let out a loud scream as Liu Mazi and others quickly surrounded her.
Xia Muxin's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile as she pulled out a fire starter, blew on it lightly, and tossed it at her feet.
As others were still trying to comprehend the situation, they noticed a fire snake had already sprung up beneath Xia Muxin's feet, and the direction it extended towards was the Wang family's woodshed.
"I don't want this grain anymore, and my mother's medical expenses are waived, but... this is the price."
Xia Muxin calmly took out a cloth bag from her bosom and opened it, revealing glaring thorns. She scanned the people surrounding her with a chilling gaze that sent shivers down their spines.
"Quick, what are you waiting for? Put out the fire!"
The Meng Family was in a frenzy; nothing was more important than saving their home from burning. Shouting for help, one of them rushed to grab a broom from the entrance and hurried towards the fire snake.
The others followed her lead.
Only Wang Shoucai felt uneasy after being splashed with oil. Besides the oily smell, there was also a pungent odor, and under the blazing sun, it felt particularly hot against his skin.
"Ah, Lord Wang, there's no need to doubt. This isn't ordinary oil; once it’s on your skin, it can't be washed off. When heated, it will ignite naturally. The morning sun isn’t fierce, but by noon... unless Lord Wang spends three hours soaking in water, just wait to turn to ashes—no coffin needed."
This nitrate was something Xia Muxin had found near the Golden Python Cave. On a whim, she scraped some up to take home. To prevent it from igniting, she wrapped it in a cloth and buried it underground. Now she had brought it along, and she had not only added nitrate to the leftover half bowl of oil but also sprinkled in some lime and mixed in a bit of water. This explained why Wang Shoucai felt his skin heating up.
Of course, they had no idea what this substance was; she only needed to concoct some nonsense about it, and he would be at a loss.
"You... you..."
For a moment, Wang Shoucai was so frightened he couldn't speak, trembling as he pointed at Xia Muxin with eyes full of fear and disbelief. After all, if she could concoct something like anesthetic thorns, and the doctor didn’t even know its exact composition, what else could she possibly do?
"Yes, I know that Young Master Wang and the others will thank me. Once their greatest worry is eliminated, who would want to share their woman with others? Right? And secondly, you say Madam Wang is still young; she can't possibly remain a widow forever. With her conditions, attracting a man is quite easy. Do you think that man would be grateful to me? As for the third point... well, your lovely daughter-in-law is my cousin. With one less person enjoying her company, she won't be content with solitude; she'll seek out another man—no wait, two—or even three or more men to satisfy her needs. Don’t you think my contribution is quite significant?"
Xia Muxin leisurely folded her fingers as she slowly approached Wang Shoucai. The closer she got, the more venomous her words became, causing Wang Shoucai to collapse onto the ground in shock.
"Liu... ma... zi..."
Suddenly, he turned his head and shouted towards the woodshed. The loud voice made Xia Muxin furrow her brows and instinctively cover her ears, stepping back a few paces.
The woodshed was already ablaze, though the fire was not large. A group of people were throwing water, while others were using brooms and other tools to beat out the flames. In no time, only a few flickering flames remained. Liu Mazi, startled by Wang Shoucai's earth-shattering shout, dropped the basin he was holding and rushed over.
"Master..."
"Hurry up and find a few people to send the grain from the Xia Family to the Xia Family."
However, before Liu Mazi could finish speaking, Wang Shoucai shouted at him loudly. After yelling, he stood under the eaves and looked up at the sky, as if terrified of the sunlight.
Liu Mazi was taken aback and wanted to say something more, but when he saw Wang Shoucai's fierce gaze sweeping over him, he could only respond with a blood-curdling tone: "We still haven't received a year's worth of wages."
Upon hearing this, despite having countless objections, Liu Mazi dared not speak further. He shot a fierce glare at Xia Muxin and called over a few people to load the grain onto the ox cart.
"They will naturally bring back the antidote."
Xia Muxin smiled slightly, lifting a wooden bucket before Wang Shoucai could say anything. Without waiting for Liu Mazi and the others to catch up, she started walking towards home.
At the same time, different screams echoed around her.
"Didn't we put it out? How is it burning again?"
"Ah... it's burning over there too."
"Woohoo, even the wall is on fire..."
Xia Muxin smirked. "You all can take your time with this; let's see if you can put out this fire by midnight."
Did they really think she was just idling in the army? She was well aware of what materials could spontaneously combust at certain temperatures. If they didn't learn their lesson now, they would never remember. Besides, if she didn't burn them all to death, it would be a mercy on her part.
"How did you get here?"
As soon as she stepped out of the Wang family's courtyard, she saw Shen Muhan leaning against a large tree, his gaze fixed on her with an inscrutable expression. Xia Muxin furrowed her brows and asked.
"I was waiting for you."
Shen Muhan said only those two words, then stepped forward to take the bucket from her hand, grasping her hand with one of his as they walked back along the path.
Uh... if he was waiting for her, that meant he had seen everything that had just happened. But why wasn't he angry?
Logically, adults would sternly reprimand children for such behavior, which was why she hadn't wanted her family to know.
"You did the right thing. I won't tell Uncle Xia about it, but next time you have to include me."
It seemed Shen Muhan understood her thoughts. Before she could voice her confusion, he spoke in a domineering tone.
This man was so... so overbearing. Xia Muxin pouted but didn't argue, allowing him to lead her away.
The morning sunlight bathed them in a harmonious glow, while behind them trailed two long shadows that matched perfectly. Xia Muxin turned back to look at their shadows for a long moment before finally saying, "Do you think we look like a father and daughter walking like this?"
At her words, Shen Muhan lowered his head and let out a deep breath, tightening his grip on Xia Muxin's hand. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "You're cuter when you're not talking."
Xia Muxin felt a flush of embarrassment. Cute...
Girls her age were cute no matter what they did or said...
After about fifteen minutes, they returned home. Summer Forest was busy preparing medicine while Songzi helped by tending the fire. When they saw the two return, both let out sighs of relief. Summer Forest rubbed his hands together nervously and asked, "Muxin, where did you go? Why didn't you tell your father?"
Xia Muxin felt warmth in her heart; she knew what he was worried about. She was the only one left unharmed in the family, and the Wang family certainly wouldn't let them off easily.
“Father, I'm fine. I just went to take care of some matters. How is Mother doing?”
Xia Muxin smiled at him reassuringly before quickly changing the subject.
Mentioning Aunt Xia caused Summer Forest's eyes to dim, and she seemed to age several years in an instant. She answered weakly, “She’s still not awake!”
“Yes, the divine doctor said that both Mother and the baby in her womb will be fine; it just needs time for her to wake up.” Previously, when she fainted, she had no idea how Brother Ming Yi had treated her mother. When she woke up, her father and the others referred to him as a divine doctor. Not wanting to bring up any other topics, she could only use the divine doctor as a shield. Deep down, however, she still believed in them.
Summer Forest nodded and went to check on the medicine while Xia Muxin turned to her room. When she came out again, she was holding a small cloth bag.
At that moment, Liu Mazi and the others had also brought over the grain but were lingering at the door, unwilling to enter, each of them holding their heads high with an air of superiority.
Indeed, one can tell what kind of master they have by the dogs they raise. Xia Muxin found it amusing to see whether it was her anxiety or Wang Shoucai's restraint that would prevail.
“Are you waiting for us to invite you in for dinner?”
Suddenly, a deep and bone-chilling voice echoed through the air. Liu Mazi and his companions felt a cold wind sweep past their ears, sending chills down their spines. Could this be the man that San Wan spoke of? Just hearing his voice was terrifying enough. They cautiously looked over and saw a man in black robes standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back. He was tall and slender, resembling a jade tree, with sharply defined features that were exceptionally handsome. His eyes were as dark as a deep pool, radiating cold starlight—proud and aloof yet commanding respect, exuding an overwhelming presence that seemed to look down upon the world.
Having seen many different types of people around Wang Shoucai, Liu Mazi and his group had never encountered someone so unique and imposing before. They swallowed nervously and dared not delay any longer; they hurriedly carried the sacks inside, moving in and out until they had brought in over ten large sacks of grain.
After finishing, they didn’t dare make a sound and quickly tried to leave.
“Wait!”
But just as they reached the door, Xia Muxin called out to them.
Xia Muxin glanced at the size of the sacks and compared the modern yield per acre with what was here until she confirmed that Wang Shoucai hadn’t been up to any tricks before calling them back.
Liu Mazi and the others felt a chill run down their spines. They were already convinced by Xia Muxin’s methods; she even dared to confront the Wang family’s fire. What else could she possibly be afraid of? Moreover, with such an enigmatic man around now, how could they not feel apprehensive?
Xia Muxin walked confidently to Liu Mazi, tossing the cloth bag in her hand towards him. "Boil three buckets of water every day and soak this medicine pack for half an hour. Then let your master soak for another hour. Make sure there are no vents in the bathing area; the medicine will evaporate with the steam. This is the only pack I have, and if it loses its effectiveness, your master's life will be at stake. Don't say I didn't warn you. In three days, he will suffer from pain, itching, and sores all over his body, but he will recover naturally."
Liu Mazi received the small cloth bag, but Xia Muxin's words caught him off guard, nearly causing him to stumble. He glared at her in anger, realizing why his master had sent him to deliver the grain; it was all part of Xia Muxin's scheme.
"This is what it means to endure hardship to rise above others. Otherwise, when your master and all of you are dead, even the eighteen layers of hell won't accept you. Here, take this as payment for helping my family with the grain collection—it's the same amount your master offered, not a copper less."
Xia Muxin paid no mind to his glare and tossed five copper coins on the ground before turning back towards the house.
Most of the farmland in Daimiao Village was contracted by the Wang family, with only a small portion cultivated by villagers themselves. Yet, he still bought back that little grain at a low price. The Wang family was the only one with oxen for plowing, and they had monopolized even the sole thresher in the village. Of course, this required approval from the village chief and a decree from the county magistrate. Every year during harvest time, he hired villagers to help collect grain for his family, but from harvesting to transporting it home, Three Acres of Land only paid five copper coins—without even providing meals. To be honest, those five copper coins weren't enough for a family to have a single meal of buns.
What Xia Muxin did was simply return their own tactics against them; after all, these rules were set by the Wang family—why shouldn't she follow them?
Even if Liu Mazi and his companions were seething with anger at that moment, they dared not express it. After all, in Xia Muxin's eyes, their master's life was still in her hands. Besides, how could they know whether that medicine would work? They decided to return home first to report before making any plans.
"Muxin, what's going on here?"
Since Liu Mazi and his group arrived, Summer Forest had been tense and filled with resentment. Now seeing that their grain had returned without any trouble from Liu Mazi and his companions raised both confusion and concern.
Xia Muxin bit her lip; she didn’t want her father to worry. If they knew she had gone to confront the Wang family this morning, they would be anxious for who knows how long.
"It was my fault for not informing Uncle Xia beforehand. Yesterday I heard about your family's situation and took it upon myself to send Ming Yi to Yamen to file a complaint. Yamen was also very angry about this matter; they sent someone early this morning to the Wang family and ordered them to return your grain."
As Xia Muxin hesitated over whether or not to tell the truth, Shen Muhan took responsibility first and even brought Yamen into it.
Common folk have always feared officials; moreover, Summer Forest was not well-versed in such matters. Hearing that an official had intervened eased their hearts considerably. They thanked Shen Muhan before he took the prepared medicine into the inner room.
Xia Muxin cast a puzzled glance at Shen Muhan's calm demeanor. She opened her mouth as if to express her gratitude but ultimately held back her words. Seeing her father carrying the medicine inside made her worry he might accidentally burn himself on it; she wanted to follow him in but hadn’t turned around before Shen Muhan grabbed her arm.
Xia Muxin frowned, staring at Shen Muhan in confusion.
Shen Muhan smirked slightly, rubbing his thumb against his chin as he said, "I helped you again just now. How do you plan to thank me?"
Xia Muxin laughed. She hadn’t been shameless enough to ask him to stand up for her, but now he was seeking praise and rewards. She flashed a smile that revealed eight perfect teeth, her expression ambiguous, with her eyebrows raised slightly. "So... how does Uncle Shen want to be thanked?"
Shen Muhan felt a bit helpless; this girl was truly stubborn and resistant to reason.
"Hmm? Change the way you address me. I don’t like being called 'Uncle'!"
However, he couldn’t exactly swear eternal loyalty to her at this moment. What frustrated him the most was that she called Ming Yi Divine Doctor 'Big Brother,' yet here he was reduced to 'Uncle.' No matter how he looked at it, he was far more handsome than Ming Yi.
In an instant, Xia Muxin felt as if countless crows were flying overhead. Whether in appearance or demeanor, Shen Muhan belonged to the mature and steady type. Just moments ago, when facing Liu Mazi, he had been more intimidating than Yama King himself. Even she had been startled by his coldness then; how could he now appear so helpless, repeatedly testing her limits?
"Then what do you want me to call you?"
After a pause, she tossed the question back to Shen Muhan. He was taken aback; Brother Shen? Mu Han? Those sounded so ordinary. What he wanted her to call him was 'Husband'...
Seeing him lost in thought made Xia Muxin puzzled. It was just a title; did it require such deep contemplation?
"Uh... Uncle, take your time thinking. Let me know when you've decided. I'm going to see my mother now."
But his dazed and somewhat naive demeanor was rather cute. Xia Muxin's lips curled into a lovely arc as she pulled her hand away and waved goodbye with one hand, tilting her head slightly with laughter in her eyes. She quickly finished speaking and didn’t wait for Shen Muhan to reach out before slipping into Aunt Xia's room.
Once inside, she found her father clumsily trying to feed her mother medicine. A third of the thick black liquid had spilled onto the pillow. Xia Muxin felt a bit helpless and stepped forward, reaching out. "Dad, let me do it!"
Seeing this, Summer Forest felt awkward but didn’t refuse. He placed the medicine bowl into Xia Muxin's hands and stepped aside.
Xia Muxin squatted down, setting the bowl on the edge of the bed. She gently lifted Aunt Xia's head with one hand while carefully spooning the medicine into her mouth with the other.
At first, most of the medicine ended up outside rather than inside, but after a few tries, she grasped the rhythm and got a rough idea of how much to feed each time. Gradually, it became easier. After finishing administering the medicine, she found herself drenched in sweat while her father stood silently beside her with clenched hands. He had his head lowered; without needing to look at Xia Muxin, she could guess that he must have been crying.
She laid Aunt Xia down gently, holding an empty bowl in one hand, forcing a light tone despite the tears welling in her eyes. "Father, look, Mother has finished all her medicine today. At this rate, she will wake up soon."
Upon hearing this, Summer Forest did not lift his head but nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling as he said, "That's good, that's good!"
Xia Muxin could no longer hold back her tears and ran outside.
It is often said that the greatest happiness in life is not just having obedient and fortunate children, but more so the ability of a couple to support each other peacefully into old age. It is commonly believed that a couple who remains together past sixty truly embodies the essence of marriage and fortune. After all, in an era where male superiority prevails and polygamy is commonplace, it is a luxury to expect a man to devote himself entirely to one person. Yet, her parents shared a pure and profound love for each other; they had only one partner throughout the storms of life for decades, valuing each other's lives above their own.
Thus, she deeply understood her father's worries and fears, feeling a surge of compassion for him.
Blood is thicker than water; even though she was merely a fleeting spirit at this moment, she had already regarded them as her most beloved family...
Night fell, with the moon shining brightly and the breeze gentle.
In the Wang family's woodshed lay more than ten people sprawled out in exhaustion, each gasping for breath and too weary to move even a finger. Meng Family had pulled a chair to sit under the eaves, illuminated by the moonlight. It was clear to see that her ten fingers were tightly wrapped in gauze, her face bruised and swollen. Her eyes glinted with malice as she thought of how to tear Xia Muxin apart.
They had been waiting there for quite some time, puzzled by the sporadic bursts of fire that had ignited without anyone knowing why. Although these fires were small and quickly extinguished, over twenty spots had caught fire that afternoon and evening, leaving the woodshed nearly burnt down.
Tonight, she had no intention of sleeping; she stayed there with her servants to prevent any worse incidents from occurring.
Meanwhile, in the Wang family's bathhouse, Wang Shoucai was soaking in scalding hot water. The steam enveloped him like being in a steamer; he was drenched in sweat and struggling to breathe. The only ventilation had been sealed off because Liu Mazi insisted that the medicinal properties would evaporate with any airflow. He needed to soak for an hour, but he could barely endure even half that time.
Damn Xia Muxin! Where did she learn such wicked techniques? It seemed he would have to find someone to deal with this troublesome person.
On another side, Wang Dafu lay listlessly on the bed after being struck on the back of his head by Xia Muxin's stick. Zhou Qinglian handed Jin'er over to the wet nurse and approached him in sheer silk attire that was almost transparent. Seeing Wang Dafu's eyes closed in discomfort sparked a cold glint in her gaze. She picked up a pear from the table, peeled it skillfully, and approached him with a sweet tone. "Husband, where else do you feel unwell? Eat this pear to cool down; it might help you feel better."
Wang Dafu was already irritable and about to wave her off when he noticed Zhou Qinglian's sheer outfit revealing nearly everything beneath it. Thinking about how his wife was still in the bathhouse at that moment ignited something within him. He reached out and pulled Zhou Qinglian onto the bed... (Uh... readers can fill in the blanks here.)
Three days later, Aunt Xia finally woke up but remained very weak. Xia Muxin began thinking of ways to nourish her back to health.
On that day, Brother Ming Yi went to Town to fetch medicine for her. It was said that Sister Tang personally prescribed it, containing everything needed for nourishing and stabilizing the pregnancy. The family's worries finally eased.
Shen Muhan had also been recovering quite well these past few days; his complexion had improved significantly. In just a few days, he seemed to have leveled up, his skin still slightly dull but much better than before, and his features appeared even more refined.
Sometimes, Xia Muxin couldn't believe that such a god-like man had truly taken refuge in her home.
Her family now regarded him as a deity, and Songzi called him Brother Shen before and after every meal. Yet, he was someone who loved to boss her around for everything.
The news of a strange man living in their home had spread like wildfire, and with two men now residing there, the Wu Family and the You Family had already tarnished her reputation. However, she couldn't be bothered. But yesterday afternoon, for some unknown reason, the Wu Family and You Family made a trip to Town and returned with bruised faces, staggering as they walked. According to Er Dan Ge, they had encountered some thugs on the way and were beaten up badly.
Xia Muxin found it amusing; even that shrew could be scared sometimes.
“Xia Muxin, come here!”
Xia Muxin had a lot more to do now; not only did she have to cook for two more people, but she also had to wash their clothes. Strangely enough, in just three short days, she had ruined three of Shen Muhan's undershirts. Yet he didn't seem upset; the next day there were new undershirts again, all identical in style and color—plain white. Just then, as she entered the yard carrying a basin full of freshly washed clothes, Shen Muhan's voice rang out.
“Muxin, go ahead. We’re all men here; there's no need for you to fuss over changing the bandages.”
These past few days had been sunny and bright; the soil outside was already dry. Her father was busy clearing excess dirt from the Amaranth seedlings when he heard Shen Muhan call him and quickly responded.
Indeed, it had been her helping Shen Muhan change his bandages these days since Brother Ming Yi was often unavailable. Her family thought this was only natural; after all, his recovery was partly due to her efforts. Sometimes Xia Muxin really wanted to ask whether it was her helping them or Shen Muhan helping them.
She threw the basin down heavily on the ground. Unfortunately, due to her forcefulness, some clothes inside bounced out, including Young Master Shen's undershirt which rolled around on the ground and got covered in thick dust.
Xia Muxin pouted but didn’t bother picking it up; instead, she went straight into the house.
“I say, Young Master Shen, Benefactor Shen, what’s going on now?”
Shen Muhan glanced at the undershirt on the ground through her and smirked slightly before saying, “Do my clothes have a grudge against you?”
Xia Muxin did not rush to answer. Instead, she glanced at a roll of gauze nearby, stepped forward, and took out scissors to cut a few pieces to size before saying, "Well, it ran away because it didn't like me."
Shen Muhan watched her childish antics, unsure whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he had no choice but to give in and take off his clothes.
Xia Muxin was already accustomed to his body and skillfully bandaged his wounds. Once finished, she took the dirty gauze outside to throw it away.
Before long, several days passed. During this time, Xia Muxin did not go to Town but stayed home drying grain. Without a cement floor, it was quite troublesome to dry the grain. Fortunately, her brother's injury wasn't severe. She and their father went up the mountain and chopped down a large tree, which her brother then shaved into thin boards. They ended up with several dozen meters long and wide, just enough to spread five bags of grain on.
To prevent the Wang family and the Wu Family from meddling, she kept watch over the drying grain.
However, June weather was as fickle as a child's face; it could change at any moment. If the grain got rained on, its quality would suffer, and the rice cooked from it would lack flavor.
Fortunately, every time a rainstorm approached, Shen Muhan would come to help. Even the missing Ming Yi would show up innocently, and both of them were incredibly fast.
After several days of effort, they managed to keep the grain dry while other villagers suffered. The only grain-drying area in the village had been contracted by the Wang family. The villagers had to wait until all of Wang's grain was dried before they could dry theirs and had to pay for the service. Er Dan Ge was alone with not much land, so Xia Muxin let him bring his grain over to dry together. Aunt Liu lived behind her house; being an elderly woman with several children was not easy either, so Xia Muxin allowed her to dry her grain there as well.
But soon another problem arose: once the grain was harvested, they needed to plant the second crop. However, water for the fields had to be channeled through the Wang family. While other villagers had already hired oxen to plow their fields, Xia Muxin's land remained parched and dry, which worried Summer Forest and others.
Xia Muxin felt somewhat frustrated. Her family's field was in He Xiaoyu's area; getting water wasn't difficult, but plowing was another matter entirely since only the Wang family had oxen. If she had to use a hoe to turn over the soil herself, who knew how long that would take? Unless she decided not to plant rice and chose something else instead.
"Don't worry; I'll have someone work overnight to prepare a water cart and bring over an ox along with plowing tools," Shen Muhan said.
Feeling sorry for her exhaustion, he suggested she take a day off. But this girl couldn't sit still; she had already run out to the fields several times with a bamboo stick for measuring. After returning, she sat in a daze for a while before picking up a stick to draw something at the door. Moments later, she dashed back into the fields again. Unable to hold back any longer, he spoke up.
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "You really can get an ox and plowing tools?"
Seeing her skeptical gaze made Shen Muhan momentarily speechless. Was it his appearance that made her distrust him or some past misdeed? Regardless of his helplessness, he could only nod in agreement.
"Great! Then it's settled! Dad, let's go chop some bamboo!"
"Thank you," Xia Muxin said hurriedly before rushing outside to pull the ox cart. Shen Muhan sighed and shook his head, then followed her out.
In the end, Summer Forest did not go; it was Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin who went instead.
"In the future, you don't need to call me Uncle Xia for these small matters; just call me," he said as they walked, pulling the ox cart and speaking somewhat awkwardly.
Xia Muxin paused for a moment but did not refuse or argue.
Thinking back over the past few days, no matter the size of the task, he had always been there to help. With him by her side, she felt as if she had taken a calming potion—fearless and free of worries.
Moreover, during their time together, even though she had made things difficult for him at times, he never showed any resentment. It felt like he was indulging her.
Indulging...
The thought of that word made Xia Muxin's cheeks flush red. She pinched herself hard and thought, Xia Muxin, what are you doing? You're only twelve years old, do you know that?
"Next month you'll be thirteen, right?"
Seeing that Xia Muxin was now quiet, Shen Muhan asked again.
- End of Chapter -
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