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墨書 Inktalez
"Delighted to hear that!"
Ye Feng nodded so quickly that it surprised Xia Muxin. She glanced at his expensive attire and then thought of her humble Thatched Cottage. Her eyes reflected a mix of emotions as she nodded and entered the house, where she began washing her hands and preparing the meal.
Songzi noticed Ye Feng's gaze constantly drifting toward her sister, biting her lip in displeasure. Her brows furrowed tightly as she silently prayed, Brother Shen, please come back soon, come back soon...
Since they had a guest, Xia Muxin prepared six bowls, made wild chicken mushroom soup, stir-fried pork, cold mixed wild vegetables, boiled amaranth, spicy chicken giblets, and stir-fried string beans.
Five bowls and a large plate filled the table. The dishes were innovatively cooked, balancing meat and vegetables, their colors glossy and vibrant. The aroma wafted through the air, making everyone hungry even before they started eating.
At the dining table, Ming Peng was on high alert against Ye Feng. Whenever the topic turned to Xia Muxin, he would immediately interject, leaving everyone else puzzled. Songzi secretly laughed; she had been worried before, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Because someone was more eager than him to drive away any man who showed interest in his sister.
The master had secretly instructed him that Brother Shen was to be his future brother-in-law. Therefore, during their absence, he needed to keep a close watch on his sister and not let anyone with ulterior motives get close to her; those people were not to be trusted!
During the meal, some ate without tasting the food while others hid their thoughts. The Summer Forest couple exchanged worried glances at the calm Xia Muxin several times. The village rumors were rampant; two had left and another had come in, and now with this new arrival while the previous one hadn’t even left yet—how could their hearts withstand such shocks?
Moreover, just looking at this person's attire and the luxurious carriage parked outside was enough to raise suspicions about when Muxin had started associating with such important figures. They didn’t seem to mind at all coming here as if it were their own home. Watching Ye Feng enjoy himself so much made it seem like he was quite familiar with Muxin and had dined on her cooking more than once.
Xia Muxin only needed a glance to know what her parents were thinking. Countless black lines appeared on her forehead as she bit down on her chopsticks, glaring at Ye Feng who was eating so happily without realizing where her irritation stemmed from.
After the meal, Ye Feng got straight to the point: "Miss Muxin, I came here this time to discuss business with you."
At the same time, he was quite interested in her culinary skills. Over the years, he had traveled far and wide and seen various exotic cultures, but this was his first encounter with someone like Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin cleared the table and brewed him some tea. His words were expected; she smiled lightly and replied, "What kind of collaboration does Boss Ye have in mind?"
Business is built on honesty, and she does not appreciate those who are overly calculating or cunning, even if they offer her a lot. If that essence is lost, she would rather not engage in business at all.
Ye Feng did not directly answer her question but instead glanced at the flowers and herbs still drying by the stove and asked, "Did you gather these yourself?"
These were the herbs she had seen in the mountains over the past few days: summer withering grass, white flower snake tongue grass, and purple flower ground ivy. However, these were not meant for tea but for medicinal purposes, and this was only a preliminary trial.
Seeing Ye Feng mention it, she replied honestly, "Yes, I saw them while checking the firewood and gathered them. They are just some common herbs, but they are what the apothecary needs."
She made it clear with her last statement that since the apothecary needed them, there was a possibility she could negotiate business with them.
Upon hearing this, Ye Feng couldn't help but smile; she was indeed a special child.
After chatting for a while longer, Ye Feng took away the Gynostemma, Jihua, and Goji Berries that Xia Muxin had prepared.
Of course, Xia Muxin also engaged in a verbal exchange about tea ceremony with him, and Ye Feng considered it an eye-opening experience.
As soon as Ye Feng's carriage left, the Wu Family could no longer contain themselves. Seeing Xia Muxin carrying out a basin of dirty clothes from afar, they sneered:
"I say Muxin girl, if you're going to be promiscuous, don't keep bringing back unsavory characters. Don't think that just because you have a carriage and dress well you can silence everyone. If you want to sell yourself, go to the Red Chamber or Red Pavilion; doing it at home is just ruining your family's reputation. Your grandfather is a cultured man; he has a respectable standing in Daimiao Village. If he finds out about this, won't he be furious?"
Xia Muxin curled her lips and shot a glance at the Wu Family before replying coldly:
"If you're feeling jealous, you can take your unmarried daughters to the Red Chamber to sell themselves. Whether I'm promiscuous or not is none of your business. If you're so upset about it, you can join me; just don't know if anyone would pay attention to you when you're stripped bare like a beggar."
This was the first time the Wu Family had been insulted like this. Instantly furious, their faces turned red as they pointed trembling fingers at Xia Muxin. Then they noticed Aunt Xia coming out with some fabric and shouted angrily:
"I say Forest's wife, how do you educate your children? At such a young age to be so disrespectful to their elders! What will happen when they grow up? People need to know their place; most importantly, they should have self-respect. Look at your family—every few days there's an unidentified man showing up. You might as well open a brothel! What does it mean to hide and sneak around? You dare do this and still expect not to be talked about? I feel ashamed for your family; isn't this just slapping Old Immortal in the face? How am I supposed to face Old Immortal's ancestors after this?"
Aunt Xia was taken aback by what Wu Family said, her lips parted as she struggled to find words. Seeing that she had gained the upper hand, Wu Family became even more smug. Then suddenly changing her expression to one of wounded innocence, she pounded her chest and lamented:
"I still have three pure and unmarried girls at home. You say your family’s Muxin has shamelessly ruined her reputation, all for a bit of money? The gossip at the village end is rampant. To be honest, it’s my fault as an elder for not keeping a better eye on this child. With Old Immortal not at home, you should leave this girl in my care for the time being. I will discipline her well. Once the storm passes, I’ll find someone to marry her off quickly. She won’t find a match in this village; who would want a used shoe? It doesn’t matter what the other family is like or how old they are, as long as they’re willing to accept her."
You Shi had long wanted to interject but felt it inappropriate to interrupt her mother-in-law while she was so animated. Besides, seeing Muxin's furious expression brought her great amusement. Once her mother-in-law finished speaking, she immediately chimed in:
"What you say is absolutely right. Although we are poor, our spirit is not diminished, and we would never take what belongs to others. Your girl has become so disgraceful that even the gods are angry; selling her body and still having the audacity to buy land in the village—doesn’t she fear tarnishing it? I would rather starve than let my daughters do something so humiliating. And your house is so small; those men are strong and healthy. Don’t you feel ashamed hearing those indecent sounds at night?"
They had been holding back for quite some time, having suffered losses at the hands of that shameless girl from the Wang family without any chance to speak up. Today’s opportunity was too good to miss.
Moreover, seeing how well the Wang family was doing day by day—their food, clothing, and living standards had all improved significantly—made them uncomfortable. Meanwhile, their own family had been eating only steamed buns for days; they had rice but no meat, and couldn’t even afford oil for a few simple dishes. Eating was tasteless.
The children had complained with pained expressions several times, but Azure Lotus Girl didn’t care about their plight at all and even avoided her grandmother, which infuriated her.
Yesterday, she vented her frustrations on her sons, ordering them to go out and find work. If they didn’t bring back twenty copper coins by the end of the day, they weren’t allowed back in the house.
"Have you all said enough? Is your mouth full of filth? If it weren’t for my strong will, I would have cut off your tongues and thrown them into the river to wash away! Oh right, my family relies solely on my grandfather to support us. He’s getting old and can’t afford to raise a bunch of ungrateful wolves. Seeing our lives improve makes you jealous? You’re envious? Well, I want you to be envious! What can you do about it? Who told you to give birth to a bunch of useless good-for-nothings? Having many children means nothing if they can’t stand on their own two feet; they don’t compare to me, a mere teenage girl! I feel ashamed for you."
Xia Muxin didn’t care about her mother’s anxious gestures and retorted sharply. The Wu family clutched their chests and gasped for breath, but she felt it wasn’t enough and continued:
"I may be lowly, but I’m not as lowly as some people who climbed into my grandfather’s bed and shamelessly dragged their children into our Xia family! Look at your family—how many of you are normal? The women flaunt themselves while the men are ugly; the old ones show off their lewdness all day long! Let me tell you: if you have the ability, why don’t you let your whole family strip down and try to seduce someone? Let’s see if anyone will throw you a scrap of food or give you silver to buy land!"
"Oh dear... Mother! Mother... Xia Muxin! You shameless wretch! You will face divine retribution! After all, she is your grandmother—the wife your grandfather married properly!"
The Wu family was left breathless by Xia Muxin's words; they couldn’t catch their breath and fainted with eyes rolling back. You Shi panicked and cried out loudly, which drew several daughters out of the house. They hurriedly carried the Wu family inside while You Shi pointed at the sky and then at Xia Muxin, cursing loudly.
Xia Muxin smirked slightly and coldly tossed three words at You Shi: "I’ll be waiting!"
With that, she turned without looking back and headed towards the river with a basin.
Watching her retreating figure made Ming Peng’s hair stand on end. This woman was terrifying in a quarrel—more frightening than when he chopped off an enemy's head on the battlefield. The master’s master was no pushover; no amount of arguing could match her few words. She truly had a talent for infuriating others without consequence.
The next day, on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, Xia Muxin celebrated her thirteenth birthday.
Early in the morning, the whole family got up. This was Xia Muxin's first birthday, and in previous years, they had never been able to gather together on this day. Summer Old Man spent most of his time at the academy, and his late wife had passed away early, leaving all the burdens of the household on Summer Forest. Xia Jihua was a full twelve years younger than Summer Forest. In between, Summer Old Man and his wife had given birth to several children, but none survived, leaving only Summer Forest and Xia Jihua as siblings. In the village, this was considered a sparse lineage.
Xia Muxin had been busy until late the previous night and ended up waking a bit late. By the time she got up, her mother was already preparing breakfast.
Aunt Xia saw her come out and immediately set aside what she was doing to grab a cloth bag for her, gently pushing her towards her room. "Muxin, hurry up and change before coming out."
Xia Muxin felt somewhat bewildered. When she opened the cloth bag and saw what was inside, her little face turned from confusion to amusement; it contained a red corset...
The family had been making noodles for days, and Aunt Xia prepared a simple noodle breakfast today. She had added a few eggs that Old Huang brought over a few days ago into the mix and sprinkled some scallions on top when serving.
"Come on, Muxin, it's time for breakfast!"
Aunt Xia called Ming Peng and the others to sit down before finally bringing out Xia Muxin's bowl of noodles.
Xia Muxin felt a bit lost as she watched her family bustle around. When she saw her mother carrying a large bowl filled to the brim with noodles topped with four eggs and floating scallions, she hurried to take it from Aunt Xia but was deftly avoided.
Aunt Xia placed the bowl on the table and then pulled her down to sit beside her.
"Muxin," Aunt Xia said softly, "In Daimiao Village, turning thirteen is the most important birthday for girls because after today, suitors may come to propose. If both parties agree, then there will be betrothal gifts exchanged followed by marriage. A girl will eventually belong to another family; your father and I have no means, so we can only celebrate this one birthday for you."
Aunt Xia sat close to Muxin, her eyes glistening with tears as she struggled to finish her sentence.
Xia Muxin was taken aback; she hadn’t realized there were such customs in Daimiao Village. No wonder Ermiao had been so anxious; it turned out she was worried about suitors coming to propose while their parents might agree...
Since ancient times, marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers. Even if she wished otherwise, in the end, she could not escape fate’s arrangement—this was indeed one of the sorrows of women in ancient times.
"Mother, what are you saying? I'm still young; I won't get married! If anyone is to marry, it should be them coming into our family. I want to stay with you all until we grow old!"
However, Xia Muxin was not a person of this era; her thoughts simply could not align with theirs. With a helpless glance at her family, who wore worried expressions, she began to distribute the eggs from her bowl.
One for her father, one for her mother, one for her brother, Songzi, and since Ming Peng had always been treated as a guest by her mother, he received two eggs.
“Muxin, you can't do this. The birthday eggs have their significance; you must eat them yourself,” Aunt Xia and her husband exclaimed in a panic, trying to stop Xia Muxin from placing eggs into their bowls. But it was too late. Before Aunt Xia could finish her sentence, Xia Muxin had already reached into her bowl with her chopsticks, pushed the egg aside, and stuffed a large piece into Aunt Xia's mouth.
Immediately after, she quickly finished the noodles in her bowl. With noodles still in her mouth, she mumbled indistinctly, “I... need to wash Uncle now.”
Watching her dash out of the house with the basin in hand, the family was left dumbfounded. Ming Peng stared at the two eggs in his bowl, unsure how to proceed. In the end, he divided one egg each into Aunt Xia and her husband's bowls, gulped down his noodles and soup in one go, said he was done eating, and then ran off as if he had seen a ghost.
The family exchanged bewildered glances once more, utterly confused about what had just happened.
Early in the morning, there weren't many people doing laundry since everyone took advantage of the cool weather to work in the fields.
Xia Muxin couldn't help but chuckle at her family's antics as she looked at her own slender figure.
When she reached the riverbank, she set down the basin and began to take out clothes to wash.
At the bottom of the basin was a small bamboo tube filled with Soap Pods. Xia Muxin soaked the clothes first and used a wooden stick to beat them until dirty water flowed out. Then she rinsed them in water before scrubbing them with the Soap Pods.
This method not only cleaned well but also left a faint fragrance on the clothes.
Suddenly, a force surged toward her. Before Xia Muxin could react, she stumbled and was about to fall into the river when she was unexpectedly caught in a sturdy embrace.
The familiar scent of mint filled her senses as Xia Muxin looked up in surprise and inadvertently bumped lips with him.
In that instant, an electric shock coursed through her body as if she had been struck by lightning.
Her small face flushed, and there was a flicker in her eyes. After a moment, she questioned, "Uncle, you did that on purpose!"
It had been several days since they last met, and he seemed to have grown taller, his skin looking even more radiant. Standing before her, he resembled a celestial being, with a teasing smile in his clear eyes, though his brow was furrowed with fatigue.
In just a few days apart, the girl appeared even more beautiful. Her large eyes were filled with a sense of grievance that instantly overshadowed the exhaustion from his long journey. He reached out and playfully tapped her nose with his finger, feigning innocence as he said:
"It’s only been a few days since we last met, and you’re already eager to steal my first kiss. Tell me, how much have you missed me?"
He spoke these words without a hint of embarrassment or breathlessness; it was Xia Muxin who felt flustered.
Xia Muxin was left speechless by his cheeky remark. After a moment, she retorted, "Uncle? You still have a first kiss?"
Shen Muhan lowered his gaze slightly, his expression darkening as he shot her a cold look. Xia Muxin held her head high to meet his gaze and found his flustered demeanor amusing. However, an unusual sensation stirred in her chest. When she looked down, she saw Shen Muhan's large hand resting over her right breast. Before she could get angry, he leaned down and kissed her.
His kiss was gentle and delicate, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface. Xia Muxin felt her lips soften at the touch; before she could even recognize the taste, he had already pulled away, leaving her stunned and filled with a surge of anger.
"This is your token of affection; remember this well, Xia Muxin. You can only be mine for life," he declared.
The customs of Daimiao Village were established by their ancestors. If a girl had any physical contact with a man on her thirteenth birthday, it was considered a bond of affection. Even if neither party intended it, they were bound by tradition to marry.
Shen Muhan had gone to great lengths to research local customs and had ridden tirelessly to return at this moment.
Xia Muxin was bewildered by his words and stared at him for quite some time before finally asking aloud, "What token of affection?"
"Your first kiss!"
Shen Muhan said dismissively, confident that Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia had already witnessed it. This was precisely the effect he wanted.
Xia Muxin was furious; she felt that Shen Muhan was nothing but an old fox who had been scheming against her all along. With her hands on her hips, she pointed at him and exclaimed, "You plotted against me!"
Watching her fierce demeanor, Shen Muhan swallowed hard and teased, "Look at you, being so fierce even before marrying me. What will happen when I actually become your husband? Besides, just look at me—good looks, good temper, can do housework, and I can take care of children. Where else can you find such a husband, right?"
In the capital, girls would come of age at fifteen, not only having to hold a coming-of-age ceremony but also undergoing various training sessions. However, Daimiao Village was different; as long as one turned twelve, they could express their feelings for each other in various ways.
He was just going along with local customs...
Xia Muxin was so angry that her nose flared, shooting Shen Muhan a glare before bending down to continue washing clothes.
Shen Muhan watched as this girl struggled with the laundry, a charming smile curving his lips. He took the clothes she had washed, wrung them out, and placed them into the clean wooden basin.
"Hey, I heard that papayas can... you know," after wringing out clothes for a while, Shen Muhan recalled the sensation from earlier and gazed meaningfully at Xia Muxin's still-developing figure.
Xia Muxin's pretty face flushed red; how could she not know what he was implying? She shot him an annoyed look and retorted, "Uncle, your chest isn't that big either. You should eat some breast-enhancing food first; otherwise, it won't feel right when touched."
With that, she lowered her head to focus on her work again.
Shen Muhan choked on his words and glanced down at his own chest. After a long moment, his clear eyes darkened.
"Muxin, what a coincidence! You came to wash clothes so early too?"
- End of Chapter -
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