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墨書 Inktalez
“Xia Muxin, what a coincidence! You're here doing laundry so early?”
Xia Muxin couldn't understand the hint of gloom in Shen Muhan's eyes. She felt as if he was angry—very angry. Watching him twist the piece of clothing in his hands into a tight spiral, she felt a pang of sympathy; after all, it was Ming Peng's shirt. Before she could say anything, a warm yet gentle voice came from behind her.
Xia Muxin frowned. In Daimiao Village, girls her age were mostly already engaged or married off, and the only ones who could call her so intimately were family members or some older aunts, unless...
Turning her head, she saw Zhou Cailian gazing at Shen Muhan with affectionate eyes, her expression shy and demure. Meanwhile, Shen Muhan maintained his previous posture, looking at Xia Muxin with an expression that was a mix of complexity and entanglement. He barely blinked, as if he had frozen while watching her.
Xia Muxin noticed carefully that Zhou Cailian had changed into a new outfit, applied light makeup, and adorned herself with accessories. The strapless dress was lake-colored, paired with a willow-green fitted summer gown that trailed on the ground. However, the hairpin she wore was rather gaudy; its color was too mature for her age, and the flower on it was quite large—almost the size of her palm—making it appear rather tacky.
Moreover, in her memory, Zhou Cailian had always been the proudest of the Zhou family. While she couldn't say they bullied them outright, Zhou Cailian had always looked down on her and rarely spoke to her. In fact, Xia Muxin couldn't recall ever receiving a proper glance from her.
Yet today, she had taken the initiative to greet her. But where Zhou Cailian's gaze lingered...
Xia Muxin blinked and turned to look at Shen Muhan again, suddenly realizing what was going on.
“Uncle, there's a beautiful girl spying on you!”
Ignoring Zhou Cailian entirely, she playfully pinched Shen Muhan's ethereal face with her still-wet hands and said mischievously.
Shen Muhan shot her a glance, his lips curling into a smirk as he replied, “If it’s you, I’d gladly accept. So tell me, where do you want to spy? Is it up top or...”
This girl—how did she understand everything at such a young age? It left him feeling unsettled. He desperately wanted to know what strange thoughts filled her mind. Teasing her had always been his favorite pastime because he loved seeing her blush in front of him. He enjoyed when she reached out with her little claws; it gave him more opportunities to tease her further. Thus, his gaze inevitably drifted downwards.
Xia Muxin felt defeated by Shen Muhan's shamelessness. She glanced at the embarrassed Zhou Cailian and forced a smile before lowering her head to continue washing the clothes.
"Young Master, my name is Zhou Cailian, and I am Muxin's cousin. Could you please step aside so I can wash my clothes?"
Seeing Shen Muhan's gaze filled entirely with Xia Muxin, and knowing they had met more than once without him ever sparing her a glance, Zhou Cailian felt a twinge of bitterness. In terms of looks and grace, she knew she couldn't compete with that wild girl. Besides, she wasn't exactly innocent herself. With that thought, Zhou Cailian felt a bit better, biting her lip to suppress the jealousy as she approached with a Wooden Basin. The area was covered with rough stones, all exposed above the water's surface, layered like steps specifically for women to wash their clothes. Yet, for some reason, she chose to squat next to Xia Muxin.
Shen Muhan continued to focus solely on Xia Muxin but did not make things difficult for Zhou Cailian. He simply nodded and moved aside, then squatted down on the other side of Xia Muxin.
Xia Muxin furrowed her brows but noticed that Zhou Cailian had already set down the Wooden Basin and was pulling clothes out to soak them in the water.
Seeing this, a flicker of disgust crossed Xia Muxin's eyes. Her own clothes were already clean; they just needed one last rinse before being wrung out. That final rinse required clean water, but Zhou Cailian's clothes were far dirtier than hers, as if they had been pulled from the mud. As soon as they entered the water, it turned murky.
Holding her own clothes in hand, Xia Muxin paused, ready to get up and move to another spot for rinsing when suddenly a pair of large hands turned her around. She found herself facing Shen Muhan again, her back now towards Zhou Cailian.
"Uncle! Just one last piece; could you help me out?"
Xia Muxin didn't mind at all; in fact, she felt a hint of delight thinking about Zhou Cailian's disgruntled face. Moreover, thanks to Shen Muhan's assistance, she only had this one piece left to wash. The dirty water kept flowing, and she didn't want to risk getting her clothes dirty again by putting them in.
Her tone carried a hint of playfulness as she looked up at Shen Muhan with bright eyes that sparkled with mischief yet appeared innocent. Shen Muhan felt as if something had struck him in the chest—soft and smooth—sending ripples through him. Following Xia Muxin's words, he took the clothes from her hand and with a swift motion tossed them into the air.
Xia Muxin was stunned; what kind of technique was this? Having been here for several months, she believed there were indeed extraordinary masters in the world. Although she had trained in the military, she had never seen anyone like Shen Muhan before. Curiosity widened her eyes.
His technique was incredibly graceful; the clothes flew from his hand in a beautiful arc, perfectly avoiding the muddy water below. With a few deft flips of his hand while holding the clothes, they spun in the water before he swiftly pulled them back into his grasp, twisted into a spiral shape.
Was this what they called tossing clothes from afar???
Xia Muxin was utterly mesmerized; this was true martial prowess...
Not just her, but even Zhou Cailian behind her stared wide-eyed, as if frozen in place. Her gaze turned back to Shen Muhan, filled with even deeper affection.
"Well, aren't you going to go back?"
Seeing the girl finally show a normal expression, Shen Muhan felt a bit better. He picked up the Wooden Basin from the ground and playfully tapped her nose with his finger, speaking lightly.
"Uncle, can I take you as my master?"
Xia Muxin reacted, looking at him with surprise and clasping her fists in a flattering manner.
"No!" Shen Muhan said decisively, a smile dancing in his eyes.
"Why not?" Xia Muxin pouted stubbornly, looking at him with a hint of grievance in her gaze.
"When you can beat me, I'll teach you other martial arts secrets every night."
Shen Muhan flashed a grin that revealed his white teeth, smiling like a fox. Holding the Wooden Basin in one hand, he beckoned Xia Muxin closer with the other. Confusion flickered in her eyes, but she still leaned in, only to hear his mischievous words.
Xia Muxin swatted his hand away irritably and shot him an annoyed glare before crossing her arms and walking ahead of Shen Muhan with an air of maturity.
Watching the girl's awkward demeanor, Shen Muhan silently chuckled.
"Pengpeng, did you see that? Our boss turns soft whenever he sees Miss Muxin. For anyone else, he's like the Grim Reaper. You know how heartbroken Xiu Ning was? She went to great lengths to even disguise herself as a eunuch just to meet our boss. But he didn't even leave her a glimpse and rushed over here instead."
In the corner of the fenced yard, Ming Yi was whispering to Ming Peng, observing their boss's playful antics with Miss Muxin. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. It seemed there really was truth to the saying that every creature has its match. The two young masters of the Shen Family were famously cold-blooded and unyielding—people feared them like demons—but they had never encountered someone like Miss Muxin who was impervious to both threats and charms yet could still walk away from their boss without a care.
Yet their boss treated her like a servant to his whims, which made Ming Yi wonder how the Brothers would manage in the military camp from now on.
"The two of them had eaten too much and, with nothing else to do, decided to hang up the clothes."
Shen Muhan immediately noticed his two subordinates, whose eyes flickered and dared not meet his gaze. He shot them a glance before handing over the Wooden Basin and said in a deep voice.
At that moment, his clear eyes paired with an icy expression left Ming Yi and Ming Peng somewhat dazed. Was the man who had just been laughing and flattering Miss Muxin really their boss?
Or did they actually have two bosses—one a grim reaper and the other an angel...
Regardless of their thoughts, both men did not dare to slack off. They quickly took the Wooden Basin and obediently went to the corner to hang the clothes.
Summer Forest had gone back to the fields to clear out weeds. When necessary, he would also irrigate some water. It was convenient now; all he had to do was pull the piston of the bamboo pipe, and other villagers could benefit as well since the fields were interconnected. Xia Muxin had instructed everyone to dig a few openings in their own fields as channels, allowing water from her family's field to flow out. This way, they wouldn't have to spend money to appease the Wang family.
As a result, the Wang family lost a source of income.
After all, Daimiao Village might not have a large population, but there were still hundreds of households. In previous years, they would earn a significant amount from irrigation every year.
Aunt Xia greeted Shen Muhan warmly upon his return, treating him as if he were her son-in-law.
Xia Muxin brought in the half-dried Ginger Shreds that she had prepared yesterday and immediately began making Wine-Pickled Fish.
- End of Chapter -
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