Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 103

Wu Shumei shot her a sharp, sideways glance, the usual gentle eyes, soft as autumn ripples, now flashing with coldness.

Li Yunyao felt a chill run through her body and immediately fell silent. She shuffled a few steps backward, instinctively widening the distance between herself and Wu Shumei.

Ying Su had already lifted away the red silk cloth, revealing a gilded toad. Indeed, since the shop’s opening until now, there hasn’t been a single item symbolizing prosperity or good fortune placed in it. This congratulatory gift happened to be perfectly suited to her taste.

Liu Chuncao and Li Dalang, standing off to the side, gawked at the gilded toad with wide eyes. In all their lives, they’d never seen real gold. Even though the toad was only coated in a layer of gilt, to them it was already an incredibly rare and precious object.

By nature, Bai Chuyu wasn’t the sort to send gifts. But after hearing from Wang Ba that her shop had been smashed and burned over the matter of the human traffickers, he had a sudden impulse. For the sake of his daughter Bai Lefu, he sent this golden toad.

“This thing is not bad,” Ying Su narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly. Without any pretense of courtesy, she directly handed the golden toad to Li Dalang, instructing him to find a spot to place it.

“As long as you like it, that’s enough,” Bai Chuyu’s warm gaze carried its usual faint smile, but deep within, his eyes were shadowed and dark. “I’ll be leaving Shili Town tomorrow. If you ever need anything, use the jade token I gave you before. At any Bai family business, it will connect you to me.”

Ying Su nodded. She wasn’t surprised at all that Bai Chuyu was leaving. If the head of the Bai family of Jiangnan, the foremost imperial merchant of the Great Qing were to linger long in such a remote backwater, that would be truly strange. She curved her lips into a smile. “Then I wish you a safe journey.”

Wu Shumei had been standing to the side, listening carefully to every word they exchanged. Her face still carried that gentle, watery smile. She was clever enough to know that someone like Bai Chuyu disliked people forcing conversation on him, so she had kept silent until now. 

Finally, she found a suitable reason to speak, “Second Young Master, you are leaving? Then I should inform my father.”

Bai Chuyu gave a faint smile, his voice as warm as ever. “It’s fine. Just let him know. No need to see me off tomorrow, I may set out at any time.”

Wu Shumei obediently nodded. “Mei-er understands.” Her smile remained poised and proper.

With her proper looks and graceful bearing, she truly was the most outstanding young lady of Fengyang City. Ying Su, watching her demeanor, felt a flicker of admiration. For such a refined, cultured woman to emerge even from such a remote countryside, it was rare indeed.

Bai Chuyu did not linger longer. He soon left with his attendants.

Zhang Yun and Zhu Qiluo, however, had gleaned quite a bit. Ying Su had called him “Second Young Master Bai,” and Wu Shumei addressed him reverently as well. Clearly, this man was indeed of the Bai family, the true master behind the Wu family’s business.

But Li Yunyao burned with jealousy. She bitterly resented that she had never had the chance to meet such a handsome and wealthy nobleman. Her gaze fell on Ying Su, filled with venomous envy. 

Surely this widow was shameless! Supposedly living in mourning, yet clearly seducing men outside, her alluring looks were nothing but those of a sly vixen!

Last time, that same nobleman had brought five hundred taels of silver to the old residence, yet Ying Su hadn’t accepted it. Clearly, she was scheming for a bigger prize, stringing him along.

And earlier, Wu Shumei’s look toward her had only fueled her resentment further, which she vented entirely on Ying Su. Her tone was sharp and rude:

“Hey, Shen Cuihua! Quickly wrap up that dressing mirror Miss Wu wanted and send it to her estate!”

A trace of impatience flashed across Ying Su’s face. Was there truly such a bizarre person as Li Yunyao in this world? Did she soak her brain in formalin? Indeed, the larger the forest, the stranger the birds you find!

“Yunyao!” Wu Shumei’s soft voice suddenly sharpened, carrying a thread of coldness. She glanced at Li Yunyao with obvious displeasure.

Li Yunyao’s heart gave a nervous jolt. She had known Wu Shumei long enough to understand her character: usually gentle and agreeable, but once truly angered, she was not easy to appease.

Wu Shumei moved gracefully over to Ying Su and said softly, “Forgive the disturbance. Since it’s inconvenient for the shop, I’ll simply order a dressing mirror. Once it’s ready, please have it sent to the Wu residence.”

Her gentle, refined, well-mannered demeanor made Liu Chuncao stare in awe. When Ying Su didn’t immediately reply, Liu Chuncao quickly came back to her senses and stammered, “O-of course… I’ll… I’ll make a note of it right away.” She tried hard to suppress her usually loud, rough voice, fearing she might frighten this delicate young lady.

Wu Shumei smiled softly, instructing her maid to hand over a deposit. Then she turned back toward Ying Su.

“This elder sister, Mei-er has a small request, might I invite you to the teahouse for a cup of tea?”

Ying Su curved her lips in a smile, her tone faintly amused. “Since you call it an unreasonable request, then Miss Wu, there’s no need to ask it.”

Such a response was, in truth, rather blunt and impolite, enough to make most people feel awkward. Yet Wu Shumei’s expression remained as gentle and serene as ever, not the least bit embarrassed. 

She simply continued softly, “Yunyao spoke only for my sake. Though her words were improper, her intention was good. I only wished to invite you to tea as an apology.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Ying Su answered coolly. “I never took her words to heart. Besides, the shop has just opened, and I can’t spare the time.”

Wu Shumei had never encountered such a woman before. Perhaps because of her upbringing, since childhood almost no one had ever refused her. Her father had once told her, “With a gentle, delicate girl like you, no one could ever bear to say no.”

But here she had been refused again and still, she wore that same soft smile.

“It was thoughtless of me, forgetting how busy you must be with your shop. Then, another day, I will invite you to my home as a guest. Sister, you mustn’t refuse me again.” She laughed lightly, half-teasing, but in truth leaving no room for another refusal.

By custom, most people would accept at this point. But Ying Su was not like most. She lifted her head, meeting Wu Shumei’s eyes directly. Her own gaze was bright and piercing, as though it could see into Wu Shumei’s heart. A faint smile touched her lips, cool and crisp like bamboo in the breeze.

“Miss Wu, this should be the first time we’ve met, isn’t it?”

Wu Shumei had not expected this question. She hesitated a moment, then nodded.