Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 15

Ying Su rather liked Li Jinfeng as a girl. She couldn’t hide her thoughts, said whatever was on her mind, and didn’t play around with schemes or tricks. Pulling her sleeve back from Li Jinfeng’s grasp, Ying Su smiled and said, “That won’t do!”

Li Jinfeng’s face flushed red. Just as she was about to speak, Ying Su continued, “You’re still at the age of budding youth. If I carve you a beautiful wooden bowl and you look at it every day with joy, your appetite will grow, you’ll put on weight, and if you become too plump and can’t get married in the future, wouldn’t that be my fault?”

Li Jinfeng’s face turned crimson at those words. Clutching at the hem of her clothes, she said shyly, “Sister-in-law, look at her…”

This little maidenly display made both Liu Chuncao and Ying Su burst into laughter.

“Cuihua is right. You’ll be betrothed before long. If you eat yourself into a big fatty, your mother will be worried sick!” Liu Chuncao teased along.

Li Jinfeng was so embarrassed she nearly covered her face and ran away.

The quiet night breeze gently brushed past, carrying the laughter of the three women off into the darkness, drifting far away.

Because of the gossip in the village, Liu Chuncao had never truly liked Shen Cuihua. She didn’t exactly hate her, but she definitely couldn’t bring herself to be close either. Over the years, she had already used up all her tolerance just by turning a blind eye while her mother-in-law secretly cared for Cuihua.

Now that word had spread about Cuihua regaining her senses, she was deeply afraid that new rumors might spring up again. So in her heart, she still felt uneasy toward Cuihua. But being a shrewd woman, she didn’t show the slightest bit of displeasure on her face. On the contrary, she displayed unprecedented kindness toward Cuihua.

“I heard from Mother that you’re going into town tomorrow. Dalang and I go into town every day for work. Why don’t you come along with us?” Liu Chuncao suggested. 

She was thinking that if Cuihua came with them, it would be easier to get her to look at those drawings with Dalang. With that thought, her expression softened with genuine sincerity, as if she were earnestly inviting Ying Su.

Although Ying Su didn’t understand why Liu Chuncao was suddenly being so courteous, it didn’t stop her from hitching a ride. She smiled brightly and agreed without hesitation.

Before long, Liu Chuncao and Li Jinfeng returned home.

Hearing that it was quiet outside, the little bun opened the door. He had already put on his clothes, his damp hair hanging over his shoulders. His big black eyes sparkled as he looked at Ying Su. “Mommy, I’ve washed up.”

Ying Su’s lips curved in a smile. She walked into the house, casually grabbed an old garment, and threw it over the little bun’s head. With both hands, she rubbed his head roughly through the cloth.

Her movements were rather coarse, but they didn’t hurt his hair at all. The little bun had never experienced such treatment before. His heart felt both warm and sore, and his small face showed deep satisfaction.

Once Ying Su felt his hair was no longer dripping but only half-dry, she pulled the garment away. “Alright, now it’s Mommy’s turn to bathe.”

The little bun turned around, about to say something, but when he saw Ying Su already starting to undress, he quickly spun back around and muttered, “Mommy, the door isn’t even closed! Men and women are different. I’ll wait outside until you’re done.”

Knowing how old-fashioned the little bun’s thinking was, Ying Su didn’t stop him. She let him walk out of the shabby thatched hut to wait outside, but still reminded him, “Don’t run around. Stay obediently at the doorway.”

Inwardly, she thought she really needed to earn money quickly to build a few proper houses to keep out wind and rain. Otherwise, every time she took a bath, the little bun had to wait outside. What if something happened to him at night?

The little bun answered obediently, then shut the rickety wooden door behind him. Squatting at the doorway, he picked up a twig from the ground and began scribbling and drawing in the dirt.

Back when Shen Cuihua had been insane, she never cared about cleanliness, and sometimes went a very long time without washing. With no one to guide him, the little bun was always grimy as well. Only when Madam Li happened to have some spare time would she boil two pots of hot water to wash Cuihua and the little bun. Otherwise, the filth on Cuihua’s body could have formed another layer of skin.

To get properly clean, Ying Su soaked in the wooden tub for quite a while. She scrubbed off so much dirt she could roll it into pellets. After washing thoroughly, she casually put on a slightly cleaner old robe, then opened the door.

She saw the little bun squatting outside, focused intently on drawing characters in the dirt with a stick, so absorbed he didn’t even notice her open the door. While toweling the water from her hair, Ying Su walked up beside him.

Seeing the large, clumsy characters on the ground, she couldn’t help but speak. “Baby, you’re writing words?”

Only then did the little bun realize she was beside him. His delicate face lit up with a smile, his expression brimming with pride. “Yes! Mommy, these are the big characters I learned from Dazhuang today. He said the teacher taught them yesterday.”

Looking at the light in his eyes, Ying Su’s heart ached faintly. She crouched down beside him and glanced at the words in the dirt. “Of all virtues, filial piety comes first.”

The little bun grinned, his white teeth gleaming in the night, his grape-like eyes dark and shining. “The teacher said that as children, we should be filial to our parents. Mommy, I’ll always be good and filial to you.”

Faced with his earnest little face and sparkling eyes, Ying Su’s heart warmed. She took the twig from his hand, rewrote the five characters on the ground, and said, “You wrote three of these wrong. This character for shan (virtue) should be written like this, wei (to place first) like this, and this one…”

The little bun listened intently to her corrections, then after a while suddenly realized something. In astonishment, he asked, “Mommy… you… you can read?”

Ying Su’s lips curved into a sly smile. Looking at his dumbfounded little face, she poked his cheek with a finger and nodded as if it were only natural. “Of course your mother can read. Not just that, your mother is skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting!”

And in killing too, Ying Su silently added to herself. Back when she was taken to Yihu Island for training, she had been taught nearly everything in the world that related to people. To approach those in political power, she naturally had to learn refined and cultured pursuits. But in the end, all of it was for the sake of assassination.

The little bun’s jaw almost dropped in shock. He pinched her hand and asked worriedly, “Mommy, does it hurt?”

Ying Su shook her head. With that tiny bit of strength, of course it didn’t hurt.

Hearing her reply, the little bun’s expression returned to normal. “No wonder Mommy has been acting so strangely and always saying nonsense. Turns out you were just talking in your sleep!”

Ying Su nearly choked on her own breath. Half amused, half exasperated, she flicked her finger against his forehead. Seeing the red mark that appeared, she cursed herself for being too rough, and said, “Does it hurt? Everything Mommy said is true!”

Rubbing his forehead, the little bun stuck out his tongue mischievously. “Ow ow ow… it hurts, it hurts. Everything Mommy says is true!”