Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 64

When Officer Zhou said that, Ying Su couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t expected that casually saving a little girl would turn out to mean the child came from a family wealthy enough to rival a kingdom! This little girl really had quite the background.

When they reached the entrance of the village, they saw lights flickering everywhere. Villagers were sitting outside cooling off in the evening air. Ying Su usually didn’t interact much with the villagers, there was a saying that a widow’s doorstep attracted gossip, and after Wang Lanhua’s past antics, no one was eager to get too close to her.

As Officer Zhou drove the carriage past the village entrance, it naturally drew the villagers’ attention. After all, carriages weren’t something you often saw in their village, they were rare and fascinating. 

Some children even chased after the carriage until they saw it head toward the remote west side of the village and stop in front of Ying Su’s home. They couldn’t help but start whispering among themselves.

After escorting Ying Su and the little girl to her door, Officer Zhou took his leave.

The gate of her house was locked. Huzi wasn’t home, most likely over at Madam Li’s.

Ying Su pulled out her key, unlocked the door, lit the oil lamp, and thought about fetching Huzi from Madam Li’s house. She turned to Bai Lefu and said, “I need to go pick up my son. Do you want to come with me, or wait here at home?”

Bai Lefu’s big eyes were roaming curiously over Ying Su’s home. At those words, she immediately clutched at Ying Su’s sleeve. “I’ll go with you.”

So Ying Su locked the door again, and led Bai Lefu over to Madam Li’s.

The little girl was clever beyond her years. Holding onto Ying Su’s sleeve, she asked in a soft voice, “Auntie, you have a son? How old is he?”

“Almost five,” Ying Su answered casually.

Though Ying Su’s tone was a bit distant, Bai Lefu liked her from the bottom of her heart. She couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘If only Auntie could be my mother! Then all those nasty women trying to crawl into Father’s bed would be kicked out by Auntie!’

That thought alone made Bai Lefu beam with secret delight.

When they reached Madam Li’s, the family was just about to eat. Seeing Ying Su holding a very pretty little girl by the hand, Liu Chuncao immediately asked, “Oh my, whose child is this?”

Huzi had also noticed the little girl holding his mother’s hand. After throwing himself into Ying Su’s arms, he kept sneaking glances at her. His dark eyes lingered on the girl clutching tightly to his mother’s hand, and his little face couldn’t help showing a trace of hostility. He asked, “Mommy, who is she?”

At the sight of Huzi, Ying Su’s expression softened. Stroking his head, she briefly explained the girl’s background, “She was caught by traffickers, and I happened to save her from their hands. The county magistrate will help find her family in a couple of days. She’ll stay at our house until then.”

Since she was only five or six years old, no one in Madam Li’s household thought much of it. Seeing how doll-like and pretty the little girl was, they all took a liking to her. Madam Li smiled kindly at Bai Lefu. “Such a beautiful little one. For the next couple of days, play with Dazhuang and Huzi until your family comes for you.”

But Bai Lefu was, after all, the young miss of the Bai family from Jiangnan. She wasn’t shy at all, and her bearing was completely different from the village children. With Ying Su at her side, she felt no fear. Boldly, she bowed to Madam Li and said sweetly, “Hello, Grandma.”

Madam Li’s smile grew even more loving. She patted Bai Lefu’s little head and showered her with praise.

Liu Chuncao, however, glanced at Bai Lefu’s clothing, then tugged Ying Su aside and whispered, “That looks like satin she’s wearing. This girl isn’t from an ordinary family. Don’t get yourself mixed up in trouble. People say there’s always a lot of dirty business in big households.”

Touched by her concern, Ying Su smiled and shook her head. “It’s fine. I saved her, after all. Even if her family comes looking, there won’t be any fuss.”

Liu Chuncao nodded, then said, “You must be hungry by now! I’ll go get you a bowl of rice.”

Huzi had been watching the little girl closely the whole time. When he saw her grab his mother’s sleeve again, he frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure appearing on his small face. Quietly, he clutched at Ying Su’s clothes as well.

Bai Lefu noticed his gaze, but wasn’t the least bit self-conscious. On the contrary, she let him look openly, and said with cheerful confidence, “You must be Auntie’s child! I’m Lefu. From now on, just call me Sister Lefu.”

Compared to Bai Lefu’s easy familiarity, Huzi was much more guarded, even hostile. He disliked any child who tried to take away his mother’s attention.

Children’s instincts were sharp, and their feelings keen. From the way Bai Lefu looked at his mother, Huzi could tell she wanted to steal away her affection. He had no desire to befriend her.

After dinner, Ying Su held Huzi with her left hand and Bai Lefu with her right, and the three of them went home.

Once inside, Ying Su let go of the two children so they could play, while she went into the kitchen to heat water.

Huzi gave Bai Lefu a wary glance, then turned without a word and headed into the study to work on some arithmetic problems. Bai Lefu wandered around the room a few times, quickly growing bored. Unable to resist, she strolled into Huzi’s study. Seeing him bent over writing at the desk, she leaned closer.

Huzi looked up, displeased, his little face cold. “You’re blocking my light.”

Bai Lefu stepped aside and asked softly, “What are you writing?”

Huzi ignored her and continued working on his arithmetic.

The little girl quickly grew bored. She circled the study, picked up one of his books, and happened to catch sight of his large, clumsy characters. She couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Pfft! What ugly handwriting. Compared to this, mine looks much better. Father is always saying my writing is bad, but once he sees yours, let’s see if he dares to say that again.”

Huzi immediately snatched the sheet of paper from her hands, his delicate face darkening. “Who said you could touch my things?”

Startled, Bai Lefu froze. At home, she was spoiled by her second brother Bai, and no one had ever dared to be stern with her. Everyone always tried to please her. But now, being scolded by Huzi, the little girl instantly felt wronged. Her big eyes welled up with tears.

“What are you yelling at me for? Fine, I’ll give it back!” As she spoke, two fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

Huzi panicked at the sight of her crying. At school he was always with boys, and he had never dealt with girls before. He had no idea how such a small girl could be so delicate, just a single harsh word and she was in tears.

His little face softened. He tried coaxing her. “Don’t cry. I’ll show you something fun, okay?”

Huzi pulled out a treasured toy he usually didn’t dare play with for fear of breaking it, a Rubik’s cube his mother had made for him. He handed it to Bai Lefu. “Here, you can play with this for a bit. But you’re not allowed to cry anymore! Otherwise, Mommy will think I bullied you.”