The Wife of a Loyal Servant - Chapter 30

He stepped over the threshold and went inside.

Ling Yu pretended not to see him, hugging and kissing her son. “Mommy loves Xiao Shitou  the most!”

Xiao Shitou laughed happily from her kisses, calling out “Mommy” loudly each time.

Seeing the mother and son ignoring him, Cheng Shaotang coughed lightly. “Xiao Yu, let’s talk.”

Ling Yu put her son down, watching him toddle around the room on his short legs.

The little guy could already walk quite steadily. After going a short distance, he would turn back and grin at her, which was truly delightful.

“What’s there to talk about? You go back to being your loyal and righteous self. Xiao Shitou  and I will definitely be fine.”

Cheng Shaotang knew she was angry that he had insisted on returning to work despite his injuries. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he strode forward and, ignoring her struggles, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her against his chest. To prevent her from moving again, he whispered, “My chest wound hasn’t fully healed yet, don’t touch it.”

Sure enough, Ling Yu stopped struggling as soon as he finished speaking, but then she stubbornly said, “It’d better not heal, so you can suffer in pain, lest you think you’re made of iron and risk your life!”

He chuckled softly, “Then I’ll be the one in pain, while you’ll be in pain in your heart.”

Ling Yu sneered, “I don’t even care about my own body, I don’t have the time to care about yours. Besides, if you’re really that idle, you might as well take advantage of your youth and find another household, at least in the future you’ll be…”

Before she could finish, Cheng Shaotang kissed her hard on the back of the ear. She shuddered, and her legs went weak. Luckily, he held her tightly, or she would have fallen to the ground.

“You…you’re so mean!” Ling Yu was furious at her ticklishness, both ashamed and angry, and tried to pry open the large hand pressed against her lower abdomen.

But how could she possibly pry it open with her strength? Cheng Shaotang only tightened his grip on her, his tone tinged with anger: “Don’t say such hurtful things! Now that you’ve married into the Cheng family, you’re a Cheng family woman, and that will never change!”

“Daddy!” Ling Yu was about to retort when Xiao Shitou suddenly rushed over, hugging Cheng Shaotang’s leg and calling out loudly with his little face upturned.

Cheng Shaotang’s heart softened. He gently stroked his head, and taking advantage of the moment, he loosened his grip. Ling Yu immediately broke free and ran a good distance away from him.

Watching him squat down and listen attentively to Xiao Shitou’s childish words, she snorted again: “You’d better not treat him too well. If you’re not around in the future, he’ll keep asking for his father every day. I’m afraid neither mother nor I can bear it.”

Cheng Shaotang sighed, rubbing his temples with a slight headache.

It was true that he had suffered two minor injuries over the past year, but these were merely accidents. He was just one of the masses. How could he not cherish his life?

He had promised her a prosperous and happy life, and he would do everything in his power to achieve that goal. Liang Fang had bullied, humiliated, and injured her. As her husband, he couldn’t quell his hatred without personally apprehending him.

He carried his son to her, and as Xiao Shitou reached for her, he smoothly placed him in her arms. Then he sat on the edge of the bed, pulled her onto his lap, and embraced both mother and son.

“Wife and son are both mine. Who else do you want to benefit from?” he whispered hoarsely in her ear.

“Right now, of course, but who knows in the future?”

Cheng Shaotang remained silent for a long time, so long that Ling Yu wondered if he was truly angry. After all, few men could remain calm after hearing her words.

But then she thought defiantly: So what if he’s angry? Should she be afraid of his anger?

Finally, Cheng Shaotang’s somewhat hoarse voice rang in her ear: “Xiao Yu, I promise you, from now on I will cherish myself more and never take my body and health lightly again.”

“However, Xiao Yu, you must also know that unexpected things happen in this world, and there is no absolute peace. If one is destined to suffer misfortune, even if one stays indoors, disaster may still strike. In this life, one should only strive to have a clear conscience, fulfill one’s responsibilities, and do what is right. Misfortune and fortune are beyond human control.”

Before her was the babbling of a child, and behind her was the deep voice of a man. Ling Yu remained speechless for a long time.

Fortune and misfortune are beyond human control. Can one’s life and death be changed at will? She suddenly felt uncertain.

Was leaving Prince Qi’s mansion truly guaranteeing her safety?

Cheng Shaotang had been observing her expression. Seeing her suddenly appear disheartened and devastated, he became suspicious, secretly reflecting on his earlier words. After careful consideration, he couldn’t find anything amiss.

“Xiao Yu?” he called tentatively.

“Anyway, you must remember your promise from earlier, and never again disregard your body and health. Let me tell you, I, Ling Yu, am not some chaste and virtuous woman. If anything really happens to you in the future, don’t expect me to protect you for the rest of my life!” After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but threaten.

He can’t stand hearing such things, can he? She would say it anyway; if she kept on, he’d probably stop trying so hard to protect his male pride!

Cheng Shaotang’s face indeed darkened again. He glared at her, wishing he could shut her up so she wouldn’t say such hurtful words again.

“Forget about it!!” In the end, he could only grit his teeth and force out those words.

Seeing his frustrated expression, clearly furious yet helpless against her, Ling Yu finally felt satisfied. She glanced at him triumphantly, pulled her son from his arms, and spat at him with mock disgust: “You stink! You’re suffocating! Go wash up!”

“Wash up!” Xiao Shitou clapped his hands and mimicked.

Ling Yu laughed: “Did you hear that? Even your son is disgusted with you!”

Cheng Shaotang stared at her overly bright smile, then shook his head helplessly after a moment, got up, found a clean set of clothes, and left.

Liufang Hall’s business gradually got on track. Although the initial customers all came for the Jade Complexion Cream, the shop’s reputation grew, and even customers who couldn’t buy the cream immediately were happy to pick out something they liked from the shop.

Since the news spread that the Jade Complexion Cream was personally formulated by Yang Suwen, many customers came seeking its benefits. If they saw Yang Suwen in the shop, they would sincerely ask her about skincare and beauty.

After all, a woman who could formulate the Jade Complexion Cream must have considerable expertise in skincare and beauty.

Ling Yu didn’t want Yang Suwen, an unmarried young woman, to be in the public eye, so she didn’t spend much time in the shop. Currently, Liufang Hall is mainly managed by Ling Dachun, with Cheng Shaoan volunteering to help, and Ling Yu visits whenever she has free time.

But as business boomed, the manpower shortage became apparent.

That day, she brought Xiao Shitou to the shop. As soon as she entered, she heard Yang Suwen’s voice from inside—

“Jade Complexion Cream isn’t a magic pill. Don’t you know your own body? This mark is from your mother’s womb, a gift from God. You can’t dig it off even with a knife. What good is Jade Complexion Cream?”

“That’s even more ridiculous. A scar this big won’t disappear in less than a month or two. You expect it to disappear in three days? At most, there might be a slight improvement, barely noticeable to the naked eye.”

“You just have a sore throat. Go get a doctor to prescribe some medicine. What? You want me to prescribe it? I’m not a doctor! Go, go, go find a pharmacy yourself!”

 …

Ling Yu’s lips twitched, then twitched again, and again.

That brat!

Is she complaining about the crowds in the shop?!

She felt she’d be driven crazy by this dim-witted and sharp-tongued girl sooner or later!

“Sister-in-law, you’re here? Oh, isn’t this Xiao Shitou? Xiao Shitou came to see Uncle, too?” The sharp-eyed Cheng Shaoan spotted her and quickly came over, pinching Xiao Shitou’s cheek, who was clutching his mother’s skirt, and teasingly asked.

Xiao Shitou waved his little arms, swatting away his mischievous hand: “Bad!”

Cheng Shaoan laughed and picked him up.

At this moment, Yang Suwen also saw her and quickly squeezed through the crowd of young women and wives surrounding her, running over to hug her arm and complaining, “You’ve finally come! I’m exhausted!”

Ling Yu couldn’t resist poking her forehead hard, scolding in a low voice, “What are you doing? Can’t you speak more tactfully? Look at how many customers you’ve driven away in the past month!!”

Ling Yu thought that if this brat were to get hit on the street one day, she wouldn’t be too surprised.

Because her mouth was truly hateful! If it weren’t for the Jade Complexion Cream, there would probably be countless young women and wives in the entire county who wanted to scratch her face raw.

Yang Suwen pouted aggrievedly, ultimately not daring to refute.

Ling Dachun, who happened to have a moment to spare, also heard her words and sighed, “Xiao Yu, I finally understand why she couldn’t sell a single box of Jade Complexion Cream back then.”

Yang Suwen felt even more aggrieved, but what he said was true, and she couldn’t even refute it. After a long while, she stammered, “But I was just telling the truth…”

“You still have a point?” Ling Yu said irritably.

Yang Suwen clicked her tongue, shrank back, and dared not say another word.

After the customers in the shop gradually left, Ling Yu brought up the issue of manpower.

Yang Suwen was a young lady, and it was inconvenient for her to show herself in public. Ling Dachun was constantly running around sourcing goods. Cheng Shaoan’s wedding was approaching, and he wouldn’t be able to help for much longer. The manpower problem was indeed urgent.

“The person we hire must have a presentable face. In our line of work, our faces are our living advertisement,” Ling Yu said with a smile.

Ling Dachun touched his nose. She had said these words before when she forced him to use the Jade Complexion Cream, which made him apply it every day for a while. His mother even suspected he had a mistress.

Therefore, when Yang Suwen was still at the Ling family home, he secretly asked Ling Yu to make him some fragrance-free Jade Complexion Cream.

“Of course, their character must also be trustworthy. Hiring someone with shady dealings would be like inviting a wolf into the house,” he cleared his throat and continued.

Yang Suwen and Cheng Shaoan also stated their requirements, such as ‘preferably someone who can cook well,’ which were completely ignored by Ling Yu and Ling Dachun.

When Cheng Shaotang came to pick them up, Ling Yu and Ling Dachun had already finalized their specific requirements.

“Lord Guo has arranged a small courtyard for me in the back office. Although it’s not large, it has two or three rooms. I’d like to move there soon; it will be convenient for both of us. What do you think?” Cheng Shaotang asked on the way back.

“If that’s really the case, that would be wonderful! Lord Guo is truly a considerate official!” Ling Yu’s eyes lit up.

She had originally considered renting a room in the county town, so that Cheng Shaotang wouldn’t have to travel between Chengjia Village and the county government office, and she could visit Liufang Hall more often. After all, most of the family’s land had already been leased out.

“We’ll leave one of the three rooms empty. If Mother is willing to move in with us, that’s naturally good. If she prefers to stay at home with Shaoan and his wife, that’s fine too. It’s not far anyway, she can go back to visit whenever she has time.”

Cheng Shaotang already had this plan in mind.

Ling Yu smiled. “With Mother’s temperament, she won’t want to leave home, but she also won’t want to part with Xiao Shitou. I think she’ll end up running between both places.”

Cheng Shaotang chuckled, thinking the chances were indeed high.

Chatting and laughing, the couple soon reached the village entrance. After walking a bit farther, they suddenly heard a quarrel up ahead. They stopped and looked, seeing the pretty widow Xiao Xingping pointing angrily at her husband’s elder brother, Cheng Dawu, and shouting:

“Ptui! This house was clearly left behind by my late scoundrel of a husband. How has it become yours? It wasn’t enough that you seized my family’s land back then, and now you want to take the house too? Aren’t you afraid Zhuzi will come looking for you in the middle of the night!”

“Ptui! You still have the nerve to mention Zhuzi? You slut, seducing men everywhere—who knows how many green hats you’ve made Zhuzi wear! This house belongs to the Cheng family. You’re not part of the Cheng family, so how do you have the gall to live in a Cheng-family house!”

“If you dare touch my things, I’ll smash my head here and die! Then everyone will see how you forced your widowed sister-in-law of many years to death!”

Seeing the people on the other side about to rush in and take her belongings, Xiao Xingping grew both furious and panicked, shrieking.

“If you want to die, then die—it spares us all from being embarrassed here. What are you standing around for? Throw all her things out!” Cheng Dawu sneered, barking at the helpers who had stopped.

Xiao Xingping gritted her teeth, lowered her head, and suddenly hurled herself toward the wall. The onlookers, never expecting she would actually dare do it, all gasped in shock.

Amid the cries, a dull thud sounded. Xiao Xingping sat blankly on the ground, staring in disbelief at Ling Yu, who had somehow stepped in front of her.

Ling Yu felt as if her internal organs were about to be knocked loose. Holding her chest, she gave her a somewhat weak smile. “Sister-in-law, why throw away your life over people who aren’t worth it?”

“How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?” Cheng Shaotang hurried over, his face draining of color when he saw her clutching her chest.

The whole thing had happened so suddenly, and he had been holding Xiao Shitou. Caught off guard, he had no time to stop her before Ling Yu rushed out and became a human shield for Xiao Xingping.

“My chest hurts a little from the impact, but it shouldn’t be serious.” Ling Yu managed to curl her lips into a faint smile.

Cheng Dawu hadn’t expected Xiao Xingping to actually dare ram herself against the wall. He froze for a moment, then secretly let out a breath of relief when he saw Ling Yu rush out to save her.

At that moment, Cheng Shaotang strode up with fury written all over his face and slammed his fist onto the long table that had just been moved out. With a resounding boom, the table shattered, making Cheng Dawu’s legs tremble uncontrollably.

“You—what are you doing? Cheng Shaotang, this… this is my… my family matter…”

“So many men bullying a defenseless woman—aren’t you ashamed? Since you claim this house is yours, fine. I’ll take you back right now and have Lord Guo investigate and judge properly.” Cheng Shaotang’s face was cold as he forced down his anger.

Only then did Cheng Dawu remember that Cheng Shaotang had recently been promoted to constable and was said to be valued by the county magistrate. He didn’t dare really let this escalate to the courts. Bluffing, he threw out a “Consider yourself lucky,” then left with his men.

“Mother…” Xiao Shitou tugged obediently at his mother’s skirt, his dark eyes fixed on her.

Cheng Shaotang walked over, scooped his son into one arm, and supported Ling Yu with the other. “Can you still walk?”

“Yes…”

“Brother Shaotang, if you don’t mind, why not come to my house first to look at her injuries? I still have plenty of medicine at home. Perhaps it might help,” Xiao Xingping suddenly interjected.

Cheng Shaotang frowned. “No need. We’re close to home. We can check her there.”

He still felt somewhat annoyed with her.

Ling Yu gently scratched his waist and shook her head slightly, whispering, “How can you blame her for this?”

Cheng Shaotang pressed his lips together but didn’t reply.

Xiao Xingping stared blankly as the family of three walked farther and farther away, her gaze complicated. This was the first time since her husband’s death that she had felt someone’s kindness in public.

When they returned home, Madam Wang wasn’t there. Cheng Shaotang coaxed his son into sitting obediently on a small stool, not wandering anywhere. After they entered the house, he insisted on examining Ling Yu’s injuries.

Ling Yu, her face flushed, refused.

He had bumped into such a private place as her chest. How could she possibly dare let him look?

But once Cheng Shaotang became stubborn, he would never allow her to refuse. Without another word, he reached out to undo her clothes. Afraid he might be rough, Ling Yu, her pretty face burning, unfastened the front of her robe herself.

Cheng Shaotang lightly pressed her chest through her bodice and asked, “Does this hurt?”

“A little.”

Cheng Shaotang added a bit more pressure. When he heard her give a soft hum, he frowned and reached to untie the thin string at her neck.

“What are you doing?” Ling Yu backed away in fright.

“What do you think I’m doing?” Cheng Shaotang said with a half-smile.

“I can do it myself. Go out and get me some medicated oil,” Ling Yu said, pretending to be calm.

Cheng Shaotang looked at her quietly and slowly asked, “Xiao Yu, what are you afraid of?”

“What am I afraid of?” Ling Yu pulled her collar tighter.

Cheng Shaotang sighed. In the end, he didn’t go against her wishes and walked out obediently.

Ling Yu let out a breath, then frowned.

What was she nervous about? This was her son’s biological father, her husband with whom she had shared a bed for two lifetimes. Though he sometimes made her so angry she could jump, she had to admit he was the man she trusted most.

He was full of bad habits, but he had plenty of good qualities too. She always scolded him for his jianghu ways and for putting righteousness before everything, but she also knew he was different from those so-called “loyal and righteous men” who treated women like clothing.

When Cheng Shaotang came in again, holding their son, he saw Ling Yu already dressed, sitting on the bed, folding the child’s little clothes, the scent of medicated oil still lingering on her.

“How badly are you hurt?” he asked.

“It’s nothing serious.” Seeing he didn’t believe her, Ling Yu added, “If it still hurts tomorrow, I’ll go find a doctor to take a look.”

Cheng Shaotang didn’t speak, and Ling Yu didn’t mind. After putting their son’s clothes away, she heard him say quietly, “Remember to find a female doctor…”

“If it really doesn’t work, I can do it too. A man who wanders the jianghu needs to know a few tricks, these bruises and sprains…”

Ling Yu, annoyed, shooed him out.

After the door slammed shut with a bang, he adjusted his son in his arms, lowered his head toward those clear, curious eyes, and said helplessly, “Son, your mother’s temper is getting worse and worse…”

He paused, muttering to himself, “Forget it. I’m the one who spoiled her. No matter how bad she gets, I’ll just have to endure it.”

As Cheng Shaoan and Jin Qiaorong’s wedding day drew near, the afternoon before the procession, he was so excited he kept pacing back and forth in the courtyard. After hesitating for a moment, he dashed over and grabbed Cheng Shaotang, begging him for “wedding wisdom.”

“Brother, when you married my sister-in-law, were you so nervous you couldn’t sleep? Did you have any tricks to calm yourself down? Were you afraid of oversleeping and missing the auspicious hour? And—”

“A man ought to stay calm and composed,” Cheng Shaotang scolded, face stern. “Look at yourself. If you act like this whenever something big happens, won’t you be completely confused and unable to do anything?”

Cheng Shaoan flushed in embarrassment.

Not far away, Madam Wang couldn’t help laughing at her eldest son’s lecture.

Ling Yu glanced at the two brothers as they walked off and asked with a smile, “Mother, what’s so funny?”

“I was laughing at Shaotang,” she said. “Back then, he wasn’t any better than Shaoan. The night before his wedding, he spent half the night throwing punches in the courtyard, then ran circles around the whole house, and even did handstands like a monkey. In the end, I had to chase him back to bed.”

Ling Yu was surprised, and she couldn’t help laughing out loud.

“He really did a monkey-style handstand?”

“How could it be fake? During the day, he looked so proper and composed that he almost made me wonder if he wasn’t satisfied with the marriage. Who knew that once night fell, he’d go completely crazy?” Madam Wang said with a bright smile as she recounted her eldest son’s embarrassing antics.

When Cheng Shaotang returned to the room after bathing and changing, he was met with a strange look from his wife.

He felt a little uneasy, but after thinking it over and confirming he hadn’t done anything to upset her, he immediately relaxed.

“Oh, right, Mother said earlier that Xiao Shitou will sleep with her tonight,” he said, sounding casual but absolutely not meaning it casually.

Ling Yu couldn’t help picturing him doing a handstand every time she looked at him, so she didn’t even register what he said. A peculiar smile tugged at her lips.

Huh. No reaction? Did that mean she agreed? Cheng Shaotang sneaked a look at her and, seeing she was only smiling without a single word of objection, felt completely reassured.

Their son was already two years old; letting him keep sleeping with them really wasn’t appropriate. If this went on, he truly wouldn’t be able to bear it anymore. Besides… he wanted a little daughter too!