On the way to the river to clean the offal, Zhao Ying took a peach out from her hidden dimension and handed it to Xiao Bao.
The little boy’s face lit up with joy as he accepted it, and being so young, he didn’t question where the fruit had come from.
He quickly began nibbling at the fragrant peach, but Zhao Ying noticed that he only took small bites, without peeling off the thin skin, so she asked him,
“This fruit is called a peach.
You need to peel the skin off first.” Zhao Ying gently took the peach from his hand and peeled it for him to see.
“How is it?
Tasty?” she asked as she handed it back to him for another bite.
“It’s very tasty, Mother!” he replied enthusiastically.
“If it’s so tasty, why are you eating it so slowly, little one?”
Xiao Bao didn’t answer immediately, looking down a bit and pressing his lips together as if torn between enjoyment and reluctance.
Zhao Ying quickly understood his hesitation.
“Xiao Bao, don’t worry about it running out.
Mother can get you as much fruit as you want, so eat to your heart’s content,” Zhao Ying reassured him, kneeling down to his level with a warm smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Bao’s eyes grew wide, and he started jumping up and down in delight, giggling and singing praises to his mother and the delicious fruit.
He looked so incredibly adorable.
Zhao Ying ruffled his hair gently, then added a small reminder, “Yes, but remember, Xiao Bao, this will be our little secret.
You can share it with Grandpa and Grandma, but not anyone else.
I found this in a deep part of the forest, and no one in our village has had it before.”
“Yes, Mother.
I won’t tell anyone,” he promised, still giggling.
“But if we end up having a lot of fruit, we can share it with others too,” she added, not wanting Xiao Bao to grow up selfish.
With that, they continued to wash the offal together.
Xiao Bao added ashes to the water as he helped, although Zhao Ying had to keep an eye on him the whole time.
The task took a little longer than usual, but it was worth it for the smiles and shared moments with her little one.
Once everything was thoroughly cleaned, they returned to the kitchen, where Zhao Ying showed Madam Zhang how to prepare the stew with the offal.
It only took one demonstration for Madam Zhang to memorize the steps, and she worked with skill and confidence.
Zhao Ying felt reassured, leaving Madam Zhang in charge as she headed out to the backyard to clear the overgrown area.
The back of the house, which had once been covered in tall grass, was now more than halfway cleared, thanks mostly to Father Lu, who refused to rest even for a day.
As expected, today he was once again out there pulling weeds in the harsh sunlight.
Zhao Ying asked Xiao Bao to bring him a cup of tea, and she herself walked over to him.
“Father, you need to rest and stay still to let your injury heal quickly,” she gently reminded him.
“I’m still able to work,” Father Lu insisted.
“Pulling weeds doesn’t take much effort.
Besides, if we clear the land sooner, we can start planting vegetables for food even sooner.”
“I’ve sold some lingzhi mushrooms and made quite a bit of money, Father,” Zhao Ying replied calmly.
“We don’t need to worry about money now.
Also, the longer your foot wound takes to heal, the longer it’ll take to get our fence built.
Aren’t you worried someone might come and take our things?”
“Well, I…”
“Please trust me, Father,” Zhao Ying coaxed.
“Right now, there’s only women and children in the house, and we’re all counting on you for our safety.”
After hearing her speak so earnestly, Father Lu finally agreed to rest in the courtyard with Xiao Bao.
Once Zhao Ying saw he was safely out of the way, she sat down and resumed weeding from where he’d left off, working diligently until she noticed it was almost noon.
She got up and headed to the kitchen.
Seeing the stew simmering on the stove, she thought pork noodle soup would be perfect for lunch.
She pulled out some flour and mixed it with an egg, producing soft, yellow noodles.
Luckily, this house had once belonged to a larger family and had two stoves, making it easier to prepare meals.
For this midday meal, she made a simple soup seasoned with salt and soy sauce, and garnished with green onions to create a fragrant pork noodle dish.
Since the courtyard was busy with workers, Zhao Ying called her family to eat in the kitchen instead.
Father Lu and Madam Zhang were unaccustomed to eating more than twice a day, something only the wealthy typically did.
However, faced with the delicious aroma, they couldn’t refuse.
Zhao Ying offered no explanations; she would simply prepare three meals daily and let the family gradually grow accustomed to it.
Earlier, Father Lu had spoken with Grandfather Xie, and his eldest son, Xie Dalang, was due to come by the next day to escort Grandfather Xie back to his home in the county and bring Lu Wenyao money at the exam site.
Thus, they needed to give the money to Grandfather Xie today.
“I’ll take the money and a letter to Grandfather Xie,” Zhao Ying said.
“Father, Mother, is there anything you’d like me to add?”
“Just tell him not to worry about us, and to focus on his exam,” Madam Zhang replied.
“Same goes for me,” Father Lu added with a simple smile.
“Alright.
I’ll also add a small update on how we’re doing so he can feel at ease,” Zhao Ying agreed, then turned to Xiao Bao.
“Xiao Bao, go grab some peaches to eat with Grandpa and Grandma.
I’ll go write the letter, and then we’ll head to Grandfather Xie’s house together.”
Overjoyed, Xiao Bao happily ran to get the peaches, grateful his mother had kept her word to share such treats.
If Zhao Ying had heard his thoughts, she might have rolled her eyes.
But on second thought, it was understandable.
If his real mother were still around, Xiao Bao probably wouldn’t have gotten any fruit at all.
Entering her room, which also held Lu Wenyao’s belongings, Zhao Ying rummaged through a few boxes until she found an old brush with a cracked handle, a nearly dry inkstone, and one last sheet of paper.
While she wasn’t fluent in ancient script, she was thankful that Zhao Yingying, her body’s previous owner, had retained some knowledge of the characters, enough to compose a brief letter.
Writing the letter wasn’t difficult.
Zhao Ying chose not to write much about herself, simply stating:
“Now the four of us have moved to the old house at the edge of the village.
Fortunately, we found some lingzhi mushrooms to sell, which provided enough funds to repair the house.
We’re also able to send an additional fifty taels for you.
Use whatever you need, and don’t worry about us here.
Everyone at home is doing well.”
Indeed, Zhao Ying discreetly increased the reported amount, hoping that by stating a clear figure, Lu Wenyao would know exactly how much was sent and would notice if any of it went missing.
She folded the letter into a cloth bag, adding the fifty taels.
As for ensuring it reached him, she wasn’t overly concerned.
When finished, Zhao Ying hoisted her basket onto her back, took Xiao Bao’s hand, and set off toward the front of the village.
After visiting Grandfather Xie’s house, she planned to stop by the riverbank to gather some wild vegetables for tonight’s meal to thank the workers.
It took about the time of an incense stick to walk from the back of the village to the front.
They hardly encountered anyone along the way, as most villagers were resting in the early afternoon before returning to the fields.
Grandfather Xie’s home stood near the village entrance and sometimes served as a hub for collecting goods and forest products for Xie Dalang to sell in the county.
This arrangement helped the hunters avoid long trips and ensured they received a fair price.
Father Lu had already told Tang Xian that Zhao Ying would be delivering the items herself.
“Grandfather Xie!” Xiao Bao called cheerfully as they arrived, spotting Grandfather Xie reclining and smoking his pipe outside the house.
“Oh, Xiao Bao, is that you?” Grandfather Xie sat up straight.
“Hello, Grandfather Xie,” Zhao Ying greeted him with a polite bow.
Xiao Bao and Grandfather Xie seemed to know each other well, but Grandfather Xie largely ignored Zhao Ying.
She didn’t let it bother her, though.
Calmly, she handed him the cloth bag containing the letter and silver.
“Grandfather Xie, if Uncle Dalang has time, please ask Wenyao to write back.
If not, it’s no matter.
Thank you very much,” she said, bowing again.
Grandfather Xie accepted the bag without comment, watching her with a strange look.
Zhao Ying took her leave.
“Goodbye, Grandfather Xie!” Xiao Bao said, imitating Zhao Ying’s bow as the two walked off hand in hand.
Grandfather Xie, who had heard rumors of Zhao Ying’s transformation since her near-drowning, watched them walk away thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Zhao Ying and Xiao Bao continued along the path to the river, laughing together until they reached a shallow area where they could gather familiar wild greens.
Xiao Bao eagerly helped collect greens, filling the basket Zhao Ying carried.
Once they had gathered enough for the evening meal, they began the walk back to the edge of the village.
The route from the river to the back of the village was different from the path leading to the front.
Along the way, they encountered a group of older villagers gathered for conversation.
Upon noticing Zhao Ying and Xiao Bao, the group quieted down, and Zhao Ying immediately recognized two familiar faces: Aunt Hua and Madam He, her husband’s grandmother.
As fate would have it, she had come across exactly who she would rather avoid.