Chu Jing lowered his head to look at the woman who barely reached his chest, her face tilted up toward him. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled brightly, as if she were eagerly awaiting his answer.
A voice inside Chu Jing told him he couldn’t agree—he couldn’t stay here forever. Yet, as if bewitched, he still nodded.
He felt strange, his mind often filled with inexplicable voices that made his thoughts uncontrollable.
Seeing him comply, Jiang Yuanyuan unconsciously patted his arm again before going to alter his clothes.
Chu Jing watched her delicate, slender hand, then glanced at his own arm, lost in thought.
Jiang Yuanyuan threaded the needle and, noticing he wasn’t doing anything, spoke up: “Chu Jing, I can’t lift the water. Could you fill the water vat?”
The man didn’t speak or move. Her eyes shifted, and she muttered softly, “I saw Uncle Zhang next door working really fast…”
Chu Jing turned to look at her, frowning slightly. But seeing her thin arms and legs, she really didn’t seem capable of doing such tasks.
So he walked over, effortlessly lifted the bucket, and in no time, the vat was full.
A few drops of water splashed onto his arm, making his muscles appear even more solid. Jiang Yuanyuan marveled inwardly and praised, “You’re so strong. You chopped so much firewood at noon and now filled the water. I couldn’t finish all this work alone in three or four days.”
Chu Jing was pleased, nodding with subtle pride before turning to sit down and watch Jiang Yuanyuan alter the clothes.
Jiang Yuanyuan finished altering the clothes just before dusk. She held them up against Chu Jing’s frame, saw they fit well enough, and said to him, “You’ll sleep in the room on the left later. Take the water in to bathe.”
Chu Jing nodded.
Now, whatever she said, he would do.
As the weather had turned cold, Jiang Yuanyuan first boiled a pot of water, bathed herself in her room, and then let Chu Jing use the remaining water in the pot.
She dried her hair in the courtyard, her dark tresses cascading down her back. Freshly bathed, her cheeks bore a faint blush.
Chu Jing glanced at her, then silently carried the water into the room. Soon, he finished bathing and sat under the eaves.
The distance between them wasn’t too far nor too close—after all, the courtyard was only so big, and they couldn’t get much farther apart.
Cleaned up, Chu Jing looked even more handsome. Even wearing the simplest, plainest clothes made of the cheapest fabric, nothing could hide his agile posture and lean, sturdy build.
Her gaze was too brazen, making Chu Jing somewhat uncomfortable. Suddenly, he heard Jiang Yuanyuan sigh and looked over to see her face scrunched up like a little bun, lost in thought.
Jiang Yuanyuan sighed because buying Chu Jing had left her with little savings. Though she had gained an extra pair of hands, she didn’t expect the two acres of land to bring in much.
Earning money was hard, and supporting a family was even harder. Thinking this, she sighed again. Still, no matter how difficult, it was better than having every bit she earned snatched away by that heartless family. At least she had her own hands and feet—even if it meant working harder, she could still support herself.
Seeing that she seemed to have cheered up, Chu Jing withdrew his gaze and looked up at the sky dotted with a few evening stars, feeling only unfamiliarity.
It seemed he shouldn’t be here—but if not here, then where should he be?
Having resolved a matter weighing on her mind, Jiang Yuanyuan slept soundly. In her drowsiness, she seemed to dream of her deceased parents smiling at her. When she woke, her eyes felt sore, and she hid under the covers, crying for a while.
Once she had composed herself, she pushed open the door to her room, just as the door next to hers opened. She unexpectedly locked eyes with Chu Jing and only then remembered that she had bought a husband yesterday.
After a moment’s thought, she offered a smile. “Good morning.”
Chu Jing nodded. “Mm.”
Jiang Yuanyuan silently grumbled to herself, then comforted herself: It’s fine. She had bought a young master—she had gotten a bargain. A little aloofness was nothing to worry about.
The daily routines of the villagers were rather monotonous. Those with fields farmed; those without went out to do odd jobs—in short, they had to earn money.
Jiang Yuanyuan was also a bit of a money-grubber. Carrying a basket on her back, she went out to check on the vegetables in her field. Before leaving, she coaxed Chu Jing into washing the dirty clothes and sweeping the floor clean.
Chu Jing looked at the dirty clothes in the basin, then at his own hands, and frowned. He tried scrubbing a few times, then stood up, a hint of confusion on his face. It seemed he didn’t know how to wash clothes?
Remembering the trusting look Jiang Yuanyuan had given him before leaving, Chu Jing took a deep breath and crouched down again. This time, he accidentally used too much force and tore the garment he was scrubbing.
Chu Jing: “…”
He turned his gaze toward the broom behind the door.
Jiang Yuanyuan went to the fields every morning. Wu Shi had been waiting for her early on. As soon as she saw the girl coming to harvest cabbages, she pounced. “You wretched girl! Why did you hit Fugui yesterday? You cursed creature, you don’t know your own strength! My poor Fugui’s buttocks are all swollen!”
She cried and wailed, making quite a scene. Jiang Yuanyuan, holding a cabbage in her arms, really wanted to shove it right into Wu Shi’s mouth.
The neighbors working nearby all looked over. Wu Shi cried even more dramatically. “This wretched girl! Not only did she bring misfortune to her parents, but she also hits my son! There’s no justice in this world! Why don’t you just die? Poor my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, they worked so hard to raise her, and in the end, they got no reward… Ah! What are you doing?”
A cabbage rolled to Jiang Yuanyuan’s feet. She picked it up again and said innocently, “Auntie, your mouth was open so wide, I thought you wanted to eat cabbage. I was just feeding it to you. Why aren’t you grateful?”
“You wretched girl! You’re trying to harm me, aren’t you?”
With that, Wu Shi reached out to hit her, but Jiang Yuanyuan slipped away, running past her from the side.
Seeing Jiang Yuanyuan run off, the neighboring families lowered their heads and continued working. It was no secret in the village that the Jiang family’s eldest was a heartless scoundrel. Fortunately, Yuanyuan was a clever girl—otherwise, who knew what would have happened.
Jiang Yuanyuan ran all the way home, immediately taking off her basket and panting heavily.
Seeing her in such a state, Chu Jing tossed the broom aside and asked, “What happened?”
At the sight of him, Jiang Yuanyuan’s eyes lit up, and an idea immediately came to mind. She said to him, “There’s a wicked woman chasing me. Can you drive her away?”
Chu Jing was about to refuse—he never laid hands on women—but before he could speak, he saw Wu Shi running toward them with a murderous look on her face.
Wu Shi ran while cursing, “You little slut, born with a mother but raised without one, how dare you lay hands on your elder! Sooner or later, you’ll die on the roadside with no one to collect your corpse.”
Chu Jing frowned. When he turned his head, he saw Jiang Yuanyuan looking pitifully at him, her eyes red as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.
Even though he never laid hands on women, Chu Jing couldn’t stand it any longer. He remained silent and didn’t respond, but as Wu Shi was about to enter the door, he kicked the broom at his feet. The broom swung the door shut, and Wu Shi crashed her nose right into the door panel. Instantly, she crouched on the ground, howling and screaming like a wild beast.
Jiang Yuanyuan couldn’t help but want to laugh, while silently marveling at Chu Jing’s skill. It seemed she wouldn’t have to worry about being bullied in the future.
Only then did Wu Shi realize there was another person in the room. She looked as if she had seen a ghost, pointing at Jiang Yuanyuan and Chu Jing, unable to speak. Finally, she slapped her thigh, as if afraid others wouldn’t hear, and exclaimed, “Jiang Yuanyuan, you… you actually brought a wild man back home!”
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Yuanyuan immediately retorted, “Chu Jing is not a wild man! He’s mine now!”