5 – I’ll support you and won’t let you suffer grievances
Gu Pingting had fallen off a cliff, and her entire body ached. Being delicate and unwilling to move, Feng Shan had been feeding her all along.
Feng Shan treated her like his wife, doting on her and spoiling her. He was more than willing to feed her.
But after eating wild boar meat for two days in a row, Gu Pingting became picky.
Feng Shan brought a piece of meat to her lips, but Gu Pingting turned her head away. “I don’t want fatty meat.”
Feng Shan had no choice but to set the fatty part aside and pick out lean meat for her. Gu Pingting still refused to turn her head. “I don’t want lean meat either.”
Feng Shan clicked his tongue. “You’re not in good health, yet you’re still picky?”
Gu Pingting didn’t reply. After eating nothing but heavy meat and greasy dishes all day, she was almost sick of it.
Her little face looked displeased. Feng Shan sighed helplessly. “Tell me, what do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”
Hearing this, Gu Pingting finally turned her head, her eyes sparkling brightly. “I want to eat Emerald Green White Cloud Immortal Soup.”
Feng Shan: …
Feng Shan gave her a deep look. “Could you speak like a normal person, please?”
Gu Pingting was unhappy again. Since she was little, this dish had always been called that name. After thinking for a moment, she pouted and said, “It should be green vegetable and mushroom soup.”
Feng Shan laughed. “So you want mushrooms. I’ll go up the mountain to pick some for you later and make it for you tonight.”
Feng Shan tried to feed her again, but Gu Pingting refused to eat anything.
She had only eaten a tiny bit from the bowl. Feng Shan carried the bowl to the table, sat down, and began eating the leftovers.
Gu Pingting stared at him. “Why do you always eat what I leave behind?”
Feng Shan took a big bite and said, “I don’t mind you.”
Gu Pingting pursed her lips, displeased. “It’s not about minding. Isn’t it disgusting?”
Hearing this, Feng Shan looked at Gu Pingting and smiled with amusement.
What was disgusting about it? Even eating the saliva from her little mouth was something Feng Shan was willing to do.
Feng Shan didn’t say anything. Gu Pingting pouted. This man was just uncouth! Well, it wasn’t like she had to eat someone else’s leftovers, so she’d let him be…
This rough man probably didn’t care anyway.
After finishing his meal, Feng Shan was about to go up the mountain to hunt when Gu Pingting called out to him. “I want to wash my hair. Could you prepare hot water and fragrant powder for me?”
These past few days, she had been able to wipe her body clean, but her hair hadn’t been washed for a long time, and it was terribly uncomfortable.
Wash her hair? That must be what she meant. Feng Shan nodded. “Alright, wait here.”
Not long after, Feng Shan came in carrying a basin of water. Gu Pingting looked at the milky white water with a layer of white sediment at the bottom and frowned in disgust. “What is this?”
“Rice washing water. Come, lie down, and I’ll wash your hair.”
“I don’t want it! This water is filthy. I want flower petal water and fragrant powder to wash my hair.”
Feng Shan glanced at her. “Flower petal water is easy to prepare, but there’s no fragrant powder.”
“Then just flower petal water, not rice washing water.”
Feng Shan raised an eyebrow, went out to fetch fresh water for her, and casually plucked an unknown wildflower from the corner of the wall. He crushed it and tossed it into the water.
Gu Pingting looked at the pitiful, broken petals floating on the water and said unhappily, “This flower doesn’t smell nice.”
Feng Shan said sternly, “You’re really fussy…”
“I’m not fussy at all! These are ordinary things. I always used them before.”
Gu Pingting had a leg injury and couldn’t get out of bed. Feng Shan had her lie down with her head hanging over the edge and began washing her hair.
Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Feng Shan poured hot water over it, and Gu Pingting exclaimed, “It’s too hot!”
Feng Shan looked at her. “I’ll add some cold water for you.”
With that, Feng Shan went out to fetch cold water.
Gu Pingting lay in bed, listening to his heavy footsteps going out and returning, then hearing the sound of flowing water.
Feng Shan scooped more hot water and asked her, “Is this better now? Not too hot, right?”
Gu Pingting considered for a moment before replying, “Much better. Go ahead and wash.”
Feng Shan chuckled, “You say you’re not fussy, yet you won’t admit it? I didn’t even add any cold water!”
Gu Pingting: …
Gu Pingting’s hair was long and thick, and Feng Shan took considerable effort to wash it clean. When he returned after pouring out the water, he saw Gu Pingting sitting there sulking.
Though her small face was coldly set, it remained delicate and lovely.
Feng Shan walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, sighing helplessly with a smile, “What’s wrong now, my little ancestor? What did I do wrong to upset you?”
Gu Pingting muttered unhappily, “Water got into my right ear. It’s uncomfortable.”
Feng Shan sighed, patting his thigh, “Lie down. I’ll use some cotton to dab your ear.”
Gu Pingting rested her head sideways on his thigh. Feng Shan looked at her—her beautiful profile, her delicate pink ear, the auricle almost translucent in the sunlight, revealing the fine blood vessels beneath.
She lay against Feng Shan’s knee, smooth as jade, making his heart itch. He rolled a soft white cotton strip into a wick and gently pinched her small earlobe.
Feng Shan carried a robust masculine scent, not unpleasant. Gu Pingting asked, “Do you find me troublesome?”
Feng Shan carefully cleaned her ear, afraid of hurting her again, “You are quite troublesome.”
Hearing this, Gu Pingting grew angry, “I am a princess, naturally delicate and precious! I don’t even mind your roughness, yet you dare to find me troublesome? If we were in the palace, serving me like this, my Royal Father and Royal Mother would have had you dragged out and beaten to death long ago, hmph!!”
That “hmph” of hers was exceptionally charming!
Sweet and lively, with a rising inflection.
Feng Shan absolutely loved hearing it, adoring it to no end. How could he possibly find her troublesome? He only wished to spoil her endlessly!
He gruffly coaxed her, “How dare I find the princess troublesome? As long as the princess doesn’t mind this clumsy oaf’s awkwardness.”
Gu Pingting felt somewhat smug, curling her lips into a smile, “That’s more like it… Though you are quite clumsy, there’s no other choice for now. This princess can only rely on you, so I’ll make do.”
Feng Shan smiled. After a few days together, this little woman was clearly no longer afraid of him, so her originally spoiled and willful temper had begun to show.
“Tomorrow I’m going to the county town to sell game. If there’s anything you want, tell me, and I’ll buy it for you.”
Hearing this, Gu Pingting quickly sat up, “I want a cup!”
“Anything else?”
“I also want new clothes. These clothes of yours, wherever they came from, are too ugly. And the fabric is so coarse, it chafes my skin.”
Her original clothes had been torn in the river, and she was now wearing borrowed coarse linen garments from Aunt Li in the village.
Feng Shan nodded—a cup and clothes.
“And a few brocade quilts, preferably silk-covered with velvet. Your bed is too hard; it kept me awake all night.”
Feng Shan silently noted—cup, clothes, silk quilts.
“I also want hairpins, hair ribbons, rouge, and lip balm… a small bowl—your bowls are all too big, I can’t hold them. Oh! And a mirror, a pair of pretty shoes, and…”
There were too many things; Feng Shan couldn’t remember them all. He interrupted, “Wait, you want so many things?”
Gu Pingting was taken aback for a moment. She glanced at Feng Shan, thinking he might be short on money—after all, he looked quite poor.
Living in a tiled-roof earthen house and coming from a hunter’s background, he was not a wealthy man.
Gu Pingting felt a bit melancholic. “Are you short on money?”
Feng Shan didn’t answer. Instead, he stood up, walked to the cabinet, and took out writing brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone. Handing them to Gu Pingting, he said, “You’ve said too much. I can’t remember it all. Write it down, and I’ll buy everything for you.”
Hearing this, Gu Pingting smiled and took the paper and brush. Feng Shan ground the ink for her.
Seeing her smile again, Feng Shan’s heart felt full.
Feng Shan straightened his back and patted his chest. “I don’t have much money, but don’t worry—I’ll take care of you. I won’t let you suffer even a little bit of hardship!”
Gu Pingting looked up at Feng Shan. He had a strong, resolute face that gave her a sense of security.
Gu Pingting smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Once I return to the palace, I’ll repay you tenfold, a hundredfold.”
Feng Shan stared at her soft, delicate form, his gaze suddenly deepening. He curled his lips into a smile. “I don’t want money.”
Gu Pingting was puzzled. “Then what do you want?”
What did Feng Shan want? Of course, he wanted Gu Pingting to bear his children!
Feng Shan had his own calculations in mind, but he didn’t voice them. Instead, he said meaningfully, “You’ll understand one day.”
With that, Feng Shan stood up and took down the large bow hanging on the wall. “I’m going hunting. Wait for me at home.”
That bow of his was enormous—an iron bow with steel strings. Holding it in his hand made his already robust and imposing figure look even more formidable.
Gu Pingting nodded obediently. If he didn’t want money, perhaps he wanted to become an official.
With such a commanding presence, he could be a general.