Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Now that the weather is gradually getting cooler, I've made a scarf for you. Make sure to wear it when you go out."
Shen Muhan's brows twitched, a mix of amusement and exasperation crossing his face. He walked over to her, playfully pinching her cheeks with his large hands. Satisfied with the feel of her skin, he teased, "Girl, have you lost your mind? It's still late summer."
At the mention of this, Xia Muxin recalled the mark on her neck and glared at him in frustration. However, she found Shen Muhan gazing at that spot with an utterly captivating smile.
It was the first time she had seen him smile like this, so enchanting that Xia Muxin felt a bit dazed. Suddenly, she sprang up and pounced on him.
Shen Muhan was caught off guard by her unexpected attack. Xia Muxin hadn’t anticipated her own impulsiveness either; now she found herself clinging to him like a bear. Their eyes locked, noses nearly touching, lips almost brushing against each other.
Shen Muhan looked at her face so close to his, desire igniting in his eyes as he leaned down to kiss her...
In the end, they both tumbled onto the bed. Xia Muxin was left in nothing but her belly band and panties, feeling as if he had taken advantage of her completely—he had touched all the right places and kissed every inch of her, leaving nothing untouched. She felt like a Napa Cabbage being coaxed by a pig.
The man above her buried his head in the crook of her neck, biting down fiercely yet tenderly. One hand held her wrists above her head while the other squeezed her chest. His eyes glowed with a hungry green light that made Xia Muxin's heart race.
She finally understood what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot.
Eventually, overwhelmed and gasping for air, she remembered to push him away.
But as soon as her hands brushed against his skin, hot as iron, they recoiled back. All she could do was look at him pitifully.
Her clear eyes sparkled like mirrors but were filled with a sense of grievance and helplessness that spoke volumes.
Shen Muhan suddenly jolted, as if tormented in purgatory. With Xia Muxin's push, he tightly closed his eyes and suppressed the stirring within him with his inner strength. Finally, with a reluctant roar, he endured the pain and got up from Xia Muxin's side.
He casually pulled up the blanket to cover her nearly bare body, stealing a few lingering glances at her before gathering his resolve and running to the back room.
It wasn't until the tenth bucket of cold water poured down that some relief came, but the pain still lingered.
Frustrated, he glanced at his little brother, his mind filled with images of Xia Muxin's soft, delicate figure, her dazed expression, and her hurried breaths. Shen Muhan cursed under his breath and continued to douse himself with cold water.
In the end, he took a deep breath and leaped away, disappearing into the warmth of the morning sun.
Xia Muxin lay on the bed for a while, her mind filled with the blush-inducing scenes from earlier. Her hand unconsciously touched her swollen, painful lips and recalled the feeling of him pressing down on her...
Finally, it wasn't until lunchtime that she managed to tidy herself up. She applied a colored ointment to the mark on her neck—something she had pilfered from Shen Muhan. It was non-irritating and harmless; as long as it could cover the mark on her neck, she didn't care what kind of medicine it was.
Within a few days, news arrived about the items Shen Muhan had someone look for. Xia Muxin inspected them and was very satisfied, instructing him to proceed with the arrangements.
Meanwhile, she had some large trees cut down and personally guided her father and brother in making frames and boards.
She also sent Ming Yi and the others to order bolts from the blacksmith shop.
Their collaboration was seamless; in less than ten days, they completed three threshers. This was unexpected for Xia Muxin, who couldn't help but give her father and brother a thumbs up.
It seemed they truly had a talent for this kind of work.
The next day, they tested one of the threshers, and it worked excellently, attracting many villagers to watch.
The achievement was met with applause and cheers from the villagers, who were overjoyed. At least they wouldn't have to rely on the Wang family anymore, and Xia Muxin was not as demanding as they were.
Xia Muxin understood that everyone in the village was struggling financially, so she offered favorable terms.
For ten loads of firewood, the Thresher could work two fields. The fields were allocated based on population, with each person typically receiving six plots according to government distribution. Families with more members might have seven or eight people, and since the Wang family had taken a portion, it meant that each household ended up with less than two acres of land. After harvesting the grain, only a few dozen loads of firewood would be needed, which brought tears of gratitude to their eyes.
Now, the issues of irrigation and harvesting had been resolved, and it seemed they had new hope for their lives.
They felt that Xia Muxin was sent by heaven to save them, and they were deeply grateful to her family.
At that moment, Shen Muhan had to leave for a while. The night before her departure, she took Xia Muxin to Zitong Bridge, where she had celebrated her birthday.
"Take good care of yourself while I'm gone. Ming Yi and the others will be here. If anyone from the Wang or Zhou families comes looking for trouble, let them know they'll regret it."
After that day, their relationship had been steadily improving. Xia Muxin had grown accustomed to his affectionate gestures and often found herself silenced by him.
At this moment, Shen Muhan held her in his arms while sitting on the bridge, their legs dangling above the water. He kissed her gently while reminding her.
"How long will you be away?"
For the first time, Xia Muxin didn't want him to leave. Asking this question felt unlike herself, and after she spoke, she shrank back like a turtle hiding its head.
Shen Muhan chuckled softly and playfully pinched her nose, speaking tenderly.
"It won't be long."
Before long, the harvest season arrived, and every household began to bustle with activity.
The Feng Family and the Zhou Family had been discussing the marriage proposal for a month, but it seemed that the Zhou Family was dissatisfied with the Feng Family's betrothal gifts and decided to drop the matter. They spent their days visiting the Wu Family and the You Family, which angered the Feng Family several times. Feng San Niang chased them away with a broom.
Of course, Xia Muxin had no interest in these trivial matters; she only heard about them from villagers gossiping while washing clothes at Net Fish. This situation had become a big joke in the village.
The Wu Family and the You Family never truly considered Zhou Cailian's feelings; they were solely focused on extracting more betrothal money. In their eyes, a married daughter was like spilled water. At that moment, Xia Muxin didn't know whether to feel sympathy or to mock them.
Last time, she had beaten up several brothers from the Zhou Family, and now they looked at her as if they had seen their father's murderer. Their eyes were filled with a terrifying malice. Ming Yi seemed to be following her on Shen Muhan's orders; he had been by her side these days, even accompanying her to wash clothes.
Whenever the Zhou brothers saw Ming Yi and Peng, they would run away as if they had seen a ghost.
She had asked him several times if he had done anything to them.
But he remained tight-lipped and told her to ask his master in the future.
Xia Muxin had no choice but to stop asking.
She wouldn't feel sympathy for those who wouldn't shed tears until they were in a coffin; she simply wanted to know what methods they used to instill such fear in others.
These days, the fields were filled with busy figures. At the Brick Factory, she announced that everyone should take a few days off to focus on harvesting the rice first, as it was their staple food for the year. Without strong men around, it would be hard to manage.
The Summer Old Man had settled down at her home. Shen Muhan had opened a pharmacy for him, and he had been recuperating. The wound on his thigh was nearly healed; he could now walk on his own and often helped around the house by bundling firewood or tending the fire, or going with Songzi to Net Fish.
Grandfather and Grandson chatted and laughed every day, bringing great comfort to Aunt Xia and her husband.
At this moment, the Zhou Family was in a fierce dispute with the Feng Family, leaving them with no energy to concern themselves with the Summer Old Man. The Wu Family would occasionally make sarcastic remarks, but Xia Muxin and the others simply let it go in one ear and out the other, treating it as if a dog were barking.
"Sister, is this my name?"
One day, after Xia Muxin had finished hanging up the laundry, she noticed Songzi squatting on the ground. She walked over to take a look, and Songzi happened to see her too. He was drawing a few lines in the dirt with a stick and then pointed at her, asking.
"Did Grandpa teach you all this?"
After a moment of surprise, Xia Muxin slapped the back of her head. She must have been so busy lately that she forgot to have Songzi learn to read.
He was already eight years old, and besides, there was a teacher in the family who had already started teaching. How could she not arrange for him to learn? No wonder he always had his grandfather at his side; it turned out he had been teaching him how to write.
"Yes, he taught me a lot."
In the past few days, Songzi had lost two teeth. At his age, he should have finished losing his baby teeth. Shen Muhan mentioned that it might be related to his previous living conditions; even her own menstrual cycle had been delayed.
So when he spoke, sometimes it came out jumbled, and if one didn't pay close attention, they wouldn't understand what he was saying.
But Ming Yi and the others didn't laugh at him.
"You must work hard at learning; Grandpa is the best Master! You shouldn't let his efforts go to waste."
She initially thought about sending him to school, but it was too far away. With Grandpa teaching him literature and Ming Yi teaching martial arts at home, she could guide him as well. It was much better than that school.
Moreover, this knowledge is worth learning, as modern times emphasize being well-rounded in both literature and martial arts, right?
What she wanted was precisely this effect.
"Okay, I understand. Grandfather said the same thing."
With her sister's encouragement, Songzi seemed to be filled with confidence. She wrote a few strokes on the ground, and when Xia Muxin looked over, she couldn't help but smile because what Songzi wrote were the characters for "hard work."
Then, she turned and went into her room. When she came out again, she had two notebooks in her hands, along with a brush and a bottle of ink.
In this era, brushes and ink were quite expensive. However, these were gifts from Shen Muhan. Since she had no use for them, she gave them to Songzi.
Seeing her bring these items over, Songzi's eyes lit up with joy as she happily accepted them and immediately ran off to practice writing.
Xia Muxin followed her over and held her hand to teach her how to grip the brush. After watching her write a few characters, she left.
*
"Hey, I say, it's been several days now. Every day I see people busy in the fields, yet no one has come asking for the Thresher?"
Wang Shoucai had been attacked by a Water Snake last time, leaving him covered in wounds. He was carried back with only half his life remaining and wrapped in layer upon layer of gauze. Fortunately, those snakes were non-venomous; otherwise, he might not have returned at all.
Today, he finally had the gauze removed. After lying in bed for nearly twenty days, his bones felt like they were falling apart. Once the gauze was off, he started wandering around the yard.
However, seeing the branches lying on the ground made him feel alarmed; it seemed he had developed some aftereffects from his injuries.
Zhao Qiushui was sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the cool breeze. She had come to treat this place as her temporary refuge, coming and going as she pleased, while being picky and harsh towards the servants of the Wang family regarding food and accommodations.
Previously, everyone thought she was a wealthy patron and flattered her, eagerly serving her. However, in the end, they either faced her wrath or were criticized for their clumsiness, and now they dared not serve her at all.
The Meng Family was on the verge of exploding from frustration. Several times they nearly lost their temper, but due to her background, they had to endure it and vent their anger on the servants.
Liu Mazi and others had their wages deducted to the bone. One moment they were told they hadn’t taken care of the household properly, and the next they were blamed for not serving the master well. There were all sorts of excuses to withhold their pay.
Liu Mazi's family was on the brink of starvation. The late rice harvest was approaching, yet the Wang family refused to let them go, insisting that they help finish the harvest first.
However, several days had passed without any sign of her instructing anyone to gather the grain.
Every day when he returned home, he was scolded by his wife for three bowls' worth of complaints. Sometimes she even rejected his advances, kicking him out of bed multiple times.
They had no outlet for their pent-up frustration.
When they encountered Wang Shoucai and were asked questions, none could respond; each one hung their head low, staring at their own toes.
At that moment, Zhao Qiushui, who was savoring tea in the courtyard, stood up curiously upon hearing Wang Shoucai's words.
During her five days at the Wang family’s residence, she had been coming and going frequently—sometimes visiting multiple times a day—but this countryside was incredibly dull aside from its fresh air.
There wasn’t even a flower garden or pavilion, let alone a rockery or water feature. Moreover, every meal was monotonous; the same flavors every day made her lose her appetite after just a few meals.
What bothered her even more was how the villagers dressed like beggars and spoke in a crude manner; she found them quite unpleasant.
So, she rarely wandered around the village.
Yesterday, she heard people discussing a new type of Thresher that someone had made, and the entire village was buzzing with excitement, expressing gratitude towards that person.
She had been pampered since childhood, never having to lift a finger, and didn't understand much about these matters. She only knew that the villagers worked hard in the fields with their tattered clothes, using hoes and other tools, yet they saw no harvest after a long day.
No wonder they were so poor.
Moreover, there wasn't a single decent house in the entire village; they were all small and low. She really couldn't understand how these people lived such miserable lives yet still dared to show their faces.
"Uncle by Marriage, what is a Thresher?"
The Thresher seemed to be quite popular in this village, even Uncle by Marriage showed interest in it, so she asked.
"Qiu Shui, this is a tool for making money. Your Uncle by Marriage is quite impressive; only my Wang family has one in the whole village. Once harvest time comes, everyone will come asking me for help."
Wang Shoucai was very proud, patting his chest and boasting, looking as smug as a rooster puffing up its feathers.
"Is that so?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiushui said doubtfully in a low voice. Then, as if uncertain, she spoke again:
"But I heard from outsiders that the Xia Family has produced a new type of Thresher?"
In her mind, she didn't have any friends with the surname Xia. However, she subconsciously disliked anyone with that surname. To satisfy her curiosity, she decided to probe further.
"Could it be that there are more capable people like Uncle by Marriage in this village?"
Wang Shoucai was already bewildered by Zhao Qiushui's earlier remark about how outsiders were saying that the Xia Family had produced a new type of Thresher.
The Xia Family...
Was it that wretched girl, Xia Muxin again?
She was truly something; throughout the entire late rice season, not a single person from their family had come to water the fields.
Daimiao Village wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either, with hundreds of households. How much silver would they lose in just one season?
Because of this, the Meng Family had nearly deducted all his pocket money. Azure Lotus hadn't made any new clothes or jewelry for a long time and had complained to him several times about it. She even cried over it and wouldn't let him touch her at all.
Just thinking about her delicate skin and curvaceous body made his heart itch; that feeling was far better than what he experienced with the town's courtesans. He hadn't indulged in meat for several months now.
First, there were those bubbles, then falling into the latrine, and now being bitten by a snake—he was almost becoming a monk.
At that moment, the Meng Family returned from outside, their anger palpable.
They swept past Zhao Qiushui and headed straight for the house.
Seeing this, Zhao Qiushui frowned discontentedly.
Zhou Qinglian also stepped out of her house at that moment, her cheeks flushed, with faint marks on her neck and swollen lips, as if she had been indulged recently.
Behind her followed Wang Dafu, who wore a dazed expression. Ignoring the naked stares of the crowd, he fiddled with the buttons of his clothes, a satisfied smile on his face, completely disregarding the anger of the Meng Family.
Wang Shoucai watched Zhou Qinglian's half-exposed figure, feeling a tightness in his throat as he swallowed hard. He then saw Zhou Qinglian pour a cup of tea and hand it to the Meng Family, softly saying, "Mother, what's wrong? You're in such a hurry. Have some tea to soothe your throat. It's quite hot today; whatever it is can wait."
Her voice was as soft as water, her eyes sparkling with warmth. After speaking, she reached out to squeeze the shoulder of the Meng Family.
The Meng Family was indeed thirsty and tilted her head back to drink the tea in one go. She then slammed the cup down on the table and exclaimed angrily, "That Xia Muxin has crossed me! She ruined my water business and now she's come up with some Thresher, helping those poor folks harvest for free as long as they provide Firewood. Is she out of her mind? Why does she have to go against me?"
Just thinking about it made her head smoke with rage. Unfortunately, this girl was quite clever; she had turned the Zhou family upside down, and now her own family was in chaos because of her.
All that income had vanished just like that—how could she swallow this anger?
Had she known it would come to this, she should have dealt with that girl back then. Now it was not so easy to resolve; even those few people around her were difficult to handle.
Moreover, these poor folks were all siding with her now; no matter what she did, they supported and helped her. Looking at her own family, it was almost unrecognizable.
The older ones were useless, and the younger ones were obsessed with beauty; they turned soft at the sight of a woman. How could she have given birth to such worthless children?
Thinking about it made her chest feel heavy.
After listening for a while, Zhao Qiushui only caught three words: Xia Muxin.
Hehe, it truly is a case of searching high and low only to find what you need right under your nose. This girl turns out to be from Daimiao Village; no wonder she looks so unsettling.
"Uncle by Marriage, it seems Xia Muxin is quite famous around here. I think I should meet her!"
After being humiliated several times, she had long wanted to deal with this insufferable girl, but had never been able to find her.
Little did she know that the girl was bouncing right under her nose.
Hearing the malicious undertone in Zhao Qiushui's words, Wang Shoucai and the Meng Family exchanged glances, both revealing a calculating glint in their eyes. Wang Shoucai then said:
"Oh, Qiu Shui, she's just an ignorant country girl, acting all high and mighty. I've suffered losses at her hands a few times. This girl is very cunning; she loves to scheme against others and will push you into the fire after she's done with you. I'm too old to deal with her. You should avoid such people to prevent bringing trouble upon yourself. If anything were to happen to you, our whole family couldn't bear the consequences."
Wang Shoucai's every word was a criticism and smear against Xia Muxin's character, but in his heart, he was calculating how auspicious it would be for him. No matter how arrogant Xia Muxin was, could she stand against the Zhao Family?
The Zhao Family could crush her with just a finger.
Suddenly feeling excited, he wanted to see how this arrogant girl would be crushed.
Sure enough, upon hearing Wang Shoucai's words, Zhao Qiushui threw the quilt in her hands violently onto the ground, shattering it into pieces. Her eyes were already filled with an unidentifiable rage as she nearly spat out through clenched teeth:
"Oh? So she's that arrogant? Then I must meet her even more!"
- End of Chapter -
Comment 0 Comment Count