Chapter 10: Fetch Water
Xiao Yanci thought Su Yaoguang would help him fetch water, but she merely restored the previous situation and didn’t help him at all.
His expression was unsightly as he took the bucket from her hand with a cold face.
He lifted it with great difficulty, finally managing to haul it up. Just as he smugly looked toward Su Yaoguang, his body tilted backward, and the bucket of water poured directly onto him.
He fell to the ground along with the bucket, which shattered completely with a clang. Soaked and disheveled, he glared red-eyed at the scene before him, his face full of despair.
Su Yaoguang let out a light scoff, lifted the water, and said mockingly, “Good thing I didn’t buy you, or I’d have lost big time! A weakling like you, and that human trafficker wanted two taels of silver—must be money-mad.”
“Don’t bully me too much.” Xiao Yanci glared at her furiously.
“Can’t even speak the truth?” Su Yaoguang pursed her lips. “What a temper. If Jiang Yihuan saw you like this, she’d regret the silver she spent too! She wanted to buy a servant to do chores, but looking at your build, it’s not much different from Jiang Yihuan’s. If they bought you, who knows who would end up serving whom.”
After sarcastically mocking Xiao Yanci thoroughly, Su Yaoguang felt some relief and carried the water away.
She hadn’t gone far when she saw another village girl from the village coming with water. Seeing Xiao Yanci’s situation, the girl asked worriedly, “Are you okay?”
Su Yaoguang turned back and saw the girl eagerly helping Xiao Yanci up, wiping the water stains from his body with a handkerchief. Immediately after, she fetched a bucket of water for him.
“Tch…” Su Yaoguang muttered lowly, “This face is really useful; silly girls fall for it.”
After Su Yaoguang carried the water home, she went back for a second load. This time she didn’t encounter Xiao Yanci. Once she filled the water jar, she went up the mountain to gather firewood and dug up some wild vegetables along the way.
There weren’t many wild vegetables left on the mountain, but after doing heavy labor, her strength had increased, and her courage had grown too. She began setting traps on the mountain to hunt prey.
There were plenty of prey on the mountain—wild rabbits, wild chickens, bamboo rats—she could see them, but couldn’t catch them. She had no hunting tools in hand and could only watch them run away.
Fortunately, she gathered quite a bit of wood ear mushrooms and wild mushrooms. She bundled the gathered firewood, hid the wood ears and wild mushrooms in the back basket, and placed the bundled firewood on top of the back basket.
Zhang Zhaodi came out of the wood shed.
Seeing this, Su Yaoguang quickly set down the back basket and strode toward Zhang Zhaodi. “Mom, Wangshu is very obedient. He said that once his injuries heal, he’ll go work in the fields.”
“What are you so nervous about? Do I look that fierce and vicious to you, like I’d harm a half-dead person?” Zhang Zhaodi said irritably.
“No. Mom is the kindest.”
“I just checked the kitchen. You’ve got some nerve buying so much flour and meat.” Zhang Zhaodi spoke while twisting her ear. “We only have so much money at home; you don’t know how to be frugal.”
“Mom, it hurts, it hurts…”
Zhang Zhaodi released her ear.
“Mom, your illness hasn’t fully recovered yet; you should rest properly. I’ll handle the household matters and arrangements. You’ve worked too hard; you should eat something good to nourish yourself.”
“I’m fine, no illness.” Zhang Zhaodi said, “By the way, I saw his injuries look even worse just now. How did that happen?”
“After you left yesterday, I went to the city again, and something happened at home.” Su Yaoguang didn’t hide anything and recounted what had happened yesterday.
Zhang Zhaodi cursed, “Stabbed well; just one stab was too lenient for him. What a scheme they had, thinking I wouldn’t know? Daughter, once this boy recovers, you two write up the marriage contract right away. Then you’ll be a proper husband and wife. I’ll see who dares to scheme for you after that.”
“Mom, I’m your daughter; they can’t force us mother and daughter to agree. As long as we don’t agree, their little schemes won’t work.”
“You’re right; I’m just worried they’ll play dirty. Be extra careful these days—don’t go too far from home, and don’t go out alone.”
Voices of two village girls talking came from outside. They chatted and laughed as the sound carried in.
“That little slave at Jiang Yihuan’s house went to fetch water, not only smashed the bucket but drenched himself too. Just now passing their home door, I heard Aunt Zhong cursing viciously; Jiang Yihuan was trying to dissuade her beside her. You think Jiang Yihuan hasn’t fallen for that little slave? He does look good, but his background is too lowly!”
“Jiang Yihuan is so lucky—learned a craft from her mom, earns money without hardship, and now has a servant to serve her, just like a young lady from a great family. She’s the same age as us, but she never does chores; her hands are tender like green onions. In summer, she doesn’t work, so no sun exposure—her face is white like a steamed bun. Look at us; our faces are as dark as soles of feet.”
“My mom says I’m about to be betrothed, so these two years she won’t let me go out to work; wants me to stay home and whiten up.”
Zhang Zhaodi looked at Su Yaoguang.
Her Yaoguang was born the same year as Jiang Yihuan too—hands rough, skin dark, hair thin and yellow—a completely ordinary little village girl.
If Zhong Lanhua hadn’t framed her back then, her Yaoguang could have become a girl with such good fortune too.
If her husband hadn’t gone to the army, with a pillar of the family at home and no need for them mother and daughter to handle everything, her Yaoguang would be living better than now.
The name Yaoguang was given by a passing traveling monk. She was still in swaddling clothes then, critically ill, and everyone said she wouldn’t survive. At that time, a traveling monk passed by, read her birth chart, and said she had a calamity in her fate, but if she survived that ordeal, she’d have boundless wealth and honor in life. The traveling monk also named her Yaoguang.
“Mom… Mom…” Su Yaoguang waved her hand in front of Zhang Zhaodi. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Take out the dirty clothes; I’ll wash them.”
“I can wash them myself.” Su Yaoguang said, “Mom, Dad’s clothes are still around, right? Wangshu’s clothes are all torn up; can we lend him Dad’s clothes to wear?”
“You said it; how can I say no? That boy better be as obedient as you say, or I’ll sell him off.” Zhang Zhaodi cursed.
Su Yaoguang knew Zhang Zhaodi was all bark but soft-hearted. She said a few nice words, coaxing Zhang Zhaodi’s expression to improve.
Over the next few days, Zhang Zhaodi received no work, growing increasingly anxious. The more anxious she got, the slower her illness recovered, even developing blisters in her mouth from worry.
To distract her, Su Yaoguang made cosmetics with her.
Zhang Zhaodi didn’t believe it at first.
In her view, Su Yaoguang had never learned, so how could she make cosmetics? Only when Su Yaoguang produced lip balm of excellent quality did she believe it.
