Chapter 32: Green Tea
Zhou Wangshu carried water buckets to the well to fetch water.
The well was surrounded by women from the village. When they saw Zhou Wangshu, they looked him up and down, showing strange expressions.
“This young man is really handsome, and his build is good too. He’s a head taller than my man. If no one said it, who could tell he’s not yet fifteen?”
“I heard he’s half a year younger than Yaoguang girl! This little Yaoguang really took a big advantage, buying such a handsome little husband for ten copper coins.”
“Little Wangshu, Auntie has no strength left. Can you help me pull up the water?” Aunt Li said with a beaming smile.
Zhou Wangshu blushed, nodding obediently: “Okay. But I don’t have much strength, so I might pull it up a bit slowly…”
“No problem, take your time.”
Zhou Wangshu pulled up half a bucket each time. After pouring the water into his bucket, it was still short, so one bucket required three pulls to fill. Seeing him panting from the effort, the women began to cherish him. Even those who usually liked to take advantage stopped bossing him around and took turns pulling up the water for him. One even asked if she should help carry it back home. Zhou Wangshu thanked them very politely and carried the water home.
“Yaoguang girl really knows how to spend, letting such a handsome little husband come fetch water.”
“He’s really cute-looking and has a really good personality. Except for being young and unable to protect Yaoguang, everything else is good.”
“I think Yaoguang girl is very capable now and doesn’t need a man to protect her. Instead, she needs such a gentle little husband to match her.”
Zhou Wangshu carried the water past the riverside and saw a girl in a green gauze skirt looking anxiously at the river surface. When she turned and saw Zhou Wangshu, she walked over with small steps and said coquettishly: “Brother Zhou, can you help me with something? Please.”
Zhou Wangshu frowned, looking troubled: “I’m only fourteen. You look much older than me, so calling me brother isn’t appropriate, right?”
Jiang Yihuan: “…”
The expression on her face changed.
Zhou Wangshu shifted the water buckets to the side, but was blocked by Jiang Yihuan again.
He looked at Jiang Yihuan displeased, huffing: “Why are you blocking my way?”
“I… my clothes fell into the water. Can you help me fish them out? Please.” Jiang Yihuan looked at Zhou Wangshu with pleading eyes.
Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, one after another like pearls, without ruining her makeup at all. It was truly a pitiable sight.
Zhou Wangshu glanced at the river surface and saw several pieces of clothing floating on it, drifting further into the river with the current.
“I can’t swim. Find someone else!”
“But everyone else is busy.”
“I’m busy too.”
“Wangshu little brother, you’re such a kind person. You definitely won’t abandon a weak girl to die, right? Please, my mom will beat me.”
Zhou Wangshu looked at Jiang Yihuan in front of him.
Having been with Su Yaoguang for so long, how could he not recognize Jiang Yihuan?
He not only recognized her but also knew that Su Yaoguang had special disgust for this woman.
This person’s clothes didn’t fall early or late, but precisely when he passed by, and she put on this pitiable posture. Her seduction tactics were even clumsier than those of the fifteen-year-old concubine his father took at fifty.
Zhou Wangshu had seen many coquettish women. In his eyes, such a woman was a fierce tiger pretending to be a cat, ready to pounce when the master wasn’t looking.
“I have a way to quickly fish out your clothes.”
“What way?” Jiang Yihuan looked at him expectantly. “The clothes have drifted far. There’s no bamboo pole that long nearby, and it’s too late to cut one now.”
“No need for a bamboo pole.” Zhou Wangshu set down the water buckets and pointed toward the riverbank. “Look over there.”
Jiang Yihuan looked in the direction he pointed. She was extremely close to Zhou Wangshu, so close that the scent of her cosmetics was almost overwhelming his nose.
“What’s over there? What do you want me to see?”
Zhou Wangshu stretched out his arm and shoved her hard.
Splash! Jiang Yihuan fell into the water.
“Ah…” Jiang Yihuan flailed on the water surface. “I can’t swim… Help…”
Zhou Wangshu saw several women coming over and shouted in panic: “Help! Someone fell in the water!”
The women hurried over.
“What happened?”
They had already seen Jiang Yihuan flailing on the water surface.
“This young lady suddenly fell in. I don’t know how it happened. Pretty aunties, please help her. I’m an outsider man and it’s inconvenient for me to stay. Otherwise, if it ruins this young lady’s reputation, even jumping into the river couldn’t clear it. Pretty aunties, quickly find someone to save her.”
Zhou Wangshu quickly slipped away with his water buckets.
“Quick, find someone! Call for help! The Jiang family girl fell in the water…”
Zhou Wangshu carried the water buckets a ways, then stopped and looked toward the riverside. Several single young men from the village competed to jump in and save Jiang Yihuan. Someone also picked up the clothes she dropped in the river.
Jiang Yihuan was still very popular with men in the village. All the slightly good-looking ones in the village were her ‘brothers’. Of course someone would save her when they heard she fell in.
Su Yaoguang was fiddling with face powder. Seeing him return with water, she said: “Was it too heavy? You still seem to struggle carrying it.”
Zhou Wangshu looked into Su Yaoguang’s eyes. They held concern, without a hint of dissatisfaction. He’d never seen such a straightforward girl.
“Why aren’t you speaking?”
“Oh, I can carry water. The reason I came back late is someone fell in the river by the bank.”
“Someone fell in? Who?” Su Yaoguang asked worriedly. “Is that person okay?”
“Seems like surname Jiang, a young lady named something Huan.”
“Her? She won’t die. There’s a saying that a scourge lasts a thousand years.” Su Yaoguang pursed her lips.
“But I caused trouble.” Zhou Wangshu carried the water into the kitchen, poured it into the jar, then came back out looking like a pitiful kid who did something wrong.
“What happened?” Su Yaoguang asked. “You’re so honest, so it definitely wasn’t intentional. Tell me, what trouble?”
“I was carrying water past there when she blocked me, saying her clothes fell into the middle of the river and asking me to help fish them out. I can’t swim and was afraid to go in, so I wanted to leave quickly. When I passed by her, she tried to grab me. I dodged quickly, but then heard a splash. I turned back and saw she’d fallen in.”
“You didn’t push her. She just didn’t stand steady. It’s not your fault.” Su Yaoguang seemed unconcerned. “Stay away from her from now on. She wants to collect any handsome man she sees. You’re so good-looking; she definitely won’t let a big fish like you go.”
“She’s so scary. Yaoguang is the best. Luckily, the one who bought me is Yaoguang.” Zhou Wangshu looked at Su Yaoguang gratefully.
