Chapter 31: Sis Huh
Shi Tou was still hoping that his own young master would recover soon, so naturally it was impossible to let Lu Chengjing follow him into the mountains and tire himself out.
He hesitated for a moment and said, “I remember there’s a book in young master’s study that specifically talks about herbs. I’ll find it and take a look later, striving not to pick the wrong ones after entering the mountains.”
That night Shang Wan nearly emptied Lu Chengjing’s study room. Knowing that books and paper in this world were expensive, she didn’t even leave a single piece of scrap paper. The book that Shi Tou mentioned was in the pile of books that Shang Wan brought back.
At least they found a source of income besides hunting. Shang Wan was quite satisfied with the results of this meeting.
Lu Chengjing instructed Shi Tou to go into the city tomorrow to pass a message to Qiao Yu’an, telling him to visit several apothecaries before leaving the city to ask what kinds of herbs they bought.
Shi Tou noted it all down one by one.
Xiao Huan brewed tea. Lu Chengjing drank his medicine, and the three people drank tea.
After downing a bowl of bitter medicinal juice, Lu Chengjing’s brow furrowed slightly, and his face looked two shades paler.
Shang Wan stuffed a preserved fruit into his mouth; it was still one she’d plucked from the Lu Family.
The preserved fruit’s refreshing sweetness suppressed the bitterness of the medicinal juice. Lu Chengjing’s brow relaxed, and he leaned lightly against the soft pillow behind him, turning his head to look at Shang Wan. “Why do they call you big sister?”
This was a question he’d had ever since seeing Shi Tou after getting out of jail; he’d never had a chance to ask.
“We’re all family, of course they call me big sister. Otherwise, what, call me mother?” Shang Wan raised her hand to touch her face. She wasn’t that old, was she?
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a soft and glutinous voice came from outside the door: “Cool!”
The cub calling for mother had arrived.
Yuan Yuan had woken up and not seen anyone, but she didn’t cry. She climbed down from the kang by herself, had Xiao Hui carry her to the side room doorway, and patted the wooden door with her little meat hand, making loud slapping sounds.
Shang Wan was just about to go open the door for her when she heard several “crack” sounds—the old door panel split open.
The little hand outside was still patting away.
And so…
“Clang!”
“Bang!”
The long-neglected wooden door shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground, as if dying with eyes wide open.
Shang Wan: The door was overdue for replacement anyway.
Lu Chengjing: His daughter’s strength was indeed abnormal.
Xiao Huan: Fortunately it fell inward and didn’t hit Yuan Yuan.
Shi Tou: How much would a new door panel cost?
Yuan Yuan’s little meat hand was still raised in mid-air. Seeing the obstacle gone, her big eyes lit up. She quickly patted Xiao Hui and smoothly entered the room.
“Mother! Daddy!”
The little baby girl was so excited. Seeing everyone looking at the door panel on the ground, she looked over too and patted her little chest with her small hand. “Me! Awesome!”
The four people: “…” You’re pretty proud of yourself.
Shang Wan felt that her own cub could probably be useful for demolishing houses.
“Hug!” Yuan Yuan stretched her short arms toward Shang Wan.
Shang Wan picked her up and saw the little one grinning from ear to ear. She just lightly patted her bottom twice and called it a lesson.
Yuan Yuan rubbed her bottom and rolled into her own daddy’s arms using hands and feet, tilting up her adorable little face. “Daddy!”
Lu Chengjing deftly leaned down and planted a kiss on her little round face. Yuan Yuan grinned, revealing two millet teeth, and decisively abandoned her own daddy to return to her fragrant mother’s arms.
The abandoned Lu Chengjing: “…”
Shang Wan chuckled inwardly and pinched the little one’s chubby cheeks, then unwrapped the gauze on her arm to take a look.
The wound had already scabbed over. At this recovery speed, the blood scab would probably come off tomorrow.
Shang Wan felt relieved and rewrapped the gauze to keep the little one from scratching the wound.
Thinking of Lu Chengjing’s earlier question, Shang Wan said to the two across from her, “Don’t call him young master anymore. You two should change how you address him too.”
Xiao Huan and Shi Tou exchanged a glance and chorused, “Brother-in-law!”
Their voices were impressively loud.
Lu Chengjing’s body stiffened, and he nearly failed to hold up the soft pillow. Shang Wan helped prop it up and sealed the deal with a hammer: “Sounds just like family. Call him that from now on.”
“Bro… ther-in-law.” Yuan Yuan joined in the fun too, her little meat hand grabbing Lu Chengjing’s wide sleeve hem and calling out with a grin.
Black lines instantly appeared on Lu Chengjing’s forehead.
“Hahaha!” Shang Wan and the other three laughed so hard they pounded the kang.
Lu Chengjing rubbed the little one’s head and said warmly, “Yuan Yuan, you have to call daddy.”
Yuan Yuan’s little mouth opened wide, and she crisply shouted: “Brother-in-law!”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
“Good cub, that’s the wrong generation.” Shang Wan extended her index finger and tickled Yuan Yuan’s soft double chin. “You have to call daddy.”
Yuan Yuan’s little head shrank back from the itch and she repeated, “Daddy.”
“So smart.” Shang Wan leaned over and kissed her forehead, then turned her toward Lu Chengjing. “Come on, say it again.”
Yuan Yuan blinked her big eyes. “Brother-in-law!”
The forcibly downgraded Lu Chengjing: “…”
For her newly learned word, little friend Yuan Yuan was extremely persistent. From time to time she’d climb in front of Lu Chengjing and shout “brother-in-law,” and she still hadn’t changed by dinnertime.
Lu Chengjing narrowed his eyes and, while little friend Yuan Yuan was happily eating her steamed egg custard, picked up the small bowl in front of her.
Yuan Yuan: ???
“Eggies.” The little one pouted and glared accusingly at her own daddy.
Lu Chengjing held the bowl with an expression so calm it didn’t look like he was bullying a baby at all. “Call daddy.”
Yuan Yuan’s eyes widened round, and her small hand slapped the table. “Eggies!”
Lu Chengjing didn’t budge. “Call daddy.”
The soft and glutinous baby voice: “Eggies!”
The mild and steady male voice: “Call daddy.”
The two went back and forth like this, locked in a standoff.
Shang Wan watched with great interest and leaned over to quietly ask Shi Tou, “Did these two father and daughter interact like this before?”
His older sister hadn’t liked Yuan Yuan before, so it wasn’t surprising she didn’t know. Shi Tou said, “When Yuan Yuan wouldn’t flip over by herself, wouldn’t learn to crawl, or wouldn’t learn to talk… brother-in-law did this.”
Xiao Huan asked curiously, “Who won more?”
“Brother-in-law.” Shi Tou’s expression was profoundly complicated.
Shang Wan looked at the big and little ones still locked in their contest and asked Shi Tou, “How much longer will they keep this up?”
Shi Tou: “Until Yuan Yuan gives in.”
Shang Wan: “…”
With such a persistent daddy, you’ve got it rough, little Yuan cub.
Just as Shi Tou said, the father-daughter standoff ended when Yuan Yuan gave in.
“Daddy.” Yuan Yuan was so mad her cheeks puffed out round, her eyes brimming with teary sparkles on the verge of falling.
Lu Chengjing, experienced as he was, knew the little one wouldn’t cry now. He handed the bowl back.
Yuan Yuan hurriedly protected her small bowl and twisted her face to tattle to Shang Wan: “Mother! Daddy bad! Brother-in-law me!”
She was a cub with a backer now!
Shang Wan had just wanted to help her own cub when Lu Chengjing suddenly looked over. His brows and eyes curved slightly, a shallow smile playing at his lips, making his already handsome face even more vivid and dazzling Shang Wan with dizziness.
Shang Wan: Cub, it’s not that mother won’t help you—both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh!
Under her own daddy’s beauty trap, little friend Yuan Yuan’s first tattling attempt ended in failure.
The little one was puffed up with anger and decided to send a mouse at night to chew a hole in daddy’s clothes.
But where was the mouse?
Yuan Yuan rode Xiao Hui searching every nook and cranny of the courtyard.
Why did such a big house not even have a single mouse?
The next day, Shi Tou drove the ox cart into the city early.
After mixing spiritual spring water into the medicine, Shang Wan carried Yuan Yuan out the door.
The diligent farming families had already gone to the fields to work. Seeing Shang Wan, some looked over curiously, while others greeted her. “Lady Shang, where are you off to?”
