I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Bath

Li Qiaoqiao watched coldly, thinking to herself: This mother-in-law is quite harsh on herself, too. It seemed the Wu family’s situation was truly tight.

The meal was eaten in total silence. Aside from the clinking of chopsticks and the sound of chewing, almost no one spoke. Everyone kept their heads down, finishing their portions at a steady pace as if completing a task. The amount was just enough to pad the stomach; it was a far cry from being full or eating well. Even the teenage boys instinctively licked the rims of their bowls when finished, a lingering hunger in their eyes.

Li Qiaoqiao ate her coarse meal quietly. The taste was, of course, nothing to boast about, but she ate earnestly. This meal wasn’t just about food—it was about rules, status, and the raw survival state of the Wu family. As the newly “seated” fourth daughter-in-law, she saw this panorama of life clearly. The days ahead would be a long grind.

After dinner, Li Qiaoqiao returned to her room with a heavy step and pulled the door shut. Wu Ya was sitting on the edge of the kang, staring straight at her with eyes that held not a hint of idiocy.

“Finally, I’ve eaten,” Li Qiaoqiao sighed, sitting opposite him. “You should have seen it. At the table tonight, everyone got half a bowl of gruel and some dried salted radish. Not a drop of oil in sight.”

Wu Ya frowned. “That grim?”

“You bet,” Li Qiaoqiao lowered her voice. “Even though the Wu family has many men and decent land, these lean years are hard. When Mother portioned the food, her hands shook like a sieve—she couldn’t bear to spare a single extra grain.”

She glanced at the door to ensure no one was eavesdropping before continuing, “But I’ve realized one thing: Mother truly loves you, her ‘foolish’ son. She secretly tucked half a pancake into my bowl earlier, gesturing for me to save it for you.”

Wu Ya snorted. “That pancake is hard enough to kill someone. Did you save it for me?”

Li Qiaoqiao gave a sheepish laugh. “Well, I was hungry… anyway, you’re playing the fool; skipping one meal won’t kill you.”

“Li Qiaoqiao!” Wu Ya gritted his teeth. “You keep this up, and the first thing I do when I ‘recover’ is divorce you!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll save it next time,” Li Qiaoqiao smiled apologetically before turning serious. “Honestly, I think Mother has warmed up to me because she dotes on you. Today she even hinted she wouldn’t sell me and told us to live a good life together.”

Wu Ya was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “In that case, find a way to get Mother to call a doctor for me.”

Li Qiaoqiao blinked. “What for?”

“I can’t keep eating your leftover ‘saliva rice’!” Wu Ya looked disgusted. “I want to sit at the table properly and serve myself!”

Li Qiaoqiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Just for that?”

“It’s a matter of dignity!” Wu Ya declared righteously. “Besides, playing dumb isn’t a long-term solution. We need to ‘recover’ slowly so we can actually get things done.”

Li Qiaoqiao pondered. “You’re right. Being a fool is inconvenient. But…” She hesitated.

“But what?”

Li Qiaoqiao lowered her voice further. “Do you remember the original plot? We’re cannon fodder. Wu Canghai from the first branch is going to become a high-ranking official—he’s ruthless, and in the end, he’s the only winner in the family. I was thinking, should we try to butter him up while we can?”

Wu Ya scoffed. “Butter him up? Do you even know where he is? He’s at the county school, barely coming home once every six months. Besides, do you think he feels any warmth for the Wu family? I’ve gathered that the first branch feels the whole family owes it to him to fund his studies; there’s no gratitude there.”

Li Qiaoqiao sighed. “True. That kid looked gloomy; last time he was back, his eyes were full of disdain. Trying to please him now would probably just result in a cold shoulder.”

“So, focus on what’s in front of us,” Wu Ya said. “Once I’m ‘better,’ we’ll plan further. Wu Canghai is just a candidate right now; it’s a long way to the provincial exams. He’s not a threat yet.”

As they spoke, Zhang Jinhua’s voice came from outside: “Tie Niu’s wife! Go boil some water! The whole family is waiting to bathe!”

Li Qiaoqiao quickly acknowledged her, shot Wu Ya a look, reverted to her timid persona, and opened the door.

…

The Bathing Conflict

In the kitchen, Li Qiaoqiao added wood to the stove. Though poor, the Wu family held to the ritual of nightly baths. Boiling water was easy enough on the clay stove. Once ready, she delivered basins to the elders, then the first, second, and third branches, finally returning to the fourth branch with her own basin.

“Husband, time for your bath,” she said to Wu Ya.

Wu Ya winked and whispered, “Go out. I’ll wash myself.”

Li Qiaoqiao was more than happy to oblige, but just as she turned to leave, the door creaked. Zhang Jinhua stood there with a wooden basin. “Tie Niu’s wife, give your husband a good scrub. Especially his back—scrub it hard.”

Li Qiaoqiao was stunned. The mother-in-law is personally supervising? Wu Ya froze, too.

Zhang Jinhua frowned. “What are you staring for? Do I have to scrub my son’s back myself?”

Li Qiaoqiao had no choice but to step forward. “Husband, be good. Turn around.”

Wu Ya looked resistant, but under his mother’s watchful eye, he slowly turned and removed his shirt. Li Qiaoqiao dampened a cloth and started scrubbing haphazardly, hoping to get it over with.

Zhang Jinhua was dissatisfied. “Use some strength! Haven’t you eaten? Tie Niu has dirt on him; scrub hard!”

Li Qiaoqiao ramped up the pressure, making Wu Ya wince.

“Yes, like that,” Zhang Jinhua nodded. “A husband and wife should look after each other. Since you married into the Wu family, you must serve your husband well, understand?”

Li Qiaoqiao nodded repeatedly. “I understand, Mother.”

Wu Ya, unable to take the rough scrubbing, suddenly wailed, “Hurts! Hurts!”

Li Qiaoqiao stopped, startled, but Zhang Jinhua insisted, “Don’t stop! It won’t hurt once he’s clean. Tie Niu, be good; your wife is doing this for your own sake.”

Wu Ya was speechless, pleading with Li Qiaoqiao with his eyes. She suppressed a laugh, lightened her touch, and said, “Bear with it, Husband. It’ll be over soon.”

Zhang Jinhua watched with a satisfied nod before leaving. “When you’re done, dump the water and put the basin back.”

…

The Tussle

The moment the door shut, Wu Ya jumped up. “Li Qiaoqiao! Did you do that on purpose?”

“Mother was watching! I had to use strength!”

“Then why were you smirking?”

“I was… admiring your acting skills,” she teased.

Wu Ya was fuming but helpless. They stared at each other until both burst out laughing. “Alright, wash up, the water’s getting cold,” she said, handing him the cloth. “Wipe yourself. I’ll turn around.”

Wu Ya took the cloth and said seriously, “Think about the doctor. Playing dumb isn’t a long-term plan.”

“I know. I’ll find an excuse for Mother in a few days. It’s too suspicious to ask right after she decided not to sell me.”

A moment later, Wu Ya scrunched his nose. “Stay away from me. What’s that smell?”

Li Qiaoqiao sniffed her arm. It was sweaty. Not surprising, given she’d been working all day and the original owner only bathed twice a month. But she wouldn’t back down. “What’s wrong, Husband? Disdain for your wife? Come here, let me show you some love~” She moved to hug his arm.

Wu Ya leapt away as if burned. “Li Qiaoqiao! Stay away! You’re stinking me out!”

“Oh? Disdain?” She mocked heartbreak. “But I’m your lawfully wedded wife. Even if I stink, you have to endure it, right?”

Zhang Jinhua entered again with dry clothes, seeing them “cuddling.” “Tie Niu’s wife, fold these. Tie Niu, was he good today?”

Li Qiaoqiao leaned into Wu Ya. “He was so good—he’s so clingy, he insists on sitting right against me.”

Wu Ya turned beet red, forced to giggle like a fool while secretly pinching her. Once his mother left, he exploded: “Li Qiaoqiao! Go bathe! Or don’t even think about sleeping on the bed tonight!”

“Firewood costs money! Mother will call me a spendthrift!”

“I don’t care! Sleep on the floor if you don’t wash!”

They began to scuffle. Wu Ya, though thin, was stronger. He dragged her toward the water basin. “I’ll wash you myself!” He scrubbed a wet cloth over her face.

“Wu Ya! You jerk!” Li Qiaoqiao broke free and slapped him. The slap stunned them both. She pounced on him like an angry cat. In the chaos, they kicked over the water basin.

SPLASH!

“What was that noise?” Zhang Jinhua shouted from outside.

“Nothing, Mother! Just knocked over the basin! I’m cleaning it now!”

Once the footsteps faded, Li Qiaoqiao glared at him. “Look at this mess! Now I have to go get more water!”

She stomped out to the well. When she returned, Wu Ya had wiped most of the floor. He looked away, sounding stiff: “Just wash. Then go to sleep.”

Li Qiaoqiao snapped, “Turn around! Don’t look!”

“I have no interest in a grubby village girl,” he scoffed, pulling the blanket over his head.

She finally washed. The warm water was a relief, scrubbing away the grime of the day. She finally understood his obsession. Cleanliness felt good.