The Lady Butcher and the Delicate Bride - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Ji Yunniang thought that if she wanted to help Mu Dingxiang win over Chu Yu, she first had to determine Chu Yu’s intentions. If Chu Yu truly didn’t harbor those kinds of feelings, it would be better to make other preparations early on.

But looking at things now, Mu Dingxiang clearly had the look of a young girl in the throes of first love. Even if Chu Yu were unwilling, this child likely wouldn’t let go easily.

Ji Yunniang rubbed her temples, wondering what exactly she should teach this child.

“Between you and Chu Yu… has she ever kissed you?” Ji Yunniang thought for a long time about how to open the topic before finally bracing herself to ask a simpler question. “Don’t be afraid. Now that you are with Chu Yu, you will spend many years together in the future. No one taught you before, but your Auntie has been through it; teaching you a thing or two is never wrong.”

To her surprise, as soon as Mu Dingxiang heard this, her small ears turned crimson instantly, and her head shook like a rattle.

Ji Yunniang couldn’t help but sigh softly. Oh, my silly daughter.

“Then… has she ever done anything ‘overstepping’ with you?”

Mu Dingxiang shook her head again, but after shaking it, she suddenly thought of yesterday afternoon when Chu Yu massaged her “buns,” and she hesitantly nodded.

Ji Yunniang’s spirits lifted as she saw a glimmer of hope. “What did she do?”

Mu Dingxiang’s face was beet red, and she hesitated. Seeing the piercing look in Ji Yunniang’s eyes made her feel even more shy; she couldn’t get a single word out.

Ji Yunniang could only lead her on gently: “Where did she touch you?”

Mu Dingxiang couldn’t say it. She bit her lower lip, lowered her head, and glanced at her chest.

Ji Yunniang understood instantly and was delighted. Logically speaking, if someone has kissed the mouth or touched there, it isn’t just “simple sisterly affection.” It seemed Chu Yu was indeed as the rumors said—fond of the female style and possessing the “habit of the rubbed mirror.”

In that case, Dingxiang’s feelings wouldn’t be misplaced.

So she had Mu Dingxiang lean in close and whispered a few things to her.

After listening, Mu Dingxiang felt like a boiled shrimp; there wasn’t a spot on her body that wasn’t bright red. Her hands twisted together, full of both shame and unease.

Watching the young girl’s shy appearance, so beautiful and moving, Ji Yunniang felt a wave of emotion. She took the girl’s hand and said, “Chu Yu is beautiful and can earn money; there isn’t anyone in this village or county who doesn’t crave her. If you don’t hold on tight and she runs away, where will you go to cry then?”

“Furthermore, you are two women. You aren’t looked upon kindly by outsiders to begin with. If you don’t tether her tightly, every stray cat and dog will want to come up and take a bite, and how sad would that be?”

Hearing Ji Yunniang say this, Mu Dingxiang’s face turned somewhat pale, and she murmured, “She wouldn’t. Chu Yu isn’t that kind of person.”

Seeing her looking terrified, Ji Yunniang feared her “strong medicine” had scared the child away. She hurriedly soothed her, saying, “I don’t think Chu Yu is that kind of person either. But the two of you are going to spend a lifetime together. Don’t you want her to love and cherish you even more? Just do as your Auntie told you.”

Before she could finish, someone outside the cave called for her. Ji Yunniang hurriedly stopped, answered the call, then turned back and patted Mu Dingxiang’s hand. “Just do as I said. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come and ask me.”

Mu Dingxiang waited for the burning heat on her face to fade before slowly following her out of the cave. She saw several people standing together talking; it seemed they had already settled on the layout of the courtyard and the stone and brick materials to be used, waiting only for the auspicious hour on the ninth to begin work.

Boss He had finished his inspection and needed to go back to arrange things, so he took his leave. Liu Heng and Ji Yunniang naturally departed with him. As they left, Ji Yunniang gave Mu Dingxiang a meaningful look, as if reminding her to remember those things they had just discussed. Mu Dingxiang understood her meaning, and once again her face was covered in a rosy glow, and she didn’t know where to put her hands or feet.

Chu Yu couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What did Auntie Ji say to you just now? You looked a bit off the moment you came out.”

Mu Dingxiang was startled by the question. After a long pause, she stammered, “It was just… some women’s matters.”

Chu Yu arched an eyebrow at her. “Lest you forget, I am also a woman.”

Mu Dingxiang realized it was a slip of the tongue, but she didn’t tell her what Ji Yunniang had said. Fortunately, Chu Yu wasn’t the meddling type who would force her to tell everything.

However, Chu Yu gestured pointedly toward her. “Your Auntie Ji is quite good to you.”

Mu Dingxiang looked up at her in confusion.

Chu Yu pointed to the stone table by the stove outside the cave. There was a pile of fruit on it—longans, grapes, pears, a large watermelon, and some exquisite pastries from a dessert shop in the county.

Many of these things were items Mu Dingxiang had never eaten. Chu Yu had the money, but she rarely ate snacks herself and had overlooked the fact that Mu Dingxiang might like these things. In the past, whether it was a holiday or a happy occasion, as long as there was meat, it was fine. Now, seeing Ji Yunniang bringing this pile of fine snacks, Chu Yu realized she had been too neglectful in this area.

Fortunately, Mu Dingxiang wasn’t a picky person. Before she was with Chu Yu, she couldn’t even fill her stomach. Now that she ate well, wore warm clothes, and had meat on the table for every meal, she was already satisfied and didn’t dare hope for more.

Hearing Chu Yu say she would buy them for her in the future, she hurriedly refused: “I don’t particularly love eating these things. Better to keep that money for proper use.”

How could a girl not like these sweets and snacks? Except for me, of course, Chu Yu thought to herself. She didn’t give a verbal promise but hummed in response, privately deciding she must remember to buy them for her next time.

When the Liu couple and Master He passed the main road on their horses and carriage, the Mu family of three was in the fields harvesting rice. Mu Jueming was lazily bending over to cut a few handfuls before running to sleep under the shade of a tree; Mother Mu’s scolding of him never stopped, though she hadn’t cut much rice herself either, scolding more than she worked.

Only Old Man Mu remained bent over, resigned to his fate, cutting the rice handful by handful.

Watching the carriage and horses go by, Mother Mu took a few steps closer to Old Man Mu and whispered, “Old man, that Madam Chu from the end of the village has been running there every few days; it doesn’t look right. Last time when Old Lady Ji had her birthday, that dead girl San-ya went too, and I heard the Old Lady even had her sit and eat with them.”

Old Man Mu gave her a fierce glare. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m afraid… that matter from back then has been leaked.” Mother Mu’s face looked somewhat ghoulish.

Old Man Mu straightened up, his eyes dark and unreadable. Seeing the carriage and horses drawing closer, along with Master He sitting atop his horse, he forced a smile and called out, “Master He, where are you returning from?”

Old Man Mu often did manual labor in the county, so he was somewhat acquainted with Master He. He replied, “The Chu house at the end of the village is building a house. I went to measure the ground and see how to lay the foundation. I’ll bring the workers over in a few days.”

Hearing it was good news for the Chu family, Old Man Mu was naturally displeased, but his expression remained unchanged as he congratulated him on getting another contract.

However, the carriage beside them didn’t even stop to offer a greeting. The Mu couple felt even more that something was wrong. Being neighbors, even if Mother Mu and Old Lady Ji were at odds, Liu Heng was a businessman; when he ran into people from Furong Village, he would usually stop and greet them cheerfully. The way he acted now was truly suspicious.

A short while after Liu Heng’s carriage passed, the sky began to darken. It looked like rain was coming. Looking at the patch of rice that was only the size of a palm, Old Man Mu felt a surge of anxiety. Coupled with the news that Chu Yu’s house at the end of the village was building again, he felt overall disgruntled. Looking at the woman beside him, he found her even more unpleasing to the eye and couldn’t help but roar at her.

“I told you days ago to come harvest the rice, but you stayed lazy at home and wouldn’t come out. Now everyone else’s harvest is finished and only ours remains. If it starts raining these few days and the grain soaks in the water, how can we eat it? Truly a lazy woman.”

Being scolded like this, Mother Mu was also defiant. Thanks to Mu Dingxiang, she hadn’t stepped into the fields for years. Now, after cutting rice for half a day, her back was aching and her legs were sore. Getting scolded like this, she snapped back without hesitation: “There’s only the two of us, mother and son, how are we supposed to cut it? During the harvest, other employers let their workers rest for a few days to go home and harvest. Why is your employer so stingy and wouldn’t let people back a day early?”

“How can two people not cut it? In past years, didn’t San-ya cut it all by herself? I only had to come and carry the rice back. The two of you together can’t even match her alone; it’s just ‘lazy disease’!”

Hearing him mention Mu Dingxiang, Mother Mu felt even more displeased: “Don’t mention that dead girl. If she hadn’t been shameless and got involved with that brute at the end of the village, begging people to marry her, and instead had stayed to marry Widower Zhang, none of this would be happening. The rice in these fields—where would it be our turn to cut it?”

“You still have the face to mention Widower Zhang? It’s been over half a year and no one has seen him return; who knows what kind of trouble he got into.”

“Then it’s best if he never comes back. That little yellow ox, I’ve worked hard to feed it for over half a year. It’s better if he doesn’t return; if he does, he can forget about wanting my little ox back,” Mother Mu said with some schadenfreude.

Old Man Mu let out a heavy sigh: “You’re still thinking about your little ox. If the matter with San-ya is leaked, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

But Mother Mu looked indifferent: “If it’s leaked, it’s leaked. Without evidence, what can they do to us? Back then I just thought we could take the chance to grab a handful. It’s a pity we haven’t found a chance yet to let that girl Niannian subsidize our household but if they truly do switch back, I’d actually welcome it. When that Niannian returns to our house, we can find another wealthy family to marry her off to. That girl has been raised so well in a wealthy house all these years and has even studied could the bride price possibly be lower than San-ya’s?”

Old Man Mu’s sagging old face instantly lit up upon hearing his wife say this, but he wordlessly masked his emotions, snapping at her, “Can words like that be spoken aloud? If someone hears you, see if I don’t cut out your tongue.”

Mother Mu was about to snap back, but the rain began to fall harder, so they had to find a place to take shelter. Fortunately, they hadn’t cut much, so it didn’t matter if it got soaked. At the thought of being able to get another sum of money, she didn’t care as much about the pile of rice in the field.

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