The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 68

Chapter 68: Muddled

After leaving the Everlasting Peace Apothecary, Lin Shuang went to the market to buy a few catties of meat before she rode her horse home.

In the morning, she had been honey-roasting medicinal herbs at the Everlasting Peace Apothecary’s pharmacy. Doctor Yang had taken the time to come and see, and had only left one sentence, “Miss Lin’s technique, I’m afraid that even an old medicine worker who has been immersed in this for decades may not be able to match it.”

So, at Shopkeeper He’s request, Lin Shuang agreed that before Doctor Xue returned, she would be in charge of the honey-roasted medicinal herbs at the Everlasting Peace Apothecary for the next few days.

She would go back to the village today and officially start work tomorrow morning.

At this time, when she entered Whitewater Village and passed by the hundred-year-old scholar tree at the village entrance, she saw two familiar figures, one large and one small, under the tree.

She quickly reined in her horse.

Ping’er was on her tiptoes, picking scholar tree flowers, and the person next to her was sitting on the tree roots with her knees hugged, her plain white clothes gently fluttering in the wind.

Hearing the sound of horse hooves, the two of them turned their heads in unison.

“What are you doing here?” Lin Shuang’s voice was drier than she had expected.

Ping’er raised her little face, which was stained with scholar tree flowers, and smiled at her. “Waiting for Mother.”

She turned and tugged on Jiang Huaizhen’s sleeve. Seeing that she didn’t say anything, she spoke for her, “Big sister is waiting for Aunt Shuang.”

Jiang Huaizhen rarely showed a look of embarrassment. “When did I say…”

Hearing this, Ping’er asked innocently, “Then is big sister waiting for my mother?”

In the swaying shadows of the trees, Lin Shuang saw Jiang Huaizhen’s eyelashes tremble slightly. This executioner, who had made the prisoners on the execution platform tremble with fear, was now rendered speechless by a child.

“I… was just sitting here with you,” she said in a low voice.

Seeing her as if she were trying to avoid it, Lin Shuang’s chest suddenly felt tight. She laughed at herself. “Then you can continue to wait. I’m going back to cook.”

With that, she was about to crack her whip.

“Auntie, take me back!” Ping’er quickly rushed over.

Lin Shuang reached out to her. “Come on up.”

Ping’er quickly grabbed her wrist and was about to use her strength when she felt her body lighten. Only then did she realize that her big sister had gotten up at some point and had lifted her onto the horse’s back from behind.

“Isn’t big sister coming up?” Ping’er tilted her head and asked.

Jiang Huaizhen looked at her leg and shook her head. “No. You go back first. I’ll sit for a while and then go back.”

Hearing this, Lin Shuang said no more, patted the horse’s neck, and Jing Lei galloped off toward the West Mountain Valley.

Behind her, Jiang Huaizhen’s plain white figure stood motionless.

After an unknown amount of time, she sat back down under the large tree with her cane, her eyes looking at the road in the distance, and she became dazed again.

Her moon-white long robe made her look elegant and ethereal, even more otherworldly.

Who could still associate her with the fierce and malevolent executioner on the execution platform?

Not to mention that a few days ago, she had almost given her life to save people in the river, and she was still injured.

Passersby quietly passed by but did not dare to disturb her, afraid that even a glance would be a desecration.

And Jiang Huaizhen seemed to be completely unaware of her surroundings. Her mother’s words from that dream were still echoing in her mind.

“It was Mother who was too foolish. I shouldn’t have given my heart completely to one person. My child, in the future, you must not be as foolish as Mother. Don’t give your whole heart away…”

She remembered Lin Shuang’s hot breath and body temperature when she had moved closer last night, and her heart began to pound again.

It wasn’t until someone shouted, “Little Jiang, the sun is strong in the afternoon. Why are you still sitting here? Go home quickly.”

Only then did Jiang Huaizhen come to her senses. Her palm brushed over the sun-scorched scholar tree bark. She grabbed her cane, stood up, and replied to the person, “I’m going back now.”

The cane tapped on the yellow dirt road, and she walked step by step toward the West Mountain Valley. Every step was like stepping on cotton. She didn’t know if it was her leg injury or her restless heart.

When she got near her home, the smoke from the roof was curling up, and the faint sound of a child and an old woman talking could be heard from inside, which was particularly peaceful in this summer.

But this peace only lasted for a little while.

Old Madam Jiang came out of the door and, seeing her return under the scorching sun, cursed, “You’re running out in the middle of the day. Do you think it’s not sunny enough outside?”

“You’ve only been recovering for two days. Are you afraid you’re not getting better fast enough, or what?”

Ping’er ran over and took Jiang Huaizhen’s arm. “Grandma, don’t scold big sister. Big sister’s wound already hurts. If you scold her, her heart will hurt, and now everything hurts.”

The old woman closed her mouth and went into the house.

Jiang Huaizhen looked down at the little one. “Why are you defending big sister?”

Ping’er shook her arm. “Auntie doesn’t want big sister to be scolded. I’m helping Auntie protect big sister.”

Hearing this childish talk, Jiang Huaizhen suddenly asked in a low voice, “How do you know that Auntie doesn’t want me to be scolded?”

Ping’er looked at her and replied, “On the first day I came home, Auntie told me that big sister is her favorite person. Since she’s… the favorite person, Auntie definitely doesn’t want big sister to be scolded.”

Jiang Huaizhen stood there, unable to say a word.

It wasn’t until they were eating that Lin Shuang suddenly said to Old Madam Jiang, “Grandma, I want to buy a courtyard in the city, like Guiying.”

Old Madam Jiang was stunned for a moment, then glanced at Jiang Huaizhen. Seeing that the other was drinking her porridge with her head down and had no reaction, she asked, “Is it not comfortable to live at home? Do you have to buy a courtyard outside?”

“It’s not uncomfortable,” Lin Shuang said. “Anyway, we’ve earned money now. If we keep it, it won’t produce any children. If we buy some property and leave it there, it will be convenient for us to go in and out in the future. If we’re in the city and can’t make it back in time one day, we can just stay in the city.”

Old Madam Jiang asked, “How much silver would that be?”

“I’m not sure how big to buy. A one-courtyard house is about thirty or fifty taels, and a two-courtyard house is seventy or eighty taels.”

Old Madam Jiang felt a little uncomfortable. Lin Shuang had been bought by Jiang Huaizhen on the surface, but in fact, she had used her own silver. Even though she had been registered in the Jiang family’s household, she had not changed her surname like Jiang Huaizhen and Ping’er, and she did not have a real status.

In the end, she was just an outsider registered in the Jiang family’s household.

She was capable and had earned a lot of money. The grandmother and granddaughter had benefited a lot from it.

Now, not to mention that she wanted to buy a house in the city, even if she wanted to move out, she had nothing to say.

But she was unwilling for Lin Shuang to be estranged from them.

Ever since she had come, she had brought wealth and good luck to this family. Her granddaughter’s bad temper had also improved a lot, and she looked like a normal person. If she left, who knew what would become of this family?

And, if she left, would she also have to take away the ten taels of gold that were with her?

But these were not for her to decide. In the end, she said stiffly, “You young people can decide for yourselves.”

Lin Shuang then looked at Jiang Huaizhen.

Only then did Jiang Huaizhen say slowly, “You can buy it as you see fit.”

Lin Shuang lowered her head and picked at her food, humming in agreement.

“When Sister Jiang’s leg is better in a couple of days, you can go and see it with me.”

Seeing that Jiang Huaizhen didn’t say anything, Old Madam Jiang couldn’t help but step on her foot.

Jiang Huaizhen endured the pain in her toes and replied, “Alright.”

Old Madam Jiang was not satisfied with her lazy cow-like behavior of only taking a step after being whipped. She ate her meal, her chopsticks clattering against her bowl.

…

Lin Shuang had not slept well last night and went to bed after eating.

Jiang Huaizhen’s leg was injured now, and she could only walk with a cane. She had originally wanted to do some handicrafts, but unfortunately, her right hand was also injured, and it was not convenient for her to use tools. So she just sat under the eaves in a daze.

She had barely slept all night, and her mind was now muddled. She couldn’t sleep, but she wasn’t awake either.

Old Madam Jiang sat beside her, fanning herself, clearly angry.

“You haven’t provoked her these two days, have you?”

Jiang Huaizhen was stunned for a moment, then realized what the old woman was saying.

“No.”

Did she count as provoking Lin Shuang?

“Then why is she going to buy a house outside without discussing it with you?” the old woman said. “Has she taken a liking to someone outside? Does she not want our family?”

Jiang Huaizhen said after a long time, “That’s not it.”

Lin Shuang had not taken a liking to anyone outside. She had taken a liking to her.

“You’re already eighteen, and she’s seventeen. It’s not strange even if she has taken a liking to someone. You’re so reluctant to find someone, but you can’t stop others from finding someone. Who wants to be an old maid like you? If she wants to find someone, I won’t stop her. But she has to find someone reliable. I haven’t been out of the valley much these years. We still have to ask Erqiao and Zhimei. They know a lot of people and can always find a couple of outstanding ones.”

“If he can marry into the family, that would be great. She can earn money and is good for the family. If she stays at home, our life will be better, and maybe you can also find a good husband…” the old woman chattered.

Hearing the old woman say that she wanted to find a husband for Lin Shuang, Jiang Huaizhen suddenly felt a wave of annoyance.

“We’ll see,” Jiang Huaizhen interrupted, her voice a little deeper than usual.

“We’ll see, we’ll see—when will we see? Look at you. Others your age have children running all over the place. How long do you want to delay? Her parents are gone, and now she’s in our family. I should be the one to arrange this for her.”

Jiang Huaizhen’s chest felt tight, as if it had been stuffed with a ball of soaked cotton. She stared at the mottled light and shadow on the ground and, for once, felt a wave of impatience. “…We have to ask her.”

“Do you think everyone is like you, not wanting to find someone?” Old Madam Jiang said grumpily. “You’re not getting married yourself, and you’re going to delay others?”

Jiang Huaizhen didn’t speak and went back to her room with her cane.

The sticky heat of August clung to her skin. Lin Shuang was lying on her side on the bed, her thin clothes soaked with sweat, outlining her slender waist. A strand of stray hair was stuck to her flushed cheek, trembling slightly with her breath.

Jiang Huaizhen stood by the bed, her gaze tracing her slightly furrowed brow.

After a long time, she slowly sat down and picked up the cattail fan. The wound on her wrist was still hurting, but she still stubbornly fanned her, one stroke after another, until the person on the bed’s brow relaxed.

Perhaps she was extremely tired. Hearing the even breathing from the bed, she fanned for a while, and in the end, she fell asleep, lying by the bed.

When Lin Shuang woke up, she saw her lying by the bed, asleep.

The dark circles under her eyes showed that she had not slept well all night.

She couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch her face, but when she got close to the other’s fair face, she stopped. She curled her fingers and then let them fall back to their original place.

She had been reborn, and it was a blessing from the heavens that she had the opportunity to repay Huaizhen.

If Huaizhen was troubled because of her feelings, then it would not be a repayment.

She turned her back to Jiang Huaizhen, restraining herself from looking at her face.

Jiang Huaizhen hadn’t expected to fall asleep after just sitting by the bed for a while. She looked at the setting sun outside, rubbed her sore waist, and slowly stood up, supporting herself on the table.

Just then, there was a movement from the bed. She turned around.

“You’re awake.”

Lin Shuang hummed in agreement, got out of bed, and also pretended to have just woken up.

“When Sister Jiang’s wound is better… we can get another bed then.”

This sentence was like a blunt knife, slowly cutting through her flesh. Jiang Huaizhen turned her back, and the setting sun stretched her shadow long.

“Alright.”