Hongfu looked at Old Man Longsword, who lay on the ground with barely a breath left, her expression dark. "To think I didn't even sense that person's aura. It must be an expert."
The two maids exchanged a glance, and one of them said, "Perhaps they also came for Old Man Longsword's treasure."
The other maid crouched down and searched Old Man Longsword's body. "Fairy, I didn't find his cosmos bag."
Yue Qingfeng said, "Perhaps he hid it."
Hongfu stared coldly at the old man clinging to life on the ground. "It doesn't matter. His soul is in my hands; I have plenty of ways to make him hand it over."
Having fulfilled its mission, the little wooden chicken lost its luster and dropped to the ground, turning into a scattered pile of wood.
Yue Qingfeng sighed in admiration. "To think such an inconspicuous treasure would have such a massive effect. It truly is astonishing."
Hongfu's heart stirred.
Perhaps she really should get her hands on a few more of these little gadgets.
"Oh my, that massive fire at Butcher Fan's house was truly bizarre!"
"The village head took some people to check it out, and I heard they couldn't even find his bones!"
"He was always a wicked man anyway. Is there a single pretty girl in the surrounding villages he hasn't lusted after? If you ask me, he must have offended some ruthless character who just burned him to ashes along with his house."
"That makes sense. So many cultivators have come to town recently, and last night there were constant booming sounds coming from the mountaintop. My husband said it must have been those people fighting with magic. Maybe Butcher Fan offended one of those cultivators and got himself killed."
The others clicked their tongues in lament, though their sympathies hardly lay with him.
That was just the way of the world. Slaughter among cultivators was a common occurrence, and if ordinary people got caught in the crossfire, they could only curse their bad luck. After all, how many mortals in this world would dare seek revenge against a cultivator?
Crowded by the river washing water chestnuts, the aunties chattered away, swapping the latest village gossip. Today, however, their main topic of conversation was the explosive demise of Butcher Fan.
Mu Ran crouched to the side, listening with great relish, her pace of washing the water chestnuts slowing down considerably.
Auntie Wang nudged Mu Ran with her elbow and said, "I say Butcher Fan got what he deserved. You might not know this, but he had been loitering around your door quite a few times, and he always picked the times when your young doctor wasn't home."
As Mu Ran washed the water chestnuts, she absentmindedly peeled one and popped the plump, white flesh into her mouth. She mumbled around her food, "Really? That happened?"
Auntie Wang replied, "I'm telling you! You're such a pretty and endearing girl. I was even debating whether I should mention it to your young doctor so he could keep a closer eye out. Who would have thought Butcher Fan would just get burned to a crisp before I could?"
Mu Ran shook her head. "How terrifying."
Suddenly, someone called out, "Young Lady Mu, your husband is here to pick you up again!"
At those words, the other women turned to look at Mu Ran, breaking into teasing laughter.
Not far away stood a tall, elegant young man. The harsh winter wind carried a biting chill, sweeping past the ends of his ink-black hair. His green robes were simple and plain, yet they accentuated his upright posture, making him look as straight and proud as a bamboo stalk. He was handsome and refined, exuding a gentle warmth that seemed to conceal the quiet depths of an icy pool.
Even before he drew near, his gaze had already bypassed the noisy crowd to land steadily on Mu Ran. It was as if he couldn't even see the teasing smiles of the bystanders; to him, all the surrounding hustle and bustle paled in comparison to the moment she lifted her eyes to find him.
"The young doctor is here to pick up his wife again."
"He keeps such a close eye on her every day, as if he's afraid his little lady might run away."
"Well, if I had a wife this pretty, I'd keep just as close an eye on her as the young doctor does."
The teasing from the women grew even more enthusiastic, causing Mu Ran's cheeks to flush with a hint of embarrassment.
Cang Shubai walked over, offering only a slight nod as a greeting to the crowd. He then stepped up to Mu Ran's side, taking her freezing hands into his own. Frowning slightly, he said, "Let's go home."
Mu Ran let out a soft "Oh," bid farewell to the aunties, and picked up her basket, obediently following Cang Shubai away.
Cang Shubai took the basket from her hands and glanced at its contents. "These things are dug out of the mud; they're a hassle to wash and a hassle to eat. On such a freezing day, aren't you afraid of getting chilblains from soaking your hands in cold water for so long?"
As his large hands enveloped her cold ones, a soothing warmth spread through her, instantly making her forget the biting chill.
She tilted her face up and explained, "Old Man Zhang from the village planted half an acre of water chestnuts. He couldn't harvest them all by himself, so he let us dig them up for fun and take them home to eat. We didn't even have to pay! It would be a waste not to take them."
Cang Shubai cast another glance at the meager dozen or so water chestnuts sitting in the basket. "And this is what you call a waste not to take them?"
Mu Ran braced herself and replied, "I really did dig up a lot! It's just... it's just that I ate a lot of them, too."
It was all because the aunties' gossip had been far too entertaining. Whenever she got completely engrossed in their stories, she couldn't help but munch on the water chestnuts right then and there. If she hadn't reminded herself not to selfishly eat them all, there wouldn't even be these few left in the basket.
Cang Shubai asked her, "Are you going to do this again next time?"
She shook her head. "No."
He asked, "Why not?"
"You were right. My hands get too cold."
Cang Shubai let out a low chuckle and tucked her hands into his wide sleeves to keep them warm.
Once they returned home, Cang Shubai immediately had Mu Ran take a hot bath. She had been out by the river in the cold wind for so long, and he was worried she might catch a cold.
After her bath, Mu Ran changed into a fresh set of clothes and stepped out into the main hall, only to be captivated once again by the young man before her.
Cang Shubai sat in a chair with his eyes lowered, his long fingers wielding a small knife with a steady, gentle grace. As the purple skin of the water chestnuts fell away to reveal the glistening, translucent flesh, it only served to highlight the elegant, well-defined structure of his slender hands.
The handsome young man possessed a refined and tranquil countenance. The soft lines of his profile and the earnest look of his concentration made for an incredibly elegant and striking picture.
Having spent years struggling through bloody battlefields, Cang Shubai was exceptionally perceptive to his surroundings. Naturally, he was fully aware of the girl's unblinking gaze fixed upon him.
Yet, he didn't look up, remaining entirely focused on the task at hand. It wasn't until the girl couldn't hold back any longer, thinking herself incredibly stealthy as she sneaked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and draped herself over his back, that a gentle smile finally tugged at the corners of his lips.
Cang Shubai picked up a freshly washed, round water chestnut from the bowl of water and brought it to her lips. She happily ate it in a single bite.
He asked, "Shall we make a sweet water chestnut soup tonight?"
Mu Ran nodded. "Sounds good."
She playfully rubbed her bulging cheek against his face, her clingy nature clearly acting up again. "Jinzhi, you're so wonderful."
Cang Shubai asked, "Is there ever a day when I'm not?"
Mu Ran laughed out loud. "You're wonderful every single day, but tomorrow's Jinzhi will always be just a little bit better than today's Jinzhi."
Cang Shubai set down the knife, wiped his hands with a cloth, and turned around to pull her into his arms. As Mu Ran settled onto his lap, he reached out to gently caress her cheek.
"So, does that mean tomorrow's you will love me a little more than today's you?"
Mu Ran narrowed her eyes in comfort. Perhaps it was because she had just eaten the sweet water chestnut, but her voice sounded noticeably sweeter as well. "That's right. Every day, I'll love you just a little bit more."
Cang Shubai chuckled softly. Realizing that her period cramps were no longer as severe as they had been the past few days, he lifted her chin and finally kissed the corner of her lips again.
It started with a simple touch, followed by a gentle caress. Then, met with her familiar and unspoken cooperation, his warmth slipped effortlessly inside to tangle with her tongue. They shared each other's breath until they could no longer tell where one ended and the other began.
After a long moment, he pulled back slightly, though his lips still lingered against hers.
"Two more days."
That was when her period would end.
Mu Ran's eyes sparkled. She leaned close to his ear and whispered something softly.
Cang Shubai's gaze darkened. He caught her right hand, pressed a light kiss to her fingertips, and replied in a slightly husky voice, "Alright."
