183 Xie Sangou, are you Asleep?
Lu Jiao casually started a conversation, “Ah, right, this morning, I went to check out the leech pond and heard someone say that Widow Wang has gotten close to someone. And that someone has been going to her place every night to fool around. Auntie, do you know who they were referring to?”
Aunt Guihua’s eyes widened into balls and said with regret, “Because I’ve been busy harvesting herbs, I’ve been too tired to keep an eye on her.”
She then gritted her teeth, “That’s no good. Tonight, I must keep an eye on her and find out who she seduced.”
Lu Jiao glanced at Aunt Guihua, “It must be worrisome to have a neighbor like that. If she could marry someone and move away, it would make you feel better.”
!!
Lu Jiao stopped talking about this but Aunt Guihua’s mind had been opened.
That vixen had to go. To live next to her made Aunt Guihua live in worry every day. Not only was she worried about her husband, but she was also worried about her son. She was very aware of the fact that Widow Wang frequently winked at her son.
There was no way she would allow her son to fall in love with that widow. She was a vixen and was fueled by men’s blood. If her son got involved, he may end up losing everything.
No, no, no… she had to figure out a way to get rid of that woman.
No matter what Lu Jiao tried to talk about next, Aunt Guihua couldn’t focus anymore.
After a while, the two of them descended the mountain together.
Lu Jiao took a look at her half basket full of herbs and decided to dump it all into Aunt Guihua’s basket as thanks for what she was about to do next.
“Auntie, you take these.”
Aunt Guihua was ecstatic but still stopped her, “It’s okay. It took a lot of effort for you to get all that.”
Lu Jiao shook her head, “It’s okay, I will get more next time. I got these herbs for the patients I was going to treat but you have enlightened me to stop treating people who don’t pay. They don’t appreciate what I do anyway. I’d like to give all this to you instead.”
Aunt Guihua’s lips stretched into a wide smile, “That’s exactly right.”
She happily took the basket and went home. She ended up with such a profitable trip today.
Lu Jiao went home with an empty basket. However, she had already snuck in the rare herbs into her space and didn’t give them to Aunt Guihua.
Back at home, the four little ones were skateboarding with Gousheng and others. When they saw Lu Jiao, they ran to her.
“Mommy, you came back!”
“I’m back. Why are you sweating so much?”
Lu Jiao used her handkerchief to wipe the sweat off the boys’ foreheads. She then went to get some cold water for the four little ones.
For the boys, Lu Jiao pre-boiled the water, mixed it with sugar, and cooled it down.
“This is sweet.”
“Ah, yummy.”
“Mommy, you have some too. You must be tired.”
The Third Born offered his cup to Lu Jiao.
The Fourth Born did the same, “Mommy, drink mine, drink mine.”
Lu Jiao didn’t decline and took a sip from each of their cups, “Okay, you guys play. I will cook.”
“Okay, okay.”
At dinner, Xie Yunjin asked Lu Jiao, “Did you run into that person today?”
Lu Jiao nodded and smiled, “I did. We chatted as well.”
The two were talking in codes and the four little ones naturally had no idea what they were talking about. The Second Born excitedly suggested, “Mommy, can we go hunting tomorrow? I have perfected my aim.”
The Second Born used a rather masculine tone in order to make himself appear capable and ready to hunt animals.
The Third and Fourth Born chimed in, “Mommy, we can set up traps tomorrow. We can maybe get a wild boar.”
The mention of wild boars reminded Lu Jiao of how she wanted to make some toothbrushes. She’s been so busy with patients she’s had no time. In the future, she was determined to spend more time on her own business.
“Sure. Let’s go hunting in the mountains tomorrow. If we can capture a boar, I will make each of you a toothbrush.”
“What is a toothbrush?”
The First Born asked with interest.
Lu Jiao smiled, “It’s used to brush your teeth. You know how some villagers use willow leaves to wipe their teeth? I will make a brush so you can brush your teeth.”
As for toothpaste, she had to make that with medicinal herbs. If she had baking soda, she could add salt to that and make a paste. Sadly, baking soda didn’t exist yet so she had to make something with medicinal ingredients.
The four little ones were very interested in Lu Jiao’s toothbrush and indicated their determination to get a boar tomorrow.
Since it was late, Lu Jiao asked the four little ones to eat and then shower.
After dinner, Xie Erzhu arrived.
These days, he was very free. Xie Laogen and Lady Ruan still weren’t nice to him but they didn’t dare to cross the line anymore.
Therefore, Xie Erzhu was now a free body and came nightly to help Xie Yunjin with using the washroom and washing up.
Lu Jiao would bathe the children and then tell them a bedtime story in the west bedroom.
After storytime, the First and Second Born obediently went to sleep with their dad in the east bedroom.
Back in the west bedroom, Lu Jiao was going to sleep with the Third and Fourth Born. However, the Fourth Born was unsettled tonight and kept on moving around. Beside him, the Third Born fell asleep a long time ago.
Lu Jiao wanted to go into her space to organize the herbs but she couldn’t get away until all the children fell asleep.
Lu Jiao asked the Fourth Born, “Fourth Born, how come you are not sleeping? Is something on your mind?”
The Fourth Born turned to look at Lu Jiao. He wanted to tell her about his dad’s nickname. But he felt like he’d get in trouble given his dad’s threat.
He felt like he had to hide it, resulting in him feeling anxious and unable to sleep.
Lu Jiao cuddled him and patted his back, “Go to sleep now. It’s late.”
The Fourth Born’s eyes were opened wide and he leaned into Lu Jiao’s ears, “Mommy, I have to tell you a secret that you cannot tell anyone else.”
“Sure, tell me. I will listen to it.”
The Fourth Born responded in lightning speed, “Today, grandma cursed at dad and said, ‘Xie Sangou, if I knew you’d be so unfilial, I would’ve drowned you in the manure bucket.’”
The Fourth Born’s secret stunned Lu Jiao. She wasn’t surprised that Lady Ruan cursed, she was surprised that the future First Assistant had such a cheap name. Xie Sangou…
Lu Jiao couldn’t help but laugh. She wanted to shout into the east bedroom, “Xie Sangou, are you asleep?”
Since the Fourth Born asked her to keep it a secret, she stopped herself.
She promised the Fourth Born, who nestled against her, “I won’t tell anyone. Go to sleep.”
The little guy must be losing sleep over having to keep a secret.
Lu Jiao patted his back to comfort him and he fell asleep quickly. Lu Jiao got ready to go into her space.
Before doing so, she suddenly recalled how Xie Yunjin asked her not to bring the children into the mountains today. She thought it was because he didn’t want the kids to be around when she talked to Aunt Guihua but now, she realized it was because he didn’t want the four children to tell her his nickname.