Chapter 115: Fubao Cries

The next day, when the villagers of He Village woke up, they were notified to go to Qin Zheng’s house to handle the grain borrowing procedures.

Grain was being lent based on the household size and the ratio of adults to children, with each household borrowing between two hundred to three hundred pounds. No interest was charged, and the grain was to be repaid after the harvest.

Pear blossom also extended the repayment period to three years.

She wasn’t doing charity; giving without expecting anything in return not only made it impossible to guarantee her own future, but it also fostered a sense of dependency in some people.

Everything had to be done within one’s capacity.

However, no matter what, the grain problem in He Village was finally solved.

Since several villages united, the morale of the villagers had risen significantly. Now, each village was organizing people for training, focusing on defense measures.

Pear blossom took a quick ride around and, within half a day, the other two villages had already built several deer fences and chevaux-de-frise at their village entrances.

Currently, Dagen’s family had three people involved in the village’s defense efforts. Xinghua and Erniu still had to go to school, leaving only Mrs. Xiong, who had to manage the farm work, take care of the pigs, cattle, sheep, and a bunch of chickens, as well as look after Fubao. Therefore, she did not participate in the anti-bandit work.

Though she had some small tasks, once done, she still had time to take a walk by the village entrance and chat with Aunt Qin and the other women.

Fubao, of course, went wherever Mrs. Xiong went, and was practically treated like her own granddaughter.

In the morning, when Pear blossom and the others went to He Village to deliver grain, Mrs. Xiong took Fubao to Qin’s house after lunch to chat with people.

Mrs. Miao had been helping in He Village with the medical team for two days. After the urgent injuries were treated, the remaining ones were handed over to their families. Today, she had some free time and was in the field with her mother-in-law pulling weeds.

Fubao and Dog (Goudan) were catching crickets and chasing butterflies by the roadside, playing joyfully.

After chatting about the situation in He Village for a while and watching the children playing, Mrs. Xiong couldn’t help but sigh, “I don’t know when these bandits will be wiped out. Once they’re gone, we’ll finally be able to live a peaceful life.”

It was hard enough to separate from the Xiang family, and just when she thought they could live peacefully, bandits came, causing trouble. It was really annoying, especially since she had buried a pile of gold in her house and had nowhere to spend it.

Mrs. Miao laughed and said, “That’s right. Once this is over, we can handle Dabao’s matter.”

Mrs. Xiong immediately asked, “Has the girl been decided?”

Earlier, Qin Dabao had shown interest in Pear blossom, but it turned out that his own daughter preferred women, so they had to turn him down. Mrs. Xiong still felt a little guilty about it.

Mrs. Miao said, “There’s a distant cousin from his maternal side, a girl who’s sixteen this year. They met before, and the girl seemed quite pleased with Dabao. But this child… always says there’s no rush. After seeing the bandits invade the village a few days ago, she probably realized that life is short, so she changed her mind. Now, we’re just waiting for the bandit troubles to be over before finalizing things.”

Mrs. Xiong quickly added, “Good, good, it’s settled. Dabao is a good child, unlike our Pear blossom—sigh.”

After over a year of Pear blossom’s behavior, Mrs. Miao had already stopped worrying. Hearing Mrs. Xiong sigh, she comforted her, “Pear blossom is a capable person now. She’s someone who deserves someone special, not just anyone. You and Dagen will be blessed in the future.”

Mrs. Xiong didn’t know about the blessings in the future, but at least Mrs. Miao’s words were true. Nowadays, anyone who was with her daughter was certainly no ordinary person.

“Who knows,” Mrs. Xiong muttered. “It seems like the child doesn’t even want to marry a man. I can’t say anything to her now. Dagen also said that she can do whatever she wants, as long as she’s safe and sound.”

If it were someone else, Mrs. Miao might have said something, but since it was Pear blossom, who had gained fame beyond the nearby areas, there was nothing more to be said.

She could only comfort Mrs. Xiong by saying, “With her abilities, whether she depends on a man or not doesn’t matter.”

As they were talking, they suddenly heard Fubao’s shrill scream from nearby.

Mrs. Xiong’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stood up.

She saw a disheveled man running after her.

Looking closely, it was Liu Youtie.

A chill ran up her spine, and without thinking, she hurriedly stumbled towards the two women.

Fubao was being chased by Liu Youtie and was crying loudly in fear.

Dog, unwilling to let his little fairy cry, followed closely behind her. But he was also afraid of Liu Youtie, the madman. Seeing Fubao almost caught, he had no choice but to close his eyes and leap to grab Liu Youtie’s leg, trying to stop him from reaching Fubao.

Liu Youtie, with his hair in disarray, laughed, “Liuya, why are you running? Daddy just wants to hug you!”

He then realized that he couldn’t move because Dog was holding his leg. He bent down to pry Dog’s hand off. “You little brat, why are you holding onto me? Get away, you’re not allowed to play with Liuya!”

Dog was too weak, and Liu Youtie easily pried his hand off.

In a panic, Dog twisted his head and bit Liu Youtie’s leg.

Liu Youtie, in pain, slapped him hard.

Dog was thrown aside, and one of his teeth was knocked out, causing him to cry in pain.

But Liu Youtie didn’t care about him. He turned around and continued chasing after Fubao.

Fubao was so scared that she ran for her life, but how could her short little legs outrun a grown man like Liu Youtie?

Just as they were about to be caught, a mad old woman suddenly appeared from nowhere, charging at Liu Youtie and knocking him to the ground. She immediately reached out to scratch his face.

She kept shouting, “Let me catch you chasing my granddaughter—let me catch you chasing my granddaughter—”

Liu Youtie, in pain, quickly covered his face, and the two of them started fighting.

Mrs. Xiong and the others finally caught up and rushed over to hug Fubao.

Seeing someone reliable, Fubao rushed into her arms, crying breathlessly.

Mrs. Xiong looked at her, heartbroken, and comforted her, holding her tightly.

The others went up to pull apart the two struggling, finally realizing it was Mrs. Zeng who had jumped in.

Liu Youtie was quickly pinned down by several older men from the fields, unable to move.

He kept muttering “Liuya, Liuya” under his breath.

The news of him boiling human flesh in He Village had spread through the village. People didn’t know what to make of him. Previously, he had been arrogant because of his family’s wealth, looking down on others. Later, he had tried to take advantage of Dong Yun in times of crisis, refusing to help when he should have, and then, lacking common sense, he brought his children out during a period of turmoil, causing disaster.

Now, he had become like this—mad and crazy—a truly detestable figure.

If they had known this would happen, why bother in the first place!

Liu Youtie was taken to the Liu family, while Dog was carried away by Zhang Laowu’s old woman. The crowd dispersed, and Mrs. Xiong, seeing Mrs. Zeng sitting on the ground and having landed a few punches on Liu Youtie, felt a bit uneasy.

Although Fubao wasn’t her biological granddaughter, she had called her “nanny” for more than a year.

This old woman had always scolded Fubao, but now, she had rushed out to help her, fighting with a man twice or three times her size, and no one would believe she didn’t care about the child.

She looked at Fubao, who had stopped crying but was still pouting with a red nose, occasionally sobbing and pulling her body.

“Fubao, Zeng Nanny saved you just now. Go say something to her.”

Since Dong Yun’s identity was revealed, Fubao had been staying at Pear Blossom’s house. Mrs. Zeng had been beaten by Pear Blossom and was bedridden, seldom going out, so Fubao hadn’t seen her since.

She didn’t know what had happened between the adults, but since Xiong Nanny never took her back to Zeng’s house, and her mother didn’t bring up her uncle and nanny, Fubao had quietly accepted it without asking.

But now she knew it was Zeng Nanny who had saved her.

Upon hearing Mrs. Xiong’s words, she slid down from her arms and walked toward Mrs. Zeng.

When she reached her, she squatted down and said to the crying Mrs. Zeng, “Nanny, the bad man is gone, don’t cry.”

Mrs. Zeng heard her soft voice and wiped her eyes, standing up without saying a word, turning around and limping away.

Seeing this, Fubao’s tears fell again.

Though Mrs. Zeng often scolded her and even hit her at times, she still loved her most of the time. When there was something delicious, she would leave some for Fubao, and when they slept together at night, Mrs. Zeng would check to see if Fubao was warm enough, covering her tightly with the blanket.

But now, Mrs. Zeng wasn’t speaking to her and just turned away, walking off. It felt like she didn’t want her anymore.

Fubao immediately burst into tears.

Mrs. Zeng paused for a moment but quickly continued walking.

Mrs. Xiong hurried forward and hugged Fubao, feeling a mixture of emotions.

She liked Fubao, of course. She wouldn’t want to give her up to Mrs. Zeng, and Fubao wasn’t of Zeng’s bloodline. With the head of the household still alive, how could she return to Zeng’s house?

But seeing Mrs. Zeng like this, Mrs. Xiong felt unbearable pain, as though she had taken someone else’s most cherished person.

But all of this wasn’t up to her.

…

At the same time, Pear Blossom’s recruitment for her private army was officially underway.

The entire afternoon was spent dealing with sign-ups.

When the ambush team from Old Daliushu Village heard that Pear Blossom was forming a private army, they were stunned.

But then they realized, who would want to spend money without expecting anything in return just to protect a village? After all, the village didn’t belong to her alone.

So they requested to join her private army. Pear Blossom refused, saying that only after the bandits at Eagle’s Nest Ridge were dealt with and the ambush team disbanded would she consider absorbing them.

These people could only watch as people from other villages joined her army first.

As for Liu Youtie’s crazed chase, Pear Blossom heard about it as soon as she entered the village in the afternoon. She became frantic and rode her horse straight home. When she saw Fubao still nestled in her mother’s arms with red eyes and occasionally sniffling, her heart ached.

After hugging her, she gently comforted her.

Mrs. Xiong quietly spoke of what had just happened.

Pear Blossom listened, her brows furrowing.

Fubao buried her face in Pear Blossom’s neck, still not fully recovered from the events. She pouted and called out for her mother.

Pear Blossom held her tightly, saying, “Okay, okay, we’ll go find your mother now, let’s go.”

With that, she picked up the little bundle and headed up the mountain.

In the cave, Dong Yun, seeing her daughter with her red eyes and nose, felt her heart break. She hugged her, pressing her lips to Fubao’s cheek and asked, “What happened? Who bullied our Fubao?”

Fubao smelled her familiar scent and felt a lot more at ease. But when asked about the upsetting event, she couldn’t hold back her grievances.

“It was that bad man, that big bad man chased me and hit Dog!” she said excitedly, her nose bubbling with tears.

Dong Yun hadn’t been there at the time and didn’t know how distressed Fubao was. Seeing her like this, she almost laughed, but she still held back her smile and asked, “Which big bad man? I’ll have Pear Blossom go beat him!”

Pear Blossom quickly repeated her mother’s words.

Dong Yun’s pretty face instantly darkened upon hearing them.

“Unbelievable! Making mistakes and refusing to take responsibility, instead acting like a lunatic seeking psychological comfort—despicable! He deserves punishment!”

Pear Blossom said, “Tomorrow, I’ll go down the mountain and teach him a lesson. Otherwise, if he keeps chasing after little girls in our village, how can we tolerate that?”

Fubao, snuggling in her mother’s arms, muttered, “Pear Blossom, he knocked out Dog’s tooth. You should knock out one of his too.”

Pear Blossom patted her head and said, “Alright, I’ll return the favor twofold and knock out two of his.”

Fubao loved seeing Pear Blossom stand up for her and reached out to be carried.

Pear Blossom picked her up again and began pacing back and forth to soothe her.

The little girl, having cried several times and been excessively frightened, was exhausted. After just a couple of rounds of pacing, she fell asleep in Pear Blossom’s arms.

Seeing this, Dong Yun said, “You’ve been out all day and must be tired. Put her on the bed and take a break.”

Pear Blossom wasn’t tired, but holding Fubao meant she couldn’t do anything else. Obediently, she tried to lay the little one down on the bed. But the moment she let go, Fubao suddenly screamed, grabbed Pear Blossom’s arm, and opened her eyes wide again.

Pear Blossom quickly held her close. “I won’t let go. I’ll hold you. Pear Blossom will hold you.”

Only then did the little one settle back into sleep in her arms.

Dong Yun sighed helplessly and said, “Give her to me.”

Pear Blossom shook her head. “What’s the difference between me holding her and you holding her? I’m not tired, so I’ll do it.”

Dong Yun said, “Fine, you hold her. I’ll make dinner.”

At this hour, it was clear the Xiong family hadn’t started cooking. Since the girl couldn’t bear hunger, Dong Yun decided to cook on the mountain.

She kept it simple—steamed rice with some cured meat on top and boiled the vegetables she had brought up yesterday.

While Fubao slept, Pear Blossom said to Dong Yun, “Judging by Mrs. Zeng’s reaction, she still cares about Fubao. Mother, you’re reluctant to let go of Fubao, but you also feel like you’ve played the villain.”

Dong Yun washed the vegetables and sighed. “After believing for more than two years that she had a biological granddaughter, it’s hard for anyone to accept the truth. She does care for Fubao, but more than that, she’s bitter. If Guangjin could give her a plump grandson, she wouldn’t hold onto Fubao so tightly.”

Then, with some regret, she added, “It’s my fault. I cost her son his life and brought a fake granddaughter to deceive her.”

Pear Blossom quickly responded, “Sister, don’t blame yourself like that. If Brother Dayou knew you were feeling this guilty, he wouldn’t want that. If you feel indebted to the Zeng family, I’ll help you repay it slowly.”

Dong Yun glanced at her. “How can my debt be yours to bear?”

Pear Blossom pouted. “Mother treats Fubao like her own granddaughter and even says I won’t get married in the future, that Fubao will be my daughter to take care of me in old age. You’re Fubao’s mother, and so am I. We’re family. Why divide the debts?”

Dong Yun didn’t want to distance herself from Pear Blossom, but she had done so much for her already that it made her feel uneasy.

Pear Blossom pouted further. “You clearly still don’t see me as one of your own.”

Dong Yun gave her a stern look. “Don’t say nonsense.”

When it was time to eat, Fubao woke up.

The three of them gathered around the small stone table. Fubao, still listless, sat on Dong Yun’s lap and took forever to swallow even one bite of rice. Pear Blossom, on the other hand, devoured most of the rice and cured meat, finishing with a large bowl of vegetable soup before finally putting down her chopsticks with satisfaction.

Dong Yun was no longer surprised by her hearty appetite. When they first met, Pear Blossom had been malnourished and frail like a bean sprout. But after leaving the Xiang family, her health visibly improved—her complexion turned rosy, she grew taller, her bones filled out, and she gained some weight. Now, she looked like a proper person.

Even her previously flat chest now had two small mounds, not particularly large, but just enough to fill a hand—soft and pleasant to touch.

In Dong Yun’s opinion, they could still grow larger, and her frame could become sturdier.

The cured meat was salty. Dong Yun only ate two pieces before putting down her chopsticks, drinking two bowls of the lightly salted vegetable soup instead.

She patted Fubao’s flat belly and said, “Little one, if you don’t eat, what will you do when you’re hungry in the middle of the night?”

The girl shook her head vigorously and refused to eat.

Pear Blossom glanced at Dong Yun’s bowl. “You’re one to talk. You barely ate yourself.”

Dong Yun sipped her soup and said, “The cured meat is too salty.”

Pear Blossom replied, “If it weren’t salty, it wouldn’t keep.”

She got up to clean the dishes. After some idle chatter, noticing it was getting late, she prepared hot water for Dong Yun and Fubao to bathe.

The past few days had been busy, and Pear Blossom often returned late. Since their last intimate moment, there hadn’t been another. She had hoped to come back earlier today, put Fubao to bed, and spend some time with Dong Yun. But the incident with Liu Youtie had disrupted her plans.

Fubao, still shaken from the day’s events, slept restlessly. Dong Yun didn’t want to leave her in the small bed alone.

Seeing the desire in Pear Blossom’s eyes, Dong Yun also felt tempted. She moved Fubao to the inner side of the bed while she and Pear Blossom lay down together.

But just as Pear Blossom leaned over her, the little one began whimpering again.

After two failed attempts, Dong Yun, feeling frustrated, pushed Pear Blossom away and said, “Forget it for now. Let’s wait a few days until her emotions settle.”

After speaking, she turned to comfort her daughter.

Pear Blossom sighed helplessly and let it go.

…

Around the early hours of dawn, Pear Blossom woke up to the system alarm, reminded of her plan to go out early and hunt for game.

Dong Yun wasn’t fond of pork, and even less of cured meats. Last night, she only ate two pieces of meat. Stuck in the cave without fresh food, if Pear Blossom didn’t bring her something, she would just settle for plain porridge with stir-fried dried bamboo shoots. She had visibly lost weight.

Just as Pear Blossom was about to get up, rustling noises came from beside her. She saw Dong Yun sitting up, stepping over her to get out of bed.

Thinking she was just heading to the restroom, Pear Blossom followed suit and got up.

Unexpectedly, Dong Yun fumbled her way in the dark toward the table.

“What’s wrong?” Pear Blossom asked.

Dong Yun noticed her and replied, “The cured meat from last night was salty. I’m thirsty, so I got up for water. Why are you up? It’s still early.”

“I’m thirsty too,” Pear Blossom said.

After drinking, Dong Yun refilled the cup and handed it to her.

Pear Blossom accepted it but didn’t drink, placing it back on the table instead.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you thirsty?”

Pear Blossom grabbed her hand and softly said, “I don’t want this water.”

Dong Yun’s heart skipped a beat at her words, and her breath caught.

Before she could react, Pear Blossom had half-pushed her to sit on the stone table.

“What… what are you doing?” Dong Yun felt her skirt being lifted and called out softly, both shy and annoyed.

Pear Blossom didn’t answer, letting her actions speak instead.

By this point, Dong Yun couldn’t not understand what this girl intended. Though they’d gone overboard in private before, it had never been outside like this. It unsettled her but also brought a thrill she couldn’t deny, a faint anticipation.

Last night, they’d been interrupted too many times and left unfinished. Pear Blossom had clearly been dwelling on it.

Lost in chaotic thoughts, Dong Yun only came back to herself when her undergarments were shifted aside. This mischievous girl wasn’t joking.

Feeling the warm breath on her sensitive area, followed by a kiss, her waist tensed, and she clasped the head before her.

Pear Blossom wasted no time, diving straight into the meal.

Freshly awake, the body was quick to respond. A little teasing was all it took to ignite sensations; there was no need for prolonged foreplay.

Dong Yun’s sensitivity made her react instantly.

“Sister… Sister…” Pear Blossom murmured softly, savoring the taste.

Dong Yun bit her lip, afraid to make a sound.

How could she be so skilled?

Her fingers tangled weakly in Pear Blossom’s loose hair.

In the corner of the cave’s hall, a hidden spring trickled, filling the air with the sound of flowing water.

Truly thirsty, Pear Blossom followed the sound to quench her thirst.

Initially uncomfortable with the unfamiliar setting, Dong Yun was uneasy, leaning on Pear Blossom for support. But as the actions grew bolder, she began to embrace the extreme pleasure of being fed, eventually lifting herself to meet Pear Blossom’s movements.

In the heat of the moment, Pear Blossom couldn’t resist a light bite. Dong Yun shuddered, releasing herself completely.

The joy of quenching one’s thirst was indescribable unless experienced firsthand.

Pear Blossom, of course, understood this well.

Though she only used her mouth, her heart felt utterly satisfied, her whole body at ease.

Standing up, she held the weakened Dong Yun tightly, gently stroking her back to ease the lingering sensations.

Once Dong Yun had calmed, Pear Blossom leaned in for a kiss but was playfully blocked.

Pear Blossom chuckled, understanding the unspoken complaint.

Carrying Dong Yun back to bed, she rinsed her mouth before returning to plant a couple of kisses.

“Be good and sleep. I’ll go catch some game and be back soon.”

Outside, the morning mist still hung thick. Chickens crowed from the foot of the mountain, but the sky remained dark.

Dong Yun said worriedly, “I don’t have to eat that. You work so hard every day; don’t tire yourself. Stay and sleep a bit more with me.”

“I’m not tired,” Pear Blossom replied, rising to her feet.

Dong Yun clutched her hand reluctantly, feeling utterly powerless stuck in the cave, unable to help.

When Pear Blossom finished dressing and crouched by the bed to touch her face, she felt dampness and was startled. “Sister, what’s wrong?”

Dong Yun sat up, wrapping her arms around Pear Blossom’s neck. “My heart aches for you.”

Pear Blossom knelt, embracing her waist and pressing their foreheads together. “You’ve suffered so much in the past. I only regret being too young to share your burden. Now that I finally have the chance to make you happy, my heart is full of joy—it’s no hardship at all.”

Dong Yun’s eyes brimmed as she nestled in Pear Blossom’s arms for a while. Finally, she sniffled and said, “Alright, go then. Just grab something simple. I’m not picky.”

Pear Blossom hummed in agreement, kissed her cheek, and stepped out of the cave.