Rebirth of a Farming Wife

At Su Wenyue’s repeated pleas, and considering that his daughter-in-law’s condition hadn’t been very good these days—with severe morning sickness—Han Yu also thought that visiting a temple might provide a better environment. It might help, but it was only possible when he could accompany her to the temple during his days off. After all, a temple was not like other places; it always carried peace and blessings.

Su Wenyue naturally had no objections. She was feeling quite insecure at the moment, and having Han Yu accompany her to the temple would make her feel even safer.

“Husband, you are so kind!” Su Wenyue would always be especially sweet with her words whenever she got her way, cooing at Han Yu, who had long grown accustomed to his wife’s temperament.

“So I’m only good if I agree with you, and not good if I don’t?” Han Yu said with some helplessness in his voice. Since a visit to Lingyin Temple would set his wife’s heart at ease, then he might as well let her go, especially since he would be with her.

Han Yu had it all planned out, but he didn’t expect that a sudden military urgency would arise, calling him to the camp. His wife was already halfway to the temple, and it wouldn’t be good to turn back now. After some thought, he decided to have Grandma Chen, Aunt Li, and Xiao Xi take care of his wife; with caretakers protecting them, there should be no trouble. The urgent matter in the camp wasn’t a big deal; he planned to deal with it quickly and then rush to Lingyin Temple to meet her.

“Husband, don’t worry. There are so many people protecting me, there won’t be any problems.” Su Wenyue, aware of the urgent matters in Han Yu’s camp, urged him to go ahead and handle the camp issues first.

“Then be careful on your own. Once you’ve offered incense, stay inside the temple to rest. I’ll come pick you up very quickly once I’ve finished my business,” Han Yu instructed, unable to shake off his worries, before riding away on his horse.

Since Su Wenyue was pregnant, the horse carriage travelled slowly. They set off early in the morning, and it was nearly noon by the time they arrived at Lingyin Temple. After offering incense, it was perfect timing to partake in the vegetarian meal at the temple. The caretakers couldn’t follow inside, so Grandma Chen and Xiao Xi went to arrange for the meal, and another went to clean the chambers. Aunt Li helped Su Wenyue slowly to their quarters. They didn’t expect that a servant girl from another family, too carefree and without manners, would come running over, fail to stop, and spill a pot of tea all over Aunt Li. Thankfully, Su Wenyue was not hit, but it gave Aunt Li quite a fright.

“Which family’s servant girl is this, so lacking in discipline? Almost killing herself by running so fast—if she had hit my madam, what would we have done? My madam is pregnant; this is utterly reckless!” Although Aunt Li was normally stern, she wasn’t a harsh woman. It was only because the maid’s behavior was so reckless that she reprimanded her with a stern face.

The little maid knew she had done wrong, her eyes brimming with tears as she repeatedly admitted her fault. Su Wenyue felt somewhat sorry for her, as, in the end, nothing serious had happened except Aunt Li’s clothes getting wet. Considering it was not a big deal, Su Wenyue let the maid off the hook and instructed Aunt Li to go change her clothes.

Aunt Li knew that she wouldn’t be able to serve her madam well in her drenched state, but she was the only one by her madam’s side at the moment. If she went to change her clothes, who would be there to serve her madam?

“How about this, old woman, you go change your clothes. I’ve walked for a while and am a bit tired too. I’ll just sit and rest on that stone bench over there, waiting for you to come back,” Su Wenyue said, pointing at a stone bench near an osmanthus tree ahead. Aunt Li considered it and had no choice but to help Su Wenyue sit on the stone bench before hurrying to change into dry clothes and return.

Sure enough, Su Wenyue felt tired. She leaned against the osmanthus tree behind the stone bench and rubbed her stomach. It was already August, and as the breeze blew, some osmanthus petals fell down, bringing bursts of fragrance that was really pleasant to smell. The nauseous feeling that had been lingering in her heart suddenly eased a lot, and her mood improved as well. A serene smile appeared on her face.

When Sikong Ling arrived, the beautiful scene before him was what he saw: the slightly bulging stomach did not detract from the beauty of the picture; instead, it added a touch of the gentleness of humanity. Sikong Ling watched almost mesmerized until he met Su Wenyue’s fierce glare and her forbidding expression, which brought him back to reality.

Su Wenyue had not expected to encounter Sikong Ling here, and considering all the unexpected events at Lingyin Temple today, coupled with what she knew of Sikong Ling’s character and tactics, she immediately became suspicious. She suspected that both Han Yu and Aunt Li had been lured away by Sikong Ling’s people. However, these were just her suspicions, without evidence; moreover, in this life, it was her ‘first time’ meeting Sikong Ling face to face, so she couldn’t confront him with these doubts.

“Who are you? Why are you staring at me like that? Don’t you know it’s rude to stare? You look like someone from a reputable family, and yet you don’t even understand the most basic principles,” Su Wenyue said coldly. She did not like Sikong Ling, and even if he had wronged her in her previous life, she only saw him as a cold and emotionless person. While she didn’t hate him—since they were just using each other for their own needs—she was certainly repelled by him, and even too lazy to speak with him.

“My dear madam, do not be upset. I did not know you were here; I simply came to rest my legs. If I have disturbed you, please forgive me! However, I do not agree with what you said just now. I am not a lowly human, and of course, I know that it’s impolite to stare. It’s just… you are so stunningly beautiful that I was caught off guard and stared in amazement. The love for beauty is natural, and my reaction was only human, nothing else. Please do not take offense,” Sikong Ling replied, with a smile on his face that appeared completely harmless as he looked at Su Wenyue innocently, causing her to feel momentarily disoriented as if taken back to a moment in the past. Yet, she quickly snapped out of it, her expression growing even colder. This man was using his ‘charm’ to manipulate again.

“Now that you know, leave swiftly. Would you rather I call for help?” Su Wenyue’s voice grew colder still.

Sikong Ling wasn’t frazzled by Su Wenyue’s words. The people had been dismissed by his command, and if any servants or maids of Su Wenyue came near, he would be the first to know.

“I have never met you before, madam, so why do I feel that you bear such hostility towards me, as if you greatly dislike me? Have I offended you in some way?” Sikong Ling asked, still wearing that inoffensive smile and innocently looking at Su Wenyue, who felt a brief confusion as if she had returned to a certain moment in the past. But she quickly regained her composure, her face growing uglier by the second. This scoundrel was using ‘beauty’ to confuse people again.

“Because you, as a person, are inherently dislikeable. Just the sight of you disgusts me. Are you satisfied with this answer?!” Su Wenyue said, then stood up with the support of the tree trunk. Seeing that Sikong Ling had no intention of leaving, she decided she might as well go. However, Sikong Ling stepped forward without letting Su Wenyue pass.

“What are you doing? Move aside!” Su Wenyue faced him with furrowed brows and rage, but Sikong Ling seemed to find her anger quite charming.

“Why the rush to leave, madam? I still have questions that I wish to ask you.”