Chapter 36 Can you make clothes?
Jiang Nuanzhi was startled when she saw it.
At this moment, Li Junping was carrying a large bundle of firewood on his back, which seemed to be bigger than his body.
His shoes were worn out, and blood seeped from his exposed toes. His clothes were filthy, covered in dust and cuts from twigs.
You see, they haven't been allowed to do any work for the second young master's family for the past two days, and they've washed all the children's clothes themselves. Although they're still tattered, they're clean. His current state is clearly not right.
Jiang Nuanzhi picked up the firewood from the child's body: "What happened? Did you fall?"
When they took out the firewood, they realized that the rope had chafed his shoulders raw, with flesh and blood showing in several places.
Jiang Nuanzhi quickly blew on his wound: "Does it hurt?"
Li Junping felt a lightness on his body, paused for a moment, and looked up to meet Jiang Nuanzhi's eyes full of heartache.
Before he could even react, he had already been lifted up and placed on the back of the horse.
She lifted the firewood, which was extremely difficult for him to carry, with one hand.
In no time, she had arranged the firewood, and with herself wrapped in her arms, they headed home.
A faint scent of soapberry mixed with a slight medicinal fragrance wafted over, a scent completely different from her father's. Li Junping couldn't help but frown.
"Mother, are you angry?" Little Baozhu, sitting at the front, secretly turned around to look at Jiang Nuanzhi.
She didn't speak, but Baozhu sensitively sensed that Jiang Nuanzhi's emotions were off.
Upon hearing this, Li Junping frowned slightly.
When did his sister start calling her "mother"?
Jiang Nuanzhi noticed that both children seemed to be looking at her, and she sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm angry with myself."
“It was my oversight. I’ll find another way to solve the firewood problem in the future. You shouldn’t go into the mountains to chop firewood yourself.”
Li Junping paused for a moment, glanced at Jiang Nuanzhi, and pursed his lips, saying, "The injuries on my body weren't from chopping wood; they were from accidentally cutting myself while catching pheasants."
As he spoke, he showed the pheasant in his hand to Jiang Nuanzhi.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "I will wash the clothes clean, and I will sew them. These clothes are still wearable."
So, don't be angry.
For a long time, Jiang Nuanzhi remained silent.
Li Junping remained silent, but after a while, he felt a warm hand cover his head and gently rub it.
"Silly child."
Jiang Nuanzhi didn't say much, and when she got home, she immediately checked Li Junping's body.
Upon seeing his legs, I gasped in shock.
"Why didn't you say so sooner that you were so badly injured?"
Li Junping pursed his lips: "The bleeding has stopped."
"If the wound hadn't cut here, but instead severed an artery, you would have died, you know that?"
Jiang Nuanzhi quickly treated his wounds. Seeing that he was covered in dirt, she brought him some hot water to wash him.
"I...I...I can do it myself."
Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't help but laugh: "You can't see the wound on your back, so I'll clean it for you. Then you can take it off yourself, go to the outer room to wash, and after you're done, put on the nightgowns I bought for you."
Today, Jiang Nuanzhi bought nightgowns for several people. These clothes are simple to make; they are just a few pieces of cloth tied with rope.
The nightgowns weren't expensive; fifty coins a set for adults and forty coins a set for children. The material wasn't particularly soft against the skin, but it was still more comfortable and looser than ordinary clothes. Jiang Nuanzhi bought five sets, and the seller only charged her two hundred coins in the end.
If prepared in the same way, give Li Xiaoer a quick wash and let him go outside to clean himself.
When it came to Xiao Baozhu, Jiang Nuanzhi simply threw her into a small wooden tub and gave her a thorough bath.
The children's hair was the worst affected area. At this time, both the little boys and girls had their hair tied up, but their hair had obviously not been taken care of in a long time.
Jiang Nuanzhi then soaked soapberry water and washed their hair one by one.
After everyone had a good wash, they used up two large pots of water, almost all of which they had saved during the day.
Jiang Nuanzhi took the most comfortable bath she had ever had since arriving. She felt completely refreshed afterward.
She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but after being hungry for the past few days, her stomach felt much smaller, and at least now her side belly had a bit of a curve.
Today, Jiang Nuanzhi also bought a mat, which she took out and laid out. She changed the quilt cover, which she had washed clean during the day, and sewed it in place, making the entire heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) look brand new. Although the room was still dilapidated, it was barely habitable.
After Jiang Nuanzhi finished her fuss, she called them up to the bed and brought out the shoes she had bought that day to distribute to them.
"Let's give it a try and see if it suits us."
Everyone received a pair of straw sandals. The children washed them clean and, having received new shoes, seemed somewhat dazed.
To be honest, this was the first time Jiang Nuanzhi had experienced the overwhelming good looks of her kids.
At first glance, Jiang Nuanzhi even felt that she didn't fit in with this family.
The children were all cleaned up, and their appearances were now fully revealed.
Li Junping has delicate features and a cold expression; in the book, he's described as a mad, ascetic villain. Now, he already looks like a cool, aloof young man.
Li Xiaoer has striking features, with a hint of wildness, the kind of wolf-like appearance. The book describes him as an enigmatic and deeply affectionate second male lead. Looking at him now, however, one doesn't see any deep affection, though the way he picks his nose is certainly a bit silly.
Little Baozhu was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, so cute that Jiang Nuanzhi even wanted to take a bite.
And that's exactly what she did; she kissed her directly on the cheek.
Little Baozhu was stunned for a moment, then threw herself into her arms: "Mother, I like my new shoes."
Li Xiaoer put on the new shoes and couldn't help but stare at them: "These shoes have cloth inside? They don't look like straw sandals at all, they don't rub my feet, and they look good too."
Jiang Nuanzhi's child was fiddling with the shoes when she suddenly stood up: "Oh right, there's also cloth. I bought it earlier to make clothes. But I can only draw patterns, not actually make them. I'll spend some money to ask someone in the village to make them for you. What kind do you want? Longer or shorter? I'll draw it out."
"Brother, Mother is going to make us new clothes!"
Little Baozhu blushed with excitement: "Mommy, can I wear a dress?"
Li Junping pursed his lips: "Wearing a skirt is inconvenient."
Jiang Nuanzhi laughed and said, "It's alright, Baozhu doesn't need to do anything, she can make a skirt."
"Thank you, Mother!" Baozhu immediately jumped up happily.
Li Junping touched his nose: "I can make clothes. I don't need to spend money to hire someone else."
Jiang Nuanzhi was surprised: "You can make clothes?"
Li Junping nodded: "Yes, I used to sew up Father's clothes when they were torn."
"I also made the clothes my sister is wearing."
Baozhu spun around again: "Yes, my brother made it for me."
"You really are a max-level kid!" Jiang Nuanzhi exclaimed, and at the same time, she gained a better understanding of Li Rong.
A grown man, all that size, yet his clothes are mended by a child; he's not a very good father.
Moreover, despite the state of his family, he didn't deprive himself of the ten taels of silver he had left and bought himself a wife first.
I really don't understand the thought process of men in ancient times.
Jiang Nuanzhi was really tired. She was still thinking about drawing something, but as soon as she relaxed, she fell asleep.
Little Baozhu carefully put away Jiang Nuanzhi's paper and pen. She even used her little hands to tidy Jiang Nuanzhi's hair, and couldn't help but smile as she pursed her lips: "Brother, Mother is so gentle and beautiful."
Li Junping frowned as he glanced at his overweight stepmother, whose features were indistinguishable, then looked at his younger sister with a strange expression: "Are you telling the truth?"
Li Xiaoer laughed and said, "Little sister, stop flattering her. She's asleep and can't hear you. Anuan is much better than before, but she really isn't pretty!"
Little Baozhu pouted: "Hmph, my brothers have no taste! Mother is so beautiful. Look how long Mother's eyelashes are, how bright Mother's eyes are, how beautiful the shape of Mother's mouth is. And how beautiful Mother's nose is."
Li Junping and Li Xiaoer both looked at Jiang Nuanzhi instinctively, then exchanged a glance, completely bewildered by what Xiao Baozhu was saying.
"Also, the clothes my mother bought me are so soft! They feel smooth and comfortable against my skin."
Li Xiaoer nodded: "That's true. I can even smell the fragrance, and the quilt is so comfortable."
Baozhu carefully moved closer to Jiang Nuanzhi: "Brother, I love my mother like this so much."
Li Xiaoer: "Anuan is indeed good, but Baozhu, didn't you say before that your favorite person was your brother?"
Baozhu seemed not to have heard them talking at all, and quietly moved closer to Jiang Nuanzhi's arms, looking up at her.
Li Xiaoer chuckled and patted his little sister's head, then turned to look at his brother, a worried look on his face: "Brother, do you think Dad will take us to move again when he wakes up? Will Anuan still come with us?"
Li Junping shifted his legs uncomfortably, the slippery sensation making him frown involuntarily: "Let's wait until Father wakes up, go to sleep first."
Li Rong felt as if he were in a furnace, every inch of his body aching.
He seemed to be completely restrained, unable to even groan.
After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his heavy eyelids.
What he saw was a long, white thigh draped beside his hand, within reach...
(End of this chapter)
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