Chapter 181 World 8 (4)
Bao Shan's eyes were dazed, as if she was surprised by Shen Liushi's suggestion. When Bao Shan came to her senses, she nodded heavily, a glint in her eyes: "Of course I am willing, Auntie. Besides my parents, you are the only one in this world who treats me so well."
Shen Liu's eyes softened. It was the moment Bao Shan handed the copper coins to her that Shen Liu made up her mind. Bao Shan was alone and helpless, but she was gentle and not someone who would cause trouble. If Bao Shan was left in Zhoujia Village, Zhou Wangshi would inevitably cause trouble again in the future.
Shen Liushi thought about it and took the treasure fan to her home. The treasure fan has a gentle nature. On weekdays, when Shen Yunshan is not at home, she can pass the time with the treasure fan by her side.
Although the thatched cottage was old and shabby, Baoshan still packed it up and packed her clothes in a bag. Seeing that it was getting late, Shen Liu went to find a carriage to go home, and Baoshan went to the village headman's house alone, first sincerely thanked him, and then made it clear that she wanted to leave here with her aunt from afar.
Li Zheng's face relaxed slightly, and he sighed softly, "It's better to leave. Without you here, the Zhou Wang family will no longer be concerned about your marriage and trying to gain benefits for the Zhou family. But, Baoshan, you are getting older... Remember that everyone has selfish desires. You must never trust your aunt completely. You need to keep the important matter of your marriage in mind, plan for the right opportunity, and choose a good husband for yourself."
Bao Shan's eyes were clear, and she replied softly, "Aunt treats me very well. I... am very relieved."
The village head felt even more heavy-hearted when he saw that Baoshan was still as gentle as before and regarded everyone else as a kind person.
However, he and Baoshan were not close enough, so it was difficult for him to persuade her too much.
When Baoshan was leaving the headman's house, the little child hiding behind the door quietly poked his head out.
It was this child who secretly saw Zhou Wang-shi bullying Bao Shan and called the village head to seek justice. He said in a dejected voice, "Sister Bao Shan, are you leaving?"
Baoshan stretched out her soft hand and called him over.
The child walked up to Baoshan and tugged at her sleeve: "I've punished the bad guys, so I'm a hero!"
Baoshan's beautiful eyes flashed. If it weren't for the child calling the head of the village, how could she have made her situation so miserable and pitiful, causing Shen Liushi to finally feel pity and take her away from here.
Baoshan took out a handkerchief from her body, unfolded it to reveal the candied lotus seeds stained with bright white frosting, and handed it to the child.
"Of course. Heroes are rewarded, yes."
The little child got the candied lotus seeds and his eyes were full of joy.
As the sky gradually darkened, Shen Liushi took the treasured fan and got on the carriage to go home.
Bao Shan looked towards Zhoujia Village and saw that the neighboring villages gradually turned into a black ink mark and finally turned into a shadow as they went away.
Baoshan withdrew her gaze without any nostalgia, but her face was full of weakness. She asked Shen Liu softly about the situation at home, her voice full of anxiety about her future life.
The carriage moved forward, and the voices of Shen Liushi and Bao Shan's conversation floated on the road. This was the first time that Shen Liushi, who always had a cold and hard face towards outsiders, was so friendly.
Perhaps because she saw Bao Shan's delicate appearance, Shen Liushi even spoke in a much softer voice than usual.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the village. Shen Liushi carefully counted out the copper coins for the flowers and handed them to the driver. Bao Shan stood weakly behind Shen Liushi, showing her dependence.
The night is dark.
Li Qiuran walked in front with his hands empty and his steps seemed leisurely and comfortable.
Li Dongran, who was standing behind her, was carrying a backpack that was bigger than her and filled with fodder.
Li Dongran walked with heavy steps, even though she was used to doing farm work.
But at this time I also felt a little tired, and I had to stop to rest every time I walked a dozen steps.
Li Dongran wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, looked up and saw Shen Liushi standing at the head of the village, his mouth full of doubts.
"Isn't that Aunt Shen...Aunt Shen?"
Li Dongran remembered the way the rich families in the town called it and changed his words abruptly.
Li Qiuran looked over when he heard the voice, anger suddenly appearing in his eyes, and his voice was mixed with some sarcasm: "It's her, the mother of that scholar!"
Seeing clearly that there was a slender woman standing next to Shen Liushi, Li Qiuran felt sour in his heart: “People look down on the girls in the village, I wonder from which rich nest they found their daughter-in-law!”
Shen Yunshan is handsome and has a graceful figure. When he speaks to the villagers, he is gentle and polite like a scholar.
Li Qiuran, who was of marriageable age, was naturally moved.
She felt that she was young and beautiful, and many people wanted to marry her. Shen Yunshan would definitely go with the flow and make it a good thing.
But she never thought that this girl's love was ruthlessly extinguished by Shen Liushi. How could she not be annoyed?
Li Dongran's heart was slightly stiff. Seeing Shen Liushi getting closer and closer, he quickly pulled Li Qiuran's dress and whispered, "Stop talking."
Li Dongran called out "Aunt Shen," and Shen Liushi nodded towards them. Li Qiuran didn't move until Li Dongran signaled with her eyes, then she casually tried to call someone.
"Mr. Shen..."
Before he could finish his words, Li Qiuran saw the precious fan with a body as slender as a willow branch, a pair of lotus-like face, and autumn-water eyes.
His appearance was even worse than hers, and Li Qiuran suddenly looked embarrassed.
Just now, Baoshan was standing in the dark, and she could only vaguely see an outline. That's when she casually joked that Baoshan was the daughter-in-law that Shen Liu had found.
In Li Qiuran's opinion, if Shen Liushi didn't choose her, she would not be able to find a daughter-in-law who looked better than her.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he was slapped in the face.
Li Qiuran stared intently at the treasured fan and asked, "Who is she?"
Baoshan saw Li Qiuran’s displeasure, but did not answer her. Instead, her beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and she asked Shen Liushi for help: “Aunt…”
Shen Liu patted Bao Shan's soft hands to comfort her. Facing Li Qiuran, Shen Liu's face was as gloomy as water. She sneered and led Bao Shan home, leaving Li Dongran and her sister there, looking embarrassed.
Li Qiuran was shaking with anger. Li Dongran hesitated for a moment and then tried to persuade her, "Aunt Shen never likes people to treat her disrespectfully. You just..."
Even if Li's parents were to question loudly like Li Qiuran just did, Shen Liushi would not be in a good mood. Not to mention Li Qiuran, who is a junior.
But Li Qiuran did not accept Li Dongran's kindness, and said in a harsh tone: "Why are you meddling in other people's business!"
After that, Li Qiuran strode away. Li Dongran could only carry the backpack and try to speed up his pace to catch up with Li Qiuran.
Hearing the loud call from outside the door, Shen Yunshan, who had already gone to bed, put on an outer coat and opened the door latch.
The night was dark, and Shen Yunshan's voice, as gentle as water, was heard.
"Why are you back so late..."
Before he could finish his words, Shen Yunshan was embraced by a soft and tender body.
The tip of the nose is filled with the unique fragrance of a girl, a light and sweet scent.
Shen Yunshan subconsciously stretched out his arms and embraced the person in his arms to prevent both of them from falling to the ground.
But when he realized that his palm was placed on a waist as soft as a willow, a trace of panic flashed in Shen Yunshan's calm and steady eyes.
He supported the person in his arms, then left, keeping a distance.
He had no attachment to that slender waist that could be held in one hand.
The lights flickered, and before Shen Yunshan could see the person in front of him clearly, he heard a soft and timid voice.
"Cousin Yunshan?"
It is like the clear spring in the mountain stream, gurgling, and like the breeze in the morning blowing on your face, gentle and warm.
Shen Yunshan's eyes darkened slightly as he looked at the woman in front of him.
She has the appearance of a willow catkin in spring, with a hint of timidity in her eyes and eyebrows, and her body is like a cattail, fragile and easily broken.
The woman also raised her eyes and looked at Shen Yunshan, shy and timid, not daring to look closely with her beautiful eyes.
But because of the connection between them, she opened her soft lips slightly and explained in a weak voice: "I am Zhou Jia Baoshan, and my aunt brought me here."
Shen Yunshan understood that this was the distant cousin that Shen Liushi had been talking about, the one with a "miserable fate" and "suffering from bullying".
The defensiveness in Shen Yunshan's eyes faded a little. Although he still had a distant look on his face, it was not as strong as before.
His dark eyes darkened slightly, and the word "cousin" lingered on his lips for a moment before he finally called out, "Cousin."
Looking at Bao Shan's blushing face, Shen Yunshan felt a strange feeling in his heart.
But before he could think carefully, he saw Shen Liushi.
Shen Liushi was holding a hemp rope in her hand, the end of which was tied to the hen's feet.
Shen Liu slapped the hen with her palm, frightening it so much that it flapped its wings instantly.
"When it got to the doorstep, the hen tried to escape. Fortunately, I caught her, otherwise she would have become a laughing stock."
Shen Yunshan reached out to take the hen. However, Shen Liushi dodged his hand and sneered softly, "Don't dirty your hands."
As for the treasure fan, Shen Liushi would not let the hen be handed over to the treasure fan.
That frail body might not even be as strong as a hen, so it would be hard to escape again.
Shen Liu tightly grasped the hemp rope in her hand and put it into her chicken coop.
It was getting late and the dew was heavy, so it would take a while to clean up the room. Mrs. Shen Liu asked Bao Shan to stay in the same room with her. Bao Shan naturally nodded in agreement, turned around to get the quilt, and made the bed.
When Shen Liu returned to the house, what she saw was a neatly spread quilt.
When Baoshan saw Shen Liushi, she stood up timidly and said softly, "This quilt is too new, I have never used it before... Is there any older quilt at my aunt's house? It's not a big deal..."
Seeing this, Shen Liushi felt more fond of Baoshan, secretly thinking that Baoshan had suffered too much in the past, which was why she was so cautious.
Shen Liushi pulled the treasure fan and sat down on the bed: "The quilt is yours. It's getting late today. I will clean up the room next to Yunshan and give it to you tomorrow.
Yunshan usually studies, and if you are a light sleeper, you can use another room farther away..."
Baoshan shook her head gently, her eyes filled with gentleness. "I'm fine. Cousin Yunshan is a man of extraordinary learning, and hearing him recite in person will broaden my horizons. But I'm a little worried—because I've never been to school, he might despise me for being uncouth."
Baoshan's words made Shen Liushi feel happy. The person she valued most in her life was her promising son Shen Yunshan. Baoshan's praise of Shen Yunshan's knowledge made her feel proud.
Shen Liushi comforted Baoshan: "Yunshan has a gentle temperament and pities your miserable life. He will definitely not despise you."
But Baoshan still frowned slightly, wanting to say something but stopping herself: "Just now, it was dark, and I was not paying attention for a moment, and I almost fell to the ground, and even hurt my cousin Yunshan. He must think I'm stupid."
Baoshan picked up the outer coat from the ground and handed it to Shen Liushi. It was the coat that had accidentally slipped off Shen Yunshan's shoulder when he lifted up Baoshan.
"Aunt, please return this coat to Cousin Yunshan. I thought it was stained with dust and should be washed before returning it.
But I was afraid that Cousin Yunshan liked cleanliness and didn’t want others to get his clothes dirty, so I didn’t…”
Seeing Baoshan act properly, Shen Liushi was even happier.
Shen Liushi was diligent in her work, so no matter how hard others worked, they could not compare to her.
But if he acts beyond the limit just to please her, Shen Liu will be displeased and think that this person has a broad mind.
Bao Shan behaved in a reserved manner. Seeing that Shen Yunshan had no intention of getting close to her, Shen Liushi's only trace of worry disappeared in an instant.
Shen Liushi took the outer robe to Shen Yunshan's house.
"You have seen the treasured fan. What do you think of it?"
Shen Liushi asked, she naturally hoped that the two of them would have a harmonious relationship when they lived under the same roof in the future.
Shen Yunshan's eyes darkened slightly, and he whispered, "Mother, do you know... what her temper is like? Please don't bring disaster to the family."
Shen Yunshan deliberately ignored the title of "cousin". Although Baoshan had a miserable life, in Shen Yunshan's heart, only the mother and son were important.
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