The next day.
Early morning.
When Nian Jiaojiao woke up, she found no one beside her, not even the warmth of the other person. She figured they must have woken up more than an hour ago.
Stepping out of the room, she saw Yuchuan struggling to draw well water. Nian Jiaojiao stepped forward to help, lifting the wooden bucket.
"Wife, I can do it."
Yuchuan hadn't expected Nian Jiaojiao to wake up so early and help with the water.
After all, the other person usually slept until well past noon and, when idle, lived by the principle of "if you can lie down, don't sit; if you can sit, don't stand."
"It's fine, we women are strong."
Nian Jiaojiao had already accepted the world's flipped gender roles.
"Wife, I'll get you water to wash your face."
Yuchuan turned to find a washbasin. While he was away, Nian Jiaojiao glanced at the clear water surface in the wooden bucket. The monstrous face reflected there made her eyes water.
This…
Her face was indeed as shabby as her family's circumstances.
The fleshly jowls and swollen acne almost triggered her trypophobia.
The greasy-haired, unkempt woman before her was now herself… Nian Jiaojiao felt like crying but had no tears.
Previously, her attention had been focused on the original body's memories, and she had forgotten to check her own appearance.
She resisted the urge to cringe and looked at the water surface again.
Well… if one overlooked the acne, by her standards, the original body's features were quite good.
She had almond-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, and a small mouth. If her skin had been in good condition, she would have been a small beauty.
Thinking this, Nian Jiaojiao immediately started planning in her mind:
To improve her skin, the first step was to maintain cleanliness.
Furthermore, the original body's lifestyle and eating habits needed a significant overhaul – she first devised a plan for daily morning exercise.
Combining morning runs with yoga; the former was aerobic training for weight loss, the latter anaerobic training for shaping.
In terms of diet, it would be light and bland from now on, and the original body's habit of constant drinking had to be corrected.
"Wife, wash your face."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the approaching voice. Nian Jiaojiao took the towel from Yuchuan and gently wiped her fleshy face, afraid of accidentally bursting a pimple and causing scarring.
After washing her face, Nian Jiaojiao felt a little cleaner but then felt an uncomfortable dirtiness in her hair and body.
So, she turned to Yuchuan and said:
"Chuan'er, I've been sick these past two days and haven't washed my body. I feel quite uncomfortable now."
Yuchuan immediately understood her meaning and said:
"Wife, I'll go boil water for you. But, would you like to have some porridge before you bathe? Xingyun has already made it and it's warming in the pot."
"Alright," Nian Jiaojiao nodded, preparing to walk towards the kitchen.
She then remembered something and stopped, turning to Yuchuan: "Chuan'er, have you eaten?"
Yuchuan shook his head and said:
"If Wife hasn't eaten, how can we eat first? We'll eat after Wife has."
Today was relatively good. Since Nian Jiaojiao usually slept until noon, the four of them generally skipped breakfast, eating only two meals a day.
Nian Jiaojiao thought to herself: As expected.
Then, she took Yuchuan's hand and walked towards the kitchen together.
"A person needs food like iron. Let's eat first!"
Yuchuan looked at the hand holding his and felt a warmth in his heart.
This is truly good!
...
Living room.
Four people served four bowls of porridge and sat at the table.
At this time, the second husband, Xuan Yi, was out hunting and not at home.
Nian Jiaojiao glanced at the three people and spoke:
"Ahem, from now on, you don't need to wait for me in the mornings. Eat first yourselves, and just leave a portion for me."
Xingyun immediately objected, "That, that won't do. Wife, we wouldn't dare..."
Nan Qing: "Heh heh..."
Yuchuan also disagreed, "Wife, this is not proper."
Nian Jiaojiao once again displayed her domineering nature:
"It's decided then. In our home, my word is the rule!"
Hearing this, the three fell silent.
After the meal.
Nian Jiaojiao took a bath with the hot water Yuchuan had prepared, feeling refreshed and much warmer.
She called Yuchuan to her side and said:
"Chuan'er, since you plan to take the imperial examinations, we should not delay. Let's go to town to ask your mother about the subjects tested."
Yuchuan gritted his teeth and took out a silver hairpin from his embrace, saying:
"Wife, this was left to me by my birth father. Take it to pawn and get some silver. If it's not enough, we'll find a way to raise the rest."
Nian Jiaojiao was stunned at first. She re-wrapped the silver hairpin with a handkerchief and returned it to Yuchuan's hand.
"How can I use your birth father's belongings? Keep it safe!"
Yuchuan looked at Nian Jiaojiao curiously, "Wife, birth father… he is alive…"
Nian Jiaojiao: "..."
"Ah, haha… I mean, how could I possibly use something your birth father left you!"
Nian Jiaojiao chuckled awkwardly.
The original body had already squandered all of her dowry, leaving only this hairpin. Thus, she had naturally assumed it was a cherished heirloom that was kept so carefully.
"Wife, what is mine is yours. Moreover, you are so motivated now, it makes me very happy to be able to help!"
Yuchuan firmly placed the hairpin back into Nian Jiaojiao's hand.
"Chuan'er, let's go to your home and inquire about the situation first. Perhaps we won't need this money after all. For now, I'll keep your hairpin for you." Nian Jiaojiao tucked the hairpin into her bosom.
"Wife, my family people might… It’s okay, let’s set off now."
Yuchuan stopped mid-sentence but ultimately didn't say what he wanted to.
Perhaps when they returned home this time, her family wouldn't give Wife a good reception.
But he couldn't do anything about it. The Tong Sheng exam was approaching soon, and his sister also had to take the Tong Sheng exam. His mother was a Xiucai. If she could offer some guidance, it would undoubtedly be very beneficial to Wife.
Of course, Yuchuan did not take Nian Jiaojiao's words about not needing the silver hairpin to heart.
Not to mention the annual cost of attending private school, the usual books, brushes, ink, and paper were even more expensive. Even the registration fee alone was a high price of three taels of silver.
This hairpin was probably just a drop in the bucket.
Despite his thoughts, Yuchuan did not stop his actions.
There were two ox cart trips daily from the village to the town.
One trip at Maoshi (5-7 AM), and another at Sishi (9-11 AM).
It was now close to 11 o'clock. If they hurried, they might just catch the last trip.
Nian Jiaojiao followed Yuchuan towards the village entrance.
From a distance, she saw the ox cart turn around and was about to depart.
"Hey! Wait, wait! We need a ride!!"
Nian Jiaojiao channeled her energy to her dantian and shouted loudly towards the front.
The driver did not hear her, and the ox cart moved forward slowly.
"Wait a moment!"
Nian Jiaojiao grabbed Yuchuan's hand, shouting as she ran.
Finally, the people inside the ox cart noticed the two people chasing after them. They signaled the driver, and the ox cart finally stopped.
The two arrived at the cart, and a chorus of complaints came from within.
"What's going on? If you want to come, come earlier~"
"Exactly, making us wait, a whole cartload of people!"
"Hey, isn't that someone from the Nian family..."
"Oh dear, we're so unlucky, why are we on the same ox cart as her!?"
"Didn't they say she was sick and almost died? She looks quite energetic now."
...