"Why not, Master? Consort Mei is a very kind person, not one of those fussy women in the harem. She even helped me before, she could have just ignored it," Bai Sheng said, confused. She really liked Consort Mei.
A'wu suddenly looked at Bai Sheng, her gaze incredibly deep. "Sheng'er, I advise you not to get too close to Prince Yu, or you will regret it one day."
Bai Sheng blinked for a moment and nodded. "Master, your disciple understands. Prince Yu is a prince, the most competitive rival to the current Crown Prince, and has a high chance of becoming emperor. If he becomes emperor, he will naturally distance himself from us, so your disciple understands what you mean."
A'wu looked at Bai Sheng and sighed deeply. "No, you don't understand."
Seeing her master's complex expression, Bai Sheng became even more convinced that her master disliked the imperial family for a reason. Perhaps there was some connection, but how could a mere铃医 (líng yī - bell doctor) like her master have any connection to the royal family?
However, since her master didn't like it, she wouldn't force her. If she wanted to heal Consort Mei's face, she could research it herself, it would just take a bit longer.
"Master, please don't be angry. Your disciple helped Consort Mei just to repay her kindness, and also, your disciple really likes Consort Mei's disposition.
She is only 36 years old and has lived with that terrifying face for sixteen or seventeen years. Her husband disdains her, her rivals mock her, and she must have been very sad deep down.
If I can help her, perhaps she won't have to live her life wearing a mask."
"That woman, she... is 36 years old?" A'wu suddenly asked.
"Yes," Bai Sheng nodded. She saw her master's expression suddenly turn sad and asked, "Master, 36 years old, what's wrong?"
A'wu seemed to be struck by a heavy blow. She turned and sat down dejectedly, her voice mournful. "Sheng'er, actually, your master also had a daughter. If she hadn't died, she would have been exactly 36 years old."
"What? Master, you... have a daughter?" Bai Sheng looked at A'wu in shock. Her master had never proactively talked about her own family matters. Perhaps Consort Mei's age had touched her heart.
A'wu nodded sadly. "She died shortly after birth. If she were still alive, she would be exactly 36 years old."
Bai Sheng stepped forward and hugged her master. "Master, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up your sad memories."
A'wu patted her hand, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled. "Your master just happened to remember. It's not your fault. So many years have passed, and your master is already... not sad anymore."
Bai Sheng let go of A'wu and said with a mischievous grin, "Master, how about your disciple finds you a new companion, and you have another child?"
A'wu burst into laughter. "You rascal! Do you think your master is immortal? Your master is over fifty, how can she possibly have another child?"
Bai Sheng chuckled. "Laughter makes one ten years younger. If Master laughs more, perhaps she can have a child."
"You little girl, you just talk too much!" A'wu lightly slapped Bai Sheng.
After laughing for a while, A'wu's smile faded. "If it's disfigurement caused by a backlash from a蛊 (gǔ - poisonous insect or sorcery), it's not impossible to save. There is a method called '移噬' (yí shì - transferring the curse), which is to transfer the calamity of the person who suffered the backlash to another person. This person is either willing, or has harmed the person who suffered the backlash without cause. As a creditor, one can claim their debt."
Bai Sheng's eyes lit up. "Does Master know the specific method?"
A'wu nodded. "I will teach you in a few days." If it weren't for Consort Mei being the same age as her deceased daughter, she wouldn't have bothered to help heal her face.
"Thank you, Master!" Bai Sheng hugged A'wu and kissed her wrinkled old face.
"You have no manners!" A'wu lightly patted her, but her smile deepened.
Bai Sheng walked back from the medical hall in high spirits. In the distance, she saw Qian Zhaodi talking to a man. The man's face was somewhat unfamiliar; he didn't seem to be from Hongshu Village.
Bai Sheng glanced at the man briefly and then continued on her way. No matter what schemes Qian Zhaodi was up to, once caught, she would never let her off.
When she reached the bamboo pavilion, she saw Lu Hao learning to recognize characters from Du Min, holding a booklet.
Du Min was holding her child, so she couldn't use both hands, only drawing on the table with one.
Just as Bai Sheng was about to step forward to help, Huang Gousheng, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, intercepted her.
He took the child from Du Min's arms, gently rocking it from side to side, and coaxed it with a pouting mouth. "Oh my, little Miao Miao, be good. Uncle Gou will hold you."
Du Min's daughter was named Feng Zhimao, and Liu Shi's son was named Ma Tianyou. Both names were given by Bai Sheng.
Seeing Huang Gousheng so adept at coaxing the baby, Bai Sheng let him be.
"Madam!"
"Sister-in-law!"
Du Min and Lu Hao called out warmly when they saw Bai Sheng approaching and pulled up chairs for her to sit.
Bai Sheng shook her head and smiled. "I won't sit. I'm going to wander around. I've been back for a few days and haven't seen everything yet."
With that, she let Du Min and Lu Hao continue with their own affairs. She planned to tour the village and look for the "four cubs" (Si Zai). She hadn't seen them for half a day and missed her little ones.
The four cubs were definitely being taken around the village by Lu Huo and Lu Yin.
The cubs had recently become very fond of going out. If they saw that Lu Huo wasn't planning to take them out to play, they would pout and cry, wailing loudly, but without a single tear.
Lu Huo doted on the four cubs. As soon as he heard their heart-wrenching, overlapping cries, he felt unbearable sympathy. He would immediately strap on his carrying pouch, put the little ones in, and rush out.
The four cubs would instantly stop crying and giggle uncontrollably, melting Lu Huo's heart.
In the past few days since returning to Hongshu Village, Lu Huo carried them out for strolls every day, while Lu Yin followed behind with ceramic milk bottles and some soft pastries. If they got hungry, he would feed them pastries, and if they were thirsty, they would drink milk. They would go out all day.
Feng Pingyuan had been taken by Lu Ye to construct the Ghost Shadow Pavilion base. All affairs in the village fell to Zhao Dazhuang. Zhao Dazhuang then selected a few capable assistants from the village, so all village affairs proceeded in an orderly manner.
Bai Sheng looked around. The villagers were all busy with their own tasks, working diligently yet peacefully. When they encountered Bai Sheng on the road, they respectfully called her "Village Chief's Wife."
Even though the title was a bit awkward, Bai Sheng would respond enthusiastically.
Bai Sheng walked to the side of the septic tanks. Since she had secretly moved the manure fertilizer from her spatial dimension, several septic tanks were full. However, it was also the season for sowing wheat, and the manure was being consumed quite quickly.
Since taking over Lu Yun's septic tanks, Xiao Chibao had been diligently leading the village children to collect feces everywhere, while also supervising the villagers' eating, drinking, and defecating, forbidding them from relieving themselves anywhere.
Since understanding how important manure was for planting trees and crops in the desert, the entire village had cultivated the excellent habit of cherishing every drop of human waste.