Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 609: Chapter 615

Indeed, this tactic worked well, especially on a man like Liu Xuan. Although Liu Xuan had been quite good to her in the past, looking very affectionate, it was only superficial. Most of the time his behavior was characterized by patience and tolerance, never had he spoken to her so softly and gently.

Mrs. Shao had a moment of daze, watching Liu Xuan stride in, taking her into his embrace. His rare care and tenderness were not only devoid of blame for her failure but instead provided her with comfort. His words warmed her heart, and for a moment she was indulged.

The words Mrs. Shao spoke, though previously advised by someone, were mostly her own true feelings. She genuinely cared for this man.

“I am useless, husband. I couldn’t even handle such a small matter you entrusted me with. Punish me,” Mrs. Shao said with unusual humility, her face blushing, her tone very submissive and tinged with guilt. Presumably, she felt embarrassed to have her inner thoughts exposed and kept her head down.

Seeing Mrs. Shao’s compliant form, Liu Xuan abruptly realized that he had been using the wrong approach with his wife. It was just that after stumbling upon Mrs. Shao confiding her troubles, his words became more sincere, deeply touching her.

“Do you really want me to punish you?” Liu Xuan wanted to see if Mrs. Shao was serious or simply putting on an act; he said with an intentional teasing tone.

Mrs. Shao obediently nodded. The woman who would grow sharp and arrogant at the slightest provocation was now meek as a kitten, nodding her head immediately upon Liu Xuan’s suggestion, her expression tinged with fear. Suddenly, she closed her eyes, resolved to accept whatever came: “Punish me, husband. Otherwise, I will not be at peace.”

Seeing Mrs. Shao like this, Liu Xuan felt an unusual stir of emotion. He was only teasing Mrs. Shao and testing her. Seeing her reaction so satisfying, he swept her into his arms and walked towards the bed.

“Good, let’s see how I will punish you today. No matter what I do to you, you must take it obediently later,” he said.

Mrs. Shao seemed to just realize what kind of punishment Liu Xuan meant. Her face flushed, she buried it in Liu Xuan’s chest, allowing him to do as he wished, and for a time, the atmosphere was filled with intimacy.

Mrs. Shao’s nanny and her personal servant girl saw Liu Xuan’s actions and discreetly left, closing the door behind them, their faces beaming with relief. The young lady had finally come to her senses, no longer clashing head-on with the Second Young Master. To handle men, softness overcoming hardness was indeed the right approach.

It seems that Liu Xuan was genuinely difficult to deal with. That day onward, Han Yu got busier by the day, spending less and less time at home, sometimes even staying away for a day or two, let alone concerning himself with household affairs.

Although somewhat disappointed, Su Wenyue understood the importance of the situation and was considerate of Han Yu. She could only take good care of the child while managing both the backyard and the wounded soldiers, so as not to worry Han Yu over such trifles.

But today, as Su Wenyue was sorting Han Yu’s clothes for the servant girl to take away for cleaning, she discovered a bright red mark on them. Her gaze sharpened as she brought it close to her nose to smell, and after a careful examination, confirmed it was rouge that only a woman would wear.

How could there be rouge—a substance unique to a woman’s face—on Han Yu’s clothes? And not just at the spot she initially saw, but also some on the sleeve. It was hard for Su Wenyue to convince herself that it happened accidentally in casual contact with others.

Who was Han Yu? His usual aloof and unsociable demeanor had earned him the title “Cold-blooded General.” Especially given her consistent display of disapproval towards other women’s involvement with Han Yu, he was even more reserved around women. Even if some woman deliberately sought to get close to him, Han Yu would avoid it.

But the rouge stains on today’s clothes made Su Wenyue less certain. With someone else, it might have been an accidental transfer, but Han Yu was meticulous and disliked women approaching him. Even if it was unintentional, the woman involved must be no ordinary person. An average woman couldn’t get close to Han Yu’s person, let alone leave rouge at such suggestive places on his clothes.

Knowing this only made Su Wenyue’s heart more uneasy. She felt she trusted Han Yu, but the rouge on the clothes was inexplicable.

“Madam, what’s wrong?” Shu Xiang saw Su Wenyue holding Han Yu’s clothes in a daze, with a troubled expression, so she looked down at the clothes and didn’t miss the red marks, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted herself.

They were servant girls sent from the Su Mansion, and even though they now belonged to the Han Mansion, they sided with their mistress between the General and Madam. Not just that; after such a long time together, the mistress was a truly benevolent and good master to them. They had grown deeply affectionate towards her, and red stains like those on the clothes sparked inevitable suspicions. They did not wish for other women to come between the General and the Madam.

Caught by Shu Xiang’s question, Su Wenyue snapped out of her reverie, suppressed the emotions in her heart, and handed the clothes over to Shu Xiang.

Seeing Su Wenyue’s face remain expressionless, Shu Xiang grew even more worried. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Madam, don’t worry. All of us servants have seen the General’s affection for you, and then there are the three young masters. Even if the General truly… , he won’t treat Madam poorly.”

Although Shu Xiang was on Su Wenyue’s side, polygamy was a common practice for men of that era. And with the General’s growing power, even Shu Xiang thought it impossible for him to remain solely devoted to Madam. Hence, she could only try to console Madam. With three intelligent and promising young masters, and the Madam being the legal wife, no other woman could surpass her. As long as the Madam didn’t act rashly to a point of disdain from the General.

Shu Xiang’s concern was also because of Su Wenyue’s previous actions. The Madam had resorted to such blunt methods before, and Shu Xiang couldn’t gauge what her reaction would be. She wouldn’t go as far as to personally grab a stick and hit someone, would she?

She wasn’t worried about those vixens outside getting beaten by Madam, but more so that Madam’s excessive reaction could anger the Master and cause estrangement. At such times, it would be easy for ill-intentioned women to take advantage of the situation.

“Madam, even if the General has truly… those kinds of women are not worth your personal retribution. There are plenty of ways to teach them a lesson…”

“I have my own judgment, go on with your work,” Su Wenyue interrupted Shu Xiang before she could finish, waving her hand dismissively.

Leaving aside what the truth of the matter might be, which was still unclear, the marks on the clothes didn’t prove anything; they merely prompted some speculation. She remembered the promise she made to Han Yu: no matter what happened, she would confront him directly for clarification, not succumb to random suspicions or arbitrary conclusions.