After a hard day's work, Bai Sheng distributed two flatbreads and a bowl of water to everyone at dinner. To distinguish each person's bowl, Bai Sheng carved their names onto the bamboo bowls.
"You can write?" Lu Ye, holding the bamboo bowl, looked at the character "Ye" carved on it with surprise.
"I learned a bit when I was locked up in the slave pens," Bai Sheng said a little guiltily. In truth, the original owner of this body could read, but had never shown it. She had no memory of who she learned from.
"Sister-in-law, I can recognize words too! This bowl is carved with 'Yun,' sister's bowl is 'Hua,' Xiao Yu's bowl is 'Yu,' Feng Big Brother's bowl is 'Yuan,' and Du Big Sister's bowl is 'Min'..." Lu Yun said proudly.
Bai Sheng pinched Lu Yun's little face and chuckled, "Wow, Yun, you're so amazing, knowing so many characters!"
Lu Yun blushed a little, pursed his lips, and smiled, "My mother taught us."
"Mother could read too?" Bai Sheng was a little surprised. Lu Ye had mentioned before that his late mother had also been a slave.
Lu Ye nodded with a smile, "Mother was more learned than the scholars in the town's private schools."
Lu Yu pouted, tears about to fall, "Mother— I miss... Mother, I miss you so much, *wuwu*..."
Seeing this, Bai Sheng immediately walked over, held him in her arms, gently patted his back, and softly comforted him, "There, there, Xiao Yu, don't cry. Mother is with us, just in a place we can't see."
"But I just miss Mother, and Father... *wuwu*..."
Lu Hua and Lu Yun's eyes were also red. Lu Hua nudged Lu Yun with her elbow, chiding him for bringing up their mother.
Lu Yun looked sheepish and wiped his eyes.
Lu Ye looked at his younger siblings with a sad and helpless expression. If Bai Sheng hadn't been there, he wouldn't have known how to comfort them.
Du Min and Feng Pingyuan exchanged glances and sighed softly. Parents who lost their children were pitiful, but children who lost their parents were also pitiful.
Alas, in this world, there was always endless suffering.
After Bai Sheng comforted him for a while, Lu Yu finally stopped crying, but he insisted on clinging to Bai Sheng, saying he wanted to sleep with his sister-in-law that night.
Lu Hua firmly refused, saying he would disturb his brother and sister-in-law from having little nephews and nieces.
Bai Sheng and Lu Ye both froze, their eyes meeting involuntarily before quickly looking away.
Feng Pingyuan and Du Min chuckled wryly.
Lu Yu didn't understand why sleeping with his sister-in-law would disturb his brother and sister-in-law from having children. He didn't care; he wanted to sleep with his sister-in-law. He missed his mother, and his sister-in-law was very much like his mother.
Faced with such an affectionate younger brother-in-law, Bai Sheng couldn't refuse. She ended up holding Lu Yu, who had wrapped his arms around her neck, back to her and Lu Ye's room.
The room wasn't large, and with two adults and a child inside, the air felt noticeably thinner.
Fortunately, it was already dark. Bai Sheng figured Lu Ye wouldn't be able to see her blushing ears, so she felt a little more at ease.
There was nothing to spread on the floor. Lu Ye took off his upper garment, spread it on the ground, and said to Bai Sheng in a gentle voice, "There's important business tomorrow, so get some sleep early."
Both of them knew he was saying this deliberately for Lu Yu's benefit, hoping he would fall asleep quickly so they could attend to matters in the space.
Bai Sheng lay down against the wall, with Lu Yu beside her. Lu Ye lay on Lu Yu's other side.
Lu Yu nestled in Bai Sheng's arms, his grievance from crying not yet fully gone, occasionally sniffling, "Sister-in-law, don't sleep with Big Brother, sleep with me. I'm still your little darling."
Bai Sheng felt a flock of cawing crows flying overhead. She cleared her throat and softly coaxed, "Uh, okay, sister-in-law will hold you. Sleep tight, my little darling."
Lu Ye gently patted his backside and chuckled, "You little rascal, when you grow up, go hug your own wife!"
"I'm not marrying a wife. A wife will steal my food. I only want sister-in-law," Lu Yu burrowed closer into Bai Sheng's embrace, afraid his brother would take his place.
In the darkness, Bai Sheng giggled, "Good boy, when you grow up, you'll meet a wife who loves you dearly. She won't steal your food; she'll give you the best of it."
"Really? Sister-in-law?" Lu Yu lifted his little face and asked.
Bai Sheng nodded, "Really."
"Then I'll still marry a wife," Lu Yu said reluctantly.
Bai Sheng smiled again and gently patted Lu Yu's back, "Good boy, go to sleep."
As the night deepened, Lu Yu soon fell asleep.
In the darkness, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye exchanged a silent glance and quietly sat up.
Bai Sheng first brought Wu Yun into the space, then asked Lu Ye to wait outside while she went in to bathe. She had to visit the Tian Shui Town magistrate tomorrow, and her appearance couldn't be too disheveled.
The moment Wu Yun was sent into the space, its heart nearly leaped out of its chest with excitement!
Although an annoying big black pig stood in its way, snorting and barking at it, this did not affect its joyful mood. It had already smelled the spiritual spring water!
It was not far away!
Wu Yun rushed towards the spiritual spring at its fastest speed, lowered its head into the spring, and drank its fill.
Ah! The spiritual spring water was so delicious! Its owner had taken it in; not only could it survive, but it could also grow taller and stronger in the future!
Wu Yun happily lifted its head and looked around.
There was so much fresh and tender grass here! Grass nourished by the spiritual spring water, it must be delicious!
After drinking the water, Wu Yun eagerly went to nibble the grass.
It was so, so hungry.
To find its owner, it had crossed dune after dune, and avoided fierce wolves and hunters...
As soon as Bai Sheng entered the space, she saw Hengheng's aggrieved pig face. "Master, this stupid camel doesn't pay me any mind at all! It wouldn't even let me bathe first; it didn't listen. Did you see how dirty it is? It has lice!"
"Its name is Wu Yun, and it's a member of the family now. It's new here and naturally doesn't know that you're the space manager. I'll tell it later that it needs to listen to you," Bai Sheng said patiently to Hengheng.
Hengheng's complaint was valid. With more animals in the space in the future, Hengheng would need to manage them. Otherwise, the space would truly descend into chaos.
When Hengheng heard that even its master was on its side, it felt much better. "Master, don't worry, I'll teach it the rules properly!"
Bai Sheng nodded with satisfaction. "I'm going to take a bath. Hengheng, you take Bao Yu and hide far away; no peeking!"
When Hengheng heard that its master was finally going to bathe, it felt so relieved. "Master, you should remember to bathe every day. The spiritual spring water has powerful healing properties. Those two dark spots on your face will gradually disappear, and your shriveled figure will also—"
Seeing the sharp glance the master sent its way, Hengheng swallowed the rest of its words.
That stupid pig! Did it think she didn't like to be clean, that her living habits were too slovenly, so she didn't bathe every day?
"Tian Shui Town is so short of water. If I wash myself spotlessly every day, what will others think? Do you want to expose the space? And then be slaughtered and eaten as pork?"
Hengheng was stunned. That's right, why hadn't it thought of that? "Mas... Master, you'd better not wash too clean for now... Hengheng doesn't want to be slaughtered!"
Bai Sheng gave it a helpless look. "Don't worry, I have my own plans. Once the well is repaired and the spiritual spring water is used openly, I can bathe every day."
"Master, you're too great! So you haven't been bathing all this time for Hengheng's sake!" Hengheng was so touched it almost pounced forward again.
Bai Sheng held her forehead. However, she didn't want to expose Hengheng's self-importance. Just as she was about to lift her foot to bathe, she felt a furry touch at her feet.