A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 112

Modern AU Extra 6

Ambiguity

The truck reached the narrow road section—a dirt road about four or five meters wide, fairly flat. Tall poplar trees lined both sides, slender and straight. In late autumn, the forest canopy was dyed in layers, the dense leaves gradually turning golden, forming a striking contrast against the azure sky.

            

Urged on by the autumn wind, the trees swayed in unison in a single direction, their rustling a steady murmur. Looking up, one could see scattered leaves drifting lazily downward.

“Look, look—that leaf is red!” Jiang Chenyu tugged excitedly at Shen Hetang’s arm, pointing at a leaf floating down from above.

Shen Hetang had just turned her head when the truck hit a small mound and jolted.

            

She pitched forward directly toward Jiang Chenyu’s face and, by sheer coincidence, her lips landed on the corner of Jiang Chenyu’s mouth.

For a moment, all she could register was the soft, sweet warmth of the contact. Her mind went blank, her movements sluggish. Just as she tried to pull away, the truck jolted again.

Pinning the other girl down, she toppled onto the cotton bales, her lips landing on Jiang Chenyu’s fair, tender neck. Her heart pounded like a drum.

            

When Shen Hetang collided with her, Jiang Chenyu’s beautiful peach-blossom eyes¹ widened to their fullest. She stared up at her, half-leaning back—and before she could react, she was pressed into the cotton.

Aside from nervousness, there was a faint thrill of excitement. Her fingers twitched, wanting to touch that face that made her heart race, but in the end, modesty prevailed and her hands came to rest at Shen Hetang’s waist.

But why did her neck feel a faint, warm sting?

            

Shen Hetang lowered her dark eyes, cleared her throat, and pulled the other girl back up.

“Careful, the road’s a bit bumpy, but we’re almost home,” she said casually, though her tousled hair fell across her eyes, hiding her expression.

“Oh!” Jiang Chenyu’s face flushed pink and white—pretty as a delectable little cupcake.

            

The air carried a hint of ambiguity, but it was diluted by the pale blue sky, the cotton-white clouds, and the colorful falling leaves. It lingered faintly at the bottom of their hearts, plucking at their heartstrings.

Jiang Chenyu turned away, watching the trees flashing past, and lightly touched her fingers to her lips, narrowing her bright eyes with a secret smile.

At 6:10 AM, they finally arrived at Shen Hetang’s grandmother’s home.

            

The double iron gates opened onto a spacious courtyard where two tricycles were already parked, and people were gathering in twos and threes, ready to head out.

“Tangtang’s back! My, you’ve grown taller again. And who’s this pretty girl next to you? I’ve never seen her before!” Auntie Liu from the backyard stared at the two beautiful girls, her eyes barely able to take them all in.

City-raised girls really were fresh-faced—just look at them, each prettier than the last.

            

“Auntie Liu, this is my classmate. She came to help out,” Shen Hetang said with a nod.

“Grandma, I’m back.” Seeing her sixty-something-year-old grandmother still bustling back and forth across the courtyard, she pulled Jiang Chenyu along as she stepped forward.

“Oh, my good girl’s back! Now that you’re back, you stay home and cook—we’re about to head to the fields!” The little old lady looked full of energy, still wanting to go work in the fields herself.

            

“Grandma, you stay home. I’ll go with them. Let Auntie Liu keep you company while you cook. Grandpa can come with us—he still needs to point out the way.” Grandpa still had to direct them—she was worried about forgetting where their own fields were.

“This is my classmate. She came to help. We’ll head back together in a couple of days,” she said, pulling Jiang Chenyu forward to introduce her.

“Hello, Grandma. My name is Chenyu,” Jiang Chenyu greeted the grandmother obediently.

            

“Xiao Yu, ah? Good, good. Stay a few extra days while you’re here.” The old lady had kind eyes and a gentle expression—easy to warm up to.

Grandma was left at home. Shen Hetang dug out two old school uniforms, and they both changed. She also found Jiang Chenyu a gauze scarf to wrap around her face, sparing her from getting dust all over it.

Shen Hetang hadn’t really planned to make those slender, delicate hands do much farm work anyway—she could just come along for the spectacle.

            

“Even the sky has a hazy red tint,” Jiang Chenyu said through the translucent red scarf.

“You can still see the road fine. It won’t be a problem.” With that, she pulled her onto the tricycle.

Nearly twenty people set off in grand procession toward the Shen family’s fields.

            

Grandpa was a rather serious, tall elderly man who sat up front with the driver. Shen Hetang sat in the cargo bed with Jiang Chenyu and the various aunties, even bringing her a cushion and a small thermos.

“A rabbit? Isn’t this what kindergarten babies use?” Jiang Chenyu looked at the insulated thermos bottle strapped to her, amused. It even had a straw.

“Heh, it was a giveaway from a competition last year. I dug it out this morning thinking I might need it. Looks like it suits you perfectly, too.” The pink rabbit cup was a perfect match for her.

            

“But I really like it.” How long had it been since someone treated her like a child? Her mother’s poor health left her overwhelmed and unable to manage, so Jiang Chenyu had long since stopped going out of her way to trouble her with things.

Jiang Chenyu pressed the cup’s button—the water inside was the perfect temperature.

The group arrived at their destination at seven o’clock. As far as the eye could see, a sea of gold.

            

The men and women split into two groups. The men went ahead, cutting down the cornstalks and stacking them in piles. The women followed behind, twisting the corn cobs straight off and tossing them onto the truck. Once full, the tricycle would drive home to unload, then return to the field to start the next load.

Jiang Chenyu watched the aunties in their forties and fifties working at lightning speed, effortlessly, and assumed it would be easy. But when she tried it herself, just snapping a corn cob in half took considerable strength.

Sure enough—nothing was ever simple.

            

Seeing her struggle, Shen Hetang walked over, pulled two small packaged bread rolls from her person, and handed them over with a smile. “Just sit on this pile. You don’t need to chase the people ahead—you won’t catch up.”

“Are you Doraemon? How do you always have food on you?” Jiang Chenyu had fine beads of sweat on her forehead, her hands still wrestling with a corn cob.

“Probably because I have a pet to feed.”

            

“A pet? Where?”

“Right in front of me.”

“Hmph!”

            

“It’s eleven o’clock. In another hour we can head back. Go find a cool spot and rest for a bit,” Shen Hetang said gently, checking her watch.

“No, I think I can keep going.” Jiang Chenyu persisted stubbornly. Even though her workload was only a third of everyone else’s, she was still thoroughly enjoying herself.

Her favorite task was tossing corn cobs onto the truck. Five or six people throwing together—watching the pile rise like a building. In ten minutes, the golden corn had mounded into a small hill, filling the cargo bed. The process was deeply satisfying.

            

Just one downside—it wrecked the lower back!

At noon, the whole group trooped back to Grandmother Shen’s house for lunch, which was already prepared.

There were meat and vegetable dishes, fish and pork. Jiang Chenyu clutched her small bowl and even went back for a second helping of rice. She had never thought home-cooked food could taste this good.

            

She was even circled by the aunties, showered with praise until she felt she had become more outgoing. But Shen Hetang said it was only because they rarely saw teenagers, and that was why they were so excited.

“Hmph!” She didn’t care about any of that—she was floating on air regardless.

Grandma had even boiled her a giant goose egg all to herself. It was truly enormous—she had never seen an egg so big.

            

It felt heavy in her hand. So interesting.

The afternoon routine was the same, except that once the work was done, everyone headed straight home, leaving only the four members of the Shen family.

They had a simple dinner, and then Grandpa and Grandma turned in early.

            

Jiang Chenyu now understood how hard rural life was. Her legs ached, and her lower back was sore.

“You’re worn out, aren’t you? I’ll let you have a soak in a bit, and I’ll give you a massage before bed—it’ll help a lot!” Looking at the girl who had been so spirited that morning, now worn down to a limp rag after a full day’s labor, she wanted to make sure she slept comfortably.

“Where can I take a soak?” At the mention of a bath, Jiang Chenyu’s eyes lit up. She was tired, yes, but if she could have a proper soak, that would be wonderful!

            

There was an unused small room in the courtyard—Shen Hetang’s summer rinsing spot. Grandpa doted on his granddaughter and had specially set up a large water vat for her to use as a bathtub.

The child had been fair and clean from a young age, and Grandma was happy to toss her into the water like a bean sprout every day—the more she soaked, the faster she grew.

Before bedtime, Grandma still helped heat the bathwater for her granddaughter. The large pot for boiling water and the vat were in the same room. By feeding in two thick logs, the fire could be kept going steadily.

            

The small window had a hole punched through it about the size of a fist. A sturdy pipe passed through the glass and hung directly over the iron pot. As long as someone outside flipped the electric switch, well water would flow through the pipe straight into the iron pot—remarkably convenient.

Looking at the steam-filled little room and the water vat partitioned by a curtain, Jiang Chenyu was eager to get inside.

“Wait, let me add some cold water.” Seeing her reach out, Shen Hetang swiftly grabbed her—she really couldn’t be left unattended for even a moment.

            

She quickly mixed in cold water, and only when the temperature was right did she let her enter.

Jiang Chenyu shed her day’s armor and stepped onto the stones to climb in, but no matter how she stretched one foot, she couldn’t reach the bottom of the vat.

She wiggled on her tiptoes a couple more times—still no contact.

            

“What do I do? I can’t get in!” she called out softly, embarrassed.

“Can’t get in? Isn’t there a footstool?” Shen Hetang replied casually from outside, where she sat tending the fire—she probably hadn’t considered that someone might not be able to reach the bottom.

“The other side—it’s so deep, I can’t reach!” Jiang Chenyu was straddling the vat, not daring to swing her other leg over. The room had no light; she could only see by the glow from the eaves outside, and with the steam, it had grown rather dim.

            

Shen Hetang rose, lifted the curtain, and stepped inside. Seeing her bare-skinned and comically stuck atop the vat, she simply wrapped an arm around her waist from behind, scooped up her long leg dangling outside with the other hand, and lowered her into the water.

“Ah…!” She hadn’t expected her to be so direct. Without a point of support, her whole body tilted backward. Her pale pink, pearl-smooth skin and her beautiful, full figure were laid bare entirely before those eyes. Jiang Chenyu’s cheeks instantly flushed as though she had applied too much blush—exquisitely lovely.

Looking at the beauty before her, Shen Hetang somehow felt the strange urge to reach out and ravage it. This satin-smooth skin would look even better marked with a few colors.

            

A thought was just a thought, though—she didn’t dare act on it, afraid of being called a pervert, despite wanting to be one.

“There’s a stool inside. You soak. I’ll go add more water for you.” After setting her down, she seized on any excuse to slip out to the outer room.

“Don’t go far. I’m scared.” Jiang Chenyu gripped the rim of the vat and spoke slowly. It was a bit dark in here, and she could hear dogs barking—she was genuinely a little frightened.

            

“I’m not going anywhere.” From less than three meters away came the reply.

As the steam gradually cleared, she could faintly see the stars outside through the window. Though they were only tiny points of light, they still shone bright and beautiful.

Jiang Chenyu soaked in the water vat, buoyed by the water—she could even float upward and spin in circles. Her body, worked to the bone all day, found complete and total release. She rested her chin on the vat’s rim, catching the tiny stars twinkling outside the window.

            

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