Chapter 7.1 - Being Concerned (1/2)

Translator: Superbulat

After hiding the rabbits, Tang Huan fetched another bucket of water before returning to the nunnery.

It was great that she had rabbit meat to eat now, but she couldn’t cook it without a knife or seasoning. And the most important thing was that Master Jingci was dissatisfied with her and had been keeping an eye on her lately. If she stayed out for too long, the old woman might become suspicious. It was safer for her to eat the rabbit meat later in the afternoon when she went to chop wood in the mountains.

She had timed her return perfectly. By the time she arrived at the nunnery, the nuns were eating breakfast.

The aroma of steamed buns wafted through the air.

Tang Huan never expected that there would be a day when steamed buns were so appealing to her.

After pouring the water into the tank in a hurry, Tang Huan dashed towards the kitchen.

But she was stopped by Mingxin halfway.

“Minghui, Master wasn’t happy today and didn’t let anyone prepare your portion of the breakfast,” Mingxin quietly slipped her half of a yellow steamed bun, her voice extremely low as if she were a thief. “Don’t be upset, just eat this. Try to work hard later and finish carrying the water as soon as possible, and then go to Master and sincerely apologize for your mistake. Master is kind; perhaps she won’t punish you anymore.”

Tang Huan was speechless.

Was this a nunnery?

This was a gangster inn 1 !

No, they were even worse than a gangster inn. Even the black-hearted inn owners fed their employees! She was a little nun who hadn’t eaten or slept the night before. She’d even gotten up early and brought enough water to fill a large water tank to the brim. That Master Jingci wouldn’t even let her have a steamed bun or a bowl of porridge?

Did she intend to kill this disciple?!

“You eat it yourself. I’m not hungry. Thanks for thinking of me.” Tang Huan stuffed the bun back into Mingxin’s hand and went to the backyard to pick up the water buckets.

Mingxin chased her all the way, insisting that she take the bun.

Looking at her pale face, Tang Huan was a little touched. After pulling her to a nearby pillar, she whispered, “Don’t worry, I have food. I’ll share some of it with you when I come back at night. Don’t tell anyone!”

She had been telling herself over and over again last night that it was not worth being angry over Master Jingci, but she just couldn’t do it anymore. The dream just felt too real. Yes, this was indeed a dream, and these people were all fake, but Tang Huan had always been a petty person. Whoever bullied her, she always had to retaliate. She didn’t care if they were nuns or monks. There were even nuns with ill intentions. A ‘flower picking thief’ like her wouldn’t be so foolish as to be a decent person. Master Jingci wanted to torture her to death? She would survive and laugh at her sufferings instead!

Just you wait till I get the opportunity!

With her heart filled with anger, Tang Huan went down the mountain again with the water buckets.

But she wasn’t enraged to the point of losing her mind. Working with an empty stomach under the hot, scorching sun? She was not that stupid.

Throwing the buckets by the river, Tang Huan wiped her sweat with her sleeves and staggered towards the west.

The forest ranger’s wooden house was on the hill in front. Oh, I am so hungry. I’m going to go ask for alms.

She was actually about to faint from hunger, and by the time she struggled up the hill, the clothes on her back were already soaked. In such a situation, Tang Huan couldn’t care about her appearance anymore. Song Mo was not the type to be enamored by beauty anyway. And, judging by his honest nature, the more miserable she appeared, perhaps it would have been easier to soften his heart.

Men were usually a little more compassionate towards women, right?

She held onto the wooden fence door, wiped her sweat, and weakly shouted, “Donor Song, are you at home?”

Song Mo was tying up a rabbit in the backyard. He had a good harvest today. After parting with the little nun, he unexpectedly ran into another rabbit. He intended to tie it first and sell it down the mountain a few days later.

After he finished tying the rabbit, he heard someone calling him.

He couldn’t hear clearly, but it was a woman’s voice.

Song Mo walked to the north entrance of the kitchen with curiosity and looked towards the south.

The person’s figure was obscured by the fence gate, revealing only a beautiful face. Although she was a long distance away, Song Mo recognized her at a glance. It was the little nun.

He panicked and subconsciously looked at the rabbit beside him, which was still kicking its feet under the eaves.

He was not a Buddhist. To make ends meet, he had to go hunting. He was already a little regretful after giving her the rabbit.

Song Mo quickly hid the rabbit in a small cage behind the lush cherry tree by the wall. After confirming that she couldn’t see it even if she stood at the door, Song Mo rubbed his hands, patted his clothes, and went to the front with a cold face on. That sort of thing happened between them. Logically speaking, a little nun like her should try to avoid him at all costs. Why did she come here? If there was no proper reason, Song Mo would never let her in.

He strode forward, came to a halt steadily, and then stood like a pine tree at the door, facing Tang Huan sideways without saying a word.

He was frowning slightly. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was angry or confused.

But none of that mattered as long as he was at home.

Tang Huan smiled awkwardly at him. “Donor Song, you, can you give me something to eat…”

Before she finished speaking, her grip on the fence loosened, and she collapsed to the ground with her eyes closed.

It hadn’t quite sunk in yet for Song Mo until she fell to the ground.

She had been fine until now. Why did she suddenly faint?

He couldn’t be bothered anymore about the social norm that there shouldn’t be any physical contact between unmarried men and women. He hurriedly opened the door and leaned down to look at her. Her face was pale, her lips were a little dry, and she had a lot of sweat on her forehead as if she had had a heatstroke. He quickly carried her in his arms and rushed into the house.

The moment Tang Huan’s body touched the bed stove 2 , her muscles and bones were finally able to rest, and she felt so comfortable that she wanted to stretch.

But she had to continue pretending to be unconscious.

“Little Master, Little Master Minghui?” Song Mo stood beside the bed stove calling her repeatedly, not knowing what to do.

Tang Huan didn’t even move her eyebrows.

Song Mo turned around to get her some water. She looked pitiful with sweat all over her face.

Tang Huan took the opportunity to take a quick scan around his house. In the east, there were three red lacquered cabinets, a table and a chair next to it, and two bags of grain piled up in the corner against the wall. That was all. It fit with his identity as a single forest ranger.

She smiled triumphantly. She finally climbed into his bed…stove.

There was still a month before the deadline. There was no rush. It was kind of fun to tease him like this.

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黑店 (Black tavern): Inn that kills and robs guests (esp. in traditional fiction) 炕 (Kang/bed stove): A traditional long (2 meters or more) platform for general living, working, entertaining, and sleeping used in the northern part of China, where the winter climate is cold. It is made of bricks or other forms of fired clay. -Wiki

(Pic source https://k.sina.cn/article_7267478814_1b12ced1e00100ochs.html?from=travel )