Chapter 126: Hey, Little Sprout

Bai Yan was sunbathing in the courtyard while Jiang Chengyan stood before the heated brick bed, looking at the small garment in his hands.

This was the second time he had to replace her clothes with new ones. Had she been eating too well lately? Why was she growing so fast? Even the sizes of her undergarments needed changing.

Perhaps he should cut off her supply of goat milk for now.

Bai Yan, unaware of what was crossing Jiang Chengyan’s mind, finished her sunbathing and shouldered her hoe, ready to head to the fields. The apple trees were all in bloom, the wild strawberries were ready for picking, and there was endless work to be done on the farm; she had to hurry.

Jiang Chengyan watched her figure run off from behind. Though she was covered by a loose skirt, it was still evident that her silhouette had become much more graceful. Thinking of the soups that Mother Zhao had been feeding her lately, Jiang Chengyan suddenly lowered his gaze and pinched the bridge of his nose.

***

Others might not have known, but Mother Zhao was well aware. Whenever she thought of the little girl, Bai Yan, rapidly transforming from a spindly bean sprout into a young woman, she would beam with joy.

"Keep Jiang Chengyan away from you, you hear?"

"Sleep with your mother at night, or go sleep in the east room by yourself!"

Mother Zhao whispered her secret encouragement to the girl. Bai Yan nodded obediently, though her mind was entirely occupied by her fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms.

After hoeing the field for a while, Bai Yan sat on the ridge, eating a small gourd scoop of wild strawberries. Not far away, a few young women were walking toward her.

"Hey, little bean sprout, we want to buy two pounds of wild strawberries," the one with the best figure among them said, chin held high as she addressed Bai Yan.

It took a moment for Bai Yan to realize that "little bean sprout" was aimed at her. She stood up, glanced at the woman with the perfect curves in the middle, then looked down at her own, and muttered softly, "I'm not that small!"

"What are you mumbling about? Hurry up. We want two pounds," the shapely girl glared, speaking sharply to Bai Yan.

Bai Yan pouted and simply pulled back her small scale. "I'm not selling anymore. Go buy from someone else!" With that, she stopped paying them any mind.

Seeing Bai Yan’s stubborn temper, the group was annoyed. However, these wild strawberries were many times more delicious than those found on the mountain, and many people had been coming to buy them lately. They had finally managed to make a trip out, and now the girl wouldn't sell to them?

"What’s so great about being married to Jiang Chengyan? Look at you, so scrawny—who knows what kind of vixen tricks you used to get him to marry you."

"Exactly, you're so ugly."

"You must have caked your face with powder. You look just like a stage performer."

As the insults flew, Bai Yan stood up abruptly. But at that very moment, a strange sensation caused her to freeze in sharp, sudden realization.

***

Bai Yan had started her period. Mother Zhao was the first to know, and she was overjoyed, feeling that her child had finally grown up.

However... contrary to both her and Jiang Chengyan’s expectations, the cycle did not seem to end.

The girl, who had been full of life just a moment ago, now lay on the heated bed, looking pale and weak.

"Your father has been staying at Hengfeng for days. You watch over her here; I’m going to town to get medicine. No, I’m going to fetch a doctor!" Mother Zhao said anxiously, grabbing some silver and rushing out.

As soon as Mother Zhao left, Bai Yan began to sob, feeling wronged.

Jiang Chengyan hurried over to wipe away her tears, his voice low. "What’s wrong?"

"Wuwuwu, I’ve become a bean sprout again. They were right to call me that, wuwuwu." She had been plump and healthy, but after these few days of suffering, she had thinned out again at a visible rate...

She was no different from the scrawny bean sprout she used to be.