The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 81

Perhaps because Mei Zhuyu gave her a very trustworthy feeling, the little girl finally turned her head and looked back quietly. At that glance, she saw only the bright, empty sky—no black webs or a big spider to frighten her.

The little girl was like a cautious fox, sensing that the danger had passed. She cautiously stuck her head out again, held Mei Zhuyu’s arm, and looked around. Seeing that there was indeed no trace of the big spider, she let out a long sigh and sat back in Mei Zhuyu’s arms.

Mei Zhuyu was about to comfort her again, but then he saw the little girl quickly regain her previous liveliness, lifting her feet and starting to chat once more.

Mei Zhuyu: …

He thought about it and then explained to the little girl that the Spider Woman wouldn’t harm anyone. By then, they had already left the vicinity of the two trees. After the little girl finished listening, she tilted her head, looked at him, and asked, “Can you see it too?”

Mei Zhuyu nodded. As soon as he did, the little girl looked at him with a sympathetic expression, stood up, patted his forehead, and comforted him, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid.”

Mei Zhuyu: …No, I think you’re the one who’s more scared.

But the little girl obviously didn’t want to dwell on it. Her attention was already caught by the fruit trees on the roadside. She excitedly pulled his sleeve and pointed at the trees, saying, “Hey! There are bayberries! Let’s go pick them!”

Mei Zhuyu recalled that he had picked a bunch of cherries when she went to Lingjing Temple with him. It seemed that the Wu Zhen who had grown up still had some similarities to her childhood self. 

As evening approached, they arrived at Suti Temple at the foot of Nanshan Mountain. The weary birds were returning to their nests, and the sound of the temple bells echoed through the forest.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, white smoke curled up from the temple, though it was unclear whether it came from the incense in the front yard or the firewood in the back.

Mei Zhuyu dismounted and picked up the little girl. She was holding a big bayberry in her hand and curiously staring at the corner of the temple that peeked through the woods and at the faintly visible temple gate.

“My dad is in here?”

“Yes.” Mei Zhuyu bent down and spoke to her, “But don’t get too excited when you see your father, okay?”

He had brought Wu Zhen to see Duke Yu but didn’t intend for Duke Yu to see Wu Zhen in this state. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain, and there would be even more issues to address after Wu Zhen recovered.

However, despite his intentions, things didn’t go as planned.

He led the little girl into the temple and requested to see his father-in-law, Duke Yu, who was practicing there. The little girl obediently followed him all the way, and the passing monks didn’t notice her. But when she saw Duke Yu, her eyes widened, and she began to struggle to throw herself at him.

Duke Yu, Wu Chundao, was surprised to see his usually taciturn son-in-law visiting at this time. What surprised him even more was that his son-in-law seemed to be tightly holding something in one hand, and his sleeve was swaying slightly. He couldn’t help but glance a few times at Mei Zhuyu’s seemingly empty hand, puzzled.

For some reason, he felt there was something significant about that spot and couldn’t shake the feeling.

Retracting his inquiring gaze, Duke Wu kindly asked his son-in-law why he was there, how Wu Zhen was doing recently, and whether he wanted some vegetarian food for the journey.

Mei Zhuyu answered respectfully, sat down in front of Duke Wu, and used his skillful strength to pull back the little girl who was about to pounce on Duke Wu.

Although Duke Wu couldn’t see or hear anything, if Wu Zhen rushed over at that moment, he would definitely sense it. To prevent his father-in-law from being frightened by this sudden occurrence, Mei Zhuyu worked hard to restrain the little girl. However, she had extraordinary determination and suddenly turned her head and bit the back of Mei Zhuyu’s hand.

Startled, Mei Zhuyu felt the soft little white teeth on his hand. It didn’t hurt, but the wet and itchy sensation made his hand tremble, and he subconsciously let go.

The next moment, the little girl appeared in the air.

Just as Duke Wu was asking about his daughter Wu Zhen’s recent activities, he suddenly saw a little girl appear out of nowhere and rush towards him. She hugged his bald head, touched it, and laughed, “Bald head!”

Duke Wu: …I think I just saw my youngest daughter when she was a child, and she even called me bald.

Mei Zhuyu quickly leaned over, pulled the little girl back, held her tightly again, then sat back in his original place with a calm expression, even picking up the teacup with his other hand and taking a sip of tea as if nothing had happened.

Duke Wu: …

He looked at his upright son-in-law with a blank expression, then glanced at the empty surroundings. After a long pause, he said, “Just now, I saw a little girl.”

Mei Zhuyu: “No.”

Duke Wu: “Am I seeing things?”

Mei Zhuyu was silent for a moment, then replied, “Maybe.”

Duke Wu looked down, picked up a large bayberry from his lap, and quietly placed it on the table in front of them. It was the bayberry the little girl had been holding, which she had dropped when she rushed over to touch his head.

Duke Wu suddenly sighed and said, “What happened? You don’t have to hide it from me. Did something happen in the Monster Market in Chang’an?”

When Mei Zhuyu heard him mention the Monster Market, he realized that Duke Wu knew his daughter’s true identity. Finally, he let go of her hand. Duke Wu then saw the smiling little girl again. She was indeed just like his daughter in childhood—a heartless, mischievous little girl stepping on his crossed legs like a monkey and clumsily touching his head.

With a little monkey on his head, Duke Wu asked his son-in-law with a complicated expression, “What’s going on?”

Before Mei Zhuyu could say anything, the little girl patted his bald head and laughed, “Dad has no hair anymore, hahaha!”

Listening to the tender voice, like that of a little yellow oriole, Duke Wu felt a long-lost sense of suffocation. The complex feelings of exasperation with his little daughter, mingled with the helplessness of being unable to do anything about it, revived in his heart. He had finally raised her to become a proper young lady, and now she had become small again.

Mei Zhuyu watched his wife climb onto his father-in-law’s back by stepping on his arm and sitting down. He sighed softly and recounted the whole story.

By the time they finished talking, it was time to light the lamps. Xuti Temple was poor, and although Duke Wu had a distinguished status, he was a sincere Buddhist. The furnishings in the house were simple, with a lamp placed next to the table, casting light over a small area and reflecting the figures of the two men on the window.