Everyone Wants to Pamper the Lucky Daughter

Chapter 3: Woniu Village

Translator: Vicky_

“Well, Master, you are really optimistic.”

The little bird was amused by her master. It fluttered its delicate wings and glided on the water, quickly letting the basket float to the nearby village.

Woniu Village, a quiet village with only a dozen families, was hidden at the foot of Qilian Mountain.

The village residents mainly depended on hunting in the mountains and cutting firewood for a living. On sunny days, men who were good at swimming would also go fishing, catch loaches and catch river crabs in the shallow water for food.

The morning sun was rising, and the brilliant glow reflected the sky. By the shallow river, hard-working peasant women prepared their breakfast. They talked to each other, carrying buckets to draw water, washing dishes, and washing clothes.

The baby’s tender and soft cry came with the wind. Li Xiu’e, who was alone on the bluestone by the river and was washing her clothes, was surprised and confused. She followed the cry and saw a bamboo basket floating down the river. She could vaguely see the tiny figure wrapped in a quilt.

“Su Hu, come here quickly. There is a baby in the river. Go and fetch the basket.”

Li Xiu’e subconsciously cried out to her husband, and she could not help worrying about the baby who had drifted from somewhere she did not know.

“Got you!”

Her husband, Su Hu, heard the shout and answered immediately. He rushed out of the courtyard wall nearest the river bank and immediately jumped into the water.

The river was freezing cold in late autumn. Su Hu didn’t care about the cold water. He swam hard toward the basket.

There were still good people around.

The little bird was moved. It flapped its delicate wings and made the basket quickly approach Su Hu.

Su Hu emerged from the water, spit out some cold river water, pushed the basket with his right hand from behind, and swam back.

The bird flew on the water and helped Su Hu a little.

Su Hu felt that he was swimming faster after a cold wind blew.

“Atishoo!”

Su Hu shivered because of the cold wind and couldn’t help sneezing.

Fortunately, with the help of the cold wind, he swam much faster. Soon, he returned to the shore, stood up from the shallow water with his basket in his arms, and ran toward the shore.

“Su Hu, the river is so cold. You should go home and change your clothes.”

Li Xiu’e was delighted to see her husband returning safely. However, after she saw that he was wet, she feared her husband might catch a cold. Therefore, she quickly put away her clothes that had not been washed and led him to her yard.

“It’s a poor little girl.”

Su Hu let his wife pull him. Looking at the baby girl in the basket, he felt pity and could not help getting angry with her parents, who abandoned her.

“Her parents are too cruel! They actually abandoned the newborn baby and threw her into the river..”

“Judging from her clothes, I think she comes from a rich family.”

Women were more sensitive to clothes and appearance. Li Xiu’e glanced at the brocade quilt wrapped around the baby girl and roughly guessed her origin.

The couple ran back to their own mudbrick yard. Su Hu went into the house with the basket to change clothes. The moment he stepped into the house, he shivered coldly and turned around toward his wife.

“It’s freezing in the house. The newborn baby must be afraid of the cold. You had better take the ignition charcoal from the kitchen and put it in the house. Make the bed warm. We can’t let the baby catch a cold.”

“I see. It would be best if you went to change your clothes first. I’ll come to after I set up the fire.”

Li Xiu’e immediately agreed, turned, and walked to the kitchen. Soon, blue smoke came out of the chimney.

Su Hu changed his clothes, and Li Xiu’e came into the house with a pot of burning firewood and put it at Su Hu’s feet.