The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

“I have a little donkey~ I never ride it~~ One day, on a whim~ I rode it to the market~~” On a shaded path, a young boy’s voice suddenly rang out, not a single word in tune.

The sound startled a flock of birds from the trees.

The boy glanced at the fleeing birds and said to the donkey beneath him, which was braying, “Ahhh—eehh!”: “They don’t have as good taste as you, Little Mao.”

This boy was none other than Xu Yuxuan, who was not yet fourteen at the time.

Perhaps understanding Xu Yuxuan’s words, the donkey, named “Little Mao,” shook its head violently, as if to prove it also had no taste, and continued to bray, “Ahhh—eehh!”

Xu Yuxuan gently tugged its ear and said, “Back in the day, your grandmother used to carry me in circles until I was dizzy. Now it’s your turn to ‘atone.’”

Little Mao: “Ahhh—eehh!!!”

Xu Yuxuan let go of its ear and said with mock sternness, “In the middle of nowhere, who are you calling for help?”

Little Mao:

Xu Yuxuan flicked the reins, and the little donkey quickened its pace, trotting forward. The off-key singing resumed.

“I hold a little whip in my hand~ I’m feeling quite proud~~ But somehow, splash splash splash~ I fell into the mud~~” Just as Xu Yuxuan sang this part, he passed by a puddle, and the donkey’s hooves slipped, nearly sending him tumbling.

After barely steadying himself, Xu Yuxuan scolded the donkey, “Walk properly, no acting.”

This was Xu Yuxuan’s first time traveling far from home alone.

Just him and a donkey.

The young boy was carefree and at ease.

Xu ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‍Yuxuan swayed left and right on the donkey’s back, humming to himself.

When he grew tired of humming, he leaned down and said to the donkey, “This tune was taught to me by my mother, though she always hummed it differently each time. Isn’t that strange?”

Having been away from home for nearly three months, mentioning his family made Xu Yuxuan feel a little homesick.

He missed his mother and father, his aunt and uncle, his older brothers and sisters-in-law, and his adorable nephews…

But at that moment, he missed his mother the most.

Perhaps because his mother had played the most vivid role in his memories.

Though before the age of six, Xu Yuxuan had believed that one could only eat one slice of watermelon a day in summer, that pastries were sold only one piece at a time, and that roasted chicken only came with wings, he still felt that his mother loved him dearly.

When he was nine, after learning about his true origins, his mother, fearing he might overthink it, convinced his father to temporarily set aside his official duties and take him back to Wuzhou, the place of his birth.

It was Xu Yuxuan’s first time visiting Wuzhou, and perhaps because so much time had passed, the place didn’t quite match his father’s descriptions. That same year, he personally moved his biological father’s grave into the Xu family ancestral tomb. As his mother had said, “A family should stay together. It’s not good for a loving couple to be separated forever.”

At the time, Xu Yuxuan vaguely felt something was off. In this world, only men who had married into their wives’ families were allowed to have their graves moved to the wife’s ancestral tomb, but his father had not married into the family.

Yet he still bore the Xu surname.

Later, he thought seriously about it and decided his father probably wouldn’t mind. With his mother and aunt both there, what reason did he have to remain stubborn outside?

He must have been willing too.

In Xu Yuxuan’s memories, every moment of joy and every embarrassing incident involved his mother.

His mother would bring him his favorite jujube cake when buying pastries, save him two chicken wings when sneaking roasted chicken, respect his odd habits like erecting tombstones for cleaned rabbit bones, and be an attentive audience when he practiced swordplay.

Of course, his mother occasionally found him annoying, but that was easily remedied with a delicious pastry or a fine drink. If those didn’t work, there was always his father.

His mother was a simple person at heart, with only three great loves in life: good food, fine wine, and beauty.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuxuan burst into laughter, carefree and unrestrained, and continued humming, “I have a little whip~ I never wash it~~ One day, on a whim~ I took it to the river to wash~~ You hold a big brush~ I scrub and scrub~~ But somehow, splash splash splash~ a bunch of—yao!”

The birds that had been startled earlier suddenly returned, their wings rustling through the trees. In the distance, the sound of hoofbeats and cries for help grew clearer.

Xu Yuxuan was thrilled. He immediately drew the sword strapped to his waist. After months of traveling, he had finally encountered a situation worthy of his skills. It was time for Young Hero Xu to make his appearance.

Xu Yuxuan rode his donkey toward the commotion.

There, he saw a group of black-clad men surrounding a carriage. Several guards already lay dead on the ground.

One of the black-clad men leaped onto the carriage and thrust his sword inside, but missed. The person inside broke through the back of the carriage and jumped out.

Xu Yuxuan, the only one dressed in white, was immediately spotted by the person who had escaped. Perhaps it was because he was smiling. The escapee instinctively ran toward him.

“Little sister, don’t be afraid,” Xu Yuxuan said warmly, shielding the person behind him.

“Young brother, you should run. They’re after me, but could I ask you for a favor? Could you deliver a letter to the city for me?”

The “little sister” turned out to be a “little brother,” disguised as a girl. Xu Yuxuan was surprised. “You’re a boy?”

The boy, no more than eight or nine years old, had an androgynous appearance, and his voice trembled with fear and tears. “I’m Zhang Xiaowen, the son of the magistrate of Xu County. Something terrible has happened in Xu County. My family has been killed by them.”

Time was short, and there was no opportunity for further explanation.

The attackers closed in again, and Xu Yuxuan swung his sword, engaging the black-clad men in combat. Like many others, Xu Yuxuan had had many dreams growing up.

At first, he wanted to be a doctor like his biological father, saving lives and helping the people. But as he grew older, he found himself more drawn to the life of a wandering hero, righting wrongs and rescuing those in need.

To that end, he had trained hard in martial arts, finally surpassing his father’s mere showy techniques. Xu Yuxuan slashed, kicked, and stabbed with all his might, but in the end, he was kicked into the dirt by one of the black-clad men.

“Cough… cough cough!!!” Xu Yuxuan clutched his chest, coughing uncontrollably. Young Hero Xu had been soundly defeated!

Zhang Xiaowen quickly ran over to help him up, asking worriedly, “Young brother, are you all right?”

Xu Yuxuan was still dazed. This wasn’t how he had imagined it would go.

The black-clad man, holding a blood-stained sword, slowly approached the two, sneering, “Still wet behind the ears, yet you’re already trying to play the hero. Meddling brat, today I’ll kill you too!”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaowen quickly stepped in front of Xu Yuxuan and said to the black-clad man, “If it’s the letter you want, I’ll give it to you. Just let him go!”

The black-clad man laughed coldly. “We’ll take the letter, but you and him will die too!” The bloodied blade gleamed under the sun, radiating killing intent. The two dust-covered boys closed their eyes, bracing for the end. But just as the sword was about to strike, salvation arrived.

“Stop!”

A girl in red descended from above, her blade slicing through the air and severing the black-clad man’s right ear. Her face was hidden beneath a veil and bamboo hat, but her skill was undeniable.

With a swift kick, she sent the black-clad man flying and stood protectively in front of the boys. The wind rustled through the trees, lifting her long, ink-black hair.

Xu Yuxuan’s gaze froze.

The girl didn’t speak. She simply raised her blade and struck with precision, leaving no room for her enemies to breathe. Her movements were seamless, and one by one, the black-clad men fell. In an instant, the birds stopped, and the wind died down.

Zhang Xiaowen took a deep breath and turned to Xu Yuxuan, who seemed either shocked or entranced. “Young brother, we’re saved.”

Xu Yuxuan snapped out of it and struggled to his feet. He took half a step forward and said, “Thank you, Heroine, for saving us. May I ask your name so I can properly express my gratitude?”

Zhang Xiaowen also stood up, nodding vigorously after Xu Yuxuan spoke. He couldn’t believe his luck—saved twice in one day.

The girl wiped the blood from her blade and, without looking up, replied coldly, “No need.”

After speaking, she raised her eyes to look at Zhang Xiaowen: "I'll take you to the prefecture city." Zhang Xiaowen was surprised: "Benefactor, do you know me?" The young woman simply replied, "Magistrate Zhang was a good official." She had been traveling through Xu County by chance and hadn't expected to stumble upon a shocking case of injustice. Hearing someone mention her father, Zhang Xiaowen's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Xu Yuxuan chimed in at this moment, "Don't be afraid, Brother Zhang. I'll accompany you to the prefecture city as well."

Zhang Xiaowen looked up, his eyes filled with both sorrow and gratitude: "I truly don't know how to thank you both, my benefactors..."

After all, he was just an eight or nine-year-old child. Having suffered the tragedy of his family's annihilation, he was forced to grow up overnight. Now that the danger had passed, how could he hold back his tears?

Xu Yuxuan patted his back, offering gentle words of comfort before adding, "Since we'll be traveling together, why don't we introduce ourselves? It'll make it easier to address each other along the way, don't you think?"

The young woman raised her gaze and spoke succinctly, "Qin Qing."

Xu Yuxuan's eyes lit up as he said, "My surname is Xu, and my given name is Yuxuan. By rights, I should call you 'Benefactor,' but wouldn't that make us seem too distant? Though you don't look much older than me, so perhaps I'll just call you Qin Qing directly."

Qin Qing, who had been upholding justice for two years, had never encountered someone so talkative.

She glanced at the young man before turning directly to Zhang Xiaowen, who was still overcome with grief, and said, "This place isn't safe. Let's leave here first."

Zhang Xiaowen nodded.

The carriage was still usable, so Qin Qing led her horse over and swiftly hitched it up. Zhang Xiaowen, being too young to ride a horse, could only travel by carriage.

Xu Yuxuan also retrieved his donkey and mounted it, following alongside the carriage as they left the forest path. Qin Qing ignored him, so he continued talking to himself, "Qin Qing, could you teach me that move you used earlier? It looked really impressive."

"Today, I truly witnessed that 'there are heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people.' You're amazing, unlike me, who only learned some flashy but useless tricks from my father... If it weren't for you earlier, I would've met my end!"

Xu Yuxuan's face was innocent and harmless, and as he spoke about the recent events, he didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about failing to save anyone. "Hey, Qin Qing, why don't you teach me? If you're willing, I'll do anything you ask..."

Finally unable to endure any longer, Qin Qing said, "Be quiet." Xu Yuxuan obediently fell silent, muttering through his nose, "Oh."

Once the young man stopped chattering, even the wind around them seemed to quiet down. Qin Qing flicked the reins, urging her horse to go faster. Xu Yuxuan followed closely behind. Under the blazing sun, a donkey chased after a galloping horse. From this moment on, the fates of the young woman and the young man began to intertwine.