Chapter 34: Then Will You Marry Me? (4,000 words)

The young girl's first attempt at cooking ended in a disastrous failure.

She had even come close to burning the kitchen down.

Fortunately, Xiao Mo reacted in time and extinguished the flames.

In truth, even if there hadn't been a fire, Xiao Mo felt that the meal Bai Ruxue prepared this time was barely edible.

In Bai Ruxue's mind, the concept of "cooked" simply meant it had been heated.

Her original plan was to boil the water and then toss the rabbit and wild chicken directly into the pot.

But even when people make boiled fish, they don't just throw a live fish into boiling water.

Seeing Bai Ruxue hanging her head in self-reproach, Xiao Mo did not scold her. Instead, he offered encouragement: "It's alright. I'll cook today's meal."

"Xiao Mo, I'm sorry. I will definitely learn how to cook well in the future..." Bai Ruxue lifted her delicate head, her eyes misty, looking as though she might burst into tears if Xiao Mo uttered even one more word of reprimand.

Xiao Mo nodded. "No rush. Take it slow."

After retrieving the rabbit and chicken from the pot, Xiao Mo began to process the ingredients.

Bai Ruxue watched from the side, observing how he cooked and looking for any way to help.

The girl watched as Xiao Mo gutted the rabbit and chicken, washed them thoroughly, and finally cut them into small pieces to stir-fry with scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Only then did she realize that human cooking was such a meticulous affair.

After that, Bai Ruxue began learning to cook in the human way.

Her mentor was none other than the Village Chief's wife—Auntie Chen.

As for how Bai Ruxue had connected with Auntie Chen, it was all thanks to the Village Chief's second daughter, Wang Ying.

Hearing that a "fairy sister" had arrived at Brother Xiao's house and was incredibly beautiful, Wang Ying came to take a look.

Bai Ruxue was naturally simple-minded, so she quickly hit it off with the young Wang Ying.

When Wang Ying heard the "fairy sister" wanted to learn to cook, she immediately led Bai Ruxue straight to her mother.

Faced with the request of such a beautiful girl, Auntie Chen naturally found it hard to refuse.

And so, Bai Ruxue became Auntie Chen's "disciple."

Auntie Chen was very enthusiastic, coming to Xiao Mo's courtyard every day to teach Bai Ruxue how to prepare meals.

At first, Auntie Chen was quite patient.

Looking at Bai Ruxue's fair, delicate hands, Auntie Chen knew she must have been a lady of high standing who had never lifted a finger for manual labor.

Auntie Chen had prepared herself mentally, knowing this young lady likely knew nothing.

But gradually, Auntie Chen began to lose her temper.

"No, no! You have to scale the fish first! And take out the entrails! You can't just throw it in the pot!"

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Why did you put so many chilies in? Are you trying to kill Xiao Mo with spice?"

"I'm sorry!"

"Stop adding salt! Is salt free? Are you trying to salt Xiao Mo to death?"

"I didn't do it on purpose..."

"Fine, fine. Now put the cilantro in. Xiao Mo likes cilantro."

"Enough! Cilantro is a seasoning, not something you stir-fry like cabbage!"

Every day at noon, while Xiao Mo was reading in the courtyard, he could hear Auntie Chen scolding Bai Ruxue.

Every time, Auntie Chen would stomp away grumbling, saying, "So stupid, I'm never coming to teach you again."

Every time, Bai Ruxue would be scolded to tears.

But Auntie Chen would return the next day, and Bai Ruxue would wipe her tears and continue learning earnestly.

There was no other reason; though Bai Ruxue was a bit slow, she was beautiful and studied with great sincerity.

Furthermore, Auntie Chen was a woman with a sharp tongue but a soft heart; once her anger subsided, she would remember the lovely young girl.

As the days passed, the frequency of Auntie Chen's scolding decreased.

One noon, three months later, Auntie Chen didn't scold Bai Ruxue even once.

On that very afternoon, as they watched Xiao Mo pick up his chopsticks, their eyes were filled with tension.

"Delicious," Xiao Mo nodded after taking a bite of the rabbit meat.

"Hooray!" Bai Ruxue jumped for joy.

Auntie Chen couldn't help but wipe away a tear.

She had finally graduated her student. It hadn't been easy.

Aside from cooking, Bai Ruxue also handled Xiao Mo's laundry.

Every morning, she would carry their clothes to the river to wash.

The village aunties were very warm, teaching her how to get the clothes clean.

Over time, she became well-acquainted with them.

They would even occasionally drop suggestive jokes her way.

But Bai Ruxue understood none of it.

Seeing her innocent expression, the aunties wouldn't explain; they would just laugh.

Confused, Bai Ruxue would run back to ask Xiao Mo.

"Xiao Mo, why did Auntie Wang say men have three legs? But you only have two. Where is your third leg? Let me see it."

"Xiao Mo, why did Auntie Chen say I am good at bearing children, and that if I get pregnant, our whole family won't starve?"

"Xiao Mo, Auntie Sun asked me if you sneak into my room at night to do 'bad things' to me. What are bad things? Are you going to enter my room tonight?"

Faced with these questions, Xiao Mo didn't know how to answer and could only remain silent.

Sometimes, Bai Ruxue would return to the mountains to visit her sister, bringing delicious persimmon cakes from the village and telling her about the interesting things she had encountered.

In the heat of summer, she would fan Xiao Mo with a hand fan. Even if she were drenched in sweat, she would merely wipe herself and continue fanning him.

In the cold of winter, she would crawl into Xiao Mo's bed to warm it for him.

Even though Xiao Mo said it wasn't necessary, Bai Ruxue insisted every time.

Since the expenses for ink, paper, brushes, and books were high, Bai Ruxue would go hunting and give the game to Auntie Chen to help sell.

Or, she would learn to raise silkworms and weave silk from Auntie Chen.

While feeding the silkworms, she would always murmur, "Little silkworms, you must spin lots of silk~"

Because the Village Chief had nothing left to teach Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo often had to travel elsewhere to seek education and listen to other teachers.

Education cost money, but fortunately, the magistrate of Qingshan County was eager to win the favor of the local scholars.

Thus, he could provide subsidies for tuition and travel expenses.

When Xiao Mo traveled to study, Bai Ruxue would go with him.

As they walked through the mountain forests, Bai Ruxue would hunt for him, roast his food, and fetch his water.

Xiao Mo only needed to walk forward and focus on his studies.

As winter approached, Bai Ruxue began to feel drowsy.

Every night, she would go to sleep early, only waking up in a panic when the sun was high, complaining to Xiao Mo: "Why didn't you wake me up? I haven't washed the clothes yet."

Unknowingly, whether it was laundry, cooking, or housework, Bai Ruxue became increasingly proficient, much like a virtuous wife.

Deep winter arrived.

One morning, Bai Ruxue woke up to find her skin covered in a layer of translucent, crystalline snake skin.

The girl was startled and rushed to look in the mirror, only to find her face also covered in white scales, and her eyes had turned a hazy grey.

"Oh no! I'm molting! What should I do, what should I do..."

Bai Ruxue paced back and forth in the room, her small hands clutching her sleeves tightly.

Finally, she stopped, her eyes filled with determination: "It seems I have no choice but to run!"

Bai Ruxue took up pen and paper to leave a letter for Xiao Mo. The gist was: "Something has come up at home; my sister is sick, and I must return to care for her. I will be back in the spring."

Then, transforming into a snake, she quickly slipped out through the window and crawled up the mountain.

"Ruxue... wake up... Ruxue..."

Even after noon had passed and Bai Ruxue had not risen, Xiao Mo knocked on her door. He found the room empty, seeing only a letter on the table and a patch of white, crystalline snake skin on the floor.

After returning to the mountain, Bai Ruxue scurried into a cave.

Her sister had long since entered hibernation. Bai Ruxue lay down beside her, staring at the heavy snow outside the cave, her heart filled with worry.

"Without me cooking for him, will he go hungry?"

"What if there's no one to wash his clothes?"

"What if there's no one to warm his bed? Will he feel uncomfortable?"

As she thought, her head grew heavier and heavier, and she eventually fell into hibernation.

When spring arrived, Bai Ruxue opened her eyes and molted once more.

When she saw her own form, she was shocked.

She was now fifteen feet long and a foot thick.

The knowledge etched into her blood told her that she was no longer a mere snake, but a python.

Shifting her form back into a human, Bai Ruxue looked down and realized she couldn't see her toes.

Walking to the edge of a pool, she looked at her reflection in the water.

The woman possessed a graceful and lithe figure. Beneath her sloping shoulders, her breasts were full and rounded, their curves outlined by the silk sash of her waist. Beneath the thin gauze, her voluptuous silhouette was faintly visible, rising and falling slightly with her breath like fragrant warm jade.

Her waist was slender, perfectly sized to be held in one hand, like a willow swaying in the wind.

Beneath her skirt, her legs were straight and long; even under the concealment of her pomegranate-red skirt, her elegant posture was evident.

Her peach-blossom eyes were filled with affection, like newly bloomed petals, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, lending her a natural, flirtatious charm, as if stained with a touch of alluring rouge.

"Is this me?"

Bai Ruxue stared at her reflection in amazement.

She turned to look at her profile; the curves of the woman in the water undulated like mountain ranges.

"It's beautiful, but my shoulders feel so sore..."

Bai Ruxue frowned and adjusted her "two mountains" in front.

"Forget it, I need to get down the mountain quickly. Half a year has passed; I wonder if Xiao Mo has been eating well."

When she reached the entrance of Xiao Mo's courtyard, he was reading just as he always did.

"Xiao Mo."

Bai Ruxue called out to the man in the courtyard.

Xiao Mo looked up, saw the woman in white outside the courtyard, and was momentarily stunned. It took him a long time to react: "Miss Bai?"

"If not me, then who?"

Bai Ruxue walked into the courtyard.

Wherever she went, Xiao Mo's gaze followed.

"Wh-why do you keep staring at me? Am... am I strange?" Bai Ruxue felt embarrassed by his gaze, feeling a heat rising in her body.

"No, it's just that we haven't met for half a year, and you seem to have changed quite a bit. I'm just not used to it yet," Xiao Mo said, withdrawing his gaze. "Forgive my rudeness."

"So, compared to before, am I more beautiful or more unsightly?" Bai Ruxue asked playfully, as usual.

"More beautiful," Xiao Mo answered honestly.

The old Ruxue had the purity of a young girl.

The current Ruxue had fully blossomed, carrying a hint of charm within that purity.

"If it's beautiful, then look more," Bai Ruxue's eyes curved into crescents. "If it's you, Xiao Mo, I don't mind~"

"That is still not quite right," Xiao Mo shook his head with a smile.

"What's not right about it?" Bai Ruxue tilted her head. "I grew beautiful just for you to look at."

"..." Xiao Mo was momentarily speechless.

"Miss..." Xiao Mo thought about how to explain, "there must be a distinction between men and women."

"I don't get it."

Bai Ruxue did not understand.

If it were anyone else, she would naturally observe such distinctions.

But she didn't dislike Xiao Mo, so why bother?

Xiao Mo always had these strange principles.

Unknowingly, another two years passed.

In the winter, Bai Ruxue would go up the mountain to hibernate.

Each time she woke from hibernation, she became thicker and longer, but her human appearance remained fixed.

One day, Bai Ruxue went to the river to wash clothes.

She didn't know what the village aunties had been saying to her.

When she returned, she kept staring at Xiao Mo.

She stared while he ate, and stole glances while he hung clothes.

When she had nothing to do, she simply sat in front of him and watched.

"Is something the matter, Miss Bai?" Xiao Mo put down his book and took a sip of tea.

"Mhm." Bai Ruxue nodded. "Xiao Mo, when are you going to marry me?"

"Cough, cough, cough!" Xiao Mo choked heavily. "Miss Bai, what did you say?"

"I said, when are you going to marry me?" Bai Ruxue asked.

"Why do you ask that, Miss Bai?"

"Because Auntie Li told me to ask~"

Bai Ruxue straightened her willow-like waist, her silhouette casting a shadow upon the stone table.

"Auntie Li said that I am unmarried and you are unwed, yet we live together every day. We are both adults, so why aren't we married? Auntie Li said when her son was your age, his grandson was already old enough to run errands."

"This..." Xiao Mo thought for a moment and explained, "Miss Bai, it takes two people liking each other to get married."

"But I like you!" Bai Ruxue blinked. "Don't you like me?"

Xiao Mo smiled. "Then, in your eyes, what is our relationship?"

"Friends," Bai Ruxue blurted out.

Xiao Mo shook his head. "But Miss Bai, the liking of 'just friends' is not enough."

"Then what kind of liking is enough?"

Bai Ruxue was dazed. Did "liking" actually come in different varieties?

"Well..." Xiao Mo pondered, "it's hard to say. But if one day you understand, you will know whether you want to marry me or not."

"Then, on the day I understand and still want you to marry me, will you marry me?"

Xiao Mo paused, looking tenderly into the girl's peach-blossom eyes.

"Yes."