Chapter 198: Trial Maid; the Overly Working He Dongmei.
After He Dongmei became Yang Wei's mentor-disciple, a few more days passed.
She performed her duties exceptionally well, to the point where it even bothered Yang Wei. He worried that Mu Lin would return and demand more payment for someone who didn't even want money.
If Tianyi pooped in the courtyard, she would clean it up and use the dung as fertilizer to plant other medicinal plants. Being knowledgeable about Yang Wei's interests, she made inquiries about frequently used medicinal plants and herbs for pill refinement. Then, she went to the forests at Green Sanctuary Peak and gathered them all.
She planted them, and they naturally grew quickly due to using Tianyi's dung as fertilizer.
She washed all of Yang Wei's clothes, both those he'd worn and those he hadn't, and sewed up any underwear or ripped pants.
Whenever Mu Lin didn't visit to cook, He Dongmei made sure to prepare a meal, but only after asking Yang Wei, as she wasn't sure if he would be comfortable eating her own cooking.
She was exceedingly polite, to the point that it scared Yang Wei, as there were very few polite people in the Martial World.
And the fact that they lived in a matriarchal world and she was still very eager to serve him, a man, did bother him a bit.
So, Yang Wei told her she didn't have to ask him for permission for everything and should feel free to act if she knew it was right.
However, he instantly regretted that decision...
He Dongmei initiated a daily "morning exercise routine" for Yang Wei, waking him up at the crack of dawn to perform a series of stretching exercises and tai chi moves, much to his annoyance and protests about needing more beauty sleep and time to study the inheritance he was given.
She also decided to redecorate Yang Wei's entire living space without his permission, rearranging furniture and hanging up decorative scrolls depicting scenes of fluffy bunnies and kittens meditating in lotus positions.
Even poor Tianyi suffered under her care; she forced him to bathe six times a day, claiming that:
"Come on, little Tianyi. A pet that isn't cleaner than its master can't lick its master."
Then she'd say, "So, let me just bathe you for the fourth time today, and you'll be free until evening. Then, I'll only need to bathe you twice. Fun, right?!"
It became so excessive that Tianyi's scales ached, and everyday before each bath, He Dongmei would chase him around the courtyard for at least 30 minutes before catching him to bathe him, which he found to be absolute torture.
"RaaAAwWWrrrR! RaAAaawWWr!"
Those were the sorrowful screams of the baby dragon that now suffered the trauma of a soap and sponge.
...
It was another fresh day, and as usual, He Dongmei was busy with her early morning cleaning routine. She made sure to tidy up the place three times a day—bright and early, in the afternoon, and late into the night—before diving into her cultivation practice.
Meanwhile, Yang Wei sat in a lotus position at his meditation spot, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his cultivation wasn't as effective as usual. Pausing for a moment, he muttered to himself, "Hmm, have I been reading this thing so much that it's driving me crazy?" Despite spending nearly a week studying the inheritance, he hadn't made any progress.
Closing his eyes, he attempted to focus on his cultivation again, only to find his Qi flow disrupted. Frustrated, he said, "This is the first time this has happened."
He Dongmei, diligently polishing the floorboards to a gleaming shine, noticed Yang Wei's struggle and inquired, "What's the matter, Senior Brother?"
Yang Wei adjusted his sitting position and confessed, "I don't know why, but it feels like my Qi flow is off. I can't seem to cultivate properly." Then, he mused, "Maybe my meditation spot is facing the wrong direction?"
He Dongmei, visibly embarrassed, raised her hand and admitted, "I... might be the cause of that."
Yang Wei arched an eyebrow as his expression turned serious. "Explain," he demanded.
She suddenly bowed her head in apology, inadvertently slamming her face against the smooth, well-polished floorboards, breaking her glasses in the process. Despite the mishap, she begged, "Please, Senior Brother, I'm sorry! It's my fault! I decided to rearrange your cultivation room based on Feng Shui principles I read in a scroll, hoping to maximize your cultivation.
But it seems I messed it up, as usual!"
Initially, Yang Wei felt the urge to shout at her.
Sigh~
He'd been struggling to cultivate for three days, trying to grasp the basics of the Dao of Spirit-forging Alchemy. Each attempt ended in failure, he already believed his comprehension skills were flawed, when infact it was the angle of his meditative position all along.
However, seeing the way she quickly apologized and considering the fact she was only trying to be useful, he sighed and said, "Get up."
At this point, there was no need shouting over what's already happened.
She lifted her head, remaining on her knees, sniffling to hold back tears as she reiterated her apology. "I-, I really am sorry..."
Yang Wei examined her closely, realizing it was the first time he truly looked at her.
She was a rather young, petite lady with a slender build, and had a below average height for her age. Her light skin matched her occasionally red cheeks. Her shoulder-length blue hair, with eyebrow-length bangs, was tied up with a bandana around her head. She has wavy hair, likely due to lack of combing, making it look very unkempt.
But most importantly, there was a deep innocence in her brown eyes, which, when combined with her oversized glasses, made her look like an innocent, awkward young woman.
After a brief moment, he approached her, kneeling down and smiling as he asked, "Why are you so eager to help me?"
She scratched her head, resembling an embarrassed puppy, and stammered, "W-well, I just... want to help you, Senior Brother."
Yang Wei gently tapped her forehead, "I know that's not the real reason." He watched as she winced slightly from the tap, then smiled at her reaction, she didn't have the usual lady-like charm, but at the same time she wasn't exactly a tomboy either. "Alright, spill it," he said in a calm, open-to-discussion tone.
He Dongmei settled her hands in her lap and lowered her head, admitting, "Well, the truth is, I really just admire you..."
Yang Wei raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.
Blushing even more, she explained, "It might sound funny for a woman in this world to look up to a man, but I'm not from here. Where I come from, gender doesn't matter, and everyone is respected equally."
"Umh..." She fidgeted with her fingers nervously, revealing, "I've been in the Outer Sect much longer than you, but I haven't been able to progress much because I lack talent. I just want to learn how to be better...
It's painful to see that almost everyone sees me as useless because I'm weak." She sniffled a bit, "While this world may favor women, being weak won't earn me anything other than - pain, torment and suffering. Sigh~ in the end, the true worth of anything is judged solely on power... something I lack."
Yang Wei placed a comforting hand on her head, patting her gently, and leaned in with a smile.
He Dongmei's face flushed even redder.
"So, you're tired of feeling useless and want to learn from me, but didn't know how to say it?" said Yang Wei.
With a nod and a face burning bright red, He Dongmei affirmed his statement, unable to form coherent words in her overwhelmed state.
Yang Wei sighed, "I see..."
She was probably working this hard so when she finally asks, I wouldn't reject her. It wasn't just her only leverage, but the her own way of showing she could be useful...
He noticed that her glasses were crooked and cracked on the lens. After adjusting them for her using both hands, he suggested, "Maybe we should get you a new pair sometime soon?"
Staring at him with her big brown eyes, He Dongmei nodded in agreement.