Five bowls of porridge was not the limit of Ye Qing’s appetite—it was the limit of this body.
Feeling that if she ate any more she would surely throw up, Ye Qing finally slowed down. She scraped the last bit of porridge from the bottom of the bowl and ate it.
Patting her now rounded stomach, she said with a look of longing mixed with regret, “Actually, I’m only half full. It’s just that I haven’t eaten in so long; I really can’t take another bite right now.”
“Fiv—only half full?!”
Oldest Brother Xiao, who had been about to take the bowls to wash, stumbled over the threshold and nearly fell flat on his face.
It wasn’t just him; everyone else in the Xiao household stared in utter shock and disbelief.
After the initial astonishment came an awkward silence. Glancing at Ye Qing almost in unison, each of them thought the same thing in their hearts:
Good heavens—eating five big bowls of porridge in one meal and still only being half full… How much food will this girl need just to stay fed?
Oldest Brother Xiao’s wife, Shi Fengxia—the same sister-in-law who had been arguing in the yard earlier—turned green with anger. Clutching her already swelling belly, she was too furious to speak.
That pot had held breakfast for the whole family, and Ye Qing had eaten more than half of it all by herself. What were the rest supposed to eat to fill their stomachs? They still had to go work in the fields later!
The others quickly realized the same problem. Their faces turned grim, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavy and still.
Ye Qing, still savoring the taste of the sweet potato porridge, looked up and saw their expressions. She immediately realized she had eaten far too much. But she felt no regret—this body had been on the brink of death and desperately needed nourishment.
Instinctively, she reached for something valuable to pay for the meal, only to find her pockets completely empty. That was when she remembered: she had traveled through time and taken over someone else’s body. She quickly corrected herself, “As soon as I’m strong enough to move around, I’ll find food. I promise I’ll pay back today’s ration, with interest.”
“Fine words that sound better than a song!” Shi Fengxia scoffed, her tone sharp and unimpressed. “You’re just a young wife with no land and no work. Where on earth do you expect to get food?”
Ye Qing didn’t argue. Instead, she turned the question over in her mind. From the memories of the original owner of this body, she knew times were hard here—food was scarce and expensive. She honestly hadn’t figured out yet how she would find enough to eat.
Wait… weren’t there mountains stretching endlessly behind the village?
Seeing Ye Qing fall silent with a frown, Shi Fengxia felt certain her guess was right. Ye Qing was just talking big; she had no real way to repay anything.
Rubbing her own growling stomach, she turned to walk out, grumbling all the way. “I must be cursed to end up with a sister-in-law like you! First, marrying you cost the family half their savings, and now that you’ve woken up, you eat like there’s no tomorrow. You gobbled up most of that fine grain porridge all by yourself—you’re nothing less than a burden!”
Before Ye Qing could even come up with a plan, she found herself being blamed for everything. She refused to swallow this unfair accusation and shot back immediately. “You say all the money was spent on marrying me? But not a single coin ever passed through my hands! If you care so much about the money, why don’t you go ask whoever took it to give it back? It’s not like I received any of it.”
“Besides, I knew nothing about this marriage from the start and never saw a penny of the betrothal money. What does any of that have to do with me? Now that I’m awake, the money issue is still unresolved—but don’t go dumping the blame on my shoulders.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying you accepted the bride price but now refuse to acknowledge it?” Shi Fengxia’s face hardened. The money was already spent and could not be recovered, but she could not accept that her new sister-in-law was acting as if it never happened.
Ye Qing wasted no more words. She simply pointed toward the wooden door. “Here’s what I suggest: whoever received the money, you take your husband and go demand it back. Yell, argue, even make a scene—I won’t say a word.”
Shi Fengxia stared at her, utterly confused. Caught off guard by this direct and unyielding response, she could barely think straight.
“Second Brother Xiao pulled me out of the river and saved my life, and Auntie Chen borrowed grain to nurse me back from the brink of death. I will never forget those two kindnesses, and I will repay them in full one day,” Ye Qing continued, her tone calm and steady as she looked back at her. “But as for everything else—every debt has its rightful owner, and every wrong has its proper cause. Whoever took the money is the one you should go to. Don’t pin it on me.”
Her words left Shi Fengxia with no room to retort. She opened her mouth, ready to fire back, but something felt wrong—she couldn’t find the right words to counter. In the end, she shut up, feeling defeated.
Ye Qing did not press the argument further. She saw no point in wasting energy on petty squabbles. Back in her previous life, living in a survivor settlement during the apocalypse, she had seen the worst and most complicated sides of human nature. She knew that dwelling on such matters was just a waste of time. Either she took action to settle the issue now, or she rested and gathered her strength to deal with it later.
Once again, silence settled over the room.
Chen Xiuzhi, the middle-aged woman who ran the household, stepped forward to smooth things over. She gently urged Ye Qing to lie back and rest, then turned to calm her eldest daughter-in-law. “That fine grain was borrowed specifically to help Ye Qing regain her strength. It’s only right she eats more while she’s recovering.”
“Mother, but she ate so much! What are we supposed to eat this morning? There’s barely enough porridge left for two bowls, and we still have to work the fields later!” Shi Fengxia was still upset, mostly over the wasted food.
Chen Xiuzhi tied her apron back on and looked around thoughtfully. “There are roasted sweet potatoes in the ashes of the stove. And we can still do something with the remaining porridge. I’ll add more water, throw in some cornmeal, and toss in a handful of wild greens. That’ll make a whole new pot of vegetable porridge for everyone.”
“Then let me help you,” Shi Fengxia said eagerly. She was six months pregnant and had woken up feeling so hungry she could barely stand.
As they walked toward the kitchen, Chen Xiuzhi continued to soothe her daughter-in-law. “Ye Qing hasn’t eaten properly in days. Her body is still weak, so of course she ate like a hungry wolf once she woke up. Don’t take it so much to heart.”
She also put it in terms Shi Fengxia could understand. “Besides, a healthy appetite means her strength is coming back. Once she recovers, she’ll be another pair of strong hands to help with the work—that’s good news for our family, isn’t it? I heard she was quite capable and hardworking back at her parents’ home. Let her eat what she needs.”
Chen Xiuzhi was a kind and reasonable mother-in-law who rarely quarreled with anyone. Her words gradually calmed Shi Fengxia down. She stopped complaining and followed her into the kitchen to help prepare the new meal.
The two men of the family, First and Second Brother Xiao, stood by awkwardly, wanting to say something but unsure how to join in. In the end, they picked up their hoes and went out to tend to their small private plot of land, then fetched buckets of water from the well.
Ye Qing sat on the brick bed, gazing longingly out the window. She was eager to step outside and see this place—so green, so peaceful, and completely free of zombies. She would have to spend decades living here, after all.
But no matter how hard she tried to stand, her legs felt as if they were filled with lead and refused to move. She gave up, lay back down, and closed her eyes to rest and build up her strength.
A short while later, a faint, pleasant aroma drifted from the kitchen. Chen Xiuzhi had poured two large ladles of water into the leftover porridge, added two scoops of coarse cornmeal, and stirred it well. Once it began bubbling and boiling, she handed the wooden spoon to Shi Fengxia. “You don’t need to stand over the fire. Watch your belly—come stir the pot so it doesn’t burn at the bottom.”
“You shouldn’t be doing all the work either, Mother,” Shi Fengxia replied, stirring continuously.
Without answering, Chen Xiuzhi took a handful of half-dried wild greens, washed them thoroughly, tore them into pieces, and tossed them into the pot. After a few more stirs, the pot released a rich, appetizing steam.
“Hey—you said you were only half full earlier, right? Here’s another bowl. Mother told me to bring it over.”
Ye Qing was staring blankly at the ceiling when Shi Fengxia walked in. She looked up in surprise.
Shi Fengxia pursed her lips. “Don’t just sit there gawking. Eat up. The sooner you get your strength back, the sooner you can work in the fields.”
“Thank you,” Ye Qing said, not standing on ceremony. She took the bowl and began eating, though this time she managed a slightly more measured pace.
Even so, Shi Fengxia watched in alarm. “You eat so fast—aren’t you afraid you’ll burn the skin off your mouth?”
“If you’d gone ten years without a proper meal, you’d eat even faster than me,” Ye Qing replied. She finished the whole bowl in just a few mouthfuls, and Shi Fengxia took the empty dish back.
No one spoke after that. The only sound in the house was the soft slurping of porridge.
The family finished their breakfast quickly, wiped their mouths, and got ready to head out to work.
Thinking everyone had left, Ye Qing tried again to push herself up and stand. But as soon as she sat upright, she saw Chen Xiuzhi walking back into the room.
“Is something the matter… Auntie?” Ye Qing couldn’t bring herself to call her “Mother” yet, so she used the more respectful, distant title.
Chen Xiuzhi had already noticed something off during the earlier argument. She suspected Ye Qing had her own thoughts and feelings about the situation, so she waited until everyone else was gone to speak privately.
Hearing how Ye Qing addressed her only confirmed her suspicion. She helped steady Ye Qing and got straight to the point. “Little Ye, you said yourself you knew nothing about this marriage—that your parents arranged every detail without asking you. But times are changing now; marriage is supposed to be a matter of free will. No one can force you into anything. Now that you’re awake, what do you truly want?”
“You and Xiao Yang haven’t officially registered your marriage yet. If you don’t want to stay with him, I understand completely. That’s why I came to ask. If you’re willing to make this your home, I’ll treat you like my own daughter-in-law, and we’ll live together peacefully. But if your heart isn’t in it, you must tell me now. We can send you to your maternal uncle’s house to recover. Once you’re strong enough, you’ll have to go back with us to settle the matter of the bride price—your father will have to return the money.”
She patted Ye Qing’s hand gently. “If you don’t want to stay, there’s no point forcing you. Think it over carefully, and let me know your decision.”
With that, she picked up her hoe and walked out, quickly catching up with the rest of the family.
Now the house was truly empty, quiet and still. Spring sunlight streamed through the window, falling across the brick bed and casting the shape of the wooden frame on the surface. Ye Qing stretched out her hand to let the sun warm her skin. It felt soft and comforting, peaceful and calm.
She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had known such quiet safety—lying in bed without fear, simply basking in sunlight.
As she warmed herself, she turned over Chen Xiuzhi’s words in her mind. Time passed quickly.
Soon the sun climbed higher into the sky, and the patch of light on the bed moved away. Ye Qing dragged herself slowly and painfully to the edge of the bed, then inched her way to the yard, supporting herself on the wall. Finally, she sank down onto a small wooden stool and sat there, eyes half-closed, continuing to soak up the warmth.
Perhaps it was the extra bowl of sweet potato porridge, or perhaps it was the warmth of the sun—but she began to feel drowsy, her head growing light and fuzzy.
She fought against the heaviness in her eyes, resting her chin in her hand, trying to figure out her next move: should she stay here in the Xiao family home, or go to her uncle’s? And how would she manage to feed herself and survive well in the long run?
Just as she was deep in thought, a strange voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Host! Host! Look at me! I’m right here!”