Su Zhi’s hair was very long, and Yue Chunhan’s house didn’t have a hairdryer. She could only rub her hair with a towel until it was half-dry, then wait for it to dry naturally. Fortunately, because she had boiled water for bathing earlier, a lot of firewood had been burned, and the room was now warm and cozy. After a while, Su Zhi’s hair naturally dried.
When Su Zhi lay down, her dark, smooth hair cascading around her, she received an admiring compliment from Yue Tiantian. “Wow, Auntie’s hair is so pretty! Will Tiantian have such beautiful hair when she grows up?”
Su Zhi hadn’t expected Yue Tiantian to care about beauty at such a young age. She was both amused and touched, patting the little girl’s head. “Of course you can.”
Yue Chunhan, holding the candlestick, unconsciously glanced at Su Zhi following their conversation. Su Zhi’s hair was so long that it normally reached her waist when let down, dark and smooth like fine silk. Now, she lay on the bedding playing with Yue Tiantian, her thick, seaweed-like hair spread across the bedding and kang, messy yet beautiful, making Su Zhi’s face appear exceptionally fair and delicate.
Yue Chunhan gave her a deep look before quickly withdrawing his gaze. He held the candlestick and blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness.
Yesterday, Su Zhi hadn’t quite adjusted to this early bedtime routine, but perhaps because she had worked in the fields all day, she was incredibly sleepy tonight. Staring into the dark room, her mind quickly grew heavy and drowsy. Seeing this, Yue Tiantian grew anxious.
Yue Tiantian snuggled in Su Zhi’s arms, wanting to hear the second half of The Little Mermaid story Su Zhi had told last night. But before she could, Su Zhi, looking very tired, rested her head on the pillow with closed eyes, seemingly about to sleep.
Yue Tiantian fidgeted anxiously under the covers, wanting to shake Su Zhi awake to tell her the rest of the story, but didn’t dare, afraid of disturbing Su Zhi’s sleep.
Yue Tiantian was really looking forward to the second half of The Little Mermaid. During the day, she had told the first half to her friends. Though she stumbled through it, not as smoothly as Su Zhi, and some parts weren’t well remembered, the novel story still captivated the children around her. They all went “wow” with shining eyes. Even a boy who used to bully Yue Tiantian stopped causing trouble, chasing her for the second half of the story, making Yue Tiantian incredibly proud. Unfortunately, she hadn’t heard the rest either, so she was especially anxious.
After the little mermaid got legs and saved the prince, what happened next?
What about her lost voice?
Did the prince know the little mermaid saved him?
How would the story unfold next?
These questions had occupied her all day. Not only was she puzzled and eager, but her little friends who had heard the story were also impatient. Yet now, the only one who could tell the story, Su Zhi, seemed about to fall asleep.
Yue Tiantian hesitated, torn, unsure whether to wake Su Zhi. Just as she struggled, a large hand from Yue Chunhan beside her covered her eyes, pressing her raised head back onto the pillow.
Yue Chunhan covered Yue Tiantian’s eyes, his voice low. “Don’t disturb your aunt. You can listen to the story tomorrow. Now, sleep.”
Yue Tiantian usually obeyed Yue Chunhan. Remembering that Su Zhi had worked in the fields all day and must be very tired, and looking at Su Zhi’s sleeping profile, Yue Tiantian instantly felt guilty. She closed her eyes, even slowing her breathing, afraid of disturbing Su Zhi.
Auntie was so tired, and she was still thinking about the second half of the story. She wasn’t a good girl. Daddy was right—she could listen to the story tomorrow!
Yue Tiantian, gently patted on the back by Yue Chunhan, snuggled in Su Zhi’s arms and soon fell asleep.
By the moonlight, Yue Chunhan glanced at Su Zhi on the other side. Exhausted, she slept soundly, her sleeping face peaceful and soft, her skin fair, her features delicate.
Su Zhi’s fingertips, resting by the pillow, were wrapped in layers of bandages. Her tender skin still bore some scratches, and her cheeks had a few marks too. Compared to the stunning beauty when she first arrived last night, she now carried an added touch of fragile vulnerability that evoked pity.
Yue Chunhan looked at her deeply for a moment before quickly looking away, closing his eyes on his own pillow to sleep.
Under the hazy moonlight, the three lay side by side on the same kang, presenting a very harmonious, family-like picture.
Su Zhi had been utterly exhausted yesterday. She had thought she should at least get up earlier today, but to her surprise, upon waking, she was once again the last one. The two bedding sets beside hers were already folded, leaving only hers still spread out on the kang.
Su Zhi sat up, her long hair in disarray, and instinctively looked out the window. Unexpectedly, there was no sound of chopping wood today, and even Yue Chunhan’s wood-splitting figure was nowhere to be seen.
Su Zhi leaned out the window, scanning the yard. After a while, she still didn’t see Yue Chunhan. Looking at the sun outside, she wondered if Yue Chunhan had already gone to work.
After folding her bedding and stepping out of the room, Su Zhi saw Yue Tiantian quietly playing by herself in the yard.
“Tiantian, where’s your dad?”
Yue Tiantian was playing with ants on the ground. Hearing this, she looked up, her voice childish. “Auntie, my dad went hunting in the mountains.”
Su Zhi was stunned. Hunting?
Su Zhi was genuinely surprised. Such an ancient term—she had only heard it from her grandfather’s generation. In modern urban life, this word was rarely heard anymore.
Yue Chunhan could hunt?
Suddenly, Su Zhi remembered Yue Chunhan’s leg. She didn’t know if Yue Chunhan was just stubbornly enduring because of his competitive nature, or if his leg injury wasn’t that severe. Yue Chunhan always appeared steady, but Su Zhi remembered that Yue Chunhan’s left leg had an old injury, causing a slight limp when he walked.
In the original story, this injury plagued Yue Chunhan for a long time. It wasn’t until he became a famous entrepreneur that he had surgery to treat it. However, because it had been so long, it left lasting effects and couldn’t be completely cured.
Now, Yue Chunhan actually went hunting in the mountains with his old injury? With his left foot injured, wouldn’t there be problems?
Yue Tiantian sensed Su Zhi’s concern and, like a little adult, comforted her. “It’s okay, Auntie. Don’t worry. My dad is one of the best hunters in the village. He’s really good.”
Since the original story largely revolved around the male and female leads’ romance, the second male lead Yue Chunhan didn’t have an overwhelming amount of screen time. His career wasn’t described in detail either; it was only known that he made money through a win-win collaboration with the female lead.
Perhaps because Su Zhi hadn’t read to the end, she was still somewhat surprised that Yue Chunhan could hunt.
The village was nestled by mountains and water. Behind the houses were many hills. Yue Tiantian said Yue Chunhan would be gone for a day or two, having taken enough dry rations. He would return only after catching game.
Honestly, upon learning Yue Chunhan wouldn’t be home recently, Su Zhi subconsciously let out a sigh of relief, feeling her tense nerves relax considerably.
Living with Yue Chunhan and knowing his bad temper, Su Zhi was constantly worried about potential domestic violence. With Yue Chunhan away, Su Zhi could finally breathe easier.
But why did Yue Chunhan suddenly go hunting in the mountains? Yesterday, he was busy harvesting corn stalks; today, he ran off to the mountains. It seemed rather busy.
Su Zhi nibbled on the corn flatbread Yue Chunhan had steamed that morning. The sour taste made her choke, and she couldn’t help but scrunch up her face, forcing herself to swallow the food.
If Yue Chunhan wasn’t home, she should find some ingredients today to properly improve the food. She really couldn’t eat this flatbread anymore.
Next to Yue Chunhan’s house was a large cornfield. As Su Zhi sat in the yard eating with Yue Tiantian, sudden rustling sounds came from near the wall adjoining the cornfield. Someone seemed to be peering into the yard through gaps in the rubble-stacked wall.
…Gulp.
It was the sound of someone swallowing saliva.