Su Zhi walked out with tear-filled eyes, only to see Yue Tiantian standing at the door, looking cautious and uneasy. Seeing the anxiety on the little girl’s face, Su Zhi regained her composure. She rubbed her face, let out a heavy sigh, and forced a gentle smile back onto her face.
Crouching down, Su Zhi asked Yue Tiantian, “What’s wrong, Tiantian?”
Yue Tiantian seemed a bit downcast. “Auntie, did you and Dad fight…? I heard the adults talking. Are you getting divorced? Are you leaving again?”
Su Zhi ruffled her hair. “Where did you hear such nonsense, Tiantian? Nothing like that is happening for now. But even if I left, I could still take care of you.”
Yue Tiantian nodded, not fully understanding, but soon a smile returned to her face. “The hair Auntie did for me this morning—when I went out, everyone was envious. They all said I looked especially cute today. Auntie Liu even praised me.”
After a moment’s thought, Su Zhi realized Yue Tiantian meant Widow Liu, who lived next door to Yue Chunhan. She smiled gently and patted Yue Tiantian’s head. “I’m glad you liked it. Tomorrow, I’ll braid your hair in a different style, even prettier than today’s.”
Yue Tiantian’s face lit up with joy. “Really, Auntie? That’s great! Since Auntie came, I can listen to stories and have pretty braids. Tiantian likes Auntie the most!”
Looking at Yue Tiantian’s adorable little face, Su Zhi’s heart, which had been fuming with anger at Yue Chunhan moments ago, nearly melted. She couldn’t help but sigh softly.
…For now, let’s just go with the flow, take things one step at a time. If it really doesn’t work out, then she could look for another place to settle.
That evening, after a full day of labor, Su Zhi was covered in sweat and wanted to bathe. But since she was currently in a cold war with Yue Chunhan, she busied herself trying to light a fire to boil water for a bath.
However, she had no experience making a fire. She put a few pieces of firewood into the kang stove but couldn’t get it to light. Finally, after using other materials as kindling, thick black smoke billowed out of the stove, choking Su Zhi until tears streamed down her face. She rushed out, leaning against the wall, coughing uncontrollably.
The room now looked as if it were on fire, filled with dense black smoke. Su Zhi couldn’t even go back in—the smoke stung her eyes, and entering made her choke and cry.
As she was patting her chest, coughing incessantly, Yue Chunhan entered the room. He crouched by the stove, calmly rearranging the firewood. He said nothing, but his movements were practiced and skilled, exuding a reassuring sense of steadiness.
Yue Chunhan removed the slightly damp firewood and replaced it with dry, sun-baked pieces. He adjusted the arrangement bit by bit, leaving space for the fire to breathe. Soon, flames began to lick the wood, and the stove stopped belching black smoke.
Yue Chunhan’s muscles were well-defined. During the day, many men and women had stolen glances at him while he worked. Now, watching him crouch, adjusting the firewood, his taut biceps and the veins standing out conveyed raw strength. Yet his features were strikingly handsome, his dark eyes cool and detached, like a lion poised to hunt at any moment.
Due to their failed “negotiation” earlier, Su Zhi found Yue Chunhan increasingly irritating. But despite disliking him, she had to admit his appearance was indeed deceptive. From his looks alone, one couldn’t tell he had such an infuriating personality.
Once Yue Chunhan had sorted the firewood in the stove, he glanced at Su Zhi, his thin lips curving slightly, his dark eyes emotionless. “Su Zhi, were you trying to burn my house down?”
Su Zhi’s thick, dark hair cascaded like seaweed, beautiful and vibrant. Even in the dim, cramped room, she shone like a pearl, brightening the space.
Stung by Yue Chunhan’s biting remark and aware of her mistake, Su Zhi looked at the smoke-filled room, feeling a bit ashamed. She quickly, in a very soft voice, muttered, “Sorry,” so quietly it was like a mosquito’s buzz. Then she lowered her head, pouting, staring intently at her shoes as if they held some treasure worth studying.
Yue Chunhan, still crouching, shot her a dark glance, paused, then looked away, emitting an almost imperceptible snort.
Outside the door, Yue Tiantian watched the two with wide, puzzled eyes, tilting her head. After a long while, she felt the atmosphere wasn’t as tense as when Auntie first returned, so she let out a big sigh of relief.
Phew… Auntie probably won’t leave for now.
·
In rural areas, bathing was a hassle. No body wash, no essential oils, no bath towels, not even a showerhead.
Su Zhi submerged herself in a wooden tub, scooping water over her body with a ladle. The tub was filled with the hot water she had painstakingly boiled. The warm water slightly soothed the day’s labor discomfort, and Su Zhi relaxed her features as she soaked.
But just as she relaxed, the cuts on her fingers from the daytime work stung sharply, making her gasp.
Her red, swollen, chafed fingers soaked in hot water hurt especially. The skin on her fingertips was rubbed raw, the broken skin darkening, with dried blood stains over the wounds—a rather pitiful sight.
Huddled in the tub, Su Zhi lifted her fingers and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Which transmigrator had it as rough as her? Such an unlucky start.
After bathing and drying off, since rural homes usually didn’t have a first-aid kit and Su Zhi didn’t want to initiate conversation with Yue Chunhan, she simply wiped the injured areas on her fingers and planned to let them heal naturally.
Su Zhi had bathed in the room where she boiled water, while Yue Chunhan had simply rinsed off with cold water outside. When Su Zhi entered the bedroom and saw the familiar three bedding sets stacked together in the corner of the kang, she realized it was time for her least favorite part again.
…She had to share the same kang with Yue Chunhan again.
Night had deepened. A candle flickered tremulously, illuminating the room. A small table was placed on the kang. Yue Chunhan sat at the table, his hair still damp, his cold eyes glancing toward Su Zhi. He seemed to be fiddling with something.
At first, Su Zhi wondered why he wasn’t sleeping but had set up a table. But as she approached, she realized Yue Chunhan was handling a medical kit.
The wooden box was clearly handmade, containing a few scattered bandages, disinfectant, and ointments. Though not plentiful, it surprised Su Zhi and showed just how often Yue Chunhan got into fights, having his own first-aid kit ready.
In the dim candlelight, Yue Chunhan glanced at Su Zhi’s hands hanging by her sides and called to her, “Come here. I’ll apply medicine for you.”
Su Zhi instinctively hid her hands behind her back, her beautiful eyes wide with surprise.
…How did Yue Chunhan know her hands were injured?