“Ah, such a hаrd lifе!
Oncе again bасk tо squаrе оne—whеn will I evеr live a life where сlothes аre hаndеd to mе and mеals аre served to my mоuth?” Ziyu lamеnted, grоwing increasingly weary of being boggеd down by dаily сhores.
With thе wаtеr prоblеm sоlved, shе didn’t even fееl likе сhecking on the fish аnd shrimp that hаd bееn brought in аlong with it.
No onе was аrоund tо рreрare hеr meаls, and having tо do evеrуthing herself fеlt likе stаrting frоm scratch.
No mаttеr how good the things she had wеrе, they cоuldn’t sрark hеr intеrest.
Нaving tоilеd all hеr life, Ziyu had no desire to waste time on trivial matters. It seemed buying a cook and a maid was now imperative.
…
Ziyu, free of worries, slept until noon before waking up. Her slender frame dragged along a white silk robe that trailed past her feet.
Finding the robe cumbersome, she simply took a pair of scissors and cut it to knee-length, leaving the unfinished edges frayed with loose threads.
She tied her dark hair, which reached just below her shoulders, into a high ponytail, clumsily pulled on a pair of thick-soled boots, and walked across the water-soaked Gobi desert, clutching two steamed buns in her hand to stave off hunger.
Moist air brushed against her face, the temperature pleasantly mild.
The fish pond was teeming with fish heads of all sizes, and some crabs, unable to bear the crowding, had crawled out and were scuttling about.
“This is way too many!” Ziyu exclaimed, wide-eyed.
Left with no choice, Ziyu resignedly climbed onto the multi-functional agricultural machinery, activated its digging function, and excavated a new fish pond to divert the overflow.
Fortunately, the multi-functional agricultural machinery was solar charging, or else it would have been impossible to use in this era.
Half a day later, she had dug out a five-acre fish pond and, upstream from it, a one-acre reservoir. For her, this was truly a backbreaking effort.
The real challenge was that water kept gushing out during the digging—truly, a case of worrying when there was no water and worrying when there was too much.
When the water levels in the two ponds equalized, Ziyu opened a gap, and the crowded fish tumbled and rushed into the second pond.
Ziyu spotted a river carp weighing over five catties, grabbed it firmly, and said to the fiercely struggling fish:
“You’ll be tonight’s dinner!”
The lively river carp thrashed its red tail vigorously, as if unwilling to accept its fate.
A river carp weighing over five catties was expertly cleaned by Ziyu, and the copper pan on the charcoal stove was put to use once again.
Half an hour later, a simple version of hot pot fish, fried golden brown on both sides, was ready.
The fresh aroma and tender texture of the wild river carp spurred Ziyu to eat faster.
“Not bad. Wild fish untouched by heavy industrial pollution really do taste better.
Next time, I’ll try a plain boiled fish to savor its original flavor. It would be even better with a stone pot!”
Finally satisfied after eating her fill, Ziyu reluctantly heated water to wash away the grime covering her body.
Changing into ordinary cotton clothes and adding a black cloak, Ziyu drove the mule cart onto the main road where she had disappeared the day before.
In the darkness, a mule cart with two windproof lamps hanging at the front swayed leisurely along the road.
The clip-clop of hooves sounded somewhat eerie in the night.
…
“Who’s there? We’re not afraid of you! Show yourself!”
A trembling eight- or nine-year-old boy, shaking like a leaf in the night wind, raised a stick in his hand to shield his five-year-old sister behind him.
“Hey, kid, what are you doing here?
It’s so late—why aren’t you home?”
As the mule cart drew near, Ziyu didn’t dismount. In the faint light, she noticed a terrified little figure hiding behind the boy, too scared to look up.
“Are… are you… a human or a ghost?” the boy, dressed in tattered clothes, mustered his courage to ask.
“Kid, have you ever seen a ghost that can talk?
If you don’t answer my questions honestly, I’m leaving!
It’s freezing cold, and we’re right by the river late at night. Do you want the water ghosts from the river to crawl up and find you?” Ziyu teased maliciously.
She didn’t believe there were people in this era who weren’t afraid of ghosts and spirits, let alone two little brats.
“Wah… Brother… there’s a ghost!”
The younger child, who had been too scared to look up, finally couldn’t hold back and burst into tears.
“You two are beggars, aren’t you! What are you doing outside the city so late at night?”
Ziyu noticed their clothes were terribly tattered, and when the wind blew, a sour smell wafted from them.
“My sister and I were driven out. We’re not beggars!” the boy insisted stubbornly.
As if that could preserve their last shred of dignity.
Ziyu glanced at the pitch-black night around them. There wasn’t a single household where they could seek shelter. If she left the two children here, they would likely freeze to death.
“Dare to come with me? If you dare, get on the mule cart!”
“What’s there to be afraid of? You’re not a ghost—you can’t eat me!”
The boy stiffened his neck, first lifting his sister onto the mule cart, then climbing up himself and placing her between them.
Ziyu shared half of her cloak with the siblings, still driving the mule cart at a leisurely pace.
The sudden warmth of the cloak shielded the boy from some of the cold, warming his young, tormented heart and body.
His stubborn eyes slowly reddened, and he mumbled, “Aren’t you going to ask who I am, sir?”
“Hah, kid!
We’re just strangers who happened to meet. Our encounter is only temporary, on this mule cart. I’m just giving you a ride.
Don’t expect me to take care of your food and shelter. My family is very poor, and I have a two-year-old brother to support.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be traveling on the road so late at night.”
Ziyu lied without batting an eye. She wasn’t kind-hearted enough to adopt every child she met—raising children was exhausting.
When she gave the children her cloak, she noticed the five holes in their shoes but didn’t ask about it.
…
“My father went to Yun Capital for the imperial exams two years ago. This summer, my mother passed away from illness. My grandparents seized our family’s ten acres of land and my mother’s dowry shop.
The clan intervened, and my sister and I could still get one full meal a day. But later, when my fourth uncle got married, he took our house too.
My sister and I were left completely homeless, begging for food from one household to another. Over time, even the village grew tired of us.
My grandparents thought we were a disgrace to them and drove us out of the village a month ago.
They said if we ever returned to Meijia Village, they’d break our legs.”
At the painful memory, the two children hugged each other and wept, their cries giving Ziyu a splitting headache.
“So, have you thought about where to go? How far is your maternal grandparents’ home? If it’s nearby, I can take you there.”
Unable to bear the piercing cries, Ziyu reluctantly made the suggestion, already suspecting that the children’s father had likely climbed the social ladder and abandoned them.
“My mother was an only child. There’s no one left in her family.” The boy, hiccupping from crying, looked utterly lost.
He had no idea where to take his sister. He wanted to find his father but didn’t even know where Yun Capital was.
“Sir, could you buy me and my sister? I can do any kind of work. Just give us something to eat,” the boy pleaded.
Ziyu glanced at the clever boy, speechless. She had brought trouble upon herself—was he planning to latch onto her now?
“No, I won’t buy you. I can’t afford two more mouths to feed!”
You can go to the authorities and file a lawsuit, demanding they return the property. Once you have it in hand, sell it and leave the village to live separately.”
“It’s no use. Filing a complaint against relatives requires first receiving twenty strokes of the rod!”
The boy’s head drooped nearly to the ground in despair. He alone could not possibly support his sister.
His mind felt dizzy, unable to think clearly.