Lin Shu squatted down and stretched out her hands alongside Lin Xiaopu.
Lin Xiaopu didn’t go out much, so her hands were already considered pale. However, as soon as Lin Shu stretched hers out, Xiaopu’s hands were immediately made to look yellow by comparison; they also looked short and stiff, like five sticks for stoking a fire.
“Big Sister, your hands are so white. They are slender and truly beautiful.”
Zhou Ye hadn’t been paying attention, but hearing this, he subconsciously glanced over before shifting his gaze away extremely quickly.
He used a gourd water ladle to scoop water and slowly rinsed their hands. Once the two of them had meticulously scrubbed the mud off, he simply scooped half a ladle for himself and rinsed his own hands perfunctorily.
On the dining table, the food had already been served. Lin Dashan and He Guixiang sat on one long bench, while Lin Shu and Lin Xiaopu sat on the other. Zhou Ye was the last to take his seat, specifically sitting on Lin Xiaopu’s side.
“Mother, why am I the only one with white rice porridge?” Lin Shu hadn’t paid any attention to the hushed conversation her parents had regarding the coarse vs. refined rice. It was only now, at the table, that she discovered everyone else was eating porridge made from coarse rice, while hers alone was white rice.
“Shu’er, there is no good food at home. We’ve wronged you.” He Guixiang gazed at Lin Shu’s small, fair face tinged with pink. Thinking about the life she would have to lead with them from now on, the smile on her face faded quite a bit.
“Mother, what are you saying? I don’t feel wronged at all. The one who should feel wronged is Sister Yao.”
As soon as the name “Ah Yao” was mentioned, the atmosphere at the table froze. However, Lin Shu had never intended to treat the female lead’s name as a taboo subject. If they didn’t talk about it, everyone would have a knot in their heart. Only by speaking it aloud and opening up could everyone feel better.
Lin Shu looked at He Guixiang and Lin Dashan, her expression serious. “Father, Mother, over these years in the Marquisate, I ate fine food and lived comfortably, but the Marquisate also has many rules. I’ve been impatient with learning rules since I was a child. I suffered a great deal to cultivate the ‘air of a well-bred young lady’ that you see now. Before, I didn’t understand why I didn’t look like my mother in the Marquisate at all. In her youth, she was a renowned noble lady in the capital. I had to work very hard just to make a name for myself. Now I understand—it’s because I didn’t belong in that place. This is where I belong. I like Tianshui Village very much and don’t feel wronged in the slightest. On the contrary, it’s Sister Yao; she was born to be a young lady of wealth, yet I stole a dozen years of that life from her…”
As He Guixiang listened, she suddenly began to wipe away tears.
Lin Shu was stunned. “Mother, why are you crying? How did I make you cry? Mother, you’re not allowed to cry; I want to see you smile!”
He Guixiang broke into a smile through her tears. “Mother is just too happy.”
“Mother, Father, are you worried that Sister Yao is not living well in the capital? You can put your hearts at ease. Sister Yao is incredibly capable. The rules that took me over a decade to learn, she seemed to understand instinctively; she picked them up immediately. The Marquis and Marchioness like her very much, and the servants in the residence all respect her. Oh, right—the heir of the Duke of Ying is fond of her. The Marquisate and the Duke’s estate are already preparing for the wedding. Sister Yao’s life in the capital is excellent; don’t worry anymore.”
When she mentioned the wedding, Lin Shu cast a glance toward Zhou Ye.
Zhou Ye caught that glance and met her eyes instantly, only to receive a soft, fleeting look from her.
He was bewildered, ignoring the brief itch that swept across his heart.
After Lin Shu finished speaking, the silent Lin Dashan finally spoke after a moment. “As long as she is living well, that’s enough.”
He Guixiang said nothing. For the past two years, she had been constantly worried that Lin Yao was not doing well in the capital. She hadn’t expected her to adapt so quickly; it seemed she had been worrying for nothing.
Seeing them like this, Lin Shu knew what they were conflicted about and explained, “Sister Yao also wanted to come back to see you, but she has her own difficulties. Because she is so outstanding, many people are watching her, waiting to catch her making a mistake. She had the guard Shi Qing bring silver back and said those words in public on purpose, to let outsiders hear.”
“Father, Mother, think about it. You have a daughter you raised for over a decade who suddenly becomes the daughter of a Marquisate. This daughter is usually filial; now that she’s successful, could she possibly not care about you? Our villagers are simple and kind, but we can’t account for those with evil intentions outside. What if a bandit thought Sister Yao had secretly sent a huge amount of treasure home and decided to rob or steal from us?”
“People don’t fear anything except sudden wealth drawing the attention of thieves. Sister Yao did it for our own good…”
In the original book, there was an explanation for why the female lead severed contact with the Lin family. In her previous life, she had brought the whole family to the capital. As a result, not only did the Lin family fail to live a good life, but they were also subjected to constant cold shoulders. In particular, the original Lin Shu—her own biological daughter—had mocked and ridiculed them. Finally, Lin Xiaopu had even unintentionally provoked the children of the capital’s powerful elite, ending up dead and buried in a simple straw mat.
Having a second chance, the female lead was afraid and had also realized something.
The lessons of blood and tears from her previous life told her that the capital was not a place where Lin Dashan’s family could stay. Therefore, she simply cut off contact, only occasionally sending her confidants to Tianshui Village to take a look. Only after confirming they were doing well did she gradually feel at peace.
After Lin Shu’s explanation, Lin Dashan and He Guixiang suddenly felt much better, and Lin Shu herself felt relieved.
Having understood Lin Yao’s actions, the name “Lin Yao” was no longer a taboo for Lin Dashan and He Guixiang. In the future, no matter who in the village brought up the name, the two could face it calmly.
As time went on, naturally, Lin Yao would simply become a passing acquaintance.
“Let’s not talk anymore. Let’s eat first. Father and Brother Ah Ye have been busy in the fields all day; you must be starving. Eat, eat!” Lin Shu urged, her eyes curving into crescents, looking very relaxed and happy.
The title “Brother Ah Ye” made Zhou Ye look at her once more, but that was all.
Dinner was late today, and Zhou Ye was starving. Once Lin Dashan picked up his chopsticks, Zhou Ye immediately picked up the large bowl of porridge in front of him. With a few loud gulps, half the bowl was gone.
Lin Xiaopu also held her bowl and drank in large mouthfuls; the bowl was larger than her face.
It was clearly just ordinary coarse rice porridge, yet each of them ate with great relish. After lining their stomachs with half a bowl of porridge, they finally picked up the side dishes on the table.
Without waiting for anyone to urge her, Lin Shu also picked up her chopsticks. She didn’t need to say anything specific; she just took several bites of the dishes on the table, letting everyone know that she not only didn’t dislike them but actually liked them very much.
Once everyone had filled their stomachs and Lin Shu had finished her bowl of white rice porridge, she said to He Guixiang, “Mother, in the future, I will eat whatever everyone else eats. You’re not allowed to prepare something different for me.”
He Guixiang smiled and agreed.
After the meal, the sky had turned dark. Conditions in the village were not good, so Lin Shu followed the local customs. She didn’t take a bath but instead took some hot water from the pot to wipe herself down before going to bed with Lin Xiaopu.
The bed was a wooden one made by a carpenter; it was very firm to lie on, though a bit narrow. The bedding was newly changed and had a faint scent of insect-repelling herbs.
Lin Shu and Lin Xiaopu lay head-to-head. Before they could even chat for a few minutes, they were so tired they fell asleep.
In her daze, she heard the sound of someone tossing and turning in the next room. They were turning quite frequently.
The thatched house originally had only three rooms: a main hall and two bedrooms. After Zhou Ye arrived, another room was built adjacent to the right bedroom.
However, since Zhou Ye had to wake up early for farm work, the room on the far right was given to Lin Xiaopu—the very room Lin Shu was currently sleeping in. The person in the next room who was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, was Zhou Ye.
Lin Shu was a heavy sleeper; after a few thoughts drifted through her mind, she fell back asleep, completely unaffected. Lin Xiaopu, however, was sighing.
Brother Ah Ye was hungry and couldn’t sleep again.