Ning Yuqiao could not bring herself to stop Liang Yunxian, afraid of pushing him too far.
Taohua was not afraid.
She kept walking between Ning Yuchan and Scholar Liang, constantly warning him with her eyes to mind his boundaries.
Like a hen protecting her chicks.
Liang Yunxian could not argue with a child.
After following them all the way, he had no choice but to stop once they entered the village.
Ning Yuqiao felt displeased. After her younger sister had gone far away, she said in a sarcastic tone, “Her heart already belongs to someone else. Why lower yourself like this?”
A breath stuck in Liang Yunxian’s chest.
He watched as that graceful figure disappeared at the entrance of the alley.
Then he turned and strode into his own home.
“Mother, I’m leaving today. I’ll stay in the city for a night and go to the academy early tomorrow morning.”
Mother Liang was reluctant to part with her son. “So soon? You’ve only just gotten married. Won’t you stay one more night?”
Liang Yunxian said coldly, without much warmth, “No need. My studies are tight. After the provincial examination, there will be plenty of time.”
Mother Liang sighed. While helping him pack his luggage, she persuaded him, “If she doesn’t like you, even if you force her back, her heart won’t be with you.”
Her son was the first xiucai in the village. Whether in appearance, character, or learning, he was top-tier.
Yet he was disliked by a country girl.
She would rather remain faithful to a dead man than marry into their family.
“Just wait until you pass the provincial exam and become a juren. Let’s see if she regrets it then!”
Ning Yuqiao walked over gently and helped Liang Yunxian pick up his clothes.
Suppressing his anger, Liang Yunxian snatched the clothes away. “I’ll pack them myself.”
Ning Yuqiao’s eyes reddened. “I know you’re upset. It’s all my fault. I’ve always spoiled my younger sister too much and even wanted to let her have her way in something like this.
“But Father and I had no choice. She was threatening her life. If we didn’t let her enter the Huo family, she said she would go up the mountain to accompany my mother.
As her older sister, I promised my mother that I would take care of her for the rest of my life…
If you want to blame someone, blame me.”
Mother Liang was a gentle and virtuous woman. Seeing how sensible Ning Yuqiao was, she truly felt sorry for her.
“Yuqiao, you’ve suffered. This isn’t your fault. Yunxian, you must study hard. Don’t ever let down such a good wife.”
……
Life in the Huo family was not easy. Ning Yuchan had originally wanted to discuss with Old Man Ning and ask him to help think of a solution.
Perhaps set up a small stall and do a bit of business.
But Old Man Ning was unwilling, so she could only temporarily give up the idea.
Tian Fengying calculated the time they would return and had been waiting early at the main gate.
She was chatting while sewing shoe soles with the daughter-in-law from the west courtyard.
The west courtyard daughter-in-law was young, not yet thirty.
She was a distant relative of the Huo family.
A generation younger than Father Huo, her childhood name was Shanxing.
She was simple-minded, optimistic, and cheerful.
She loved gossip the most. There was nothing about the neighbors she did not know. She was comparable to an intelligence network trained by the royal court.
Yesterday, she had deliberately gone to the west end of the village for a walk.
She had previously seen the Ning sisters from afar but had never spoken to them.
After Huo Changsheng’s wife married in, she saw her and found her very beautiful.
When she went to the west end, she wanted to compare which of the two sisters was more beautiful.
Just now, she had praised them to Tian Fengying at length, saying, “The one in your family is more beautiful than the one at the west end.”
Tian Fengying was pleased. “Of course. The girl our Changsheng chose must be beautiful.”
Shanxing was stunned for a moment. “That’s not right. Didn’t your family arrange for the elder sister? I heard it was the younger sister who married in.”
Tian Fengying corrected her, “You remembered wrong. From the beginning, we arranged for the younger sister. I don’t know who spread those rumors. The two sisters look alike, so people must have misheard.”
Shanxing clicked her tongue. “Second Aunt, you’re right. Even now, I can’t tell which one is the elder sister and which one is the younger.”
She lowered her head and embroidered a few stitches, then could not help asking again, “Second Aunt, does Changsheng’s wife know about his situation? She’s so young. Can she really remain faithful?”
Tian Fengying understood Shanxing’s temperament. She could not control her mouth, but she had no bad intentions. Although it made her uncomfortable, she was not angry.
“What do you mean remain faithful or not? Our Changsheng is blessed. If he comes back early, they can consummate the marriage sooner. If he has no such fortune, after one or two years, we’ll marry her off like a daughter. There’s no need for her to keep waiting. We are not some wealthy family. There’s no reason to waste a young girl’s years.”
As soon as Tian Fengying finished speaking, she regretted it.
She was worried that if word got out, those bachelors in the village would start thinking about it.
It was all because she spoke too quickly and could not hold it back.
“But our Huo family isn’t easy to bully either. Whoever dares to gossip recklessly, I’ll tear her mouth apart.”
Shanxing grinned, certain that Second Aunt was not talking about her.
When she saw Taohua and Ning Yuchan returning, she took the initiative to greet them, “You came back quite quickly.”
Taohua was not very happy. Scholar Liang had been staring at her sister-in-law the whole time. It was obvious that Scholar Liang liked her sister-in-law.
He was a xiucai. If he really set his mind on it and abducted her sister-in-law…
She did not even bother responding to Shanxing and hurriedly pulled Ning Yuchan into the courtyard.
Tian Fengying stood up and returned to the courtyard. “Shanxing, we’re going back. We’ll talk later.”
“Alright,” Shanxing wanted to follow them in and chat a bit more, but since she was not invited, she decided not to force it.
After all, Changsheng was dead. Even with a new wife entering the family, it was still troubling enough.
Back at home, Shanxing could not hold it in and planned to walk around the west end of the village.
On the way, she unexpectedly ran into Scholar Liang.
Scholar Liang was wearing a long robe of blue cloth and carrying a book box. At a glance, he looked like he was returning to the academy.
Seeing that he was refined in appearance and also the first xiucai of the village, Shanxing could not help but want to build a connection.
“Scholar Liang, are you heading back to the academy?”
Liang Yunxian was in no mood to chat, but when he thought that Shanxing lived next door to Ning Yuchan, he stopped walking.
“Yes. Sister-in-law, come sit at my house when you have time. I’m in a hurry today, so I won’t chat with you.”
Liang Yunxian had a cold temperament and usually did not like to talk.
Shanxing had thought he would ignore her, but he unexpectedly said such a long sentence and even invited her to visit.
She felt happy and blocked his path.
“Scholar Liang has gotten married, and it’s different now. You’ve become more personable.”
Liang Yunxian did not argue with her. “Is that so? Sister-in-law is joking.”
Being able to chat with a xiucai made Shanxing happy. Once she started talking, whatever came to mind came out.
“Scholar Liang can study and is clever. Unlike us, we’re dull and have poor memory. I always thought you were engaged to the second daughter, but it turns out it was the eldest daughter.
Just now, Second Aunt and I were talking about her daughter-in-law.
Changsheng is dead, but Second Aunt is unwilling to believe it.
I just asked her what would happen to Changsheng’s wife in the future, whether she could remain faithful.
She’s as pretty as a flower, young and beautiful. If a man tempts her a little, wouldn’t she just leave?
But Second Aunt is quite open-minded. She said if Changsheng doesn’t come back in two or three years, she’ll let Changsheng’s wife remarry.
Then why go through all this trouble? It would’ve been better not to marry at all.
I heard the money for the wedding the day before yesterday was borrowed too, creating a big debt out of nowhere…
Hey, Scholar Liang, where are you going?”
Scholar Liang did not go straight out of the village. He turned here and there until he arrived at Father Huo’s house.
The Huo and Liang families did not have a good relationship.
The Huo family were long-time residents, while the Liang family moved in later. They bought five qing of land and replaced the Huo family as the household with the most farmland in Huojia Village.
Over the years, they had been competing with each other, comparing who could become the richest family in the village, whose children were more promising, whose grandchildren were more numerous. Anything that could be compared would be put side by side.
However, there was no direct conflict between Father Huo and Scholar Liang’s family.
Huo Changsheng and Scholar Liang were about the same age.
One was rough and unrefined, the other refined and intelligent. They did not get along and did not associate with each other.
Liang Yunxian had no reason to visit directly.
He took out a packet of pastries from his book box, carried it in his hand, and walked into the courtyard openly.
Ning Yuchan came out holding a featherless rooster to let it get some air. When she unexpectedly saw Liang Yunxian, she froze.
“Why are you here?”
Liang Yunxian did not see anyone from the Huo family. He strode up to Ning Yuchan. “You haven’t answered my question.”
Ning Yuchan frowned. “What question?”
Liang Yunxian repeated, “Do you really like him that much?”
Ning Yuchan bit her lip, not knowing what to say for a moment.
The featherless rooster in her arms was restless. It wanted to jump down and, like before, stretch its neck and crow, claiming its territory.
But it was bald.
It flapped its wings a couple of times but could not fly down.
Liang Yunxian noticed the featherless rooster in her arms. As he still did not receive a reply, his gaze gradually turned cold.
“Think it through and give me an answer. This matter won’t end.”
“What matter won’t end?” Tian Fengying heard the commotion and came out to take a look. Seeing Liang Yunxian, she forced a smile and said, “Yunxian, are you going to the academy?”
Liang Yunxian stopped dwelling on Ning Yuchan and placed the pastries on the wall.
“Changsheng and I are good brothers. Now that he has gotten married, as his brother, I should show something. This packet of pastries is my congratulatory gift for Changsheng.”
One does not hit a smiling person.
Tian Fengying smiled and said, “Yunxian, you’re too polite. When you got married, we should have gone to help as well, but the date happened to be unfortunate, and we didn’t manage to go.”
Liang Yunxian could not smile. “Second Aunt, no need to be polite. Changsheng is not at home, so just treat me as your son. Besides, Yuchan and Yuqiao are biological sisters. Our two families are now relatives.”
His gaze never left Ning Yuchan.
The sisters were close, and the Liang and Huo families were indeed truly related now.
Tian Fengying invited Liang Yunxian inside to sit.
Liang Yunxian used being in a hurry as an excuse and did not go in.
When he left, he gave Ning Yuchan a look that said she should not think of escaping this matter.
Tian Fengying was sensitive. She pulled Ning Yuchan back into the house, bringing the pastries along.
“I think Yunxian won’t let this matter go easily. Yuchan, think it through. If you regret it, it’s still not too late.”
Ning Yuchan shook her head. “I don’t regret it. We have no fate together. I’ll wait for Brother Huo.”
Liang Yunxian was refined and elegant, like a lotus unstained by the mud.
Ning Yuchan knew she had let him down.
But the wedding rites had already been completed. There was no turning back.
Now, she could only close her eyes and move forward.
Taohua went up the mountain to cut pig fodder, but in early spring, the grass had only just sprouted, so there was no fodder to cut at all.
Changshou was not at home. Unless it was nightfall or he was hungry, no one would see him.
With the spring plowing season approaching, Father Huo went out to prepare the plow. On the way, he heard that Liang Yunxian had come to the east end of the village. Worried that something had happened at home, he hurried back.
His legs were not in good condition, and in his haste, he ran straight into Huo Changfu.
Huo Changfu had just stolen a dog from the neighboring village and felt guilty. When he bumped into Father Huo, he did not even greet him and ran off.
Father Huo fell to the ground. When he got up, his left foot was in unbearable pain. Gritting his teeth, he carried the plow and walked back.
After that collision, his old injury had not healed, and a new injury was added. He suspected that his ankle was broken.
There were only two men in the family. Changshou was still young. If something happened to his leg again, they would not be able to plant the fields this year.
What would the whole family eat and drink then?