A woman who was on good terms with Zhao Lanzhi said, “It’s truly a blessing in disguise that Tangtang is better. As the saying goes, those who survive great calamities are bound to have good fortune afterward. Tangtang is a blessed child—just wait and enjoy your daughter’s good fortune.”
Another woman let out a light scoff. “What kind of fortune can a girl bring? Sooner or later she’ll be married off anyway. We’re all poor village folk, not like those wealthy households. I’m telling you, Lanzhi, don’t waste money on that girl anymore. All that silver you spent was just money thrown into the water.”
The one speaking was Zhao Lanzhi’s sister-in-law, Li Cuicui, the wife of Tang Dashan’s elder brother.
Tang Dashan’s elder brother was named Tang Dashu. The two were biological brothers, and in this village, they were each other’s only relatives.
Their parents had unfortunately died while fleeing famine, leaving only the two brothers to follow the refugee group to Pingyuan Village.
Back then, they were only thirteen or fourteen years old. They grew up there, became adults, married, had children, and settled down.
Tang Dashu used to treat Tang Dashan quite well. The two brothers had fled famine together, endured many hardships, and could be said to have relied on each other for survival.
But after Tang Dashu married Li Cuicui and listened to her constant nagging, his attitude toward Tang Dashan gradually changed, and the brotherly bond faded.
Especially since Tang Dashan’s family had grown poorer and poorer because Tang Yunshu was frequently ill. All year round, a great deal of silver was spent on doctors and medicine.
Li Cuicui already looked down on Tang Dashan’s family for doting on that foolish child—who was always sick and, on top of that, a girl.
Tang Dashan often went to his elder brother’s house to borrow money. After it happened too many times, Li Cuicui grew increasingly resentful.
Not only did she demand that all the money lent out be returned, she also asked for interest.
When she saw that Tang Dashan’s family truly couldn’t afford the interest, she would come every few days to take eggs from their home, saying they were payment for the interest.
In truth, Tang Dashan’s family was very hardworking. If not for Tang Yunshu, that sickly child, their life wouldn’t have been so difficult.
After hearing Li Cuicui’s words, Zhao Lanzhi bent down, picked up a stone, and threw it into the water in front of Li Cuicui. The splash drenched Li Cuicui from head to toe.
Li Cuicui immediately flew into a rage. “Lanzhi, am I wrong? A girl who’s been taking medicine all year, treated like a treasure by you—no wonder your family can’t even afford food! And when you run out of money, don’t you dare come to my house to borrow again!”
Although Zhao Lanzhi wasn’t very good at scolding people and had a gentle nature, for her daughter’s sake she retorted firmly, “Eldest Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Even if my family starves to death, we’ll never borrow money from yours again. My daughter isn’t foolish anymore. In the future, she’ll surely have a life of great wealth and honor. When that time comes, don’t even think about benefiting from it!”
“Tch! A girl who was once foolish—so what if she’s better now? What ability could she possibly have? It’ll already be good enough if she lives long enough to be married off!”
The earlier woman chimed in again, “Li Cuicui, can’t you show a little decency when you speak? Aren’t you afraid you’ll go to hell and suffer the punishment of having your tongue pulled out after death?”
The woman who was close to Zhao Lanzhi was Zhang Xiuxiu, the wife of Su Youtian from the village.
Su Youtian and Tang Dashan were good brothers and had even gone hunting in the mountains together before.
After finishing her laundry, Li Cuicui snorted coldly, picked up her basin, and left.
Zhao Lanzhi said gratefully, “Xiuxiu, thank you.”
“Oh, Lanzhi, what’s there to thank me for? It was just a few words. Li Cuicui is the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong,” Xiuxiu replied as the two chatted while washing clothes.
Carrying her basin home, Zhao Lanzhi went to check on Tang Yunshu. Seeing that she was still asleep, she tucked the blanket around her, touched her forehead, and found that it wasn’t hot. Only then did she quietly leave.
Tang Yunshu knew her mother was touching her forehead, but she was far too sleepy and only wanted to keep sleeping, so she soon drifted off again.
At noon, Tang Dashan returned and asked, “Wife, has Tangtang still not woken up?”
Zhao Lanzhi replied, “Not yet. Why has this child been sleeping so long? Her head isn’t hot either.”
Tang Dashan hesitated for a moment, then said, “Why don’t you go wake our daughter to eat? She can’t keep sleeping like this. She didn’t eat this morning—she has to eat.”
“Alright, I’ll go now.” Zhao Lanzhi walked into the room and softly called out, “Tangtang, my daughter, it’s time to eat.”
Tang Yunshu sensed her mother coming in as soon as the door opened, but she didn’t want to open her eyes and wanted to keep sleeping.
In her previous life, until the moment she died, she had never slept so peacefully. From childhood to adulthood, her nerves had always been tightly strung. Only after coming here did she truly relax—she wished she could sleep for three days and three nights. Coupled with the discomfort from a cold and fever, she really didn’t want to get up.
But hearing her mother call her to eat, she slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing that she was awake, Zhao Lanzhi spoke gently, as if afraid of startling her. “Tangtang, it’s time to eat. Are you feeling a bit better today?”
“Mother, I’m a little better.”
“Come, Mother will help you go eat.”
Tang Yunshu slowly sat up. Her head still felt a bit heavy, but it was much better than yesterday.
“Mother, I’m not dizzy anymore. I can walk by myself.”
Breakfast was white rice porridge and boiled eggs. Everyone else was still eating wild vegetable porridge.
Seeing others eat coarse wild vegetable porridge while she ate white rice porridge made Tang Yunshu feel a little embarrassed.
But her body was weak, and she truly needed better food, so she picked up the bowl and ate.
The original owner’s body had been weak, and her appetite was small. After most of a bowl of porridge and one egg, she already felt full.
After eating, she said, “Mother, I want to go see Eldest Brother. Which room is he in?”
“Come, Mother will take you. Your eldest brother and second brother share a room—the west room. Our house has few rooms; your third, fourth, and fifth brothers sleep in one room together.”
Seeing his little sister come to visit him, Tang Dazhuang was very happy. “Little sister, you’ve just gotten better. You should go lie back down. It’s all because your big brother’s body is useless—Big Brother should’ve gone to see you instead, but you came to see me.”
“Big Brother, I feel much better today. Yesterday I wanted to come see you, but my head was dizzy.”
Seeing that his little sister truly wasn’t foolish anymore, just as Fifth Brother had said, Tang Dazhuang was overjoyed. “Little sister really isn’t foolish anymore! Mother, little sister is really better—this is wonderful!”
Zhao Lanzhi smiled and said, “Yes, Tangtang really is better.”
“Mother, that Daoist was right about everything. From now on, don’t call Little Sister Tangtang anymore—call her Yunshu. That was the name the Daoist gave her; it sounds so nice.”
“That’s right. Eldest Brother is right. From now on, Mother won’t call your little sister Tangtang anymore—we’ll call her Yunshu. Our whole family has to change how we address her.”
Tang Yunshu also felt that the name “Yunshu” sounded nice. “Tangtang” was too childish—it was fine when she was little, but not so suitable now that she was older.
She then asked, “Big Brother, how did you injure your leg? Where is the injury? May I take a look?”
Everyone looked at her in unison, not understanding what she meant by wanting to look.
Only then did Tang Yunshu remember that others didn’t yet know her abilities. She thought for a moment and said, “Fifth Brother, call everyone in the family over. I have something to tell you all.”
Once everyone had gathered, Tang Yunshu slowly said, “Father, Mother, my brothers—I’m no longer foolish now. That Daoist predicted that I would face a calamity at age thirteen. Now that I’ve survived it, I’ve also gained a great opportunity. The reason I was foolish before was that, for these past thirteen years, my soul had gone to another place.”