The room echoed with resentful complaints, while Xu Wenxiu’s uncontrollable sobs filled the air.
Yet Xu Ao remained as unmovable as an unyielding stone, completely unaffected.
He brewed the medicine as instructed by the physician, poured it out, and said, “Mother, I’ll bring this medicine to her first, then go to the village to find someone to repair the shed.”
After the successive setbacks of the previous day, he had finally come to a realization.
Since it was work he couldn’t handle alone, he would find a way to seek help.
Sang Zhixia couldn’t sleep properly in the East Room—the repairs were unavoidable.
Xu Wenxiu hesitated, her lips parting as if to speak, but in the end, she merely wiped her tears with her sleeve.
In the East Room, Xu Ao entered and met Sang Zhixia’s somewhat dazed gaze.
Frowning imperceptibly, he approached and reached out to touch her forehead, withdrawing his hand just before it could cause her discomfort.
“Your fever isn’t as high as it was this morning. Drink the medicine first.”
Sang Zhixia valued her life dearly and didn’t put on airs.
She took the pitch-black, bitter concoction that reeked of burnt odor, downed it in one gulp, and was just grimacing from the bitterness when a small, sweet morsel was slipped into her mouth.
She rolled it with her tongue and murmured, “Sugar?”
Where did he get sugar from?
Xu Ao ignored the question in her eyes and said matter-of-factly, “Rest here. I’m going to find someone to fix the roof.”
Sang Zhixia called out, and as he was about to leave, she couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you sell your Yu Kou?”
If she hadn’t known, it would have been one thing, but she had overheard.
If that jade buckle held special meaning for Xu Ao, perhaps it could be secretly redeemed.
Hesitantly, she suggested, “Maybe we could—”
“No need.”
“That thing can’t guarantee safety anyway.”
Xu Ao let out a self-mocking laugh, tossed out a “rest well,” and left.
Sang Zhixia listened to his footsteps fading away, clutched the quilt, and lay back silently.
Her past experiences of surviving without anyone to care for her had taught her: when you’re sick, don’t push yourself—only by preserving your life can there be a future.
As for the rest…
It could wait until she had secured her own survival.
Sang Zhixia shut her door and began feigning ignorance while recuperating, all the while quietly planning how to make a living in the future.
Most farming families relied on tilling the land for survival, digging sustenance from the yellow soil from birth till old age.
But given the current circumstances, the phrase “land of fish and rice” referred to the warm, fertile regions south of the Yangtze River, which had nothing to do with the harsh, cold northwest.
From the vast northwest region down to their current location in Luobei Village, this area had always seemed to be barren land ill-suited for farming.
With such expansive fields yet unable to yield grain, was it truly only due to the bitter climate?
Or were there other reasons?
Sang Zhixia pondered going out to explore the village once she recovered, but before she could sort out her thoughts, Xu Ao returned with others in tow.
Though he had never done manual labor before, he could stand tall and bend low when needed. At least in terms of interpersonal relations, he appeared remarkably adept.
The villagers were already curious about the newly arrived family’s background, and when they saw Xu Ao initiating conversation, helpful neighbors immediately stepped forward.
Xu Wenxiu, still clinging to the decorum of her days as Hou Madam, promptly retreated indoors with her two children.
Seeing her shut the doors and windows tightly, Sang Zhixia was taken aback and said, “Mother-in-law, aren’t we going out to help?”
Xu Ao had found people to repair the roof—were they all just going to stand by and watch?
Xu Wenxiu said with an air of unworldly reserve, “That’s an outside male guest. How could a woman show her face?”
If this were back in the Marquis’ estate, male visitors wouldn’t even make it past the inner gate, and women would have to carefully avoid them.
Perhaps noticing the subtle expression on Sang Zhixia’s face, she paused and added, “We couldn’t avoid it on the road, but now that we’re home, we mustn’t be careless. Look at your second and third aunts—aren’t they staying inside too? This is the rule, and it mustn’t be broken.”
Xu Wenxiu seemed intent on teaching her etiquette.
But Sang Zhixia found it utterly ridiculous.
What era is this? And they’re still expecting Xu Ao to do everything alone???
She pressed her lips together, at a loss for words, then turned and buried herself under the quilt.
Xu Wenxiu wasn’t very pleased with this reaction.
The Sang family’s manners were truly lacking—how could a daughter-in-law not even understand such basic etiquette?
Fortunately, the subtle tension in the room was completely blocked by the door, and those outside had no idea what was happening inside.
The uncle Xu Ao had invited smacked his dry tobacco pipe and said, “Young man, you clearly don’t know how to do this kind of work. Building it like this won’t do.”
“You need to bundle the dry grass, lay a waterproof oilcloth underneath first, spread tung oil on the cloth, then lay the bundled dry grass on top. Stack two or three layers like that, and it should be about right.”
Xu Ao listened attentively and nodded repeatedly: “Then I’ll go buy the things you mentioned right now.”
“Aiyo, why bother buying these small items?” The uncle chuckled. “Everyone in the village has to fix roofs sometimes. We’ve got plenty left over—we can gather some from each household, and that’ll be enough for you!”
Someone else chimed in: “Yeah, it’s nothing valuable. Every family can spare a bit, and what you get will be enough for several repairs.”
Xu Ao felt uneasy: “Village Chief, how can I just take your things for free? Maybe I should…”
“Hey, we’ll be living in the same village from now on, seeing each other all the time. What’s wrong with helping out?” The man called Village Chief said bluntly. “We village folks are straightforward—no need for all those fancy manners. When someone needs a hand in the future, just show up when you’re called.”
Faced with such generosity, Xu Ao responded sheepishly with an “en” and assured him: “Don’t worry, whenever you need me, I’ll definitely come.”
The Village Chief, finding him handsome and sincere, laughed heartily and waved his hand: “Don’t worry about it. This little job won’t need many people to get it sorted.”
“Hurry up, hurry up! Before the wind picks up, quickly go home and get your tools. Let’s help fix this roof.”
He then turned to Xu Ao and asked with a smile: “What’s your name again? How old are you?”
“You can call me Xu Ao. I just turned twenty this year.”
“That’s a nice name.” The Village Chief stroked his chin. “Better sounding than my son’s, and more imposing too!”
Xu Ao felt flustered by the praise and was just wondering how to respond when the Village Chief pointed at a strong man carrying a ladder: “That’s my son!”
“Changgui! Come quick and greet your Brother Xu!”
The Village Chief was a warm-hearted man, and Wu Changgui was equally enthusiastic.
Putting down the ladder, he clapped Xu Ao on the shoulder: “I’m twenty-one. You can call me Brother Wu. If you ever need anything from now on, just tell your big brother—I’ll help you figure it out!”
Xu Ao had had plenty of fair-weather friends before, but this was the first time someone had so insistently made him call them “big brother.”
He lowered his head with a light laugh and said frankly, “Hello, Brother Wu.”
Wu Changgui chuckled cheerfully, “You’re an open and straightforward fellow!”
“Wait here, I’ll show you how to patch the roof.”
Xu Ao followed along amiably.
He proactively shouldered the ladder and, under the village chief’s guidance, climbed up onto the roof.
More and more people gathered around the western shed, and the chatter gradually spread toward the other rooms, yet not a single person poked their head out to look.
When Auntie Xu the Second heard Xu Ao outside calling people “uncle” and “brother” so familiarly, she rolled her eyes disdainfully.
“Though the Xu Family has fallen on hard times, we still have some dignity left in our bones. Xu Ao clearly doesn’t share such concerns.”
He’d warmly address any random villager he came across—truly, he didn’t care about maintaining appearances.
Second Uncle Xu also looked down on this behavior and snorted coldly, “Why bother worrying about his fate?”
“If he’s willing to stoop so low, let him keep company with mud and oxen. Just focus on taking care of ourselves—what happens to him is none of our business.”
The others shared similar thoughts, with only Sang Zhixia feeling too restless to stay put.
She tossed and turned a few times, watching her mother-in-law coax Xu Jinxi and Xu Mingxu into their afternoon nap, and said with a bitter smile, “Mother-in-law, are we really not going out to help?”
Xu Wenxiu shook her head. “Women shouldn’t go out, or we’ll become the butt of jokes.”
Sang Zhixia couldn’t comprehend such moral constraints that trapped them even in their current predicament. Clicking her tongue in frustration, she simply got up.
“Hey, where are you going?”
Leaning against the doorframe, she said with a headache, “I’m going to lend a hand.”
The villagers were genuinely enthusiastic, but they also understood social etiquette.
How could these once-noble individuals sit still while others voluntarily offered materials and assistance?
Before Xu Wenxiu could stop her, Sang Zhixia decisively walked out.
She lit the stove to boil water and searched around but found no tea to serve guests. Her gaze then fell upon the osmanthus flowers blooming beautifully outside the door.
Hey, that’s it.
“Xu Ao, take a break from your work. Invite everyone to sit down and have some water.”
Xu Ao, who had been bent over applying tung oil, turned at the sound of her voice. His first reaction upon seeing Sang Zhixia was to frown.
“Why did you come out?”
Sang Zhixia’s rebellious streak flared up, and she retorted ambiguously, “What, am I not allowed to come out?”