In the late spring of the third month, the sunlight was warm and radiant. The beasts and insects that roamed the land were shedding their fur or emerging from their burrows, each responding to the season in their own way.
Humans were no exception. The heavy, bulky fur-lined winter coats were finally taken off and soaked in the river, beaten and washed repeatedly.
The winding river rushed swiftly onward. Under the bright spring light, the ripples became a mirror so dazzling it hurt to look at.
Black skiffs moved back and forth through the countless glimmers on the river’s surface. Dark green fishing nets were cast high into the air, and with a whoosh, they pierced through the fish-scale-like waves and vanished into the Yellow River.
Oars cut through the water as the boats hauled their nets away with all their strength.
The river was bustling, and neither bank was idle.
On the southern bank of the Yellow River, the rhythmic thumping of washing paddles mixed with the sound of water, rising and falling in a continuous chorus.
“Little sister, little sister…”
Hearing the familiar voice, Fu Ruyi answered without turning her head, “I’m here.”
Fu Yuan couldn’t see her. He looked around and shouted loudly, “There’s a guest at home. Mother is calling you back.”
Fu Ruyi’s hands stilled. Her washing paddle tilted and struck the bluestone slab with a dull, heavy thud.
“Ruyi, who’s come to your house?” a woman washing clothes a few steps away asked casually.
Fu Ruyi’s chest tightened for an instant. She knew full well, but said aloud, “I’m not sure. I’ll go back and see.”
With that, she quickly picked up the last lined garment and tossed it into the river. She gave it a few hasty thumps with her washing paddle, wrung out the water, threw it into her bamboo basket, and rose to leave.
Fu Yuan walked closer. He reached out to take the dripping wet basket of clothes, glanced at his younger sister’s expression, and said in a low voice, “It’s Wang Erlang.”
“So early?”
“Mm.”
“Ruyi, hurry back! I saw Wang Erlang from across the river heading to your house, and he’s carrying a big pig’s head!” A teasing voice came from afar, growing nearer as a young woman carrying a jar of pickled vegetables passed by with a grin.
Fu Ruyi showed no sign of shyness on her face; she smiled openly. She shook the water from her hands and wiped them against her clothes at the waist. A numb ache shot from her fingers into her chest. She looked down and saw that both her hands were red from the cold.
Spring was nearing its end, but the waters of the Yellow River still carried the chill of ice and snow.
* * *
Half a month earlier, Granny Wei from the same village had been entrusted by the Wang family to visit the Fu household to act as a matchmaker for Wang Erlang and Fu Ruyi. The Wang family had sent matchmakers to the Fu family’s door more than once—this was the third time, and the third matchmaker. This time, the matchmaker was well chosen. Granny Wei had delivered Fu Ruyi at her birth. Out of respect for her, the Wang family’s earnest intentions, her parents’ persistent persuasion, and the gossip in the village, Fu Ruyi had nodded in agreement. And so today’s meeting was arranged.
Fu Ruyi knew Wang Erlang. The two could even be considered well acquainted—or one might call them enemies.
Fu Ruyi was born in Dapo Village, northwest of Luoyang County. Dapo Village had Mount Beimang at its back and the Yellow River to the north, standing across the river from Pinghe Village, where Wang Erlang lived. The elders had a saying: “You can offend the mountains, but never the water.” The Yellow River was vast, its underwater silt thick, and for half the year it was in flood season, mercilessly claiming the lives of people and livestock on both banks from time to time. No child, no matter how wild, dared to try their luck in the Yellow River. So they all turned their attention to Mount Beimang.
On Mount Beimang, there were not only wild fruits and bird eggs, but also the tombs of nobles and aristocrats scattered throughout. To the village children who were barely clothed and never had enough to eat, the offerings placed before the graves were delicacies they dreamed of day and night.
During years of famine, a bowl of steamed chicken snatched from before a grave might be a rural family’s only meat dish all year. A plate of honey-steamed cake would be savored until it turned from sweet to sour before they could bear to finish it.
When Fu Ruyi was young, she often went up the mountain to steal offerings and bring them home for her family to enjoy. Living at the foot of the mountain, she took advantage of her convenient location and nimble movements to return fully loaded every time—one could say the thief never came back empty-handed. But even a thief who gets to eat meat is bound to get beaten sometimes. Besides being chased off by the tomb keepers, she would also fight with fellow thieves from her own village over offerings, and with thieves from neighboring villages as well.
Fu Ruyi had fought Wang Erlang once. That time, it was over a pig’s head offered before a new grave, and the children of Dapo Village and Pinghe Village had broken into a brawl. Fu Ruyi faced off against Wang Erlang—she was pummeled until blood streamed from her nose and her eyes were black and blue, but in retaliation, she twisted his arm until it broke.
Unfortunately, in the end, she never got the pig’s head, and Wang Erlang’s mother dragged him to the Fu household demanding compensation.
* * *
“Ruyi’s back.” Granny Wei sat under the eaves and spotted the tall woman carrying her washing paddle at a glance.
Hearing this, Wang Erlang immediately straightened up and turned to look. Their eyes met, and he blushed and smiled.
Fu Ruyi was so irritated by his coy manner that she shuddered. She hastily averted her gaze, and as her eyes moved downward, she saw the black pig’s head in the wooden basin.
“Ruyi, my—my mother is cooking at home. I’ve come to take you and Granny Wei over for a meal,” Wang Erlang said.
“Just change your clothes and go. Granny Wei and Erlang are both waiting—don’t dawdle,” Fu Ruyi’s mother, Yang Xiugu, spoke up.
Fu Ruyi gritted her teeth inwardly. Ten years ago, for a pig’s head she never got to eat, she had been beaten black and blue and had to compensate the Wang family with ten dou of wheat. That winter, the whole family had to tighten their belts. And now he had brought a pig’s head and wanted to take away the Fu family’s youngest daughter. The thought rankled.
Fu Ruyi felt a knot in her stomach, and the more she thought about it, the more regretful she became. She dropped the washing paddle and left, her face set.
Wang Erlang just smiled, not minding being given the cold shoulder. As long as she was willing to go with him, that was enough.
As Fu Ruyi stepped into the backyard and smelled the strong scent of candle wax, her expression relaxed. She pushed open the door to her thatched hut and sat down at the table.
A month ago, she had turned twenty-one, after spending twenty-one years in Northern Wei. Before the Northern Wei emperor moved the capital to Luoyang, she had never been enthusiastic about marriage, simply because for the past ten or twenty years, she had already given her all just to keep herself and her family fed and clothed, with no strength left to raise offspring.
However, three years ago, when the Northern Wei emperor moved the capital to Luoyang, the Equal-Field Decree was implemented in the Luoyang area. The decree stated that after a woman married, she could receive twenty mu of open fields, and after bearing a child, she could receive one mu of residential land.
Twenty mu of farmland and one mu of residential land—as long as she lived, it would remain property in her name. Fu Ruyi’s heart was stirred.
The Fu family was a complicated household. Twenty-six years ago, Father Fu and Mother Fu had each lost their respective spouses—one a widower, one a widow—and each brought two children into the marriage to make a living together, then went on to have two more children. In this family, Fu Ruyi had three elder brothers and two elder sisters, but only Fu Yuan shared both her parents. Now the old couple, one fifty-six and the other fifty-four, both had disheveled hair and sparse, uneven teeth, showing signs of their waning years. Fu Ruyi had to consider what would become of her once her parents passed away—could this small courtyard accommodate her for the long term? Without her parents to support her, could she still have the final say in this family?
Reborn into a feudal dynasty, Fu Ruyi had to adapt to local customs for better survival, and she remained vigilant about securing her future. The implementation of the Equal-Field Decree answered her needs perfectly—she would use marriage as a path to obtain twenty mu of farmland and a homestead of her own.
Taking a practical view, Fu Ruyi cast aside fanciful notions and listed several conditions that would help her survive: the man who married her must be strong and robust, well-versed in farming, willing to put in hard labor, and ideally as hardworking and uncomplaining as an ox.
After three years of picking and choosing, Fu Ruyi had found that, old grudges aside, Wang Erlang was the one who best met her requirements.
Light footsteps interrupted Fu Ruyi’s reverie. She turned to look—Fu Yuan’s eldest daughter stood outside the door.
“Auntie, Grandmother sent me to ask whether the pig’s head should be salted.”
Fu Ruyi understood what her mother meant—she was asking whether the marriage could be settled, and whether the pig’s head should be returned.
“Salt it.” Fu Ruyi thought it over for two breaths and made her decision.
“Close the door for me. I need to change clothes,” she said.
With a creak, the door closed, and the light footsteps ran off into the distance.
* * *
Hesitant footsteps sounded in the fenced-in yard. A golden-haired little boy ran out of the thatched hut, and upon seeing the person standing in the yard, he let out a shout and turned to dart back inside. “Mother! Mother! The bad person who killed our lamb is here!”
“Boy, stop right there,” Mother Wang called out.
A sturdy woman with rounded hips and a thick waist came out with a wary expression. Seeing the visitor, she grabbed a broom by the wall and made as if to chase her off.
“No need for you to chase me off—I’ll leave on my own.” Mother Wang took two steps back. She knew this Xianbei woman didn’t understand Chinese, so she only spoke to the golden-haired little boy: “Is your uncle home?”
The golden-haired little boy instinctively looked outside the yard.
Mother Wang followed his gaze and looked out, but saw no one. She understood, and said, “When your uncle comes back, tell him that he must not leave the house before sunset today. As long as he stays home today, I’ll make it up to you with a lamb another day.”
“Really?” the golden-haired little boy asked.
“Really.” Mother Wang nodded perfunctorily. “Make sure you pass the message to the adults in your family.”
The golden-haired little boy immediately relayed the message to his mother. Upon hearing it, a sly smile curled at the corner of the woman’s mouth—she knew that their enemy next door was about to meet another prospective daughter-in-law.
“Go, find your uncle and bring him back,” the woman said in the Xianbei language.
…
By the time the dew in the roadside grass had evaporated completely, Fu Ruyi was helping Granny Wei down the pontoon bridge, following Wang Erlang westward.
At the entrance of Pinghe Village, two children were perched atop a large elm tree. Seeing three figures appear at the end of the road, the two children quickly slid down the tree and ran into the village.
“Grandmother! Grandmother! Second Uncle is back, and he’s brought Auntie with him!”
Behind a stack of wheat sheaves, a wisp of pale golden hair slipped quietly away.
Moments later, a golden-haired, blue-eyed man was pushed out of the courtyard gate by a woman. The woman sized him up with a smile, looking him over from left to right, then nodded in satisfaction before finally telling him to go to the river and buy a fish on credit.
Lou Zhaoshui looked bewildered. His family didn’t care for fish, so why the sudden need to get one on credit? But unable to resist his sister-in-law’s urging, he had no choice but to go.
Wang Erlang led Fu Ruyi into Pinghe Village, saying cheerfully, “Turn the corner and you’ll see—”
His words cut off abruptly when he spotted the handsome man appearing at the corner.
Fu Ruyi saw him too and froze. This… this man seemed to have materialized out of thin air, making her wonder if she was dreaming in broad daylight.
Lou Zhaoshui then understood his sister-in-law’s intention. He hesitated for a moment, then, under Wang Erlang’s wary and resentful gaze, walked toward Fu Ruyi.
The sunlight was too strong, making Fu Ruyi dizzy. She had seen Xianbei people before, but never anyone like this. The man was tall and imposing, with golden hair, fair skin, a high nose, deep-set eyes, and irises of a grayish blue—like a jade pool shrouded in mist. Whether it was her imagination or not, his gaze toward her seemed full of tenderness, his blue eyes so dewy they seemed about to brim over.
Wang Erlang had been staring at Fu Ruyi for some time. As Lou Zhaoshui approached, he bellowed ferociously, “Get the hell away from here!”
Lou Zhaoshui glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow at Fu Ruyi before curling his lips in satisfaction and walking away.
Granny Wei snapped back to her senses. She stole a glance at the woman beside her, then at Wang Erlang, and said, lowering her old eyes, “That man is truly handsome. Even an old woman like me can’t help but take a second look.”
“A useless thing, good for nothing but looks—a shameless barbarian.” Wang Erlang’s face flushed red with anger, his neck bulging. He stole a glance at Fu Ruyi and sneered openly, “Any woman who follows him will either be worked to death or starved to death.”
Fu Ruyi came back to her senses. She pressed a hand to her wildly pounding heart and lowered her eyes thoughtfully.
“Let’s go, let’s go—we’re almost there, right?” Granny Wei brought up the matter at hand.
Wang Erlang let out a pent-up breath and continued where he’d left off: “Turn the corner and you’ll see my house.”
But turning the corner revealed not just the Wang family home, but also the Lou family next door. The golden-haired little boy was standing on tiptoe at his own doorstep, gazing into the distance.
Granny Wei drew in a deep breath. “Your two families are neighbors?”
Wang Erlang was so furious he could have ground his teeth to dust, and was in no mood to answer.
“Do your two families have a grudge?” Fu Ruyi sensed something amiss. She stared at Wang Erlang’s back and guessed, “This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, is it?”
Wang Erlang’s back stiffened. He knew Fu Ruyi was clever, and it was precisely her cleverness he admired—but today, for the first time, he found himself resenting it.
Seeing that he remained silent, Fu Ruyi knew she’d guessed right. She continued on her own: “When did it happen? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to—I’ll just have my elder brother come ask around tomorrow.”
“In the ninth month last year, after you rejected me for the second time, my mother had someone arrange another match for me.” Wang Erlang had no choice but to confess honestly. At the memory, his dark face grew even darker.
Fu Ruyi seemed oblivious to his sour expression and pressed on directly: “That woman changed her mind and refused after seeing that Xianbei man just now? By the way, is he Xianbei or Hu? What’s his name? Is he married?”
Wang Erlang glared at her. “You’re thinking of backing out too?”
Fu Ruyi smiled. “Wang Erlang, you and I never had a betrothal. I haven’t even said yes yet.”
“Your mother has already accepted the pig’s head our family sent.”
“Accepting a pig’s head means we’re engaged? Pah! I’m going back right now to return it to you.” Fu Ruyi’s face turned cold. Seeing Wang Erlang look embarrassed and reach out to grab her, she stepped back and raised her voice even louder: “Wang Erlang, has a pig chewed up your brain, or do you just have a pig’s brain? I’ve never heard of anyone sending a pig’s head when meeting a prospective bride. Anyone would think someone in my family had died and you were coming to offer a pig’s head as a sacrifice.”
“I was just thinking you’ve held a grudge against me ever since that pig’s head ten years ago… Don’t you dare say you haven’t!” Wang Erlang explained frantically, his face flushed. Ever since that incident, for ten years, whenever Fu Ruyi saw him, she either rolled her eyes at him or gave him a cold look, so much so that he didn’t dare speak loudly in her presence.
Fu Ruyi couldn’t be bothered to explain. She ignored him and turned to leave.
“Oh, my dear girl!” Granny Wei grabbed Fu Ruyi’s arm and lowered her voice to persuade her: “Ruyi, you’re past twenty now, not a little girl anymore. Don’t throw a tantrum and act rashly. We’ve already reached the doorstep—how can you just rush off? To break things off over a few words of quarrel about another man, won’t people curse you for it later?”
The Wang family noticed something was wrong and all came running out.
“Listen to this old woman, at least go in and sit for a while.” Granny Wei gripped Fu Ruyi’s hand tightly and whispered: “At least do this old woman a favor.”
“I’ve already obliged you several times.” Fu Ruyi stood rooted to the spot. She was tall and strong—if she didn’t want to move, Granny Wei couldn’t drag her at all. Hearing footsteps approaching, she lowered her head and said quietly: “Granny Wei, I’ll give you one more favor, but you’ll owe me one.”
“I’m trying to make a match for you, and in the end I end up owing you a favor?” Granny Wei was astounded.
Fu Ruyi made as if to leave.
“All right, all right, all right,” Granny Wei conceded, thinking to herself that after today, she would never be a matchmaker again. It was truly thankless work.
Fu Ruyi immediately stopped resisting and followed Granny Wei’s lead to greet the Wang family.
Seeing that Fu Ruyi had softened, the Wang family didn’t ask what had happened and simply welcomed her inside first, so as not to let outsiders see them making a spectacle.
It wasn’t until the dishes were being served that Mother Wang learned from Wang Erlang about their encounter with Lou Zhaoshui on the road. She was so furious she could have spat blood, cursing toward the west: “Those damned thieves! Aren’t their young wives and sisters-in-law enough for them to bed? They still have the nerve to go around seducing other men’s wives! Heaven has no eyes, letting a pack of barbarian invaders occupy the Central Plains…”
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Father Wang rushed in and hissed. “Have you lived long enough?”
Mother Wang turned her hatred on him too. “If you hadn’t been so eager to curry favor with the barbarians, none of this disgusting business would have happened!”
Father Wang looked at Wang Erlang, who recounted the events on the road once more.
Father Wang narrowed his eyes. Before he could make a decision, a commotion broke out outside. He hurried out and saw Fu Ruyi striding away. He quickly asked: “What’s going on?”
“Uncle Wang, this marriage is off. Don’t mention it again. I’ll go back now and bring the pig’s head over.” Fu Ruyi’s face was cold. She pointed at Wang Dalang and said angrily: “I’ve only just learned that the reason you kept seeking this marriage was because you wanted the candle-making formula in my hands. Let me be frank with you today—the Fu family’s candle-making formula will not be brought to my husband’s home.”
Having spoken the words of refusal, Fu Ruyi felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She knew she could never rely on others to get by.
“Ruyi…” Wang Erlang hurriedly tried to stop her.
“Shut up!” Father Wang snapped at Wang Erlang. He looked at his eldest son and saw his uncomfortable expression. He knew the young man had been maneuvered into this. His eldest son wouldn’t be so reckless; no matter how anxious he was, he wouldn’t bring up such matters on today’s occasion.
Well, so be it. The Fu family’s youngest daughter had second thoughts. Breaking off the match under this pretext was far more dignified than rejecting his son on the grounds that she’d taken a fancy to the neighboring man’s looks.
“Fu family’s daughter, once you walk out of our Wang family’s door today, no one in this household will come calling to seek your hand again. Think it over carefully—don’t regret this,” Father Wang warned.
Fu Ruyi glanced at Wang Erlang, then cast a look toward the west. No, no—the two families lived far too close. If that handsome Xianbei man were before her eyes every day, he would be like the offerings on Mount Beimang, tempting her day and night until she reached out her thieving hands and strayed from her marriage.
“My family can eat our fill and stay warm without selling candles—I promise you.” Wang Erlang stared at Fu Ruyi with pleading eyes.
“I’ve troubled you.” Fu Ruyi clasped her fists and stepped out of the Wang family’s door.
Granny Wei let out a long sigh. With the marriage arrangement having fallen through, there was no reason for her, the matchmaker, to remain. She could only follow Fu Ruyi’s footsteps out the door.
Fu Ruyi stood on the road, gazing west toward the Lou family. The fence around the Lou family’s small courtyard was sparsely woven, and she could clearly see the figures moving about inside.
“Truly taken with him?” Granny Wei walked over.
Fu Ruyi let out a resigned sigh. “He is truly beautiful.”
“A pretty face won’t fill your belly or keep you warm.”
Fu Ruyi locked eyes with the man through the fence. To capture such beauty was worthy of her miraculous experience of being reborn into this world.
“Granny Wei, you delivered me into this world—there’s a great bond between us. Help me once more, see this marriage through for me.” Rather than bring in someone new for the same task, Fu Ruyi set her sights on Granny Wei. Calculating the coins and silks in her possession, she promised, “When it’s done, I’ll reward you with a sheep.”
Granny Wei was tempted at once.