“What have you two got here?” Sister-in-law Shan’er had sharp eyes; the moment she stepped inside, she spotted the piles of luggage filling the courtyard and Song Xia and Shen Huaijing each holding small items. Only after exchanging a couple of remarks did she find the right moment to ask.
“Oh, we just put our luggage down and haven’t had time to tidy up yet. It’s really quite messy,” Song Xia said, feeling rather embarrassed looking at the clutter scattered across the ground.
“Oh my! Just the two of you moving all this?! When on earth would you finish hauling it all!” Sister-in-law Shan’er immediately slapped her thigh and prepared to call out for people to come lend a hand with the moving.
“Elder Sister Wang! Sister-in-law Liu! Hurry on in here!” Her loud, booming voice carried right over the courtyard wall. Following an even louder response from outside, two slightly older women walked through the gate.
One of them wore a grey tunic made of patch upon patch of fabric. She had an exceptionally lean build with her cheeks nearly hollowed out, an ordinary face, and an honest, submissive appearance. Her hair was simply coiled into a basic knot at the back of her head without a single ornament.
Following closely beside her was a noticeably older woman whose upturned eyes gave her a shrewish, shrewd expression, though she also looked slightly mean-spirited. She was similarly dressed in patched grey clothing; though older, she clearly cared more about personal appearance, sporting a wooden hairpin tucked into her hair.
Sister-in-law Shan’er’s circumstances were visibly better than theirs. Although she too wore patched clothing, Shan’er sported a deep blue tunic with a silver hairpin pinned in her hair, and her complexion looked much healthier and ruddier—clearly someone who didn’t go hungry.
Hearing Sister-in-law Shan’er’s call, the two women quickly stepped inside.
“These two youngsters were planning to haul everything inside by themselves. I figured there’s no way these two look cut out for this kind of heavy work, so let’s all pitch in and get them sorted out!” Sister-in-law Shan’er was evidently a decisive person; the moment Sister Wang and Sister-in-law Liu stepped in, she rattled off a string of instructions without stopping.
Sister Wang didn’t voice any objections, but Sister-in-law Liu curled her lip. “Well aren’t you eager to play the good Samaritan, Shan’er.”
“Now what kind of talk is that, Sister-in-law Liu? We’re just doing a neighborly favor while we’re at it. Look at these two kids with their thin little arms and legs.” Hearing Sister-in-law Liu’s remark, Sister-in-law Shan’er didn’t get angry at all, still flashing a smiling face.
Sister Wang and Sister-in-law Liu cast a glance at Song Xia and Shen Huaijing, deciding Sister-in-law Shan’er was right. Song Xia at least looked like she might have done some physical labor before, but she was far too young—around fifteen or sixteen—and her entire frame was so exceptionally thin and petite that she looked like a dry hemp stalk ready to snap at the slightest bend. As for Shen Huaijing standing beside her, he looked sickly and frail from head to toe, with features straight out of a painting; expecting him to move tables and chairs was an utterly unimaginable picture.
Sister-in-law Liu was already willing to help out in her heart, but she stubbornly refused to let Sister-in-law Shan’er have the last word, causing the atmosphere to freeze awkwardly.
Song Xia hadn’t anticipated this kind of situation. She had never intended to burden the village neighbors with her family’s chores. Seeing the stalemate, she quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
“Oh dear, how could I possibly trouble you older sisters and aunties? Please don’t stand here at a standstill—how about I go wash a couple of cups right now and brew you all some tea?”
Where had any of them ever seen such a display? Washing cups and brewing tea—they hadn’t even tasted proper tea leaves a handful of times in their entire lives!
Sister-in-law Shan’er hurriedly stepped forward to block Song Xia, turning her body to address Sister-in-law Liu. “It’s fine, Sister-in-law Liu! My man Big Bull happens to be home right now, and he’s got plenty of strength, so we won’t need you wearing yourself out.”
Hearing this, Sister-in-law Liu immediately snapped back with displeasure, “I didn’t say I wasn’t going to help! Look at that mouth of yours!”
Before anything more could be said, Sister-in-law Shan’er had already rushed out with characteristic whirlwind speed to fetch her husband, Big Bull Shen.
Unable to stop her, Song Xia could only stay behind with Sister Wang to placate Sister-in-law Liu, who was still muttering under her breath that she “wasn’t saying she wouldn’t help anyway.” Before long, Sister-in-law Shan’er returned accompanied by a solidly built, robust fellow.
“Haha! Brother, from now on we’re neighbors, let’s share a drink together sometime!” Disregarding the subtle psychological maneuvering between the women, Big Bull strode straight up to Shen Huaijing the moment he entered the courtyard and laughed heartily.
Seeing this, Shen Huaijing didn’t put on airs either; he cupped his hands in a polite salute and told Big Bull, “Many thanks.”
With the assistance of Big Bull, Sister-in-law Shan’er, and the others, not only was the luggage swiftly moved indoors and put away in order, but the tables, chairs, benches, and bedding were all thoroughly wiped clean and arranged neatly.
Filled with deep gratitude, Song Xia felt she was truly fortunate to cross paths with such kind-hearted people. Otherwise, relying solely on herself and that sickly weakling, who knew how many months it would take to get this mountain of items sorted out.
Moments later, Song Xia brought out a platter of pastries she had brought along from the Shen estate.
“We don’t have hot water for tea at the moment, so please make do with some pastries to pad your stomachs. Thank you all so much for your help today!”
“Oh my! We can’t have this, we didn’t pitch in just for a handout!” Sister Wang was an honest soul, immediately waving her hands in refusal while her eyes kept darting back to the exquisite pastries on the tray.
“It’s only right—they’re just a few snacks, please, taste them!” Song Xia could tell these folks had probably spent their entire lives without traveling far from home. Sister Wang in particular had hands even more calloused than some of the seasoned farming veterans Song Xia had seen in her past life, and her garments were the most tattered and heavily patched of them all.
Picking up two pastries directly from the tray, Song Xia pressed them into Sister Wang’s hands and watched her expectantly.
Seeing Song Xia’s eager gaze, Sister Wang blushed slightly. Holding the pastry with utmost care, she nibbled off a tiny corner, then raised her head to look at Song Xia with wide, glowing eyes.
“It’s sweet!”
“Mmhmm! Isn’t it delicious?”
“Delicious!” Sister Wang nodded vigorously.
Seeing that Sister Wang had partaken, Song Xia smiled and passed the tray over to Sister-in-law Shan’er and the others. Sister-in-law Shan’er also took a shy, careful nibble of a piece, biting off half before exclaiming in delighted surprise, “My! It’s so sweet!”
Sister-in-law Liu and Big Bull wore matching expressions of joyful amazement.
Seeing that everyone had sampled the treats, Song Xia felt she had repaid at least a fraction of the favor. With a smile, she said, “I thought they tasted wonderful too.”
These were the exact pastries she had eaten as her very first mouthful of food when she was on the verge of starvation the previous night, making them hold a special, untouchable place in her heart.
Song Xia had the distinct impression that the moment those words left her mouth, Shen Huaijing cast a glance her way, though when she turned her head to look back, she found he had already averted his gaze.
Caring little about whatever quirk had seized Shen Huaijing this time, Song Xia simply continued chatting and laughing easily with Sister-in-law Shan’er and the rest.
Suddenly, Sister-in-law Wang asked with a touch of shyness, “Uhm, Little Song, would it be alright if I brought my share of these pastries home? My little ones have never tasted city food before! I’d love for them to have a bite too.”
The moment Sister Wang finished speaking, Song Xia saw Sister-in-law Shan’er immediately tuck away the remaining half-piece of pastry she held, while delivering a solid smack to Big Bull’s shoulder. “Oh goodness! Why did both of us go ahead and eat ours!”
Sister-in-law Liu was similarly wracked with regret. While her own household didn’t have young sons or daughters clamoring for snacks anymore, her grandsons and granddaughters were plentiful; the single piece she had just consumed could have been broken apart to give every single one of them a tasty treat!
Song Xia hurried to comfort them. “It’s quite alright, I still have more here. Take a couple of blocks back for the kids when you leave, it’s no trouble at all.”
She had momentarily forgotten that adults always had to keep their children in mind. Having grown up as an orphan with no attachments in her past life, she felt a tiny pinch of reluctance at the thought—after all, treats like this would likely be extremely difficult to purchase around here in the future.
Yet Song Xia quickly let go of the thought. How many could she possibly eat by herself anyway? These aunties would be her neighbors for a long time to come; Sister-in-law Shan’er and Sister Wang both looked genuinely kind and warm-hearted. As for Sister-in-law Liu—or rather, Auntie Liu as she should call her—though she appeared somewhat slick, she hadn’t held back an ounce of physical labor when helping out. In times like these, physical strength relied entirely on having enough food in one’s stomach, and in this era, simply being able to eat one’s fill was already a luxury.
Following a full day of rushing about, Song Xia felt exhaustion creeping over her bones. She couldn’t help glancing over at Shen Huaijing, noticing that his complexion appeared even paler than before.
“Brother, Sister-in-law, I’m truly sorry. Huaijing isn’t feeling well, so let’s save my formal visits to your homes for another day.”
Speaking in a gentle tone to see them out, the group—who had been sitting at the Shen residence for quite a while—noticed the late hour, quickly stood up to take their leave, and headed back home to prepare dinner.
Once they had seen everyone off, Song Xia watched as Shen Huaijing’s previously upright posture finally collapsed, and he broke into a fit of continuous coughing.
“Are you alright?!” Song Xia rushed over to support Shen Huaijing, gently patting his back.
“Why didn’t you say sooner that you weren’t feeling well? Ah, I’m to blame too, I completely forgot how frail your body is,” Song Xia reproached herself in a soft murmur.
“It’s nothing,” Shen Huaijing replied, reaching back to give Song Xia a reassuring pat.
Neither of them knew the first thing about housework—one had never lifted a finger in pampered luxury, while the other couldn’t coax the stove fire to life to save her life. In the end, Song Xia had to gather a few twigs Brother Shen had brought over that afternoon, stack them into a small bonfire in the courtyard, and boil a kettle of hot water. Fortunately, they had brought flint stones from home, otherwise even that small bonfire wouldn’t have caught!
After making do with a few pastries washed down with hot water for dinner, both prepared to rest for the night.
When tidying up the bedding that afternoon, Song Xia hadn’t had the nerve to bring up the prospect of sleeping in separate beds, so she had only cleaned up the main room and made up a single mattress. She figured that if worse came to worse, she could make herself a makeshift pallet on the floor tonight, then gradually construct a small cot to place nearby and screen off with a curtain so nobody visiting would notice.
Before Song Xia could even voice the thought, Shen Huaijing spoke up: “It’s too late tonight. Let’s just sleep together.”
Song Xia gave a start, her eyes widening as she stared at Shen Huaijing. Seeing the expression on her face—as if wondering what on earth he was plotting—he couldn’t help a faint smile.
“What could I possibly do in this state? Don’t overthink it; we’re just lying down to share a bed for the night. Tomorrow I’ll figure out a way to buy a wooden door plank so we can rig up a small bed.”
Pausing for a moment, Shen Huaijing added, “And regarding the injury on your neck… I was too impulsive back then. Steward Wang brought along a few extra jars of ointment when we left, make sure you apply it properly.”
Song Xia hadn’t felt much when she was being choked that day, but by dawn the next morning she discovered a purplish bruise on her neck, prompting her to hunt down the healing ointment. Ever since, she had worn high-collared clothing every day to conceal the mark and spare herself from having to offer repeated explanations to everyone she met.
Reaching up to touch her neck, Song Xia thought to herself: If I hadn’t just transmigrated and failed to grasp the situation, fearing your influential family might beat me to death or sell me off, I would have poisoned you eight hundred times over by now!
Receiving this expression of concern from Shen Huaijing, coupled with what amounted to an indirect apology, left Song Xia feeling somewhat awkward. With a dry, awkward chuckle, she announced she was heading out to wash up and bolted out the door in a flash.
Standing at the doorway after finishing her washing up, Song Xia mentally lectured herself: Song Xia, you’re a modern person. What’s the big deal about lying down to rest for a night with a frail, sickly weakling? Besides, it’s not like it’s your first or second time sharing a large communal kang to keep watch with your senior fellows. Don’t be nervous—you aren’t about to let yourself be intimidated by an ancient guy!
Walking back inside, applying the ointment, slipping off her shoes and socks, and lying down side-by-side with Shen Huaijing on the narrow bed, Song Xia still felt a flutter of nervousness. She gently touched the sharp wooden spike hidden at her waist, which finally brought a modicum of reassurance.
After all, the purple bruise left by this fellow’s choke-hold hadn’t even completely faded yet!
It wasn’t until she heard the steady, even breathing of Shen Huaijing beside her that her mind finally settled.
He really must be exhausted, Song Xia mused inwardly.
Though bone-tired, Song Xia found herself struggling to fall asleep.
Yesterday, all her thoughts had centered on how to find a livelihood in the county town to support herself after a future divorce. Yet here she was now, dumped into this tiny mountain village.
At this realization, Song Xia turned onto her side and surveyed the items scattered around the room. Once that courtyard-full of luggage had been brought inside and unpacked, barely a handful of things turned out to be actually useful. The entire room now stood barren and empty, requiring a makeshift wood fire just to boil a kettle of water—how on earth was she supposed to get through life like this?
Then she considered Shen Huaijing: aside from having striking good looks, he was practically “good for nothing else,” not to mention possessing such an eccentric temperament. How was she supposed to get along with him?
Yet what terrified Song Xia even more was the prospect of Shen Huaijing suddenly dropping dead right here. Aside from the possibility of the Shen estate coming after her to make trouble, she had no doubt that her former sister-in-law would drag her right back and sell her off all over again.
As for packing up and running away to start her own business? Song Xia hadn’t even entertained the thought. For a young woman traveling the roads without a travel pass, official identity documents, household registration papers, or even a single copper coin to her name, every step she took practically spelled out the word “suicidal” across her forehead.
Plagued by worry, longing for the comfort and equality of modern society, and reminiscing about her automatic water heater, microwave, large refrigerator, and other modern technological conveniences, Song Xia slowly drifted off into dreamland.
Until a crowing rooster woke her right out of a delightful dream where she was hugging her computer to play video games.
Tap, tap, tap.
Song Xia heard someone softly rapping against the front courtyard gate.
Gathering up her hair and throwing on an outer robe to carefully secure the collar over her neck, she stepped out into the courtyard, where the knocking grew distinctly more urgent.
“Little Song? Little Song? Are you awake?”
Recognizing the voice of Sister-in-law Shan’er from next door, Song Xia hurried forward to open the gate.
“Sister-in-law Shan’er, what’s happened this early in the morning?”
“Oh my, listen to you calling this early—it’s already time to head out to the fields!” Seeing that Song Xia was still wrapped in her outer robe, Sister-in-law Shan’er slapped her own forehead. “Look at my memory! You folks coming from the city probably never farmed the land or suffered any hardships, so you wouldn’t know about these things.”
Song Xia offered an embarrassed, apologetic laugh. Indeed, aside from absolute necessities, the only time she was ever awake at this hour was when pulling all-nighters.
“What brings you here, Sister-in-law Shan’er?” Song Xia asked, puzzled.
“Oh, if you hadn’t reminded me, I almost forgot again. Last night I noticed the chimney at your place never puffed any smoke, and I figured you folks probably didn’t know how to cook. When I saw there was still no movement from your side at this hour, I thought you might as well come over to my place and grab a bite together. We don’t have anything fancy, but at least you shouldn’t go hungry!”
“Thank you so much, Sister-in-law Shan’er, but this is too much trouble. No one’s family has food to spare, how could I possibly go over to your house to eat?” Song Xia hadn’t expected her new neighbor to be so overwhelmingly warm and enthusiastic, leaving her somewhat dazed.
Sister-in-law Shan’er spoke with frank straightforwardness: “We don’t have much of anything good to eat, but after eating several of those pastries from your place yesterday—which absolutely thrilled those little rascals of mine—I figured we couldn’t just take things without returning the favor…”
Hearing this, Song Xia understood. Seeing that the other party was truly reluctant to owe a favor and refusing to take no for an answer, she hurried back inside to change her clothes first. Finding that Shen Huaijing was also awake, she quietly filled him in on the situation, and Shen Huaijing nodded to indicate he understood.
“Would you like me to bring something back for you later?” Song Xia asked softly.
Shen Huaijing merely shook his head in refusal. Seeing that his complexion looked even worse than the day before, Song Xia could only drop the matter, resolving to see if she could ask Sister-in-law Shan’er for advice on managing the stove later, before heading into the mountains herself to forage for some medicinal herbs to brew for him—or perhaps cook up something nourishing. His frail condition was simply terrifying!