When she noticed the water was cooling, Zhao Ying quickly got out, dressed, and went to empty the remaining water in the vegetable plot.
Carrying the heavy basin, she thought to herself that, when she got around to improving the bathroom, she’d dig a channel to let the water flow directly to the garden—no more hauling it by hand.
The vegetable plot wasn’t far, just about ten paces from the bath area.
As she walked over and began to pour the water, her instincts kicked in.
She raised her right arm and saw her skin prickling with goosebumps.
Someone’s hiding… by the tree near the fence.
Hmm… and they’re skilled, too.
The moment she sensed their presence, the intruders immediately held their breath and concealed themselves, making it harder for her to pinpoint their location.
But after a moment’s thought, she reminded herself that this was an ordinary peasant’s house.
Could they be thieves?
No, no—what thief would bother with a poor household?
Or… perhaps it had to do with Lu Wenyao.
Strange.
Two of them, just watching, not making any moves.
She decided it was best to remain cautious but not act impulsively, just in case her suspicions were misplaced.
They might simply be travelers passing by, pausing for a rest.
After all, in this ancient time, there were no cars or airplanes—people often traveled for days, so stopping along the way wouldn’t be unusual.
Concluding that it was better to act oblivious, she emptied the water and returned to the bedroom, pretending not to notice the onlookers.
This way, they’d think she was just a simple village woman, unaware of their presence.
When she reached the bedroom door, she saw Xiao Bao and Lu Wenyao sitting together, going over the characters Xiao Bao had been practicing recently.
Zhao Ying paused, leaning against the doorframe to watch this warm scene under the dim candlelight, which illuminated only a small radius of one or two meters.
The flame flickered gently, casting soft shadows.
Because she’d left the door slightly open, a breeze blew in, causing the candle’s flame to waver even more.
She hurried inside and closed the door to protect the light.
Not wanting to interrupt the genuine father-son moment, Zhao Ying stayed silent, though an odd sense of longing stirred within her.
It felt as though she could only stand at a distance and watch, as if she were an outsider with no place in that warm scene before her.
“Mother, why are you standing over there?
Come over here!
Father says I’m doing so well!” Xiao Bao’s cheerful voice pulled Zhao Ying from her thoughts.
She smiled at him and quickly walked into the room.
She opened the cabinet to grab an extra blanket.
Fortunately, the bed in her room was large enough for all three of them to share, and with her own weight loss, there was even more space.
After arranging the bedding, she called out to Xiao Bao, who was still seated at the table, reviewing his characters.
“It’s getting cold; come up on the bed, Xiao Bao,” she said, then turned to Lu Wenyao.
“You should come up too.”
He didn’t respond verbally, only nodded and followed Xiao Bao onto the bed, which was much warmer than the cold air outside.
Zhao Ying gently moved Xiao Bao to the spot she had been sitting on, where the blanket was already warm.
Every small gesture she made was noticed by Lu Wenyao.
Since the three of them would be sharing the bed tonight, Xiao Bao lay in the middle, with Zhao Ying on the innermost side and Lu Wenyao near the edge.
Xiao Bao, excited and happy, couldn’t settle down to sleep.
Zhao Ying pulled him close, gently rubbing his back to calm him down until he eventually drifted off.
Zhao Ying then remembered that there was another person sharing the bed with them tonight.
Not caring what he might think, she focused entirely on her son.
Meanwhile, Lu Wenyao leaned back against the headboard, silently observing her with a thoughtful expression.
When their gazes met, they both startled, quickly looking away, as if making eye contact like this was somehow improper.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Zhao Ying turned to settle down beside her son, but just before she could drift off to sleep, Lu Wenyao spoke up, breaking the silence.
“You’re doing a wonderful job taking care of Xiao Bao.”
“What?”
“I mean… I just wanted to say that you’ve taken good care of Xiao Bao.
His characters have really improved.
Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me.
Xiao Bao is my son too, after all.”
Another quiet pause fell over them.
Zhao Ying, noting that he had initiated the conversation, decided to continue, saying, “As for your own room, we’ll make arrangements tomorrow.
Right now, only three rooms have been fully repaired in this house, so you’ll have to use your bedroom as a study for now.
After the snow melts, we can expand the house and add a dedicated study.”
She spoke as she lay down, settling in for the night.
“Hm, I think it’s best if the three of us keep sharing the bed for now,” Lu Wenyao said.
“Xiao Bao seems so happy.
Don’t get the wrong idea… I just don’t want him to end up with any insecurities.”
He realized, surprised, that he’d just suggested sharing a bed.
Zhao Ying glanced over at Xiao Bao, whose little face was smiling even in his sleep, and her heart softened—even if Lu Wenyao’s words were a bit blunt.
Who’s misunderstanding you?
she thought, rolling her eyes.
But she agreed with him.
“Yes, we’ll keep things as they are for now.” With that, Zhao Ying lay down and soon fell asleep from the exhaustion of the day’s events.
Meanwhile, Lu Wenyao couldn’t sleep.
Sitting up against the headboard, he gazed out the window, where the moon hung brightly in the sky.
His thoughts drifted through the day’s occurrences, lingering on how much Zhao Ying had changed.
Her care for Xiao Bao was so natural and genuine, not forced in any way.
If it were before, she would have expected some reward for any praise, and she would never have said that Xiao Bao was her son too.
Could her near-drowning experience really have changed her this much?
Or… maybe she’s truly become a different person!
His brow furrowed.
If Zhao Ying’s soul had indeed changed, he wondered whether this “new” Zhao Ying would be a positive or negative influence.
He’d need to keep a close eye on her.
His mind drifted to a memory from two years ago, of a mysterious monk who had grasped his arm tightly and delivered a cryptic prophecy.
He’d interpreted the monk’s words many times, concluding that someone with a “switched soul” would come into his life.
At the time, it had seemed too fantastical to take seriously, and he’d never encountered that monk again.
Lost in thought, he glanced back at Zhao Ying and his son, Xiao Bao, who were fast asleep, cuddled together.
Xiao Bao’s face held a little smile, his dimples visible as he dreamed happily.
Seeing his son’s peaceful expression filled Lu Wenyao with a sense of calm.
He lay down beside them and soon drifted into a deep sleep as well.
The next morning, before they even had a chance to wake Xiao Bao, Tang Xian, who had initially agreed to take them to town, arrived hurriedly at the house on the edge of the village.
He explained that he couldn’t go with them today after all because his mother-in-law had fallen suddenly ill, and he needed to take her to the clinic first.
Father Lu was sweeping the yard when Tang Xian arrived with the news, and he reassured him it was no problem—they weren’t in any rush and could always go another day.
So, the planned trip to town was canceled for now.
Madam Zhang was already awake and preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
Zhao Ying figured her mother-in-law probably wanted to cook for her son, who had just returned, so she left her to it and went to water the vegetables instead.
Lu Wenyao, who was already up, soon followed to help.
They worked on opposite sides of the fish pond, silently attending to their tasks.
Before long, Xiao Bao came to call them for breakfast.
“Mother, Father, Grandma asked me to call you to come eat!” his small voice called from the edge of the vegetable plot.
Hearing their son’s call, both Zhao Ying and Lu Wenyao put down their watering cans, washed their hands, and followed him to the dining room.
Breakfast that morning was a thick, white rice porridge served with pickled vegetables stir-fried with pork and a boiled egg for each person.
As they began eating, Father Lu started a conversation.
“Now that Ah Yao is back, all we’re waiting for is his exam results.
If he passes, his next round of exams won’t be until next year, so we have time to save up some money together for that journey.
And, well…now that our family’s income is fairly decent, I thought…uh…how would you all feel about sending an extra two or three taels each month to your grandparents?”
His voice wavered with a hint of guilt, and as he finished, everyone, except for Xiao Bao who was happily enjoying his food, paused and looked at him.
This made Father Lu immediately nervous.
“I…I just wanted to discuss it with all of you,” he stammered, glancing anxiously around the table.
Zhao Ying then asked him, “And what would you tell the main household about where the extra money comes from?”
“Um…I’d say it’s from hunting,” he replied.
At this, Madam Zhang visibly paled, her deep-seated fear of the main household evident.
Her hands grew weak, and her chopsticks clattered into her bowl.
Seeing his wife’s frightened expression, Father Lu felt a pang of sympathy.
Looking at his children, he could see they were clearly not in favor of the idea either.
In the end, he sighed and reluctantly let the matter drop.
“I’ve thought it over; we can show our gratitude in other ways,” Father Lu finally said.
“When it’s time to send the main household supplies, we’ll add a little extra money then.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang sighed in relief and slowly picked up her fallen chopsticks.
Noticing the shift in his father’s mood, Lu Wenyao, wanting to ease his mind further, decided to change the subject.
“Yes, that sounds better.
Since we’re not going to town today, I thought I’d set up the empty east room as a study and call on Uncle Tang De’s sons to help make some new furniture.”
Zhao Ying agreed with the idea of hiring extra help, knowing Tang De’s sons and nephew did quality work.
“Tang Huai’an and Tang Yifen did a great job last time they helped build the fence.
I’d like to add some new furniture pieces to the house, too.
I’ll show them some designs and see if they can make them.”
Zhao Ying understood that Lu Wenyao was steering the conversation away to prevent his father from dwelling on it, so she joined in by talking about the furniture plans, hoping to lighten the atmosphere at the table.