“Who are you? If you break our door, you’ll have to pay for it!”
Er Ya went to open the courtyard gate and found a portly woman standing there.
“Pay for your ass! Where’s that fox spirit in your family? Tell that fox spirit to get her ass out here!”
The portly woman happened to see Ye Wan walking out of the house, and her expression turned extremely foul. “Well, well, you shameless fox spirit, so it’s you who seduced my son-in-law!”
Ye Wan frowned. “Did you eat shit first thing in the morning? Your mouth stinks. Who seduced your son-in-law?”
The portly woman rolled up her sleeves. “You slut, you dare do it but won’t admit it? Watch me tear apart this man-seducing face of yours today!”
Just then, a sturdy and simple-looking youth of sixteen or seventeen ran over, drenched in sweat. A crowd of men and women followed behind him.
The sturdy youth anxiously grabbed the portly woman. “Aunt, I already told you it has nothing to do with Da Ya. What are you doing? Why have you come to someone else’s home to cause a scene? Her father is not someone to be trifled with!”
“Er Niu Ge?”
Da Ya came out of the kitchen and asked, “What’s going on?”
The portly woman shoved Zhang Erniu aside and pointed a finger at his nose, scolding, “Well, look at you, Zhang Erniu! You’re going to protect this fox spirit, aren’t you? My La Mei and you are childhood sweethearts! Yesterday, you saved someone and now you want to break off the engagement. Don’t tell me you haven’t been bewitched by this family’s fox spirit!”
As she spoke, the portly woman slapped her thighs, starting to cry and make a scene, all while shooting daggers at Ye Wan with her eyes.
With a face like a vixen, she can’t be anything good.
Ye Wan understood now. The woman was here for Da Ya but had mistaken her for Da Ya.
But this was still absurd. Da Ya looked like she was only ten years old, right? Did people in the village marry this early?
This Zhang Erniu wanted to break off his original engagement to marry Da Ya?
Zhang Erniu’s face flushed red from the scolding, and he stammered, “I was just thinking, since I saved Da Ya, I should take responsibility. I…”
Da Ya’s face was grim as she spoke, “There’s no need. Zhang Erniu, I’m grateful that you took me to the clinic, but I don’t need you to take responsibility.”
Zhang Erniu looked at Da Ya, his expression a mixture of embarrassment and disappointment.
He thought Da Ya was smart and sensible, much better than his cousin. He had mentioned it to his parents, not expecting his aunt, who had just walked in, to overhear.
Da Ya didn’t look at him. She turned to the portly woman with a solemn face and said, “I’m sorry, Auntie, I knew nothing about this! It’s all a misunderstanding!”
The portly woman looked from Ye Wan to Da Ya, refusing to let it go. “You say it’s a misunderstanding and it’s a misunderstanding? I think at your young age, you’re already a slut who seduces others… Ah!”
Er Ya had already swept a broom at her. “You fatso, why is your mouth so foul? Do you think Zhang Erniu is some hot commodity? My big sister wouldn’t even look at him! Who cares? Scram, scram now!”
Ye Wan also frowned. To use such filthy language on a child.
The portly woman stumbled back from the broom. “You damn brat, who are you cursing? Believe it or not, I’ll hit you! No matter what, your family has to give me an explanation today!”
“What kind of explanation do you want?”
As Ye Wan spoke, she glanced at the curious crowd at the gate who were staring at her. Among them was Aunt Wang from yesterday. It was the perfect time to build her public persona.
“My La Mei heard about this and has been crying her eyes out at home…”
Ye Wan cut her off. “Well, she’s not dead yet, is she? You’re here slandering my Da Ya without distinguishing right from wrong. My Da Ya doesn’t want to live anymore either. Pay up!”
“What? You want me to pay you?” The portly woman was stunned.
Ye Wan’s face was cold. “My Da Ya is an innocent girl, and you’ve dragged her name through the mud like this. If she can’t get over it later, what do you propose we do? Hurry up and pay!”
“That’s right, pay up!” Er Ya chimed in, her hands on her hips in a defiant pose.
Just then, Zhang Erniu’s parents ran over, sweating profusely.
“Our apologies, our apologies! It’s all a misunderstanding!”
“Let’s go, quickly! Who told you to come to this family and cause trouble? Be careful Lin An Yuan doesn’t beat you!”
The portly woman was dragged away by Zhang Erniu’s parents. The few onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves.
Zhang Erniu looked at Ye Wan and opened his mouth as if to say something, but Er Ya slammed the courtyard gate shut with a bang.
“What bad luck!”
After everyone had left, Ye Wan turned her head and saw that Lin An Yuan was just coming out of the house. Thinking of the grievance she had just suffered, her temper flared up first thing in the morning.
“Lin An Yuan, are you deaf or blind? Can’t you hear people bullying your daughters outside?”
Lin An Yuan glanced at Da Ya. “Why should I step in for something they can resolve themselves? What if I’m not around? Should they just let others bully them?”
Da Ya lowered her head.
Ye Wan frowned. “What kind of talk is that? Isn’t she your biological daughter? They were pointing at her nose and cursing her so horribly…”
“Mm.”
Hearing his sudden affirmation, Ye Wan froze for a moment, then looked between Da Ya and Er Ya. “She’s really not your biological daughter?”
That was right. There was no resemblance at all.
Lin An Yuan wasn’t old either; he looked twenty at most. How could he have two daughters this old?
“Da Ya isn’t, but San Ya must be,” Ye Wan said, looking at him. “I think I just heard the villagers say that San Ya was born to your first woman, who ran off after giving birth to her. You…”
“Shut up!”
Lin An Yuan cut her off impatiently, grabbed a straw hat hanging on the wall, and walked out.
“What kind of person is he!”
Ye Wan watched his departing figure and kicked at the leaves on the ground.
He looks like a decent human being, but he doesn’t act like one!
A hand touched hers. Ye Wan looked down to see San Ya cautiously holding her hand. “Mother, please don’t be angry, okay?”
Da Ya spoke up, “Er Ya, take San Ya to the kitchen to eat sweet potatoes.”
Er Ya shot Ye Wan a glare and left with San Ya.
Da Ya glanced at Ye Wan, then lowered her head and said in a low voice, “Actually… neither Er Ya nor I are Father’s biological daughters. I’m sure you’ve guessed as much.”
Ye Wan understood. Da Ya and Er Ya weren’t his biological children, which meant they were brought by the previous wife. A stepfather, ah. No wonder his attitude was so poor.
“Mm, that certainly can’t be easy.”
Seeing that Ye Wan’s expression was normal, Da Ya breathed a sigh of relief. “I have to go to work today, and Er Ya has to go out to work too. Could I trouble you to look after San Ya?”
She could tell that Ye Wan no longer had any intention of running away, which was why she felt at ease leaving San Ya with her. But she couldn’t bring herself to call her “Mother.”
Da Ya and Er Ya both left, leaving only Ye Wan and San Ya at home.
Coarse rice porridge last night, and only half a small sweet potato this morning. There was no oil in her system at all, and Ye Wan was hungry again.
While the little girl wasn’t looking, she took a pear out of her space. After a thought, she took out the smallest pear for the little girl as well.
“San Ya, come here.” Ye Wan beckoned.
The little girl, who had been sitting in the courtyard chewing on a leaf, ran over like a puppy.
San Ya’s eyes lit up when she saw the pear, and drool spilled from the corners of her dirty mouth.
Ye Wan frowned and took the leaf from her hand. What is this child eating?
Seeing a basin of water sunning in the courtyard, she pulled San Ya over to wash her clean before handing her the pear.
San Ya wolfed it down in two or three bites and then looked expectantly at Ye Wan.
Ye Wan stroked her dull, yellow hair. “Was it good? I picked it from a tree. If you want more, I’ll take you to pick some.”
San Ya’s eyes curved into crescents as she held onto Ye Wan’s hand, not letting go. “Mother, you’re so nice. Let’s go.”
Ye Wan thought to herself that the youngest one was easy to coax. She who has milk… bah, she who has food is mother.
Ye Wan found some straw sandals for San Ya and wrapped her feet in scraps of cloth. Only then did she lock the door and carry San Ya on her back into the mountains.
As soon as they entered, she discovered edible mushrooms and wild vegetables. Not far away, there were also wild plums and wild fruits.
Ye Wan was a little puzzled. Were the people here really that poor? Did they not know they could eat these things?
When San Ya wasn’t looking, Ye Wan put them into her space. She would plant them when she got back, and then she could have them whenever she wanted.
It would be best if she could get some meat. Going day after day without any oil was starving her to death.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard San Ya shout.
“Mother, there’s a rabbit!”
Ye Wan looked in the direction San Ya was pointing, and sure enough, there was a rabbit there.
An idea flashed in her mind. She sprinkled a little spring water on the wild grass by the roadside.
As if hypnotized, the rabbit followed the scent and came over.
Ye Wan reached out and grabbed it. The rabbit was dazed and only then realized it should run, but it was too late.
“Mother, you’re amazing!” San Ya looked at Ye Wan with adoration, drooling.
The spring water was indeed a good thing. Ye Wan tied up the rabbit and then found a peach tree, but unfortunately, there were no peaches left on it.
She broke off a branch and, when San Ya wasn’t looking, tossed it into her space to plant when she got back.
Afraid of danger, Ye Wan placed San Ya on a thick tree branch and, using the same method, collected many edible things nearby. Unfortunately, there was only that one rabbit.
“Mother, there are fish in the water over there!”
Ye Wan’s eyes lit up at the news. If she could catch a rabbit, a fish should be possible too.
Just as she started forward, San Ya shouted again.
“Mother, there’s a person!”