At You time, the sun gradually set. The orange-red afterglow shone over the village, and smoke rose from every household preparing dinner.
Fu Shiyue stepped out of the room and saw Xuezhi bent over, struggling to carry a wooden bucket toward the kitchen. Water splashed out with every step.
Seeing how hard she was working alone, Fu Shiyue walked over quickly and took the bucket from her.
“I’ll do it.”
“No need, I can manage,” Xuezhi said breathlessly. Her lips were pale, and beads of sweat dotted her nose. She clearly wasn’t managing at all.
Fu Shiyue paused, then quickly poured the water into the water jar.
He looked at her and asked, “These days… have you been fetching water alone?”
As soon as he said it, he regretted it.
Of course she was the one fetching it—who else would do it?
There was no well in the house. Digging one was expensive, so villagers usually built shared wells with neighbors. The nearest one was over a hundred meters away.
The wooden bucket was heavy. It was hard to imagine how a woman like her carried bucket after bucket to fill the tank.
Xuezhi wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve and said casually, “I’m used to it. I used to do the same in the Fu family.”
Then she looked slightly embarrassed and added, “Let’s not talk about this. Brother Shiyue, it’s evening already. What do you want to eat? I’ll cook.”
She rolled up her sleeves and was about to go to the kitchen when Fu Shiyue stopped her. His gaze fell on the wounds on her hands, and he froze.
“This…”
Xuezhi followed his gaze and glanced at her hands, smiling bitterly.
“My skin is delicate. My mother never let me do heavy work at home. But after I went to the Fu family, they made me work every day. Slowly… my hands became like this.”
She pulled her sleeves down to cover her hands.
“Let’s not talk about it. We’re running low on grain. I originally planned to go to town today, but this happened. I’ll just make simple noodles. Brother Shiyue, don’t dislike it.”
“I’ll do it,” Fu Shiyue said.
“You can cook?” Xuezhi looked surprised. “Aren’t scholars supposed to stay away from the kitchen?”
Fu Shiyue replied calmly, “Of course I can cook. Otherwise, how would I eat?”
Only then did Xuezhi realize—after his father died, he had lived alone.
Living alone naturally meant learning to cook.
“You shouldn’t be the only one working,” she said.
“I’ll cook. You just help me a little,” he said.
“Alright!” she agreed happily.
The earlier scene had been intentional. The water jar was large and required many trips to fill. She had only done it once or twice before, and after earning money, she hired villagers to help.
In reality, the jar was already half full.
Soon, they finished cooking.
They sat at opposite ends of the table. The atmosphere was a little awkward.
Xuezhi broke the silence first.
“It smells so good, Brother Shiyue. Your cooking is amazing.”
She took a big bite and praised repeatedly, “It’s really delicious.”
“I was even thinking of starting a food business. Turns out your cooking is better than mine—you should be the one doing it.”
Then she quickly added, “Cough… I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry, Brother Shiyue, don’t mind me.”
“I understand,” Fu Shiyue said calmly. “Eat.”
After dinner, he quickly took her bowl before she could move. After a small pretend struggle, she let him wash the dishes.
Watching his back, Xuezhi felt more and more that Fu Shiyue was truly a good person.
After they finished, she said, “Brother Shiyue, can I talk to you?”
“Sure.”
“I want to hire people to repair the house next door starting tomorrow. But I’m a woman, and my reputation in the village isn’t great. I’m afraid I’ll be cheated. Can you help me find workers and also go buy materials with me?”
She looked at him carefully, as if afraid he would refuse.
“I only trust you,” she added softly.
Fu Shiyue immediately agreed. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Then he added, “Your mother is gone. You are my younger sister. I will protect you.”
Xuezhi did not believe that anymore.
Younger sister?
If it had been before today, she would have been happy to be his younger sister. Having a future Chief Minister as a brother would be ideal.
But now… she was greedy.
She didn’t want to be a sister anymore.
She wanted to be his wife.
“Brother Shiyue, there’s something else I need to ask…” she began.
Before she could finish, he interrupted, “Don’t use the word ‘trouble’ anymore. Just say it.”
She asked, “How long will you stay at home?”
He calculated. He had only taken two days off; there were still six days until the break ended.
“I only asked for two days off. If needed, I can ask for more,” he said honestly.
Xuezhi quickly replied, “Oh… it’s nothing.”
Too short.
How could she build feelings in such a short time?
But she couldn’t let him delay his studies either. If she affected his future Chief Minister position, that would be her fault.
Fu Shiyue noticed her forced expression. “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t force yourself.”
Finally, she gave up.
“I… I’m just a little afraid of living alone,” she admitted. “Brother Shiyue, I’ll tell you the truth.”
“For half a month since I’ve been staying here alone, I’ve been hearing noises at night. I always scared them away. Yesterday I hit Fu Qiang because I was too afraid. Before sleeping, I always keep a wooden stick by my bed just in case.”