Stepping down from the ox cart, Lin Yuhe walked slowly toward Xie Shuhuai. “Who are you waiting for here?”
She was self-aware enough to know he wasn’t waiting for her. She had returned late more than once or twice, and he had never appeared before.
“Jinwen.”
Shuhuai pulled his distant gaze back, looking down at her face.
A thin layer of sweat glinted on her skin. Wiping her forehead with her sleeve, Yuhe brushed past him to keep walking.
Just as she stepped forward, the weight on her back suddenly vanished. Turning around, she saw Shuhuai had already lifted the heavy hamper off her shoulders.
A momentary daze washed over Yuhe. She recalled how, in the past, whenever she carried heavy loads, Shuhuai would walk behind her and do this exact same thing. Even if he was carrying heavy burdens himself, he refused to let her be weighed down.
A swell of warmth rose in Yuhe’s chest, coaxing out a quiet spark of greed. Even though she knew his heart belonged to Li Yunluo, she still longed to stay by his side.
Seeing her linger reluctantly, Shuhuai said in a cool tone, “Head back first.”
Taking a few steps closer to him, Yuhe spoke softly. “Husband, I’m afraid of snakes. I want to walk back with you.”
Shuhuai’s expression remained indifferent, offering no reply.
After waiting a moment longer without any sign of his friend, the two began walking home together.
Yuhe took the lead while Shuhuai followed behind. Along the way, Yuhe grew increasingly chatterbox.
“Husband, the child moved in my belly today. He even kicked me.”
“I just don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.”
“All the clothes I’ve sewn so far are for a little girl.”
“Husband, do you prefer a girl or a boy?”
Yuhe had wanted to ask this question for a long time. Whenever they were together, the atmosphere was rarely harmonious. Taking advantage of this rare quiet moment alone, she let the question slip out naturally.
Shuhuai’s body stiffened abruptly, his footsteps coming to a dead halt. His eyes cast downward, landing on the subtle curve of her lower abdomen.
The coldness in his eyes shifted subtly, and he lost himself in thought for a brief second.
Only when Yuhe realized he hadn’t kept up and turned back to look at him did Shuhuai resume his pace, following unhurriedly behind her.
Yuhe didn’t press for an answer. She knew better than anyone that if he didn’t wish to speak, asking further would be futile.
As they approached the courtyard, Momo heard their footsteps and came bounding out to greet them.
That evening, after taking a bath, Shuhuai walked into the kitchen and spoke to Mrs. Cui, who was tidying up the stove. “Mother, take a rest these next few days. Let her stay home and properly nurture her health.”
Hearing her son say this out of the blue, Mrs. Cui felt a wave of unease and quickly cautioned, “Shuhuai, your feelings toward Yuhe…”
Shuhuai cut her off instantly. “Mother, you’re overthinking it. I am merely concerned about the child in her belly.”
Mrs. Cui let out a subtle sigh of relief. “Very well, I will speak to her tomorrow.”
Suddenly, Mrs. Cui remembered the incident at the ancient well. “Shuhuai, when you went to fetch water today, did the Village Chief try to stop you?”
Puzzled, Shuhuai turned to look at her with confusion written across his face.
Mrs. Cui explained the entire encounter from start to finish, recounting Yuhe’s sharp retort to the Village Chief word for word.
Shuhuai’s gaze remained still, though a layer of frost gathered beneath his eyes. “Mother, if such a thing happens again, you must delay matters until I return home to handle it. You two women are alone at home—do not push yourselves to take the brunt of it.”
Taking off her apron, Mrs. Cui sighed gently. “I thought so too. But Yuhe said if these troubles pile up, you won’t be able to study at the academy in peace. She even splits half the silver she earns from selling snacks with me, all so you won’t be distracted.”
She paused, her voice softening. “Shuhuai, I know you resent her for abandoning you in the past, but she has truly changed a great deal. Don’t be so quick to raise your voice at her all the time. Once she gives birth to the child, she can find someone else to marry… and after you marry Yunluo, I will have no further worries in this life.”
A soft smile touched Mrs. Cui’s face as she looked forward to the future.
Returning to his east room, Shuhuai sat motionless at his writing desk. The open book before him remained unturned for a long time.
Mrs. Cui’s words echoed continuously in his mind. His gaze remained deep, dark, and intensely complex.
The next day, when Mrs. Cui suggested resting at home for a few days, Yuhe readily agreed.
Indeed, her body simply couldn’t take the strain these past few days. Besides, the neighboring vendors had long been green with envy; Yuhe had no desire to stoke their resentment and breed unnecessary trouble.
After breakfast, with no ingredients to prepare, Yuhe suddenly found herself with time on her hands. Disliking the idea of remaining cooped up indoors, she decided to take Little Yun for a gentle stroll behind the cottage to pick wild flowers to brighten up the room and refresh the air.
In front of their mud-brick courtyard lay a broad stretch of flooded paddy fields. It belonged not to the Xie family, but to a wealthy landowner in the county. At the boundary, Xie Shuhuai had planted a row of trees and fenced off the front of their home, keeping trivial village squabbles at bay.
Behind the house, a narrow path meandered all the way to the main junction of Hongye Village. A sizable vegetable garden lay right out back—the very plot Mrs. Fang had purchased for Yuhe in the past.
Little Yun adored the wild blossoms, though her short legs made it impossible to reach the taller blooms. Yuhe used a hooked branch to pull the stems lower, letting the little girl pluck them herself to encourage her enthusiasm.
As more villagers ventured onto the hills—some digging for medicinal herbs, others gathering firewood or cutting grass for their cattle—the woods echoed with muffled chatter. Hidden behind the thick canopy of trees, one couldn’t tell who was who until walking right up to them.
After binding two large bouquets of wildflowers, Yuhe gathered a bundle of fallen branches to haul back for firewood.
She had taken only a few steps when a sudden rustle sounded behind her. A figure darted out from the dense woods, scaring Little Yun so badly she nearly screamed aloud. Recognizing the intruder, Yuhe quickly clamped a hand over the child’s mouth.
It was Daya, the carpenter’s daughter—the girl Yuhe had given the sanitary pads to the other day.
Pressing a finger to her lips in a silent gesture, Daya slid the hamper off her back and pulled out several freshly caught fish from the bottom. Selecting two of the plumpest, she offered them to Yuhe. When Yuhe tried to decline, Daya stuffed them straight into the bound bundle of firewood and hoisted her basket, darting away before Yuhe could utter a word.
Yuhe didn’t dare call out after her, fearing Daya’s mother might hear and give the girl another beating. The carpenter was the Village Chief’s cousin, making Daya part of the Village Chief’s extended clan. Yuhe had helped her out of pity, but she had no wish to become entangled with that family in private.
G glancing at Daya’s soaked shoes as the girl hurried off, Yuhe guessed she must have caught the fish in the river at the foot of the hill.
By the time they returned home, Mrs. Cui was already preparing lunch.
Spotting the fish in Yuhe’s hand, she asked curiously, “Where did you get the fish?”
Little Yun offered a secretive grin. “Auntie bought it!”
Yuhe placed one fish into a bucket of water to keep alive, intending to cook the other for lunch. Since it was quite large, steaming it whole wouldn’t do it justice. Cleaning it thoroughly, she sliced it into uniform chunks and rubbed them with salt to draw out the flavor.
Mrs. Cui had originally planned to stir-fry cured pork, but seeing the fish, she hung the meat back up—rural households were always frugal where they could be. Instead, she used vegetable oil to fry a large plate of runner beans, while Yuhe set to work making her braised fish chunks in savory sauce.
First, she seared the fish until lightly golden, then poured in water alongside a generous mix of seasonings. The fish was fresh, and with Yuhe’s deft hand with spices, a mouthwatering aroma soon filled the kitchen.
Dousing their bowls with the rich sauce, Mrs. Cui and Little Yun both polished off two extra bowls of broomcorn millet rice.
Once the three finished their meal, Yuhe took Little Yun to deliver lunch to Xie Shuhuai.
The earthenware jar was still piping hot when they reached the academy. Yuhe let Little Yun take it inside on her own.
Many of the young scholars recognized Yuhe and crowded around to ask why she hadn’t brought her snacks today. Yuhe had no choice but to offer the gentle excuse that pressing errands had delayed her.
Unwilling to give up, the students urged her, “Be sure to come early tomorrow!”
Their persistence caught Yuhe off guard. She had assumed that her absence would give the other vendors from Hongye Village a boost in business, yet the young scholars were still yearning for her glutinous rice cakes.
Little Yun came out quickly today. After exchanging a few polite words with the two gatekeepers, Yuhe took the child’s hand and left the academy.
They cut across a narrow shortcut, and just as they reached the main junction of Hongye Village, a horse-drawn carriage pulled up sharply right in front of them.
The curtain lifted, and a young master dressed in opulent, fine robes stepped down from the carriage.
In an instant, all the color drained from Yuhe’s face.