It had been three whole days since Lin Heng had left home. For those three days, Qingqing had been in a daze.
Day after day passed. Other than lying in bed, she ate her meals or sat in the courtyard staring blankly into space.
Qingqing did not know what was wrong with her. It was almost as if she were sick.
Perhaps this was what people called lovesickness. She missed Lin Heng terribly. Had he eaten? Did he have somewhere to stay? Where could he go all by himself?
On the one hand, Qingqing was angry with herself for not giving him some money sooner. If he had money on him when he went out, things would have been easier for him.
On the other hand, she was a little resentful toward Lin Heng as well. That rotten man—he had no patience at all. Without giving her enough time to explain herself, he had simply run away on his own.
That night, the sky was overcast, as if it were about to rain. Qingqing got up and secured the courtyard gate. After closing all the doors and windows, she returned to the room, fastened the door latch, and prepared to go to sleep.
In her dreams, she heard some movement in the courtyard and was startled awake. Could there be a thief? Qingqing got up and found a thick wooden stick in the room, gripping it tightly in her hand.
A burst of footsteps came from the courtyard, approaching her room. Qingqing held her breath, then took a deep breath to calm herself down.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. At worst, I’ll fight the thief to the death.
Qingqing thought this to herself, a look of grim determination appearing on her face.
Then came a series of knocks.
“Knock, knock.”
This thief was quite polite. He even knew how to knock on the door…
Qingqing thought to herself.
Wait, that wasn’t right. What thief knocked on the door?
“Who is it?” Qingqing asked, summoning her courage.
There was no sound, and no one answered.
“Who are you?”
Still, no one answered. Instead, there was another knock.
“Little thief, I’m warning you! My husband will be back soon. If you know what’s good for you, you’d better get lost right now. Otherwise, when my husband comes back, he’ll beat you so badly even your own mother won’t recognize you!”
Standing outside the door, Lin Heng heard the person inside sounding as if she were about to cry from fright. In his anxiety, he knocked hard several more times.
“I already told you my husband is coming back soon! Get lost! My husband is incredibly powerful. He can knock down more than a dozen men by himself. If he catches you, don’t even think about getting away…”
Lin Heng’s face darkened.
Was he really that powerful?
Well, yes, he supposed. After all, there were hardly any people in the Secret Camp who were his match.
But that wasn’t the point!
This woman had locked the door to his own house. He couldn’t get in…
“Ah, ah… it’s me…”
In his anxiety, Lin Heng blurted out the words, only to realize that he could make a little sound.
He tried again and said,
“Lin… Heng…”
He could really speak. Lin Heng was thrilled.
Qingqing heard the hoarse voice outside the door. It sounded as if the person had said, “Lin Heng.”
Could Lin Heng have come back?
She hurriedly lit the oil lamp and opened the door. She did not forget the wooden stick in her hand, either. She opened the door only a crack and peered outside through the gap.
Suddenly, she found herself staring straight into a pair of eyes.
Who else could it be but Lin Heng?
She threw open the door, dropped the wooden stick in her hand, stretched out both arms, and hooked them around the man’s neck. Then she climbed onto him.
“You rotten man! You stinking man! Where did you go? Why did it take you so long to come back… Sob, sob… I thought you had left and didn’t want me anymore…”
Looking at the person crying her eyes out in his arms, Lin Heng felt strange. He was a little happy, yet also a little troubled.
Qingqing vigorously rubbed her tears and snot all over him.
Ugh! Why did this man smell so bad?
“How many days has it been since you bathed? You stink…”
As soon as she finished speaking, she climbed down from him and walked into the room.
Lin Heng raised his arm and sniffed it. The smell of blood mingled with sweat. It really wasn’t pleasant.
He took off his outer robe and placed it on the railing beneath the eaves by the door. Then, wearing only his inner shirt, he walked into Qingqing’s room.
The person sitting beneath the oil lamp had slightly swollen eyes and a somewhat pale complexion. It seemed that she had not been doing well during the days he had been away.
Qingqing was sitting at the table in a daze when something heavy suddenly landed in her arms. There was also a bundle placed in front of her.
She looked up at the tall figure standing before her. Lin Heng gestured for her to open it and take a look.
Qingqing opened the cloth pouch in her arms. Inside were more than a dozen pieces of broken silver. She counted them and found that there were fifteen taels in all.
“Where did you get so much money?” Qingqing asked in alarm as she stood up.
Lin Heng pointed toward the woods behind the house, then made a gesture as if drawing a bow and shooting an arrow.
“You mean you went hunting in the deep mountains these past few days, and this is the money you got from selling the animals you hunted?” Qingqing said, only half understanding.
Lin Heng nodded.
His wife really was clever.
“How could you do this? You left home without saying a word… You made me eat poorly and sleep badly these past few days. I worried about you every day, afraid you were suffering out there…”
The more she spoke, the harder she cried.
Looking at the person crying so sadly before him, Lin Heng panicked.
Wasn’t she usually happiest when counting silver? Every time he sold his game and brought home the money, she would be happy for half a day, counting it over and over again.
Could it be that he had sold too little this time?
During those three days, he had spent two of them in the mountains before finally managing to hunt a deer, a wolf, and some small animals. Because he had left without saying anything to her and was afraid she would worry, he had hurried to town and sold everything as soon as he came out. The moment he had exchanged the game for silver, he had rushed home without stopping.
His right hand trembled slightly as he raised it to her face and gently wiped away her tears.
Qingqing cried for a while before standing up. She picked up the oil lamp and examined his body.
There were faint patches of bloodstains scattered across the white inner shirt.
“Take off your clothes. Let me see if you’re injured!”
Lin Heng did not move.
“We just met, and you’re already telling me to take off my clothes…”
“If you won’t take them off, I’ll do it myself.”
As she spoke, Qingqing reached out and roughly stripped the inner shirt from his body. She examined him carefully. There were no new injuries, and the wounds on his back had already healed.
“Thank goodness you’re not hurt. If you dare do this again, don’t ever come back.”
Qingqing put on a fierce expression as she spoke.
Lin Heng nodded.
Then he gestured toward the bundle in front of them, telling her to open it.
Qingqing opened the bundle and discovered two sets of bright red wedding clothes and two wedding candles.
“For the wedding?”
He nodded vigorously.
“When are we getting married?”
“Today…” Lin Heng said.
Qingqing immediately stood up and asked,
“Are you hungry? Have you eaten?”
He shook his head.
“Come on, let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll heat some water for you to bathe first, then I’ll make you something to eat.”
She held the oil lamp in one hand and took Lin Heng’s hand in the other.
Lin Heng let her lead him along. His heart pounded, and the expression on his face softened somewhat.
“Don’t go into the mountains alone for so many days again. The mountains aren’t safe at night. We aren’t short of money now, so why push yourself so hard?”
I only wanted to make you happy and keep you from being sad, Lin Heng thought silently.
“Since you’ve come back, I’ll take it to mean that you’re willing to spend your life with me. From now on, let’s work together to build a good life. And don’t lose your temper anymore. If something happens, let’s discuss it together.”
Lin Heng nodded.
He was willing to spend his life with her.
He had figured that out before going into the mountains. No matter what had happened in the past, all he wanted was to stay by her side and live well with her from now on.
“When you’re better, we’ll have another child. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for the whole family to live happily together?”
Qingqing did not forget to remind him about having children again.
Lin Heng was speechless. He glanced curiously at her belly.
Hadn’t she said that they already had a child?
Qingqing looked at the person before her, who was staring blankly at her stomach.
“The water’s ready. Hurry up and go bathe. I’ll make you a bowl of noodles.”
Lin Heng got up and carried the water to the bathroom. Then he went to Qingqing’s room, found the key to the east room, unlocked the door, and took out a change of clothes before going to bathe.
He had slept in caves in the mountains every day for the past few days, and he was indeed filthy. He needed to wash himself thoroughly.
Qingqing rolled out the noodles. She boiled them in clear water, cracked in two eggs, added a little leafy greens, and drizzled hot oil over the top.
A simple bowl of noodles was ready.
She got up and walked into the courtyard, placing the noodles on the stone table. By the light of the oil lamp, she gazed at the faint, blurry silhouette in the bathroom.