He stood like a wrathful deity. Though he addressed her as “Aunt,” his tone was unyielding as he began driving her away without ceremony.
Shen Hongcui shrank back at his grim, judge-of-the-underworld demeanor. Despite his youth, rumors said he fought like a man possessed. Even a dozen village lads were no match for him. Her eyes darted craftily as she pulled Shen Ling forward and gave her a push. “Your little sister Ling hasn’t been well lately. As her elder brother, shouldn’t you help out a bit?”
She thought to herself: back then, Shen Yao had wanted to marry her daughter—he must have had feelings for the girl.
Stumbling awkwardly, Shen Ling’s dark, plump face flushed bright red. She glanced at Shen Yao with a bashful, timid look, then imitated Jiang Yingying’s sugary, girlish voice, “Brother Yao…”
Shen Yao’s brow furrowed deeply, and he took a step back.
Though he detested Jiang Yingying, they were legally married—husband and wife. In public, he would never allow himself to be entangled with another woman. Besides, he had no fondness whatsoever for this Shen Ling.
Li Xuelian, who had remained silent until now, was filled with regret. How could she have been so blind to have considered Shen Ling back then? And now the girl had the nerve to call him “Brother Yao”?
Stepping forward, her face stern, Li Xuelian said coldly, “Ling, I only gave birth to Xiaoyun as my daughter. Don’t address him so familiarly. If people hear you in broad daylight, it’ll become a laughingstock! My Shen Yao is married, but you’re still an unmarried girl!”
Though they preached daily against feudal superstitions, a woman’s chastity and reputation were always of utmost importance.
Shen Ling’s swarthy face turned pale. No matter how tough she appeared, she was still a young woman, and now she flushed with humiliation, her face alternating between dark and red.
Shen Hongcui grabbed her arm and said through gritted teeth, “What kind of talk is that? These two grew up together like childhood friends—why can’t she call him ‘brother’?”
Jiang Yingying tilted her head and spoke with a mix of reproach and amusement, “Brother Yao, just how many good ‘little sisters’ do you have?”
Shen Yao felt a chill run through him, goosebumps rising on his skin. Without even a glance at Shen Ling, his expression became more righteous than the monk Tang Seng, “I’m going to work now. Everyone, step aside!”
Shen Ling was utterly ignored. Her composure shattered completely. Stamping her foot, tears welling in her eyes, she turned and ran off…
Shen Hongcui cursed her for being useless, then angrily snatched up her hoe and left as well.
The farce finally over, Jiang Yingying stood gracefully at the edge of the field, still cradling the rabbit in her arms.
A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the stray strands of hair on her face—her rosy cheeks, dewy eyes, and crimson lips…
Shen Xiaoyun stared, mesmerized. It took her a long moment to snap out of it. Glancing at her second brother, who remained silent but whose ears were flushed red, she thought to herself:
Wasn’t this just like the celestial Chang’e descending to earth? Otherwise, how could a rabbit have appeared out of nowhere? In all her years working here every day, she’d never even seen a pheasant, let alone a rabbit!
Jiang Yingying tilted her head again, smiling as she found a clean spot to sit down. “Mom, I’ll leave a bit later.”
Under the scorching sun, the shade at the foot of the mountain was like natural air conditioning—why would she rush back now?
Wen Qin and Wen Cong sat down beside her. “Grandma, we’re not going back either!”
Li Xuelian took a sip of water, her mood greatly lifted as she watched Jiang Yingying holding the rabbit. She chuckled warmly and replied, “Alright! You kids rest here. Mom will go work. We’ll head back early today!”
Shen Xiaoyun didn’t dwell on Jiang Yingying’s refusal to work, silently carrying her hoe as she followed Li Xuelian into the fields.
Shen Yao glanced at Jiang Yingying and noticed she wasn’t paying him any attention, instead focusing entirely on stroking the rabbit in her arms. A faint sense of frustration stirred within him, but he said nothing. He tilted his head back and gulped down an entire flask of water before striding purposefully toward the farmland.
Though the heat was oppressive, the fields were filled with hardworking farmers. Electricity had only just begun to spread, and owning a flashlight was already considered a sign of a well-off family. Most people went to bed early, with little activity after dark. Everyone took advantage of the daylight hours to work diligently, fearing that rain might delay the harvest.
A gentle breeze rustled through as Jiang Yingying petted the rabbit while chatting with Wenqin and Wencong. She noticed that despite their young age, the children could fluently recite the Three Character Classic and many ancient poems—all taught by Shen Qinghong.
Wenqin puffed out his little chest proudly. “My second uncle is amazing too! Grandpa says if he’d studied a bit longer, he could have taken the college entrance exam!”
This year marked the second since the reinstatement of the national college entrance exams—effectively the first official gaokao—and the final year without academic restrictions, allowing anyone to apply. It was already May, with just over a month left before the exams.
Every student with even a glimmer of hope rushed to register. This was precisely why Cheng Wenjian had been so eager to break free from the original Jiang Yingying—to test into a good university and leave rural life behind.
Yet, this year was exceptionally challenging. After the first autumn gaokao the previous year, many who had failed had redoubled their efforts, determined to succeed this time. Jiang Yingying recalled historical records she’d read: the admission rate was only a few percent. Truly, one in ten thousand succeeded.
Her mind stirred. The gaokao! Who understood better than her, a person from the future, just how crucial academic qualifications would become?
Still, she had no intention of taking the exam this year. For one, the original host was barely literate—suddenly testing into a top-tier university would raise too many questions. Secondly, earning money was her top priority. Once she had funds, she could easily enroll in high school and later attend university.
Wencong’s childish voice piped up, “Auntie, do you know how to recite poems?”
Jiang Yingying had attended school for a few years, but the main difference between her and an illiterate person was that she recognized a handful of characters. When it came to reciting classical poetry, she was likely no match for Wenqin and Wencong. She smiled gently. “Auntie doesn’t know how. Will you teach me?”
They could be little teachers? Wenqin and Wencong’s eyes lit up, and they clamored eagerly, “I’ll teach you, Auntie! I know lots!”
Soon, clear, youthful voices and a soft, sweet woman’s tones drifted across the fields.
“At the beginning of a person, their nature is inherently good…” “Goose, goose, goose…” “Weeding at noon…”
Shen Yao, with his back turned to them, couldn’t help but smile. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his thoughts drifting to the upcoming gaokao. After a long moment, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. University didn’t charge tuition and even offered stipends, but if he left, who would take care of the family’s land? Who would protect his parents and younger sister if they were bullied? And now, there was also Jiang Yingying—someone who couldn’t lift a finger to help!
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he returned to work. Books said there was more than one path to success. Even without the gaokao, he could still forge his own way.
Shen Hongcui, still fuming over the rabbit incident in the field, deliberately raised her voice when she saw Jiang Yingying sitting leisurely under the tree. She said to Shen Ling, “Daughter, when you marry, you mustn’t be lazy and avoid work! If you let others treat you like an ancestor to be waited on, the whole family will suffer!”
Li Xuelian sneered and also raised her voice intentionally, “Life is truly wonderful—pork for lunch and rabbit for dinner! Even if you toil in the fields for three days and three nights, you couldn’t produce a single rabbit!”
Her Yingying was delicate and fragile—what was wrong with her not working? If she fell ill from exhaustion, where would Li Xuelian find the money to treat her daughter-in-law?
Besides, such a beautiful daughter-in-law—was she meant for labor?
Shen Hongcui glanced at the rabbit, filled with resentment and anger. Did the blind creature have to pick someone good-looking to bump into?
It wasn’t until the sun had dipped halfway that Li Xuelian, Shen Yao, and Shen Xiaoyun finally emerged from the fields, hands on their aching backs.
Jiang Yingying stepped forward to support Li Xuelian. “Mother, you must be exhausted! I’ll cook dinner tonight—you should rest properly.”
Li Xuelian smiled and patted her hand. “Yingying, you’re so thoughtful!”
Shen Yao remained silent. He gathered all the farming tools, picked up the lunchbox, and walked ahead. “Let’s go home.”