The girl was very thin and petite, making her oversized clothes look loose and empty.
Coupled with the fact that she was squatting in the corner, curled up into a tiny ball, she was indeed very easy to overlook.
The girl quietly raised her head, a pair of dark, bright eyes looking at Xuan He through the gaps between her arms.
When she met Xuan He’s gaze, she was like a startled kitten, quickly burying her head back into her arms, hugging her head with both hands and trembling all over.
Xuan He pressed her lips together, too lazy to bother with this little girl. She yawned and turned around, preparing to find a cleaner room to rest for the night.
Hearing the footsteps, the girl mustered up her courage once again and looked up, only to see Xuan He’s retreating back.
Early in the morning, Xuan He was woken up by the crowing of a rooster.
She sat up with a blank expression, pushed open the bedroom door, hurried into the courtyard, grabbed the large rooster by its still-elevated, crowing neck, and slammed it to the ground with a thwack.
The rooster fluttered its wings, utterly unconvinced, and even attempted to peck Xuan He.
Xuan He and the big rooster fought over a dozen rounds, every single one of which was an absolute landslide victory.
Once she vented her frustration, she tossed the disheveled rooster out of the courtyard, patted the non-existent dust off her hands, and strutted into the kitchen as noble and elegant as Queen Victoria in a castle.
Inside the kitchen, a bowl of millet porridge and a small dish of pickled vegetables were still kept warm.
The little ball of light said that the girl had specially left these for Xuan He early in the morning.
As for the girl herself, she had already run out of the house to cut pigweed in preparation for feeding the pigs.
The little ball of light found it very puzzling: if the girl had seen Xuan He send her grandfather and father into hell yesterday, shouldn’t she be terrified?
Even if she hadn’t seen it, her father and grandfather had suddenly died, so she should at least feel panicked.
Why was this girl not only unafraid of Xuan He, but actually preparing breakfast for her instead?
Xuan He, however, didn’t think that much into it, nor did she understand the complex emotions of humans. She sniffed the aroma of the food, her stomach rumbling.
She took a sip of the millet porridge.
The thick and glutinous millet porridge exuded a rich rice fragrance. It felt smooth and delicate on the palate, the sweet taste bursting on the tip of her tongue. The warm texture went straight down to warm her heart, making her whole body feel relaxed and comfortable.
She followed it with a bite of the pickled vegetables: crisp and refreshing. The sweet vegetables had been thoroughly marinated in the sweet-and-sour pickling sauce, filling her mouth with a rich savory aroma. The aftertaste carried a hint of sweetness, completely awakening her taste buds.
Xuan He’s eyes lit up as she alternated bites of millet porridge and pickled vegetables.
Eating made her whole body feel warm and wonderfully cozy.
The familiar sensation within the food became even more pronounced. Xuan He looked at the empty bowl with a hint of regret, wanting to extract more information from it, but the feeling of fullness in her stomach reminded her that she had already had enough.
Since she couldn’t figure it out, she decided not to dwell on it for now, otherwise she would get a headache again.
Xuan He had an old habit: she always felt like she had lost some memories.
Whenever certain scenes or events occurred, she would always have a vague sense of familiarity, yet she could never quite remember them.
At first, she used to rack her brains trying to recover those lost memories, but the end result always culminated in splitting headaches.
Later on, she simply stopped overanalyzing it. After all, if memories could be lost, it probably meant they weren’t important.
Whether they were truly unimportant or something else, perhaps everything would eventually be determined in due time.
Fulfilling her appetite, Xuan He headed out to take a look around.
The sun had already risen high into the sky, and the sunlight was just right.
In the village, the three Zhu brothers were chewing on straws of grass, squatting lazily beneath a large tree.
They spotted the girl walking back with a bamboo basket filled to the brim with pigweed.
Zhu the Eldest spat out the grass in his mouth and stood straight up.
Zhu the Second also saw the girl, flashed a lecherous smile, and followed along.
Zhu the Third curled his lips in disdain, continuing to sit beneath the tree and swing his feet.
“Cutting pigweed again?” Zhu the Eldest slanted his body to block the girl’s path. “Cutting so much just to feed someone else’s pigs, you’d be better off getting married early and cooking for your own man!”
The girl didn’t utter a word, silently taking a step back.
Zhu the Second leaned in with a cheeky grin. “My brother’s right. Look at your scrawny figure and your looks; nobody else is going to want you anyway. Go tell your dad to lower the bride price a bit, and the three of us will take you!”
Zhu the Third chimed in from beneath the tree, “Hah, with looks like yours, you still want to marry into our family?”
“Don’t be like that, Third. If she marries into our family, she’ll definitely be living the good life!” Zhu the Eldest turned around and glared at Zhu the Third.
Zhu the Third curled his lips and didn’t speak again.
“Yeah, yeah. Even though our family is a bit poor, we’ve got plenty of men. You won’t have to do any heavy lifting; you’ll just be responsible for cooking and keeping the bed warm.” Zhu the Second smiled lewdly, reaching out to grab the girl’s hand as he spoke.
The girl abruptly took a step back and dodged him.
Zhu the Eldest laughed mockingly. “What are you dodging for? You’re going to get married off eventually anyway. My mom said so; you’re going to end up marrying into the Zhu family sooner or later. If you don’t try to get on our good side now, you’re going to have a hard time later.”
The girl didn’t even lift her eyelids. She stepped aside by half a step and tried to keep walking.
Zhu the Third also stood up, looking annoyed. “What are you putting on airs for? You’ll still be crying out beneath the few of us sooner or later.”
The girl cautiously retreated two steps and looked around.
There were many men in the village watching the spectacle from the side, and a couple of them even egged her on to give in.
Meanwhile, some of the women in the village kept their heads down and continued with their chores, not daring to say a word or meddle in other people’s business.
Hearing the jeers from the side, the three Zhu brothers became even more emboldened, closing in to surround the girl and drag her away.
Frowning, her tanned face wrinkled in concentration, the girl retreated while carefully observing her surroundings.
Zhu the Second grew impatient and lunged directly forward.
Seizing the opportunity, the girl ducked low, slipped under his arm like an eel, and scrambled up the nearby hillside in two or three strides.
She glanced back before quickly darting into the bushes on the slope.
The three men were left standing blankly in place. Once they reacted, they spat on the ground and cursed obscenely.
However, they didn’t chase after her because they knew they would be able to buy the girl sooner or later anyway.
Carrying the heavy load of pigweed, the girl ran out of breath.
There was no panic in her heart, only a desolate, deathly stillness.
She encountered situations like this every few days.
Panting under the weight of the pigweed, the girl had just reached her doorstep when she saw Xuan He, full and satisfied, about to head out.
Bathed in the sunlight, Xuan He was cast in a soft, golden glow, making her appear even gentler and more beautiful.
The girl stood frozen in place, not daring to step forward, terrified that getting any closer would profane such beauty.
“Where did you go?” Xuan He flashed a smile at the girl. After all, the little girl had cooked so many delicious meals for her; there was no reason for her to give the girl a cold expression.
Hearing Xuan He’s gentle words, the girl was like a startled bunny. With the basket of pigweed on her back, she bolted back into the courtyard in a flash.
Xuan He thought to herself: Was she really that terrifying just now?
The little ball of light cautiously explained, “Lord Main God, it must be because yesterday you sent her grandfather and father straight to hell! That’s why she’s so scared of you!”
Xuan He nodded, thinking that made sense.
She paid the girl no further mind since the petitioner’s wishes didn’t involve this girl anyway.
Right now, she wanted to check out the village and seriously ponder how to make the people here suffer a miserable death.
What Xuan He didn’t notice was that the moment she turned around, the girl peeked half her head out from the front gate, watching Xuan He until she walked far away.
As soon as Xuan He showed her face in the village, she instantly drew the attention of everyone there.
After all, everyone in the village knew each other. Suddenly having an unfamiliar woman show up, and a delicate, pretty stranger at that, surprised the villagers immensely.
A few men started letting their eyes light up, swallowing hard as they stared unblinkingly at Xuan He, their gazes greasy, lecherous, and utterly disgusting.
A few women who had come out to do chores looked at Xuan He with eyes that remained numb and lifeless, though mixed with a trace of envy and jealousy.
An older woman recognized Xuan He. “Hey! This is the wife Guo Da just bought! Why is she running around out here?!”
This old woman was one of the people who had previously gone to the Guo family to persuade the petitioner to live a proper life. The petitioner had a strong backbone and had directly cursed those people away.
Therefore, this old woman greatly disliked the petitioner, and upon seeing Xuan He, she immediately called out to the villagers to capture her.
Hearing that they were going to catch Xuan He, several men rubbed their palms in excitement and charged straight toward her.
Who knows, while grabbing such a fair, pretty woman, they might even get to cop a feel and satisfy their cravings!
The men swarmed forward. Xuan He stood motionless in place, a flash of contempt crossing her eyes.
Seeing this array, the little ball of light covered its eyes in fright, terrified of witnessing another bloody scene.
Seven or eight excited men surged forward like ravenous wolves pouncing on their prey.
Each of them thought: It’s rare to come across such a young, pretty, fair-skinned woman. We’ve got to take advantage of the chance to get a little feel.
Just as they lunged forward to pin her down, with several hands reaching toward the top and several more reaching toward the bottom:
Amidst their excitement, the men suddenly shared a single doubt.
Huh? Why does this texture feel a bit loose and sagging?
Before they could even process it, a piercing scream tore through the sky.
“WHO THE HELL IS TOUCHING ME?!”
They saw the old woman screaming at the top of her lungs, shoving away the man standing closest to her.
When the men took a look, why was the person they had tackled actually the old woman?! They recoiled several steps in utter disgust.
Where was that fair, tofu-tender woman? Where was the flower-like pretty woman?
The old woman was screeching in disgust as if she had been gnawed on by a dog.
The surrounding men felt deeply unlucky, as they might as well have touched a dog!
Everyone subconsciously assumed they had seen wrong; the sunlight was too glaring, causing mass hallucinations. It had to be an illusion.
What a pity.
The crowd simply dispersed.
Xuan He, hiding mid-air, let out a cold scoff.
Hearing the Main God’s scoff, the little ball of light knew those people were in for some serious bad luck.
As for the girl, her feelings for Old Man Guo and Guo Da were far less deep than those for the pig at the other end of the courtyard.
At least that pig had been raised and fattened by the girl’s own hands.
As for Old Man Guo and Guo Da, her memories of them were filled entirely with their ferocious expressions, alongside countless bruises and injuries all over her body.
With Old Man Guo and Guo Da dead and sent to hell, the girl felt absolutely nothing. Instead, an unprecedented sense of relief welled up in her heart.
As she cooked, she thought of Xuan He.
This person is so good-looking, so pretty!
A trace of secret delight welled up in the girl’s heart.
Perhaps this was a gift sent to her by the heavens.
Xuan He couldn’t be bothered to deal with the commotion among the villagers, so she turned invisible and went to check out other parts of the village.
The village was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only a single narrow dirt road leading out, and a muddy one at that.
No wonder this village could traffic so many women without being discovered.
At noon, the sunlight grew even more intense, creating a shimmering wave effect in the air.
Xuan He felt hunger beginning to gnaw at her stomach.
Humans really were troublesome creatures; they required three meals a day just to stave off the pain of hunger.
Yet humans were also a clever and indulgent species, creating all kinds of delicacies to satisfy their taste buds and enjoy food.
Xuan He leisurely strolled back to the courtyard, where the aroma of food wafted out from the kitchen.
She entered the kitchen. Inside the pot, buckwheat steamed buns and a bowl of garlic sprouts stir-fried with cured pork were still being kept warm.
The girl was absent again, seemingly back to busy farm work.
Xuan He didn’t mind. She picked up the bowl and carried it out.
The red-and-white cured pork was stir-fried until it was crystal clear, interspersed among the emerald-green garlic sprouts. Each slice glistened with rich, thick oil.
Xuan He picked up a slice and popped it into her mouth.
The savory and salty flavor instantly filled her mouth, the rich fragrance of pork fat mingling with the slight pungency of the garlic sprouts.
As she chewed slowly, the cured pork, having been smoked, became bouncy, firm, chewy, and tender, leaving a lingering aroma that filled her mouth.
Swallowing the chewed pork, her mouth was left with a lingering hint of oily fragrance and smoky flavor that wasn’t overpowering, making her appetite flare up even more.
Xuan He bit into a buckwheat bun.
The purplish-black buckwheat emitted the fresh fragrance of coarse grains. The grainy texture mixed with her saliva in her mouth, gradually turning sweet, which neutralized the excessive saltiness left by the cured pork and left only pure sweetness.
Xuan He’s eyes lit up.
This was delicious!
Especially the grain aroma of the bun mixed with the savory, flavorful cured pork. The bun neutralized the saltiness and greasiness of the meat, while the meat made the buckwheat bun even sweeter and more appetizing.
The garlic sprouts were soaked through with the pork fat, emerald-green and lovely, their garlicky flavor blending with the cured pork’s unique smoky aroma to make it wonderfully non-greasy.
The familiar sensation within the food made Xuan He’s appetite surge even more. She ate with relish, polishing it off in just a few bites.
Perhaps because Old Man Guo and Guo Da were gone, the food the girl prepared for Xuan He was very plentiful, leaving Xuan He with a satisfyingly round belly.
The fragrance of the food still lingered on her lips and nose, while her stomach felt comfortably stuffed and content.
Pity that despite the familiar taste, she still hadn’t remembered anything.
Well-fed and satisfied, Xuan He gave a small yawn.
She had never slept on such a hard bed before, so she hadn’t slept well at all last night.
To be precise, this was her first time truly sleeping as a human.
Xuan He went off to take an afternoon nap.
As for how to make those people in the village meet a miserable death, she already had a plan, guaranteed to satisfy the petitioner.
Xuan He slept through the entire afternoon.
During the afternoon, once the girl finished watering the vegetable patch, she found herself with some free time.
She even secretly went to check on Xuan He.
Noticing that Xuan He was merely sleeping and hadn’t left, the girl inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.
By dinnertime, Xuan He finally saw the girl again.
The girl was beating eggs.
The orange-yellow egg liquid was beaten into a smooth consistency in the girl’s hands, topped with a bit of foam.
It showed that the eggs had been thoroughly beaten.
“What’s for dinner?”
Xuan He’s voice almost made the girl drop the bowl in her hands.
Xuan He showed no remorse, standing to the side and lifting the lid off the pot.
Inside was golden-yellow corn porridge. As the lid opened, a sweet aroma rushed toward her face.
“Smells good,” Xuan He murmured softly.
The girl pressed her lips together. Being naturally shy and quiet, she didn’t make a sound, but she raised her hand to gesture for Xuan He to stand a bit further back because the kitchen smoke was very thick.
Xuan He didn’t quite understand, but she took two steps back.
The girl shook her head and pointed toward the kitchen doorway, meaning even further away.
Xuan He was obedient and retreated two more steps. She blinked her big eyes, saying nothing, but she didn’t leave either.
The girl looked slightly helpless, though she didn’t force the issue.
She added firewood to boost the flame, poured a little oil into the iron pan, and coated it.
Once the oil temperature was hot, she poured in the beaten egg liquid.
In that instant, the egg liquid blossomed like a flower, rapidly expanding across the pan.
The aroma of eggs filled the entire kitchen space, making one’s nose feel like it was about to drop off from the sheer scent.
The girl wielded a spatula, stir-frying rapidly to heat the eggs evenly until they formed tender yellow chunks. Their golden appearance glistened with oil, and the wafting aroma made mouths water continuously.
Xuan He swallowed the saliva gathering in her mouth, staring fixedly at the scrambled eggs being scooped into a bowl.
Done, done! Can I eat this now?!
Xuan He screamed internally.
The girl remained unfazed, continuing to heat the pan and add oil, scooping a spoonful of blackish bean paste from a small ceramic jar into the wok.
The bean paste dropped into the boiling oil, emitting a sizzling sound.
The girl stir-fried it a few times with the spatula, and the dark bean paste instantly separated from the oil, releasing the unique, intense savory aroma of fermented soybeans.
With a loud whoosh, the chopped green peppers were poured into the pan. Meeting the hot, fragrant bean paste, the green peppers were like falling into a warm embrace.
Under rapid stir-frying, the green peppers were enveloped by the rich bean paste and blended with the oil.
Then, the previously cooked eggs were added back in and stir-fried until evenly mixed.
The saltiness in the bean paste was enough for more than half the dish’s salt requirement, and a tiny pinch of sugar was added during stir-frying, which both neutralized some of the saltiness and enhanced the fresh flavor.
At this moment, Xuan He looked like a little puppy, gazing eagerly at the green peppers and scrambled eggs being scooped out of the pan, brimming with rich savory aromas.
As soon as the stir-fried green peppers and eggs with bean paste were dished onto the plate, Xuan He impatiently reached for her chopsticks to taste it.
The girl was quick-handed and fast-footed, stopping Xuan He in her tracks.
Xuan He raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused.
She didn’t think the girl was trying to keep her from eating, so she quietly looked at the girl, patiently waiting for a response.
The girl remained silent, taking a steaming coarse-grain bun from the steamer, breaking it in half, and using a spoon to stuff the stir-fried green peppers and eggs with bean paste right into the middle.
A blackish coarse-grain bun stuffed with a layer of yellow-and-green stir-fried green peppers and eggs, still puffing out steam, just looking at it made one’s mouth water.
The girl handed the stuffed bun to Xuan He, her large dark eyes shining brightly.
Meeting the girl’s expectant gaze, Xuan He took a bite.
“Mmph…”
Although the coarse grain bun was quite rough and felt coarse in her mouth, prolonged chewing left a sweet aftertaste, filling her mouth with the fragrance of grains.
That wasn’t the main point: the stir-fried green peppers and eggs with bean paste stuffed in the middle only required a hint of the fermented soybean’s savory saltiness to banish the slight bitterness left by the coarse-grain bun.
The rich oiliness of the eggs blended with the savory saltiness of the sauce, which should have been a bit greasy, but the green peppers tucked inside miraculously neutralized the heaviness of the oil, making it refreshing instead.
Xuan He half-closed her eyes, feeling every taste bud bloom and every bite become pure enjoyment.
The girl thoughtfully ladled a bowl of corn porridge for Xuan He.
Dried corn was ground down, boiled in a large pot over high heat until it became golden, viscous, soft, and glutinous, carrying the unique natural sweetness of corn.
Xuan He sniffed it and lowered her head to take a sip.
“Hss!” To her surprise, it was too hot and scalded her mouth directly.
Startled, the girl flusteredly handed over a bowl of cool boiled water.
Xuan He took a small sip to ease the burning sensation in her mouth.
As the scalding feeling faded, the lingering sweet taste of the corn emerged.
She looked at the golden-yellow corn porridge in the bowl, lowered her head to blow on it, and took another cautious sip.
Warm fragrance assailed her senses. Her tongue first tasted the smooth richness characteristic of porridge, like the most delicate silk slowly unfurling across her mouth.
Immediately afterward, the grain texture within her mouth burst forth, every single granule thoroughly saturated by her taste buds, carrying the unique sweetness of corn.
Swallowing it slowly down her throat, warmth spread outward, dissolving the dryness left by the coarse-grain bun and making her whole body feel warm and cozy.
Though Xuan He didn’t speak, seeing her look of such enjoyment, the girl finally relaxed.
Good, she hasn’t grown so used to city delicacies that she despises the food of this small village.
The girl also picked up a bun and took a bite.
Tastes alright.
She affirmed herself inwardly.
Looks like my cooking is okay, not bad at all.
Mhm… Actually, it’s really delicious.
She had never eaten eggs before. The eggs and cured pork at home belonged exclusively to Guo Da and Old Man Guo. As a good-for-nothing girl, she only got to do hard labor and wasn’t fit to eat such good things.
Now that Old Man Guo and Guo Da were gone, although the girl didn’t dare to dwell on the reasons why, she felt immensely relieved and cooked all the good things in the house to taste them one by one.
“What’s your name?”
Just as the girl was concentrating on eating, she abruptly heard Xuan He’s inquiry.