When Zhong Yizhu opened his eyes, daylight had already broken.
He hadn’t slept well for a long time, but this time he’d slept fairly deeply. He moved his stiff neck, and as he got up his hand instinctively pressed against the handle of the woodcutting knife—a familiar touch after so many days.
Even though Pei Mu had told him Lai Lao’er wouldn’t come again, he still hadn’t returned to sleeping on the bed. He put the thin quilt back in place, got dressed, and went out.
Yesterday, Zhong Yizhu had already relayed Pei Mu’s words to Sun Yunniang. Though Pei Mu hadn’t said it outright, both sides understood the implication.
In recent days, Sun Yunniang had gone around looking at potential matches without finding anyone satisfactory. On top of that, she’d been angered by the attitudes of quite a few people. The letter she sent to her uncle’s family hadn’t received any reply either. Yesterday, when she went to trade for meat, Liu Fulang from the village pulled her aside and spoke at length. His main point was that their family didn’t mind Zhong Yizhu and was willing to marry him in—but the grandparents would be hard to persuade.
“You know how things are,” Liu Fulang said with a troubled expression. “Zhu-ge’er’s reputation in the village right now is… well…” Seeing Sun Yunniang frown, he added in a seemingly considerate tone, “I know Zhang Guihua is just making things up, but my in-laws don’t believe it. If the betrothal gifts could be reduced a bit, that would prove Zhang Guihua wrong. Then I can say a few good words to them, and the matter should work out.”
He spoke as if he were thinking of Zhong Yizhu’s best interests, yet made him sound like someone begging to be taken in. Sun Yunniang had long seen through Liu Fulang’s outward kindness and hidden scheming, but she hadn’t expected him to take advantage of the situation like this.
Her chest ached with anger. She replied stiffly, “Tell your in-laws not to worry—my child will never marry into your family,” and left at once. When she returned home and heard Zhong Yizhu say that Pei Mu had already dealt with Lai Lao’er and would come by the next day, the contrast made her feel that Pei Mu was far more reliable and agreeable than any of the matches she had considered before. Her earlier resistance faded.
Most importantly, her son was clearly willing. Zhong Yizhu seemed much more spirited than when she had gone out. Though meeting privately went against propriety, the situation was special, so she let it pass.
In the end, perhaps her child’s judgment was better than her own. She couldn’t keep him locked at home, watching him grow thinner day by day without explanation. No one could endure such suffering.
Since she had decided on this marriage, Sun Yunniang wasted no time and got up early to prepare. When she saw Zhong Yizhu come out of his room, she glanced at him and said, “Why are you still wearing that? Go change into something brighter. Don’t you have that light apricot-colored robe? Go put it on and let me see.”
Sun Yunniang herself wore a respectable outfit today, her hair carefully arranged. Seeing her like this, Zhong Yizhu suddenly felt the reality of what was about to happen.
He went back inside, changed into the outfit she had chosen, washed up, and combed his hair again. Looking at his reflection in the water, even he didn’t know what he was feeling.
There were too many questions in his heart. But no matter what, Pei Mu’s actions had cracked open the shell that trapped him, allowing him to breathe and break free. For that alone, he could only feel grateful.
Above him stretched a boundless blue sky. Mornings in Liushan Village always came early, with cooking smoke rising from every household.
Only then did Zhong Yizhu realize he was nervous.
When Sun Yunniang came out of the main hall, she saw him standing blankly by the corner wall. After all, he was still unmarried—no matter the reason for this match, how could he feel nothing at such a moment?
She called him over and told him to go back inside and cut cloth—keeping busy was better than letting his thoughts wander.
Her child was simply too kind and innocent, which made him prone to worry. It was their failure as parents that they hadn’t protected him well.
She didn’t press him about what had been troubling him these past days. If he had wanted to speak, he would have done so already. She didn’t want to add even a bit more pressure. As long as he was getting better, she was already deeply grateful.
Sun Yunniang cleaned the house outside. After a while, Zhong Yizhu came out holding some fabric, saying he would make her clothes first.
Warmth filled her heart, softening her expression. Even working felt pleasant.
Both of them loved cleanliness and kept no poultry, so the house was already tidy. After cleaning, it looked bright and spotless—hardly like a typical rural home.
While harmony and warmth filled the Zhong household, chaos reigned at the Liu family near the village entrance.
Ever since Zhang Guihua’s failed proposal and subsequent rumors, Liu Fulang had already planned to form a marriage alliance with the Zhong family. Seeing Sun Yunniang flustered these days only made him more confident.
Half a month passed, and he felt the timing was right. He watched for an opportunity and approached her with the proposal—only to be rejected outright, without any regard for his pride.
He returned home seething. Before he could vent his anger, his son exploded first.
“Father, you said this was guaranteed! Grandma even picked an auspicious date. I don’t care—I’m getting married!”
Liu Fulang’s husband’s family bore the surname Li. Li Jian, the youngest son, had studied briefly in a neighboring village but learned nothing, instead becoming lazy. When Zhong Yizhu first arrived, Li Jian had hoped to latch onto his family and live a good life in the city. When that plan failed, he dropped the idea—but after hearing Zhong Yizhu owned land, Liu Fulang reconsidered.
He knew his son well: rather than marrying an ordinary farming family’s child, it would be better to marry someone with land who could generate income. That way, even after the family split in the future, his youngest son wouldn’t be left with nothing.
Liu Fulang had discussed this plan with the family from the beginning. Li Jian had already imagined a life of ease after marriage, so hearing the proposal was rejected made him blow up like a firecracker.
Liu Fulang, already frustrated, grew even more resentful of Sun Yunniang for rejecting him and disappointing his son. He hurriedly tried to comfort Li Jian, promising to find another good match. Meanwhile, his parents-in-law scolded him for being stingy with the betrothal gifts, saying he had lost more by trying to save.
Caught in the middle, Liu Fulang finally snapped. It had been his in-laws who insisted on lowering the gifts in the first place, arguing that someone with a bad reputation didn’t deserve the same as a well-regarded, capable match. Now that things had fallen through, they blamed him entirely.
He retorted sarcastically, and soon the argument escalated. By the next day, the entire household was in uproar. Neighbors and relatives came to mediate, while Zhang Guihua, having heard the news, arrived to watch the spectacle with undisguised glee.
The Liu household, located at the village entrance, drew a large crowd.
“Excuse me—could you tell me how to get to the Zhong family?” a matchmaker dressed in formal attire asked, looking somewhat anxious.
“Oh? Another proposal?” someone nearby exclaimed in surprise. There was only one Zhong family in the village—and while this household was still arguing over Zhong Yizhu, someone else had already come seeking him.
Someone pointed out the way. The matchmaker thanked them and was about to leave when Zhang Guihua grabbed his arm. “Which family sent you? Someone from our village, or from the town?”
The matchmaker glanced at the sky, pulled his arm free, and replied, “The Pei family from your Liushan Village,” before hurrying off.