“What are you thinking about? I called you, and you didn’t even hear me.” Han Lin leaned closer, and from behind it looked as if he had wrapped Yang Dai entirely into his arms.
“Nothing. I’m just getting these few books to take with me. Tonight, when we go back, I’ll tell Father and Mother about splitting from the family,” Yang Dai said, packing the books away.
This room no longer belonged to her. If the books stayed, in just a few days they would likely be torn apart, plastered on walls and windows like old newspapers past their time. Better to take them away, read them a few more times, since the knowledge inside was fairly interesting.
“Alright, whatever you want to take, take. In our household, you have the final say.” Han Lin smiled at her through the reflection in the window. “Do you still remember the fortune that the National Preceptor gave us?”
“Yang Dai, you and I are fated to be husband and wife for all generations.”
The drawn-out tone made Yang Dai recall again Han Lin’s unpredictable temper. The hairs on her neck bristled; she had no idea what kind of madness he would erupt into next.
But after saying this, Han Lin stepped back, opened the door, and went out into the courtyard for air, leaving Yang Dai alone at the table by the window.
Of course, Yang Dai remembered the National Preceptor’s marriage fortune for the two of them.
“Predestined ties from a past life, a match made in heaven.”
Those words of fate had been written on an imperial decree, stamped with the jade seal, and delivered to the Duke of Cheng’s residence. Her grandfather had even opened the ancestral hall to enshrine the decree and the fortune together before the ancestral tablets.
But Yang Dai had never believed those eight characters. Her betrothal to the Crown Prince was the result of multiple parties maneuvering. It had been pushed through by the Crown Prince’s mother’s family. At that time, the prince was still young, the emperor had just ascended the throne and his position was unstable. In such circumstances, the marriage decree was bestowed to stabilize the court.
The National Preceptor served the royal family; for a marriage so firmly set in stone, the so-called fortune could only be flattering words.
Now hearing Han Lin’s tone, he actually seemed to believe in it deeply?
Yang Dai sneered softly, glanced outside— the sun was already leaning westward. The two of them had no plans to eat dinner at the Yang family’s home.
Thinking about the matter of separating households, Yang Dai prepared to speak with her parents.
As before, before she knocked, she heard voices inside.
“How is it? Is your waist still hurting? I say, we might as well stop working altogether. We’re not young anymore. How can we still slave away like when we were young, laboring at the brick kiln?” Her mother’s voice came through the thin door. Yang Dai stepped back a little, but she could still hear clearly.
“In another two months. I know my own body. Yang Dai just married, I still have to rely on this job to back her up.”
“This job came to us because of the blessing Yang Dai brought. Now that she’s married, that blessing doesn’t belong to us anymore. Don’t worry, I’m not the type to cling. I won’t be unwilling to let it go.”
“And besides, even though everyone says Secretary Ma is about to retire, the date isn’t set yet. For his sake, even if I just idle around at the kiln, no one will say anything. Just think of it as letting me collect two more months’ wages.” That was her father’s voice.
“Let’s use these two months to settle our second son’s marriage. And you should guide Yang Dai more—tell her not to quarrel with her sister-in-law anymore. Once I lose my wages and grow older, we’ll have to rely on the eldest to support us. With Yang Dai married, we can’t keep favoring her in everything, otherwise her brother and sister-in-law won’t be pleased.”
“I’ll make some rounds at the commune again, swallow my pride, and ask Secretary Ma for another favor. Maybe he can arrange a job for Yang Dai.”
“I heard the Lin family’s gotten into trouble. They probably won’t be paying us any mind. If Yang Dai has a job, and Han Lin is quick-witted, then we won’t have to worry in the future.”
“And Secretary Ma…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll think of a way. Don’t we still have those sun-dried mushrooms? Find them, I’ll need them.”
The conversation ended with her mother’s long sigh.
Standing outside the door, Yang Dai hesitated for a while, then didn’t go in.
She couldn’t quite tell if it was luck or not that she had overheard her parents’ private talks twice in a row.
But because of these two conversations, Yang Dai truly felt that her parents were determined, from the bottom of their hearts, not to let their daughter suffer grievances.
The Secretary Ma her father mentioned was the head of the commune’s brick kiln. The reason her father had been able to work there as a temporary laborer was thanks to him.
Back then, her father had gone to the county to sell some chicks they raised. On his way back, he encountered Secretary Ma badly injured.
Secretary Ma had been on his last breath. If her father hadn’t carried him to the hospital for emergency treatment, his life might not have been saved.
When Secretary Ma awoke, he repaid the favor, using his position to arrange for her father to work at the kiln as a mud worker.
At the time, he even secretly promised that if an opportunity arose, he would help make her father a permanent worker. But twenty years had passed, and her father was still only a temporary hand.
Half a year ago, her father strained his back mixing mud.
Many at the kiln hinted that his age had caught up to him, and it was time for him to step down.
But her father knew the family’s situation. If he lost this job, he would no longer be the unchallenged head of the household.
At the very least, the eldest son and his wife would change their attitude toward Yang Dai.
Her parents had favored their daughter all her life, and they didn’t want to reach old age unable to protect her anymore.
So they thought to find a good husband for Yang Dai and marry her off. With less contact with her brother and sister-in-law, there would naturally be fewer conflicts.
At first, when Yang Dai agreed to marry Han Lin, her parents had opposed it.
After all, Han Lin’s reputation was notorious throughout the brigade— a rat’s dropping that spoiled the whole pot.
But Yang Dai had taken a liking to Han Lin’s face, and the Han family’s conditions were indeed good in the brigade.
Helpless, her parents made further inquiries and finally, amidst the bad rumors, found a few redeeming qualities. Reluctantly, they agreed to the marriage.
Yang Dai didn’t knock to enter but waited until her parents came out, then told them about living separately.
Her parents were both happy and worried.
Happy because their daughter wouldn’t have to live with her mother-in-law, thus avoiding conflicts, and her mother could also visit her more easily.
Worried in case their daughter couldn’t manage her own household—what if she ended up hungry or poorly clothed?
Yang Dai, however, had no such worries. She could freely draw from the supplies in her storeroom; there was plenty inside, and she would never go hungry.
Given her situation, living separately had only advantages, no drawbacks.
But seeing her mother on the verge of tears, Yang Dai spoke a little more to reassure her.
“Moving out means I’ll be in charge of myself. I won’t have to endure my mother-in-law’s temper. You should be happy for me.”
“Han Lin’s idle, so I’ll have to keep an eye on him to make him work. I may not have much time to come home. When you miss me, just come visit, and we can chat, mother and daughter.”
Hearing this, her mother managed to hold back her tears and reluctantly sent Yang Dai off.
By the time the couple returned home, it was already dark. Dinner had been prepared at the Han household, waiting for them.
The meal was eaten in silence. Afterwards, Han’s father stepped out, soon returning with the village party secretary and the family’s eldest elder.
“I invite the two of you to be witnesses.” He seated them at the head, then glanced at his three sons and their wives standing before him.
He quickly announced his decision.
Calling it dividing the household really meant separating Han Lin out. Han Jing and Han Hui would continue to live with their parents under one roof, eating from the same pot, only having to give their parents ten yuan and some grain each year for support.
As for Han Lin, he was given the old house. The family had no money to build anew. For the first five years, he wouldn’t have to pay support money or provide grain.
Everything had already been discussed beforehand. Tonight was just the announcement, without any drama.
The next morning, while Yang Dai was still drowsy, singing drifted in from outside.
She lifted the curtain and peeked— it was her sister-in-law, singing as she polished her bicycle.
Yang Dai sat up, stretched her stiff body, and surprisingly, began to look forward to moving.
It had only been three days since she transmigrated. Eating corn gruel and pickles was bearable— she never ate much anyway, so she endured it.
But sleeping at night was impossible. The wooden bed was so hard that after one night, her waist and back ached, leaving her exhausted.
And living here, she dared not bring out the good things from her storeroom.
As she rocked her body, trying to massage her back, another pair of hands applied steady pressure, easing her soreness.
“Just endure a little longer. I’ll buy bricks today. In a few days, we’ll move.”
Yang Dai said nothing, instinctively wanting to shrug off Han Lin’s hands, but he held her still. Forced to stay seated, she had no choice but to accept his service.
She had to admit, aside from the awkwardness, Han Lin’s massage was quite good.
After breakfast, Yang Dai went with Han Lin to look at the old house.
After years of being uninhabited, weeds had grown over the courtyard roof, and a section of the main hall’s roof had caved in. But the floors and walls were still intact.
“Let’s first buy some bricks from Father-in-law. We’ll rebuild the three rooms of the main hall with half brick, half mud walls, and cover the roof with tiles. Leave the rest for now. Once we move in, we’ll slowly fix the rest.” Han Lin looked at the dilapidated house and felt a headache.
But with their limited savings, he couldn’t afford to be picky.
Yang Dai had no objections. She truly just wanted to move out quickly.
Living with the whole family, mealtimes felt like a raid, something she could never get used to.
And her sister-in-law, though no longer saying much aloud, had a gaze that Yang Dai didn’t like.
Having been here only three days, she was still exploring this world and didn’t want to get into conflicts so soon. Better to pretend not to see.
But such peace wouldn’t last long, so the sooner they separated, the better.