‘Daiyu: A Chun, there’s no escaping this!’
Holding the child, Yu Chun walked into the courtyard. Her father was tending the fire. Cao Jie frowned when he saw her and said coldly, “There’s no curfew right now. I’ll take the grain over first. My mother knows your parents have arrived—she’s invited them to dinner tomorrow. Cook the mutton I brought back so your mother can eat when she returns.”
Without waiting for a reply, he pushed the wheelbarrow out.
“You—have nothing to say?!” Yu Chun rushed forward, her face flushed red.
‘Fengjie: A hopeless cur—like a gourd with its mouth sawed off. What a waste to beat him to death!’
“Go on then. A Chun, this is your fault!” her father said, stepping forward to help Cao Jie push the cart out.
It felt as if Yu Chun had been struck by a mountain. Her face turned a deep purple. She didn’t try to stop them, only stood there in a daze.
Time fell silent. The crimson sunset cast its glow over her. Her father quietly smoked his pipe.
“A Chun, look at the meat your mother brought—mutton—”
Only when her mother returned, smiling as she held a lotus-leaf-wrapped bundle, did Yu Chun react.
Suddenly, tears streamed down her face. Then her voice broke into a wail, like a wounded wolf—filled with both anger and sorrow.
“My poor child! What sin have you committed to suffer like this? That wretched man dared to beat you so badly—I’ll fight him! You’ve always been too strong, unwilling to lower yourself, letting others trample you. Let’s report this to the authorities, dissolve the marriage—”
“What nonsense! You gave birth to such a foolish daughter—if the marriage is dissolved, will you support her?”
The air froze instantly.
“My child, just endure it. This is our fate! You were born from my body—since you weren’t born into a wealthy family, you deserve to be bullied—”
Yu Chun froze completely.
Inhale—exhale—
Inhale—exhale—
Inhale—exhale—
This is not my life. This is Yu Chun’s life. This is not my life—it’s Yu Chun’s.
No wonder Yu Chun had been so foolish.
She stopped arguing. Lowering her head, she wiped her sleeve hard across her face, kissed the crying Cao Fang in her arms, and slowly stood up—her movements stiff, yet carrying a terrifying calm.
“Fate? What fate? Did being beaten and scolded come along when you gave birth to me? You accept it because you are weak. I’ve smashed my head against the wall and learned just how hard my skull is. I’ve heard your words—but my path, I’ll walk it myself!”
Without looking at her parents’ stunned expressions, Yu Chun turned and left.
Those who beat her, those who killed her with soft knives, those who defiled her with muddled love—she remembered them all. She would no longer be a good daughter or a good wife. She would be like a copper pea—sink if she must, but make a sound doing so.
‘Baoyu: From now on, I would rather bear all blame and walk alone into the abyss than kneel and beg for your pity!’
‘Daiyu: Sprinkle some clean water on the ground—it’s souring me. But crude words hold truth. Live—live well. A Chun, what do you plan to do?’
‘Chun: Are there any good men in this world?’
‘Fengjie: What kind of person are you? Good or bad—aren’t they all just people? Everyone wants their own advantage. Don’t talk nonsense. Out of ten thousand people, how many saints are there? The key is yourself!’
‘Chun: I’m tired. I need to rest.’
‘Baochai: Finish what you need to do first. You chose this life—young and old all depend on you. If you collapse now, it will only get harder. All beings suffer; only self-reliance can save you.’
“Mm.”
Sometimes people are trapped by their own thoughts. Once clarity comes, everything follows naturally.
What makes a person human is the ability to take responsibility.
Her parents stood awkwardly nearby, saying nothing more. Yu Chun carried the child on her back and said to her mother, “Wash the meat and cut it into pieces.”
Looking at the piece of sheep head meat in her hand, Yu Chun realized she had learned something. No matter what, Cao Jie handled appearances better than she did.
Mutton was expensive, but sheep heads were cheap. For a father-in-law who had traveled far to seek refuge, being served sheep head was a form of disrespect.
But it was still meat, still purchased. If she made an issue of it, others would only say she was troublesome—like finding a fly in a pot of soup. Even if you removed it, it still disgusted you.
Yet her parents were happy. Having long been mistreated by the world, they simply thought their son-in-law was thoughtful.
“Mm, try to think things through.”
“I have.”
Yu Chun curled her lips in a faintly mocking smile. She scooped water to wash the cabbage, tore it into pieces, heated lard in the pot, sautéed scallions and ginger, added the chopped sheep head meat, stir-fried it, poured in yellow wine, cooked it down, then added water. The pot began to bubble and simmer.
‘Xiangyun: The warmth of everyday life soothes the heart. A Chun, what are you doing at home? Later I’ll teach you a stitching technique—fast and good. Once you earn money, you can eat whatever you want!’
‘Baoyu: “Orchid wine from Lanling, amber glowing in jade cups—if only the host can make the guest drunk, who cares where home is?”’
‘Baochai: “The palace gates open to the heavens; officials from all lands gather in court—”’
‘Daiyu: “The bright moon rises over the Tianshan Mountains, vast clouds stretch across the sky—”’
‘Xiangyun: And also—“In the prosperous days of Kaiyuan, even small towns held thousands of households…”’
‘Chun: Is that even possible? I’m struggling just to survive!’
‘Fengjie: I can’t stand your poetry. The food’s ready—eat! Instead of worrying, sew more clothes and earn more coins. If you have money and travel permits, you could even become a merchant. Why not? Though your body needs training—if you had your husband’s strength, you could go anywhere… no, wait, you’re still lacking sense!’
‘Li Wan: Not everyone is like you, full of schemes. Learn step by step—after suffering enough losses, you’ll understand how to act carefully.’
“A Chun, I’ve served you rice—eat,” her mother said, bringing over a full bowl topped with mutton broth and thin slices of meat.
“This is leftover mutton from the tavern. The chef gave me a package—barely touched.”
“You eat it,” Yu Chun said. She had no appetite for anything else. All she wanted was to finish sewing those clothes—she had to buy a sheep for them to eat properly. No—half a sheep. No… a sheep leg. A whole sheep cost eight hundred coins.
‘Daiyu: Why insist on buying sheep out of spite? A pig costs only two hundred coins. The oil and meat could feed your family for months.’
‘Baochai: Exactly. Your mother works rough labor at the tavern—she must be suffering. Raising a lamb might be a better livelihood, especially in these times of war.’
‘Chun: You’re right. Thank you, everyone.’
She had so many things to do, and no time to waste. Tomorrow would be another new day.
Later, she still needed to comfort Cao Rong and discuss arrangements for the Yu family with Yu Xiao. These parents were not reliable—but war was coming. Prices had already risen from ten coins to two hundred in just one day.