The weather was gradually growing warmer. A canopy had been set up outside Su Ji Eatery, with several tables placed beneath it, all filled with customers. The evening service had just begun, and the main hall was bustling with noise, the air thick with the mingled aromas of various dishes.
Lin Wenxuan stood watching from across the street. He had been standing there for a while, his palms slightly sweaty, his hands clenching and unclenching the hem of his robe. Today, he wore a newly made cyan robe—his mother had used fabric saved up over a long time to make it, with fine, meticulous stitches, starched and crisp. His hair had also been carefully combed. Taking a deep breath, he crossed the street and entered Su Ji.
The main hall was filled with the clamor of voices. Zhou Yunniang was serving dishes to customers when she spotted him and greeted him with a smile. "Wenxuan, you're here? What would you like to eat today?"
"Auntie," Lin Wenxuan nodded slightly, his voice a little tense. "I… I have something to discuss with Nian He."
Zhou Yunniang paused for a moment before calling toward the kitchen, "Nian He, Wenxuan is here to see you!"
The kitchen curtain was pushed aside, and Su Mo walked out. She wore a faded, pale pink cotton dress, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, sweat beading on her temples, with stray strands of hair clinging to her skin. She still held a spatula in her hand, clearly in the middle of work.
"Brother Lin?" she looked at him, her expression calm. "What is it?"
Lin Wenxuan gazed at her cheeks, slightly flushed from the stove's heat, and her clear yet distant eyes. His chest tightened, and his throat felt dry.
"I… I have something I'd like to say to you alone," he said, his voice somewhat hoarse.
Su Mo glanced at the crowded main hall, then toward the kitchen—Su Dashan had poked his head out and was looking their way. She nodded. "Let's go to the backyard then."
She set down the spatula, untied her apron, and led Lin Wenxuan to the backyard. Some customers in the main hall watched curiously, but Zhou Yunniang quickly smiled and reassured them, "It's nothing, nothing! Everyone, enjoy your meal!"
The backyard was small, with an old peach tree, a well, and a few pickling jars. Dusk was deepening, the last remnants of sunset casting a faint, yellowish glow across the sky.
Su Mo stood by the well, looking at Lin Wenxuan. "Brother Lin, what is it?"
Lin Wenxuan looked at her, at her calm face, and the courage he had painstakingly gathered suddenly wavered. Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward, his voice lowered. "Nian He, you… have you forgotten everything?"
Su Mo was taken aback. "Forgotten what?"
Lin Wenxuan stared into her eyes. "When we were children, you always followed behind me, calling me Brother Wenxuan. When someone bullied you, I chased them away. When your parents were busy, you came to my house, and we practiced writing and recited poetry together. Have you… forgotten all of that?"
Su Mo fell silent for a moment. In the original owner's memories, there were indeed fragments like these—a thin, young boy shielding her, holding her hand as they walked home, teaching her to read… Those images were blurry yet warm. The original owner had indeed been fond of him too. If she hadn't crossed over, the two of them might have ended up together.
"I haven't forgotten," Su Mo sighed softly.
"Then why now…" Lin Wenxuan took another step closer, his voice growing more urgent. "Why are you so close to Zhou Cheng now, laughing and talking with him? Have you ever thought… have you ever thought about how I feel?"
Su Mo looked up at him. In the dimming light, his face was half-lit, half-shadowed, his eyes filled with emotions she couldn't quite decipher—urgency, frustration, and a hint of… grievance?
"Brother Lin," she spoke slowly, "Zhou Cheng is my cousin, a relative. What is wrong with us talking and eating together?"
"He is an unrelated man!" Lin Wenxuan's voice rose slightly. "You, an unmarried young woman, laughing and chatting with an unrelated man all day—what kind of propriety is that? What will the neighbors say when they see it? Do you even care about your reputation?"
Su Mo looked at him and suddenly felt it somewhat laughable. She remembered how, a few days ago, he had publicly said she shouldn't get too close to unrelated men, only to be rebutted by Zhou Cheng. And now, here he was again, saying these things in private.
"Brother Lin," her voice was calm, "my reputation, I earn it myself. I make a living with my own skills—not stealing, not robbing, clean and honest. What the neighbors say is their business. I, Su Mo, act with integrity and sit upright; I am not afraid of what people say."
"You…" Lin Wenxuan was left speechless by her retort, his face flushing red. He looked at this woman before him, this neighbor's sister he had grown up with, who had once been gentle and obedient, and suddenly felt she was utterly unfamiliar.
"Fine, fine," he said two "fines" in succession, his voice trembling. "Even if you don't care about your reputation, then… what about our bond? Do you still have me in your heart?"
Su Mo looked at him and said nothing.
Seeing her silence, the fire in Lin Wenxuan's heart flared up again. He took a step forward, almost touching the hem of her clothes, his voice lowered but carrying a fierce intensity. "Nian He, I… I will definitely pass the Xiucai exam in this year's Autumn Imperial Examination. My mother said that once I earn this scholarly honor, she will come to propose marriage on my behalf. Then, you can marry into my family, no longer needing to expose yourself to the public, no longer suffering from the toil of kitchen smoke. I… I will treat you well."
He spoke urgently, his eyes gleaming as if he could already see that glorious future—him riding a tall horse to the Su family to propose marriage. Su Nianhe wearing wedding attire, shyly lowering her head, being taken home by him. From then on, she would never again have to endure the smoke and fire of the kitchen, never again have to deal with those peddlers and laborers. She would stay quietly at home, supporting her husband and raising children, becoming a respectable Xiucai's wife.
Looking at the light in his eyes, Su Mo suddenly understood. It wasn't that he didn't understand her; he simply didn't want to. In his mind, she should be a certain way, and that was how she ought to be. Gentle, obedient, content, waiting for him to save her, waiting for him to give her a "respectable" future.
She smiled faintly. "Brother Lin," she said, her voice soft yet clear, "thank you for your kindness. But I, Su Mo, do not wish to marry a Xiucai, nor do I want to be a Xiucai's wife."
Lin Wenxuan froze.
"I enjoy cooking, I enjoy bustling about in the kitchen, I love seeing the satisfied smiles on customers' faces after eating the dishes I make." Su Mo looked at him, her gaze calm yet resolute. "This eatery is my parents' lifelong effort, and now it is mine as well. I want to run it well, expand it, make it the best eatery in Linshui County. This is the life I want, this is the future I seek."
She paused, enunciating each word clearly. "So, Brother Lin, I do not accept your proposal of marriage. I will not marry you."
Lin Wenxuan stood stunned as if struck by lightning. He looked at Su Mo, at those calm yet determined eyes, at the faint but resolute smile on her face. He suddenly felt that this person before him was very, very far away—so far that even if he stretched out his hand, he could not reach her.
"You… what did you say?" His voice trembled.
"I said, I won't marry." Su Mo repeated, "Brother Lin, if you pass the Xiucai exam, the Juren exam, even become a Jinshi in the future, that's your path. I'll be happy for you. But my road, I'll walk it myself. We… should each go our own way."
She spoke calmly, yet her words were like a blunt knife, cutting into Lin Wenxuan's heart stroke by stroke. His face turned deathly pale, his lips quivering as he tried to speak, but no sound came out.
The backyard fell into silence. Dusk had completely settled, the last glimmer of light at the horizon fading away. A sparrow landed on the edge of the well, hopped a few times, then flew off.
From the main hall came the sounds of commotion, clinking dishes, and Zhou Yunniang's cheerful laughter as she greeted guests. Those lively noises seemed separated by a thick wall, unable to reach this place.
Lin Wenxuan stood there like a stone statue. After a long while, he finally moved, taking a step back, then another.
"Alright," his voice was terribly hoarse, "alright… each to our own path."
He turned and stumbled toward the exit. At the doorway, he paused, glancing back once.
Su Mo still stood by the well, her back to him, gazing at the old peach tree in the twilight, its branches and leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
He watched for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the dusk. The sound of his footsteps faded away, then vanished entirely.
Su Mo remained standing there, unmoving. The night breeze blew in, carrying a slight chill. She hugged her arms and looked up at the sky. Silently, she thought to herself: "Su Nianhe, will you blame me? Right now, I just want to help Father and Mother keep the eatery going, to give them a good life. Though I truly feel sorry for your youthful heart's desires, I really don't want to rely on someone else to live my whole life."
She stood a while longer before turning and heading toward the main hall. Lifting the door curtain, a wave of warmth mixed with the aroma of food greeted her. The hall was filled with people—noisy, warm.
Zhou Yunniang saw her and hurriedly asked, "What did you talk about?"
"Nothing much." Su Mo shook her head, walked behind the counter, picked up an apron and tied it on, then returned to the kitchen. The stove fire burned brightly, soup bubbling and rolling in the pot. Su Dashan was stir-frying, his spatula flying, filling the air with rich fragrance.
She walked to the stove and picked up another spatula.
"Father," she said, "tomorrow I want to try a new dish."
Su Dashan glanced at her and nodded, "Alright. Whatever you need, I'll buy it."
"Good."
She added a spoonful of oil to the wok. When the oil was hot, she tossed in ginger and garlic, releasing a sizzling burst of aroma that mingled with the rich scents filling the room, indistinguishable from one another.