The sound was so shrill and piercing that it sent all the birds perched on the trees flying about in panic.
Right after that, the courtyard gate was slammed open forcefully from outside.
Su Daqiang walked in the very front with a grim expression on his face.
Following behind him were several sturdy men carrying a stretcher.
Wang Shi lay on the stretcher, her face deathly pale and looking utterly haggard.
Li Shi leaned on a walking stick, her eyes covered by blood-stained white cloth, as she shakily made her way toward them.
Li Ergou had suffered the worst of it. His right leg was splinted, and he was being carried on someone’s back, groaning nonstop due to the pain.
Half the people in the village trailed along behind just to watch the commotion.
In an instant, the small courtyard was packed so tightly that not even water could have trickled through.
Su Daqiang slammed the carrying pole in his hand hard onto the ground.
Su Qinghe! You heartless wretch, get out here right now!
Su Qinghe set down her bowl and stood up slowly and unhurriedly.
She brushed off the dust from the hem of her dress, a faint smile on her face.
Uncle, so early in the morning, you’ve brought Auntie here to visit me with such grand fanfare. You really know how to show great respect.
Wang Shi struggled to sit up on the stretcher, pointed at Su Qinghe, and began wailing at the top of her lungs.
Everyone, look at her! This is exactly that jinx!
We had a quarrel with her during the day, and she held a grudge against us. Now she’s started taking revenge!
She summoned a venomous snake to bite me, and called down a strange rock to break Ergou’s leg!
Li Shi also chimed in, slapping her thigh in agitation.
My eyes! She must have been the one who harmed them!
Exactly! We came over here to make a scene yesterday, and by midnight, every single one of us met with disaster! How could this be pure coincidence? It must have been you who did it!
Su Qinghe, how could you be so cruel? We only wronged you once! Was it really necessary to hurt us so badly? Wang Shi wailed. Now we’ve ended up blind and crippled… How could you do such a heinous, ungodly thing?!
Gradually, more onlookers gathered around, and they looked at one another, unsure what to make of it.
Su Daqiang shouted at the top of his voice, Fellow villagers, this evil woman Su Qinghe has brought such misery upon us. Do you still dare to associate with her? If you offend her, you’ll never even know how you meet your end! Look at us — this is exactly what happens!
As he spoke, the way the surrounding people looked at Su Qinghe slowly turned wary and suspicious.
This is truly terrible…
Yes, it really is…
Could it really have been Su Qinghe’s doing…
Xiao Hanyuan stood behind Su Qinghe, a cold and chilling aura radiating from him, so intense it felt almost tangible.
Su Qinghe stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over Wang Shi and the others.
Auntie, you claim I attacked you in the middle of the night. Do you have any proof?
Wang Shi shrieked, What more proof do we need? Who else but you could possibly hate us this much?
Su Qinghe sneered. So without a shred of evidence, you simply decide I’m the one who harmed you? You think you can just throw all this dirt and blame on my head however you like?
Going by your logic, from now on, whenever the authorities want to make an arrest, they won’t need to follow any rules or require evidence at all. They can just arrest whoever they happen to suspect straight away.
You… you are just twisting words and arguing irrationally! Wang Shi yelled.
You say I snuck out at night to hurt you, Su Qinghe said calmly. Then let me ask you this.
I am just a weak woman. I have no magic powers, no extra arms or heads. How exactly did I manage to cripple all of you without anyone noticing a thing?
Li Shi was lost for words, but quickly retorted, If it wasn’t you, it was that person standing right next to you! You must have egged your husband on to harm us!
Su Qinghe suddenly burst out laughing, her tone dripping with mockery and amusement.
She turned around and naturally slipped her arm through Xiao Hanyuan’s.
She rested her head lightly against his shoulder, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.
You really think too highly of both of us.
How could I possibly have had the time or energy to go out and hurt anyone last night?
Last night, my husband and I stayed in our room the whole time… working on our plan to have a baby.
Xiao Hanyuan’s body stiffened instantly.
He looked down at the woman beside him, his eyes wide with utter shock and disbelief.
Su Qinghe pinched his arm gently, her voice soft and sweet, and she gave him a teasing smile. Husband, isn’t that right?
You were so vigorous last night, tossing and turning, I barely got a wink of sleep.
My legs are still weak today. How could I possibly have climbed over a wall and released a snake?
Complete silence fell over the entire scene.
The villagers stood there with their mouths agape, jaws nearly hitting the ground.
No one had expected Su Qinghe to say something so bold and uninhibited in public.
Many of them felt their faces flush red instantly.
Xiao Hanyuan’s ears turned bright red, right before everyone’s eyes.
He looked down into her bright, sparkling almond-shaped eyes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
In the end, he didn’t push her away. He simply let out a low, single syllable from his throat.
Hmm.
That short, gruff sound was like a heavy hammer striking the air.
The expressions on the villagers’ faces turned knowing and suggestive.
They looked Xiao Hanyuan up and down, noting his strong, well-built frame.
Then they looked back at Su Qinghe, seeing how soft, delicate and coquettish she appeared right now.
When you thought about it, something like that really did take a lot of energy.
That makes sense, someone murmured. They’re newlyweds and obviously very much in love. How could she have had time to run around causing trouble?
Su Qinghe used to be sturdier, sure, but look at her now — she’s grown so thin. He really must have been keeping her quite busy.
And her husband looks like such an honest, decent man. He doesn’t seem the type to go around harming people.
Wang Shi’s story sounds really far-fetched and unbelievable. I reckon she just wants to extort money out of her.
Su Qinghe tightened her hold on Xiao Hanyuan’s arm, and her eyes turned sharp as they fixed on Li Ergou. Li Ergou, you spend your days stealing chickens and dogs, harassing widows, and doing every bad and wicked thing imaginable.
You two have no idea how many people you’ve offended over the years. There are plenty of people out there who would love to see you harmed.
She shifted her gaze to Su Daqiang.
Su Daqiang, if you still aren’t convinced, let’s go to the magistrate’s office right now. We can have a proper investigation into everyone you’ve crossed paths with and offended all these years, and question every single one of your enemies one by one.
If it turns out you’ve filed a false accusation, you’ll get to fully experience what it feels like to rot in prison for a very long time.
At the mention of the authorities, Li Ergou flinched and shrank back his neck.
He hadn’t clearly seen who had attacked him the night before at all. He had only come along because he hoped to get a share of whatever money Wang Shi managed to squeeze out.
Wang Shi also looked uneasy and nervous. She was terrified that an official inquiry would uncover all the shameful, secret things she had done behind people’s backs.
You… don’t you dare try to scare us with the government! she stammered.
Su Qinghe snorted coldly, then picked up a broom leaning against the corner of the wall.
Not leaving? Fine then. I’ll help you move along!
She swung the broom and swiped it hard right at the stretcher. Dust flew everywhere, choking Wang Shi until she coughed uncontrollably.
Get out! Get out of here, all of you!
If anyone ever dares to come to my gate and make trouble again, I’ll march them straight to the magistrate myself!
Seeing how fierce and determined Su Qinghe was, the onlookers scattered quickly.
Su Daqiang realized the tide had turned against him, and he was terrified she would actually drag him before an official.
He barked orders to the men, who picked up the stretcher holding Wang Shi and ran off.
Li Shi and Li Ergou supported each other, scrambling and stumbling out of the courtyard as fast as they could.
Peace and quiet returned to the yard. Su Qinghe threw the broom aside and clapped her hands clean.
She turned around and found herself looking straight into Xiao Hanyuan’s deep, dark eyes.
His expression was still cool and reserved, yet that faint flush on his face hadn’t quite faded away.
Plan to have a baby?
Xiao Hanyuan’s voice sounded slightly hoarse.
Su Qinghe’s face grew warm and flushed. It was just a temporary trick to deal with the situation, husband. Don’t take it seriously.
But you played along perfectly just now. Here’s your reward: a bowl of milk tea.
She picked up the bowl of milk tea she had set down earlier and held it up to his lips.
Xiao Hanyuan looked at her. He didn’t take the bowl from her hand, but leaned forward and took a sip directly from where she held it.
Su Qinghe’s fingers trembled slightly. It felt as though the warmth of his breath was burning her fingertips.
The sweet and rich aroma of milk tea still lingered in his mouth and nose. Xiao Hanyuan looked at her lips, glistening and moist from the drink, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly up and down. He set the empty bowl down on the stone table.
Was it good? Su Qinghe asked with a smile curving her lips, reaching out to take the bowl away.
Xiao Hanyuan pressed his hand over her wrist, his thumb rubbing gently against the smooth, delicate skin over her wristbone, and did not let go.
The milk tea was good, he said, staring straight into her eyes. But we didn’t finish what we were talking about just now.
Su Qinghe froze for a second, her mind racing quickly to catch up. What do you mean?
The child.
Xiao Hanyuan spoke the two words clearly.
Su Qinghe nearly slipped on the ground and fell straight into his arms, bowl and all. She steadied herself and gave a couple of awkward, dry laughs. Husband, I was just talking nonsense earlier to make Wang Shi angry. Why are you taking it so seriously?
Talking nonsense? Xiao Hanyuan’s eyebrows drew together slightly, and a sharp, searching look appeared in his usually unfathomable eyes. So you never planned to have children?
Su Qinghe felt a wave of panic rising inside her head.
Have a child?
This man was the future Regent, a living Lord of Hell who killed without blinking an eye. Once he recovered his memories and remembered how she had treated him these past few months—using him like a servant and constantly taking advantage of him—forget about having a child, she would be lucky just to keep her own head on her shoulders.
If she really did have his child, who knew what he would do then? Would he kill the mother and keep the child? Or would he despise the child just because it was hers?
Either way, it would be a living nightmare of a situation.
Of course I don’t want one, Su Qinghe answered instinctively.
The man frowned deeply, his gaze fixed intently on her. Didn’t you say you love me more than anything? We are husband and wife. Why wouldn’t you want a child?
To be honest, he hadn’t been thinking about having children with her either. But her reaction struck him as highly suspicious.
Su Qinghe realized her mistake and hurried to explain. Ahem… well… I do want children, really… But husband, just look at the situation we are in right now. Our house leaks wind through the cracks, and we barely have any savings or property. Raising a child costs a fortune… We can hardly even take care of ourselves properly yet. Do you really want to bring a child into this world just to suffer hardship and poverty with us?
Xiao Hanyuan paused for a moment, looking at her with a complex expression in his eyes.
She sighed and spoke earnestly. I love you so much, and of course I dream of giving you a big, healthy son one day. But I couldn’t bear to see our child suffer. We have to wait until we have earned enough money, built a big sturdy house, and can afford to hire nursemaids and servants. Only then would it be right.
Xiao Hanyuan remained silent.
He looked at this thrifty, practical woman before him, and the strange restlessness in his heart calmed down a little. So it wasn’t that she didn’t want children—it was that she was afraid they wouldn’t be able to provide a good life.
He had to admit, he had nothing to his name right now. He couldn’t even give her a proper home.
If he were more capable, she wouldn’t have to work so hard and worry about everything.
Leave the matter of earning money to me, Xiao Hanyuan said.
Su Qinghe was about to carry the bowl to the kitchen, but stopped in her tracks when she heard him. What do you have in mind? We agreed you would stay home and guard the house.
He wasn’t thinking of going back to work as a martial arts instructor to earn money, was he?
Xiao Hanyuan stood up and walked into the side room. A moment later, he came out carrying an iron sword he had just finished sharpening and polishing.
The blade wasn’t shiny or bright; it looked somewhat rough and crude, as if it had been hammered together carelessly from scrap metal.
What is this? Su Qinghe asked, confused.
I’ve watched you working so hard at your business these days. I can’t just sit around doing nothing, Xiao Hanyuan said as he walked over to the jujube-wood stump she used for chopping firewood. I’ve noticed there are many merchant caravans passing through town, and quite a few martial arts escorts as well. Most of the weapons they carry are poorly made and shoddy. Many are barely better than a stick used to stoke a fire.
Su Qinghe blinked. And so?
I know how to forge metal, Xiao Hanyuan said casually. I’m a bit out of practice, perhaps, but I still remember the craft.
Su Qinghe looked at that plain, unimpressive sword, full of doubts in her heart. Blacksmithing? He had that skill too?
Husband, blacksmithing is extremely heavy labor. Besides, the smithies in town all have their regular customers…
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Hanyuan flicked his wrist.
A cold flash of light sliced through the air.
Su Qinghe’s eyes blurred, and she didn’t even catch the movement of his arm.
Crack!
A sharp, clear sound rang out.
The heavy, thick-backed axe she used for chopping wood, which was resting against the stump, had a chunk cleanly sliced off by that rough-looking iron sword!
The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror, as if the axe had been made of soft bean curd.
Su Qinghe’s large, dark, bright eyes went wide instantly, staring roundly at the scene in front of her.
That axe was made of high-quality wrought iron!
And he just… cut right through it like that?
This wasn’t simple blacksmithing at all. This was clearly the work of a master weapon-smith!
Xiao Hanyuan sheathed the sword, his expression still calm and unruffled. I’ve thought it over. I’ll open a shop in the city. There are more caravans there, and they can afford to pay good prices. With my skill, selling a sword for several dozen taels won’t be a problem. Once we’ve saved enough money, you won’t have to work so hard anymore…
Su Qinghe’s heart lurched violently, and cold sweat broke out instantly on her back.
Go to the city?
Absolutely not!
Even the town was risky enough, what with all the people coming and going, though it was still a remote, backward place. But the city? That was where all the high-ranking officials and nobles gathered. If anyone who knew him happened to see him there, it would be a total disaster.
And his skill was far too outstanding. Weapons that could cut through iron like mud would certainly cause a sensation the moment they appeared. Once word spread about him, it would be impossible to keep his identity hidden.
No way! Su Qinghe shouted without even stopping to think.
Xiao Hanyuan frowned at her, clearly unable to understand why she was reacting so strongly.
Su Qinghe’s mind raced at top speed. She threw her arms around his, her voice soft and sweet, her big bright eyes looking up at him pleadingly. Husband, the city is just too far! It takes days just to go there and come back. I… I just can’t bear to be away from you.
Xiao Hanyuan’s body stiffened slightly, and he looked down at her.
This little woman stood there, her clear eyes blinking up at him, reflecting his own image deep in their depths. As she spoke, the sweet, delicate fragrance she always wore drifted into his senses.
Suddenly, the man’s breathing deepened.
And besides, rent in the city is so expensive! Su Qinghe continued, making up excuses as she went along. We barely have enough savings as it is. We could never afford it. And think about how difficult those rich and powerful people in the city are to please. It’s right under the Emperor’s nose! What if someone takes a dislike to you and tries to make trouble? We’re just ordinary people. We can’t afford to make enemies, we can only stay out of trouble.
Xiao Hanyuan looked into her eyes, which were filled with what looked like genuine worry, and his resolve began to weaken in his heart.
She was concerned for his safety.
She was right. He had lost his memory and didn’t know who he really was. It really wasn’t wise to go to the city and draw attention to himself.
If the city is out of the question… Xiao Hanyuan said, then I’ll set up in town.
He couldn’t possibly stay cooped up in this poor mountain valley forever.
It will also be more convenient for you to run your business there. What do you think? Xiao Hanyuan asked.
Su Qinghe had originally planned to stay in the village until it was time for her to run away. But seeing how determined he was, and afraid that refusing to let him go even to the town would arouse his suspicion, she finally nodded. Alright then. Once we’ve saved enough money here, we’ll move to town.
As long as he didn’t go to the city, setting up a stall in the town was a risk she could still keep under control.