At noon, the summer heat was steaming. Outside the courtyard gate, the tall locust tree stretched its posture, its lush green branches and leaves gently swaying, casting a patch of cool shade.
Xue Qingqing, having been up since last night, began to feel drowsy before noon. She didn't even eat lunch, and fell asleep hugging Little Tiger.
In a daze, she felt a familiar figure walk to the bedside, calling her again and again: "Miss Xue, Miss Xue—"
At first, Xue Qingqing thought she was dreaming, until her consciousness began to clear somewhat. She struggled to lift her eyelids and only then realized that the person standing before her was none other than Shen Zhuo.
"Young Master Shen?" She propped herself up groggily and sat up, saying, "How did you get in?"
Xue Qingqing was somewhat displeased.
She felt that although she now had some sympathy for him, it didn't mean he could lack boundaries the way he had before.
"Someone outside is pounding on the door."
Pei Huaizhen's voice was gentle, his gaze falling on the woman's moist, sleepy eyes, then slowly moving down to settle on her rosy, full lips: "They've been knocking for quite a while."
Xue Qingqing collected herself, listened carefully, and indeed heard the urgent pounding coming from outside the courtyard.
She was now fully awake. Annoyed with herself, she got off the bed and slipped on her shoes: "I've been sleeping more and more soundly lately. I didn't even hear such a loud commotion. Young Master Shen, thank you."
Her mood shifted between overcast and clear—just moments ago she had been displeased with this man, and now she felt guilty instead.
Xue Qingqing resolved that from now on, she could no longer make casual assumptions about Shen Zhuo. Even if he had done things she found hard to accept, it wouldn't be fair to him if she always responded with ill intent.
Even murderers get a chance to start over, and he wasn't even a murderer.
"Hide in the inner room. Don't come out."
Xue Qingqing casually tidied her hair bun and, as usual, instructed Pei Huaizhen: "If things look wrong, crawl under the bed."
Pei Huaizhen's brows curved downward as he smiled and agreed: "Alright."
Having made herself presentable, Xue Qingqing trotted out of the room, calling out softly: "Coming, coming."
Upon hearing her voice, the pounding grew even more frantic, as if it would soon shake the poor little wooden door apart.
Xue Qingqing guessed it must be someone with urgent business. She thought it might be Auntie Li, or perhaps Mang Wazi, or maybe those annoying officials. Feeling anxious, she lowered the door latch and opened the door.
Under the shade by the entrance stood four people.
At the front were two middle-aged people, a man and a woman. The man was burly and tall, his face full of coarse flesh. The woman was tall and slender with a gaunt face, bearing a similar look to the man. Both wore expressions of shrewdness and harshness, quite the matching couple.
Behind the two were another man and woman, but these were two elderly people. The old man had a head full of silver hair and a face covered in wrinkles. His dark, weathered face no longer showed what he looked like in his youth, and only a pair of murky old eyes, half-hidden by drooping eyelids, glimmered with a sharp light.
The moment she recognized these four people, Xue Qingqing felt as if struck by lightning.
Even though it was the height of summer, the blood in her veins suddenly ran ice-cold, and her body began to tremble involuntarily.
Those painful memories of being beaten, scolded, abused, and tormented both mentally and physically came flooding into her mind like a tidal wave.
"Damn son of a bitch, finally came to open the door!" Xue Da's first words were curses, his bull-like eyes seeming to blaze with fire, as if he wished he could kill someone to vent his anger.
Mrs. Guo beside him laughed: "What's the hurry? Didn't little sister open the door? It's not like she'd deliberately keep her own parents and brother and sister-in-law shut outside, would she?"
With that, she stepped forward, moving to take Xue Qingqing's arm with feigned warmth: "Little sister, tell me, is your sister-in-law right or not?"
Xue Qingqing took a step back and shoved Mrs. Guo's hand away. Her face was deathly pale, and her words trembled as she bit them out: "Why are you here?"
Mrs. Guo, having been pushed away, immediately wore an ugly expression. She curled her lips and said: "What kind of talk is that from little sister? Your man died—such a big matter—of course we, your natal family, would come to see about it. And you, your man's been dead for so long and you didn't even tell the family. We only heard about it from that old wet nurse."
Xue Qingqing thought of the old woman who had helped her with her milk, and instantly regretted it to the depths of her being.
She struggled to maintain her rigid composure and sneered in reply: "Natal family? Didn't we agree back then—fifteen taels of silver to sever ties completely, from then on life and death are each one's own fate, money and person settled in full? Weren't those words spoken by your own mouths?"
She had been lucky to end up with Lu Fang. If she'd run into a drunkard or gambler, she'd probably have been beaten to death or starved within half a year.
"This ungrateful girl sure holds a grudge!" Xue Da turned his head to complain to Old Man Xue, "She still remembers words from two years ago that clearly. Father, see—I told you she's not an easy one to deal with."
Old Man Xue turned and cursed Old Mrs. Xue: "Look at the fine daughter you raised!"
Facing her husband and son, Old Mrs. Xue was timid and submissive, not daring to make a sound. Her old eyes, however, stared straight at Xue Qingqing with venomous hatred, as if this daughter she hadn't seen in two years was her mortal enemy.
"I don't want to see any of you." Though she didn't know why they had come, Xue Qingqing knew it couldn't be anything good.
"The child is sleeping inside. Don't wake him. Leave now, and don't come back again."
Xue Qingqing finished speaking with a cold face and moved to close the door.
"Damn you!"
Xue Da shoved the door open, his face turning an angry liver-red: "Father and Mother walked up the mountain road all morning to see you—their legs are about to break—and instead of inviting them in to be served, you dare chase them off? You've lost your mind! Skin itching again, is it?"
Xue Qingqing nearly fell, staggering backward a few steps, leaving the door wide open.
Mrs. Guo poked her head in and walked into the yard, her eyes lighting up: "Oh, they've even got a donkey here! Our family just happens to be missing a donkey!"
With that, she was already heading toward the donkey shed.
Before Xue Qingqing could even steady herself, she rushed over: "Don't you dare lay a hand on that donkey!"
This donkey had been traded by Lu Fang for two fine tiger pelts when she had just conceived Little Tiger. On the first night they brought it home, she and Lu Fang were so excited they couldn't sleep a wink, going out to check on it eight times, terrified someone might steal it.
Old Man Xue cursed: "How dare you speak to your sister-in-law like that! No respect for your elders!"
Old Mrs. Xue chimed in: "You're a widow with a child—what use do you have for a donkey? Giving it to your brother and sister-in-law is only right."
"That's right, that's right. We're all family—what difference does it make who keeps it?" Xue Da helped his parents through the gate, playing the filial son: "You two rest inside. Eat if you're hungry, sleep if you're tired. I'll handle this dead girl myself—no need for you to worry."
Seeing them heading for the main hall, Xue Qingqing felt rage surge to the top of her head. Forgetting everything else, she rushed over and blocked the door: "This is mine and Lu Fang's home! If you dare barge in, I'll report you to the magistrate!"
"Damn you!" Xue Da's eyes bulged wide. "Never heard of a child suing her own father! Go ahead and try—Father and Mother will sue you for filial impiety! Two years married and you haven't sent a single thing back to your family! Some daughter you are! Raising a dog would've been better than raising you!"
Mrs. Guo stroked the donkey's head and said slowly: "I must say, little sister, you've got quite the temper. Father and Mother came all this way because they worry about you, and this is how you treat the people who gave birth to you and raised you?"
Xue Qingqing's eyes were bloodshot. She let out a cold sneer: "Worried about me? I think you've come to strip the place bare and take over the house, haven't you? In your eyes, when has anything good ever come my way?"
"What are you saying? What do you mean nothing good comes your way?"
Mrs. Guo beamed: "Don't you believe it? The reason we've come is precisely to bring you a stroke of good fortune."
"You remember Scholar Zhang from our village? Now there's a man of letters—wealthy and respected. Even the county magistrate has to call him Master Zhang. And he's a devoted soul to boot—his wife died over ten years ago and he never remarried. All these years, matchmakers have worn down his doorstep trying to fix him up, but he wouldn't have any of them, just living with his wife's memorial tablet."
"Who'd have thought—he's taken a fancy to you! Doesn't even mind that you come with a child. Father and Mother have already settled on a date with him. You'll be married off by the end of this month."
Mrs. Guo said meaningfully: "Now tell me, if that isn't good fortune, what is?"
Xue Qingqing closed her eyes, struggling to steady her breathing.
If she remembered correctly, Scholar Zhang was already pushing sixty. Ever since failing the imperial examinations years ago, he'd become a hopeless drunk, and when he drank, he beat his wife. His first wife had been beaten so badly she couldn't take it anymore and hanged herself.
Xue Qingqing opened her eyes: "Tell me—how much did you sell me for?"
Mrs. Guo's face split into a grin: "Not much, not little—exactly ten taels."
The words no sooner left her mouth than Mrs. Guo's face darkened: "Now what do you mean by that? Who said anything about selling? What family doesn't take a bride price when marrying off a daughter? You think it was easy for your parents to raise you?"
Xue Qingqing could no longer contain herself. The woman who had always been soft-spoken and gentle cast aside all her timidity in that moment and roared at the top of her lungs: "Get out! All of you, get out! Get as far away as you can! You're not welcome in my home!"
Xue Da's face twisted with murderous fury as he bellowed: "You're asking for death!"
Old Mrs. Xue added quietly: "With a temper like yours, what man could ever handle you? If you ask me, Lu Fang was done in by you."
In an instant, all the light drained from Xue Qingqing's eyes.
She turned her head woodenly toward the cleaver in the corner.
Iron was precious—even stained with human blood, she hadn't been able to bring herself to throw it away. She'd washed it many times over these past days and left it out in the sun, planning to melt it down and forge a new one.
Xue Qingqing bent down and picked up the blade.
Xue Da: "What are you doing! You're not thinking of killing someone, are you!"
Mrs. Guo ran to the doorway, wailing at the top of her lungs: "Everyone come look! A sister attacking her own brother! A daughter attacking her own parents!"
The commotion had already drawn a crowd, and with Mrs. Guo's shouting, the doorway was soon packed with people. Neighbors whispered among themselves, exchanging hushed murmurs.
In the crowd, Mang Wazi suddenly squeezed his way out. Seeing Xue Qingqing holding a kitchen knife in the courtyard, he froze for a moment, then hastily asked, "Sister Qing, what's going on here?"
He then looked at the four strangers: "And who are you people? Why are you in my Sister Qing's house?"
Mrs. Guo, seeing it was a young lad, planted her hands on her hips and glared: "And who are you! Mind your own business! Don't tell me you're this little widow's lover boy!"
Mang Wazi's face flushed red with anger, and he raised his fist to strike, but Auntie Li grabbed hold of him, scolding and dragging him back to her home.
With the first person to step forward dragged away, the remaining neighbors only dared to watch from the sidelines, afraid to help, lest they get dragged into trouble themselves.
Xue Da strode forward, blocking Xue Qingqing's path, snorting through his nose: "You want to chop someone, huh? Come on then, chop!"
Xue Qingqing's breathing was rapid, her pale face already flushed crimson with the burning rage of desperation.
She slowly raised the knife, pointing it at Xue Da.
"I'll beat you to death!" Xue Da's face twisted into a vicious sneer as he rolled up his sleeves, making as if to strike.
Just then, the open courtyard gate slammed shut with a loud "BANG!"
Xue Da was startled and turned around: "Why did the door close? Who closed it?"
The other three all looked equally bewildered.
At that same moment, Mrs. Guo seemed to catch sight of something. Her face suddenly contorted with terror as she pointed shakily behind Xue Qingqing, stammering: "No… why do I, why do I see, see a figure drifting past inside the house…"
Xue Da cursed: "In broad daylight, you've lost your mind! There's no one in the house. What, you think you saw a ghost?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze too.
Because he saw it—there really was a figure that flashed past behind Xue Qingqing, its body floating in mid-air, swaying gently…
"A ghost!"
With a howl, the family of four fled in panic. Xue Da abandoned all pretense of filial piety, yanking the door open and sprinting off for all he was worth. Mrs. Guo followed close behind, while the two elderly ones tottered after them, trembling.
The neighbors gathered at the doorway, hearing talk of a ghost, scattered like birds and beasts—some even lost their shoes but didn't dare turn back to pick them up.
The chaotic little courtyard, which moments ago was in an uproar, fell silent once more.
In the silence, a tall, jade-like male figure emerged from the doorway of the house.
Pei Huaizhen walked to Xue Qingqing's side and called out softly: "Miss Xue."
Under the blazing sunlight, Xue Qingqing's form swayed.
She still maintained her stance, the tip of the knife aimed at where Xue Da had stood.
Hearing the familiar voice, she turned her head to look at the man beside her. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy and unfocused, veiled in a distant, watery mist.
"Young Master Shen…" Xue Qingqing murmured in response, her voice barely a whisper.
The next instant, her body dropped like a kite with a snapped string, the kitchen knife clattering to the ground with a sharp ring.
Pei Huaizhen lowered his gaze and saw the woman's long lashes, curled and delicate, resting quietly over her eyes. She lay perfectly still, as if she had stopped breathing.
He bent down, pressing his palm to her forehead.
Burning hot.
Pei Huaizhen's eyes darkened. He gathered Xue Qingqing's body into his arms, his long arm looping beneath her knees, and lifted her up in one smooth motion.