“Look at our daughter. Don’t you think she’s different?” Ji the Eldest was the first to notice that something was wrong.
Song-shi wiped away her tears and looked closely at Ji Yun.
She was wearing a plain, old-fashioned outfit. It had patches on it, but it was very clean.
Her face used to be sallow and yellowish, but now it was dark and almost black from exposure to the sun.
Her hair had become curly and was shorter than before, probably because she had cut off a portion of it. It was tied into two braids, making her look neater and more spirited.
Her eyes had lost their previous muddled and vacant look. In its place was determination, confidence, and clarity.
A wave of joy and nervousness surged through Song-shi.
She tentatively asked, “Yun’er, are you…?”
There was an answer in her heart, but she didn’t dare say it aloud, afraid it might only be wishful thinking.
Ji the Eldest had the same look of anticipation and surprise in his eyes.
Under the couple’s eager gazes, Ji Yun gently nodded.
“Yes. I’m better now. I’m not a fool anymore.”
Song-shi’s tears began flowing again, but this time they were tears of joy.
“I knew my daughter would get better! That wandering Taoist really wasn’t lying to me.”
Song-shi excitedly grabbed Ji Yun’s wrist, squeezing so hard that she left two red marks on her skin.
Ji Yun frowned slightly but didn’t pull away, maintaining her smile.
“Yun’er, you’re… really better?”
Ji the Eldest asked again, as if he needed confirmation.
“I’m better.”
Ji Yun’s voice was hoarse, but her gaze was firm and clear.
“After I was struck by lightning, I woke up.”
For a moment, the Ji couple didn’t know what to say.
Should they thank the lightning?
Of course not!
They had been doing everything they could to avoid mentioning it.
The incident had already spread throughout the village. Everyone was saying that the Ji family’s foolish daughter must have offended some deity, which was why she had been struck by heavenly lightning.
The Ji family had been too busy trying to dispel the rumors. They didn’t want to bring it up at all.
“Yun’er, you regained your senses right after receiving your marriage certificate. That means the Gu family must be good luck for you. From now on, you should live a good life with Gu…”
Song-shi suddenly forgot her new son-in-law’s name.
Ji the Eldest quickly reminded her.
“Gu Zhou!”
“Right. From now on, live a good life with Gu Zhou.”
Song-shi’s eyes reddened again.
Her daughter had regained her senses, and half the heavy stone in her heart had finally been lifted.
The other half depended on Gu Zhou.
She still didn’t know what kind of person her new son-in-law was.
What was his character like?
“Oh, right. Where’s your husband? Why haven’t I seen him?”
“He went into the forest.”
Ji the Eldest asked, “What kind of work does he do?”
“I don’t know!”
Ji Yun shook her head.
“You child! You’re husband and wife now. How can you not care about what your own man does?”
“I only woke up recently. How would I know?”
Ji Yun brushed off the question.
“That’s true. I suppose I’m partly to blame for never teaching you these things. Yun’er…”
Song-shi took her daughter’s hand, intending to teach her a few things about getting along with her husband.
Ji the Eldest felt embarrassed staying there while the mother and daughter talked privately.
Thinking about how they had come empty-handed, he was afraid the in-laws might look down on them.
Forget it. I might as well go work.
At least that could make up for something.
So he went to the backyard to chop firewood.
“Mom, about him and me…”
Ji Yun didn’t know how to explain.
“You two… have you done that yet?”
Song-shi didn’t even finish the question before her face turned red.
“Done what?”
“That is…”
Song-shi’s eyes darted away.
Only then did Ji Yun belatedly understand what she meant.
“Mom, we just met. We’re still getting to know each other.”
Of course, Ji Yun was only saying that to reassure her.
She felt that Gu Zhou seemed rather disgusted with her.
He probably wouldn’t have any interest in her.
After all, she was dark, thin, and had once been a fool. She shouldn’t be able to stir up much interest in a man.
“Does he dislike you?”
“Maybe.”
“You silly girl. Now that you’re better, why didn’t you tell him? And I was wondering if your mother-in-law was unhappy with you.”
Ji Yun thought to herself:
Who would be happy about marrying a fool?
“I’m going to tell her. I want her to know that my daughter isn’t a fool and see if she still dares look down on you!”
Song-shi straightened her back.
Before, because her daughter was foolish, she had constantly compromised with the Gu family, hoping they would treat her daughter well.
But now that her daughter had recovered, the situation should be reversed.
If the Gu family were truly decent people, how had they ended up in a situation where the authorities had forcibly arranged a marriage for them?
What was there to be proud of?
“Mom, some things have to depend on fate.”
“What fate? Now that you’re better, people should know. You need to hold your head high and live with dignity.”
She stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
“That settles it. You go help in the kitchen. Actually, forget it. I’ll go instead. You just woke up, so you probably don’t know how to do anything yet.”
Song-shi walked toward the kitchen, rolling up her sleeves.
“Mother-in-law, let me help you.”
“Mother-in-law, you’re a guest. How could I let a guest into the kitchen? If word got out, people would think our Gu family didn’t know proper manners.”
Grandma Gu’s response was cool and pointed.
“Mother-in-law, listen to you. We’re family now. Why speak so formally? That would make us strangers.”
Song-shi was also very capable at household chores.
She immediately rolled up her sleeves and began helping pick the vegetables.
Grandma Gu understood exactly what she was doing.
She was simply trying to curry favor with her, afraid that she would mistreat her daughter.
Grandma Gu wasn’t a vicious person.
She was simply unhappy about having married a foolish wife into the family.
“Mother-in-law, you should go rest. Our family is poor, and we can’t offer you anything good.”
Song-shi waved her hand.
“We’re all farmers. There’s no need to fuss over such things.”
Grandma Gu felt that Song-shi had changed.
She seemed much more confident than before.
What could have caused this change?
“Mother-in-law, where’s Gu Zhou?”
“He went into the forest.”
“Won’t he be back for lunch?”
“Not necessarily.”
“How can that be? I still have something I need to tell him.”
“He has a heavy burden on his shoulders. There’s an old person at home, and his wife is…”
As she spoke, Grandma Gu glanced at Song-shi.
You know perfectly well what your daughter is like. How dare you put on the airs of an elder?
Song-shi instinctively hunched her shoulders.
Over the years, she had suffered plenty of ridicule because of her daughter.
But then she remembered that her daughter had recovered.
Her back straightened again.
This time, she stood straighter than ever.
“My daughter isn’t a fool. She just… matured late!”
Grandma Gu curled her lips.
Did she think she couldn’t tell?
Was that really “maturing late”?
The girl had seemed like someone who would never understand things for the rest of her life.
“Yun’er’s mother, I know every parent thinks their own child is wonderful, but we should still speak according to the facts.”
Song-shi knew she didn’t believe her.
She lifted her chin and called toward the outside.
“Yun’er, come here.”
Then Song-shi gave Grandma Gu a thorough demonstration of just how clever and capable her daughter was.
“Yun’er, come massage Grandma’s shoulders.”
“Yun’er, count for Grandma. Start from… one to ten.”
“Yun’er, sing a little song for Grandma. Never mind, your throat is still injured. We’ll save that for later.”
Ji Yun…
What is she doing?
I’m a person, not a monkey.
“You silly girl, why are you just standing there? Move!”
“Mom, do I look like a monkey to you?”
Those few words alone made Grandma Gu’s eyes widen.
“You… you… you…”
Ji Yun hurriedly supported her, afraid that the old woman might get too excited and something would happen to her.
Song-shi shot Grandma Gu a sideways glance.
“Mother-in-law, what do you think? I told you my daughter isn’t a fool. She simply matured late. Look at her now. Isn’t she sensible?”
“Of course, because she matured late, there may still be some things she doesn’t know how to do. I’ll have to trouble you to be patient and teach her.”
“If you don’t want to, I can also take her back home and teach her myself.”
Grandma Gu had no time to exchange pleasantries with Song-shi.
She hurriedly asked Ji Yun, “You… when did you get better?”
Ji Yun was just about to say just now, but Song-shi was quicker.
“Yesterday. She got better right after receiving the marriage certificate.”
Grandma Gu’s expression immediately became complicated.
There was embarrassment, shame, and even a hint of guilt.
Yesterday, she had been quite cold toward the girl.
She hadn’t spared her any harsh looks.
And yet this girl hadn’t said a word about getting better.
Could she be holding a grudge against me?
Holding a grudge against her was one thing.
What Grandma Gu feared most was that it might somehow affect her grandson.