“Because of our parents, Xiao Hong always feels guilty toward me. He thinks that if he hadn’t been born, I wouldn’t have been scolded as a child, wouldn’t have done all the dirty, hard work, and wouldn’t have been prevented from continuing my studies because of him.”
“In truth, he knows that even without him, I would have gone through these things. Yet he insists on taking the blame upon himself.”
Ye Shizhi murmured, “Do you think he’s foolish?”
A faint pain tugged at her heart, a sadness that wasn’t hers, but the original owner’s.
“Foolish.”
The sudden answer made Ye Shizhi’s emotions catch in her throat.
“What did you say?”
Jiang Sinian’s gaze landed on her belly. “Keep your emotions steady. It’s not good for the child.”
“To others, he may seem foolish, but to himself… it’s enough that he’s not.”
Jiang Sinian didn’t preach. If it weren’t for noticing her slight sadness, he wouldn’t have said a word.
Pfft! For the child!
Once he silently adjusted his focus, the sense of dissonance in his mind dissipated.
By the time he interrupted, the original owner’s emotions had vanished. Ye Shizhi herself was calm, a little aloof. For Ye Hongdong, she felt only detached sympathy as a bystander.
Life was long; nothing was decided yet. No need to rush.
“You do have a point.”
She had only been pregnant a month. There was little sensation, and the earlier sadness faded quickly. She walked lightly, excitedly taking in the new surroundings, occasionally glancing back to check that Jiang Sinian was still there.
Her earlier fear of this new world and initial submissiveness around Jiang Sinian were gone.
As for Jiang Sinian, seeing this completely changed version of her, he noticed but didn’t care.
Human or ghost, as long as they didn’t provoke him, it was fine.
Their villages were different. The original owner’s family lived in Yejia Village, Jiang Sinian’s in the neighboring Linshan Village. Walking back took about twenty minutes.
Along the way, they passed a few unfamiliar faces. Ye Shizhi, not being outgoing, didn’t greet anyone.
Linshan Village was much larger than Yejia Village, with more residents. They had taken a small path behind the mountains, seeing no one along the way.
Jiang Sinian’s house had appeared in the original owner’s memories, but Ye Shizhi examined it more closely. Compared to the original memory, the house had a large courtyard and a tree whose name she didn’t know. Several rooms were connected and built of wood instead of mud bricks.
This kind of house was rare in the village, and knowing Jiang Sinian could work with wood, she couldn’t help admiring it.
Looking back, the original owner’s bias against Jiang Sinian was significant. Without that one drunken incident, they would never have interacted.
Because of her resentment over school and a husband full of rumors, without a god’s-eye view, no one could truly accept it all.
Ye Shizhi ignored those thoughts and took a vegetable basket from Jiang Sinian.
“I’ll cook. You tend the fire, okay?”
Jiang Sinian agreed. “Fine.”
He had originally planned to do all the work himself, but seeing her interest, he kept silent.
Ye Shizhi went into the kitchen first. It was small, but big enough for two to move around.
She checked the old cabinets: only some white flour and a little brown rice, not much.
She checked another cabinet and found five or six eggs, along with potatoes and sweet potatoes in a corner.
Seeing this, she realized it was a shame she hadn’t bought more when returning. Aside from picking up the documents, she hadn’t done much.
She measured enough brown rice for two people in an enamel bowl, considering Jiang Sinian’s larger appetite, hesitating whether to add more.
Since she wouldn’t have time for breakfast tomorrow, she decided to prepare it all tonight. Tomorrow’s breakfast would be steamed buns and pancakes with flour, and tonight they would have stir-fried eggs with brown rice and chives.
Jiang Sinian brought water in and noticed her staring at the rice. Thinking it insufficient, he said, “I’ll buy more tomorrow.”
She acknowledged him, adding, “I’ll see if anything else is missing later.”
Understanding, Jiang Sinian poured water from the well into the vat. His powerful arms flexed, radiating strength.
Ye Shizhi couldn’t help glancing again, silently thinking: “Clothed, he looks lean; unclothed, he has muscle. Truly a walking clothes rack.”
She looked down at herself—her bright red-and-green jacket was loose, a distraction to his eyes. She simply diverted her gaze.
She added extra rice to make fried rice later, since too little wouldn’t do.
Using the water Jiang Sinian had brought, she rinsed the rice several times, poured it into a pot, added the right amount of water, and covered it.
She then picked up flour to make buns, only to realize she didn’t have yeast.
“Is there rice wine?” she asked.
Jiang Sinian, tending the fire, heard her and immediately went out without a word.
After a while, he returned with a large bowl containing half rice wine.
“Thanks.”
Ye Shizhi didn’t ask more, focusing on her task. She mixed the rice wine with water, covered it with a clean cloth, and set it aside.
As she looked up to leave, she noticed Jiang Sinian still standing nearby. Surprised, she asked, “You’re not watching the fire?”
“No need to stare constantly.”
Jiang Sinian thought she seemed different since appearing at the alley entrance.
Ye Shizhi knew he looked fierce but wouldn’t harm her. She no longer pretended weakness—her true personality showed.
She didn’t mind his suspicious gaze at all.
“You’re just in time. Check the vegetables I brought, find the chives, and wash them for me.”
Having help made her task easier—she only had to beat the eggs.
She bent to pick up the eggs. Seeing him still idle, she tilted her head. “Any doubts?”
Jiang Sinian looked at her with a deep, unreadable expression. “No.”
“Then go ahead.”
She didn’t want to waste time cooking; she was very hungry.
Alone in the quiet kitchen, Ye Shizhi relaxed. Even beating the eggs became a small joy and relief.