Old Madam Tian didn’t force the issue. She courteously saw the matchmaker out of the courtyard before telling her youngest granddaughter to inform Old Master Xie, who was splitting bamboo strips in the backyard.
“Okay, Grandma!”
Xie Xiaoyu answered cheerfully and skipped toward the back yard.
The Xie family’s home followed the standard farmhouse layout. Five rooms faced south, with three side rooms on the west. On the east were the storage room and the kitchen.
Stacks of firewood were neatly piled against the kitchen wall.
Following Old Madam Tian into the main hall, Jinxiu noticed that aside from the old woman and little Xiaoyu, who had gone to the backyard, she hadn’t seen a single other member of the Xie family.
She quietly let out a sigh of relief.
To be honest, she still wasn’t mentally prepared.
She had been single her entire previous life, and after transmigrating, she suddenly had a husband. The thought of Xie Jinnan made her feel rather awkward.
“Jinnan and his father have gone into town to have his father’s leg examined.”
Old Madam Tian’s earnest voice sounded beside her.
“Jinxiu, the matchmaker should’ve already told you about our family’s situation. Your father-in-law injured his leg. He can still do most kinds of work, so it isn’t much of a problem. As for your mother-in-law, your father-in-law and her two sons will take care of her. We won’t expect you to serve her. Just live a good life with Jinnan. If anyone gives you trouble, Grandma will stand up for you.”
The tension on Jinxiu’s face eased, and she smiled gently.
“Thank you, Grandma.”
Jinxiu had never minded the condition of her in-laws, but Old Madam Tian’s attitude made her feel warm and at ease.
Perhaps it was because this was her first visit.
Or perhaps…
The Xie family wasn’t nearly as miserable as everyone claimed.
Holding the large bowl Old Madam Tian had stuffed into her hands, Jinxiu stared at the egg floating on top and inhaled the sweet aroma of the white steamed buns resting beneath it.
Her stomach immediately growled.
Her mouth watered uncontrollably.
For a farming household, this was an excellent meal.
During the three days she’d spent at the Li family—
Despite being injured and recovering from a head wound, she’d eaten nothing but wild vegetable porridge and coarse bran cakes twice a day.
There wasn’t a trace of oil in her diet.
After walking such a long distance, the moment she saw food, her eyes practically glowed green.
Only after swallowing three white steamed buns and an egg did she finally feel alive again.
After the meal, Old Madam Tian had Jinxiu rest in Xie Jinnan’s room.
Since they were husband and wife, it was only natural for her to sleep there.
Sitting on the bed, she opened her bundle.
Inside were two changes of clothes.
To her surprise…
There was also a silver ingot.
She remembered that the Xie family had given two taels of silver as the betrothal gift.
The entire amount had gone straight into Grandma Liu’s pocket.
To keep outsiders from gossiping and to calm the eldest branch, Old Madam Liu had reluctantly handed one tael to the furious Wu Guihua as a token gesture.
What Jinxiu hadn’t expected…
Was that Wu Guihua had secretly tucked that one tael into her bundle.
Her cheap father had been right.
Her mother really was all bark and no bite.
The argument she’d had with Grandma must have been for her sake.
Jinxiu pondered for a moment before closing her eyes and silently chanting something.
When she opened them again…
The silver ingot was still resting heavily in her palm.
What…?
Was everything before just an illusion?
Putting the silver away, Jinxiu walked to the window and lifted the cloth curtain.
Sunlight streamed inside, illuminating the writing desk.
A brush holder contained several writing brushes, and beside it stood a simple wooden bookshelf.
She pulled out one of the books and casually flipped through it.
“The Three Character Classic.”
The Three Character Classic was a beginner’s textbook used to teach children in ancient times.
Jinxiu herself only knew the opening lines by heart.
…
Meanwhile…
Xie Xiaoyu squatted at the entrance of the courtyard, resting her chin in her tiny hands as she stared toward the road.
After waiting for quite a while, she finally spotted two tall figures approaching in the distance.
One of them was a middle-aged man who walked with a noticeable limp.
“Father! Big Brother! You’re back!”
She instantly jumped to her feet and happily ran over, hugging the young man’s leg.
Xie Jinnan rubbed her little head before taking a candied hawthorn skewer out of the bamboo basket on his back.
Xie Changsheng raised an eyebrow.
“Leaping around like a little monkey. Aren’t you afraid of falling? Did you miss your big brother—or were you just thinking about the candied hawthorns?”
“No way!”
She denied it with her mouth.
Her hands, however, were much more honest.
She bit into a candied hawthorn.
The crunchy sugar coating melted in her mouth with delightful sweetness.
Smacking her lips in satisfaction, Xiaoyu looked up with a bright grin.
“Brother, Sister-in-law is here! Grandma told me that as soon as I saw you, I should tell you to hurry home!”
“She’s here?”
Xie Jinnan’s eyes widened slightly.
“You walk home slowly by yourself, Father. Jinnan, hurry back with Xiaoyu.”
Xie Changsheng urged him.
Old Madam Tian had been sitting in the main hall making shoe soles.
The moment she heard her granddaughter shouting, she knew Xie Jinnan and Xie Changsheng had returned.
She put down her sewing basket and walked outside.
“How did today’s trip go?”
Xie Jinnan nodded slightly.
“Father’s leg is still the same, but it’s manageable. We’ve also bought Mother’s medicine. The doctor said she just needs to recover slowly.”
“That’s all we can do…”
Old Madam Tian sighed helplessly.
Her daughter-in-law, Li Xiuhong, had suffered a stroke caused by a sudden illness the previous year.
At first, she had merely felt weakness in her legs and thought she’d simply overworked herself.
Later, the left side of her face became paralyzed.
Even speaking became difficult.
Now she was completely bedridden.
She couldn’t even eat, drink, or relieve herself without assistance.
She wasn’t even forty years old yet.
Anyone who saw her couldn’t help but pity her.
“Grandma… Sister-in-law…”
Xie Xiaoyu reminded her while nibbling on her candied hawthorn.
Old Madam Tian came back to herself.
“At noon, Matchmaker Lu brought Jinxiu here. I liked that girl the moment I saw her. She’s a good child. From now on, you must treat her well.”
Xie Jinnan gave a quiet “Mm” and walked toward his room.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Jinxiu standing beside the desk, flipping through The Three Character Classic.
“You can read?”
He had heard her say the title.
Jinxiu jumped in surprise.
She turned around and saw the tall young man who had somehow entered the room without her noticing.
He had handsome features, sharp brows, and an upright bearing.
Walking closer, he glanced at the book in her hands before looking at her.
Xie Jinnan.
The very man who had pulled her out of the river.
Pretending to be shy, Jinxiu lowered her head.
“I guessed. I only recognize the character for ‘three.'”
Silence followed.
Jinxiu felt rather embarrassed.
Just as she was about to say something to break the awkwardness—
Xie Jinnan spoke first.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
Jinxiu blinked.
He seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
His voice was calm yet pleasantly deep.
“You already had a marriage arrangement. If I hadn’t ruined your reputation, you wouldn’t have been forced to marry me. If… if you don’t want this marriage, I won’t force you…”
“If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have followed the matchmaker here.”
Jinxiu waved her hand dismissively.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d already be a drowned ghost at the bottom of the river. I should be the one thanking you.”
To women in ancient times, reputation meant everything.
To her…
Compared to life itself, reputation wasn’t worth a thing.
How could it compare to someone saving her life?
Only someone who had died once truly understood how precious it was simply to be alive.
Seeing the openness in her expression, Xie Jinnan believed she was sincere.
He nodded.
“All right. I understand.”
Jinxiu looked up and flashed him a bright smile.
“Then… please take good care of me from now on.”
Xie Jinnan froze.
The young girl was tiny and slender, only reaching his chest.
Yet her large, bright eyes…
When they looked at him, he couldn’t stop his ears from turning red.
She…
Was different.
The moment that thought crossed his mind—
His ears grew even redder.
He cleared his throat softly.
“Would… would you like to learn to read? When I have time, I can teach you.”
Of course, Jinxiu already knew how to read.
Moreover, she had discovered that the writing used in the Northern Yan Kingdom was almost identical to the simplified Chinese she knew from her previous life.
That was wonderful news.
But she couldn’t let it show.
It would completely shatter the image she was supposed to maintain.
“I once heard someone say, ‘A woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent.’ Don’t you think so?”