Her younger brother’s suggestion had clearly left a mark in Chen Zhiwei’s mind.
That night, she even dreamt of Wang You, who, with a pair of pure eyes, was seducing her.
Wang You appeared from every direction of the bed—sometimes dressed, sometimes not.
As Chen Zhiwei struggled to maintain her moral composure, the rumors in the village grew louder and louder.
Eventually, the pressure reached the village chief, Chen Fugen. Around noon one day, Chen Fugen frowned, clasped his hands, and slowly made his way to the gate of Chen Zhiwei’s home.
“Zhiwei girl, are you home?” he called from outside, his tone betraying obvious unease.
Chen Zhiwei was in the yard, teaching Wang You how to water the newly sprouted beans. Hearing the voice, her heart sank. She put down the watering can and spoke softly to Wang You, who was looking at her expectantly: “Wang You, be good and water them yourself for now. Sister has a few words to say to the village chief.”
She opened the gate and let Chen Fugen in.
Chen Fugen immediately noticed Wang You crouched by the vegetable bed, carefully holding a small wooden spoon to water the sprouts.
Under the sunlight, Wang You’s profile was sharp and defined, his expression focused like a child with a new toy. Ignoring his tall frame, if one looked only at the pure gaze and slightly clumsy movements, he seemed no different from an ordinary boy.
Chen Fugen sighed inwardly.
“Village chief, please sit inside and have some water,” Chen Zhiwei said calmly.
“No, no, just a few words here,” Chen Fugen waved his hand. Standing in the yard, rubbing his hands together, he looked hesitant. “Zhiwei girl… um… you’ve probably heard the gossip in the village recently, right?”
“I’ve heard some,” Chen Zhiwei nodded, not avoiding the topic.
“I know you mean well—saving a life is greater than building a seven-story pagoda,” Chen Fugen first acknowledged, then shifted his tone. “But… girl, words of men are terrifying. You’re a young lady who has never left home, and yet your house has long been occupied by this… this young stranger. It’s really not proper. No wonder people are talking.
Even the villagers and a few of your uncles are frustrated. And me… the pressure’s been heavy too.”
He glanced at Wang You, who had stopped his movements and was now looking slightly uneasy, and lowered his voice: “Look… can you think of a way? Maybe find out if he has family and send him back? Or… find a reliable elderly person in the village, pay a bit, and let him stay there temporarily? Keeping him like this isn’t a long-term solution.”
Chen Zhiwei remained silent. She knew the village chief’s words were polite, but they reflected the majority opinion of the villagers. Sending Wang You away?
Not to mention that he had amnesia and no family could be found; even if someone were found, would it be safe for him to return? Staying with another family? That was out of the question.
At this moment, her brother’s “absurd” suggestion surfaced clearly in her mind again.
She shook her head to clear it and said firmly, “Village chief, could you give me three days? In three days, I’ll handle this matter.”
“Then handle it quickly. These few days, I’ll help keep the villagers in check so they don’t cause trouble.” Once the matter was settled, the village chief immediately left. It was a bit awkward for an old man to come and talk to a young girl alone about such things.
After the chief left, Wang You quickly retracted his alert “ears.” He had already caused trouble for his sister and didn’t want her to spend energy comforting him any longer.
That evening, after dinner, for the first time, Wang You didn’t follow Chen Zhiwei to wash dishes but quietly followed Chen Zhiyi to his room.
“Little brother…”
“Who’s your brother? Call me ‘ge’ (older brother).”
“Ge-ge.”
“Not getting any smarter, huh? You never wanted to call me that before.” Chen Zhiyi rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and teased.
“Today, the village chief came. He wants sister to send me away. I don’t want to go. Ge-ge, do you have a solution?”
Chen Zhiyi cleared his throat and tried to put on a big-brother air: “Ahem… Now you know to call me ge-ge? Usually, I have to beg you. I can help, but you must call me ge-ge for a whole year.”
Wang You nodded eagerly, his face full of sincerity: “I will! I’ll call you ge-ge from now on! Ge-ge, do you have a way? I don’t want to leave; I want to be with sister and ge-ge.”
Looking into his pure eyes filled with unmasked dependence and fear, Chen Zhiyi’s last bit of awkwardness melted away. He pulled Wang You to sit on the edge of the kang bed, lowering his voice in a mysterious “big brother has a plan” tone: “A solution… well, there is one. But it depends on whether you obey and cooperate.”
“I’ll obey! Wang You will obey!” Wang You immediately declared, nodding his head like a chick pecking rice.
“Good. I’ll tell you,” Chen Zhiyi leaned closer, lowering his voice further, “If you want to stay with sister forever and not be sent away, there’s only one way—you must become sister’s ‘husband’!”
“Husband?” Wang You’s eyes were full of confusion. “If I become sister’s husband, I can stay with her forever?”
“Yes! Being the husband lets you live together with sister forever, eat together, sleep together, no one can gossip, and no one can send you away!”
“Forever together? Sleep together too?” Wang You’s eyes lit up instantly, sparkling like stars. “This is amazing!”
“Yes! Forever together!” Chen Zhiyi nodded firmly and continued his “persuasive method.” “But there’s a condition!
First, you must treat sister exceptionally well—better than me! If sister says go east, you cannot go west. If sister says catch the dog, you cannot chase the chicken!
If there’s something tasty, sister eats first. If someone bullies sister, you must step up to protect her! Like… like protecting your own candy! Understand?”
Wang You nodded vigorously, trying to comprehend: “Understand! Protect sister! Treat sister well!” It wasn’t hard—after all, sister was the best person in the world.
“Also,” Chen Zhiyi added a key point, “if sister asks you, ‘Do you want to be my husband?’ you must say loudly, ‘Yes!’ Got it? Say ‘Yes!’”
“Yes! Wang You will say yes!” Wang You repeated immediately, loud and clear.
Though he didn’t fully understand all the implications of being a “husband,” staying with sister forever was enough.
Meanwhile, in the main room, Chen Zhiwei absentmindedly wiped the table, but her ears perked up, catching the faint conversation between her brother and Wang You in the west room.
When she heard Wang You’s unhesitating, joyful “Yes!” her wiping motion froze.
“Enough…” she murmured to herself, as if convincing herself or resigning to fate. “Let’s just… treat him as a big kid at home who needs care.”
With a decision made, she felt calm.
She walked to the west room and knocked on the door.
Before she could speak, Wang You quickly declared, “I’ll be the husband! Wang You will be sister’s husband! Wang You will obey sister and treat her well!”