Daliang and Steward Qi were nervously setting up security measures, maintaining an outward appearance of calm while being highly vigilant inside. The villagers only knew that the two masters of the Lin family were willing to teach them martial arts and were very enthusiastic about it. Whenever they had a spare moment, just like the couple of the elder uncle, they would eagerly instruct them. They even selected two instructors specifically to teach martial arts. Even the migrant workers living in the compound noticed nothing unusual.
Guicheng, however, had been feeling troubled these past few days. That day, when Linyuan wanted to follow them up the mountain, Linfang asked Linyuan two questions in front of many people. Dong Panyu felt that Linfang was too harsh, not leaving any face for their own family in front of so many people. She harbored resentment and, after returning home from work, complained to Guicheng about Linfang’s behavior. Guicheng, however, thought their daughter was indeed mischievous and that Linfang wasn’t at fault.
Seeing her husband side with outsiders instead of their own daughter, Dong Panyu felt even more aggrieved. She pestered Guicheng daily, demanding that he personally teach their daughter to read and write. Guicheng knew what had happened on the mountain that day but couldn’t bring himself to tell his wife.
When Dong Panyu married Guicheng, she was cautious and meticulous, always thinking things through carefully. Guicheng pitied her for living under someone else’s roof, which had made her so cautious, and he treated her with great care. Later, when the Tong family adopted Guicheng as their foster son and bestowed upon him the Lin surname, outsiders respectfully addressed the couple as Master Lin and Madam Lin. At first, Dong Panyu was grateful, but gradually, she began to show pettiness, always comparing herself to Daliang’s family, especially when it came to their daughter.
If he told his wife about the incident on the mountain, given her recent temperament, she would likely ignore warnings and spread the story as revenge. But if he kept hiding it, she would keep pestering him daily. Their daughter was too mischievous to sit still, and teaching her even a single character required immense effort. With the recent intense training, Guicheng truly had no time to spare.
The day Steward Qi delivered the weapons, Guicheng chose a dagger for his wife to use for self-defense in emergencies. Their lively daughter, though small in stature, loved playing with spears and sticks, so Guicheng picked a short spear for Linyuan. Excited, he hurried home to give the gifts to his wife and daughter. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw all the servants standing against the wall. It was noon, the hottest time of the day, and the servants were drenched in sweat but dared not utter a word.
During the time Dong Panyu lived under someone else’s roof, she mostly stayed with the Lin family. Whenever she made a mistake, Madam Dong would punish her by making her stand against the wall. Under the scorching sun, with her back against the sun-baked brick wall, Dong Panyu’s temper grew increasingly volatile. Later, she punished the servants the same way when they erred.
One servant being punished was one thing, but Guicheng saw that all the servants on duty were being punished, including Dong Panyu’s personal maids and attendants. Clearly, his wife was in a rage.
Ordering the servants to return to their rooms and rest, Guicheng hurried to the main house. At the doorway, he sensed something amiss and paused. He heard his wife muttering inside, “Why didn’t I drown her back then? Why didn’t I drown her back then?” She repeated this phrase over and over.
Guicheng lifted the curtain and entered, but Dong Panyu didn’t notice. She paced back and forth, her face twisted in anger, repeating the same words.
“Who didn’t you drown back then?”
“I didn’t drown that little demon Linfang back then.”
Only after speaking did Dong Panyu realize her slip. Facing her husband’s stern expression, she trembled with fear.
Years ago, Madam Dong had accidentally dropped Linfang into a laundry basin. Guicheng knew about this, but judging by his wife’s expression, there seemed to be more to the story. Guicheng remained silent, staring intently at his wife.
Usually, Guicheng indulged Dong Panyu, allowing her to act willfully. But seeing his current expression, she knew she had to explain. Reluctantly, she recounted what she had witnessed that day.
Early that morning, after breakfast, Madam Dong picked up the two-month-old Linfang and told Li Cuimei to go work in the fields, saying she would take care of her granddaughter herself. After Li Cuimei left, Madam Dong ordered Dong Panyu to feed the chickens and pigs in the small yard behind the west wing.
At the time, Dong Panyu was pregnant after intimate relations with Guicheng. Unable to bear the smell of the pigpen, she hurried back to the yard. At the small gate, she saw Madam Dong pressing Linfang into the laundry basin. Terrified, Dong Panyu stepped back and hid behind the gate. Peeking out, she saw Madam Dong nonchalantly adding dirty clothes to the basin, muttering to herself. Dong Panyu held her breath, too scared to make a sound.
Then, Lin Cuie entered. Dong Panyu quickly hid again. She heard mother and daughter talking, then Lin Cuie screaming as she pulled Linfang out of the basin. Madam Dong repeatedly blamed herself, saying she had accidentally dropped Linfang into the water.
“So, Fang’er didn’t fall into the water by accident—it was intentional.”
“Yes, and it wasn’t brief. After my aunt held her underwater, she slowly added clothes while muttering. By the time Cuie returned, it had been over a quarter of an hour.”
“What was your aunt muttering?”
“I don’t remember clearly, but it was something about Fang’er being covered in blood blisters, with a twisted mouth and nose, and that she must be a demon reborn.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?”
“I was too scared.”
“Did Cuie know the truth?”
“When she entered, the basin was already full of clothes. She was ten then—not stupid or naive.”
“Was anyone else in the yard?”
“Cuiping was too delicate to leave the house unless necessary, afraid of tanning. Liulang was working at the town shop, Shilang was at school, and my uncle and his wife had gone to the fields.”
Guicheng turned away, his expression unreadable.
After a moment, he turned back, his face composed again. “Why didn’t you tell me when you found me that day?”
“I was afraid.”
“And later? It’s been eight years since the incident. Why didn’t you speak up?”
“By the time I wanted to, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.”
“Also,” Dong Panyu added, “I thought my aunt might be right. Even an adult would die after being underwater for that long. Fang’er was only two months old and submerged for a quarter of an hour, yet she survived. Maybe she really is a demon reborn. Otherwise, how could such a young child be so intelligent? At just eight, she knows more than even Daliang might.”
Guicheng scolded, “Don’t talk nonsense. Since you didn’t speak up back then, keep it to yourself. Otherwise, Daliang will suffer even more.”
“I know,” Dong Panyu thought. Of course, I won’t tell anyone. If I did, it would mean I stood by and did nothing. How could I stay in the Lin family then?
After admonishing Dong Panyu, Guicheng, frustrated, lifted the curtain and left.
“Brother?”
Guicheng pushed aside the door curtain to find Daliang standing dumbly at the entrance, drenched in sweat from the sun but seemingly unaware.
Rushing to support him, Guicheng asked worriedly, “Brother, are you alright?”
Daliang said bitterly, “What could be wrong with me? Hah, after all this, what could possibly be wrong?”
Guicheng, annoyed, tried to help Daliang inside to rest, but Daliang shook his head and staggered toward the courtyard gate, his steps unsteady. Guicheng tried to support him again, but Daliang pushed him away. Helpless, Guicheng could only follow closely behind.
They wandered aimlessly through the fields at the hottest time of the day. The villagers had all gone home to rest, waiting for the cooler afternoon to resume work. But Daliang seemed oblivious to the heat, walking endlessly. Several times, he nearly fell into the roadside ditches, only to be pulled back by Guicheng before continuing.
Unable to bear it any longer, Guicheng blocked Daliang’s path. “Brother, we’ve been like siblings for decades. I know you. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to shout, shout. Don’t hold it in—you’ll make yourself sick.”
Daliang laughed bitterly. “Hah, what’s the use of crying now? Back then, my mother scolded me, saying my wife was unreasonable—that when Fang’er was seriously ill, my wife took her to the fields, exposing her to wind and sun. I believed my mother and thought my wife was too stubborn. Hah, looking back now, even Wuer probably knew the truth, while I remained in the dark.”
Guicheng consoled him, “You weren’t home. How could you have known?”
Ignoring him, Daliang muttered, “Now it makes sense why Wen’er resents me, why Fang’er joked about me remarrying, why Wen’er reacted with such venom, and why Wuer looked terrified. Hah, so this is the root of it all.”
“That day Fang’er fainted and slept for three days. My wife didn’t eat, drink, or sleep, staying by her side the entire time. I urged her to rest, but she said she was afraid that if she looked away for even a moment, Fang’er would be gone. Now I realize she must have been haunted by fear all along.”
Guicheng stopped interrupting, letting Daliang vent. Speaking his mind was a form of release. Keeping it bottled up would only make him ill.
Under the scorching sun, one walked while the other followed, one spoke while the other listened—seemingly mad, yet neither realized that in the vast, seemingly empty fields, their words were heard by unseen ears.
“Thud.”
Finally, Daliang collapsed from exhaustion. Guicheng didn’t dare take him back to the Lin residence—how would he explain to Daliang’s wife? Taking him home wasn’t an option either, as Zhou Yu lived next door and might see. The servants couldn’t be trusted to keep quiet. Left with no choice, Guicheng carried Daliang to an empty shed by the fishery, originally used for drying fish but now serving as a temporary shelter from the heat.
The shed wasn’t entirely empty. Guicheng and Zhou Yu sometimes rested there, so it had a bed and basic washing supplies.
Guicheng laid Daliang on the bed and, ignoring his own sweat-soaked clothes, stripped Daliang and wiped him down with a damp cloth. He placed the cloth on Daliang’s forehead and hung his clothes to dry.
When Daliang woke, he was momentarily disoriented. Feeling something amiss, he realized he was naked, with only a thin blanket covering his waist. Guicheng sat with his back to him at the door.
Hearing movement, Guicheng turned and hurried over. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine,” Daliang said, struggling to sit up. He sighed. “In the end, it’s just you and me.”
Helping him up, Guicheng handed him his dried clothes and helped him dress. Solemnly, he said, “We’ve been together since childhood. As long as you don’t reject me, I’ll stay by your side for life. Fang’er survived a great ordeal—it wasn’t easy. You must take care of yourself, for your wife and Fang’er’s sake.”
“I know. Without me, my wife wouldn’t have suffered so much. All three children have had hard lives. I won’t fail them again.”
Refusing further escort, Daliang returned alone. From afar, he saw Linfang standing under the shade of a tree by the gate, her little head turning left and right as she peered down the road, her many tiny braids swaying playfully. Xian’er stood behind her, gently fanning her with a round fan. Impatient, Linfang grabbed the fan and waved it vigorously a few times, her eyes never leaving the road.
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