The weather was neither too hot nor too cold. After lunch, the elderly men and women of the village gathered under the large locust tree, chatting and joking animatedly. Just as the conversation was in full swing, they saw Jicheng emerge, his face cold and stern, dragging Chunfu by the hand. His dark, brooding expression was truly frightening. Wasn’t today supposed to be Chunfu’s day to return to her parents’ home? Why had they come back so early?
Jicheng was furious. Before Chunfu married him, he couldn’t interfere too much, but now that she was his wife, his sister-in-law still acted so carelessly, completely disregarding his dignity. How could he swallow such an insult?
He walked briskly, pulling Chunfu along so forcefully that she stumbled. His anger was palpable, yet she felt secretly delighted. Every emotion he displayed now was because of her. She admitted she wanted to stir trouble between the two families. Her elder brother and sister-in-law looked down on them for being poor, and she no longer wished to have anything to do with them. If only she and Jicheng could live their lives alone from now on.
As they passed the locust tree, a nosy old man called out, “Jicheng, why the hurry? The sun hasn’t even set yet—stay a while longer!”
Jicheng ignored him. Chunmu’s earlier words had left him seething, but he couldn’t lash out. He had even tried to console Chunfu, saying it was just this once. Now, he reminded himself the same—just this once. Whatever happened next could wait. He was alone in the world, and Chunfu was naive; neither of them cared much for village gossip. Everything depended on his mood.
As they turned onto the path home, they saw Jiliang approaching unsteadily from the opposite direction. When he spotted them, he averted his gaze and hurried away. Chunfu’s heart sank. At first, she hadn’t been sure, but now she felt certain he hadn’t given up. Since she and Jicheng hadn’t been around the village much lately, she’d have to find a way to ask Liansheng’s wife for information.
Jicheng, however, didn’t think much of it. He assumed Jiliang was just passing by on some errand. As they brushed past each other, he lowered his eyes, concealing all emotion. Brothers turned strangers—on the surface, he claimed it didn’t matter, but who could understand the bitterness in his heart?
When they reached their doorstep, Chunfu stopped and tilted her small, delicate face up. “I want to go play at Liansheng’s wife’s place.”
Jicheng released her hand and said, “Come back early. Didn’t you say you were still tired? Take a nap when you get home.”
“I know,” she replied before darting off, leaving Jicheng with only the sight of her lively retreating figure.
Finally, a faint smile appeared on Jicheng’s face as he entered the yard and sat on a small wooden stool, staring blankly at the distant mountains. He understood why the Zhang family had thought to borrow money from them—they must have known about the two pieces of jewelry in his house. That day, many had come to watch the commotion, but only a few families had spoken inside. If word got out, in these hard times, someone might actually try to steal them. Uncle Xiangcheng’s guard dog had just had a litter of puppies, which should be about a month old by now. Raising one might at least scare off intruders.
When Chunfu arrived at Liansheng’s wife’s house, the woman had just finished washing the dishes. Seeing her, she smiled warmly and invited her to sit. “Why are you back so early? Didn’t your brother ask you to stay for supper?”
Liansheng’s wife sat down beside her. In her eyes, Chunfu was like a naive little sister. Since she had nothing else to do and no one to talk to, she found Chunfu’s cheerful demeanor endearing. Standing next to Jicheng, the two made a good match.
Chunfu glanced around the house, noting it was even poorer than her own. When asked, she saw no reason to hide the truth. “Big Brother wanted money to send Zhang Tong to school, but Jicheng said we didn’t have any. Sister-in-law scolded me for not giving it, so I told him, and he got angry. Then Big Brother yelled at Sister-in-law.” She giggled, her pretty face alight with joy.
Liansheng’s wife curled her lip in disdain. She had no respect for Chunmu’s family’s behavior. “If you can’t afford it, don’t pretend otherwise. These days, even putting food on the table is a struggle. Unless you’re some pampered young master, what’s the point of schooling? Sounds like they’ve got too much time on their hands.”
Chunfu, however, still believed in the value of education. In this society, the saying went, “All occupations are base; only scholarship is exalted.” If one could truly make something of themselves through study… Zhang Yan had a steady temperament—shy on the surface but resolute underneath. Moreover, he genuinely wanted to learn. But she and Jicheng were barely scraping by themselves; there was no way they could send him to school. She resolved to teach him to read in secret when no one was around, so he wouldn’t end up as confused as Jicheng.
What weighed most heavily on Chunfu’s mind was the matter of Jiliang. She blinked and said, “We saw Jiliang on the road. He’s a bad person.”
Liansheng’s wife thought for a moment before replying gravely, “Come to think of it, I’ve seen him around a lot these past two days. Maybe he regrets cutting ties with Jicheng and wants to reconcile? Honestly, why let things get so tense between brothers? In hard times, you need family to lean on. I don’t understand what’s going through their heads.”
From her tone, Chunfu could tell she wouldn’t get any useful information. It wasn’t that she wanted to think the worst of people, but she’d heard too many stories of ill intentions. After chatting a while longer, Chunfu glanced outside and said softly, “Jicheng told me to go home and rest.”
Liansheng’s wife, remembering Chunfu was now a married woman, immediately misunderstood. Covering her mouth, she laughed. “Oh, I see! Broad daylight, no less. Even if no one’s watching, you two should still pace yourselves. Too much of that isn’t good for your health.”
At first, Chunfu didn’t grasp her meaning, but when it dawned on her, her face flushed crimson, like a mulberry fruit just turning red—lovely and tempting. She stood up abruptly and muttered, “I’m going home,” before fleeing. Even back in her own yard, she could still faintly hear the laughter.
Jicheng looked up at her flushed cheeks and asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, then pointed at the sky where the sun had emerged. “It’s clearing up.”
Jicheng smiled. “Tomorrow will be a fine day. How about I take you to town? I’ll buy you new clothes and treat you to something delicious.”
Chunfu was curious about the sights of the town—pretty things, tasty food, and exciting experiences. She nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”
Perhaps it was because she’d been scolded earlier that he now doted on her. That night, he held her as they slept, his warm chest and strong masculine scent enveloping her, making her cheeks burn and her heart pound like a drum.
Maybe it was because she’d napped during the day, but she felt no drowsiness now. The sounds of crickets and the wind filled her ears, but the most powerful was the rhythm of his breathing. The silvery moonlight illuminated his handsome, resolute profile, mesmerizing and comforting.
The next morning, as soon as the sky lightened, Jicheng roused her. Groggy, she resisted stubbornly, and when she finally got up, she could barely keep her eyes open.
They were to take Third Uncle’s cart from the village entrance to town. Jicheng had it all planned out: first, they’d eat, then he’d report to Shopkeeper Jin for work. Hopefully, he’d have enough time afterward to buy things for Chunfu.
What he hadn’t expected was to run into the one person he could never face with ease for the rest of his life.
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