Even though she thought this way, Yu Tingwan also couldn’t, when looking at someone, go and pull at their clothes—she’d be scolded as a pervert.
If it were some other girl who heard those words, her face would’ve long turned red and hot.
But Yu Tingwan didn’t.
She was born not knowing how to write the word “shy”, and even listened very seriously.
The little young lady was earnestly learning scriptures.
They simply tidied the room up enough for someone to live in, and the villagers didn’t stay long. As they all stepped out of the courtyard, someone repeatedly shook their head.
“If we hadn’t gone over just now, and if the lizheng hadn’t backed her up, a young girl like her would’ve probably been forced by Wang-shi and the Xu family to nod her head already.”
“This child is also pitiful, her hands full of chilblains, how could they look? Just now she kept speaking softly and gently, don’t know how many times she said thank you—you can’t even tell she’s the same person who just arrived in Xilin Village.”
A young wife who just married into Xilin Village couldn’t help asking, “What was she like back then?”
“Her father was a bodyguard courier, skilled all over. Only had that one daughter, doted on her fiercely, the little girl wore gold and silver since she was small.”
“At that time, the little girl had a proud temper, full of thorns all over. When she was in a bad mood, even if she saw a dog on the road, she’d stop and curse it a few times.”
Someone laughed along: “She also quarreled with Wang-shi every day.”
“Every time Hu Dazhu wasn’t around, Wang-shi would speak to her with strange yin-yang tones, but that temper of hers wasn’t tolerant at all.”
“Wang-shi had no way to deal with her and stomped her feet, but she was even more arrogant.”
That person thought for a moment, mimicking Yu Tingwan’s willful yet troublesome tone, raising their head high.
“Maternal aunt, it’s best if you calm down. What if you get angered to death by me?”
Someone in the crowd burst out laughing.
“I know, I know, she even said another line after that.”
“What line?”
“Dying from anger is good too. That way I’ll get a new maternal aunt.”
An older woman sighed: “Wan Niang also suffered quite a lot. Only then did her temper slowly settle. In the end, she learned to watch people’s faces.” [看人脸色 – literally “watch people’s expressions,” meaning to gauge others’ moods or intentions before acting.]
Li Lian was the last to leave.
She said to the obedient little girl in front of her:
“No need to send me off.”
“The quilt you brought from the Hu family, I saw it’s thin. It’s cold at night, burn more firewood.”
As she spoke, she lowered her voice and said: “My household’s been busy these days, so I haven’t gone out. But I’ve remembered your matters in my heart. Tomorrow I’ll go to Butcher Wu’s place to get pork, I’ll mention you to him.”
“With the year-end approaching, nearby villages will all send people over, he’s probably busy too.”
“If he’s willing, I’ll ask him to make time to meet you earlier.”
When Yu Tingwan heard this, her heart settled.
After bidding farewell to Li Lian, she returned to the house and bolted the door. Only then did she have the chance to properly examine this old house.
After going through all that, Yu Tingwan was also tired.
Tonight had been enough heart-pounding fear, and she had changed to a new place to live again. She thought she would inevitably have trouble sleeping, but once she lay down, not long after, she fell into a deep sleep.
As time passed, light crawled up the walls, and daylight replaced night.
Since she was going to live in the old house for a while after all, Yu Tingwan wiped inside and out.
The scraped spot on her leg hadn’t scabbed over yet, and if she wasn’t careful, it would be tugged. Her movements were very slow, but thankfully she wasn’t pressed for time.
Someone had lived here before. Though there was no kitchen room set up, Yu Tingwan still found a simple pot in the corner.
It was broken, but the bottom was fine—she could still make do.
She cleaned it and boiled some hot water.
By the time she finished cleaning, it was already midday. Yu Tingwan had also worked up a sweat from the heat.
“Wan-niang! Wan-niang!”
Someone called for her from outside.
Aunt Wu was standing outside holding a basket.
“Auntie, why have you come?”
“Came to bring you some food.”
Aunt Wu lifted the cloth on top of the basket to show her—inside were several coarse-grain steamed buns.
Yu Tingwan then guessed her intention.
Sure enough, Aunt Wu, still feeling fearful, grabbed her hand: “It’s all thanks to you reminding my daughter-in-law, or something would’ve happened.”
There was no need for Yu Tingwan to even ask, she was already angrily saying:
“That Xu family brat is no small troublemaker!”
Yu Tingwan was stunned.
“Didn’t the lizheng already drive them out?”
Then how did something still happen?
“He did drive them out, but their legs are on their own bodies. Dawdling and dawdling, they just didn’t want to leave. They even wanted your aunt to pay for fixing the roof.”
Yu Tingwan: …
How could Wang-shi the iron rooster be willing? [“iron rooster,” meaning someone extremely stingy who won’t even give up a feather.]
“They were in a rush to travel, so I didn’t pay much attention.”
“Originally everything was fine, but just as they were leaving the village, someone suddenly jumped out from Widow Shi’s house ahead. And crashed right into Xiufen.”
Yu Tingwan: “If they really crashed into her, then what would’ve happened?”
Exactly! Good thing she was there with her. If it weren’t for her strength, if it weren’t for how fast she reacted to stop it…
She spat: “Dog-born bastard! That Xu family, rotten all the way to the roots—still a young brat and already a thief, stole Widow Shi’s coin pouch! If something happens to Xiufen’s baby, just watch me beat him to death!”
After this incident, the lizheng got angry and directly had the Xu family kicked out of the village.
She shoved several coarse-grain mantou into Yu Tingwan’s arms.
“You don’t need to be polite with Aunt. Living outside like this, if you’ve got no grain, what are you eating? Aunt is best at making mantou—try some.”
“When Xiufen gives birth later, you must come to our home for a meal.”
Yu Tingwan smiled.
By that time, she’d already have married herself off.
She really was hungry. After giving thanks, she was just about to take a bite—when next door, there was movement. A woman in rough cloth came out carrying a food box.
Yu Tingwan took a good look at the person, and suddenly her mood dropped.
Wasn’t that Wei Shen’s mother?
Going in circles like this, she actually moved to the end of the village?
Aunt Wu greeted with a smile: “Hui-niang, off to deliver food again?”
She asked with concern: “How is your family’s A’Lang?”
Hui-niang’s face rarely showed a hint of joy: “Doctor Qian said, give it a few more days to stabilize, and then he can move back home to recover.”
Staying at the Qian family’s home really wasn’t convenient.
Old Man Qian’s medical skills were limited—what he could do each day was just write prescriptions and apply medicine.
“That’s a good thing.”
Aunt Wu: “If he pulls through, send him to the town clinic afterward. If he gets better, you’ll have hope again.”
She introduced, “This is Wan-niang, Hu Dazhu’s niece. Just moved here yesterday. I know you’re busy, but once A’Lang moves back and you’re more free, you two should visit each other more often.”
She turned to Yu Tingwan and said: “Who doesn’t know the skills of Wei family’s A’Lang—he’s someone who’s been on the battlefield. Living next door to him, who would still dare have ideas about you?”
Yu Tingwan: … “That’s not very convenient, is it?”
Hui-niang: “There’s nothing inconvenient. It’s just that…”
Her face was covered with sorrow: “It’s just that this child insists he’s not A’Lang.”
Aunt Wu was shocked: “Ah?”
“I just asked him—if you’re not A’Lang, then who are you?”
“What did he say?”
“He was silent.”
Aunt Wu slapped her thigh: “See, he couldn’t answer.”
“He doesn’t acknowledge us either.”
Even Aunt Wu felt that this couple was pitiful.
“But he turned around and hung the peace amulet from the bedside onto his neck!”
And after that, no matter how you teased him, not even half a smile.
The most important thing! He even wanted to leave.
However, before he could get up from the bed, Old Man Qian pressed him back down.
Hui-niang was very upset: “It must be that day he fell from the mountain and knocked his brain broken.”