Yu Tingwan lifted her steps and walked outward.
Li Lian saw the situation wasn’t right and hurriedly chased after. She didn’t rush to pull the person, and only after leaving the courtyard together with Yu Tingwan did she question.
“What’s wrong?”
“Weren’t you just talking well a moment ago?”
How did it just collapse?
Yu Tingwan didn’t hide it either.
The little girl’s foot kicked at a pebble on the ground, especially melancholy: “I, this person, have a straightforward personality. If I dislike someone, then it’s from the bottom of my heart.”
“If I could move out, then I wouldn’t be thinking of making peace with Wang-shi.”
Li Lian spoke up for Butcher Wu: “That person is just a stubborn blockhead, he values familial affection. But he didn’t say anything wrong. If you speak with him properly, he would still stand on your side.”
She didn’t know that Yu Tingwan had already long known about the old events.
“Besides, are you really planning to not associate with the Hu family anymore? You, this child, your temper is also big. If your jiumu isn’t good, then you’ll throw away your jiu too?”
[Jiumu (舅母) = maternal uncle’s wife; Jiu (舅) = maternal uncle. These are standard kinship terms in Chinese.]
Yu Tingwan pursed her lips, did not respond.
She blinked her eyes, only lowered her voice and said: “But Popo, I’ve endured for nearly ten years, that’s long enough.”
[Popo (婆婆) = usually means mother-in-law, but in this context, it’s likely used as a familiar or affectionate term for an older woman or female elder.]
“Butcher Wu is a good person, and he genuinely and sincerely considers me, but that’s not what I want.”
Li Lian: “This…”
“Our thoughts don’t align. I won’t change, and there’s no need to make him accommodate me. It’s just mutual consideration, if it doesn’t feel right then stop the loss early. It’s nothing serious.”
Li Lian was stunned.
This thinking… somehow felt not right, but also seemed very right.
She still wanted to salvage it a little, when she saw Butcher Wu chase out, his face suddenly losing all color, at a loss.
Yu Tingwan saw it too.
But her expression was as usual.
Even serious.
“Popo, help me look for some more.”
Yu Tingwan had a serious face: “The more the better.”
You treat men like they’re cabbages on the street!
Li Lian: ……
Understood. Once Yu Tingwan makes a decision, she won’t turn back.
But…
You’re a young girl, how can you not be even a little shy!
At least say something like that with a red face, okay!
Li Lian had never seen a weirdo like Yu Tingwan before. It was as if she was still young and didn’t understand love and affection, just simply wanted to marry herself off.
Yu Tingwan said goodbye to Li Lian, very glad that Butcher Wu didn’t entangle further.
The wind was a bit strong, blowing and hurting the face. She lowered her head and buried it down.
On snowy days the road was slippery, she walked very carefully.
Between the vast heavens and earth, it was a piece of loneliness.
“Head of the family, walk steadier, A’Lang still has injuries on him.”
“I know in my heart.”
Yu Tingwan furrowed her brows, looked toward the direction of the voice. From far away she saw Wei Shouzhong pulling a donkey cart over.
Wei Shouzhong walked slowly, the donkey was old, walked slowly too.
But as the cart wheels rolled over the snow, the road surface was uneven, so there would still be jolts.
Hui-niang smiled gently: “A’Lang, our village hasn’t changed much these years. You look more, maybe you’ll remember something.”
Wei Zhao’s eyes were dark and heavy. These past days, his patience had already been exhausted by this husband and wife pair.
These two people had mistaken the wrong person, and still, even if it meant smashing pots and selling iron, they wanted to save money to take him to the county town.
Aren’t they afraid that even if they spend the money, he still won’t be saved?
If he wanted to live, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.
Likewise, if he wanted to die, no one could stop him.
Hui-niang: “We now live at the end of the village, no longer together with your nai and them.” [Nai (奶) – short for nainai (奶奶), paternal grandmother.]
“These days at Doctor Qian’s place, Mother can tell, you must be anxious to go home and take a look.”
Wei Zhao didn’t want to.
The only thing he wanted was for these two people in front of him to leave him alone.
Listening to his wife’s words, there was a smile in Wei Shouzhong’s eyes too.
He once thought his son had died in war, and his daughter also had an accident. He and his wife had once been unable to think it through.
Now that A’Lang had returned, life also had something to look forward to.
Wei Shouzhong’s gaze landed on a place in front of him. His eyesight wasn’t very good; he squinted.
That looked a bit like their next-door neighbor, Wan Niang.
To turn back and walk away now would seem too deliberate. The countryside path was narrow; Yu Tingwan intentionally moved aside to make way.
She heard Hui-niang speaking one-sidedly.
“Our family raises a few chickens, they all lay eggs. Mother boils one for you every day.”
Wei Zhao didn’t react.
Hui-niang, afraid her son wouldn’t eat well, racked her brains to nourish him: “A’Lang, do you want to eat fish? Mother will ask your father to check the river later to see if he can catch one, and stew it with tofu for you to drink soup.”
Wei Zhao’s gaze was hollow.
Hui-niang sighed: “Our family hasn’t saved much money these past years, but your father and I have already discussed it. Once we finish with the spring plowing, your father will go to the dock to carry goods, and Mother will weave some baskets to sell at the county fair.”
“If no girl takes a liking to you, then we’ll just save up more betrothal gifts.”
Hui-niang: “If they look at the money’s sake, they’ll definitely be willing to live a good life with you.”
Do you want to hear yourself—what are you even saying?
But Wei Zhao still had no reaction, as if there was nothing he cared about.
Even if someone pointed at his nose and cursed him right now, Wei Zhao still wouldn’t—
Oh, he’d just drag that person to die together.
At the moment they approached, the little girl’s gaze uncontrollably fell on the person on the donkey cart.
From this angle, she only saw half of Wei Shen’s side profile.
But even so, it was enough to shock Yu Tingwan.
He was very pale, more of a sickly kind of pale.
But there were also many scrapes on his face, the most serious should be the forehead, wrapped in white cloth. He looked so sickly that he didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids.
The hand exposed outside was red and swollen, bruised.
Hui-niang, uneasy, reached out from time to time to check his breathing under his nose.
One could tell, that day when he fell down from the mountain, his injuries weren’t light.
How did he end up this miserable, covered in wounds?
Just looking at him… he looked very weak.
He couldn’t even walk on his own—Yu Tingwan, only realizing now, thought that her fear had been an overreaction.
Even someone like Wei Shen, she could knock him over!
Before she could withdraw her gaze, Wei Zhao sensed it—his eyes shot over sharply.
That pair of pupils, deep and quiet, when gazing over, it was as if they could see through a person’s heart.
The moment their eyes met, an overwhelming pressure surged forth. Yu Tingwan’s heart gave a fright, and she subconsciously stepped back a few steps.
But her legs—suddenly weakened.
She stumbled slightly.
Physical discomfort followed immediately. Yu Tingwan’s head hurt terribly, a wave of dizziness for no reason.
Before her eyes turned dark.
Images flashed before her eyes—
Still the sounds of gongs and drums, still that festive red in her vision.
Yu Tingwan’s chest suddenly tightened for no reason.
She saw the bride sitting on the wedding bed, with a red veil covering her head.
Her mind was in chaos, thinking she was once again in the Dong family.
No—this bridal room was very simple.
But the decorations were clearly done with care.
She looked around the room, somewhat puzzled.
At this moment, footsteps from outside grew closer and closer, even mixed with laughing and playing sounds.
“In just the blink of an eye, you’ve also started a family. Everyone in the village is happy for you. Hurry into the room now, don’t keep the bride waiting too long.”
This was Aunt Wu’s voice.
“I’m such a muddle-headed person, how did I not think to match you two earlier. Busy running around blindly all day—good thing you both liked each other on your own.”
This was Li Lian’s voice.
“So what if it’s not dark yet?”
“Your health isn’t good, go back early to rest. No need to socialize. Your mother is also waiting to carry her grandchild.”
Creak—the door was pushed open.
The groom was half-dragged, half-shoved inside.
Yu Tingwan focused her eyes: !!!
Isn’t that Wei Shen—who just now was still half-dead on the donkey cart?!