Chapter 95: First Meeting

During the more than two years away from home, Shen Lie had often thought about how his younger brother and sister were faring.

He had imagined Shen An and Ah Ning enduring hardships; without him at home, he feared his third uncle and aunt would revert to their true nature after initial guilt, forcing Shen An and Ah Ning to endure harsh words and watchful eyes. He thought they might go hungry or cold, he thought of many things… but he never imagined his third uncle and aunt would turn Shen An and Ah Ning out of the house, thinking him dead in battle.

His heart was a turmoil of pain, worry, and anger, all mixed into a whirlpool with no outlet for release.

How could anyone live in that dilapidated shack with such heavy snow?

What about insects and snakes in the mountains during summer, and what if wild animals, starved of food, came out to hunt in heavier snow?

It had been half a year since the family split. What kind of hardship were Shen An and Ah Ning enduring now?

Did they have warm clothes? Did they have winter quilts?

Could Shen Lie expect his third uncle and aunt, who heartlessly turned out his nine-year-old nephew and niece, to have provided enough for their basic needs?

Thought after thought bombarded him, and in his mind’s eye, he could already see his young brother and sister, pale and emaciated, in tattered clothes, shivering in the straw hut. He felt a momentary pang of sadness in his nose, thinking of the suffering they must have endured these past years.

As his emotions surged, so did his pace, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow as he hurried deeper into the mountains.

He was desperate to see his siblings, to know how they were faring, to let them know he was back, alive.

The paths over the three hills, frequently traversed by the children, were well-trodden and free of undergrowth, clearly visible even under a blanket of snow.

Shen Lie, in his haste or perhaps because he was in familiar territory, overlooked this detail he would normally never miss.

Crossing over the last ridge and emerging from the small path, he eagerly raised his eyes towards the straw hut halfway up the mountainside.

He was struck with astonishment at the sight; a high earthen wall now stood where he stood, and he could vaguely make out the roofs of three straw huts, one of which had a wisp of smoke rising from its chimney.

The mountain was undoubtedly theirs, but the house had completely transformed.

Shen Lie paused only for a moment before striding towards the unfamiliar small courtyard halfway up the mountainside. The transformation from a dilapidated straw hut to a brand-new earthen house seemed so bizarre that he instinctively lightened his steps.

What would take others fifty or sixty steps to reach the courtyard took him only twenty or thirty, due to his height and long strides. As he approached the flat terrace where his family had lived for a long time, the feeling of familiarity mixed with strangeness intensified.

The terrain was the same, yet many new things were evident even under the snow – a sizeable courtyard, a bamboo pipe channeling spring water, several well-maintained chicken and duck coops covered with thick reed mats, and a path cleared of snow and paved with flat stones.

These details flashed by in a glance, but his focus was drawn to the half-open courtyard door, revealing a snowman by the entrance, plump and slightly comical, with stone eyes and nose, and twig arms.

Next to the snowman was another stone path, different from the outside path, made of smooth pebbles and artistically arranged in different colors. Looking up, the only familiar sight was the straw hut he had lived in as a child, though it too had been renovated.

Beside the hut, there was another gate – did the courtyard have a backyard too?

These observations passed quickly for Shen Lie, but they deepened his confusion. He couldn't see the other half of the yard due to the partially closed door. As he reached out to push the gate, he suddenly heard fast, approaching footsteps from outside.

Before he could turn, the protagonists of the noise rounded the corner, loudly squawking and charging towards him.

Geese! Three large ganders, each easily weighing fourteen or fifteen pounds!

If this had been in the woods, he would have easily taken them down for a meal, but since this seemed to be his own home, such an action was clearly not appropriate.

The best plan was to quickly push open the right-side gate, which was farther from the geese, dash inside, and close the door!

That was Shen Lie's thought, and he was about to act on it. He pushed the gate open and was lifting his foot to step in when he saw a young woman coming out of the kitchen, holding a bowl of steaming food, staring at him in astonishment and wariness.

Shen Lie abruptly halted his forward step, retreating back outside the courtyard gate.

The sound of the wind grew closer as the leading goose lunged at him, its long neck like a javelin aiming for his shin, its beak, lined with serrated edges, snapping towards him.

Shen Lie, disregarding the reaction of the young woman in the yard, swiftly dodged and expertly grabbed the aggressive goose’s beak, repeating the action with a second one.

Shen family's two dominant geese found themselves unexpectedly seized by the neck, baffled and squawking wildly, flapping their wings and craning their necks, one of their round eyes bewilderedly fixed on the stranger.

The third goose, who had nearly reached them, froze in shock, seeing its companions swiftly subdued. Its small goose brain didn’t contemplate that the man had no third hand to restrain it, only realizing it had met its match.

For the first time in its life, the goose hesitated shamefully between attacking and retreating.

In that brief moment, Shen An and Shen Ning followed Sang Luo out of the kitchen. Distracted by their footsteps, Shen Lie, who glanced over, was met with the somewhat familiar yet different faces of Shen An and Shen Ning, now stunned into silence.

A moment of stillness hung in the air, then Shen An and Shen Ning's eyes widened in unison before they both let out a cry and rushed towards the gate!

“Big brother!”

“Big brother!”

“Big brother is back! Big brother is alive!”

“I knew it, I just knew it!”

The first cries were filled with excitement and joy, then choked with sobs, tears streaming down.

Shen Lie released the geese, catching Shen Ning in his arms and pulling Shen An close. The three siblings were all teary-eyed, embracing tightly.

Finally released, the first and second geese scurried away in fear, keeping a wary distance from Shen Lie, while the third goose, realizing there was no longer any need for hesitation, followed its companions away, honking as it went.

"Too fierce, too fierce, but they're all family. Time to call it quits."

Sang Luo, holding a bowl of stewed tofu, was utterly stunned at the scene of Shen family's three siblings joyfully reunited.

What did Shen An and Shen Ning call that man? Big brother????

The big brother of the younger siblings, the one who supposedly died in battle?

Doesn’t that make him her husband?

What about her supposed widowhood?

In a Qiong Yao drama from decades ago, this would be the moment she drops the bowl of food in her hands in shock and disbelief!

Indeed, she was shocked, so much so that her mind buzzed, but the hand holding the bowl remained strangely steady.

Shen Ning had already been set down by her big brother; she was nine years old now and didn't need to be carried.

The little girl was visibly excited, tears still on her eyelashes but with a bright smile on her face. She turned to Sang Luo, "Big sister-in-law, this is my big brother. He really didn't die; he's come back alive!"

She then looked up, beaming at her big brother, "Big brother, this is your sister-in-law!"

Shen Lie was stunned, Sang Luo was bewildered, completely taken aback.

Just as life was getting on track, a husband suddenly appears out of nowhere?

What should she do now?

But this was Shen An and Shen Ning’s elder brother, his return alive was a huge blessing for them. She couldn't possibly wish he hadn’t come back.

Sang Luo mustered a smile, lifting the bowl she was holding, "I'll go put this inside the house first."

She needed a moment to calm down.

Shen Lie watched the young woman enter the house, then turned his attention to Shen An and Shen Ning, taking the chance to look at them properly.

They were nothing like he had imagined.

There were no signs of malnutrition or ragged clothes. On the contrary, the siblings, though sun-tanned, had healthy cheeks and wore thick, new jackets and trousers. Even their shoes appeared to be newly worn padded ones.

Ah Ning’s hair was neatly tied up with a red ribbon, and two crimson hair ties were woven into her hair, tied into a pretty knot.

This was clearly the look of children who had been well-cared for.

The heavy stone in Shen Lie’s heart, weighing him down for over two years, finally lifted, and he smiled, affectionately ruffling the children's hair: “Thankfully.”

“Thankfully, you’re both well.”

“You've grown taller, and older.”

Shen An and Shen Ning were somewhat shy. Shen An had many questions but, thinking of his sister-in-law alone in the house, he took his brother's hand to go inside, “Big brother, it’s cold outside, let's talk inside. Have you had dinner yet? We were just about to eat. The stewed tofu Sister-in-law made is really delicious.”

Hearing the children repeatedly referring to her as "big sister-in-law," Shen Lie remembered Zhou Village Chief's words about his third uncle and aunt arranging a marriage for him.

It was only a few steps from the courtyard gate to the main house, and soon Shen Lie was again face-to-face with the young woman inside.

Two complete strangers, yet they found themselves in a marital relationship, which made both Sang Luo and Shen Lie extremely uncomfortable, unsure of how to interact with each other.

Shen Ning happily ran to fetch a stool. Normally, only three square stools were kept in the room, and the fourth, often used for grinding beans, was always in the kitchen.

Shen An, however, was more aware of his sister-in-law's feelings. Although he didn't understand that being a widow might have been vastly preferable for her compared to having a husband, he knew that his sister-in-law and his elder brother were total strangers, and that the home was built gradually by her. Instinctively, he felt any decisions regarding his brother should be discussed with her first.

He asked Sang Luo if he could set an extra bowl and chopsticks for his brother.

How could Sang Luo say no? She smiled and nodded, "Of course, go ahead."

Shen An's face lit up with a smile, and he happily rushed to get the bowl and chopsticks for his brother.

Now alone in the room with Shen Lie, neither of them moved. Since Shen Lie had entered, both were, in fact, quietly observing each other.

After a brief silence, Shen Lie was the first to smile slightly, bowing slightly, "Thank you for taking such good care of Shen An and Shen Ning."

Although he didn't know the circumstances that led to her becoming his wife, seeing how well Shen An and Shen Ning were faring, it certainly wasn't the doing of his third uncle and aunt, nor could it be attributed to the extraordinary abilities of his young siblings. The only person he could think of was the woman before him.

It was evident that Shen An and Shen Ning were very affectionate with her, indicating a strong relationship.

This expression of gratitude was surely appropriate.