Chapter 101: Sharing a Room Separated by a Curtain

By the time the work in the kitchen was done, it was past the hour of Hai.

After everyone had washed up, Shen Lian bolted the courtyard door before returning to the room. Shen An and Shen Ning had finished the reed curtains, even storing the extra reeds in the backyard shed.

Hanging the curtains naturally fell to Shen Lian, the tallest in the family. Without nails but no less challenging, there was a beam between the two beds. Standing on the bed, Shen Lian was tall enough to reach it easily, securing the rope on the beam and threading it through the gaps in the reed curtain to hang it properly.

Sang Luo, with the two children, stood below, helping to align and measure the height. After some effort, the room gained two curtains, effectively separating about three-quarters of the two beds, leaving only the end of the beds for access.

To be honest, this arrangement, created to separate the two beds, didn't look as aesthetically pleasing from the entrance of the room as Sang Luo had claimed to appease Shen Ning.

However, once Shen An and Shen Ning climbed into their own beds, the view changed, feeling novel and interesting.

The two children were thrilled, not only gazing from their own bed but also fidgeting with the curtain to peek at Sang Luo's bed.

Shen Ning was genuinely delighted, praising earnestly, “Big sister, hanging a curtain really does look nicer.”

From the bed, it indeed looked nice, carving out a small private space, and the finely woven reeds added a simple beauty to it.

But Sang Luo, watching the two happily clambering onto the opposite bed, felt a headache coming.

She looked at Shen Lian, who also seemed baffled.

Sang Luo, accustomed to solving things herself without relying on others, called Shen Ning, “Ning, come sleep on this side with big sister. Your brother and Little An can sleep on the other side.”

The siblings paused, surprised.

Shen An asked, “Aren't big brother and big sister supposed to sleep together?”

Shen An’s question was innocent; at his age and lacking parents, he didn’t quite grasp the concept of spouses sharing a bed. He only knew that his uncle and aunt shared a room, as did his cousins Shen Jin, Shen Yin, and Shen Tie.

With the curtains set up, wasn’t it supposed to be big brother and big sister in one room, and he and Ning in the other?

Shen Lian nearly blushed again, but Sang Luo remained calm, not taking the child’s words seriously, smilingly saying, “I prefer sleeping with Ning.”

This made Shen Ning ecstatic, instantly forgetting any thoughts about whether big brother and big sister should share a room.

Big sister likes sleeping with her! Of course, she’ll go!

Delighted, Shen Ning cheerfully shifted her pillow to a new spot. With Sang Luo already occupying the inner side of the bed, Shen Ning placed her pillow near the curtain on the outer side.

Shen An was quite happy to sleep alongside his big brother, who had been away from home for so long. He, too, became cheerful and proactively lifted the blanket, patting the half of the bed next to the curtain, “Big brother, you sleep here.”

Shen Lian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, glancing at the spot Shen An had reserved for him, he said, “You sleep on the outside, closer to Ning. I’ll take the inside.”

Only with some distance in between, she might feel more comfortable.

Shen An and Shen Ning, completely oblivious to the subtle intricacies between their brother and sister-in-law, found the arrangement of sleeping separated by just a curtain extremely fun and amusing.

Without a second thought, Shen An shifted his position.

Feeling reassured, Shen Lian asked Sang Luo, looking at everyone settled in bed, “Should I turn off the light now?”

Sang Luo was a bit confused, feeling something off about this conversation.

Nonetheless, she nodded, “Yes, turn it off.”

Hearing her consent, Shen Lian then turned to extinguish the lamp by the table.

On his first night back home, Shen Lian and Sang Luo, lying in adjacent beds, chose positions farthest from each other, each strictly sticking to their side.

Between them, the chattering voices of Shen An and Shen Ning could be heard as they recited excerpts from the "Thousand Character Classic" before falling asleep.

In the darkness, Shen Lian and Sang Luo listened to the faint recitations of the children.

It was only at this moment, several hours after his return, that Shen Lian truly felt the end of nearly three years of exile. He was finally home.

His brother and sister were well.

Cautiously, he turned his head to glance towards the direction of the curtain.

He now had a wife, though her acceptance of him was yet to come.

Sang Luo, who had been accustomed to being called "Ah Lian's wife" for several months, lay in the dark, finally confronting these words head-on. Since Shen Lian's return, this title was no longer just a placeholder.

In her previous life, she had lived twenty-eight years without experiencing romance, and now, in this life, she had directly entered into marriage.

Shen An and Shen Ning had finished reciting their text without realizing it. After a busy night and with the late hour, the children were also tired, especially cozy and warm in their beds. Shen Ning had fallen asleep listening to her brother, and Shen An's eyelids were also growing heavy.

“Goodnight, sister-in-law.”

“Goodnight, big brother.”

Shen Lian hadn't quite grasped the meaning of 'goodnight' when he heard Sang Luo's gentle voice from the other side of the curtain: "Mm, goodnight."

Shen Lian turned his head towards the curtain, catching Shen An's gaze. He patted his brother and, following Sang Luo's lead, uttered a 'goodnight'.

Satisfied with his response, Shen An contentedly closed his eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

In the dark night, only the regular breathing of the two children could be heard. Shen Lian, after a while, softly asked, "Ah Luo, what time do we get up tomorrow morning to make tofu?"

Sang Luo, who hadn't fallen asleep yet, responded softly, "At the fourth watch, during the hour of the ox."

Hearing this, Shen Lian realized they barely managed to sleep for two hours each night?

Hmm, today was his return, and the time was delayed with bathing and going out, but normally, they probably could only sleep for a maximum of three hours.

That's incredibly tough.

He softly inquired, "Is the method of making soft tofu the same as what we did today?"

Sang Luo quietly hummed in affirmation.

Shen Lian: "Okay, I'll get up tomorrow morning to grind the soybeans and call you afterwards."

Sang Luo couldn't help but glance towards the curtain before softly replying.

Having someone share the burden she had been carrying for so long felt quite good.

With a man in the house, Sang Luo thought she wouldn't sleep well tonight, but surprisingly, after initially feeling uneasy, she eventually drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps it was because Shen Lian had offered to grind the beans in the morning, allowing Sang Luo to rest without worries, leading to her sleeping especially soundly. The faint sound of grinding beans in the kitchen blurred into her dreams, making her think she was grinding them herself.

Only when the sound stopped did she feel like she was waking from a dream. Initially confused, she opened and closed her eyes, dazed for a moment before realizing she had forgotten to wake up for tofu making!

She quickly sat up, hastily putting on her jacket until she heard deliberately quiet footsteps outside. Then, her sleepy mind finally clicked – Shen Lian was back, and she didn't need to grind beans this morning.

The dim light of the oil lamp spilled into the room as Sang Luo looked up to see Shen Lian entering. Their eyes met, and Shen Lian obviously hesitated for a moment: “You're awake?”

Sang Luo nodded, and Shen Lian quickly placed the lamp on the table before swiftly exiting and closing the door behind him.

Sang Luo: ……

What’s the experience of being seen by someone else, um, a person of the opposite sex, in her just-awakened, unprepared state in the morning?

Just like her current situation.

Sang Luo rubbed her forehead and gave up overthinking. She got up briskly.

……

Previously, due to the refugee incident, Qin Fangniang and the others were escorted to the market daily by Chen Youtian, Lu Dalong, and Shi Erlang. Today, apart from Chen Youtian, their husbands came along, accompanying Gan Shi and Feng Liu Niang.

The two couples, reunited after a long separation, displayed a noticeably sweet and affectionate manner.

Sang Luo smiled, genuinely happy for them. Of course, with more people around, she no longer needed to help carry the goods down the mountain. They would handle it at the door.

Since they started making tofu, Shen An and Shen Ning indulged in sleeping in for the first time, following their brother and sister-in-law’s example.

The first snow in Qiyang County stopped after a day. The snow outside didn't continue, but melting snow is much colder than falling snow. How blissful it is to stay in bed until breakfast!

Breakfast consisted of soy milk with egg and tofu dregs pancakes. Familiar to Sang Luo and the kids, but new to Shen Lian. The pancakes, mixed with flour, eggs, vegetable bits, and seasoned before frying in oil, were so delicious that he couldn't stop eating.

He was aware of his appetite and wouldn't have dared to eat more if Sang Luo hadn't prepared two large plates.

Sang Luo barely contained her laughter. Their family always had plenty of tofu dregs pancakes.

They never lacked tofu dregs; what they couldn't consume was sometimes shared with other families, and their poultry enjoyed these nutritious meals daily. Still, they couldn't use it all up, so she dried the excess for storage.

Between two plates of tofu dregs pancakes, Sang Luo and the kids couldn’t finish one plate, but Shen Lian single-handedly polished off the other. Sang Luo now understood how he had grown so tall – it must be his quick wit and learning to hunt with Chen Dashan from a young age.

Aware of his hearty appetite, especially in the last two years, Shen Lian felt a bit embarrassed after eating and proposed: "Dashan and I will head into the mountains to catch some wild chickens to add to the meal."

He wouldn’t have dared to promise such a thing two years ago, but having spent nearly a year in the deep mountains, he was now confident.

Surprised by his plan to hunt in the mountains, Sang Luo cautioned, "The snow hasn't melted yet. Isn't it dangerous to go into the mountains now?"

Shen Lian chuckled, “The snow in the north is much heavier. Compared to that, our snow here is nothing. Plus, snow has its advantages.”

In snowy weather, it's harder for animals to hide their tracks. A hunter with enough experience can make good gains in the mountains.

As he stood to clean the dishes, Shen Ning insisted on doing it herself, cheerfully taking over the task.

“Brother, let me wash the dishes. I'm free right now.”

Sang Luo was truly exhausted daily, and the kids often volunteered for simple chores. Since winter began, they used warm water heated by the stove's residual heat for washing dishes, making the task more comfortable.

Shen Lian didn’t compete with his sister for chores, nodding in agreement, “Then I'll get ready.”

It was only then that Sang Luo realized the large bundle Shen Lian brought home yesterday contained not just a box of ginseng and clothes, but also an array of weapons.

A bow and a large sword wrapped in cloth.

Yes, the kind used by the imperial army.

Seeing Sang Luo’s gaze, Shen Lian explained, “I took them from the hands of dead soldiers before the enemy had time to clear the battlefield.”

Realizing his words, he became anxious, worried that Sang Luo, being a woman, might be averse to objects previously owned by the deceased.

However, Sang Luo wasn’t perturbed at all; in chaotic times, these were valuable tools for self-defense, especially in the hands of someone skilled.

Under both reigns of the Daqian Dynasty, the control over weapons was strict. Civilians were absolutely forbidden from owning arms and armor. Only because Shen Lian and his companions traversed through forests and mountains, avoiding official inspections, could they keep these weapons without them being confiscated and themselves charged with crimes.

Sang Luo moved closer, curious, “And what about that roll wrapped in animal skin? Are those arrows?”

Seeing that she wasn't frightened or bothered but rather interested, Shen Lian relaxed and smiled, “Yes, they are feathered arrows.”

Shen Lian unfurled the animal skin, revealing dozens of well-crafted arrows inside.

Sang Luo's eyes brightened, “These are valuable items, but we must hide them well.”

She looked around and suggested, “Hide them under the bed. We lock this room during the day when no one's around.”

The village system was extremely strict at that time, implementing a collective responsibility policy. Reporting neighbors was a common practice, so these items must never be shown in front of the villagers.

Pleased with Sang Luo’s appreciation and her offer to help hide them, Shen Lian's smile widened, eyes crinkling, “Alright.”

He took out the bow and arrows needed for hunting and carefully packed and hid the rest under the bed, just as Sang Luo suggested.