Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lu Yu hadn't slept so soundly in a long time.

It was as if he had shed all worldly worries and pressures, sinking into a deep slumber beneath the warm, cozy comforter.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Lu Yu's face. The discomfort of the bright, glaring light gradually roused him, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Lu Yu propped up his weakened body and slowly sat up, only then realizing he was lying on a heated bed platform (kang) in a farmhouse.

The room was tidy and clean, with a plain-colored kang cabinet carved with simple patterns. A fluffy white cat was curled up at his feet.

The dark blue floral-patterned quilt covering him exuded a comforting warmth. A small wooden table in the room held a little bronze mirror and a wooden hairpin, while a sleepy black dog lay on the floor.

This was clearly a young farm girl’s room.

Lu Yu’s brows furrowed slightly as he slowly sat on the edge of the kang. The black dog suddenly perked up and affectionately nuzzled against his leg, its face bearing a look of innocent foolishness.

He instinctively reached out to scratch the dog’s head, and its expression gradually melted into contentment.

Lu Yu couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

Suddenly, the sound of chirping chicks came from outside the room. The black dog alertly pricked up its ears, and before Lu Yu could react, it had already bolted out of the room.

A moment later, a gentle voice drifted softly from the small courtyard.

"Erhei, you came to meet me again."

Yun Wan wore a dark blue floral headscarf and carried a basket on her arm filled with potatoes and a small bowl of wild hawthorn berries.

She had traded some animal pelts for potatoes, as the rice and wheat flour at home were nearly gone. On her way back, she spotted the wild hawthorn her father loved so much hanging high on the branches.

The village children all knew how to climb trees, but her father had never allowed her to learn.

Yun Wan could only stand on tiptoe to pick the low-hanging fruit and gather those that had fallen but were still intact.

By the time she finished picking and returned home, out of breath, the sun was already high in the sky. The heat made her quickly take off her headscarf and set down the basket.

"Erhei, stop tugging at me. Let me drink some water first, then I’ll make your food."

Yun Wan drank thirstily from a ceramic bowl while Erhei kept pulling at her skirt, trying to lead her to the right inner room.

The house was a common blue-brick dwelling in Yun County. The main room served as the cooking area, with a stove on each side, each connected to an inner room.

The left room was where Yun Cunyi lived, and the right was Yun Wan’s bedroom.

But Yun Wan paid no mind to Erhei, waving him away as she hurried into the left inner room. Seeing that Yun Cunyi had woken up, the heavy weight in her heart slowly lifted.

"Daughter... listen to your father... you must leave quickly."

Yun Cunyi’s voice was like gravel scraping the ground. Yun Wan stood ramrod straight, as if she had done something wrong as a child, tears welling in her eyes as she stubbornly shook her head. "Father will get better."

Yun Cunyi looked at his good daughter’s thin face, and two lines of tears streamed down his weathered cheeks. He let out a choked sigh and said, "Silly girl."

Just as the sun must eventually set, no one can escape aging, sickness, and death.

Not even a strong hunter.

Yun Wan’s eyes reddened again. She fled the room, calling out, "I’ll go make something to eat."

Tearfully, she instinctively rushed back to her own room, only to look up suddenly and lock eyes with Lu Yu.

Her heart leaped, and she gasped in surprise.

Partly because she was startled by the suddenly awakened man, and partly because he was exceptionally handsome—his face and features as if sculpted by an immortal.

He sat quietly on the edge of the kang, his presence even more imposing than the county magistrate.

Yun Wan was a little afraid; her heart pounded loudly.

Before the man could even ask a question, she had already turned and walked out of the right inner room, standing by the stove to compose herself.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess.

She was afraid the man would ask where this was, who she was, who he was—questions like that.

Yun Wan had never lied before, and she was scared. But she glanced through the window on the left inner room door at her frail father.

She took a deep breath, rehearsed countless emotions and expressions in her mind, and thought about how to answer such questions. Then she hurriedly got a new bowl from the cupboard and poured the man a bowl of water.

Inside the room,

Lu Yu recognized this girl—she was the one who had saved him by the river.

That day, under the gloomy sky drizzling with rain, her pink cheeks were full of anxiety, and the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows swayed vividly.

His last memory was of fainting to the sound of her urgent cries.

She was probably a kind-hearted person who had saved him.

A moment later, she came in with a bowl of water.

"You’re finally awake. Have some water. If you’re hungry, wait a bit—I’ll go make flatbread soon."

The girl spoke softly, handing him the water.

She acted so familiarly that Lu Yu almost felt he should know her, but her fingers trembled slightly.

Lu Yu lowered his gaze and asked warily, "Who are you?"

It’s finally happening.

Yun Wan’s heart raced wildly at the thought of what she had to say. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Stumbling over her words, she said, "My name is Yun Wan... you are my... you are... I am... you are my husband."

As soon as Yun Wan finished speaking, Lu Yu could tell she was lying.

He said coldly, "You’re lying."

Yun Wan’s eyes reddened immediately, tears welling up as she murmured, "I knew I couldn’t lie."

But she was out of options. She looked up and said urgently, "Then can you be my husband? Just for a few months."

Lu Yu replied flatly, "No."

His voice was quiet but authoritative. Yun Wan knew she was in the wrong and shouldn’t push. With reddened eyes, she stood before the man and said, "I’m sorry."

Then, she ran out with tears in her eyes.

Lu Yu watched her retreating back, feeling a faint stir of pity in his heart.

Perhaps because she was so beautiful, with peach blossom eyes glistening with tears as they traced down her cheeks, two thick, dark braids coiled behind her head, stray strands fluttering with her breathing, and a striking vermilion mole.

Lu Yu could not recall his past, and his temperament remained cold and detached.

He thought,

Next time, he should be gentler with her—after all, she was his savior.

But would she come back if she was angry?

Lu Yu glanced around the room again, thinking he couldn’t stay here much longer.

He sat upright on the kang, eyes closed, tirelessly digging through the sealed memories in his mind, but they were like deeply buried treasure—he couldn’t find the key to unlock them or even locate where they were hidden.

Only one phrase echoed incessantly in his ears:

“Lu Yu, what are you doing here? Don’t look.”

The woman’s voice was panting, tinged with a heart-wrenching despair.

He must be called Lu Yu.

And after that? Who was speaking?

Where was his family? Where could he go if he left here? Where was he really from?

The more Lu Yu thought, the more his head ached.

“What’s wrong? Are you still feeling unwell?”

He heard an anxious voice, followed by a gentle, small hand helping him lie down and a warm cloth pressed against his forehead.

Gasping for breath, he pulled himself out of the memory and suddenly opened his eyes, seeing Yun Wan with reddened eyes and a worried expression.

Lu Yu stared at her blankly, saying nothing.

Yun Wan was confused. “Has the illness made you delirious? Should I call a doctor?”

Lu Yu shook his head. “I thought you were angry and wouldn’t help me.”

Yun Wan’s face instantly flushed, and she hurriedly asked, “Then if I help you this time, can you become my husband?”

“No, but I will repay you in other ways.”

The man’s tone remained cold.

Disappointment filled Yun Wan’s eyes. She sighed, but when she turned her gaze back to Lu Yu, her eyes softened again. She asked quietly, “Then can I know your name?”

“Lu Yu.”

Yun Wan said, “Lu Yu? As in jade? It’s a very nice name.”

Lu Yu blurted out, “The ‘Yu’ as in honor.”

Yun Wan pursed her lips and nodded vaguely.

She seemed unfamiliar with the character.

Yun Wan hadn’t received much education. Her grandfather was a scholar in the neighboring village, so she attended a small school for a few years. Later, her uncle complained that she was an extra mouth to feed and didn’t let her continue.

After the conversation with the stranger ended, the atmosphere grew awkward.

Yun Wan twisted the hem of her clothes, unsure what to say, while Lu Yu sat calmly on the kang, unconcerned.

“Your porridge is about to burn.”

Lu Yu, noticing Yun Wan’s unease, kindly reminded her.

Yun Wan’s eyes widened instantly, and she bolted out of the room, calling softly, “My porridge, my porridge!”

A moment later, Yun Wan returned with a bowl of rice porridge glistening with oil, three fragrant hu breads, and a small bowl of neatly arranged wild hawthorn berries.

“You... eat.”

After timidly speaking, she ran out again, nothing like the bold woman who had earlier claimed Lu Yu was her husband.

Lu Yu propped himself up and slowly moved to the kang table.

The warm porridge slid down his throat into his stomach, the fragrant hu breads carried a hint of northwestern spices, and the slightly tart wild hawthorn berries suited his taste perfectly.

As the homely meal settled, Lu Yu’s entire body warmed up. Unconsciously, he had already finished the small bowl of wild hawthorn berries.

Suddenly, Erhei’s fierce barking erupted in the yard.

“Girl, why didn’t you tell your uncle that something happened to your father? I could have helped you.”

Just as Lu Yu was about to ask, the door to the inner room was suddenly pushed open, and he heard Yun Wan say urgently, “No matter what happens, don’t come out.”

Before he could speak, the door was abruptly locked from the outside by Yun Wan.

Trembling with fear, Yun Wan placed a kitchen knife and a fire poker within reach and was about to hide the porridge and hu breads in the cupboard when the person in the yard pushed open the door of the blue-brick house.

This uninvited guest was none other than Yun Wan’s uncle, Yun Qingtian.

He was short but obese, with crooked eyes and a slanted mouth, a large black mole at the corner of his lips.

Having heard that Yun Cunyi hadn’t been out hunting for a long time, Yun Qingtian had been watching for days. He noticed the bitter smell of medicine brewing in Yun Cunyi’s house, but his beautiful niece went out every day.

It was clear who was sick.

Yun Qingtian walked into the house as if he owned the place, lifting the lid of the pot on the stove. “Eating so plainly, not even any meat.”

He then felt the top cupboard. “It’s been so many years, time to get a new set of cupboards.”

Just as he was about to open the door to the right inner room where Lu Yu was,

“What... what are you doing here?”

Yun Wan’s fearful cry interrupted him.

Yun Qingtian curled his lips, his debauched face revealing a lecherous grin. As he reached out to brush the stray hair by Yun Wan’s cheek, a kitchen knife suddenly appeared before him.

“Don’t touch me!”

Yun Qingtian withdrew his hand resentfully, his eyes still openly vulgar. He sneered, “This girl has thorns. After your father dies, uncle will find you a good husband. Li San at the village entrance is a fine choice.”

Li San was the blind, scabby-headed man in the village, known for his vices—drinking, gambling, and every kind of mischief.

Yun Wan glared at him fiercely.

Yun Qingtian staggered as he remembered the purpose of his visit today. Just as he was about to push open the door to Yun Cunyi's inner room, Yun Wan pointed a kitchen knife at him and shouted, "Get out of our house!"

Yun Qingtian looked at this niece who was always getting in his way, raised his hand, and shoved her away. "Get lost."

With a clatter, the door lock was broken.

Yun Wan struggled to block him, but as Yun Qingtian took in the scene before him, his suspicions were completely confirmed. He let out a loud, harsh laugh. "Heaven has eyes after all—you’re finally dying."

Yun Cunyi’s pale face flushed red with anger as he gasped hoarsely, "You... get out..."

"Get out? The one who should leave this brick house is you. Finally, finally, Mom and Dad’s house will be mine at last. Should’ve had a son—this worthless daughter of yours can’t even inherit it. Hahahahahaha!"

Seeing that Yun Cunyi was nearing his end, Yun Qingtian bared his yellow teeth in a crazed laugh and staggered out of the small courtyard.

Yun Wan hurried to Yun Cunyi’s sickbed, gently rubbing his chest with her small hand, her eyes red as she said, "Dad, don’t be angry, don’t be angry."

Tears streamed down Yun Cunyi’s aged face as he choked out, "Dad... originally... thought... next year I’d take you to live in the county town... find you a good man from a decent family... I’ve failed you."

"My good... girl, you can’t handle him... Listen to Dad, just leave."

Yun Wan’s pale, delicate hand wiped the tear stains from Yun Cunyi’s dark, weathered face as she comforted him, "It’s okay, Dad, I’ll find a good husband. Here, let me help you up to eat."

Locked in the inner room on the right by Yun Wan, Lu Yu watched the entire scene of Yun Qingtian’s disturbance through a crack in the door window, his face darkening.

Lu Yu turned and sat on the edge of the kang, his eyes filled with deep thought.

---

Yun Wan gathered her spirits and softly comforted her father for a long time until he took his medicine and drifted into a drowsy sleep. She gently set the bowl down and looked at the remaining bruised red berries.

She put one in her mouth, and the sudden sourness made her nose sting. Yet she kept eating them, and the tears she had long suppressed instantly streamed down her face.

"...So sour..."

With her back to the kang, she kept wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Meanwhile, Yun Cunyi, who had seemed to be asleep, slowly opened his eyes. Watching his daughter’s thin back, tears rolled down his wrinkled cheeks.

After calming her emotions, Yun Wan stared at the dark clouds on the horizon. Thinking of the frail Lu Yu next door, she hurriedly carried a thick quilt and appeared before him once again.

"It’s gotten colder lately. This quilt was just aired a few days ago—"

"Who was that man this morning?"

Before she could finish, Lu Yu suddenly asked.

Yun Wan looked up, her eyes meeting Lu Yu’s serious gaze. Sitting opposite each other on the kang, she said softly, "He’s my uncle."

Then she quickly added, "Don’t show yourself in front of him. He will definitely hurt you."

Remembering how Yun Wan had trembled while holding the kitchen knife, Lu Yu lowered his gaze and asked, "What about you? Aren’t you afraid?"

"I’m not afraid. My dad is still here—he wouldn’t dare."

Yun Wan lifted her chin, putting on a brave face.

Lu Yu asked again, "How long does your father have left? Do you have any relatives you can rely on?"

Father?

Yun Wan’s mind paused for a moment before she realized Lu Yu was asking about her dad. She murmured, "The doctor said my dad might have about a month left. My grandfather wants nothing to do with me, and my grandparents on both sides are dead. There are no relatives left in the family."

After speaking, she stared blankly at a corner of the room, her eyes unmoving. Exhaustion weighed on her like a northwest dust storm, making her seem like a puppet.

Lu Yu swallowed hard, struggling with words he’d been weighing. At last, he spoke.