Chapter 9: Hunger

Chapter 9: Hunger

Lin Shu squatted down, extending her hands alongside Lin Xiaopu.

Lin Xiaopu, who rarely ventured out, had hands that were already quite fair. But placed next to Lin Shu's, her own hands instantly appeared yellowish, short, and rough, like five kindling sticks.

“Elder Sister, your hands are so fair and slender—they’re truly beautiful.”

Zhou Ye hadn't noticed at first, but upon hearing this, he instinctively glanced over, then quickly averted his gaze.

He used a gourd dipper to slowly pour water for the two to wash their hands. After they had meticulously scrubbed off the mud, he casually scooped half a dipper of water to rinse his own hands.

At the dinner table, the meals were already served. Lin Dashan and He Guixiang sat on one long bench, while Lin Shu and Lin Xiaopu occupied another. Zhou Ye was the last to take his seat, deliberately choosing the spot beside Lin Xiaopu.

“Mother, why am I the only one with white rice porridge?” Lin Shu hadn’t paid attention to her parents’ earlier whispers about coarse versus fine rice. It was only at the table that she realized everyone else was eating coarse rice porridge, while she alone had white rice.

“A Shu, we don’t have good dishes or fine food at home. We’re sorry you have to put up with this.” He Guixiang studied her daughter’s fair, rosy-cheeked face. As she contemplated the life Lin Shu would now lead with them, the smile on her face faded considerably.

“Mother, what are you talking about? I’m not suffering at all. The one who should be suffering is Sister A Yao.”

As soon as the name “A Yao” was uttered, the atmosphere at the table grew tense. But from the very beginning, Lin Shu had no intention of treating the female lead’s name as taboo. If left unspoken, everyone would continue to feel a knot in their hearts. Only by speaking it out, by addressing it openly, could they all find peace.

Lin Shu looked at He Guixiang and Lin Dashan with a serious expression and said, “Father, Mother, all these years in the marquis’s estate, I ate well and lived comfortably. But the marquis’s residence also had many rules. Since I was young, I never had the patience to learn them, and it took a great deal of hardship to cultivate the refined demeanor of a young lady that you see in me now. I never understood before why I was so unlike my marquis’s mother. In her youth, she was a renowned noble lady in the capital, and I had to work extremely hard to achieve even a fraction of her reputation. Now I understand—it’s because I never belonged there. This is where I belong. I truly love Sweetwater Village and don’t feel wronged in the slightest. But Sister Yao—she was born to be a marquis’s daughter, yet I stole that from her for over ten years…”

As He Guixiang listened, she suddenly began to wipe away tears.

Lin Shu was taken aback. “Mother, why are you crying? Did I upset you? Mother, don’t cry—I want to see you smile!”

He Guixiang smiled through her tears. “I’m just too happy.”

“Mother, Father, are you worried that Sister A Yao isn’t doing well in the capital? Don’t be. Sister A Yao is incredibly capable. The rules it took me over ten years to learn, she seemed to master naturally, as if she was born knowing them. The Marquis and Marquise adore her, and all the servants in the household respect her. Oh, and also, the Heir to the Duke of Yingguo has taken a liking to her. The Marquis’s household and the Duke’s household are already preparing for the wedding. Sister A Yao is doing very well in the capital, so please don’t worry.”

When she mentioned the wedding, Lin Shu glanced at Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye caught that glance and quickly met her gaze, only to be met with a soft, gentle look from her.

He was bewildered, ignoring the fleeting, ticklish sensation in his heart.

After Lin Shu’s words, Lin Dashan, who had been silent until now, finally spoke after a moment. “As long as she’s doing well.”

He Guixiang, however, said nothing. Over the past two years, she had been worried that Lin Yao wasn’t adjusting well to life in the capital. It turned out she had been worrying for nothing—Lin Yao had adapted quickly.

Seeing their expressions, Lin Shu knew what was troubling them and explained, “Sister A Yao wanted to come back to see you, but she has her reasons. Because she’s so outstanding, many people are watching her, waiting for her to make a mistake. She had the guard Shi Qing bring silver back and said those things in public deliberately, for outsiders to hear.”

“Father, Mother, think about it—you have a daughter you raised for over ten years who suddenly turns out to be a marquis’s daughter. This daughter has always been filial, so wouldn’t she remember you after rising to prominence? The people in our village are simple and kind, but there are bad people out there. What if those wrongdoers think Sister A Yao secretly sent huge amounts of treasure home and decide to rob or steal from us?”

“People fear sudden wealth attracting thieves more than poverty. Sister A Yao did this for our sake…”

In the original novel, there was an explanation for why the female lead severed ties with Lin Dashan’s family. In her previous life, the female lead brought the entire family to the capital, but instead of living well, they suffered cold treatment and disdain, especially from the original Lin Shu, who mocked them relentlessly. In the end, Lin Xiaopu inexplicably offended powerful young nobles in the capital and met a tragic end, wrapped in a straw mat.

Given a second chance, the female lead was afraid and had come to a realization.

The painful lessons of her past life taught her that the capital was no place for Lin Dashan’s family. So, she simply cut ties, only occasionally sending her trusted aide to Sweetwater Village to check on them. Once she confirmed they were doing well, she gradually felt reassured.

After Lin Shu’s explanation, Lin Dashan and He Guixiang felt much better, and Lin Shu herself felt relieved.

After understanding Lin Yao’s reasons, her name was no longer a taboo for Lin Dashan and He Guixiang. No matter who in the village mentioned her name in the future, the two could face it calmly.

As time passed, Lin Yao naturally became a memory.

“Enough talk—let’s eat. Father and Brother A Ye have been working in the fields all day and must be starving. Eat, eat!” Lin Shu urged, her eyes curved into smiles, looking entirely relaxed and cheerful.

The address “Brother A Ye” made Zhou Ye glance at her again, but that was all.

Dinner was late today, and Zhou Ye was starving. As soon as Lin Dashan picked up his chopsticks, Zhou Ye immediately lifted his large bowl of porridge and gulped half of it down—in just a few seconds, half the porridge was gone.

Lin Xiaopu also drank from her bowl in big mouthfuls—the bowl was even larger than her face.

Though it was just ordinary coarse rice porridge, everyone ate with great relish. After half a bowl to settle their stomachs, they started on the side dishes.

Without needing any prompting, Lin Shu also started eating. Without saying a word, she took several helpings of each dish, making it clear that not only did she not mind the food, but she genuinely enjoyed it.

After everyone had eaten their fill, and Lin Shu had finished her bowl of white rice porridge, she said to He Guixiang, “Mother, from now on, whatever everyone else eats, I’ll eat too. Don’t prepare anything special for me.”

He Guixiang smiled and agreed.

After the meal, night had fallen. Conditions in the village were poor, so Lin Shu adapted to local ways and didn’t bathe. Instead, she used hot water from the pot to wipe herself down before getting into bed with Lin Xiaopu.

The bed was a sturdy wooden one made by a carpenter, though it was a bit narrow. The bedding had been recently changed and carried a faint scent of insect-repelling herbs.

Lin Shu and Lin Xiaopu lay head-to-head and, after chatting for just a few moments, were so tired they fell asleep.

In her drowsiness, Lin Shu heard the sound of tossing and turning from the next room—quite frequent, in fact.

The family’s thatched cottage originally had only three rooms: a main room and two bedrooms. Later, when Zhou Ye arrived, another room was added next to the right bedroom.

But since Zhou Ye had to get up early for farm work, the rightmost room was given to Lin Xiaopu—the very room Lin Shu was now sleeping in. The person tossing and turning restlessly next door was Zhou Ye.

Lin Shu was a heavy sleeper. After muttering a few thoughts in her mind, she fell back asleep, completely unaffected. Lin Xiaopu, however, sighed.

Brother A Ye was so hungry he couldn’t sleep again.

Author’s Note: