Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Zhong Yizhu returned to the old house, the aunties and uncles who had been talking in the yard earlier had already left. Sun Yunniang was sorting through the bamboo basket he had brought back.

Zhong Yizhu quickly stepped forward to help: "Let me help, Mother."

"I'm almost done, don't dirty your hands." Sun Yunniang avoided his hand, poured out the few mushrooms from the basket, and looked up at him with a smile in her eyes.

"I saw it was full when you brought it back, and thought our Zhu Ge'er was so skilled, picking so many mushrooms. Turns out it was all just for show."

Zhong Yizhu was easily teased; his thin face flushed like rouge as he changed the subject: "Did you eat the wild fruits I put on top, Mother? I saved them especially for you."

Sun Yunniang couldn't help but smile, feeling a warm sweetness in her heart. She stopped teasing him.

"I ate them. Our Zhu Ge'er is more and more capable. If it were your mother going into the mountains, she probably wouldn't even find half a mushroom. These are enough for one meal. I'll stew some soup for you later."

Zhong Yizhu found a small stool to sit on, watching his mother pick through the mushrooms as he told her about Tao Ge'er's invitation to go to the big market the day after tomorrow.

Sun Yunniang replied, "We really do need to go shopping at the market. Didn't you want to make sachets for Tao Ge'er and Sister Zhou? We can buy the fabric and needles and thread tomorrow too, and also buy some oil, rice, and pork. I'll make you something delicious. Your chin has gotten so pointy; you need to nourish yourself."

Had it? Zhong Yizhu touched his chin, not feeling any difference. There was no bronze mirror at home, so he didn't know if he had lost weight again. He only knew that his mother had indeed thinned a lot from her illness.

After confirming the market trip for the day after tomorrow, Zhong Yizhu looked at the unwashed tea cups on the stove and couldn't help feeling deflated: "Mother, I said I don't want to get married. Why do you bother entertaining them?"

Sun Yunniang put the sorted mushrooms into a large bowl, scooped water in to wash them carefully, and replied gently, "What girl or young man doesn't marry? I want to keep you by my side for life, but given our situation now, if we take in a son-in-law, it might bring in a wolf. I can't handle that. So it's better to find you a good person to marry. I don't ask for anything, as long as he treats you well."

At this, Sun Yunniang couldn't help but feel sorrowful. Originally, her Zhu Ge'er wouldn't have had to endure such hardships. She deeply understood how difficult life was in the village. She couldn't bear to let Zhong Yizhu live a life of tending fields and managing household chores without even being able to afford meat. Even though they had fallen from grace, she wanted to do her best to find a decent family for him.

But they had kept Zhu Ge'er too long. After the new year, Zhu Ge'er would turn eighteen, soon nineteen. A young man not married at this age was rare. No matter how good his looks and personality, the time left for her to choose was running out.

Sun Yunniang explained her thoughts in detail to Zhong Yizhu: "Now there are many who see our twenty acres of good land and rush to get close. Naturally, we can't accept such families. We're new here and don't know anyone. There are only so many households in the village, and they all know each other's backgrounds. If I talk to them more, I can gather more information."

"Actually, the best would be to find someone from the town or county seat. That way, at least you won't have to work the fields after marriage. Our current visible assets aren't much. Once we find a suitable match, we'll slowly settle down. Then I'll look for a suitable shop in the county seat to buy. With such conditions, it'll be easier to negotiate."

As Zhong Yizhu listened to Sun Yunniang softly explaining, his heart gradually calmed. Every word from his mother was for his future, and he wondered how long she had been thinking and worrying behind his back.

"Mother..." Zhong Yizhu's eyes reddened as he reached out to tug at Sun Yunniang's sleeve, just like when he was a child.

If only they could go back to those days.

Sun Yunniang gently stroked his head: "Mother is here. I have to see you live well before I can close my eyes in peace."

...

On the day of the market, Zhong Yizhu got up early. Willow Mountain Village wasn't far from the town; an oxcart ride took less than half an hour. But the market stalls opened early, so villagers were used to heading out early.

The village chief's family had an oxcart, but today the other family members needed it for their own use, so the four of them went together to the village entrance to catch the shared oxcart.

The cart could carry six people. The other two were Zhang Guihua and Liu Feng. As soon as they got on, they turned their heads away, ignoring each other, sitting as far apart as possible.

These two used to get along well, often working and chatting together. But ever since Zhang Guihua expressed interest in hiring Zhong Yizhu as her daughter-in-law, Liu Fulang's attitude had subtly shifted.

At first, when Zhong Yizhu arrived in the village, Liu Fulang had wanted to ingratiate himself. But later, when he learned that Zhong Yizhu was left in the village by the Zhong family and lost his wealth, he dropped the idea.

He was heavy-hearted and never spoke of this thought to anyone. Naturally, Zhang Guihua didn't know. After Zhong Yizhu acquired twenty acres of good paddy fields, everyone in the village gossiped behind his back, saying that a single piece of his clothing cost one tael of silver, and his entire wardrobe was probably worth more than some families' total assets. Hearing this, Liu Fulang couldn't help but feel tempted again.

After learning about Zhang Guihua's intentions, he subtly advised her to give up, saying how unsuitable the Zhong family's young master was, but then he himself went eagerly to Zhong Yizhu's house.

The two not only fell out but also started a rivalry, as if whoever's son married Zhong Yizhu would win.

When they saw the village chief's wife, her young son, and Zhong Yizhu and his mother coming to ride the cart, their expressions changed instantly. They warmly invited them to sit beside them.

Liu Youzong, as village chief, was fair and respected by the villagers. Zhou Shaofen, as the village chief's wife, naturally had status in the village. Liu Fulang, relying on a distant kinship with Liu Youzong, always acted as if he wanted to make it known to everyone.

He first warmly pulled Zhou Shaofen and Sun Yunniang to sit down, chatting with them, and even shot a triumphant glance at Zhang Guihua.

Zhang Guihua was furious. She turned to speak to the two young men nearby but found she couldn't even get a word in.

Tao Ge'er had braided his hair today and wore silk flowers. He looked lively and cute. Excitedly, he pulled Zhong Yizhu to sit and started talking nonstop about what he wanted to buy, how beautiful the silk flowers he saw at the last market were, how fun the wooden bird was, and then asked Zhong Yizhu what it was like in the bustling prefectural city.

Old Zhang, the driver, cracked his whip: "Let's go——"

The town they were heading to was called Chuiliu Town, a poetic name, but in reality, there were few willow trees. Perhaps there once were, but now only bare riverbanks and a dry riverbed remained.

Chuiliu Town wasn't big, but the half-monthly market was lively. People from surrounding villages came to shop or sell their crops. Peddlers also brought various goods to set up stalls.

Zhou Shaofen didn't need to buy much. She had only come because Tao Ge'er begged her to bring him to play. So she didn't separate from Sun Yunniang and her son. She could also show them around and help them choose goods.

They first went to a fabric shop. Zhong Yizhu felt that satin clothes weren't convenient for work. He wanted two sets of cotton clothing. He picked a bolt of blue fabric, enough for two sets to alternate.

But Sun Yunniang stopped the shop assistant and asked for only half a bolt of blue. For the other half, she chose a bright water-green, which cost a bit more but was still only the price of a casual snack pastry that Zhong Yizhu used to buy.

Sun Yunniang also had half a bolt of cotton fabric cut for herself to make clothes. Together with the scraps Zhong Yizhu wanted, the total came to 610 wen.

After leaving the fabric shop, Liu Mingtao spotted a miscellaneous stall by the roadside and his eyes lit up. He pulled Zhong Yizhu over.

The small stall displayed many silk flowers, hairpins, hairbands, wooden combs, and various accessories. Liu Mingtao was dazzled.

Zhong Yizhu stood with him by the stall. He wasn't interested in those brightly colored accessories. Instead, he picked up the scented balms a little farther away, smelled them one by one, and put them back.

"Hey, what's this?"

Liu Mingtao noticed a wooden box with several thumb-sized pills. He wanted to ask the vendor, but the vendor was busy bargaining with another customer.

"They're incense pills. You can put them in sachets or wardrobes to give off a lasting fragrance."

The answer came from Zhong Yizhu beside him. Zhong Yizhu picked up a pill and smelled it. The scent was messy and pungent, almost choking when close. But Liu Mingtao found it novel and even held it up for Zhou Shaofen to smell.

Zhong Yizhu was puzzled: "Isn't it common to wear incense pills in Chuiliu Town?"

Liu Mingtao was even more confused: "Don't we put incense wood in sachets? I've never seen these before."

Zhong Yizhu blinked. Incense pills had been popular in the prefectural city a year ago. He didn't expect that in the lower towns, they only started selling them now, and with such crude craftsmanship and recipes.

Liu Mingtao finally bought a hairband. He paid and turned around happily, but bumped into a passerby behind him.

Zhong Yizhu quickly steadied Liu Mingtao's back to prevent him from falling backward. Before he looked up, he caught a strong smell of alcohol, followed by a curse.

"Which blind fool dares to bump into me?"

Liu Mingtao frowned, ready to argue, but when he saw the man's thuggish appearance, he lost his nerve. Being young, he only managed to blush and say, "You bumped into me."

Fortunately, Sun Yunniang and Zhou Shaofen came over in time. Zhou Shaofen stepped in front of Liu Mingtao and shouted, "What do you think you're doing?"

But the man's gaze wasn't on her. He turned and stared at Zhong Yizhu. Zhong Yizhu felt as if a venomous snake's slimy gaze was locked on him. Before he could frown, the man shifted his eyes, gave a drunken chuckle, and pushed through the crowd, walking away.

Zhou Shaofen turned back to comfort Tao Ge'er. They didn't linger and walked in the opposite direction from the thug.

Zhong Yizhu felt a vague unease, but it seemed like just a small accident. The man left without a fuss, so Zhong Yizhu didn't mention it, not wanting to worry Sun Yunniang.

The group then all went to the grain and oil shop, the butcher shop, and the general store, buying grain, ingredients, and daily necessities. At Zhong Yizhu's insistence, they also visited a pharmacy to have the physician check Sun Yunniang's pulse, ensuring that her illness was completely cured, only then did they let the matter rest.

Although Zhong Yizhu dressed plainly, his face still stood out too conspicuously in the town. Passing pedestrians would always give him a second look. After finishing their purchases, Zhong Yizhu and Sun Yunniang did not linger and first went back to the oxcart to wait for Zhou Shaofen and her son to finish their shopping.

Since the two of them had bought a lot of items, they struck a deal with Old Zhang, the oxcart driver, to pay for two extra seats' worth of space for their purchases. As a result, the oxcart was chartered just for them on the return trip.

Because they had arrived early, it was barely past noon when they finished shopping and headed back. Once home, Zhong Yizhu and his mother neatly put away the newly bought items. He then took his sewing supplies and the new fabric scraps into his room.

The fabric scraps from the cloth shop came in all kinds of materials, sold in bundles, no picking allowed. Zhong Yizhu picked out a piece of peach-pink silk and a piece of mahogany-colored satin from the scraps.

The incense pellets were ready; Zhong Yizhu had already picked out a suitable fragrance. The only task left was sewing the sachets.

Zhong Yizhu's embroidery skills were personally taught by Sun Yunniang, but he was not particularly adept at them. However, what mattered most in giving a gift was the thought behind it. He stitched carefully, stitch by stitch, but by the time Sun Yunniang called him for dinner, half the pattern was still unfinished.

This meal was the most lavish one Zhong Yizhu and Sun Yunniang had enjoyed since arriving in the village. As they ate, they discussed future plans and talked about whether the fields they would soon reclaim should continue to be farmed by hired hands.

Although they had lost almost everything, amid these ruins, they had struggled to slowly stand upright, forced some roots into this strange land.

Life, after all, had to go on.

After dinner, Zhong Yizhu and Sun Yunniang were cleaning up the kitchen when suddenly a thunderclap roared outside. Sun Yunniang poked her head out to look; raindrops had already begun to fall rapidly.

Summer weather is like this—giving no one a moment to react. Sun Yunniang hurried inside to close the windows. The remaining light outside had already been shrouded by thunderclouds. Zhong Yizhu quickened his pace, washed the dishes, and then washed up himself as well.

When he carried the oil lamp back to the bedroom, the sound of rain outside had already merged into a continuous roar. Raindrops pounded heavily on the roof tiles, seemingly isolating the entire house from the outside world. The dim light of the lamp before him made him feel even lonelier.

Zhong Yizhu abandoned the thought of continuing to embroider the sachet, blew out the lamp, and got into bed.

This summer night's heavy rain lingered for a while, and Zhong Yizhu did not sleep very soundly.

In his drowsiness, he felt as if he heard some unusual noises, but he could not tell if it was an illusion caused by the rain's din. The rain seemed to seep into his dreams, blurring the boundaries between reality and dreams. He tried desperately to open his eyes but to no avail.

It was only when he felt a certain chilling touch on his face that he woke with a start.

Outside, thunder and lightning raged. In the brief flash of light inside the room, he saw clearly the figure of someone standing by his bedside.

Author's note:

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No update tomorrow. See you the day after tomorrow, dear readers.