Xue Dongting looked up at Song Yuming standing in the doorway. She smiled. "I saved you some hot water. Go on and wash up first."
Song Yuming entered the room. "Did you sleep well?"
She nodded and smiled. "I didn't even know when you came back… Oh right, what was going on at the river last night?"
He poured hot water from the kettle into the wooden basin and shook his head. "It was nothing."
"Did you see the person playing the flute?"
"Yes, but it was just a traveler… Someone just passing through."
Xue Dongting nodded and thought no more of it. "I saw some dried mushrooms in the cellar, so I got some and cooked them up. They're not bad."
Song Yuming had already forgotten what all he had in the cellar. Now that she mentioned it, he recalled he had went into the mountains last summer and picked them and dried them out in the sun. "Good thing you found them. I had forgotten all about them. Since you like them I'll go pick some more next year."
She ladled congee as she said, "There's a lot of stuff in the cellar. There's probably more in there you've forgotten… Back at Cloudgem Lodge I never paid attention to that sort of thing. I hope you won't mind how inept I am."
Song Yuming laughed. "Having you here managing things is more than I could ask for, what do I have to worry about?" She scalded her hand trying to pick up the steaming bowls of congee and jerked her hand back. He hurried over to the stove and took a bowl in each hand and carried them in.
After breakfast, Song Yuming tied the fish up on a string and got a fur hat from his wardrobe and gave it to Xue Dongting to wear and the two of them tidied up a bit and headed out.
Along the riverbank a shabby old man sat at the head prow of a little boat. He held a wine gourd in his hand, smiling at the two as they approached. "Up early today," he yelled. "Taking the wife back home?"
Song Yuming smiled at the old man. "That's right, you're here even earlier this morning, Old Zhang!" He eyed the wine gourd in the old man's hand. "You buy that in town?"
The old man surnamed Zhang laughed. "Yep. The year is coming to a close, there's more and more people coming to ferry across the river into town. I'm always up before dawn. I've already been across once today." The old man looked at Xue Dongting and smiled. "You're wife is beautiful. She's really opened my eyes."
Song Yuming smiled and cupped his hand over his fist. "We must be going."
Old Zhang nodded and waved. "Go, go. Feller like you taking such a pretty wife, no wonder you haven't been around lately ferrying people across."
That made Xue Dongting's cheeks red, but Song Yuming just laughed. They boarded their boat and Song Yuming shoved off quickly. The little boat left the bank and went further and further. She saw his forehead beaded with sweat as he put his back into sculling the boat across. "Don't go so fast, it's no big deal if we're a little late."
Song Yuming shook his head. "It would be rude to be late, and I don't want the neighbors to laugh."
Xue Dongting took hold of the cabin wall and stood up, wanting to go out. Song Yuming was afraid she would fall, so he stopped sculling so fast. "It's windy out here, what are you coming out for? Watch your step."
She went over to him and took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I was originally a singsong girl," she said softly. "I've long stopped caring about other people's opinions… But, there's something I have to tell you."
He pulled the fur hat down further over her head and secured the earflaps down. "What is it?"
"Though I was working at Cloudgem Lodge, I never did anything improper with anyone… My body was pure when I married you, so I don't care what other people say, I just want you to believe me…"
Song Yuming frowned. This wife of his with her staunch tone made him feel so tenderly toward her. He said quielty, "Of course I believe you. I've never minded your background."