"Mother, why have you gone to the river to wash clothes again? It's only early spring, the river water is very cold, your body is so weak, now if you catch a chill, your illness will worsen," Muniang, carrying a back basket, entered the courtyard and immediately saw Mrs. Lin hanging clothes, and went up to her with furrowed brows to take over the task.
Mrs. Lin's face was somewhat pale. Upon seeing Muniang, a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth: "It's nothing, I've felt much better these past few days. Always seeing you so busy, lying in bed all day is boring for me."
Muniang knew Mrs. Lin felt sorry for her taking on the family's burdens alone and didn't say much. She took off the back basket she was carrying and helped Mrs. Lin walk towards the house: "Alright, you can wash them when the weather gets warmer. For now, let's not touch the cold water. Otherwise, falling ill again will be troublesome. We don't even have enough to eat, where would the money to buy medicine come from?"
Mrs. Lin's smile faltered: "I wasn't thinking thoroughly." She then sighed: "It's all because of me, this invalid, dragging everyone down."
Muniang poured a bowl of water for Mrs. Lin: "Mother, don't worry, our days will get better in the future. If you keep a relaxed mindset, the illness won't be so difficult to treat."
Mrs. Lin took her daughter's comforting words as mere pleasantries and nodded in agreement.
Muniang turned and left the house, stepping into the small courtyard. She cleaned the wild vegetables she had just picked and glanced at the dilapidated thatched cottage, letting out her three hundred and twenty-sixth sigh. How were they to get by?
Three days before, she had been seized by the overseer and forced to do hard labor in the experimental field—loosening the soil. But with just one hoe into that bird-shit-riddled poor piece of land, she cursed the misfortune of living in Tupo Village, a poor countryside place, where her family was the poorest among the poor!
Mrs. Lin was originally the third daughter-in-law of the Qiao family, already ostracized for not bearing a son, then two years ago, she "killed her husband" by misfortune, and being an invalid who couldn't do much work, she was seen as a freeloading parasite in the eyes of her mother-in-law, Madam Li. Hence, she was branded as "Jinx" and "Husband Killer," and the bereft mother and daughter were driven out.
Mrs. Lin, her reputation utterly ruined and driven from home, was desperate, contemplating death but ultimately decided to endure everything for the sake of her daughter. That was until three days ago when Muniang was pushed into the river, choked, and upon waking, someone else had taken her place.
Muniang cooked a pot of wild vegetable soup, along with a few loaves of dark bread. These were the least nutritious; Mrs. Lin's current condition stemmed from an illness since giving birth to her. She needed proper care to recover. Eating such foods every day, it would be strange if she did get better!
It seemed Muniang would have to find a way to earn some money. It wasn't feasible to keep living like this, and the Qiao family, how heartless they were! After all, she was their own daughter-in-law and granddaughter, yet they had driven them out without a grain of rice to spare. Muniang shuddered at the thought of Old Madam Qiao's harsh and cutting gaze.
While eating, Mrs. Lin suddenly remembered something and said, "Muniang, you're already fifteen. Your birthday is in a few days, and it's about time for a girl to start thinking about marriage."
Muniang choked on a mouthful of bread, nearly gagging to death, as she hurriedly said, "Mother, given our current situation, how can we even think about marriage?"
"It's not a question of whether we want to think about it or not. This matter can't wait. Once it's past the optimal age for marriage and you become an old maid, it'll be difficult. Do you really want to spend your life taking care of me, this sickly mother? I've suffered most of my life; if I could just see you marry into a good family, I'd be at peace," Mrs. Lin said earnestly.
Muniang felt a headache coming on. Marry at fifteen? That was practically child abuse!
"Alright, let's talk about this later," Muniang decided to sidestep the issue for now.
Mrs. Lin could naturally discern her daughter's reluctance and sighed, shaking her head. If she had fought a bit harder and wasn't driven out by the Qiao family, her daughter's reputation wouldn't have been so tarnished. Considering her daughter's beauty and gentle nature, by now, who knows how many would be vying to marry her!
That night, Muniang fell into a deep sleep early. Having toiled all day in the mountains, her back was nearly broken, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she slept like a log.
In the dark of night, a dark figure descended rapidly, its eagle-like eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously. After ensuring there were no pursuers, it reined in the murderous aura emanating from its body. Clutching its chest, the figure trudged forward, the thick smell of blood from the chest wound filling the air. Spotting a small, derelict thatched cottage, its keen hearing detected the steady breathing of someone within, asleep. It then climbed through the window without making a sound, despite the heavy weight it carried.