The stars were dazzling tonight, and all things under the starry sky were mysterious and tranquil. Qian Yixiu floated a loop in the sky and, piecing together the conversations of these past few days, had gained a general understanding of this home and its location.
This village was called Huaxi Village, which belonged to Xishui Town. Xishui Town was within the jurisdiction of Xishan County, which was part of the territory of Ji'an Province.
Their home was situated at the very western edge of Huaxi Village, already outside the village boundary, over a hundred meters from the village itself, a solitary courtyard in the midst of a vast wasteland. It was the most remote location in Huaxi Village, and also the most barren spot among the neighboring villages. Aside from the jujube trees that were growing well in the courtyard, even the vegetables planted in the backyard were in poor condition, sparse and weak.
Behind Huaxi Village lay rolling mountains. If Huaxi Village was still reluctantly considered at the foot of Xijing Mountain, then her home was precisely at the boundary between Xijing Mountain and Xishi Mountain.
Westward from her home was Xishi Mountain. The mountain lived up to its name, with only rocks and streams. Huge boulders stood erect within the mountain, the terrain steep and rugged, with a large tree occasionally squeezing out of a crevice at long intervals, without a sight of even a handful of yellow soil. Adapting a famous line of poetry from her previous life to describe it was most apt, "In these Stone Mountains, birds do not fly, all paths have been erased." It was a typical place where not even bird droppings would be found; no wild creatures would venture there, or if they did, they would starve to death.
Xishi Mountain stretched nearly ten miles; between its base and the Hong River lay a desolate stretch filled with piles of rocks, intersecting streams, devoid of any dwellings or even passersby. It was said that murderers would dispose of their victims' bodies here during dark and windy nights. This area also had a colloquial name, Luanshi Ridge.
The eastern side of Xishi Mountain bordered Jingshan Mountain. The two mountains were a study in contrast. The eastern side boasted dense forests and blooming wildflowers; the farther east you went, the richer the greenery and the more brilliant the colors. On the western side, in contrast, was nothing but barrenness, which became even more desolate further west, almost completely devoid of grass, rarely visited by humans.
The courtyard of her home faced north, a few hundred meters from the Hong River that flowed from west to east through the head of the village.
In front of and to the right of the house, the wasteland connected to the village entrance was much less lush than the east, with just over a dozen half-dead tall trees and a small amount of shrubs. Still, there were plenty of wild grasses, dotted with wildflowers, some as large as bowls and others as tiny as peas. The wind swept through the grass and the flowers swayed, a sight of breathtaking beauty.
To the left lay a vast area of wasteland back. This patch of ground was like the head of a person with leprosy, patches of grass and flowers interspersed with bald areas where nothing grew, and several small streams ran through. However, one ancient banyan tree, so wide that it took three adults to wrap their arms around, was lush with branches and leaves, standing like a lone sentinel over this piece of wasteland. Further to the left lay the endless stretch of Luanshi Ridge.
What surprised her most was the sight of Gypsophila interspersed among the wild grass. She vaguely remembered reading in a book in her previous life that Gypsophila was transplanted to **** after World War II. She hadn't expected this fictional Great Qian Kingdom to already have it.
Qian Yixiu had always been particularly fond of Gypsophila because it symbolized the 'supporting role.' Whenever she saw Shang Qingyun embarking on a new romance, she would buy many Gypsophila to put in vases at home. She believed that she was just a supporting character in Shang Qingyun's love life, which was why they could never have a happily ever after. In her current life, she was to be reborn here, and she was determined not to be so foolish, willingly playing the supporting role. She would seize the opportunity to be the protagonist for once, to live with her own style.
Qian Yixiu's soul wandered around the mountains and returned home before the rooster crowed. Although she had only roamed a corner of the mountains and hadn't seen any treasures that could make her rich, she wasn't discouraged; there was still plenty of time before her reincarnation to roam at will. In the future, she would go treasure hunting every night.
Lady Wu, although she had taken a daughter-in-law, did not have the good fortune to sit back and be waited on, as she still was the first to rise and prepare breakfast. She was gentle by nature and easily contented. Thinking that her daughter-in-law, although not quite clear-headed, wasn't very stupid either, and she was pretty, which her son liked. She was much better than the silly daughter-in-law Wong Laowu's family had taken, who drooled constantly, looking dirty and ugly, and was said to often hit people. As for her daughter-in-law's lack of skill in household chores, she could be taught gradually. If she could provide a grandson for the family in the future, that would be even better.
The second to rise early was Qian Manjiang. He knew his new wife was supposed to cook breakfast this morning, but his new wife was special and certainly couldn't cook, at least she should get up and start a fire. But no matter how he called her, Cheng Yue only complained of pain here and there and refused to open her eyes. Qian Manjiang also regretted not having been more restrained yesterday, and seeing how pale and thin his young wife's face was, he pitied her too much to continue calling her.
As Qian Manjiang stoked the fire, he muttered apologies to Lady Wu, "Mother, I'm sorry, Yueyue worked too hard yesterday, she, she can't get up." After saying that, he was so embarrassed that he bowed his head low to the stove.
Lady Wu laughed, "Mother understands, as long as you can give me a grandson, that's enough." After saying this, Lady Wu opened the pot lid and took out two boiled eggs for him, "Eat up quickly."
Qian Manjiang placed the eggs on the stove and said, "Save them for Dad to eat. We have leftovers from yesterday; I can just eat those."
Lady Wu said, "All that was left yesterday was some vegetable soup, there's nothing good left." She picked up the eggs again and insisted. "If I give them to you, you eat them. You need to nourish yourself well, to give our family an heir."
Manjiang's face reddened again when Lady Wu suggested he save some food for later. He didn't put on airs and ate an egg. Tucking the remaining egg into his bosom, he said, "I'll save this one for Yueyue." Worried his action might displease Lady Wu, he quickly added, "Yueyue is too thin, and it's not good for conceiving if she doesn't grow stronger."
Lady Wu laughed and replied, "I'm not one of those mothers-in-law who resent their sons for doting on their wives. A daughter-in-law is like the daughter raised by her own parents. Once she enters our family, we should treat her as our own." She continued, "About the white cloth I asked you to place beneath your daughter-in-law yesterday, did you do it?"
With his face still flushed, Manjiang nodded, and Lady Wu smiled in satisfaction.
Breakfast was prepared, and Qian Sangui and Qian Manting were already up. Since the daughter-in-law was to serve tea today, Qian Sangui was assisted into the main hall.
Manjiang went to the left wing to call Cheng Yue, who was not eager to get up until Manjiang peeled the egg and fed it to her. After eating the fragrant egg, she finally woke up and, with Manjiang's help, got dressed.
Lady Wu, hearing Cheng Yue stirring outside, entered the room and picked up the white cloth. Seeing a few bloodstains on it, she nodded in satisfaction, her smile deepening. She then helped Cheng Yue tie her hair in the simplest married woman's style, teaching her gently while combing.
"As a daughter-in-law, you'll have to learn to comb your own hair in the future. Mother is busy with many things," she said.
There was a small copper mirror on the table, no larger than a palm—the only mirror in the house. Looking into it, Cheng Yue said, "After combing, it looks pretty. Thank you, Mother."
Finishing her words, she turned her beautiful, large eyes toward Lady Wu. The clarity and brightness in them were as endearing as those of a baby. Lady Wu stroked her head and sighed, murmuring to herself, "I don't know whether entering this family will be your fortune or misfortune."
Entering the main hall, Qian Sangui and Lady Wu took their seats while Manjiang led Cheng Yue in to perform the tea ceremony and kneel before them.
Qian Sangui gave Cheng Yue a red envelope containing ten coins, stroking his sparse beard as he said, "Always remember to obey your husband, honor your in-laws, and bear offspring to carry on the Qian family line." It had been a long while since he had spoken so much in one breath, and he gasped for air afterward.
Yet, his demeanor was stern and earnest, as if he were addressing a daughter-in-law who was completely normal.
Cheng Yue had always been somewhat afraid of Qian Sangui; since coming to this family, she hadn't seen him often. His stern face and emaciated form frightened her. She bowed her head and took the red envelope with trembling hands, too scared to speak.
In a low voice, Manjiang said, "Quickly say 'Thank you, Father.'" He had already taught Cheng Yue these words before leaving the room.
Cheng Yue parroted, "Quickly say 'Thank you, Father.'"
Qian Manxia couldn't help but laugh out loud, while Qian Sangui, oblivious, responded, "Good, good child."
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Many thanks to Qian Yi Yi Ren Yan, fang2238, Hera@Qianlin (2), and those whose lives are like water for the purses. Thank you, dear readers, for your recommendations and comments. This new book needs your scolding; Qing Quan needs motivation. Clicks, recommendations, bookmarks—all are welcome. Let's help Wenwen climb higher on the new book ranking.