In the blink of an eye, the New Year arrived. Due to the destruction of the Black Wind Stronghold, the villages in the vicinity suddenly found themselves affluent overnight.
In the spirit of fairness, the wealth and provisions were evenly distributed among the five villages, and then further divided per capita within each village. However, Zagonnas and Cendrarsa declined to take a single coin.
Eventually, the village decided to use the funds to build a house for the couple, considering that they refused any monetary assistance. Within a few days, three brick-and-tile houses had been constructed: one for the couple to reside in, one for a study, and another for Cendrarsa's medicinal herbs.
Moreover, the village refurbished the local school and even set up a medical clinic for Cendrarsa in a vacant building.
During winter, Cendrarsa would practice medicine in Maple Village, returning once the weather turned warmer. Each day seemed to outshine the last.
Clad in newly made cotton robes, Cendrarsa stood in the yard, watching Zagonnas chop firewood in his shirtsleeves.
Since the incident at the Black Wind Stronghold, neither of them had brought up that fateful night, behaving as though all was as ordinary as could be. The violent encounters seemed a distant memory.
"My love, you are quite skilled at chopping wood."
"Oh? Is that so?" With the axe in his hand, Zagonnas effortlessly split the wood, making each piece uniform in size and thickness.
"My dear, would you like to give it a try?" Zagonnas smiled, looking up at Cendrarsa.
"Sure." Cendrarsa walked over, struggling to lift the axe in her hands. "Oh, it's so heavy."
"Here, let me help." Zagonnas embraced Cendrarsa from behind, guiding her hand on the axe as they chopped wood together.
Passing by their front gate, a few elder ladies, munching on sunflower seeds, exchanged banter.
"Oh my, this isn't wood chopping; it's displaying affection."
"They're still young; even chopping wood has become a display of love. I should try it with my man when I get back home."
"Oh, please, with that waist of yours, your man couldn't even hold you."
"Stop it; I call it voluptuous."
Engrossed in their conversation, the elder ladies were taken aback when they witnessed a dishevelled woman wrapped in a floral quilted core, hobbling with a cane, approaching.
"Excuse me, is this Maple Village?"
"Yes, this is indeed Maple Village. What brings you here, madam?" The plump elder lady regarded the woman with sympathy.
"I... I'm looking for that female doctor in your village."
"Oh? Seeking medical help? My, you've had quite an arduous journey. Well, here is Cendrarsa's home." After conveying this information, the plump lady called out to the yard of Cendrarsa's residence.
"Sister, there's a patient here; she looks quite pitiful. Please come out and have a look."
Just as Cendrarsa was playfully complaining of sore hands from chopping wood, she swiftly emerged from Zagonnas's embrace upon hearing the call.
"What's the matter, sister? Who is it?" Cendrarsa swung open the yard gate, laying eyes on the woman leaning on the cane.
The moment the woman caught sight of Cendrarsa, she couldn't contain her emotions.
"Sob... Ah, I've finally found you."
Wide-eyed, Cendrarsa instantly embraced the woman.
"Mother, how did you get here?"
"???"
"Mother, you must have suffered on your journey. Sob, sob..." Cendrarsa hugged the woman's neck, shedding tears, and in a voice only they could hear, she threatened:
"If you utter a single wrong word, I'll throw you in the medicine cauldron."
"Ah? Ah, my daughter, I've finally found you."
"Yes, mother, you've suffered so much on this journey."
The scene of this mother-daughter reunion left the onlookers, especially the elder ladies, dumbfounded.
Never could they have imagined that this seemingly unremarkable woman was Cendrarsa's mother!
At that moment, Zagonnas also set down the axe and walked to the doorway.
"My dear? Who is this?"
"Oh, my love, this is my mother."
Cendrarsa wiped away some fake tears and released her 'mother.'
However, in that moment of mutual recognition between 'mother' and Zagonnas, both the mother-in-law and son-in-law stood frozen in place.
A year prior, at the Jiangnan Tianyin Bank during an auction for a millennium Lingzhi mushroom, Zagonnas had competed fiercely to acquire the prized item. When he had bid up to three thousand taels of gold, a woman clad in Miao ethnic attire suddenly appeared and raised the bid to ten thousand taels of gold.
Zagonnas was unfazed by the money, but the woman's arrogant demeanour irked him. She then revealed her identity as the Chief Protector under the Poison Phoenix Sect, known as the Venomous Phoenix.
Since the bank's rule dictated no brawls under any circumstances, and money was the ultimate arbiter, Zagonnas had ultimately secured the Lingzhi at a hefty price. Yet, he had unwittingly forged a contentious connection with the Venomous Phoenix.
Never could he have imagined that, a year later, he would encounter her again, this time as his mother-in-law.
"My husband, she is my mother."
Cendrarsa, unaware of their past encounter, tugged at Zagonnas's hand and called out.
Zagonnas clenched his teeth, forced a smile, and said, "Son-in-law, greetings to my mother-in-law."
After a courteous bow to the Venomous Phoenix, she too recognized Zagonnas. However, given the current situation, she dared not utter a single word out of place and quickly feigned a smile.
"Oh my, no need for such formality. My daughter, this, is my son-in-law?"
"Yes, that's right. He teaches, hehe." Cendrarsa exchanged a knowing glance with the Venomous Phoenix, who understood her unspoken message.
"Teaching is admirable. Educators are knowledgeable!"
"Mother, is there food at home? You must be exhausted from your journey." The Venomous Phoenix felt cold and hungry after enduring numerous hardships on her way from the Southern Frontier.
"Yes, we have food. Mother, I'll take you inside. Let's change your clothes first. My love, could you cook some noodles for my mother, with plenty of chilli?"
"Understood."
With no further pleasantries exchanged, Cendrarsa guided the Venomous Phoenix inside.
Zagonnas's gaze darkened as he watched the 'mother and daughter' disappear inside. Would the Venomous Phoenix reveal his true identity to Cendrarsa? If she did, his final guise might not hold.
With a heart fraught with unease, Zagonnas entered the kitchen. While cooking the noodles, he pondered what he would do if Cendrarsa discovered his true self. He was determined to stay by her side forever; if she could not accept him as Zagonnas, he would plead with her, and if necessary, take a firmer stand. In any case, he would never allow them to be separated.