CHAPTER 4

The setting sun hung low in the west, painting the sky with hues of twilight. In the village, smoke curled from the chimneys, carrying the scent of home-cooked meals.

Unlike the deathly stillness that usually haunted her courtyard, tonight, the faint warmth of life seemed to have reached her secluded little world.

“Wen Yang.” Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the person to hear.

Wen Yang was bent over, drawing water from the well. The pot of instant noodles earlier had used up half a bucket, and she needed to store enough water for three people.

Xu Yi watched her thin elbows and the rise and fall of her slender back as she hauled the bucket. Beneath her gray T-shirt, her spine protruded sharply, her body devoid of much flesh. An inexplicable sense of guilt crept up on him, as if he were bullying someone frail.

Wen Yang gripped the iron handle, gathering her strength to lift the bucket. As she straightened up, the black leather bucket tilted, forming an arc in mid-air. The momentum caused her to sway slightly, and water splashed onto her calf, leaving a cool sensation.

Seeing this, Xu Yi couldn’t enjoy his meal in peace. He feared she might lose her footing and tumble into the well. A rare pang of conscience made him put down his chopsticks and walk over. Feigning nonchalance, he asked, “Need help with the water?”

“No need.” Wen Yang scooped water from the bucket into a kettle, sealed it with a lid, and placed it on a nearby iron rack.

At that moment, voices came from the doorway. “Thanks for helping me with my luggage today.”

Xu Yi heard Xiao Yan’s syrupy tone, the kind used to charm naive boys. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he turned back to his instant noodles.

As soon as Xiao Yan entered the courtyard, she spotted Wen Yang sitting on a small stool, adding firewood to the flames. Since the situation was now settled and she had to live here, it was important to get along with the landlord. Her voice was sweet, like a honeybee. “Hello, I’m Xiao Yan.”

Wen Yang looked up and slowly stood. “I’m Wen Yang.”

Xiao Yan smiled. “I might trouble you over the next few months.”

Wen Yang nodded. “Mm.”

Xiao Yan glanced behind her. “Are you boiling water?”

“Mm.”

Xiao Yan found the landlord a bit aloof, possibly introverted and unfamiliar with others. Still, she asked, “Is there a place to shower here?”

“Yes.” Wen Yang pointed in the direction, and Xiao Yan walked over.

Wen Yang followed to remind her, “There’s a light here. Pull it open to see clearly.” She flipped on the switch.

Xiao Yan looked at the rudimentary, narrow shower room with its leaky roof. Inside, it was bare except for a single showerhead. Truthfully, she was disappointed.

Wen Yang demonstrated how to turn on the water. She twisted the red switch above the showerhead 90 degrees, and water began to flow naturally.

By then, Xu Yi had finished eating. He wandered over, glanced at the scene without comment, and walked off.

A short while later, he returned with clean clothes in hand.

Xiao Yan whispered, “Let me know how it feels after you’re done.”

Xu Yi, cold and aloof, ignored her and entered the shower room, shutting the door behind him.

Halfway through his shower, Xu Yi realized he hadn’t brought shampoo. Looking around, he spotted a yellow bottle in the corner. Picking it up, he saw the words “Changshan Shampoo” printed on it. He squeezed some onto his hair, and as he lathered, a refreshing lemon scent filled his senses.

When he came out, Xiao Yan was waiting outside with her clothes in hand. Before entering, she couldn’t resist quipping, “Why do you take so long to shower?”

Xu Yi retorted sarcastically, “Ha, not as long as you.”

Wen Yang could vouch for that. Xiao Yan took nearly an hour, and by the time she emerged, her face was flushed, and her long, damp hair clung to her shoulders.

With two new people living here, it was far less convenient than being alone. Even showering required waiting in line, and she always ended up going last.

Wen Yang caught a lingering floral scent from Xiao Yan’s body wash. She’d never used anything like it, but it felt familiar and nostalgic. Turning on the shower, she rinsed away the stickiness of the day’s sweat, squeezing cheap shampoo into her palms.

After her shower, Wen Yang sat in the courtyard, waiting for her hair to dry. The night air, though not much cooler than the day, felt less oppressive without the scorching sun overhead. Even the warm breeze seemed gentle and soothing.

Xu Yi’s phone was nearly out of battery. After rummaging through his room, he found a power strip with a long cord. The other end of the cord disappeared into an unknown tangle. Plugging in his phone, he watched the battery icon turn red. With nowhere to place the phone, he retrieved a stool, reconnected the charger, and set it down.

The bed in his room was piled with clothes and snacks packed by the housekeeper, along with a few gaming consoles.

The housekeeper, thinking toiletries were too heavy to carry, had assumed he could buy them locally. Little did she know the nearest store was miles of mountain roads away.

If he’d known how remote this place was, he would’ve prepared himself instead of stubbornly making trouble for Xu Chenglin by coming here.

Xu Yi stepped outside to find Wen Yang, knocking on her door with no response. Instead, he woke up Xiao Yan, who groggily yelled, “Enough already! Go to sleep—what are you, ghost hunting?”

With no sign of her upstairs, Xu Yi went down. His footsteps creaked loudly, unbothered by Xiao Yan’s sleep. Defiant, he seemed to say, “Come at me if you’re annoyed.”

In the courtyard under the bright moonlight, Wen Yang sat with her back to him, her hair swept forward, leaving a short crop at the nape of her neck and a slim, pale neck exposed.

Wen Yang remained still, but hearing footsteps, she assumed someone was heading to the restroom. When a hand waved in front of her, she instinctively pulled back, tucking her legs under her. Lifting her hair behind her, she furrowed her brow and asked, “Heading to town tomorrow?”

Realizing his earlier gesture was intrusive, Xu Yi hesitated before answering, “Yes.”

“There’s a ride,” she murmured, almost laughing, then added, “I’m going too.”

Wen Yang, feeling her hair was nearly dry, ran her fingers through it. It felt coarse, much worse than when she first arrived.

Her once smooth hair seemed to age and wither, like a flower poisoned to wilt. With no other solution, she’d cut it all off. The heat here would’ve driven her mad with long hair.

She went to the well to prepare the next day’s bathwater to warm under the sun.

Seeing her struggle with the water bucket again, Xu Yi saw a chance to make up for his earlier offense.

“Let me do it.” He took the rope from Wen Yang, and she smelled a faint trace of her shampoo on him. She let go, watching as his arms flexed with strength, hoisting the bucket effortlessly in seconds.

“Done?” Xu Yi asked.

“Not yet,” Wen Yang replied.

He climbed onto the overhang near the storage barrel, while Wen Yang guided him from below. “There’s a plastic sheet on top. Untie the rope below and pour the water in.”

Together, they filled the barrel, working in silent coordination.

Afterward, Wen Yang rinsed off her sweat with a ladle of water. When she noticed Xu Yi lingering, she asked, “Are you showering?”

“Yeah.” He took over.

At 1 a.m., Xu Yi tossed and turned on his creaky bed. The noise finally drove Wen Yang to her limit. She got up, stomped over, and pounded the wooden wall with her fist. The loud thud echoed, and the other side immediately quieted down.

Xu Yi smiled in the dark, amused. “Impressive.”

---

The next morning.

Xu Yi and Wen Yang opened their doors simultaneously.

“Morning,” Xu Yi greeted half-heartedly.

Wen Yang, her face lifeless with dark circles under her eyes, responded with silence.

In the shed.

“This is the ride?” Xu Yi’s face twisted. “What is this?”

“A tricycle,” Wen Yang replied while wiping its bird-shaped seat.

“This doesn’t look sturdy at all,” Xu Yi muttered.

“That’s an electric tricycle. This is its ancestor,” Wen Yang explained.

Pushing the tricycle out, she straddled it and looked back. “Get in.”

Xu Yi froze in place like a dried-up statue. Yesterday, he had already thought sitting on a tractor was the extent of his limits. With someone else making a fool of him, he didn’t need to care too much. But now, having to curl his 1.87-meter frame into such a tiny cart was even harder to accept than death.

“I’ll ride. You sit in the back,” he suggested. Riding with a girl in front of him seemed much more bearable than being led by one.

Wen Yang, understanding his need to save face, didn’t say anything. She got off the tricycle and made room for him.

The tricycle was so small and low that it barely reached her waist, and with Xu Yi next to it, it looked as though an adult had stolen a child’s toy.

Xu Yi swung his long legs over and sat down. Having ridden a bicycle before, he was confident that three wheels couldn’t be harder to control. He felt ready for it.

Once, twice, he veered off. The third time, he crashed into a wall. The fourth time, he drove into a drainage ditch.

Xu Yi thought to himself that his reputation couldn’t be ruined by a tricycle. He was determined to master it today.

At first, the tricycle was hard to control, and it was difficult to keep it straight. Wen Yang had also struggled with the same issue at first.

After several failed attempts, Xu Yi began to get the hang of riding the tricycle. With his chin raised, he spoke with pride. “Let’s go.”

Wen Yang put on a baseball cap and placed a small stool in the cart.

Xu Yi asked, “Are you steady?”

Wen Yang replied, “Mm.”

Behind the yard, the sound of a hen flapping its wings startled Xiao Yan awake. She stretched and walked outside, finding the surroundings quiet, with neither Xu Yi nor Wen Yang in sight.

Two eyes gleamed with mischief as she turned and ran back into the room.