Chapter 11: Shock! He Wakes Up with a Wife!

After lying unconscious for several days, He Yunhuai finally awoke.

Unlike the brief, hazy moment of awareness the day before, this time he was fully alert. His peach blossom eyes shimmered with clarity and vitality.

His lips were slightly dry as he weakly tugged at a piece of coarse cloth beside him, once used for sewing garments.

“Eldest Sister-in-Law,” He Yunhuai rasped, his voice hoarse.

Wan Xu, seated on the kang and focused on stitching winter garments, responded instinctively without looking up. But the moment she realized he was awake, she quickly called out to Mother He through the window, afraid the others had already left for the mountain.

“It must be Second Brother!” said He Ningwen, glancing at Mother He. Seeing her hesitate, she added, “Why don’t Sister Su and I go up the mountain? You should go in and check on him.”

It wasn’t that He Ningwen didn’t want to see her brother—firewood still had to be gathered, and there was no point in everyone crowding around just because he’d woken up.

Besides, Physician Wang had said Second Brother was recovering steadily. They could always visit him when they got back.

Mother He hesitated. She didn’t like the idea of the two girls climbing the mountain alone, but she also wanted to see her Erlang.

“Mother, why don’t you go in first? My little sister and I will head up. There’s only one path. You can catch up later,” Su Yi’an offered. She didn’t know how to face He Yunhuai either and decided it would be easier to climb the mountain.

“But…” Mother He looked uncertainly at the house.

“Oh, Mother, go already! We won’t get lost. I’ve gone up the mountain with you dozens of times. I know the way,” He Ningwen chimed in. At twelve, she was considered grown in the village. Children her age often went up the mountain as long as they didn’t go too deep into the woods.

Mother He, preoccupied with her son, relented. “Then go slowly. I’ll catch up soon. Don’t wander far.”

The mountain path, long worn smooth by villagers, required no searching. They simply followed the trail.

Of course, staying on the trail meant no wild berries—the roadside bushes had long been stripped bare. To find anything, they’d have to go deeper into the woods.

Mother He had warned them not to. He Ningwen eyed the bare trees, then glanced at the dense forest ahead. “Sister Su, let’s explore inside. As long as we don’t climb higher, we won’t be going too far.”

Besides, the two of them would stick together. They wouldn’t get lost.

Su Yi’an had been thinking the same thing. The deeper they went, the more likely they’d find oyster mushrooms. Wild fungi had always grown in the mountains—especially in this season.

Sure enough, after walking for a while, they spotted a cluster of oyster mushrooms at the base of a withered poplar tree.

Evidently, no one had found them yet. They had grown to such a size that Su Yi’an had to cradle one with both hands.

“Sister Su, can we eat this?” He Ningwen poked the mushroom. It was soft and slippery.

“Yes, but don’t pick just any mushroom you see. Some can upset your stomach,” Su Yi’an warned. She didn’t elaborate—no need to scare the girl. Some mushrooms could be deadly.

“Got it! I’ll ask you first next time,” He Ningwen said, eyes bright as she bent down to hunt for more.

Just then, Yun Niang called to Su Yi’an. When Su Yi’an nodded, Yun Niang gathered the mushrooms and dropped them into her basket.

Oyster mushrooms weren’t easy to find. Discovering them on dead tree roots was considered good luck. Even after a long search, the two only managed to half-fill their basket.

Still thinking about berries, He Ningwen wandered deeper and, to her surprise, discovered a fenced courtyard.

Inside were small vegetable plots and freshly laundered clothes hanging on a rack. Clearly, someone lived there.

He Ningwen didn’t dare go closer. She grabbed Su Yi’an’s hand and whispered, “Sister Su…”

She’d never heard of anyone living this deep in the forest. What if they were dangerous?

“What are you looking at out there? Come in and sit a while,” a young woman called, emerging from the house with a wooden basin. Seeing the two girls outside, she smiled warmly.

“Few people find their way here. Come in,” Yun Niang said as she opened the gate.

As she drew closer, Su Yi’an recognized her.

“You’re the girl from that day!” Su Yi’an’s eyes lit up.

“You still remember? Just call me Yun Niang,” the woman replied, ushering them inside.

She was about Wan Xu’s age and had married Zhuang Shan, the hunter they’d met before. To make hunting easier, they had built their home here on the mountain.

The villagers knew of their home, but few ever found it.

“Thank you for your help that day, Miss Yun,” Su Yi’an said sincerely. It was the first time she’d felt such warmth from mountain folk, and it had come from this couple.

She took the largest mushroom from her basket and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard.

Yun Niang, not one for formalities, accepted the gift without fuss. She knew any polite refusals would lead right back to the same outcome.

“We don’t get many visitors, so the place isn’t too tidy. Feel free to look around while I hang up the clothes.”

With Yun Niang gone, He Ningwen relaxed and looked around.

From the outside, the courtyard didn’t look large, but inside it was fully equipped. Two low stone huts caught her eye—they didn’t look like living quarters.

“What do you think of this little courtyard?” Su Yi’an asked, eyeing the bamboo fence. An idea was taking root in her mind.

The He family’s home at the foot of the mountain couldn’t afford a stone wall. Without an enclosure, it never felt truly secure. Anyone could appear at their doorstep unannounced—it was unsettling.

“I like it,” He Ningwen said, shifting closer to Su Yi’an as Yun Niang returned.

“What are you two chatting about? Here, have some fruit,” Yun Niang said, bringing over a bowl of tart-sweet wild berries—the very kind He Ningwen had searched for earlier.

“Yun Niang, your bamboo fence is beautiful,” Su Yi’an said.

“It’s not hard, just takes time. If you want one next year, cut some bamboo and I’ll show you how,” Yun Niang offered. She assumed someone like Su Yi’an, from the city, wouldn’t know how.

“Thank you in advance, Yun Niang,” Su Yi’an replied, a little embarrassed to trouble her after only two brief meetings.

Yun Niang chatted with them a while longer. Learning they were alone on the mountain, she cautioned, “You were lucky to find this place today, but you never know what you might run into deeper in. There are dangerous areas here. Be careful.”

“Are there wild animals?” He Ningwen asked, emboldened by the fruit.

“There are worse things than wild beasts,” Yun Niang said, locking eyes with Su Yi’an. When she saw the girl’s gaze darken, she knew Su Yi’an understood.

Yun Niang had once lived at the foot of the mountain herself. She knew the villagers well—like Gou Er from that day. A complete scoundrel.

Eventually, Su Yi’an remembered someone was waiting for them. She politely declined Yun Niang’s offer to stay for a meal.

Unable to persuade them, Yun Niang stuffed their baskets with wild fruits and vegetables.

“Don’t refuse. These are mountain goods—free for the taking. Come back and visit anytime,” she said, waving as they left.

That evening, when Zhuang Shan returned, Yun Niang told him everything, even showing him the mushrooms.

“If you like visiting, then visit. Don’t mind what the villagers say,” Zhuang Shan said, pulling her into his arms. “Our family fears no one.”

Even on the walk back, He Ningwen remained elated.

Ever since the He family’s downfall, people had avoided them. Forget fruit—even polite words were rare.

And now, someone had spoken kindly and given them gifts. She couldn’t stop smiling, though she was too shy to ask Su Yi’an about it.

When she spotted Mother He climbing the path with a bamboo basket, she rushed forward. “Mother!”

Mother He had been terrified to find the path deserted. Seeing them safe brought her relief.

“Finally! Did you go too far?” she asked, tapping He Ningwen’s head. “Don’t do that again!”

He Ningwen shook her head. “No, Mother! We didn’t go far.” Then she glanced pleadingly at Su Yi’an.

Mother He sighed. “Don’t look at Sister Su. Didn’t you say you were going to gather firewood? Where is it?”

Both girls fell silent. They’d completely forgotten about the firewood—too busy with mushrooms, berries, and Yun Niang.

Mother He could tell. “We won’t go any higher. Let’s gather some on the way back. We just need a little.”

“Yes, Mother,” He Ningwen said, relieved her mother wasn’t angry. She immediately began chattering about their adventures.

Before the He family’s fall, He Ningwen had always been lively. But after everything, she had changed.

Now, hearing her daughter chatter again, Mother He felt a bittersweet warmth.

As they descended the mountain, she listened quietly, her heart filled with gratitude for the woman named Yun Niang.

The He Family Home at the Foot of the Mountain

As noon approached and Mother He and the others hadn’t returned, Wan Xu grew restless.

Pregnant and heavy, she was usually forbidden from strenuous work. But with no one else home, she couldn’t just sit idly.

“You stay here and watch your second uncle,” she told Eldest Son He, setting aside her needlework. “If he’s thirsty or hungry, call Xingchen.”

“Mother and Miss Su bought pork bones yesterday,” she added. “I’ll start simmering broth now, so it’s ready when they return.”

She called He Xingchen over, instructing him to sit and watch over his father and second uncle.

He Xingchen, thrilled with his “important task,” nodded. “Yes, Mother! I’ll take good care of Father and Second Uncle!”

He even fetched a bowl of water, bypassed his father, and offered it to He Yunhuai. “Second Uncle, you drink first.”

He Yunhuai, now awake and able to sit up slightly, accepted the bowl, raised an eyebrow at his brother, and took a small sip with a smile.

“By the way, Eldest Brother… who is this Miss Su Sister-in-law mentioned?” He Yunhuai asked. He didn’t recall any Su family in the village.

“Oh, Miss Su?” Eldest Brother chuckled, patting his leg. “She’s the wife Mother arranged for you while you were unconscious.”

He Yunhuai’s heart skipped a beat.

What? I’m married?