Chapter 7 Request for Divorce

He shouted loudly, “Lin Anran, what the hell are you doing so early in the morning? Waking me up like this…!” With a loud “bang,” he slammed the door, making dust fall from the doorframe.

Lin Anran turned her head and saw Gao Ershan cursing loudly, but she ignored him and continued running in the yard. Thinking about her overweight body, she resolved to slim down, and before long, her head was dripping with sweat. She glanced at the tightly closed door of the side room and muttered, “I wonder who’s making all that noise so early…”

She went to the yard, fetched a bucket of water, poured it into a basin, washed her face, and wiped it with a towel, feeling instantly refreshed. Looking around, she noticed a peach tree in the yard with fuzzy little peaches sprouting—quite pleasing. Seeing some debris on the ground, she used a broom to sweep up fallen branches and leaves, making the yard much cleaner.

After running for a while, she felt a bit hungry. She went to the kitchen and saw that the flour and rice containers were running low, frowning. She couldn’t just pull more from her space without raising suspicion, so she took the bowls she had washed yesterday, scooped some flour, added some water, mixed it into a stiff dough, then poured in more water. She started a fire, and after about twenty minutes of crackling wood, the water in the iron pot boiled. She poured out some water, softened the dough, poured it into the pot, stirred quickly while adjusting the heat, and after about three minutes, a pot of delicious dough soup was ready.

Worried that she had no vegetables, she noticed a small garden in the yard. There weren’t many vegetables, just a few green onions that had grown well. She picked and chopped the green onions into small pieces, added a spoonful of salt and some vinegar. Tasting it with chopsticks, she found it quite decent. She glanced toward the side room.

Gao Ershan, furious, glared at Lin Anran, slammed the door with a “bang,” and continued lying in bed. He had hoped for a good sleep but was fully awake after her noise. He reluctantly got dressed as his stomach growled. Looking up, he saw Lin Anran sitting at the stone table in the yard eating breakfast. Swallowing his saliva, he walked over and smiled, “What are you making for breakfast?” But as soon as he said it, he realized she hadn’t cooked before—why was she cooking now?

Lin Anran, drinking her dough soup, looked up at Gao Ershan and immediately understood his intent. She said, “The food’s in the pot, serve yourself!” and ignored him, continuing to eat.

Gao Ershan went into the kitchen and noticed how neatly everything was arranged. The stove was spotless, the cutting board clean, and the bowls covered with a white cloth. He carefully lifted the cloth, took a bowl, and glanced at the shiny kitchen knife, shuddering as memories of last night came back to him.

Lin Anran saw him lingering in the kitchen for a while and asked, “Does it take that long just to serve soup?” She had finished eating, got up, and went to the kitchen. “Finish serving quickly so it doesn’t get cold,” she said. Watching him leave the kitchen, she added, “After eating, bring the bowls back; I’ll wash them.”

Gao Ershan looked at Lin Anran bustling in the kitchen in disbelief. How could she have changed so suddenly? Was this even the same person? Lin Anran tidied up the dishes, noting that the grain in the house was running low. She needed to buy more; if she suddenly pulled grain from her space, it would arouse suspicion. She glanced at Gao Ershan eating in the yard and then stepped out the kitchen door.

When he finished eating and went to return the bowls, Lin Anran said, “The rice and flour at home are running low, and there aren’t any vegetables. Should you…?”

Gao Ershan looked at her, puzzled. “You never cooked before, and we didn’t stock food at home.”

“Oh,” Lin Anran replied, thinking to herself that she wouldn’t even finish all the grain she planted and that she also had to prepare his meals. Since she had her space, she wouldn’t starve. “Still, you better prepare some food!”

The morning sun shone on her face, casting a glow on her fair skin. Gao Ershan squinted, thinking that divorce was the right move. Feeling slightly guilty, he said, “Let’s get a divorce! Name your conditions.”

Lin Anran glanced at him with disdain. “I agree, but before the divorce, I need a place to stay. Otherwise…”

“Fine. Once I’m settled, I’ll leave. You stay in the side room, I’ll stay in the main house. We won’t bother each other.”

She looked at Gao Ershan with surprise and added, “Buy rice and flour as you see fit; don’t worry about me. Just let me know when dinner’s ready.” With that, Lin Anran returned inside.

Gao Ershan was in disbelief. He had expected her to cry, throw tantrums, or even attempt something drastic, but she remained unusually calm and didn’t argue. He felt an inexplicable sense of loss. He returned the bowls to the kitchen and left the house.

Lin Anran stayed in the room for a while, then entered her space. She harvested the mature wheat and rice with her mind, laid it out to dry in the yard, then stored it in the warehouse. She fed the chickens, ducks, and fish, and collected the eggs. Feeling a bit tired, she lay down and slept. After two hours—only twenty-four minutes outside—she stepped out of the space.

She realized she needed to familiarize herself with the new surroundings. She locked the door, not caring about where Gao Ershan went or whether he went to work. Walking along the streets, she noticed the ground was still dirt. She realized she was living near a county town. Crossing the streets, she saw it was the 1980s—everyone wore gray or black clothing. Passing an alley, she spotted a supply store selling goods and checked her pockets—no money.

On one side of the street, a vendor was selling fried dough sticks, shouting loudly, “Hot and crispy youtiao just out of the pot! Come and take a look!”

Since she had money in her space, she decided not to use it openly. Instead, she would sell some of the eggs she had collected for some pocket change. She familiarized herself with the area and realized her home was five minutes away, not far from the train station. The streets were full of goods of all kinds.

She returned to her home, carrying a basket, carefully took ten pounds of eggs from the boxes she harvested in the space, and went to the market to sell them. It happened to be market day—today, the 10th of the month. Seeing the crowded streets, she placed her basket in a vacant corner.

As soon as she set it down, a middle-aged woman approached and shouted without hesitation, “Hey! Who are you, and why are you taking my spot?”

Lin Anran looked up at the dark-skinned woman in a faded shirt glaring at her. “Does this street belong to you?”