Chapter 4 – Brother, Are You Looking at Su Nianzhi?

Su Nianzhi glanced at the crowd.

She quickly noticed that Zhang Wenliang and the others were full of hostility toward her—that was normal.

But what was going on with Lu Jiajia?

Why did she look so pale?

Something wasn’t right.

Her heightened alertness from the apocalypse kicked in, and Su Nianzhi instantly raised her mental guard to full.

She suppressed her confusion.

Casting a sidelong glance at Zhang Wenliang, she curled her lips into a mysterious smile. The mental energy she left in his mind was enough to drive him insane.

Killing people was easy. But in a time when killing wasn’t allowed, she had plenty of ways to make someone wish they were dead.

As Su Nianzhi walked out of the reeds, she noticed two men standing nearby, arms crossed, watching the commotion.

“Brother Xiaoyun, looks like your fiancée’s gone,” one of them muttered—not loud, but Su Nianzhi still heard it.

Xiaoyun? Qin Xiaoyun?

Wasn’t he just another minor side character like her?

She died in the first episode. He was gone by the second.

For a moment, she looked at him with sympathy.

Not bad-looking—tall, long legs, broad shoulders, narrow waist, well-defined features, and a cool demeanor.

But so what?

He wouldn’t survive past episode two!

Sigh, brother, we’re both cannon fodder.

Qin Xiaoyun caught her glance as she passed by and turned to look back at him. Her bright, sparkling eyes were full of… sympathy?

Sympathy?

What for? He didn’t remember her ever looking at him like that.

Was she implying that he was worse off than she was?

This girl was interesting.

He’d already noticed her subtle gestures earlier—she was sharp, way sharper than she let on. A good actress, too.

But he didn’t mind. After all, someone else had done something wrong, and a few little tricks were no big deal.

“Hey, Brother Xiaoyun, were you just looking at Su Nianzhi?”

“Aiya, not to be rude, but Su Nianzhi is like a golden treasure—delicate and fragile. She gets out of breath after walking just a few steps. Sure, she’s pretty, but…”

“Her health’s that bad?”

Chen Wei quickly answered, “Yeah, who in the nearby villages doesn’t know? Marrying her is like marrying an ancestor—an expensive one! If not for that, with looks like hers, why would she still be single at nineteen?”

Nineteen?

So young.

Qin Xiaoyun’s first thought: I’m eight years older than her.

“Brother Xiaoyun, don’t tell me you’re falling for her? Aiya, just because Lu Jiajia hurt you doesn’t mean you can settle for anyone. You’re the only son of three generations—”

“Watch your mouth! Don’t ruin a girl’s reputation!” Qin Xiaoyun snapped sternly.

Chen Wei immediately slapped his own mouth. “Yes, yes, my bad. But Brother Xiaoyun, even if Auntie is pushing you to find a wife, you can’t just settle.”

Qin Xiaoyun frowned. For the first time, he thought Chen Wei talked way too much.

Ignoring him, he went straight home.

As soon as he stepped inside—

Zhou Yulan came out wiping her hands, full of anticipation. “Xiaoyun! So? That Lu Jiajia is quite the beauty, isn’t she? Should I ask Auntie next door to act as a matchmaker?”

Behind him, Chen Wei clicked his tongue. Yeah, beautiful enough to end up in the reeds.

“Mom, we’re not suitable.”

Zhou Yulan’s face darkened immediately. “You ungrateful child! Trying to drive your mother crazy? You’re twenty-eight and still single! And when someone finally agrees to meet you, you say you’re not suitable?”

“You said you liked pretty girls—what, now she’s not good enough for you?”

“Looking for a fairy, are you?”

A fairy?

Qin Xiaoyun’s first thought was of Su Nianzhi’s delicate, sweet face. His molars clenched slightly. He sighed. “Mom, really, we’re not compatible. I don’t like her type.”

Zhou Yulan clutched her chest, furious.

“Hey Auntie, don’t be angry. Lu Jiajia and Brother Xiaoyun really aren’t a good match.”

She whispered something to Zhou Yulan, whose expression shifted several times before she finally spat, “Pah! Two filthy brats!”

She stomped her feet in rage, then turned back with a motherly smile.

“Son, I was wrong this time. Here’s the plan: I’ll have your auntie pick again tomorrow. I’ll go burn some more joss paper at your father’s grave. He’s useless—not even blessing his own son! Probably too busy down there fussing with his old junk!”

Qin Xiaoyun: ……

——

Meanwhile, back home, Su Nianzhi was starting to feel a little weak. She had used a lot of mental energy today.

“Zhizhi, lie down. Mama will get you some brown sugar water.”

She pulled out a carefully wrapped pouch of brown sugar from the room.

In this era, brown sugar was rare, but the Su family never lacked it. All thanks to her mysterious third brother who sent it home regularly.

From what she remembered, Third Brother looked a lot like Eldest and Second Brother—rugged types. Everyone in the Su family was tall. Even Su Nianzhi was nearly 1.7 meters.

Too skinny though. She didn’t know how the original body managed to be this thin and still have such a full chest.

Thinking of her own little “Wangzai” buns, she shed a tear.

Truly blessed.

“Here, Zhizhi, drink some. Don’t worry, I told your dad to go butcher some meat. I’ll make braised pork for you tonight.”

Su Nianzhi took the steaming brown sugar water, feeling warmth bloom in her heart.

“Mom, you’re the best.”

Wang Guifang’s heart ached. She stroked Su Nianzhi’s soft hair gently.

If she hadn’t gone to work in the fields while pregnant, Zhizhi wouldn’t have been born prematurely or so sickly.

“What are you saying? You’re my life. As long as you’re healthy, I’ll take care of you forever.”

“Mom, you’ve got me and Big Brother too!”

“And me! And me!” Su Maomao raised his hand eagerly. “When I grow up, I’ll make lots of money so Little Auntie will never worry about eggs for her whole life!”

Su Nianzhi chuckled. In a child’s eyes, lifelong happiness meant never worrying about having eggs to eat.

Under the evening sky, painted red by the setting sun, clouds glowed warmly.

A gentle breeze passed through the courtyard, filled with laughter and warmth.

Su Nianzhi watched as Maomao acted out a story for her. Her eldest brother chopped wood. Second brother was scribbling who-knows-what on the ground.

Father sat weaving a bamboo basket. Wang Guifang cooked in the kitchen, the aroma of braised pork wafting through the air.

Maomao, Su Zhewen, and Su Zhewu kept peeking toward the kitchen.

“Dad, Grandma’s cooking smells too good. I’m hungry.”

“Me too.”

“Big Brother, where’s your self-control?”

If Su Nianzhi hadn’t seen her second brother swallow hard, she might have believed him.

She tilted her head, thinking about what had happened earlier.

What was that strange force?

It felt similar to mental power.

But the moment was too short for her to analyze it.

One thing was certain—if her mental strength hadn’t been strong enough, she would’ve been affected.

Looks like she had some sneaking around to do under the cover of night.