Chapter 38: Holding Her

Leng You looked at Xiang Wentian. She hadn’t asked, and Xiang Wentian hadn’t told her, but she knew that when Xiang Wentian said, “Leave it to me,” he had already begun secretly planning something.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Xiang Wentian, but she didn’t want to ask and put too much pressure on him. If it failed, it would make him feel excessive guilt.

She had full confidence that even without Xiang Wentian’s help, she could still make the Leng family cry and beg her to leave. It would just take longer and wouldn’t be as smooth.

“This… neither Brother Xiang nor I came up with the plan, nor did we implement it. We only offered some insignificant suggestions.

Xiaotian, can you tell them?”

Bai Changpu looked at Xiang Wentian.

“Originally, we wanted you to have a peaceful New Year before telling you. But since it’s come up… Wentian, it’s better to tell your Aunt Wen, so they can prepare early.”

Xiang Huaixin also looked at Xiang Wentian.

Leng You: “…”

The generations were a bit confusing.

“Okay.” Xiang Wentian nodded.

But then he fell silent.

“Oh, let me tell them…” Bai Changpu had never seen a child as taciturn as Xiang Wentian. Impatient, he recounted the entire plan from beginning to end.

That New Year’s lunch, everyone ate happily but with some concerns. The most concerned was Wen Jiuyue. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to bring Leng You here. The thought alone robbed her of most of her joy.

After the meal, instead of going out to work, everyone sat on the kang (heated bed) to further discuss building the house, checking for any omissions in the plan, and preventing the Leng family from causing trouble after Leng You arrived.

Unknowingly, evening arrived. Daheishan Village also had the custom of staying up for New Year’s Eve. But since her husband’s death, Wen Jiuyue had lost interest. Xiang Huaixin and Bai Changpu had drifted for many years, often hungry and cold, so they certainly didn’t have the mood.

But this New Year’s Eve, due to vastly improved material conditions and a new hope, everyone’s hearts were filled with warmth.

Most importantly, they had become the “plague” figures that everyone in the village avoided, so they didn’t have to worry about being seen by others—two men staying at a widow’s house—and bringing Wen Jiuyue any criticism.

So, while chatting, they waited for Wen Jiuyue to prepare everything before starting to make dumplings together.

The filling was still roe deer meat. For good luck, Wen Jiuyue specially made five dumplings with peanuts inside.

At twelve o’clock, sporadic firecrackers were heard from the village.

In Wen Jiuyue’s low, earthen house, plates of steaming dumplings were placed on the table.

They didn’t set off firecrackers, not because they couldn’t afford them, but to avoid attracting the villagers’ attention. They were only a few miles away; if they set off firecrackers, the village would definitely hear them.

Everyone sat cross-legged around the kang table. As if by agreement, Xiang Huaixin, Bai Changpu, and Wen Jiuyue each took out two red envelopes and gave them to Leng You and Xiang Wentian.

“Thank you, Grandpa Xiang, thank you, Grandpa Bai, thank you, Grandma Wen!” Leng You didn’t refuse the New Year’s money from her elders, because the feel of the envelopes told her they hadn’t given more than ten yuan, which was exactly what Leng You wanted.

She knew that Xiang Huaixin and Bai Changpu didn’t have much money, and Wen Jiuyue even less. These people would never dare to use the money she had given them before as New Year’s money.

“Thank you!” Xiang Wentian also accepted it.

“Let’s eat!” Bai Changpu picked up his chopsticks.

The New Year’s Eve dinner officially began.

“Hmm?” Leng You bit into a peanut in her first bite.

“Wow! Our Youyou is the luckiest, getting a peanut in her first bite!” Wen Jiuyue exclaimed happily.

“A good omen!” Bai Changpu, a doctor all his life, didn’t originally believe in ghosts and gods, but his medical practice had led him to encounter many unexplainable phenomena, so these words weren’t just for show.

“Don’t burn yourself.” Suddenly, a dumpling was placed in Leng You’s bowl. Xiang Wentian whispered a warning.

“Oh!” Leng You looked up at Xiang Wentian and nodded.

“Eh?” Another bite, and another peanut.

“Oh my god! Our Youyou is so lucky!” Wen Jiuyue was incredibly excited.

She associated it with Bai Changpu’s “good omen,” guessing it might mean Leng You’s escape from the Leng family would go smoothly.

Leng You looked up at Xiang Wentian again.

Xiang Wentian remained calm, picked up a dumpling, paused when he bit into it, then ate it with utmost indifference.

“Brother must have gotten a peanut too!” Leng You said confidently.

“Mm!” Xiang Wentian merely responded softly, still calm and composed.

“So good, so good! All the good fortune goes to these two children.” Wen Jiuyue’s happiness was immeasurable.

“This…” Xiang Wentian gave Leng You another dumpling. Leng You looked at his face again, finding no answer. She bit into it, and sure enough, another peanut.

“This is incredible!” Bai Changpu was full of wonder.

“Youyou will surely succeed in the future.” Xiang Huaixin, a lifelong soldier, didn’t believe in ghosts and gods, but he was simply speaking from his understanding of Leng You’s character—after she fell into the valley and was rescued by Xiang Wentian, her personality had changed dramatically.

“Brother, you eat too.” Leng You herself didn’t know which nerve malfunctioned, but she picked up a dumpling and put it in Xiang Wentian’s bowl.

As she retracted her chopsticks, her nerves returned to normal. What had she done?

Xiang San Ye (Third Master Xiang) had severe  cleanliness obsession, something she had heard about in her past life and witnessed in this one.

She had discovered that Xiang Wentian would go to the valley hot springs to bathe alone, and quite frequently.

His clothes were always clean, his white shirts almost blindingly white. Even after carrying heavy loads every day, he managed to keep them so.

He avoided physical contact with anyone except her. This included his father, Xiang Huaixin.

Leng You: “…”

He wouldn’t touch anyone, yet he constantly held her hand, and every day he either carried her or held her. When he held her, his chin would occasionally brush against her face, and in strong winds, he would even press her face into his neck…

Thinking of this, her heart beat unusually fast.

Leng You certainly had no impure thoughts. She could guarantee that Xiang Wentian definitely didn’t have pedophilia, and he was only fifteen.

Most importantly, her current body was only an eight-year-old child, thin and frail, clearly showing signs of severe malnutrition. The special circumstances and a month of good food and sleep hadn’t improved her appearance much, which affected her mood.