Chapter 10: Marrying the Big Shot

Having made up her mind, Zhao Ruhua immediately began to take action.

The first thing she needed was a crochet hook.

Since there was no such thing for sale outside, she thought for a while and remembered that there were tree branches behind the house. She could completely carve a crochet hook from a branch herself.

In the storage room piled with odds and ends, Zhao Ruhua found a hatchet.

Carrying it to the back of the house, she searched for a suitable branch, but none seemed right.

The wood for a crochet hook needed to be firm and hard.

The branches behind the house were all unsuitable.

After searching for a long time without luck, Zhao Ruhua simply carried the hatchet toward the mountain.

This season, many people went into the mountains. On the path up, Zhao Ruhua saw quite a few villagers heading the same way.

Before she had made it halfway, she ran into Yun Shiyue.

He carried a bamboo basket on his back, full and heavy with something inside.

Whenever others saw Yun Shiyue’s face, they instinctively stepped away, as if afraid he might suddenly do something frightening.

Even Zhao Ruhua still found his face a bit hard to accept.

But after sleeping in the same bed with him the night before, she felt much braver and no longer quite so fearful.

“Yun Shiyue, I’m here!”

Zhao Ruhua waved at him with a cheerful smile, as if they were already very familiar.

People nearby glanced at her, saw her smile, shook their heads, and went on their way.

In their eyes, Zhao Ruhua and Yun Shiyue were a match made in heaven—

One was dark-skinned, the other ugly. Together, at least they wouldn’t trouble anyone else.

Yun Shiyue cast her a glance and walked toward her.

“What are you doing?”

His expression was severe, intimidating.

Zhao Ruhua instinctively swallowed before replying with a bright smile. “I need your help with something.”

She showed no sign of shyness.

Since she was married now, she should rely on her husband.

If she didn’t, how would he ever feel accomplished?

“What is it?” Yun Shiyue asked.

Zhao Ruhua grinned and started gesturing.

She explained that she needed a crochet hook about half the length of a chopstick, made of sturdy material that wouldn’t break easily.

The tip should be pointed, but not sharp—rounded and smooth.

After a long round of hand gestures, Yun Shiyue finally understood what she wanted.

“Why does it have to be wood? Why not metal? A metal hook would be sturdier and wouldn’t rot or mold.”

Zhao Ruhua: “…”

If she could get a metal hook, of course that would be better.

She had only assumed that in this era, metal was precious and ordinary households wouldn’t use it.

Besides, without proper tools, even with metal she might not get the shape she wanted.

“Or aluminum, or even jade,” Yun Shiyue added calmly. “Better than iron. Iron rusts.”

Zhao Ruhua: “I’d need money to buy jade first…”

She only had twenty taels of silver. If she spent it all on jade, what would she eat and use later?

Besides, the little things she wanted to crochet might not even earn back the cost of a fancy hook.

Yun Shiyue gave her a long, faintly disdainful look.

Feeling a little guilty about her empty pockets, Zhao Ruhua straightened her back in defiance.

Without another word, Yun Shiyue turned and walked away on his long legs.

Zhao Ruhua: “…”

What did that mean?

Was he helping or not?

He was her husband now, part of the family—why was he suddenly acting all aloof?

When he came to propose marriage, why hadn’t he been this cold?

“Go home,” Yun Shiyue said after walking a short distance, turning back when he saw she hadn’t followed.

His tone and expression were as stern as his face.

Hearing this, Zhao Ruhua knew she had a chance. She immediately trotted after him.

“Yun Shiyue, you must have a way to get me a crochet hook, right? I also need cotton thread in all sorts of colors—about this thick, and as long as possible.”

“If you can find shoe soles, I need those too. Both men’s and women’s. Whatever silver you need, I’ll give it to you.”

These were all the things Zhao Ruhua required.

Yun Shiyue walked ahead in silence, while Zhao Ruhua trailed behind him, chattering out her requests with a bright smile.

Unfortunately, her skin was so dark that no matter how sweet her smile, it never looked as soft as it should.

Not that Zhao Ruhua cared.

She firmly believed Yun Shiyue was a big shot. Crochet hooks, cotton thread, shoe soles—things others couldn’t get, he definitely could.

Even if no one sold them, he could probably have them made.

After all, a big shot could do anything.

No problem was too hard for him.

By the time they returned home, Yun Shiyue finally spoke: “I’ll bring it back in two days.”

He didn’t mention silver at all.

Zhao Ruhua’s face instantly lit up with relief.

With the materials secured, she could finally feel at ease.

Now she had to prepare for the return-to-parental-home visit.

On the third day after a woman married, she was supposed to visit her parents.

Today was the second day; tomorrow would be the third.

She needed to bring something home.

But Yun Shiyue’s house didn’t have much. Zhao Ruhua rummaged through the house for half the day without finding anything suitable to take to her parents.

While she fretted, Yun Shiyue was in the kitchen, unloading his bamboo basket.

“Cluck cluck… cluck cluck…”

The sound of chickens reached Zhao Ruhua’s ears.

She walked into the kitchen to see Yun Shiyue holding two brightly feathered wild pheasants.

Inside the sack was a plump, round gray hare.

All of them were fine catches.

Zhao Ruhua glanced from Yun Shiyue to the animals. “Where did you get so many live ones?”

Yun Shiyue shot her a look. “The mountain.”

And that was all.

Before she could speak again, Yun Shiyue added, “Keep them for your return visit tomorrow.”

A married daughter couldn’t return empty-handed.

Two wild pheasants and one mountain hare were more than enough for Zhao Ruhua to bring home.

Zhao Ruhua broke into a smile.

So Yun Shiyue had remembered her return visit.

“Thank you,” she said, suddenly finding the three animals extremely adorable.

Just look at that fur—so glossy, so round, almost shining.

Though this was the countryside, very few people could catch wild pheasants or hares.

If they were sold in town, they could fetch a decent sum.

Zhao Ruhua suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

These were all as good as silver. Yun Shiyue was letting her take them all to her natal home—did he really not mind the expense?

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