Chapter 11: The Runaway Bride

 

The gates of the Hu family stood open as Madam Wang arranged accommodations with unconcealed hostility.

 

Master Xu and his two younger sons were squeezed into the kitchen, sleeping on floor mats.

 

Unwilling to associate with poor relatives, she directed Madam Xu, the daughter-in-law and her son to stay in Xiao Xu’s room.

 

“Only Erlang’s room remains empty, but it contains precious scholarly items like ink and paper. I rarely enter except to clean. It’s not suitable for in-laws to stay there, so I must ask you to bear with the inconvenience.”

 

The Xu family wore patched cotton clothes. Their children, filthy from play, ran wild in the Hu family courtyard until the eldest daughter-in-law caught and cleaned them.

 

Master Xu sat on the steps, his back severely hunched.

 

“No trouble at all,” he said.

 

Madam Xu’s eyes betrayed her resentment.

 

Having a scholar son isn’t so special! But not daring to offend, she forced a smile: “We’re just country folk, rough and unrefined. What if we soil or damage something?”

 

“Before coming, I told the children that Uncle Hu will be a future scholar—he’s a very promising person.”

 

This endless flattery appeased Madam Wang. She lifted her chin proudly, unable to conceal her disdain.

 

Yu Tingwan entered the courtyard at this moment. Her black hair was disheveled, her clothes torn in several places.

 

All eyes turned to her, especially those of a dark-skinned man whose gaze brightened noticeably.

 

“Cousin Yu, what happened? Do you need help?”

 

Yu Tingwan frowned, avoiding his outstretched hand.

 

This was Xu’s second brother, notorious for his smooth talk.

 

The Xu family couldn’t afford to marry him off, so he flirted with girls everywhere.

 

Last year, he had even proposed marriage, only to be chased away by Hu Dazhu with a broom.

 

Yu Tingwan slowly raised her eyes, disgust flickering through them.

 

“Move aside.”

 

Xu Fen’s smile didn’t waver: “I hadn’t seen you when I came; I only found out you went to gather firewood. Look at you; you’re frozen solid, your hands are red—it pains me to see you like this.”

 

The young lady was beautiful, her snow-white skin delicate as porcelain. She had grown even lovelier, causing Xu Fen to stare transfixed.

 

He knew the Hu family looked down on him. But what of it? Getting to stay here now—even if he couldn’t marry Yu Tingwan, he’d be content just to hold her hand or steal a kiss.

 

Yet Yu Tingwan avoided him like a venomous snake.

 

Yu Tingwan sneered; the memories of her past life were fragmentary and incomplete, leaving her unaware of Xu Fen’s ultimate fate.

 

But men like Xu Fen were reckless, even trying to seduce widows in private—he was bound to meet his downfall sooner or later.

 

Yu Tingwan said slowly: “Looking at you brings bad luck.”

 

!!!

 

Xiao Xu: !!!

 

That phrase again!

 

She was traumatized by it!

 

Seeing Xu Fen still obliviously approaching Yu Tingwan, she feared her second brother might meet with another mishap and quickly pulled him back.

 

“Wan’er must be tired and eager to rest. Brother, whatever you have to say can wait until later.”

 

She had learned her lesson.

 

Yu Tingwan’s gaze swept across everyone in the courtyard, lingering briefly on the noisy Xu children before returning to her room.

 

As she closed the door, she heard Mrs. Xu’s complaints: “This Wan’er’s temper grows worse by the day. My second son only meant well.”

 

Would Madam Wang believe such things?

 

Yu Tingwan couldn’t be bothered to expose the truth.

 

As the door closed behind her, she brushed the snow from her clothes and concealed the remaining six copper coins.

 

Only then did she tend to her wounds.

 

They weren’t serious—just scraped skin with some bleeding.

 

These past days had exhausted her; being a woman, her strength was limited. In this condition, going out would be difficult. She needed to be frugal with the firewood.

 

The room was damp and cold. She couldn’t bear to use any firewood, and her hands had gone numb from the cold. Removing her insufficient cotton clothes, she climbed onto the bed and pulled up the thin blanket.

 

But still the cold persisted.

 

She added several clean garments on top before applying medicinal ointment evenly to her hands.

 

A cooling sensation eased the itching.

 

She felt extremely fatigued; her eyelids grew heavier. As she began to doze off, fragmented memories floated before her eyes—sounds of gongs and drums filled the air along with continuous firecrackers.

 

People passing the Dong family house in town would stop to gather and talk.

 

“Old Master Dong’s heart stays young though he’s aged. His first wife’s bones aren’t even cold, and he’s already taking another bride.”

 

“Matchmaker Liu arranged it, but no one knows which family’s daughter. The Dong family and Liu family are tight-lipped about it—nothing has leaked out.”

 

“Hey, have you heard? The Hu family’s niece has disappeared.”

 

Someone asked, “Which Hu family?”

 

“The one whose younger son studies in our town—the one who always scores top marks. I heard he couldn’t return for New Year’s, and Teacher Zhu invited him home for New Year’s Eve dinner.”

 

People sighed at this.

 

“I’m from their neighboring village and heard it too. The road back from town only cleared after New Year’s. When Hu Dazhu returned home with his packages, he learned his niece was missing. He treasured that niece more than his own eyes—flew into a terrible rage.”

 

“Now all of Xilin Village helps with the search, but there’s no trace. People whisper she must have wandered into the deep mountains and was eaten by wild beasts.”

 

Someone’s eyes flickered with suspicion.

 

“That’s not right. Something’s strange here. Could it be a coincidence that Dong family’s new bride is…”

 

Before the words were finished, they were interrupted.

 

“Impossible! Madam Wang wouldn’t dare!”

 

“If Hu Dazhu found out, wouldn’t he beat her to death?”

 

“Besides, there’s a scholar son in the family. Such an act would ruin not only his reputation but his entire future.”

 

“She couldn’t be that foolish.”

 

While discussions outside grew heated, chaos erupted in the Dong family’s inner courtyard.

 

The bride had fled.

 

Yu Tingwan had never been to the county before. Everything around her was unfamiliar as she rushed forward in blind panic.

 

She was terrified.

 

Helpless and afraid.

 

But no one would save her.

 

In contrast to the Dong family’s festive decorations, another street was draped in white silk.

 

This was the route for General Wei Zhao’s coffin returning to the capital.

 

The road was cleared, and under the weight of sorrow, people on both sides covered their faces and wept.

 

These common people had followed the funeral procession from the frontier, walking many miles until their shoes wore through.

 

All under heaven belongs to the emperor.

 

The common people revered the emperor who sat on the dragon throne in the capital.

 

But after years of war at the frontier, the people saw only the Wei army as their protectors.

 

Their lives were bought by Wei Zhao charging into battle time and again.

 

The Wei army soldiers all wore plain clothes with white sashes. They carried the coffin, overcome with grief, moving forward numbly.

 

“Stop! Don’t run!”

 

“New Madam, don’t anger the Master! You’ll only suffer for it!”

 

“Country bumpkins really have no manners!”

 

The Dong family servants chased after Yu Tingwan.

 

Tears welled up in her eyes as she ran desperately toward where there were more people—not daring to stop for fear of those behind her like ferocious beasts chasing prey.

 

Paper money flew through the air like leaves caught in a whirlwind; mourning banners hung everywhere along this street—everywhere was filled with sorrowful lamentation.

 

Until…a flash of bright red stumbled into view amidst despair, “Help me!”