Chapter 30: Still Worried Your Son Is Shy?

Snow fell steadily, quickly covering the freshly swept path in a blanket of white.

After seeing Li Lian off, Yu Tingwan returned to her room.

Her steps weren’t quick, but each one felt laden with both heaviness and relief.

In her ears, Aunt Wang’s sharp voice from her past life kept replaying:

«Your sister-in-law barely has any milk, and the child cries constantly. It’s driving me mad! Are you deaf? Go out and see which family has sheep and get some milk!»

Though Madam Wang never liked baby girls, since it was still a Hu family child, she couldn’t simply let it starve.

«Why isn’t the food ready yet? Are you trying to starve me?»

«Go shovel the snow in the yard. Do I have to remind you of everything? Why are you so lazy?»

«Tired? Tired of what? Do you expect to be waited on hand and foot? You do nothing but complain all day! Have I mistreated you? Go wash the diapers!»

Oh, and then there was Xiao Xu.

After giving birth to a daughter, she never dared lift her head in front of Madam Wang.

Meek in front of Madam Wang, but behind her back, she vented all her frustration on Yu Tingwan.

«You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Don’t be smug! I can still have another child. Sooner or later, I’ll give birth to a big, fat son. I’m the Hu family’s daughter-in-law—what about you? You’re nothing!»

«Oh, right. Mother probably hasn’t told you yet. She found a good match for you. Wonder how long you’ll last after you’re married.»

Though she knew the child was innocent, Yu Tingwan could never feel any warmth toward that baby girl because of these two women.

Her expression grew colder until finally, she curled her lips in a faint smirk. As she stepped over the threshold, she let out a quiet, mocking laugh—though whether at Madam Wang or at her own past self’s naive unwillingness to fight back, she wasn’t sure.

A few days later, the snow and wind raged on.

The wind was especially fierce, like sharp blades cutting through the air. It snapped branches and sent them flying, only to have them crash back to earth with brutal force.

Yu Tingwan hadn’t left the courtyard, but she often went to the corner wall to scavenge. Sometimes she found an egg, sometimes a steamed bun.

To her, they were delicacies, which only proved how picky Wei Shen truly was.

Today was her fourth time searching the corner, but she found nothing.

Could Wei Shen’s condition have worsened?

The last time she saw him, he had looked half-dead.

So she walked into the Wei household again, carrying the basket she had borrowed last time.

It was Hui Niang who opened the door. Seeing her, she smiled. “Miss Wan, what brings you here?”

So Wei Shen was fine after all.

Yu Tingwan tucked her chin into her collar against the cold. “I never returned the basket I borrowed last time.”

“That basket? I wove it myself. We have plenty; there’s no rush to return it.”

Seeing how badly she was shivering, Hui Niang invited her inside without hesitation.

“You came at the right time. If you’re not too busy, help me tend the fire and keep me company.”

“I was just about to make meat paste for Widow Shi. Cooking requires the right heat, but there was some trouble in the village, so your uncle went to help. I could really use an extra hand.”

Hearing this, Yu Tingwan had no excuse to refuse.

She asked, “What happened in the village?”

Hui Niang didn’t hide anything.

“Some outsiders arrived. They were heading to the county, but with the roads blocked by snow, they couldn’t continue.”

“In this weather, they could freeze to death. So they went to the village chief, begging for shelter.”

The village was poor. Most families barely had enough space for their own, let alone room for over ten strangers.

And with the New Year approaching, who knew what kind of people these outsiders were? If the mountain roads remained blocked, would they have to host them through the festival? No one wanted to provide free lodging.

The village chief had no choice but to mediate, calling on those with slightly bigger homes to see how things could be arranged.

The Wei family was among them.

Hui Niang explained, “The village chief reached an agreement with the outsiders. They’d pay three copper coins per night just for shelter. If meals were included, they’d pay extra.”

Everyone knew Wei Shen was a bottomless pit when it came to food. Every coin the Wei family could save mattered.

Yu Tingwan’s memories of her past life were fragmented—she didn’t recall anything about these outsiders. “So Uncle went to bring them back?”

Hui Niang hesitated briefly, glancing toward Wei Zhao, who sat nearby staring without blinking. A shadow of worry clouded her eyes.

“We do have room for guests.”

Xiao Niang’s old room had been empty for a long time.

“But after talking it over with Ah Lang’s father, we still felt it wasn’t a good idea.”

“Ah Lang isn’t doing well. I’m afraid he won’t be comfortable with too many people around.”

Yu Tingwan: …

You’re still worried about your son being shy?

Hui Niang continued, “More people means more complications. The village chief means well, and we appreciate it, but we’d rather decline.”

Inside the kitchen, Hui Niang told Yu Tingwan to warm herself by the fire while she sat on a stool, skillfully deveining river shrimp.

These ingredients had all been arranged beforehand with Widow Shi.

The meat sauce used generous ingredients. Besides marbled meat, there were beans, firm shrimp meat, fresh black fungus…

Hui Niang worked quickly. “Stay for dinner later.”

Yu Tingwan immediately perked up.

“Auntie, shall I peel garlic?”

“No need, it might sting your hands.”

Yu Tingwan glanced at her severely frost-damaged hands, cracked in several places.

Such a simple statement brought tears to her eyes.

Back in the Hu household, all she would hear was: “Everyone in the countryside has hands like this. Why are you being so delicate?”

She didn’t insist further. Instead, she quietly set down the basket.

After all, accepting kindness made one feel indebted. Seeing that Hui Niang wasn’t looking her way, Yu Tingwan quickly transferred the bowls from the basket to where the Wei family stored their dishes.

As she finished, she felt someone watching her.

Not intensely, but certainly not with friendliness.

Yu Tingwan turned to look—

And saw Wei Zhao lying silently on a chair, as if he had no presence at all.

Who knew how long he had been lying there?

The Wei couple always needed to keep him in sight to feel at ease.

Wei Zhao had no trace of vitality about him—just a heavy air of lifelessness and despair.

Ironically, he had seemed more human that day in the courtyard, raving in the rain.

Who knew what he had been through?

Wei Zhao lazily lifted his eyelids and met her gaze.

Ah, Yu Tingwan recognized that look.

The look of someone watching a monkey perform.

But she didn’t mind.

After being fed by him several times, she found him oddly likable.

So she wasn’t afraid to flash him a bright smile.

Wei Zhao slowly withdrew his gaze, turning his attention back to the peace talisman in his hand.

“Oh!”

Hui Niang suddenly remembered something.

“I knew I was forgetting something—I haven’t brewed the medicine yet.”

She scolded, “Ah Lang, why didn’t you remind me?”

Yu Tingwan: …

He had thrown away the medicine—how could he remind you?

Sure enough, she saw Wei Zhao’s dark eyes flicker with intense resistance.