Chapter 37.1

The sky was pitch dark.

Jiang Nian came in from outside, warmed her hands by the fire for a while, then climbed onto the bed to make up the bedding.

Xu Cheng and her father-in-law’s rooms were uninhabitable, so this was the only room they could make do with.

Lu Yu originally planned to stay at Zhao Gang’s house for two nights, but Zhao Gang had married and Aunt Zhao’s house only had two rooms, so it would not be convenient for him to go there. Jiang Nian glanced at the two quilts on the bed and decided to sleep closer to the wall, leaving the outer side for Lu Yu.

Jiang Nian remembered the awkwardness from their last stay at the guesthouse and felt worried. Her sleeping habits were not the best; what if she accidentally touched Lu Yu during the night?

She waited in the room for a long time, almost dozing off, when she finally heard footsteps outside.

She put on her cloth shoes and went to open the door, recognizing Lu Yu’s silhouette in the dark courtyard.

Closing the door behind him, she followed Lu Yu into the kitchen, where he lit the kerosene lamp. She asked, “Why are you back so late?”

It wasn’t far from here to the brigade.

Lu Yu placed the vegetables into an enamel basin and, looking at her thin shadow on the earthen wall, replied, “I talked with the brigade leader. We’re going to the Jiang family tomorrow, and they’ll come with us.”

Jiang Nian was taken aback; she hadn’t expected Lu Yu to have already thought of this.

She had planned to ask him to accompany her to the brigade leader’s house the next day to discuss visiting the Jiang family, but he had already taken care of it. Ever since she arrived in this era, it seemed all complex problems were solved by Lu Yu.

She couldn’t describe her feelings clearly.

It was warm, cozy, and felt like she was being protected, finding a dependable pillar of support.

She asked, “What’s for dinner?”

“Stir-fried vegetables and heated corn pancakes.”

Lu Yu took a bucket to the well, filled it with water, and carried it back to the kitchen. His eyes fell on Jiang Nian, who was bent over the fire, the flickering orange flames illuminating her face, making her features even clearer in the dark night.

She no longer seemed like the quiet, timid woman she used to be.

Lu Yu pondered when his sister-in-law had started to change.

Maybe it began the night he returned home after his rebirth. His sister-in-law had been different ever since.

Tonight, he had talked a lot with the old professor, mentioning, in a roundabout way, the changes coming in a few years, giving the old man hope to live on. Though his words were vague, the professor had understood, and Lu Yu had seen a glimmer of light in his cloudy, sickly eyes.

“Lu Yu, add water to the pot quickly.”

Jiang Nian waved her hand in front of her nose to stop coughing from the smoke. As Lu Yu came in and poured water into the pot, she was about to grab a cloth to wash it, but Lu Yu stopped her. “The water’s cold; try not to touch it.”

Jiang Nian smiled slightly. “Then I’ll tend to the fire.”

Lu Yu cooked dinner that night, making stir-fried potatoes and reheating corn pancakes. After dinner, they washed up and returned to the room. Lu Yu noticed the two quilts on the bed, separated by a pillow-wide gap. He saw Jiang Nian take off her shoes and climb into the quilt on the inside, her ears and neck turning completely red.

Jiang Nian felt awkward too. She peeked out from the quilt. The dim kerosene lamp cast shadows, dividing Lu Yu’s figure into light and dark. She blinked and whispered, “Let’s just make do with it for the next two nights.”

His voice was low and hoarse, “Alright.”

Jiang Nian turned to face the wall covered with newspaper, trying to distract herself by reading the print, but her ears remained alert to Lu Yu’s movements. She heard him sit on the bed and take off his coat.

Jiang Nian quickly shut her eyes, hoping she would sleep better and not disturb him tonight.

Lu Yu glanced at Jiang Nian huddled under the quilt, then extinguished the kerosene lamp and lay down on the bed, his arm behind his head, staring at the dark beams.

He wasn’t sleepy, especially with Jiang Nian lying beside him.

After a long time, Lu Yu heard her steady breathing and knew she was asleep. He turned to look at her by the wall, listening to her gentle, sweet breaths in the quiet night. He had never felt a night as torturous as this one.

Facing the beams, he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

Half-awake and half-asleep until midnight, he heard the sound of someone turning over beside him. He kept his eyes closed, allowing the late-arriving drowsiness to gradually envelop his consciousness until he felt a weight on his leg. Lu Yu immediately opened his eyes and saw Jiang Nian unknowingly turning over in her sleep.

The woman’s head was next to his pillow, her arm draped outside. She was wearing a sweater she knitted herself. Her hands were slender and fair, her fingers delicate and pale, so visibly close to his neck. If he just leaned a bit closer, he would be able to touch her skin with his.

Lu Yu’s breathing tightened. He glanced at the weight on his body. It was Jiang Nian’s leg draped over him. Fortunately, she was wearing pants. Lu Yu pressed his thin lips together, got up, and grasped Jiang Nian’s ankle. Her ankle was very slender, and the injury on her right ankle had completely healed.

Lu Yu held her ankle and placed her leg back under the blanket. After tucking her in, he moved his body outward to keep some distance from her.

In the quiet of the night, senses were heightened. The steady sound of breathing beside him felt like a spider web, intricately and densely penetrating his ears. Lu Yu pressed his lips tightly together, turned over, lay there for a while, then got up and went outside. He sat in the courtyard in a thin white shirt, letting the cold wind blow over him.

He returned to the room after sitting outside until the latter half of the night.

The room was rather dark, with the window facing the bed. Moonlight shone through the window onto the bed, and at some point, Jiang Nian had moved into his bed, curling up into a ball and sleeping on the edge, with only half of her face exposed.

Lu Yu: …

He furrowed his brows helplessly, climbed onto the bed, and lay down against the wall, covering himself with the blanket. The scent unique to Jiang Nian filled his nostrils, and the drowsiness he had painstakingly managed to gather dissipated once more.

At dawn, the chickens from Aunt Zhao’s house next door began to cluck.

Jiang Nian frowned in her sleep, annoyed by the noise. She turned over, pulled the blanket under her leg, and continued sleeping. Suddenly, she woke up, opened her eyes, and saw Lu Yu’s face right in front of her!

“Awake?”

Lu Yu, sleeping against the wall, had a very hoarse voice.

Jiang Nian replied in a daze, “Oh.”

Realizing something was off, she turned her head to look behind her and saw a large empty space. She turned back to see Lu Yu pressed tightly against the wall, while she was close to him, her head almost resting on his shoulder.

Jiang Nian: …

She knew it would end up like this.

Jiang Nian rolled out of the blanket, covering her head with it, not wanting to think about how she had rolled from the inside of the bed to the outside. Her muffled voice sounded very frustrated, “Sorry.”

Lu Yu got up, put on his outer clothes, glanced at Jiang Nian who looked like a turtle hiding in its shell, and smiled slightly, “It’s okay.”

Jiang Nian only poked her head out of the blanket after hearing the door close. She turned over, bumped her head on the pillow, and frowned in annoyance.

There were important matters to attend to today. Jiang Nian lingered in bed for a while before getting up. When she went out in her cotton clothes, Lu Yu had already heated the water. She took an enamel basin, glanced at Lu Yu cutting vegetables at the chopping board, quickly scooped a ladle of hot water, and left.

After breakfast, Lu Yu went to the commune first. Jiang Nian also had things to do. She went to Aunt Zhao to explain that she wanted to visit her maternal home and retrieve the money Jiang’s mother had taken from her over the years. This money was Lu Yu’s salary, which, although sent back to her, was essentially meant for Xu Cheng.

Aunt Zhao had always disapproved of Jiang Nian’s family. She had mentioned it to Jiang Nian several times before, but Jiang Nian always remained silent, not saying a word for a long time, so Aunt Zhao had stopped bringing it up. She didn’t expect that after being away for half a year, Jiang Nian had wised up.

Jiang Nian asked Aunt Zhao to gather a few neighbors to witness and confirm that Jiang’s mother had taken money from the Xu family over the years. Aunt Zhao said, “I’ll ask Old Li and the others. You come with me.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Thank you, Aunt Zhao.”

Jiang Nian followed Aunt Zhao to a few neighbors’ houses and explained the situation. The neighbors had all enjoyed the pastries and candies Jiang Nian brought back yesterday. Two families found it difficult, preferring to avoid trouble, so they made excuses.

However, two families, who were on good terms with Aunt Zhao, agreed after hearing Aunt Zhao’s words. They remembered how Jiang’s family would come to the Xu’s house empty-handed and leave with their arms full, like bandits.Old man Xu had helped these families a lot in the past.

So, Aunt Li and Aunt Wang decided to go with Aunt Zhao and Jiang Nian to visit Jiang’s family in the neighboring village of Tianxi.

When Lu Yu, the brigade leader, and the village chief arrived, they saw Jiang Nian, Aunt Zhao, Aunt Li, and Aunt Wang together. Aunt Zhao’s daughter-in-law and son, Zhao Gang, were also there.

Aunt Zhao said, “Let’s go to Tianxi Village and get the money back from Jiang’s family.”

Lu Yu looked thoughtfully at Jiang Nian. She avoided his gaze and walked with Aunt Zhao.

There was no work in the fields during winter, so most families stayed at home.

Jiang’s mother, Cao Lan, took two radishes from the vegetable cellar and saw her grandson, Jiang Fu, holding a piece of almond cookie. She frowned and ran back to ask her husband, Jiang Hai, “Did you give him the peach crisp?”

“No.”

Jiang Hai was lying on the bed, rubbing his left foot. Years ago, he injured it while working. His family was poor and had no money to treat it, so he kept delaying the treatment. Not only did he become lame, but every winter when it was cold, the bones in his foot would hurt.

He leaned against the pillow, glancing at Cao Lan, “You keep the keys. I can’t touch them.”

Cao Lan snorted, “If it wasn’t you, then it must have been Lian Qin. She must have sneaked off to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy it and hide it. If Xiao Fu hadn’t taken it out today, I wouldn’t have known. I said back then that we should split the family. If we don’t, Lian Qin, that shameless woman, will keep leeching off us. Look at this, she didn’t even tell me about buying peach crisp. And where did she even get the money?”

Jiang Hai didn’t want to argue with her, “It was your good son who gave it to her.”

In the past, it was this mother and son duo who frequented the Xu family. When Xu Cheng’s father was alive, they would restrain themselves a bit, only asking Jiang Nian for money. After Xu Cheng’s father died, leaving only a paralyzed Xu Cheng at home, they went as far as taking the family’s saved grain and the monthly stipend Lu Yu sent back.

Could Jiang Guo, with his lazy and gluttonous nature, really have any money?

Each year, when they worked for the brigade, there would still be some grain left at the end of the year when Xiao Nian was around. But after she got married, with only Cao Lan and Jiang Guo left, they often ended up owing grain to the brigade by year-end.

Where did Jiang Guo get the money from? Wasn’t it all stolen from Xiao Nian?!

Jiang Hai, being crippled and unable to work, had no say in the family matters. He was constantly berated by Cao Lan like a child, and Jiang Guo barely acknowledged him. Now, he just muddled through each day in this household.

“Mom, I’m hungry. Is the food ready yet?”

Jiang Guo pushed open the door and saw his mother quickly locking up the cabinet. Curiously, he walked over and asked, “Mom, how much money do you have hidden in there?”

Cao Lan glared at him, “Even if I have money stashed away, none of it is for you. I’m saving it for Xiao Fu’s future bride.”

Jiang Guo replied, “It’s too early for him to get married.”

“That doesn’t matter. It won’t be for you or your wife, who secretly bought peach crisp. Do you know how expensive those are? They cost as much as half a month’s worth of cornmeal! Has she squandered all the money you took from Xiao Nian?”

Jiang Guo was getting annoyed by Cao Lan’s constant complaints about Lian Qin, but he held back his frustration and said, “I didn’t take much from Xiao Nian. Didn’t you have most of her money?”

Cao Lan got even angrier and poked Jiang Guo’s forehead, “You always side with your wife! You really have forgotten your mother after marrying her!”

Jiang Guo rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, not daring to talk back to Cao Lan. The one with the most money in the family was still his mother, including the bride price from Xiao Nian’s marriage and the money taken from her over the years, which was probably around a thousand yuan.

That amount, if spent sparingly, would last him quite a few years.

Jiang Guo returned to his room and saw Lian Qin sitting on the bed, eating melon seeds. He asked, “Did you give Xiao Fu peach crisp?”

Lian Qin glanced at him, “So what?”

Jiang Guo sat on the kang angrily, “Xiao Fu took it outside and mom saw it. She’s furious now. If you upset her and she kicked us out, how will we get that money?”

Lian Qin immediately put down the melon seeds, “That little brat! I told him to finish it before going outside. How dare he lie to me.”

Lian Qin knew her mother-in-law disliked her. She had thought about splitting the family, but her own mother advised her against it. Her mother-in-law had money, so it was better to get the money first before splitting. Thus, she had been tolerating everything.

Jiang Guo was a lazy man, something she only realized after marrying him. If she relied on him to support their family, they would starve. This was also why she didn’t want to split the family. At least her mother-in-law had money and ration tickets. When the grain ran out, her mother-in-law would buy more from the supply and marketing cooperative.

Their family of two could live comfortably by freeloading.

“Lian Qin, come and light the fire,” called Jiang’s mother from the kitchen. Lian Qin quickly responded, “Coming.”

She put on her shoes, pushed Jiang Guo aside, and said, “I’ll deal with Xiao Fu tonight.”

With that, she ran to the kitchen.

The Jiang family ate only two meals a day: one at noon and one at six in the evening. If they were hungry, they had to endure it. So, when it was mealtime, everyone ate as much as they could.

The first meal was radish and cabbage stew, along with a plate of pickles. The steamed buns were made of sweet potato flour. The family sat in the room eating. Xiao Fu, being two years old, wasn’t very hungry after eating the peach crisp.

At the table, Cao Lan said to Jiang Guo and Lian Qin, “When spring comes, you both need to work in the fields to earn work points. Anyone who slacks off won’t get any food at home.”

Jiang Guo and Lian Qin looked reluctant. Jiang Hai added, “You were lazy before marriage, but how can you still be lazy after? How long do you plan to rely on us? Who will earn money for Xiao Fu’s bride when we are old?”

Lian Qin said nothing, but Jiang Guo replied, “I don’t rely on you. I rely on Xiao Nian and mom.”

He said it with such confidence.

Jiang Hai, infuriated, threw down his chopsticks and went back to his room.

Jiang Guo turned to Cao Lan, “Did you send the letter to Xiao Nian?”

Talking about this annoyed Cao Lan. She felt that Xiao Nian had become ungrateful, turning her back on the family. Irritated, she replied, “I haven’t got any response.”

Jiang Guo frowned, “What about the engagement for the brigade leader’s cousin? We promised Old Du we’d bring Xiao Nian back for him. He agreed to give us 400 yuan as a bride price.”

Cao Lan finished her meal and put down her chopsticks, glaring at him, “Do you think I’m not worried? After the New Year, I’ll go to the army to find Xiao Nian. She’s my daughter. Even if she’s married, she’s still part of the Jiang family. Why should she stay with Lu Lao’er?”

“Once she’s married, she’s no longer part of your family but a rightful member of the Xu family!”