Chapter 7

Yin Xiaoman started the fire and buried the sweet potatoes that Erniu had brought under the ashes, letting them cook slowly.

Then, she filled a pot with water and placed it on the fire to boil.

At this moment, she felt incredibly lucky that the original owner hadn’t been so stubborn and foolish as to bring all of her belongings to the Shen family as a dowry when she got married.

At least the essential things she used in the house, like pots, bowls, and other utensils, were all still intact.

She took out a small clay basin, scooped in two small bowls of white flour, and after struggling for a while, she irritably poured in another small bowl of coarse black flour that was rough on the throat. After adding water, she stirred and skillfully began kneading the dough.

“Erniu, where’s your brother?” She asked the girl who was sitting nearby, obediently helping to stoke the fire.

“Brother went to chop firewood. He said he was worried about the snow, so he wanted to chop more and keep some at home.”

Perhaps because Erniu had accompanied Yin Xiaoman on a trip earlier that day, the girl no longer felt the same wariness and distance as before.

Her gaze now carried trust and dependence.

Seeing that, Yin Xiaoman’s heart couldn’t help but soften.

Unable to control herself, Yin Xiaoman impulsively pulled out the almond candy she had casually placed in her pocket earlier and quickly stuffed it into the girl’s mouth.

Erniu was stunned for a moment, completely taken aback.

She seemed a bit confused about what Yin Xiaoman was doing at first.

It wasn’t until the sweet taste spread throughout her mouth that the girl’s eyes slowly widened, as if in slow motion.

By the end, her body stiffened, her mouth slightly open, staring at Yin Xiaoman with eyes full of shock, but she only managed to make an “ah” sound and couldn’t say anything else.

“Is it good?” 

Seeing Erniu’s cute expression, Yin Xiaoman no longer regretted her impulsiveness. 

She lovingly pinched the girl’s small face, which had almost no flesh on it, and with a chuckle, she pushed up her chin, closing the girl’s half-open mouth.

With a smile, she asked, “Is it good?”

Erniu finally came to her senses but suddenly began crying, hiccupping and sobbing.

Yin Xiaoman was startled.

“Did I hurt you?”

She quickly bent down to check Erniu’s hands, face, and neck.

“No.” Erniu shook her head.

Then, still sobbing, she continued, “It’s sweet. After eating it, Mom… Brother… there’s none left.”

The more she spoke, the more regretful she seemed, and by the end, she was crying in a pitiful voice.

Yin Xiaoman, whose heart had been hanging in suspense, finally relaxed.

She reassured the girl. “There’s more. I kept some for your brother.”

She quickly pulled out two more pieces from her pocket, showing them to Erniu, who looked at them for a moment, perhaps counting them, before reaching out and stuffing one into Yin Xiaoman’s mouth. “Mom eat, let’s eat together.”

What had once been a familiar, unremarkable thing, now felt incredibly soft and delicate in her mouth.

The almond candy melted instantly, sweetening her mouth and her heart.

She placed the remaining candy in a small bowl and handed it to Erniu to take back to the room for Dabao.

Yin Xiaoman then pulled the dough she had kneaded into strips and dropped them into the boiling water to make noodle soup.

Though noodle soup seemed simple, it was actually one of the best ways to test a cook’s skill with plain flour.

The dough had to be firm, and the broth needed to be flavorful. If one wanted to be particular, the details could go on for days.

But now, what she called noodle soup was truly just noodle soup—only noodles, not even a leaf of vegetable in it.

It felt like a waste of Yin Xiaoman’s entire skill.

Fortunately, there were still the two salted duck eggs she had brought back from the palace residence.

Yin Xiaoman peeled one and finely chopped the egg white, mixing it into the soup. That at least helped to add a bit of saltiness.

You see, salt was something that cost money at this time, and the nearest supply point was still in the commune.

In this bitterly cold weather, running all the way there with two children?

Just the thought of it made her completely abandon the idea.

As for the remaining egg yolk, it was indeed, just as Old Liu had said, rich and oily, making it impossible not to feel hungry just looking at it.

Yin Xiaoman couldn’t bear to simply throw it into the pot to boil, so she cut it into three pieces and placed them in a small dish.

The steaming hot noodle soup, the oily salted egg yolk, and the sweet roasted sweet potatoes that oozed honey from the heat—this meal was the most satisfying one she had eaten since coming to this world.

Though it still couldn’t be called a feast, at least it was warm and filling.

The two children, however, had no such regrets as Yin Xiaoman.

They ate so eagerly that they hardly lifted their heads.

“Good, eat!” 

Perhaps understanding that his Mother liked hearing him speak, Dabao repeatedly stammered these two words as he ate, over and over again.

This was probably the highest compliment he could think of for this meal.

The little one, whose face had previously been pale and bluish from the cold, now looked a bit rosier from the heat.

His lips were plump and red, and there was a glint of moisture in his eyes, making him appear lively and full of energy.

Yin Xiaoman suddenly realized that this boy really resembled Erniu—both had big eyes, a straight nose, and without a doubt, they would grow into handsome young men.

She couldn’t help but click her tongue. Somehow, she suddenly became curious about Shen Qingyun, who was far away in the military unit.

What kind of man was he?

He probably wasn’t ugly.

Otherwise, how could he have fathered such two beautiful children?

In the original owner’s memories, there was almost no image of the man’s appearance.

After all, they had only met on their wedding day, and the next day, Shen Qingyun had returned to the military unit.

And when they met, the original owner was still immersed in the sorrow of her father’s imminent death. She hadn’t been in the mood to notice whether the man was good-looking or not.

Yin Xiaoman set down her bowl, leaned back against the kang, and smiled as she watched the two children eating happily. At the same time, she slowly sifted through the original owner’s memories.

Until, suddenly, she sat up straight, her eyes widening in shock.

Her face was full of disbelief.

No way, Shen Qingyun was going to die in six months?

Did that mean she not only had to be the stepmother of two children, but also have to stay widowed for a man whose appearance she didn’t even know?!

What kind of sin is this?!

Thinking about this, Yin Xiaoman’s face changed, and she was instantly immersed in shock.

Knock knock knock!

At that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Before Yin Xiaoman could respond, Dabao and Erniu had already put down their chopsticks and ran out excitedly.

A moment later, Erniu ran back in again. “Mom, someone’s looking for you.”

“Looking for me? Who?” 

Hearing Erniu’s words, Yin Xiaoman, still shaken inside, couldn’t help but feel curious.

After all, in this village, the people she had interacted with were few, aside from the old Shen family. She could count the rest on one hand.

Who would be coming to find her at lunchtime?

“I don’t know him. He’s an uncle, and he said he was sent by Dad.”

Sent by Shen Qingyun?!

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiaoman didn’t bother asking further questions. She immediately jumped down from the kang, grabbed Erniu, and rushed outside.

In the yard, Dabao was standing at the entrance, blocking the way. He wasn’t saying anything but wouldn’t let anyone in.

The man outside, dressed in military uniform, didn’t seem angry. Instead, he squinted his eyes and smiled at Dabao, chatting with him, though it seemed half-hearted.

But the little one wasn’t buying it at all. He didn’t say a word, just standing there, blocking the entrance with a posture full of caution and wariness.

Yin Xiaoman stepped outside and saw exactly what was happening.

When the man saw her, he grinned, revealing a rare set of bright, white teeth.

“You must be Sister-in-law. I’m Gao Chong, a subordinate of Captain Shen. The captain is too busy and won’t be able to come home for the New Year. He asked me to take advantage of my time off and come check on you and the children. Sister-in-law, may I come in?”

This Gao Chong seemed to be quite the outgoing type.

Before Yin Xiaoman could even say a word, he had already started explaining himself, spilling his background as though pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

Once he finished, he even winked at Dabao.

“Come inside and sit down, Dabao, don’t just block the door. Go get a stool for your uncle!”

Yin Xiaoman quickly invited him in, all the while her mind racing as she searched through her memories for any relevant details.

Sure enough, she found it.

According to the memory, Gao Chong’s visit was primarily to deliver a message from Shen Qingyun, asking if she would be willing to take the children and join him at the Military Unit.

The original owner’s response had been a clear “no.”

She had always harbored the desire to go to university, and Shen Qingyun’s Military Unit was far on the border, supposedly near the sea, with enemy forces just across the water. The constant threat of war had terrified her, even with just the thought of it.

In the end, Gao Chong had left them thirty yuan, saying it was Shen Qingyun’s allowance, and promised that he would send more if they ever had the chance.

In reality, this was the last sum of money the original owner received from that man.

Not long after, Shen Qingyun’s Military Unit was assigned to a combat mission, and in the following battle, he tragically lost his life.

From that point on, the original owner was truly abandoned, her reputation as an unlucky woman, a “scapegoat” or “broom star,” firmly cemented. The villagers treated her as though she were poison, avoiding her like the plague.

Even the elderly Shen couple began to be cautious. Whenever they wanted to see their grandchildren, they had to sneak around Liu Chunxia’s watchful eyes in the dead of night.

But misfortune never comes alone.

Not long after Shen Qingyun’s death, a massive movement began in the village.

Because she was so unwelcomed, even the title of *martyr’s widow* didn’t do much to help the original owner.

As soon as the old accounts were dug up, the secrets her parents had tried so hard to hide were exposed.

The original owner, who knew nothing of these secrets, instantly became the scapegoat for her parents.

Their little run-down house was raided countless times, and the wasteland behind it was dug up with pits everywhere.

Though the imagined treasures were never found, all the food supplies in the house were taken.

Unable to bear such humiliation, the original owner fell ill and was bedridden.

It was because of this that Dabao, at such a young age, had to venture into the mountains to search for food, only to tragically fall into a trap.

Dabao’s death had a tremendous impact on the original owner. She blamed it all on her own incompetence and the misfortune that seemed to follow her.

In order to protect Erniu’s life and due to her utter disillusionment with this world, she secretly carried Erniu back to the Shen family while the little one slept, then climbed the mountain to end her life.

Seeing that Yin Xiaoman remained silent, Gao Chong assumed it was because she was shy, so he took the initiative to speak.

“Sister-in-law, the captain asked me to check with you if you’d be willing to join him at the Military Unit? Going with the military means…”

“Yes!”

Before Gao Chong could explain the meaning of “joining the military,” Yin Xiaoman decisively answered.

Perhaps not expecting her to agree so quickly, Gao Chong was momentarily stunned.

“I know what ‘joining the military’ means. It’s just asking me to take the children and go live with him, right? When you marry a chicken, you follow it; when you marry a dog, you follow it. Since I’ve already married him, of course, wherever he goes, I’ll go with him, along with the children. If it’s convenient, could you ask him when would be a good time for us to join him?”

Yin Xiaoman calmly explained her thoughts.