Chapter 9: Woken in the Middle of the Night, Drawing the Miao Knife

“Don’t worry too much about Yánxìn. He’s always been clever and resourceful. Nothing will happen to him out there.”

Granny Ge noticed something different about her today and offered a few comforting words.

Don’t assume ancient people were foolish—some were incredibly observant. And elderly folks especially had a sharp eye.

Although Song Yeqing wasn’t actually worried about He Yanxin, she just wasn’t used to engaging in idle chit-chat with others.

“But the two of you really do have a strong bond. Every time he leaves, you miss him so much. I won’t tease you anymore,” Granny Ge added jokingly.

Song Yeqing instinctively wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it, it did seem true. Whenever He Yanxin went out, the original Song Niangzi would worry about whether he was eating well, or if something would happen to him. She really was quite anxious.

So she could only lower her head and pretend to be shy.

“As long as you’re alright, I’ll be heading back. If you need anything, just call out from the yard, alright?”

Since what she received wasn’t grain, she didn’t refuse the wild vegetables and bird eggs. She simply thanked her, already thinking about what items she could give Granny Ge from her space.

But she’d have to wait until He Yanxin returned before she could offer a reasonable explanation for the source of those items—she’d just pin it all on him.

If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t hand over rare supplies, but Granny Ge was genuinely kind.

Now that she’d become Song Niangzi, she ought to repay that kindness. Besides, lost supplies could be earned again—if you lost your life, that was truly the end.

But she couldn’t help the entire village. The things in her space weren’t enough for over 200 people. Plus, there was the risk of exposure—she wasn’t foolish.

She would just do what she could to ease her conscience.

After letting the children play in the yard, Song Yeqing went back into the house to prepare to make some clothes for the two kids using tracksuits.

She didn’t really know how to sew, but she figured she could manage by relying on memory.

She took a basket from the cupboard—it had all the sewing supplies. There were none in her space, oddly enough.

As for the unfinished peony and butterfly embroidery on the hoop, she left it alone. The finished one had already been taken by He Yanxin to the county to see if it could be sold. Now, only this half-done one remained.

Just thinking about techniques like flat stitch, long-short stitch, couching, backstitch, and knot stitch gave Song Yeqing a headache. And then there was color coordination, thread-picking, line-trimming, and drawing patterns—none of it was easy.

She’d rather recite the 40,000-character Supreme Jade Emperor Sutra than do embroidery. She’d even be willing to practice horse stance instead. Anything but embroidery!

Better to try making a simple piece of clothing first.

She hadn’t expected that even with the boost from memory, the clothes she made were barely wearable.

Brain: “Got it! I know how!”

Hands: “I have my own ideas.”

Looking at the child’s pants she’d made from a pair of black sweatpants, Song Yeqing was too embarrassed to even let the kid try them on.

Looking at what Song Niangzi had made—tight, even stitches, neat and tidy. Then looking at hers—scattered and uneven, truly an eyesore.

And this was just a simple pair of pants, after two rounds of modifications! If it had been a more complex garment, she’d be doomed.

She was going to have to practice properly.

After all, it was hard to buy children’s clothes these days. Kids grew so fast that most families made their own clothes. When the child grew, they’d alter the clothes again for further use.

Checklist for being a good mother:
✔ Make delicious food for the kids
✔ Bathe the kids
✔ Get up at night to help the kids pee
✔ Play with the kids

✘ Make clothes for the kids by hand

Sigh. Song Yeqing let out a long sigh.

Still, she tried the pants on Xiaobao to see if any adjustments were needed.

Afterward, she took out an apple from her space to comfort her battered confidence. Of course, she gave one to each of the boys too.

The crisp, sweet, red apples from the Song family orchard made the two kids smile with joy. Song Yeqing actually felt a lot better—she wasn’t sure if it was the apples or the kids.

But it really was healing. She silently thought to herself as she felt the soft touch under her fingers.

Her technique for patting the kids’ heads had gotten quite skillful by now.

Unexpectedly, not long after Granny Ge told her to call if anything happened, something really did happen that night.

Song Yeqing suddenly opened her eyes, quietly got out of bed, and took a Miao knife from her space, gripping it in her hand. Even with a silencer, a gun would still be loud—it wasn’t an option with the kids around.

Someone was in the kitchen—rustling sounds, as if they were rummaging through the cabinets.

She was a bit annoyed with herself for waking up too late. In the past, she would’ve sensed someone climbing over the wall before they even got into the courtyard.

That tall courtyard wall still couldn’t keep out someone truly determined.

The person’s footsteps weren’t heavy—was it a woman?
No, considering how many were going hungry, it could also be a scrawny man.

Her body, only nourished for two days, was still weak. Knowing a few martial arts moves didn’t help much. Most importantly, she had two children behind her.

Song Yeqing had no choice but to hold back—charging out would be foolish.

There wasn’t much left in the kitchen anyway. If they took it, so be it—nothing was worth risking their lives over.

But still, she crept to the door and stood behind it with the knife, ready to strike if the intruder came inside.

She pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully.

Wait! Another person had just jumped down from over the wall—this one’s footsteps were much heavier. An accomplice?

Song Yeqing’s expression grew serious. She might have been able to handle one, but with two… she’d really have to call for help.

“Who’s there?!”

A hoarse but commanding voice suddenly rang out, followed by a bloodcurdling scream—that came from the other person.

Song Yeqing quickly returned the knife to her space and rushed back to bed. The scream had frightened the two children awake, and they started crying.

She wasn’t worried about outside anymore—the voice matched the one in Song Niangzi’s memory: her husband, He Yanxin.

The priority now was soothing the children. Being startled like this in the middle of the night could leave them traumatized.

So she mimicked how her grandmother had comforted her as a child when she was scared. Slowly, the brothers stopped crying, one after the other.

The screaming outside faded too. He Yanxin had likely dragged the person away. People from Granny Ge’s house had also come over to check on the situation.

After changing out of her sleepwear and putting on proper clothes, Song Yeqing stepped outside and ran into Granny Ge, who was hurrying over.

“Are you alright? Were the kids scared?”

The moon was full tonight, and the ground looked like it was covered in a layer of white frost. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see clearly around the yard.

“I’m fine. He didn’t come into this room. Who was it?”

Granny Ge grabbed her hand and looked her over. Song Yeqing wasn’t used to it but didn’t pull her hand away.

“I think it was someone from the neighboring village. Things are even harder over there. He probably came in looking to steal some food.”

Once she saw that Song Yeqing was alright, Granny Ge let out a huge sigh of relief, pressing her hand to her chest to calm herself.

“That was scary as hell in the middle of the night! Thank goodness Yanxin came back when he did. I don’t even want to imagine what you would’ve done, a woman alone with two kids.”

As she spoke, she took her hand and led her back inside.

“Let the men handle things outside. We’ll go back and stay with the kids.”

Song Yeqing could only follow her back into the house and opened the window to let in more light.

“Mom.” A small body leaned close, seeking his mother’s arms.

It was the elder son—he hadn’t gone back to sleep after waking up. The younger one was still little and had fallen back asleep quickly after crying a bit.

She sat on the bed and held the older child, gently patting his back. Granny Ge stayed on the couch by the window.

“I’m fine now. You don’t have to stay, Granny—you can head back.”

After sitting quietly for a while, Song Yeqing realized Granny Ge had stayed to keep her company in case she was afraid. She tried to persuade her.

“I’m fine. I’ll stay with you until Yanxin comes back.”

Since the children were asleep, Granny Ge spoke softly in reply.

Hearing that, Song Yeqing didn’t press her. The room gradually fell into a peaceful silence.

(End of Chapter)