Chapter 26: A Friend
Feng Yuzhen didn’t dare to look back once.
Hot tears quickly blurred her vision. She walked hastily, wiping her face haphazardly. She was afraid that if she looked back just once, her heart would soften. But one thing after another was weighing on her mind, and it had long since become an irreversible situation. She actually knew: her family ties with the Feng family in this life were over.
And so, she suddenly realized that she had no parents, no husband, no children. Living in this world, she had finally become a lonely, thin person.
A strong sense of loneliness filled her heart, and Feng Yuzhen’s tears fell even more fiercely. Cui Jingkong was half a step behind her. Seeing her walk faster and faster, her body swaying precariously, her two loose trouser legs swinging back and forth.
So he took two steps forward and grabbed one of his widowed sister-in-law’s arms, using a clever force to pull her over. Feng Yuzhen had been relying on a burst of energy to walk back. Now, she was caught off guard and twisted her foot, and the two of them stood face to face.
His widowed sister-in-law had her head bowed, as if she wanted to bury it in the crook of her arm. From her dark, thick hair to the protruding bone on her pale neck, tears hung from her chin, making her look very frail.
Cui Jingkong thought this was her worst point.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, it would have been hard to notice. Except for that one time in the mountains, at all other times in front of him, she would cry without a sound, biting her lip so hard that she would almost break the soft, slightly full lower lip, a little blood staining her lip bead.
She was always silent, Cui Jingkong thought, like something sunk at the bottom of a river, buried in the sand.
But he was greedy for this very thing. So he had waded through the water with great effort, his clothes soaked, and had moved the stones that were pressing down on her, just to pry that soft, fragile heart out of its closed shell.
Feng Yuzhen didn’t want her brother-in-law to see her tear-streaked face. She just looked at his cuffs. She heard her brother-in-law ask, “Why is Sister-in-law crying? The Feng family has gotten their retribution, and you’ve gotten rid of them. You should be happy.”
Feng Yuzhen did not answer, until a pair of hands cupped her face from below. Cui Jingkong’s hands were too big compared to hers, and they completely enveloped her delicate, tear-streaked face.
She couldn’t break free and could only let him lift her face. Her tear-filled eyes reflected Cui Jingkong’s deep-set eyes. She sobbed, “I… I’m sad…”
“What are you sad about?”
Her lips trembled slightly. “My heart is empty. I’m all alone…”
Cui Jingkong lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on her wet eyelids. The pad of his thumb seemed to have unintentionally brushed past the red mole by her lips. He said slowly, “You still have me.”
How could she be alone? From now on, it will be you and me, the two of us. Beneath the thin skin, his blood slowly heated up. He had spent an immense amount of patience to hunt and set this trap. Now, holding his breath, he knew that she had finally stepped into it.
Feng Yuzhen couldn’t bear to hear these words. She frantically turned her face away and reached out to pull his hands down. Her heart full of sorrow was also scared away. But how could her slender arms win against her brother-in-law’s?
Cui Jingkong stared at her without blinking, still luring her into the trap. “I am right by your side. You have to see me.”
His lowered voice was like a whisper in her ear. She gradually relaxed her grip and met his eyes, and she actually nodded, as if possessed.
He let go of her hands and asked, “Are you feeling better?”
Feng Yuzhen didn’t dare to meet his gaze. “Mm.”
***
After the summer solstice, it rained continuously, and the weather was unpredictable. Feng Yuzhen entered the mountain forest with a straw raincoat. Catnip had already sprouted in clumps. It was most fragrant when stewed with fish, and it was also delicious as a sauce with dry rice.
She didn’t dare to go too deep. Looking at the dark sky, she stopped after picking half a basket. She was hurrying back when the bushes rustled, and a clear, bright female voice came from far to near. “Sister Yuzhen! Sister Yuzhen!”
Feng Yuzhen stopped and smiled at her. “A’Fu, why are you here now?”
Zhou Fu ran over, her forehead still beaded with sweat. She had a pretty face with two round, baby-fat cheeks. She giggled, “It’s my mother. She told me to come here more often, always saying I might run into that Scholar Cui from your village!”
The two had met in the forest half a month ago. Zhou Fu had fallen into a hunter’s pit. Feng Yuzhen had heard her cries for help from a distance and had used all her strength to push two heavy stones into the pit. Zhou Fu had stepped on them, and after some pulling and tugging, she had been successfully rescued.
After that day, the two had met six or seven more times. She was a girl from the neighboring village, fifteen this year, of marriageable age. She was not familiar with this area. Her mother had intended to arrange a marriage with Cui Jingkong, but when the first matchmaker had come, Cui Jingkong had said directly that he had not finished his studies and had no intention of getting married.
But he was, after all, a catch. It was inevitable that some people would have other ideas, such as Zhou Fu’s mother, who was always nagging, “It’s good to marry a scholar. In the future, when he becomes an official, my daughter will be a noble lady.”
Zhou Fu didn’t want to get married, and she certainly didn’t want to be a noble lady. She had no thoughts about Cui Jingkong. She didn’t even know what he looked like! But she couldn’t stand her mother’s nagging, and she had also made friends with Feng Yuzhen, so she had been coming here more often.
Feng Yuzhen’s brow twitched whenever she mentioned Cui Jingkong. She really suspected she had been cursed these days.
Previously, when Zhou Fu had asked her if she knew what Scholar Cui looked like, Feng Yuzhen had paused for a moment at the sudden question and had missed the opportunity to answer. Zhou Fu was also a fast talker and had just assumed she didn’t know him well, quickly moving on.
Later, when Zhou Fu occasionally mentioned Cui Jingkong again, she couldn’t bring herself to say that she was his sister-in-law, and that they even lived together. It always made her feel inexplicably guilty and awkward, so she had to pretend she didn’t know.
So she changed the subject. “I see the weather is not good, and it’s almost noon. A’Fu, why don’t you come to my place for a meal?”
The other agreed readily. The two of them walked back, talking and laughing. Feng Yuzhen had caught two fish in the stream this morning, rolling up her trouser legs. She would stew one for Zhou Fu at noon, and the other for Cui Jingkong when he came back in the evening. The two girls squeezed into the kitchen and worked together.
It was drizzling outside, and the rainwater flowed down the eaves. Feng Yuzhen held the bowl to her lips and took a sip of the delicious, hot, milky fish soup. Before she could let out a sigh of satisfaction, she heard the girl opposite her ask hesitantly, “Sister Yuzhen… is your mother Zhao Xiuying?”
Zhao Xiuying was Mother Feng’s name, and her family happened to be in the neighboring village.
Feng Yuzhen’s hand paused. She knew that the news of her severing ties with the Feng family had already spread in Qianshan Village.
But fortunately, the brick house was in a remote location, and there were few neighbors. She was only casually acquainted with these people, and no one had come to gossip in front of her. At most, they would look at her as if she were some rare creature and point and whisper behind her back, which she pretended not to see.
But she hadn’t expected… that it had spread to her mother’s family, and that people in the neighboring village knew her name. It was clear how shocking this matter was.
Feng Yuzhen stared at the bowl in her hand. “Yes, but I’ve already broken off with the Feng family.”
Zhou Fu put down her chopsticks in a panic. “Sister Yuzhen, I didn’t mean anything by it. My father loves to squat at the village entrance with the old men and play that smelly game of chess all day. He hears everything that happens in this area. Yesterday, he came back and mentioned a few things, and I happened to hear your name, so I rushed over today to remind you!”
Seeing Feng Yuzhen’s confused expression, she quickly blurted out, “My father said that to establish a new household, you have to go to the government office with an identity tablet. He’s not very clear on the details, but in the future, if Zhao Xiuying makes a fuss and wants you to support them, you can show the official proof, and no one can criticize you anymore.”
Feng Yuzhen’s heart tightened. She really didn’t know there was such a procedure. Knowing that this was a great help to her, she thanked her repeatedly.
Zhou Fu also breathed a sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She quickly said it was nothing and even comforted her in return. “How could I blame you? If you ask me, it’s good that you broke it off, Sister Yuzhen! It’s just a pity you didn’t do it sooner. The Feng family and that Zhang Zhu, whose hand was cut, they all got what they deserved.”
Zhang Zhu also got into trouble?
Feng Yuzhen sensed something was wrong and asked, “What happened to Zhang Zhu?”
Zhou Fu said, “It seems his hand was cut, and now he can’t even make a fist. I only heard that a thief broke in at night. It must be retribution.”
After the rain stopped, she got up to leave. Feng Yuzhen hesitated for a moment before telling her, “A’Fu, you asked me the other day, and I didn’t answer. Later, I was too embarrassed to say it. Actually, Scholar Cui… is my brother-in-law, and he also lives here.”
She felt a little guilty, feeling that she had hidden it from the young girl. But she saw Zhou Fu’s eyes curve into crescents. “I guessed it when I saw the books and brushes on the table just now.”
But she seemed completely unconcerned about the matter of Cui Jingkong and just waved at Feng Yuzhen. “Sister Yuzhen, next time you come to our village, I’ll make you noodles!”
It was rare to make such a cheerful and generous friend. Feng Yuzhen saw her off and promised to visit her home another day.
She returned to the brick house, pondering what Zhou Fu had told her about the identity tablet. That night, when Cui Jingkong returned, she thought that her brother-in-law, being a scholar, was well-informed, so she asked him about it.
“Sister-in-law need not worry,” Cui Jingkong nodded. He seemed to have thought of this already. “The conditions for women are relatively lenient compared to men. The Feng family won’t be able to cause much trouble in the near future. After I return from the autumn provincial examination, we can go to the county government office. What does Sister-in-law think?”
Feng Yuzhen naturally had no objection. She had seen how busy Cui Jingkong had been these days. He had helped her a lot, and although he never asked for anything in return, Feng Yuzhen still wanted to repay him as much as she could.
An oil lamp was lit on the table in the main room. Cui Jingkong was studying as usual, but Feng Yuzhen did not go directly into the side room. Instead, she sat opposite Cui Jingkong’s desk and, by the light of the lamp, hurried to embroider two more pouches.
One was engrossed in his studies, the other had her head bowed in embroidery. A dim yellow light shone between them. The two sat quietly until midnight, not disturbing each other. Only occasionally would the woman get up to refill the young man’s tea. This had been the situation for a few days now.
With the resolute attitude of completely settling her accounts, Feng Yuzhen had only kept enough of her savings for one month’s expenses and had given the rest to her mother. As a result, she was now in a tight spot.
In addition, she wanted to save up some travel money for Cui Jingkong before he left for the provincial examination, so she was in a hurry to make two more.
Cui Jingkong had naturally tried to stop her, saying that he had enough money and that she didn’t need to go to such trouble. But on this matter, Feng Yuzhen was adamant.
Just as a cornered rabbit will jump over a wall, Feng Yuzhen had her own persistence: whether her brother-in-law used it or not was his business, but whether she gave it or not was her own.
Later, Cui Jingkong had glanced at her diligent and meticulous expression under the candlelight, her face very beautiful. His heart had been moved, and he had tacitly agreed.
But today, while he was putting down his book to drink tea, Feng Yuzhen had put down her embroidery. It was clear she had something to say, but she seemed to be hesitant.
Seeing him look over, Feng Yuzhen unconsciously blurted out, “Kong’ge’er, that matter with Zhang Zhu… did you do it too?”
Hearing this, Cui Jingkong’s fingers tapped lightly on the teacup. He spoke slowly, but his eyes were fixed on every subtle change in her face. “If I say yes, will Sister-in-law be afraid of me?”