"Yue’er, wake up," He Lang murmured, stroking Xue Yue’s face.
Xue Yue groaned a few tis before finally opening her eyes.
"Co on, Yue’er, get up. We have to go back to your family’s ho this morning." By local tradition, a new wife was to visit her maiden ho on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Xue Yue struggled to open her eyes. "What ti is it?"
"I don’t know, but my older sisters-in-law have already left."
Hearing this, Xue Yue quickly sat up. "Hiss—"
She quickly clutched her lower back.
"What’s wrong?" He Lang asked, supporting her from behind.
Xue Yue shot him a glare. "What do you think is wrong? My back is broken."
He Lang panicked. "Broken? Is it serious?"
Xue Yue ignored him and started to get dressed.
Seeing that Xue Yue could still get out of bed on her own, and rembering what happened last night, He Lang felt a little guilty and didn’t dare ask again.
Xue Yue quickly washed up, ate, and then got ready to go back to her family’s ho.
It was almost noon by the ti they arrived.
"I was starting to think you two weren’t coming back today," said Xue Xingzhou.
Xue Yue shot a subtle glare at He Lang, then said to Xue Xingzhou, "I overslept."
"All that matters is you’re here. Hurry and get inside."
The mont she stepped inside, Xue Yue saw the earthen stove her brother had built himself, just as He Lang had described.
"Brother, if I’d known this would work, we wouldn’t have bothered buying an iron stove."
Xue Xingzhou shook his head. "If you have the money, an iron one is still better. You have to rebuild these earthen stoves every year, and sotis they leak smoke. You have to be careful with them."
That was true, but it was still better than nothing.
He Lang asked Xue Yue if she wanted to go next door.
"I’m not going. You go. Just drop the stuff off and co right back. Oh, and give that little brat a di."
Xue Yue had brought a piece of pork for Xue Changlin’s family. It was a simple gesture; if they didn’t bring anything, it would reflect poorly on them if Liu Hongxing started gossiping. Xue Yue herself didn’t care, but her brother wasn’t married yet.
He Lang glanced at Xue Xingzhou, as if asking if this was alright. Xue Xingzhou just raised his eyebrows, his expression clearly saying, ’Whatever Xue Yue says, goes.’
He Lang shook his head with a helpless smile and carried the at next door himself.
He returned a mont later, with a little tagalong in tow.
"Brother! Sister! I’m here!" Xue Xingjun ran straight to Xue Xingzhou the mont he ca through the door.
Xue Xingzhou was used to it.
Xue Yue glanced at Xue Xingjun. "Brother, does this kid co here to freeload off you often?"
At this, Xue Xingjun quickly hugged Xue Xingzhou’s leg. "I bring Brother yummy things to eat, too!"
Xue Xingzhou glanced at him with a smile. He recalled how the little brat would often stuff his pockets with leftovers he couldn’t finish and bring them over—things like an unfinished corn bun, a stead bun with a few bites already taken, or a tiny piece of candy still sticky with his saliva.
"All right, let’s get lunch started. It’s the middle of the day already," Xue Xingzhou said with a smile.
"Brother, can I eat here?" Xue Xingjun asked, looking at Xue Xingzhou with pleading eyes.
’What a question,’ Xue Xingzhou thought. ’As if he’d actually leave if I said no.’
Braised pork belly, sweet and sour atballs, a stir-fry of three shredded vegetables, half a chicken made into a spicy chili chicken dish, and the other half simred into a soup.
Whenever Xue Yue visited, she would always improve Xue Xingzhou’s als.
Xue Xingzhou couldn’t help but sigh. "He Lang, my sister is such an amazing cook. You really lucked out, you brat. Pity , her older brother, I only get to eat like this a few tis a year."
He Lang smiled. "You’re right, Brother. In fact, Yue’er and I are planning to move out soon. Why don’t you move in with us then? It’ll save you the trouble of cooking for one. The two villages are close anyway, so it won’t be a problem for getting to work."
"You’re moving out?"
He Lang nodded. "There are a lot of people in the family, so it’s not very convenient living together."
"Moving out is a good idea. Too many people under one roof can easily lead to conflict. But have you asked your parents?"
"They’re not against it. The house is crowded, and there isn’t enough room for everyone anyway."
Xue Xingzhou nodded. He knew his sister; moving out would be good for her. Living as a couple, they’d be more comfortable and have more freedom.
After the al, Xue Yue said she wanted to visit the village chief’s house.
They had looked out for her quite a bit in the past, so it was only right to pay them a visit.
Xue Yue grabbed two jars of canned fruit and a package of cookies, and went with He Lang to the village chief’s house.
Just as they entered the gate, a girl ran out and threw her arms around Xue Yue.
He Lang’s brow furrowed at the sight.
"Well, look at you, Xue Yue! Am I even your best friend anymore? You went and got married all secretly without even telling !" Yang Xiaoxia’s cute, playful voice was tinged with indignation as she pinched Xue Yue’s cheek.
Xue Yue quickly laughed along. "My dear Xiao Xia, I couldn’t help it! It all happened so suddenly, and you weren’t ho. Who was I supposed to tell? But I’m here now, aren’t I?"
The village chief’s wife added with a laugh, "That’s right. Yue’er ca by a few tis, but you were never here. Xiao Xia, we have guests! Why don’t you let them co inside first?"
Only then did Yang Xiaoxia notice the man standing next to her. She sized him up with a couple of glances, then whispered in Xue Yue’s ear, "So this is your man?"
Xue Yue nodded with a smile. "Yup. What do you think?"
Yang Xiaoxia nodded. "A real catch. Where’d you snag him?"
Xue Yue laughed and slapped her on the back. "What do you an, ’snag’? I just picked him up off the street."
"Hahaha!"
The two girls collapsed into a fit of laughter in each other’s arms.
The village chief’s wife couldn’t bear to watch. She just smiled at He Lang and said, "Co on in. Don’t mind those two. They’ve been playing together since they were children, they’re always like this. Just like real sisters."
He Lang nodded. He had never seen this side of Xue Yue before. This was how an eighteen or nineteen-year-old was supposed to be—bright and full of life.
Inside, they found the village chief smoking a water pipe. When he saw He Lang, he warmly invited him to sit down.
"You’re He Lang, right? I know your father. We’ve t a few tis and even chatted. I never expected that girl Yue’er would end up marrying you."
He Lang nodded and quickly pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket to offer him.
"Village Chief, please, have one of these. My father told what a good man you are. During the drought a few years back, when our village ran out of water, you allowed our people to co draw water from your river. My father said everyone rembers that kindness."
The village chief took a cigarette and glanced at the pack, smiling. "Qianjin cigarettes. I haven’t had these in a long ti. It was a small thing, I’m surprised they still rember it."
"That wasn’t a small thing at all. It was a matter of life and death."
"Haha."
The village chief seed to take a liking to He Lang, and the two of them sat down and fell into conversation.
Out in the yard, Yang Xiaoxia and Xue Yue finished their hushed conversation. When they ca inside, they saw the two n chatting away happily. The girls exchanged a look, Yang Xiaoxia’s eyes full of playful mockery.
On their way out of the village chief’s house, He Lang noticed Xue Yue sneaking glances at him. He chuckled. "What is it? Why do you keep sneaking peeks at ?"
Xue Yue asked with a curious expression, "What did you say to suck up to the village chief like that? You made him laugh so hard."
He Lang clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow. "What do you an, ’suck up’?"
He Lang ruffled Xue Yue’s hair.
"Hey! You ssed up my hair again," Xue Yue cried, swatting at his hand.
But He Lang just slung an arm around her shoulders and started walking them ho.
Xue Yue glanced around and whispered, "What are you doing? We’re in public. People will stare and laugh at us."
He Lang pouted nonchalantly. "What people?"
Xue Yue wriggled out of his arm. "I’m not as shaless as you are!" With that, she ran ahead.
"Hey, who are you calling shaless?" He Lang laughed and chased after her.
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