Lu Amian waited for a long time, but nothing like a stick or a fist came down.
She glanced up and saw that Meng Chijian didn't seem to be planning to teach her a lesson tonight, but he didn't seem to be in a good mood either.
Meng Chijian finally realized what that strange feeling he had been having all along was—the feeling that had been stuck in his heart since the first time he saw her.
Generally speaking, children from poor families mature early. In rural areas, a four- or five-year-old child can start helping with household chores.
Lu Amian was already of marriageable age, but she still acted like a child who hadn't grown up, as if... as if her mind had stopped at a certain moment and never grew up again.
The wedding candles burned, casting two long, silent shadows on the wall.
"Go to bed early after you finish eating."
Meng Chijian left after giving his instructions, as if it were perfectly normal not to sleep in the bridal chamber on one's wedding night.
Amian didn't think too much about it. Her mother had passed away long ago, so naturally she didn't give any advice before getting married.
She jumped onto the bed, where the soft pillows made her sink right in.
Lu Amian felt that the Meng family wasn't so scary after all. After rolling around a few times, she made a bold new resolution: she would work hard to earn money! After returning the Meng family's betrothal gifts (which should be considered a redemption), she would save some money and then open a tofu shop with Adou!
Until she paid off all the money, she had no choice but to stay and work for the Meng family. She now thought of it as being like those wealthy families in the city who had hired a few servants.
With a plan in place, a huge weight was lifted from my mind, and I slept exceptionally well that night.
Lu Amian, determined to work hard, woke up early.
Before she could figure out the layout of the house, she saw Meng Chijian carrying a bundle of hay as soon as she stepped outside.
Meng Chijian's gaze lingered on her hair for a moment, then he frowned and walked away.
Lu Amian was completely confused when a small firecracker ran out of the other room and bumped into Lu Amian's arms!
"Is that my sister-in-law? It's my new sister-in-law!" It was a little girl of about eight or nine years old, but she was very clever. "My brother is such a blockhead! Don't pay any attention to him, he's so boring!"
The girl was Meng Jing, the youngest sister in the family. She was wearing a clean, slightly worn floral dress, her hair was neatly combed, and her big eyes were very bright and cute. She was clearly a child from a well-off family.
"...Just call me Ah Mian."
“Sister A-Mian,” Meng Jing said with a smile, “but why are you still wearing our little girl’s hairstyle?”
Lu Amian blushed, "I haven't styled my hair like any other way before..."
“I can do it! Sister A-Mian~ Let me comb your hair, okay~ I’ve wanted to play the braiding game for a long time…” Meng Jing naturally grabbed her arm and shook it from side to side, while complaining, “My brothers are so boring, they’re not fun at all.”
“Okay.” A-Mian didn’t look down on her because she was a child. Instead, she nodded seriously. “I’m so happy that you can help me.”
Meng Jing pulled her into the room, combed her hair again, and chatted excitedly with Amian, letting Amian know about the family's situation.
The Meng family had split up. According to local custom, if a family splits, both parents live in the eldest son's house. However, the Meng family's situation was different; Meng's father passed away two years ago, and now Meng's mother lives with them. "Mom's eyesight has been ruined from crying because of my eldest brother's situation, and her health isn't very good now..."
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, “My second brother and sister-in-law’s family… sigh, I hardly ever see them anymore. My third brother got Dad’s blacksmith shop, and my second brother’s family got the land. My third brother wasn’t a bad person, not like what people say. But after he came back, I don’t know why, he became so cold and unapproachable.”
Lu Amian didn't feel that he had given her food, so she didn't respond.
"Oh! Why are you saying all this? Come on, look how it looks!!"
Meng Jing had a small, ornate bronze mirror. Lu Amian looked at herself in it curiously. She had a lot of hair, but the ends were dry, probably because she wasn't getting enough nutrition.
However, Meng Jing hid all the ends of her hair, and in the mirror, you could see a round-eyed girl blinking curiously.
"Sister A-Mian, you look so beautiful."
Lu Amian had never owned a mirror and could only see her face by the lake, so she had no idea what she actually looked like.
“My third brother works at the blacksmith’s shop in the city every day. I don’t have much work to do, just cooking and talking to my mother. He’ll come back to do the heavy work. Now that you’re here, things are much easier for me. We can take turns!”
People in the countryside usually eat two meals a day, except during busy farming seasons when they eat three. However, the Meng family does heavy physical labor, so they eat dry food for breakfast and dinner, and Meng Chijian buys something to eat outside for lunch and doesn't come back.
"Oh, by the way, I'll take you to see my brother's blacksmith shop later!"
Amian nodded and said, "I'll cook the meals at home from now on."
"That won't do, my brother will say I'm bullying you if he sees it. Anyway, we'll take turns making breakfast, and we'll cook dinner together, okay?"
"Alright then."
After tying their hair up, the two of them got to work together.
Meng Jing had a good impression of A Mian. The latter was not a very eloquent person, and... a bit dull. In short, she was completely different from her second sister-in-law.
Meng Jing made breakfast this morning; tomorrow it will be A Mian's turn.
Amian went to pay respects to Meng's mother. Meng's mother was an old woman who was almost blind. It was said that Meng Chijian would hire an oxcart every few months to take his mother to the clinic for treatment, and the medicine would cost a considerable amount each month. Therefore, the old woman's health was not too bad, and her legs and hearing were still quite nimble.
Amian called for help, and Meng's mother shed two more tears.
"Good boy, good boy... let me see you."
He said he was looking at her, but actually he was slowly touching her face with his calloused, dry, and warm hands. Ah Mian tilted her head back obediently.
"A pert nose, beautiful eyes, and earlobes indicate good fortune..."
The old lady was getting on in years, becoming talkative and forgetful, so Lu Amian stayed with her in the front yard, peeling peanuts. She ate quite a few during that time, as Meng's mother thought it was a good thing to replenish her qi and blood—she touched her wrist bones, which were terribly thin, with hardly any flesh on them.
"A small, hempen house, a red curtain, inside lives a plump, white man, who will give birth to a little baby next year..."
Midway through, she went to the backyard to check on Adou. The Meng family had never raised livestock before, not even chickens or ducks (probably because they were too busy to manage). The vegetable garden was also overgrown, so Adou had slept in the woodshed last night, where there were some extra haystacks. During the day, he was temporarily tied up under a tree in the backyard.
Because of A-Mian's arrival, Meng Jing was finally able to go out and play to her heart's content, instead of having to rush to the river to wash clothes every time, and then hurry home as soon as she was done—after all, no one felt comfortable leaving a blind old woman alone at home.
In the afternoon, Meng Jing happily returned home, and A Mian went out to herd the donkey.
She was unfamiliar with the village, so she rode her donkey around aimlessly, but unexpectedly encountered an uninvited guest.
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