"Oh, so you knew about this all along and kept it from me all this time," Shi Lan's eyes reddened, and crystal tears streamed down her cheeks.
Li Tiezhu panicked immediately and tried to wipe her tears, but he was clumsy and ended up wiping her delicate skin until it turned red.
Shi Lan turned away to avoid his fingers, glared at him, and sobbed, "You said before that you wouldn't let anyone bully me, but now they're bullying me right at my doorstep. And what have you done? I think you were just playing with me."
Li Tiezhu's face flushed instantly, his dark cheeks turning bright red. However, he denied Shi Lan's accusations. "Wife, you're wrong this time. Who said I didn't do anything? I've been going to the village head's house whenever I have free time. Do you think I went there just to chat?"
Remembering Li Zheng's help, both overt and covert, Shi Lan wiped away her tears and turned to ask him, "Then tell me, what exactly did you do?"
Li Tiezhu straightened his broad chest and back, which had slumped down a while ago, and said, "I heard rumors about you circulating in the village a while ago. I secretly inquired for a few days and found out that it was Aunt Cuihua who started spreading these lies."
Shi Lan glared at him, her meaning quite clear: it was all his fault, he was the troublemaker.
Li Tiezhu coughed awkwardly and continued to confess honestly, "I originally thought of beating her husband up, but then I thought that wouldn't work. When I saved you, some people in the village saw it. You don't remember anything from before, and you don't have a household registration. I was worried that if I beat him up, it would make a big fuss and be bad for you. So I went to the village head and begged him to register you. After that, I'll go and beat him to a pulp."
Shi Lan pursed her lips, suppressing the smile that kept welling up inside her, and raised her beautiful eyes slightly, "You're quite clever."
Li Tiezhu chuckled twice and continued, "The village head said it would be a bit troublesome to register you separately, and he wanted to wait until you gave birth so you could register with the baby. I thought that was fine, so I put it aside. I didn't expect these scoundrels to seize the opportunity and file a complaint with the county government. The village head didn't have time to notify me, so..."
"So you came to question me today," Shi Lan blinked her clear black and white eyes and glared at him reproachfully.
Li Tiezhu scratched his head sheepishly, then obediently lowered his head, looking like he was accepting the punishment.
Shi Lan couldn't bear to really get angry with him. Her act just now was just to teach him a lesson, so he wouldn't keep everything bottled up inside like a gourd with its mouth sawed off.
But then I thought about it again, and realized that his intentions were also for her own good. No wonder he had been watching her so closely lately; he was worried that she would be upset by the gossip in the village.
Shi Lan's lips curled into a slight smile; it really was tough on this simple-minded, honest boy.
After they had talked things out, the two sat together affectionately, looked at the odds and ends they had bought that day for a while, then turned off the lights and went to sleep.
The night was cool and still. Li Tiezhu had been traveling all day and was exhausted. He lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and fell asleep almost immediately. Shi Lan stared quietly at the roof beams above her head, her mind racing.
Li Chunni is living a good life, yet she still has the mind to play these kinds of tricks. It seems we need to find her something to do and let her relive the feeling of being in deep water and suffering.
The next morning, Li Tiezhu went out hunting as usual. It was almost autumn, and he needed to hunt as much game as possible. Firstly, he wanted to buy more food for his family, since they would need to add another mouth to feed in the future. Secondly, he wanted to save more money, because Shi Lan would give birth in the spring, and there would be more places to spend money then.
Shi Lan watched Li Tiezhu walk away with a smile, then locked the courtyard gate and took a detour to the neighboring Liu Family Village.
When Li Chunni was acting crazy by the river, she mentioned that Young Master Liu had a concubine from Liu Family Village. Shi Lan recalled the scene from her memory and smiled slightly. She figured that concubine must be quite shrewd; Li Chunni had spoken of her with gritted teeth.
The summer morning sun was quite strong, and Shi Lan was covered in a light sweat as she walked until she reached the entrance of Liujia Village.
Although she didn't know the concubine's name, she knew that the concubine had an older brother who was a carpenter. The villages here were not large, and there was usually only one carpenter in the neighboring villages. Shi Lan followed the village entrance and easily found the carpenter.
An hour later, Shi Lan walked contentedly along a country road, carrying an exquisitely carved makeup box.
Recalling the carpenter's understanding expression when she gave him her instructions, Shi Lan smiled and her eyes narrowed. Like brother, like sister. The Liu family's sister must also be quick to understand. If she gets those ideas to help her, she will surely be even more powerful.
Thinking about Li Chunni's future, Shi Lan secretly chuckled and lit a candle for her, hoping she would live long enough to survive until after she gave birth before dealing with her.
Shi Lan strolled leisurely back home. As she turned the corner at the village entrance, she saw a flat-topped, wide-sided horse-drawn carriage parked in front of her dilapidated wooden door. Beside the carriage stood an official in a yamen uniform, seemingly conversing with the person inside.
Shi Lan, carrying her makeup box, darted behind a tree and peeked out from behind.
At the village entrance, the village head, looking flustered, followed a government official to the cart and exchanged a few words.
Then, a young man in a blue robe lifted the carriage curtain, stepped down, and walked slowly to the dilapidated courtyard gate. He gently stroked the door panel, lowered his head slightly, and seemed somewhat sad.
Shi Lan felt that something was wrong with how things were developing. The people who came didn't seem to be there to arrest her; they seemed to be just dropping by.
After thinking for a moment, she straightened her clothes and gracefully walked along the path.
"May I ask if you gentlemen have something to discuss?"
As soon as Shi Lan finished speaking, the man in the blue robe turned around as if struck by lightning. The expression on his face made Shi Lan unconsciously take a half step back.
"Little sister," the man's fair and handsome face flushed with excitement, but when he saw Shi Lan looking at him with aloofness and wariness, his bright eyes dimmed instantly.
"Little sister, it's me, your older brother," the man said, composing himself and pressing his hands tightly to his sides as if afraid of startling Shi Lan. His slightly forward-leaning posture betrayed his barely suppressed emotions.
Shi Lan frowned and carefully examined the man. His delicate features were familiar to her, extremely similar to the one she saw in the mirror every day. The man's lips were somewhat thin, carrying a hint of determination and stubbornness. Shi Lan's lips were similar to his, but softer. Although they were not thick either, they were well-defined, carrying a woman's unique charm.
Looking at the man who bore a striking resemblance to her, Shi Lan lowered her guard slightly. She glanced at the village head, who stood respectfully to the side, not daring to speak, and tentatively asked, "Who are you?"
The man smiled wryly, unbuttoned the buttons on his collar, pulled out a warm, white jade pendant, and handed it to Shi Lan.
Shi Lan glanced down at the 'Luan' character carved with a dragon and phoenix, then slowly placed the white jade pendant with the 'Lan' character carved on it above her neck. The two jade pendants fit together perfectly, without any difference.
"This is..." Shi Lan looked at the man with surprise and uncertainty, not knowing what to say for a moment.
The man glanced at the crowd around him and said with a smile, "Little sister, there are some things I want to say to you privately."
Shi Lan understood and quickly stepped forward to open the door, welcoming the man into the courtyard together.
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