Chapter 13.13 Marrying the Best Man in the World
As Yuezhi expected, a mischievous child ran back to the courtyard to check and saw a person trapped under the collapsed pile of stones. Not knowing whether the person was dead or alive, the child hurriedly called the adults over.
News of the death in the village spread quickly, and many people went to watch. When they saw the man's painful death, the villagers not only did not seek justice for him, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Old Liu kindly offered to repair his house, but he not only didn’t appreciate it, he even tried to beat him up.”
“Yesterday he was staring at my daughter and his hands and feet were all over her, which made our whole family very scared.”
"Was it the young scholar who ruined him?"
An innocent child peeked into the yard from outside and blurted out something that made all the elders in the yard turn around and scold him.
"This house was already dilapidated, and he liked to run into this run-down yard. He got crushed to death by a collapsing wall. Who can you blame?"
“Aheng is a gentle and polite boy. He must have seen that he was hit and wanted to help him, but he couldn’t save him. How can you blame him?”
"That's right, kid, don't go around spreading rumors and ruin the reputation of the little tutor. I'll spank you for it later."
“If you say anything bad about Ah Heng, his sister will be angry and won’t make you any new clothes this year.”
Every detail hits the spot where children are most afraid. The clothes Yuezhi makes are the most beautiful. In the nearby villages, any child who can wear a Yuezhi-made dress for the New Year will be the envy of all the other children.
The mischievous children covered their mouths and left the doorway. The villagers tacitly refrained from reporting the incident to the authorities. They dug up the body, wrapped it in a straw mat, and dragged it into the mountains under cover of darkness to bury it.
Yuezhi only learned what had happened in those courtyards the next morning when Wang Miaomiao came to visit her.
Because the villagers believed in Pei Heng's character, the prevailing story was that the house had been neglected for a long time, and the man was killed by a collapsing brick wall; no one else was to blame.
Wang Miaomiao believed this account, and Yuezhi was glad that no one was talking about the man dragging her into the courtyard, so she didn't care what Pei Heng did to the man when he returned to the courtyard.
“Sister Yuezhi, these herbs are picked from the mountains. They are good for your eyes. You’ve been working so hard to save money all these years, neglecting your health. Don’t you think about how worried others would be if you ruined your health?”
Yuezhi coughed twice, sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) covered with a thin quilt, and obediently listened to Wang Miaomiao's scolding.
Her vision was still a little blurry, partly from the fatigue of her daily work and partly from the effects of the sleeping gas. After a night's rest, she was finally feeling stronger.
Wang Miaomiao is now a beautiful young woman. She kept pouring water for her and helping her sort the silk threads, just like her mother, and kept saying earnestly, "You really should find someone to take care of you."
Yuezhi was impressed but didn't understand. "Aheng took very good care of me."
Wang Miaomiao glanced at her and lowered her voice, "There are some things that my husband can do but my brother can't... If you really want to take care of him, you still have to find someone you love and settle down with."
It's about getting married again...
Hearing this, Yuezhi felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
She was ready to marry and leave Pei Heng, but the voices around her seemed to urge her forward, towards the day she was destined to part ways with Pei Heng.
Even though she knew Wang Miaomiao meant well, she still felt sad, and her smiling face slowly fell.
Wang Miaomiao was a chatterbox, always saying whatever came to mind. Only Yuezhi had a good temper and wouldn't argue with her. But when she saw Yuezhi's darkened eyes, she knew something was wrong.
"Well, I have to go home to do the laundry. I'll ask my brother to come in and talk to you for a while, so you won't be restless and start doing chores again."
Wang Miaomiao left in a hurry, and a short while later, a tall figure outside lifted the curtain and walked into the inner room.
He sat silently on a chair by the kang (a heated brick bed), took out a handful of oranges and apricots from his pocket, peeled them, arranged the pulp in a plate, and handed it to Yuezhi.
Yuezhi felt a little embarrassed to have a strong, capable man do these small tasks for her.
"Brother Wang, I can peel it myself."
As she spoke, she reached for the orange in his hand, but her fingertips accidentally touched the back of the man's hand. The man, who was as strong as a bear, trembled as if he had been stung by a bee, and quickly withdrew his hand.
The man blushed and replied in a hoarse voice, "Let me peel it; the juice will get your hands dirty."
Yuezhi didn't know what to say.
Wang Qiushi is usually not very talkative. Compared to the chattering Wang Miaomiao, he is like a silent rock. He may look unapproachable, but he is actually honest, reliable, and trustworthy.
The two were in the same room, so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
Yuezhi ate the fruit on the plate in small bites, listening to the birds chirping outside the window, as if time had been stretched out.
“Yuezhi…” Wang Qiushi suddenly spoke.
Yuezhi turned to look at him. He was still sitting, his face shyly lowered. It took him a while to finally dare to look up at her.
He said solemnly, "I think you are a very good person. If you are willing, I want to take care of you and Aheng for the rest of my life and never let you and your brother suffer again."
“You’ve already taken such good care of us.” Yuezhi smiled at him. “Brother Wang, you’re a very good person. I remember all the care your whole family has given us siblings. But people can’t stay apart forever, so how can I ask you to take care of us forever?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiushi blushed deeply. He had spoken tactfully, and Yuezhi, being naive and oblivious to romantic feelings, hadn't understood the meaning behind his words.
He mustered his courage and said, "I like you, and I want to marry you."
After saying that, seeing Yuezhi's blushing cheeks and slightly panicked eyes, he quickly lowered his head again.
“In the past two years, many unidentified refugees have come to the nearby villages. I heard that they may be exiled criminals. Ah Heng is going to Yanjing to work as an official. It is too unsafe to leave you alone at home... So I want to marry you so that I can protect you at all times.”
"I truly like you. Even if you don't agree, I will still treat you well as always. I hope you won't distance yourself from me because of this."
He spoke so sincerely that Yuezhi, who was initially panicked, gradually wavered.
As he said, this marriage is good for both families. They have been neighbors for six years and can trust each other's character and temperament. Compared to other unfamiliar men, Wang Qiushi is obviously a more suitable candidate.
But she always treated him only as the older brother next door, and never saw him as she "liked" him as he claimed.
Is it possible to get married even if you're not compatible?
She hesitated, unsure how to begin.
Suddenly, the sound of a door being pushed open came from outside the window, and the two people inside froze.
The boy standing outside the door had been listening for a while. He knew what the two people inside were doing without even seeing it with his own eyes. His heart tightened, and he wanted to be happy for them, but he just couldn't bring himself to smile.
He clenched his teeth, his heart filled with fear and anger: someone was going to take Yuezhi away from him, Yuezhi was going to leave him, what should he do?
Lost in thought and unwilling to leave, he accidentally bumped the door, making a sound.
Wang Qiushi came out from the inner room, nodded apologetically to him, walked past him, and left the courtyard.
Pei Heng put down his book box and went into the inner room.
Seeing that it was Pei Heng who had returned, Yuezhi was a little surprised, "Why are you back at this hour?"
The boy puffed out his cheeks in frustration. "I was worried about you, so I asked one of the other teachers at the school to cover my lessons so I could come back earlier to be with you. Are your eyes feeling better?"
"It's much better now, I can see clearly." Yuezhi forced a smile, rubbed her face, and wanted the uneasy blush to fade away as soon as possible.
Pei Heng was half-believing and half-doubting, but he moved closer to her.
Yuezhi was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) when she saw him suddenly approach and stand beside her, looking down at her. She felt inexplicably guilty.
"I've gotten some ink on my face, Yuezhi, can you wipe it off for me?" the boy said, his voice carrying a hint of childish coquetry.
He was always sensible, so Yuezhi would never refuse. She took out a handkerchief and used one hand to support his chin.
Where can we get ink?
Yuezhi looked up at his fair face. Though her vision was blurry, she could still distinguish his skin tone from his ink. She carefully wiped her face with a handkerchief, puzzled, "There's no ink..."
Looking up and seeing the sly smile in the boy's eyes, she knew she had been tricked. She pinched his chin and said sullenly, "How old are you to still be playing these tricks? If the village kids knew, they would all laugh at you."
Pei Heng chuckled, "I thought you'd only see Wang Qiushi from now on and wouldn't need me anymore."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Yuezhi blushed, realizing what she meant. "You heard everything outside, didn't you?"
Pei Heng did not deny it, and murmured, "Brother Wang is a good person, and the Wang family are all reasonable. If you like him and want to marry him, I will not stop you."
He neither resisted nor was he happy about the comparison.
Yuezhi saw all this and her mind was in turmoil.
Although she was of marriageable age and should be settling down and starting a family, she was not dissatisfied with her current life. She had spare money, the grain jars were full, Pei Heng could earn tuition and had a promising future, and he took great care of her...
"I didn't like him, nor did I agree to be with him."
She spoke softly, already glimpsing her own invisible dependence on Pei Heng and her fear of the unknown life after marriage.
Being far from home, the only person I truly know and can rely on is Pei Heng.
Upon hearing this, the boy's feigned calm expression seemed to ripple across the lake as he breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of grievance appearing in his eyes, and he almost bit his lower lip as he spoke.
"I never thought we would be separated..."
Besides Yuezhi, who else could he trust?
He could never leave the North, never reveal his true identity, and was burdened with a crime, forever living in anonymity, hiding himself under a thick layer of ice, living cautiously and carefully.
Only by Yuezhi's side could he be his true self and breathe freely.
He couldn't imagine life without her.
The boy's eyes welled up with tears, and his voice trembled slightly. "I will definitely make something of myself, and when that happens, I will make you marry the best man in the world."
"So, could you get married later?"
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