Chapter 1: This is your mother's new husband
A heavy rain came suddenly last night.
The already bumpy country road became even more muddy, causing Aunt Zhang, who was driving a ox cart back to the village, to lament repeatedly.
"It's really raining at a bad time, otherwise we would have rushed back to the village long ago."
She looked up at the sun in the sky, which was hanging there, swaying precariously, with most of its body already swallowed by the earth.
Aunt Zhang withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the girl in blue sitting on the ox cart, with a hint of pity and sympathy in her eyes.
"Sister Yao, please accept my condolences. You can only blame the heavens for being so blind as to take your mother away."
She let out a long sigh, the lingering sound echoing in the sky.
Si Yao sat upright on the ox cart, his back straight and his body thin.
Her slightly messy hair hung in front of her eyes, making it impossible to see the expression in her eyes. One could only see her straight nose and red lips.
The girl didn't say anything.
Aunt Zhang, who was driving the ox cart, didn't care, knowing that she must be feeling very upset.
If anyone were to ask which family in Xingyu Village had the most promising child, the first person that came to mind would be Si Yao from the Si family. This child had loved studying since childhood, and the village's senior scholar had praised him countless times. Some even claimed that this child would eventually become a high-ranking official in the capital.
Last year, he took the county's child examination and won first place, becoming a scholar at the age of twelve. He was even admitted to the county's Yunlu Academy, where he studied under a famous scholar in Qinghe County.
This child has a bright future, more promising than any other child in Xingyu Village.
It's a pity that he has a miserable life.
My father passed away when I was born, leaving only my mother and grandfather at home.
Unexpectedly, the border war was raging and the army was suddenly called up. Her mother Si Wen joined the army when she was three years old and never returned home. She was left alone with her orphan and widow to depend on each other for survival.
Fortunately, this child is a good student.
Just when the bright future of becoming a scholar was just around the corner, Si Wen, who had been missing for many years, came back, but was carried back home.
Thinking of this, Aunt Zhang couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
She was also at the scene at that time. The eldest son of the Si family was covered in blood, and it was very creepy to look at.
Sure enough, he died before the night had passed.
The ox cart bumped forward, and as the setting sun disappeared into the earth, it drove into the small mountain village at the end of the path.
*
At the west end of the small mountain village, there are three thatched houses.
A white banner was hung in front of the door, and sobbing sounds continued to come from the dilapidated courtyard.
The old man of the Si family lay on the black wooden coffin that was parked at the door of the main house, holding the coffin with both hands and wailing: "You unfilial daughter! You left home for nine years and never returned, abandoning my old father and my orphan. Now I finally wait for you to come back, but you lie down here again. How can I live with you from now on!"
The old man of the Si family has been crying for a whole day and night, and his voice is now hoarse and unpleasant.
"... Dad, my wife has passed away, please take care of yourself..."
A thin hand brought a bowl of water to the old man of the Si family.
Fang Zhiyue pursed his dry lips and said awkwardly, "Dad, drink some water to moisten your throat..."
Bang——
He hadn't finished speaking.
The bowl in his hand had been knocked over by the old man of the Si family.
The old man of the Si family suddenly turned his head and looked at him viciously, his eyes were red and swollen, and his face was haggard, like a devil.
"You jinx! I spent half a coin to buy you so that you could bring happiness to my daughter. But she died before she even made it through the fifth watch. It's all your fault! You're the one who killed her!"
Every word he spoke was like a pearl, stabbing towards Fang Zhiyue like a sharp blade.
Fang Zhiyue met his boss's father's eyes, shrank his shoulders and took two steps back, keeping his mouth shut and not daring to say a word.
"Unlucky star! Unlucky bastard! No wonder your aunt sold you out. You're such a nuisance to keep at home!"
Seeing his dull and rigid look, the old man of the Si family couldn't help but scold him a few times.
Then she didn't look at him again and continued to lie on the coffin and cry.
Fang Zhiyue seemed to be stunned by the scolding.
He stood there motionless for a long time before he responded.
He looked at the back of the old man of the Si family at a loss, then looked down at the bowl that fell to the ground.
He bent down and picked it up.
After washing it clean, she poured another bowl of water and walked back to the old man of the Si family. She said in a thin and weak voice, "Dad, please have a drink of water..."
The old man of the Si family was about to have another attack.
Suddenly, there was a noise at the gate and someone walked in.
"Uncle Feng, Sister Yao is back—"
Aunt Zhang pushed open the door and walked in first.
Si Yao followed closely behind her, pacing slowly.
"Yao'er?"
The old man of the Si family didn't care about Fang Zhiyue and immediately turned his head away.
When he saw the girl in green standing at the door, he stood up from the ground crying and laughing and ran to her.
"Yao'er, your mother—how could that old man have such a miserable life? How are we going to live in the future?"
His tears couldn't stop flowing again, his body staggered and he almost fell to the ground.
Si Yao took a step forward, grabbed his arm and held him tightly.
Her dark eyes glanced at the black wooden coffin parked in the courtyard, then returned to the old man of the Si family. "The dead cannot be resurrected, Grandfather, please take care of your health. I believe that if I knew about this, I would definitely not want to see you so sad and crying."
Her voice was steady and calm, and there was not much fluctuation in her eyes.
Si Wen's mother left home when she was three years old and never returned in all these years.
Si Yao didn't feel much sadness in his heart.
"Uncle Feng, just listen to Sister Yao. Don't cry anymore. If anything happens to you again, Sister Yao will be so embarrassed."
Aunt Zhang also comforted her.
The old man of the Si family couldn't help but sob a few more times. Perhaps Si Yao's return gave him a backbone, and he gradually stopped crying.
A pair of hands, as rough as dry skin, grasped Si Yao's. "From now on, you're the only one left for Grandfather... By the way, why did you come back? What about the academy? Does the teacher know you're back?"
Although the old man of the Si family was immersed in grief, he also knew that his granddaughter's studies were of utmost importance and could not be delayed.
"Don't worry, Grandfather..."
Si Yao responded slowly, "My granddaughter has already asked for leave from the teacher. I will return after I finish my mother's business."
"That's good, that's good."
The old man of the Si family nodded quickly.
Aunt Zhang stood there for a while, said goodbye and left.
After Si Yao sent the person out, he returned and found that there was still someone standing silently in the yard.
The boy looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. He was wearing a long gown that was washed white and didn't fit him well, revealing his thin wrist bones. He lowered his head, as dull as a stone, and said nothing.
Si Yao frowned slightly and didn't wait for her to ask.
The old man of the Si family seemed to suddenly remember something. He pulled Fang Zhiyue in front of her and said, "This is the new husband your grandfather married for your mother."
"Mother's...new husband?"
Si Yao's gaze was fixed on the man in front of him. Although he was a little shorter than the other, his aura could not be ignored.
Fang Zhiyue lowered his head again, and after feeling the gaze coming from above his head, he clenched his hands in front of him even tighter.
The old man of the Si family nodded.
But he quickly frowned again, "When your mother was carried back, a Taoist priest happened to pass by the door and said that the only way for your mother to survive was to bring good luck. That's why Grandfather bought him back. Who would have thought that he would be so useless!"
Not only did he fail to rescue the person, but he was also asked to pay half a string of copper coins as compensation.
"What are you still standing there for?"
Seeing Fang Zhiyue still standing there in a daze, the old man of the Si family gave him a shove and said, "Hurry up and clean up Yao'er's room! I didn't buy you back to live a comfortable life!"
Fang Zhiyue was pushed and staggered, almost falling to the ground.
He glanced at the sullen-looking old man of the Si family and quickly lowered his head.
Then he turned and walked towards the house to the west.
Si Yao stared at Erlang's back as he disappeared into the house, and slowly withdrew his gaze.
For the sudden appearance of a little dad.
There was no unnecessary expression on his face.
"Yao'er, now that you're back, kowtow to your mother first."
The old man of the Si family no longer cared about Fang Zhiyue and pulled Si Yao to the black wooden coffin.
Poor families in the countryside don’t have so many complicated rules.
The next morning, the village headman brought several strong young women to the Si family home and carried Si Wen's coffin toward the back hills, where the villagers of Xingyu Village buried their dead.
Si Yao, Si Wen's only daughter, walked in front wearing mourning clothes.
Fang Zhiyue and the old man of the Si family fell behind and followed staggeringly.
Many people in the village sat at their doorsteps and watched a group of people passing through the village.
Some gossipy gossips gathered together and whispered:
"It's really pitiful. He lost both his father and mother. What's the point of being well-educated? He's not as good as us."
"This girl Yao seems to be a cruel person. She didn't even shed a tear when her mother died. She has always given people a strange feeling since she was little. She always makes people feel a little uneasy."
"Hey - is that guy following behind Si Wen's new husband? He doesn't look much older than Miss Yao. He's already a widow at such a young age. He doesn't even have a biological child."
"I heard that Grandpa Si bought it for Si Wen's wedding. But he still died."
The more the men spoke, the lower their voices became.
Although others couldn't hear it, they could tell from their strange expressions that what they said was not good.
That's how people in the village are.
No matter what happens, there are always people pointing fingers behind your back.
After the funeral procession entered the back mountain, the old man of the Si family clung to the coffin and cried bitterly before burial. Seeing him with a head full of white hair, but having to send off a black-haired person, the people carrying out the funeral could not bear to pull him away, their eyes filled with sympathy and pity.
In the end, it was Si Yao who calmly helped the old man of the Si family up.
This allowed Si Wen to be buried earlier.
After the coffin was buried, the village head and his men left first.
Si Yao stayed with the old man of the Si family in front of the grave for a while before helping him walk back.
Fang Zhiyue followed closely behind, not daring to make a sound.
When he returned to the Si family, his father scolded him, "Hurry up and cook! Are you waiting for me, an old man, to do it?"
“…Yes, Dad.”
Fang Zhiyue was caught off guard by the scolding and his shoulders shook uncontrollably.
Then he hurried towards the stove.
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