Miss and farmhand

Huang Chu didn't pull away from the man's hand. She was used to it.

Outside, Miss Luo was crying as if she were a female character in a play, her cries full of grievances, with clear intonation and distinct words.

"Please, Brother Xu, save me. I really have no other choice. My older cousin despises me, and what will become of me in the future..." She began to sob softly again.

Huang Chu had no idea that Luo San and her aunt had fallen out. She wanted to hear what was going on, so she put a finger to her lips and gestured to the man to be quiet for the time being. Then she leaned back against the camellia tree, pricked up her ears, and began to listen.

She didn't see that the man's tightly furrowed brows became even more contorted.

He understood her meaning but remained silent. He had never said a word in front of her before, and he didn't know what she was thinking, that she would warn him not to speak.

He watched Huang Chu nestled among the branches, unaware that a camellia with a peach-yellow stamen was close to her ear, as if it were a hairpin, swaying precariously. It made one want to reach out and straighten the flower... and then pinch it.

The camellia tree separated the two couples, and the men in both couples seemed embarrassed. The man's hand, gripping Huang Chu's fabric, remained firmly in his grasp.

Zhu Xiaoxu's voice sounded even more ethereal than Luo San's, as if separated by a curtain.

"...I can talk to your teacher's wife for you. Usually, since it's your cousin, and you live with them, they won't really abandon you."

Luo San suddenly raised his voice and cried out.

"Very well. Brother Xu, please stay. My fate is in my own hands, and I shouldn't bother others..."

A rustling sound, as if something was being pulled.

Huang Chu couldn't help but peek out, his eyes hidden behind two camellias, and saw that Zhu Xiaoxu had finally taken Luo San's hand and pulled him back into his arms.

This is the limit. I can't watch anymore.

Just as she was about to gesture for the man to leave together, she heard Luo San lift her head from Zhu Xiaoxu's arms and ask coquettishly, "Brother Xu, why don't you get married?"

Zhu Xiaoxu paused without answering, but she persisted, "Is it for a mother?"

Huang Chu was startled. Before Zhu Xiaoxu could even reply, she jumped up, grabbed the man's wrist, and ran away.

The two ran back to the covered walkway. Huang Chu was panting heavily, partly from exhaustion and partly from guilt. She cautiously glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was not panting and his expression was normal. So she pretended that nothing had happened, patted her clothes, and tidied her sideburns.

She said to the man, "Just now in the garden, we didn't hear or see anything. Remember that?"

The man stared at her for a long time.

Huang Chu was prepared for him to turn around and leave without any reaction, but unexpectedly, the man nodded dully this time and said, "I understand."

"...It might actually be a happy occasion, but saying it out loud beforehand would only ruin things and be bad luck."

Huang Chu murmured, unsure whether she was speaking to herself or explaining the implications to the man.

She didn't feel anything was wrong, just surprised. Surprised that those two could be together, and surprised that she didn't seem to have any regrets.

Reborn and seeing Zhu Xiaoxu again, she thought about their marriage agreement and felt very melancholy. They had missed each other in their previous life, and she had wondered if she could protect her family and keep the promise in this life. Knowing that the man was also in her home during this time, she was troubled by these two people.

But when she actually saw with her own eyes that Zhu Xiaoxu had fallen in love with someone else, she felt as if she had been relieved, and a long sigh of relief lifted from her chest. A burden had been lifted.

She didn't want so many choices. She was already lucky to have the option to live again; giving her more choices felt less like a blessing and more like a test. She wasn't a greedy person; greedy people lose more.

He even admired Luo San-guniang because of this. She was so brave; her choice was one she earned herself. She made a decision early, without waiting for things to get as bad as possible, and without waiting for a miracle to happen. She was more capable than Huang Chu. It would be perfectly reasonable for Zhu Xiaoxu to fall in love with her because of this.

Her burden became someone else's refuge. It's like a Buddhist story of cause and effect.

Huang Chu found it exquisite, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

After thinking about it for a while, she realized that the entire corridor had been silent for a long time. She looked up and saw that the man seemed extremely bored, with his head down as if looking at the ground. But he was so tall that even with his head down, he could easily see Huang Chu.

Huang Chu didn't realize it until the excitement of eavesdropping wore off, and then she felt embarrassed. She wanted to leave quickly, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man's tanned skin on the back of his neck as he looked down. They couldn't wear nice clothes while working, and with their heads tilted back painting beams, paint would drip down onto them, so they were dressed in shorts. Huang Chu vaguely caught a glimpse of dark, mottled skin clinging to the man's body, nestled docilely at the gap between his collar and the back of his neck.

She frowned, unsure what it was, only finding it abrupt. Before she could get a closer look, the man had already straightened up, turning his head towards the shelf.

"...I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest," Huang Chu could only say.

The man shook his head and left.

Two days later, Huang Chu and Luo San Guniang dined together again in the morning. This time, however, Luo San Guniang said she was leaving and wanted to see her second cousin, as she had something to say.

Shen Xuying looked much healthier and more radiant than when she first arrived, and she spoke with more confidence, no longer sounding weak and as if she would run out of breath after saying only half a sentence.

"Why are you saying you're leaving? I'm almost fully recovered, and I was thinking of taking you and Yi Niang and Rong Niang out for a walk while we can still catch some of the last vestiges of spring. You haven't been there before, have you? There's a pavilion and a mountain spring on the back hill; the scenery is quite beautiful."

Luo San Guniang let Shen Xuying hold her hand, and her tone lost its previous harsh arrogance, instead sounding genuine.

"Don't cause any more trouble. My cousin has just recovered. Instead of taking good care of herself, you want to go out and about because of me. Who will be responsible if she gets exhausted? I think she'll be better off resting until next spring. Next year, if my cousin takes me on a spring outing, I definitely won't refuse."

Shen Xuying's mouth was half open, and she was laughing at a loss for what to do.

Luo San said, "I won't stand on ceremony with you, sister. I come to you when I'm in trouble. I had a fight with my eldest cousin, and she won't take care of me anymore. But I can't keep staying at my relatives' house; that would be disrespectful. You and your family are all kind-hearted; you won't kick me out. Instead, you're thinking of ways to entertain me. If I had any conscience, I wouldn't trouble you like this. I just wanted to ask you to tell your husband to arrange a horse-drawn carriage or oxcart, anything, to take me home. That way, we can reciprocate, and then I'll feel comfortable visiting relatives again next year and keeping you company."

Arranging carriages and horses was naturally not a problem, but Shen Xuying was puzzled: "What happened between you and your eldest sister? Why did you suddenly start arguing? Do you want me to mediate between you? How can sisters hold a grudge overnight?"

Luo San then fell silent, only smiling.

On the day of her departure, Shen Xuying was still unable to get out of bed, and Huang Chu took her away on behalf of her mother.

The carriage was borrowed from the academy and was usually used to transport students and teachers into the city. It was not luxurious, but it was not as worldly as the carriages in the mansions. The blue cloth and ebony tassels gave it a scholarly feel.

Before getting into the car, Luo San touched the ebony frame, a gentle smile in his eyes.

Huang Chu stood silently behind her, knowing what she was thinking.

Before leaving, Luo Sandu boarded the carriage, then suddenly lifted the curtain and leaned out to say to Huang Chu, "I'm sorry."

Huang Chu was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "How could that be? Auntie's words don't make sense."

Looking at her expression, Luo Sanding could tell that she was either completely unaware or genuinely didn't mind.

After a long pause, she smiled. "...If you knew the truth, you probably wouldn't forgive me. But I also want to say that I don't regret doing this. I had my own difficulties."

Huang Chu said, "Only Aunt knows the difficulties she faces. Whatever I do, as long as it's for her good, I'm willing to do it. I only hope that everything will go smoothly for Aunt in the future and that all her wishes will be fulfilled."

After saying this, he performed the curtsy.

Luo San was stunned for a long time, but in the end he didn't say anything more. He returned the greeting, lowered the curtain, and the carriage left.

As if they had agreed to avoid each other, Luo San left, and Shen Yurui arrived.

She sat on the edge of Shen Xuying's bed and said, "It's like I deliberately treated her harshly, how can I really just ignore her? She came to find you behind my back, and now look what's happened, I've become the bad guy, who knows what she'll say about me when she gets back."

Shen Xuying sat with her sister.

"How could that be? The young lady is still young and was just saying things in anger. She will know when she gets back that her elder sister truly cares for her."

She didn't look at Shen Yurui or out the window when she spoke; her eyes were fixed straight ahead, with a smile on them.

Shen Yurui knew that her younger sister resented her, especially now that she was getting better. It was impossible for her not to resent her for taking advantage of her illness to try and find someone for her husband.

But given Shen Yurui's temperament, she didn't believe Shen Xuying could do anything even if she resented her. She was the eldest daughter of the first branch of the family, and this confidence was innate. There was no daughter more noble than her in the Shen family, and no one dared to contradict her.

She ignored Shen Xuying's temper and continued talking on her own.

"Look at the way she went back. What can a little girl like her hide? Anyone with eyes can see that."

"What did you see?"

"It's settled, there's good news. The Luo family has fallen on hard times, and their daughter has to fend for herself. You and I combined aren't as capable as this little girl, so she'll have to settle her own marriage."

Shen Xuying never expected this.

"real?"

"That's right." Shen Yurui curled the corners of her lips, looking both pleased and disdainful. "You'd better watch out. How old is that girl? Fifteen? I'm seventeen this year. That country girl can find a place to stay after a couple of days without anyone saying anything, but we can't find anyone to stay with."