In fact, Xue Niang had been recalling several scenes intermittently recently.
Her father must have been a very distinguished person, who doted on her immensely. However, he was very busy, and every time she remembered, it was her complaining that he didn't spend time with her.
There was also someone she called her second brother. He always smiled at her, was handsome and elegant, dressed in white, like an immortal from the heavens.
That world was completely different from this one. Even the maids who served dishes and poured water wore light gauze and silk.
But it was also suffocating.
Every time she dreamed or thought of it, her chest felt tight and panicked, and her mind screamed to escape.
She began to sob softly.
Xiao Shan pressed his chest against hers. "Xue Niang, don't cry. If you don't like it, I won't do it. As long as you are willing, I will only be your husband, Xiao Shan, for this lifetime. We'll stay in this poor mountain village and be ordinary village women, is that alright? I will save more money, and I won't let you suffer."
Xiao Shan reached out to wipe her tears.
Xue Niang grabbed his hand and bit down hard.
Xiao Shan rubbed his face against the back of her neck, through her soft hair, smelling the faint lotus fragrance, and gently soothed her.
Xue Niang gradually loosened her grip.
With a thick nasal voice, she said, "I am very easy to care for, I don't need much money."
After seeing the villagers, she had gradually realized that what Xiao Shan provided her to wear and eat was of excellent quality, and the way they looked at her was filled with envy.
Not to mention the expensive medicinal herbs and nourishing soups.
Xiao Shan had given her the grace of rebirth and the affection of a husband and wife.
She had been eager to recover her memories before, but now she didn't want to. She feared that those memories would ruin her current peaceful life. She had even thought these past few days—
Of becoming his true wife.
Xiao Shan held her tightly, wishing he could meld her into his very bones.
It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter who she was. She had only one identity: the wife of Xiao Shan!
He wanted to cherish her, protect her, and erase all her pain.
...
At the same time, Liu Cheng, the village chief of Bozi Village, was smoking his pipe and feeling very agitated.
His wife had come to tell him to go to bed. Ever since Liu Demao had visited earlier, he had been like this, as if he had encountered some insurmountable problem.
She just didn't understand. They were outsiders; they should just drive them away. What was there to worry about?
Moreover, Liu Demao had already spoken his piece.
He had to contribute twice as much money to the village ancestral hall as last year.
"Just agree to it quickly. Don't wait for him to find the clan elders. By then, you'll have to agree even if you don't want to, and you won't get any credit."
"What do you know!" Liu Cheng snapped irritably.
His wife was displeased. "Enough of that. I know you well enough. Aren't you just afraid of that Xiao Shan? He's intimidating, and who in the village isn't afraid of him? Just say it's a unanimous decision by the villagers. He can't just kill people without reason again. Driving him away is for the safety of the village, and the villagers will thank you!"
"Get inside and go to sleep!"
Liu Cheng remained unmoved. His wife, angered, spat at him. "Your brain is truly smeared with shit!"
If only this matter were so easy to handle!
Not to mention that Liu Cheng had never done anything against his conscience in his life. This Xiao Shan was no ordinary person. If he drove the man away, it would be good enough if the man didn't kill him.
He still remembered that day when he went with the county magistrate to inspect the scene at Xiao Shan's courtyard. He walked a bit closer to the door and inadvertently looked up, catching a glimpse through the window.
What did he see?
That Xiao Shan actually kicked the county magistrate! Not only was the county magistrate not angry, but he was also repeatedly begging for mercy.
He was stunned at the time, thinking he was seeing things. It wasn't until Xiao Shan looked at him coldly that he was jolted awake, feeling a cold sweat break out on his back. It was clearly a warning.
Thinking about it now, was the law that allowed killing without punishment truly in effect, or was the county magistrate bending the law for personal gain?
But he could only think about it. It was not something a small figure like him could manage.
Xiao Shan must not be driven away.
In the village, he was the village's protective deity.
Moreover, in their daily interactions, this man was upright and honorable, never bothering himself with the villagers. When Zhuzi and the others worked for him, the wages they received were even higher than elsewhere.
He would be a fool to drive such a person away.
Liu Demao, relying on his family's wealth, had become increasingly ostentatious in recent years and even started to take charge of the village. Even if he found the clan elders, it would be useless!
He even threatened to move to the city if Liu Cheng didn't drive the man away.
If he really moved away, Liu Cheng would have no choice but to accept it. It would mean losing a scholar, which would not be good for the village. Huai Dong was going to take the imperial examination next year. If he passed, he would become a Ju Ren. If he moved to the city, wouldn't Bozi Village be laughed at by others?
But then again, if Xiao Shan were driven away, it was uncertain whether Huai Dong could even participate in the examination! Would the county magistrate allow him to do well? Would he allow Bozi Village to prosper?
Liu Cheng threw down his pipe. He understood clearly which was more important and which was less so. Xiao Shan must not be driven away.
The next day, as expected, the Liu clan elders came to find the village chief.
Two or three elders were invited into the house by the village chief. They whispered mysteriously, and by the time they left, the elders who had come to question him had lost all their temper.
His wife found it strange and was still displeased. She muttered a few words, all about how the village chief was stubborn and incompetent, that the benefits he received over the years were all from Liu Demao's offerings, and now that he had offended someone, life would be even harder.
This made Liu Cheng's face turn ugly. He reprimanded her harshly, scaring his wife into silence.
Meanwhile, as Xiao Shan was building his house, the villagers were still observing.
Zhuzi and the others were working well. The incident with the Tian family seemed to have truly passed, and the county yamen had not done anything to Xiao Shan. Those who had left, like Da Shuanzi, began to regret it.
Taking advantage of Xiao Shan's brief absence, they found Zhuzi to try and probe his intentions, asking Zhuzi to put in a good word for them and see if they could return to work.
After all, the wages were high, they didn't have to travel to the city, and the work wasn't strenuous. It would take at least twenty days to finish the house, and they could earn a lot of money.
"Brother Shuanzi, Brother Xiao said that only the three of us will be working from now on, and no one else is needed. You should find other work!"
Zhuzi looked down on such people and directly refused on Xiao Shan's behalf. Even if he didn't refuse, given Brother Xiao's character, he wouldn't keep such people.
"Loyal once, never again," Brother Xiao had once said.
Da Shuanzi was a little displeased. "You didn't even ask. Put in a good word for me, maybe it will work out!"
"Why should I put in a good word for you? Because you're so bold? If I say too much and Brother Xiao gets angry, he might even drive me away. If you want to come back, say it yourself. I still have my elderly mother to support, and I dare not pass messages for you."
Zhuzi was blunt. After speaking, he ignored Da Shuanzi and went back to his work.
Da Shuanzi's face darkened. "Hmph, associating with that Xiao Shan, I wonder what good will come of it in the end. Be careful you don't lose your life."
Zhuzi was so angry that he almost hit Da Shuanzi with his shovel.